Aquabike event

[luliski]

Sounds like fun and so much better than trying to train for a triathlon. Good luck!

 

[Fuller]

Update:

I was not able to do the Miami race last November due to a large dermatology incision that needed to heal but I'm back on the horse for this year's Aquabike season...

I did pretty well last Saturday placing 1st in the Over 49 division (and beating a number of under 50's) I managed to avoid any penalties on the bike and I knocked off 40 seconds from last year. My transition was 40 seconds faster too. My swim which is usually my best advantage wasn't that great due to some shoulder issues but overall I'm quite pleased.

And of course the $$$ I spent on the new bike was totally worth it!

 

[tball]

Wow, that's one fast bike! Nice!

It's all about the engine, of course. Are you doing any structured training on the bike? I think a couple of years of following well-chosen TrainerRoad plans would have you killing it on the bike.

You must have a competitive swim background, yes? You swim rocks!

 

[Fuller]

I have yet to start any structured training yet. I definitely see the advantage and the convenience but for now I just get up early to beat the heat and get my 2-3 hrs in on the road. I have a couple of areas that are good for intervals and a mixed use trail that's good for a 60 mile ride without auto traffic. At my age I doubt there's a big upside to gaining watts so I'm working to get as aero as I can. It's all about "incremental gains".

It drives me crazy that the velcro buckle is loose on my shoe and my helmet isn't sitting right!

Looking fresh after a 1/2 mile in the water with 150 of my best friends. I don't have a competitive swim background but I've spent a whole lot of time swimming after my surfboard. BTW, if you want to improve your swim stroke there's a Youtube channel "Effortless Swimming" that is quite good. Lot's of good advice.

 

[Fuller]

I finished up my local race series with 2 first place finishes and a second so I won some additional hardware for the being the series winner (and a free beer at the party). In November I will go to Miami for the USAT Long Course National Championships where there will be about 20 guys in my 65-69 age group - two former race winners and a much deeper field. It will be a challenge for sure.

After that it's a quick change over to fast twitch muscle groups and balance training - the mountain awaits!

 

[Fuller]

Here I am coming back from the 56 mile bike leg at the MiamiMan Aquabike race. This race serves as the national championship event and all the best athletes are here. My goal was to take 36 minutes for the 1.2 mile swim, 4 minutes in T1 and 2:40 for the bike. So a 3:20 total time which would put me in the mix for perhaps 3rd place finish.

That actually would have been good enough for second place this year but unfortunately I didn't have the race I wanted. I started the swim way too fast and almost had to stop to keep from hyperventilating. The course is two laps around the lake, my second lap was fine once I calmed down but I finished at almost 43 minutes. Part of that is because the course was set longer than 1.2 miles but I've done that distance way faster in practice.

T1 was fine (3:35), no issues but a bit slow as usual for me.

Started off well on the bike and by 42 miles I was still averaging almost 22 mph, well above my target. I did some legal drafting (3 bike lengths back) but ran afoul of the course marshal on his motorbike when a group of riders made it hard to stay legal. I saw him look at my bike number and get out his little notepad. Shit, I'm busted!

Heading back to the finish the wind really picked up and it was a brutal last 14 miles. A farmer had decided Sunday was a good day to burn his trash pile, the SW Miami roads took out a number of racers with big potholes, and the Sunday morning vehicle traffic made it very dangerous. My bike time was 2:46:19 plus a 4 minute penalty. Grrrr. Still I don't feel too bad about the time as the wind was a factor for everyone to some extent so my 2:40:00 estimate wasn't too far off.

Without the penalty I would have been 6th (3:32:53) but got bumped to 8th out of 24 in my age group. Putting the penalty aside (which I try to do) the guys that finished ahead of me were on the podium last year plus two new guys who had better times. The first place finisher came in at 3:16:46 so I have to find 16 minutes to be #1. Don't think that's possible but I have fun trying.

I'm already planning the changes I need to make for next year...and now it's time to think about skiing!

 

[Sibhusky]

I thought the point was to ride the bike?