CRAWFISHMAN 2008
It has been a while since I have posted a complete race report. Sorry.
So far in this year 2008, I have successfully completed 10 triathlons and I have made vast improvements over previous years. It feels GREAT!
For those of you who have been following my blog since I began this thing called triathlon in 2005 you have seen BIG changes in my life and racing. It ain’t over yet!
The latest test of my health and endurance was CRAWFISHMAN in Bush Louisiana. This is a mixed size course consisting of a 1000m swim, 18mi bike, and a 4mi run. This is one of your more hilly courses in Louisiana, but a fun race and very close to home.
I have a goal for 2008. It is to finish a race in this race season with a sub 2 min per 100 swim average, a plus 22 mph per mile average, and a sub 10 min per mile average run. I am so close . . .
I am right at the sub 2 min swim goal, I am RIGHT THERE, on the plus 22 mph bike and still FAR from the sub 10 min run goal. The issue with the run is not so much my heart as it is my stomach size and the pain it causes on the run. As I am losing the weight (remember when I began training for my first triathlon at over 440 lbs and completed my first at 415 lbs!? And now I am weighing in at 281 lbs and counting!) back – as I am losing the weight my stomach is remaining bout the same BUT the skin is getting more and more loose and when I run it is very painful and when I run fast (for me) it feels like I am being punched repeatedly in the gut and back at the same time . . . Not too much fun.
A note on the loose skin. I plan to have surgery to remove the skin. It will most likely be in November. I want to reach 210 lb and hold that weight for 3 months before having the surgery. Also with my business, November/December will be the best time.
CRAWFISHMAN!
I was staying in New Orleans spending time with my Momma and little sister so I woke and drove north to Bush LA.
My bike was already at the race site since it is a bit of a rock star being one of only a very few available right now. Steve at the Spokesman fine tuned it for me and showed it off over the weekend, then hauled it to the race site for me.
I set up my transition site. This was the ONLY complaint I had for the race. There was very little room to rack on your assigned spot on the rack. If we would have all been able to rack our saddles on the rail it would have been fine, but the rack rail is very low and your saddle was too high for it so you had to rack your bike with your aero bars and it was TIGHT.
I left transition and came back and someone had knocked all of my stuff over moving my bike. I was a little miffed. I reset my transition left – returned and my stuff was knocked around AGAIN and my bike had been moved. I left my bike where it was moved to (about 3 inches to the left, but I understood since it was tight) and reset my transition AGAIN and headed to the swim start.
Swim was ok. I felt strong towards the end of the swim?????
Transition #1 was good. I got out and on the bike pretty good.
Bike was hilly. I was smoking on the down hills (obviously) and keeping about 23 to 24 mph on straight-aways, it was those darned hills! I need some work on the hills. I ended up with a 21.2 mph average. I will take it!
Transition 2 was a BLAST! Someone who has no spine, but a great sense of humor decided to goo my stuff! I picked up my race belt and there was GOO all over it and all over my race number. At first I thought it was one of mine that may have burst, but then I saw that it was meticulously spread ALL over. I have no idea why someone did this, but I thought it was pretty funny (and spineless).
Run was also hilly,. But I held my own. My goal was to go sub 12 min miles, but I couldn’t quite pull it off . . .
My finish time was 02:06. I wanted to go sub 2:20. Goal Reached! When I did this race in 2006 I finished with a time of 02:53. I will take a 40 minute improvement!
I will do a weigh in and picture log on this Thursday and post.
Thanks everyone!
So far in this year 2008, I have successfully completed 10 triathlons and I have made vast improvements over previous years. It feels GREAT!
For those of you who have been following my blog since I began this thing called triathlon in 2005 you have seen BIG changes in my life and racing. It ain’t over yet!
The latest test of my health and endurance was CRAWFISHMAN in Bush Louisiana. This is a mixed size course consisting of a 1000m swim, 18mi bike, and a 4mi run. This is one of your more hilly courses in Louisiana, but a fun race and very close to home.
I have a goal for 2008. It is to finish a race in this race season with a sub 2 min per 100 swim average, a plus 22 mph per mile average, and a sub 10 min per mile average run. I am so close . . .
I am right at the sub 2 min swim goal, I am RIGHT THERE, on the plus 22 mph bike and still FAR from the sub 10 min run goal. The issue with the run is not so much my heart as it is my stomach size and the pain it causes on the run. As I am losing the weight (remember when I began training for my first triathlon at over 440 lbs and completed my first at 415 lbs!? And now I am weighing in at 281 lbs and counting!) back – as I am losing the weight my stomach is remaining bout the same BUT the skin is getting more and more loose and when I run it is very painful and when I run fast (for me) it feels like I am being punched repeatedly in the gut and back at the same time . . . Not too much fun.
A note on the loose skin. I plan to have surgery to remove the skin. It will most likely be in November. I want to reach 210 lb and hold that weight for 3 months before having the surgery. Also with my business, November/December will be the best time.
CRAWFISHMAN!
I was staying in New Orleans spending time with my Momma and little sister so I woke and drove north to Bush LA.
My bike was already at the race site since it is a bit of a rock star being one of only a very few available right now. Steve at the Spokesman fine tuned it for me and showed it off over the weekend, then hauled it to the race site for me.
I set up my transition site. This was the ONLY complaint I had for the race. There was very little room to rack on your assigned spot on the rack. If we would have all been able to rack our saddles on the rail it would have been fine, but the rack rail is very low and your saddle was too high for it so you had to rack your bike with your aero bars and it was TIGHT.
I left transition and came back and someone had knocked all of my stuff over moving my bike. I was a little miffed. I reset my transition left – returned and my stuff was knocked around AGAIN and my bike had been moved. I left my bike where it was moved to (about 3 inches to the left, but I understood since it was tight) and reset my transition AGAIN and headed to the swim start.
Swim was ok. I felt strong towards the end of the swim?????
Transition #1 was good. I got out and on the bike pretty good.
Bike was hilly. I was smoking on the down hills (obviously) and keeping about 23 to 24 mph on straight-aways, it was those darned hills! I need some work on the hills. I ended up with a 21.2 mph average. I will take it!
Transition 2 was a BLAST! Someone who has no spine, but a great sense of humor decided to goo my stuff! I picked up my race belt and there was GOO all over it and all over my race number. At first I thought it was one of mine that may have burst, but then I saw that it was meticulously spread ALL over. I have no idea why someone did this, but I thought it was pretty funny (and spineless).
Run was also hilly,. But I held my own. My goal was to go sub 12 min miles, but I couldn’t quite pull it off . . .
My finish time was 02:06. I wanted to go sub 2:20. Goal Reached! When I did this race in 2006 I finished with a time of 02:53. I will take a 40 minute improvement!
I will do a weigh in and picture log on this Thursday and post.
Thanks everyone!
4 comments:
Congrats on running a great race!
I was thinking about the pain you're experiencing as you increase your run speed and wondered if either high fitting bike shorts during the run or one of those one piece spandex triathlon suits would help hold the loose skin in place so it doesn't move and create the pain.
I use bike shorts without the padded crotch area when I'm running and they work well. I'm down from 359 to 247 lbs, so deal with some of the same issues, though not to the same extent.
Many Blessings - William
You did great out there man. Your website is really inspirational.. Keep Training! Lee from BR TRI Here..
Great PR for that course!!! I can't believe how many races you have done this year! Hope to see ou at Memphis in May!
Hey- I said hi to you on the course. You're a great cheerleader! Congrats on a great race.
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