What a TEAM is all about. - and the TDD Triathlon

In the aftermath of FIRM MAN I wanted to write a bit about some of the support I received from my fellow Comprehensive teammates.  As I mentioned in my previous entry, I really struggled nearing the end of the 56 + mile ride in Narragansett.  Being alone for most of the race really played on my psyche.  I thought it had a lot to do with being last on the bike (for most of the race, but not all) but when I emailed the team for some advice and support with this, I was floored by the response.

Too many team members to count, quickly emailed me, all giving their own stories of feeling the same way during races.  I was relieved to find out that it happens no matter where people are in their race.  They could be the lead bike, somewhere in the middle of the pack, or at the back like me. 

If I am going to continue to pursue longer distances (1/2 Ironman or Ironman) I need to be mentally prepared to experience this feeling of isolation, especially if the race is a loop course as opposed to an "out and back".  At least with "out and back" courses, riders will pass each other going out and then back in.

Now, heading into the TDD Triathlon, I was psyched for my last triathlon of the season.  I again, had times worked out in my head and was hoping for another big gain.  Of course, I was not paying enough attention to the fact that only a week before,  I had completed a 1/2 Ironman Aquabike.  And to top it off, I did a 9 mile run in the middle of the week to prepare for the Wicked 1/2 Marathon.

The race went well and I did make improvements in my times, but I did not hit my targets.  I was initially bummed about it, but that feeling soon went away as the overwhelming feeling of a great race season started to settle in.  My swim was great and this was the first race where I RAN out of the water all the way to my bike in transition.

While on my bike, my legs felt heavy for most of the ride, but I was able to cycle faster than 66 of the 383 riders.  Also good to note, I was no where near the slowest swimmer and I actually was faster than 4 of the runners.  I was most bummed about my run, but I got some good in news in the fact that the 3 mile course was actually about 3.5 miles, so my actual pace was not that bad.  In last years race, I finished in 1:59:44 and this year I did it in 1:53:47.  It was really was a good day when I take the time to look back on it, having taken off 6 minutes and doing that with a longer run.
 

I went down to the race in Douglas, MA with Andrea and took her back as well.  It was nice to stop off for lunch after the race with a few team mates before heading back to Salem. 

Another big bonus was having both Kurt and Jen at the race cheering us on and taking some pics.