While most triathletes picked an early season sprint race as their “rust buster”, I kept training. I haven’t done a sprint since my very first TRI, in 2005, on my Wal-Mart mountain bike. To be honest, getting all my gear together for a sprint AND paying the fee for something “short”, just isn’t appealing to me. If I have to gather the gear, pay a ridiculous fee & leave my family behind, I want it to be big. At least big to me. So my first triathlon of the season is a 70.3 event, the Cutting Edge Half Classic in Effingham, IL. A 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike & a 13.1 mile run. Now that’s a triathlon.
Since I haven’t busted any rust, I’ve gone over a few of my old posts as a refresher course. I want to show up with the proper gear. I want to feel calm about the swim. I want my transition area to be on point. And I’d REALLY like the weather to cooperate (forecast is for a “feels like” temp of 98 degrees!) but I can’t control that. Here are a few of the posts that I’ve reviewed in case you too need a refresher.
Overall, I’m excited to get my TRI season started. I’ve put in a decent amount of training since January. I’ve already ridden over 800 miles. I’ve been swimming 2x a week. We all know that I’ve already ran a few miles too. I know this won’t be an amazing race but I’m hoping it will be a solid start to my season. So until Sunday, I’m just going to focus on being calm. I know I can cover the distance, I’m just anxious to see how the splits turn out. My overall TRI goal for the year is to go under 6 hours for the half iron distance. Big goal. I have to cut my swim time and put my run back on the map. I haven’t busted out a decent half marathon for the 70.3 distance in a long time. I need to fix that.
Any tri tips that will help me fly with the wind on Sunday? How are your 2016 goals coming along?
Whooha Gear Giveaway is still live til June 15th. Enter HERE.
** Happy TRIing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz
TooTallFritz 
Good luck Amanda! My goals for the year don’t involve Tri’s, but my main goal was accomlished -run 8th consecutive Boston and get my QT for 9th. That I did. Not much other goals on my docket, but starting training for fall marathon and part of that is being a pace group leader for 9-min pace group for CARA training that Yankee Runners do staged from Yankee Woods in Oak Forest.
I can’t really say I am expert and can give tips for Tri’s. I concur with your assessment that if you get better or shave far more time off that swim…that could go well in getting that faster overall FT goal you seek. If they still do this like all other Tri’s where the run follows the bike ride, then pay close attention to your “fueling” on that ride, so you come into the final half-marathon distance run…not spent or tapped-out in terms of muscle glcycogen reserves. Hammer Nutrition makes lots of products and supplements that seem targeted at the Triatholon/Rionman and ultra-distance events.
Again…sending you karma that you will run your Tri to your terms!
Love the expression “rust buster!” I’ll be borrowing that one 😉
Congrats Amanda! Tough conditions for a big race, that’s for sure! But no shame in anyone doing a Sprint or shorter distance. Short Run Long Day is tonight, and I think I’m almost dreading a 5k more than I would a marathon! Glad you are doing well.