Final Thoughts from the Square Lake Sprint Triathlon

Here are 6 more thoughts since writing up my race report earlier in the week:

• ONE: That 5K split was something special! I ran an 18:02 (5:48/mile) on a NOT FLAT course at the end of this race. That was my best of the last 4 years at this race. And it was 0:45 faster than the next best runner. And looking at my half-mile splits, I had a perfect descend (or negative split): 3:07, 2:59, 2:57, 2:53, 2:51, and 2:42 (before a final 0:30 down the steep hill to the finish).

I looked back at other multisport races, and I've never see a pace like that for a similar distance. Here's what I found:

- 14:51 2.5 mile run at the 2019 Heart of the Lakes Triathlon (5:56 pace), which was one of my best triathlons right before COVID

- 18:25 indoor 5K on a track at the 2019 YWCA Tri (after a MUCH shorter bike)

- 18:11 3 mile at the 2018 Falls Duathlon

- 18:32 5K at the 2018 Maple Grove Triathlon (after a shorter and flatter bike compared to this recent race)

- 17:12 2.90 mile run at the 2018 One Last Tri (6:06 pace)

- 18:27 5K at the 2017 Trinona Triathlon (a race I was really well-trained for)

Happy to have held that pace after one of my fastest bike splits in history! (I think my fastest bike split was the 2017 Tri-ing for Children Triathlon where I posted a 23.1 mph split on a 15 mile course, and then posted an 18:24 5K. The results have me with a 23.1 mph bike split at Square Lake earlier this week, but my Garmin has that as 23.0 mph.) And it's worth noting that both this bike and this run were both TWICE as hilly as the fast 2017 race - a difference on the bike of 600 vs. 1200 feet, and a difference on the run of 95 vs. 180 feet of total elevation change!

• TWO: The men's 35-39 age group was tough! First in that age group was 7th overall (about 7 minutes behind me), and then 9th, 10th, and 11th overall were all from that same group. So 11th overall got no age group award even though first in that age group was just a few spots in front of him. Ouch.

Speaking of that age group, I think it was 10th place overall (3rd in this age group) who's the "culprit" in the next point...

• THREE: Here's the guy who drafted me. Looking through some race photos, I'm 99% sure this is him:

He ended up with a bike split that was 2 minutes slower than mine, which also makes sense if I flew past him a few miles in, then he tried to maintain for a few miles, and then I pulled away for the last half. I had a 2 min lead on him (because of the bike split) coming into T2, and then I really ran away, posting a run split that was 7 mins faster for a 9+ min lead at the finish. Like I mentioned in my race report, I think he helped push me to a faster bike split (at least faster in those middle miles) because I was annoyed to have someone on my tail. Again, not "illegal" at this race, and I don't know how deliberate it was (or if he was just trying to keep up), but just a slight annoyance that got me working hard out there!

• FOUR: I (unintentionally) used a different nutrition strategy at this race. First, I didn't think I was out of PowerBars at home, but I was. I usually eat somewhere between a half and a full PowerBar before the race if I'm a bit hungry, but that wasn't an option. Second, I just FORGOT that I usually put a Roctane GU on my bike to have part way through my ride. Just totally forgot about that until I was riding and thought "wait... don't I usually have a gel here? And then cram the wrapper up the leg of my shorts to keep from littering?" Turns out I didn't need it. Maybe it just slows me down.

• FIVE: I've never seen my "bike exercise load" so high as during that race! I was WORKING! I posted about a long HOT run a few weeks back where I set a PR for my "exercise load" because of how hard I worked (with a load of 416). My loads on my bike rides are MUCH lower, usually around 160 for a longer/harder ride - I had a 38 mile ride with 4x5 mile intervals as part of that with a load of 159 recently. For the race last weekend, I had a bike load of 250...

... and then a PR load of 458 on the final 5K run!!!!

• SIX: Finally, a funny story from just after the race. I finished and started walking the course backwards to keep moving, and people were congratulating me - I was the first to the line, but didn't know how I finished at the moment (I SUSPECTED I could have won, but wasn't sure, and I ended up 2nd overall by 0:13 as you can read in my race report). There was an older guy that reminded be a bit of my late Grandpa Clem who got lots of people's attention around us when he louded asked "Did ya win?!?" from across the road. I said "possibly! I'm not sure yet." "Well, does that come with like a check for $10,000?!?" he asked. Everyone around laughed. I paused for a second, and then said "I took tomatoes to the State Fair, and I won a red ribbon. Literally yesterday, my ribbon arrived in the mail, and I was surpised to also get a $5 check along with that! So I'm currently riding high on THAT unexpected income!!" Everyone around laughed again, and the old guy said "Ya might as well retire now! You're set!" I loved all of that.

Again, here's my race report if you missed it. Back with some race photos shortly, and/or some more hard TC 10 Mile training updates.