Janesville Sprint Tri - July 6
The old Janesville triathlon was my first triathlon back in 2007. It disappeared and came back a few years later in a new location. My goal has been to win this race, and I've come in 2nd every year. This year, the race got a little hyped up on FB as a battle between the guy who won the first two years, the guy who won last year and me. It's a time trial start and we got to be the first three in the water so we could race head to head.
I was the slowest swimmer of the three so my goal in the swim was to minimize the damage. I felt like I had a decent swim so once out of T1 and onto the bike I started pushing hard and chasing. I managed to take over 2nd about a quarter of the way into the bike and started chasing down first. I caught him a little after the halfway point and then put my head down and tried to build a bit of a lead.
Nearing T2, the lead motorcycle hit a traffic cone and launched it into the air and it landed right under my front wheel. I was sure I would crash, but somehow manged to keep it upright and make it safely back to transition. The run went well, and I held onto my lead and finally won the Janesville triathlon. It was only my second overall triathlon win ever, and unfortunately the first time my parents couldn't make it to the Janesville tri.
Lactic Edge Sprint Tri - July 13
This was my first overall triathlon win last year so I wanted to go back and do this race again. Plus, it was fun and I enjoyed the bike course. I had a good swim and came out of the water toward the front of the pack. I quickly worked my way into 2nd on the bike and pushed and pushed and couldn't catch the leader. I closed the gap a bit, but eventually I settled in and accepted that I was not going to lead the way into T2 and that this would have to be a running race, something I typically lose. We came into T2 pretty close, and I was a little quicker in transition so I closed the gap a bit. Soon after T2, the leader slowed suddenly with a hamstring cramp and I was able to take the lead. I dug deep and pulled a bit of a gap and held on for the overall win.
Silver Lake Triathlon - August 17
This race was a last minute decision. The weather was looking perfect for the weekend, I was in the mood to race and I hadn't done this race in a few years. My parents were able to make it to this race so I was hoping for another overall win. They make it to most of my races, but have yet to see me win a triathlon.
The swim was decent and I came out of the water in 3rd or 4th. On the bike, I made my way into 2nd fairly quickly and started chasing down the leader. I caught him and made the pass, and then he repassed me. We went back and forth like that several times for about 6-8 miles. It was really fun, and we were pushing really hard. I decided to put in a really hard effort on a gradual climb and see if I could pull a gap. It worked, and once I got a gap I was able to extend it before T2. The run was tough and my legs were hurting. I ran slower than Janesville or Lactic Edge, but managed to hold on for the win. My parents have always been very supportive of my racing (triathlon, motocross, etc) so it was fun to get to the overall win and have them there.
In my next post I'm going to write up some quick reports for the Tri-ing for Childrens olympic tri, Age Group Nationals, and the Hyvee triathlon.
