During the winter months, Tri Alliance conduct time trials for all three legs of the triathlon so we can monitor and gauge our (personal) performances. I have always believed strongly that these time trials are about monitoring your own improvements - Love it! That is why I have done all the time trial sessions since it started (except for one run session when I was with Tony Benson for run techniques).For anyone doing a half ironman program, the recommended distances for time trials were:
Swim - 500m or 1000m
Bike - 20km
Run - 5km or 10km
Swim
I completed my first swim time trial for 2012 on Monday (14th May) evening. My swim TT was still 500m but will step up to a 1km over the next few sessions. On the side, I will time myself (or get some poor person to time and count my laps for me) to set a base. I was placed 10 seconds behind the person in front (and 60 sec in front of the first swimmer) but I could have overtaken her easily but there was just no space in the lane. I did start to lose my rhythm after about 300m as my breathing became a mess. Although I was breathing in, I felt I was not taking in any oxygen and my chest felt tight. Even though I didn't really have a goal time in mind to beat (as I had no idea how my swim fitness and technique was over summer), I did manage a personal best for the swim time trial but not < 10min.
Run
The run time trial happened on Thursday evening around the Albert Park lake. I ran the 5km time trial (and similarly) will step up to the 10km in a few months. My first 10km time trial will be done as part of the 10km Run Melbourne event.
My goal was to get below the 27min mark. I have been hovering above 27min for about 2 years now and it is getting frustratingly close but not close enough. Mind you, my times have improved but I am still to manage a consistent enough pace for the entire 5km. I actually started the time trial in the middle of the pact this time rather than being right at the back. The first 1-1.5km was good and I was actually comfortable at this point - nothing is hurting, breathing is still good and I was able to hold a pace of < 5:15 min/km. From 1.5 to 3km, my pace got slower and hovered around 5:30min/km. The last 2km was where my body started to fall apart. My quads, knees, calves, chest (pretty much everything) started to hurt. I tried as much as I could to stay positive and reminded myself that I must push through this pain to achieve my goal (to get a time < 27min).
One of the guys who is tapering for his Great Ocean Road half marathon on the weekend ran next to be during the last 1km of the time trial. When I couldn't keep up and let him passed, I then realised his pace and he just looked like he was out on a Sunday stroll - God Damn! Here I was, huffing and puffing in a world of pain but compared to others, I was like a sloth.
I managed a PB (Personal Best) but still not below 27min. It was a bittersweet achievement.
Ride
To be honest, I was very nervous about the ride time trial. I didn't sleep a wink the night before and had several small nightmares about it. The small nightmares were about being late and the reasons ranged from being caught up whilst I waited for a train (?!), not setting my alarm properly and just not turning up as I thought it was next week. The nervousness about the ride did not subside with the noise of the rain which started around 4am.
When I finally woke up at 6am, I thought to myself, "This is another day, its only a time trial." I completed an entire warm up lap before heading off to the carpark to meet up with the rest of the Half Ironman people. There are Paul V (one of the Try the Tri guys who is doing Shepparton and just bought a new Specialized - same as Lisa D's), AC, Lidia, another newbie, Coach Daz and myself heading off for the official warm up lap before the start of time trial. I thought we would have had a bigger group but only 6 people turned up for the half ironman group.
I did two laps of the teardrop loop before the start. I applied on my brakes as I wasn't too sure about the speed and how much I would need to handle the bike around the sharp turns. I was seeded at the back of the group and aligned with Lidia. This was the first time I had used my Garmin so I could actually keep count on how many loops I had done. As I had mentioned previously, I lose count after 2.
I didn't go as fast as my 10km time trial knowing that I had to double the distance compared to previous attempts. I pushed myself all the way through and didn't take it easy throughout the whole 45min+. I stood up when I rode up the hill, took a small sip of water/food with one hand and changed to harder gears with the other and rode down and around the loop with speed, increased cadence and clenched teeth.
Coaching
After the time trial, I stuck around to see how the timing was conducted (as I was taking the beginners TT group) for the Olympic Distance athletes and then rode to the carpark to meet the beginners. Only one girl turned up for the beginners group and we rode up Studley Park rather than towards Chandler Fwy as the warm up was only 20min and with beginners, they would be slower on the hills. During the warm up lap, the rain picked up too and it was a very wet warm-up, not pleasant at all.
There was only two athletes for the beginners time trial so it was easy to keep time for them. After the TT, it was a ride home, thawed out in the doona before stroke correction in the afternoon with Coach Ryan.
Thoughts moving forward...
Next time trials will be around the 9th July. Will do the 1km swim time trial and the 10km run (as part of Run Melbourne). Hope to get a base 1km done within the next week or so to set a benchmark standard. 20km ride time trial will most likely be the week after.
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