Skip to main content

HOT in the Heart of Texas (Triathlon)

It has been a while since my last post, and even longer since my last tri. I dusted off the shoes and helmet and did a local tri in San Antonio that has been around for over 25 years, as the website says. This was the 5th race this year, and was a 400 meter pool swim, a 12 mile bike and a 5k run. The pool is 50 meters, the bike course is a 3 mile loop, 4 times, and the run is out and back.

The swim: Lets say they will need to fill it up before the slides open at 1pm! I drank my fair share and was reminded with every stroke why I should get in the pool more than once a year. Enough Said, swim to the bike!

The bike: I have a habit of finding new ways to add onto bike courses I am not familiar with. The course is a circuit, 4 laps, 3 miles each. So by the last lap there are triathletes everywhere. I was seeded 6th in the pool swim, so I was actually third to hit the water with evens starting on one side, and odds on the other. The 20 sec interval put me a minute behind the first person in the water, Jack Alexander who is a fish! When I hit the bike course it was empty, so off I rode to the end of the base, whoops! Turn around and found the course a little over a mile off... I rode comfortably within my ability and waited for the run to come. The bike course has alot of turns, so sitting upright and paying attention is very important.

The run: Its hilly, the first 1 mile is all uphill away from transition area, then it kind of levels out and heads up again to the turn around. The way back is down hill mostly so finishing is fast but hard on the quads.

Post race: Sausage hotdogs and a nice awards ceremony by the pool.

This race is a no-frills local event that people have been coming to for a reason, you can measure yourself against it year after year, race after race. T-shirt is included, but no splits on the course, just overall time. So if you are in the area, check it out and head down for a nice sprint tri.

Race Results

Comments

  1. sassy stephanieAugust 4, 2008 at 8:35 AM

    Way to go. No splits? I know that must drive you nuts. I know it would me, since I rarely remember to hit the split button.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ss_lunaAugust 4, 2008 at 9:34 AM

    part of me gets really bugged about not having splits, the other part of me really likes no splits for my first race, so I do not get stuck on numbers yet. But at the Du next weekend, you better believe I want splits :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2025 USATF Southwest Region Masters Indoor Championships - Masters Mile at UH - A New PR!

  I’ve really enjoyed Masters racing over the past couple of years, so I was excited to hit the track again for the mile at the Yeoman Fieldhouse at UH. Coming into the race, I felt strong —training had been solid and consistent, and I was ready to see what I could do. I had a good warm-up : a couple of miles of jogging, some strides , dynamic stretches, and 4 x 150m ramp-ups to 4:50 pace to get the legs firing. Race Plan & Execution They ran the mile in two heats , and I was in the second. My goal was to go out at 4:58 pace , hold that through 1009m , and then kick it up a notch . Once I started hearing my splits, I knew I was just a touch off pace —but I didn’t panic. At 809m , I still felt in control and started gradually picking it up. Navigating Traffic & The Final Push I was getting back on track when I hit lapped traffic , which forced me to run most of the penultimate lap in Lane 2 —this ended up being my slowest lap . Despite that, I closed strong , crossing t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Part 2: World Masters Indoor Championships – Gainesville

  Race day at the World Masters Indoor Championships in Gainesville, Florida , was electric. There’s something special about lining up with the best Masters runners in the world—athletes with grit, experience, and no shortage of speed. The 1500m – Strategy & Execution Going in, I knew most of the field had seed times faster than mine . But that didn’t intimidate me—it motivated me. My plan was simple: Go out with the pack. Hold on. Respect the calf. Once the gun went off, I settled in at the back of the lead group . Right away, we were rolling— sub-5 minute mile pace from the jump. I recognized a few of the names around me, and after a couple of laps, a gap started to form between the front group and the rest of us. Another runner and I worked together to bridge the gap—we traded positions briefly, and I managed to hang on for a few more laps. Eventually, I found myself in that familiar place: no man’s land . Now it was just about survival . Don’t get caught. Stay composed. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

2025 Aramco Half Marathon - A Family Affair!

This year marked Sarah’s twelfth Aramco Half Marathon, and it was a special one—it was Chloe’s first half marathon! Since Chloe qualified for Corral A , we all got to start together, which made the whole experience even better. We had a blast the night before, laying out all our race gear and making sure we were ready for the big day.  With an incoming Enzo cold front , we knew race day would be chilly —temps feeling like the 20s and plenty of wind to keep things interesting. Race Morning – The Early Grind Alarms went off at 4 AM , and we were up and fueling for the long run ahead. Once we took care of the essentials (yes, emptying the bladders is a must), we headed downtown, following our usual race-day routine. A quick walk from the Toyota Center garage to the GRB Convention Center landed us in the middle of thousands of nervous and excited runners. This was the moment it hit Chloe—this was a BIG deal. The night before, over our traditional pre-race dinner at Ciro’s , we came ...
Post a Comment
Read more