Hey guys! Sorry it has been a few days, but with traveling and racing I got a little busy and didn't always have internet. Any way, before I post my next mental trick I would like to share a bit about the Omaha Triathlon which was yesterday. I apologize if this gets a little long, but I want you all to know what I am feeling during a typical race.
First of all, yes, I did win and yes, I did reset my own course record. I didn't realize how much pressure I had put on myself to do that until after I already had finished and suddenly didn't have the pressure anymore.
We arrived there early Sunday morning, around 5:20. It is weird setting up transition in the dark with only a few floodlights to guide your way. I had my favorite pre-race song on my ipod ("Jolene" by Zac Brown Band, it helps calm me down) and I was ready to go! The 39 and under men were in the second wave, so I started at 6:06 am. The water was gorgeously warm, so I didn't even have the restriction of a wetsuit. I loved the swim portion, passing people from the waves ahead of me like they are standing still and putting 4 minutes ahead of the field is always a blast! Coming back into the beach the sun was just starting to come up. It was absolutely gorgeous; pinks and purples and yellows just starting to warm the landscape. I don't know why, but I suddenly was reminded of my good friend David who passed away recently. I knew he was going to be there helping me all day, cheering me along just like he did back at UW, the only guy cheering for my mile.
Transition was easy with no wetsuit to remove, but I did drop my shades on the way out... I wasn't about to stop, I was racing! Fortunately I did find them later. Right at the start of the bike leg there was some dude doing the sprint race who tried to keep up with me on his bike which cost twice what mine did. Now you may know me as a docile guy, but for some reason that started a fire in me. My first thought was, "This guy thinks he can run with me?? The audacity!!" I do not know why, but I decided I would not let this happen. I made an example of him on the next hill, leaving him in the dust. Don't forget, I am a nice guy, unless you're trying to race me, then you're just competition. Anyway, the bike course was different from last year. This year the hills were much more rolling and less steep. It was like a roller coaster on my Cervélo, and I was having a blast! I kept trying to shout out to everyone I would come across. This is both to encourage the other athletes and to make myself feel better. It reminds me that it should be for fun even though it is ultimately a competition.
Being in completely uncontested first place I had a police escort the whole way. It probably looked funny, this big burly cop on a huge motorcycle chatting with a scrawny guy on a 15 pound piece of carbon fiber. But I digress once again, I expanded my lead on the bike by a little bit more, which as it turned out was all I needed.
Coming out of transition 2 was fun. At this point, everyone knew I was the lead Olympic distance guy, so they were cheering loudly. If you have ever done a race of any kind, you know how much it helps to have people cheering you on. The run was hard for me. First of all, it is a very slow course. A lot of sharp turns, narrow, uneven paths, and steep climbs. Second of all, I am not used to this flatland humidity. I was having a heck of a time sucking down this thick, damp oxygen, and sweating like... well, you can insert your own inappropriate simile here, I will keep it G-rated. Anyway, I ran as hard as I had to in order to win, which probably wasn't my best show of effort since I knew I had about 5 minutes on the field. But, a win is a win, and I am proud of myself, thankful for everyone's support, and ready to start working towards my next race.
I have to mention, I did see a rabbit on the run. I was really feeling the heat and the fatigue of the whole race, and he ran along side the road up ahead of me for a ways. I think he knew I needed a pace rabbit to chase.
I will post the next mental trick this evening sometime, as well as my workout for today's recovery. Thanks for checking this out everybody! Now get off the internet and go outside and play.
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