A week has passed since I took my new bionic titanium shoulder to my first triathlon since my bike wreck, clavicle fracture, and subsequent ORIF and fascia repair. It was an interesting 8 weeks as I returned to training as I have never experienced this type of injury before nor have I been so limited. Happily, I have regained some swim form quickly as a week from today I will be performing the longest continuous swim of my life at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City for ITU Long Course National Championships. The journey of this year won't end with a top podium finish, but the motivation to return to form should only help next year.
106 West Tri was an Inaugural Triathlon Race in Dillon (only about 9000 feet elevation, NBD) that featured a cold swim in Lake Dillon for the first time ever (legally). At check-in you received a cowboy hat and the promise from the race directors that you're likely quite stupid to pay to torture yourself in such a way. One thing was certain, and that was you can always just look up and take some pain away with how gorgeous the surrounding area of the race is despite your lack of oxygen.
The swim was over slowly, as I don't claim to be the fastest swimmer and a collarbone fracture doesn't make your slinged arm much stronger. I was glad to be out of the water and start my two laps of the long climb to Montezuma at 10,200 feet and the windy "this should feel easier" descent. My new Quintana Roo PR6 from TriSports is super light and fast which has made my lack of fitness this year easier to deal with.
I tried to treat this race as training, so I went out at what I considered a very sustainable tempo effort on the bike. It worked well today as I wasn't spent on the second climb especially as the wind picked up. The wind for the last 5 miles back to T2 was the hardest part of the ride as my weak shoulder stabilizers and deep wheels didn't cooperate together well.
Out on the run, the one thing that took away from this race occurred. The swim was nicely done and fun, the bike course was closed and amazingly well set up, but the run had water cups the size of mouth wash or sample cups. I have never needed to walk, I've survival shuffled of course, but never felt a need to walk in a race until this day. After one lap of frustrating lack of water or nutrition for a high altitude dry race, I began to get annoyed and to bonk. The last lap I spent my time seeking out bathrooms (there were none along the course or even at the turn around by the finish) and then I walked through water stations taking 5, 6, 7 mini shot sized cups of water, Nuun, and Coke. Luckily it gave me enough of a boost to finish at a mediocre pace rather than completely fall apart. I'm sure that will be corrected for what will likely be a more popular and competitive race next year as word gets out.
I was happy with a 7th place OA finish and the AG win! Won't be so easy if I get to come back next year.
On Sunday, Jess made me summit Mt. Quandry, one of Colorado's "easy" 14ers. I've slept ever since until this moment. Thanks for all the support and good luck for the remainder of the season!
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