Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Can I do it?

Now I've got Bolder and Mipper egging me on to bring home the Most Improved Award at the Columbia Triathlon. Heck, I'll be happy just to make it into the rankings somewhere!

I'll do my best. Hey, I was 9:52 away from taking 3rd place Athena hardware last year, wouldn't that do? I'm pretty positive I can do 9:52 better.

Huh? What's that you say? Not good enough? The road to hell is paved with good intentions, you say?

Okay, just for grins, let's see what being the Most Improved would take.
2005: Results NA?
2004: 36:13 faster
2003: 12.22% faster (for me, that would be 30:11 faster)

You never know what can happen on race day or who will show up, but let's just split the difference and say I would have to be 33:13 faster to win the Most Improved Award.

How could that happen? Aside from a minor miracle? And some training? My times from 2005:

  • SWIM 1500m: 48:15
  • SWIM TO BIKE TRANSITION: 5:36
  • BIKE 41 km: 1:50:02
  • BIKE TO RUN TRANSITION: 2:45
  • RUN 10 km: 1:20:21
  • FINISH 4:06:58

Improving my time by 33:13 would require something like:

  • 10 minutes off the swim: 38:15 (that's swimming 500m three times at 12:45. Maybe.)
  • 1 minute off T1: 4:36 (that's entirely possible)
  • 12 minutes off the bike: 1:38:02 (I'd have to average 15.6 mph on a tough, hilly course)
  • 13 seconds off T2: 2:33 (that's entirely possible)
  • 10 minutes off 10k: 1:10:21 (that I could do if I were fresh, but it's less than 6 minutes over my 10k PR. In a triathlon? Unlikely, but possible.)
I can do any one of those things, it's fairly likely. I just don't know if I can put it all together. I guess that's why we have races, to TEST ourselves under standard conditions, when the chips are down, right? I can only promise you that I'll give it my best shot!
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11 comments:

  1. Hollyfish1:54 PM, April 18, 2006

    NICE JOB with your swim breakthru!!! That's fantastic progress. A little adrenaline and a wetsuit will surely help things along...keep up the good work!!

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  2. Bolder2:49 PM, April 18, 2006

    none of this 'give it my best shot' business.

    your fans want HARDWARE!

    the chips are down, handle the details, and report back with a pic of you and the hardware.

    no pressure.

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  3. jeanne9:13 PM, April 18, 2006

    Even I understood the swim report for once--outstanding! Can you do it?? OF COURSE YOU CAN!

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  4. Habeela9:59 PM, April 18, 2006

    With the improvement in swimming you'll definitely make it! What are you doing for swimming? Are you just putting in the laps? Doing negative splits? Using paddles and fins?

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  5. tri-mama10:00 PM, April 18, 2006

    Go For It!!!!!

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  6. Dawn - Pink Chick Tris12:44 AM, April 19, 2006

    Go for it Lady....

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  7. Downhillnut11:15 AM, April 19, 2006

    Hardware is not necessary. But kicking butt for it sure is worth the effort!

    Push those limits, do your slammin' best and hardware or not, you'll be grinning like a cheshire later :D

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  8. Fe-lady11:37 AM, April 19, 2006

    Yes, cut down at least by at LEAST a min or two on that first transition! You can do this! :-)

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  9. Nancy Toby12:03 PM, April 19, 2006

    It's a REALLY REALLY big transition zone with a big staggering uphill run coming out of the water!! But I'll do my best! :-)

    Er, that's SLAMMIN' best.

    And oh, I've been using swim workouts prescribed to me by my swim coach Yurtie in Australia. Some fins and pull-buoy, but not too much.

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  10. Cliff12:09 PM, April 19, 2006

    Congrat on your swim time..(just read the previous ppost) :)... taht means your technique is improving..

    I think u can reduce T-1 transition to about 2-3 min. As SimplyStu said...fast transition = free speed...i love free stuff :)

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  11. *jeanne*10:08 PM, April 20, 2006

    FAST Transition = free SPEED! Good one!

    Think of all those PRs you set this past year!

    Go, Nance, GO! :-)

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