The season’s final race was an “Olympic” distance race in Cape Cod. I will keep my summary short.
My pace plan was the same as my last race. I aimed for ~1:45/ 100m in the water, 220 watts on the bike, and 7:00/ mile on the run. I fell short on the bike (NP was 210), but the swim and run were more or less on target. Interestingly, despite lower bike power than my last race (220 watts vs. 210), I was 0.6 mph faster (21.8 mph vs. 22.4 mph) on a hillier course (131 ft ascent vs. 669 ft). There were fewer tight turns in this race, and the winds were low in both races. I don’t think my position changed much in 3 weeks, so I was surprised by my speed.
The only other notable event was that I got my first side stitch in 20 years during the last quarter mile of the run. At some point, I lost a gel I had saved for the run, and I only took one small swig of water at the aid station. The aid station was pretty crowded on my second lap, so I didn’t stop, and I assume both these issues/ decisions may have contributed to the cramp. I am hopeful I can manage cramps with better fueling and hydration.
Final time: 1:53:12. My splits are below (yellow highlight). The posted swim and bike distances are off. The swim was maybe 0.5 miles, and the bike was closer to 19.2 miles. The field was less competitive than in my last Olympic race. I finished 1/7 in the age group and 9/126 overall. My first AG podium and first top 10 is a nice way to close out the season.
Thanks again for all the feedback from this community. I am excited to take some time off structure, and do some rambling autumn trail runs. Good luck to you all in your final races.
