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Race Result
| Racer: |
Bradley Schultz |
| Race: |
The Nation's Triathlon (TNT) |
| Date: |
Sunday, September 13, 2009 |
| Location: |
Washington, DC |
| Race Type: |
Triathlon - International Distance |
| Age Group: |
Male 40 - 44 |
| Time: |
2:41:53 |
| Overall Place: |
980 / 2484 |
| Age Group Place: |
148 / 461 |
| Comment: |
My AGE GROUP Was Bigger Than Reston - Mindblowing |
Race Report:
Swim:36:08 (2:13/100 yds)
T1: 3:16
Bike: 1:09:21 (21.5 mph)
T2: 3:11
Run: 49:59 (8:04/mile)
Well, the RATS were well represented in the men’s 40-44 AG at Nation’s. It was great to meet a fellow RAT, JB Toner, in the very same swim wave. I gave him a shout out on the bike course, too.
PRE RACE
I had a prime rack spot just off a big row marker, so I would have no issues finding my bike and racking it in the transitions. There were upsides to being herded into the swim pen well before race start: more time to stretch, and more time to get through the looong outhouse lines. (Note to single fellas—sporting a roll of TP at a triathlon is a chick magnet like you wouldn’t believe.)
SWIM
Thanks to the Reston swim practice and a session at the quarry the week before, plus the swim practice in the Potomac on Saturday, I’d worked out my open water anxieties and hit my rhythm—such as it is—pretty much right from the start. Tried drafting, but couldn’t stay on anyone’s feet. The swim is truly my anchor, no pun intended, and the numbers bear this out.
T1
In, remembered to mount and set my Garmin, out. Yes, the transition area was big, but how did that take 3 minutes?? My calves cramped pulling off my wetsuit so I hit the electrolytes harder than planned for the rest of the race and was fine.
BIKE
Pretty much flew. I was very happy to top the 20 mph threshold, not knowing the course. Lots of idiots cruising on the left, a couple of whom almost ran me into shoulder potholes. I noticed I was not getting passed much, and reeled in all but one who did. I was really having fun, so I decided to sell out on the bike. A volunteer spotter saved a bunch of sure flats/bent rims by calling out a huge bridge seam coming down off the Whitehurst Freeway.
T2
Forgot my Garmin, but remembered my race number belt—a worthy tradeoff. Another 3+ minutes I’ll never get back though.
RUN
Without my Garmin, I only had my watch and the mile markers to check my progress on my goal, which was a sub 50-minute run. At mile 4, I was only 45 seconds off my target, so even though I was gassed from hitting the bike hard, I knew I had it in my sights. I upped the pace at mile 4 and again at mile 5, and with a good, long sightline to the finish, I kicked it in and hit my goal with one second to spare.
POST RACE
Going into the post race festival, I thought the worst when my first sight was of a paying snack stand. Thankfully, the aforementioned nutella sandwiches, cookies, water, bananas, etc. were all free. There was a line hundreds of yards long line that took 15 minutes to get through, just to get back IN to transition after the race. All in all, a fun, flat race, good for faster times than Reston, but the logistics are a real headache. Reston World Championships 2010, here I come!
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