A Tale of Two Triathlons: Part I

If at first you don’t succeed … try coming up with an actual plan and then loosely following it.”

– Al Dockery 2013

I’ve been wanting to write about the 2012 Sevierville sprint triathlon for a while. How did it go? Not so good. My working title for a race report would have to be something like: The Top 10 Ways to Screw Up Your Sprint Triathlon. Let’s countdown my major malfunctions from last year.

10. No real training plan: I followed my old dysfunctional training plan of run three or four days a week and trying to get a bike ride and swim in somewhere.

9. My bike and swim workouts had no real structure. I would just swim or ride. No drills, intervals or tempo.

8. I waited until the day before the event to get my gear together and was up until midnight.

7. I thought I had been to the race site before and didn’t print out directions, which lead to driving around lost.

6. I arrived about 10 minutes before transition closed and had to set up my gear in a hurry wherever I could find a space.

5. I didn’t warm up in the pool before the race started. So when it came my turn I jumped in the pool and started swimming, the cold water took my breath, my motivation and my memories of kindergarten. I had to hang on the wall twice in a 150 yard swim.

The Finish Line wasn’t the only line I crossed at Sevierville 2012.
The Finish Line wasn’t the only line I crossed at Sevierville 2012.

4. I had no real transition strategy. I wore everything I usually wear on bike rides: CoolMax doo-rag, gloves, socks, etc. I had not bought elastic shoelaces because they just seemed gimmicky to me.

3. I did not check out the bike course in any way. Didn’t look at a bike course map with elevation profile. Yes, there was one posted online. Did not drive or ride the bike course. What did I find when I actually got out on the bike course. There was one hill – Hillzilla – so steep that I had to get off the bike and push. Talk about a spirit crusher.

2. Failure to prevent and manage injuries. The run didn’t go that well either because I could only run about 100 yards at a time due to epic shin splints. At the time I tried to therapy my way around them. Later I learned how to prevent them.

1. Perhaps my biggest blunder was having unrealistic expectations. The pattern had been there for some time. Follow crappy training plan: come in last in age group, last Clydesdale or just plain last. Yet I kept thinking that things would get better.

There were a few bright spots in this otherwise dismal outing. The weather was good. While I came in last, I did actually finish. Oh yeah, there was one bright shinning moment. As I neared the finish line, Team Al and some friends from the Rocky Top Multisport Club saw me and cheered me across the line. That almost made it worthwhile. Still anytime you drive home from a triathlon thinking about putting your bike on Craigslist and you aren’t upgrading, you’ve had a bad day.

Coming next: Sevierville Sprint Triathlon 2013 Breakthrough or Breakdown. It has thrills, chills, rain and achievement? Until then Stumble on.

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