Mock Olympic Workout

Sunday our team, Outspokin Multisport Team, did a mock Olympic tri at Clearwater Beach.  Basically it was a supported swim, a bike and a run.  Do as much or as little as you want.  The goal for me was just to do all three back-to-back. I didn't want to simulate a race with transitions as there really wasn't room to set up and none of my upcoming races have the added issue of beaches so that would just frustrate me.  About 40 people showed up to the event, which replaced our usual Sunday OWS.  

The swim was a new drill.  We called it the mile washing machine drill.  If you want to know what swimming in a washing machine feels like, this is it.  The Gulf of Mexico was not happy (yellow flag beach) and we had some pretty decent swells.  The waves were breaking at a sand bar about 50 meters or so off shore and then they would slosh around until they would break again at the shore.  I could not see over the swells and several broke over my head and crashed right on top of me as we swam parallel to the shore.  We couldn't really go out as they were breaking all the way past the sandbar and it's a bit dangerous to go out too far off shore due to currents.  I'm also terrified of sharks (completely unfounded) so I don't venture out too far or alone.  So the normally flat and glass clear Gulf decided to be a hard ass.  There was a lot of stopping for choking on water or not being able to see my sighting buoys but overall it was ok.  I didn't mind swimming up and down the hills of the swells but I did mind that often when I would go to breathe, I was at the wrong point of the wave and got smacked in the face with a wall of water.  But when I could get going, my swimming was pretty strong.

The bike suffered a little from the swim so I took it easy.  Riding parallel to the coast, I got a nice clinic in control with the new 80mm wheels.  See my gear review for more on the wheels.  They do get twitchy in crosswinds and it's good practice for me to get used to that, especially for windy IM Maryland.  There was a good headwind along Gulf Blvd which turned to a nice tail wind on the way back.  I only had one causeway to deal with (5.5% grade and relatively short) over and back.  Gulf Blvd does have traffic but there is a nice bike lane and smooth pavement until below Indian Rocks.  Then the bike lane became rough and it was better to try to ride out in traffic.  I misjudged the turn around and only ended up with 22 out of the 24 miles but that was fine with me.  

     Me at a red light. Thanks to Leo for the drive by. 

The run was bad.  It was 9:30am by the time I started my run and I know why they don't do long tris in Florida in the summer.  By 9:30 it was 90 degrees with a feels like of nearly 100. No shade on the Memorial Causeway and lack of wind made me cook.  My first mile was ok as I was in the shade of the buildings on Clearwater Beach but once out in the open, I cooked.  I ended up doing the distance, just about 20 minutes slower than my normal 10k time.  Shirt off, water over the head, everything I could do to keep cool.  

Overall this was a good gauge of where I am in training and where I need to work for the next few months.  With USAT Age Group Nationals less than a month away, I am ok on the Olympic distance and now need to inch up the endurance training for the longer IM segments.  I travel next week so it will be a good recovery week from the hilly (for Florida) 42 mile bike on Saturday and the three-sport brick Sunday.