Keys To The Race

I have been watching a lot of playoff basketball lately and before every game , some former basketball player always gives his "Keys To The Game", in other words, it is what he thinks the team needs to do to win the game. So with that in mind, I give you the first ever Daily Trainings keys to the Race; Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon.

The Swim:
This race is a time trial swim, meaning athletes start out every three seconds. I highly doubt that it will be wetsuit legal since we have had high temps in or near 90 this past week. The lake is only 6ft deep max, so I am not counting on wearing a wetsuit. I have to get into a pace soon and remember that a steady swim is best for me. I am looking to go sub 30 minutes on this swim. If I come out of the swim feeling strong, not tired or winded, then I should be set up for a strong bike. It is an unusual shaped swim, and once I make that first turn around the buoy, it is a fairly straight shot throught he channel. This swim is very spectator friendly, and nice to hear loved ones cheering you on!

The Bike:
The bike is one area where I have to not crush it so hard that I am out of it when it comes time to run. I am looking to average around 21mph for the ride, which will put me in a great position to have a solid run and meet my goal times. I need to ride my ride and not worry about others passing me or be too concerned about passing people. I want speed, but I do not want to go out too hard.

The Run:
Thihs is what I have struggled with the past three years. I burn out on the run. I am hoping my bike fitness is better, and I can finally overcome this obstacle. Here are the times from my last three MIM races:

Year                                           Overall Time                        Run Time                   Pace
2008                                              3:44                                    1:27:14                   14:03
2009                                              2:57                                    1:01:07                     9:50
2010                                              **** went on a cruise no race****
2011                                              3:00:57                                1:11:23                   11:29

Not great numbers there (although the run course was 1/2 mile longer than it should have been). I have known for awhile that the run is where I need my most work, and I have really tried to focus on it this year. So with that in mind, I have three main goals for the run this year.

1. No walking what-so-ever. I know that the first walk leads to the second walk, which leads to the third walk and so on and so on. I have to keep a steady pace.
2. Get to the 4 mile mark. Once I know there is only two miles left, something hits in my brain that tells me I am almost done and it flies by.
3. Under 1 hour. I need to get my run under the one hour mark, and when I do that, I should have a new PR on my hands. I know I do not have to haul balls to hit that mark either, but the further under the hour I go, the better.

I do have high expectations this year. Last year the bike and run were done in a thunderstorm, and I was on a borrowed bike that I picked up 3 days before the race, and I still would have PR'd if the distance was marked correctly, which would have continued my trend of getting faster, but I am looking for a significant time difference this year. I am shooting for a 2:45-2:47. Wish me luck and send all fast thoughts my way Sunday morning! Thanks for reading!