2009 South Milwaukee Tinman

RACE REPORT
South Milwaukee Tinman Indoor Triathlon
South Milwaukee, WI
3-14-2009

Matthew J. Amman

Official Distance 10.00
Swim .667 (47 laps)
Bike 6.71 miles
Run 2.63 (5:42 pace)

15 minute swim; 15 minute bike; 15 minute run

1st Overall

PreRace:
This was my second year doing this low-key race at the South Milwaukee Fitness Center. Again, it fell on the same day as the Blarney Run in Wauwatosa, but I was happy to forgo the gut busting 5K. Adrienne did the race as well, taking first for the women's division.

Race Morning:
No breakfast this time. We split a Red Bull two hours before hand.

Swim:
The swimming pool had lane lines in it this time and we had the pleasure of racing with Robbie Greco from Gear Grinder. Adrienne and I ahead of time decided to keep our swim pace at 1:20/100yd or slightly faster. The strategy worked well until I had some goggle issues. To compensate, I swam ahead to have some time to stop and fix them. In the end, I ended up one length ahead of Adrienne. Robbie, fresh off some club swimming, swam really hard ending up one length ahead of me.

Bike:
Ah, the stationary exercise bike. It’s nothing fancy and feels awkward when riding. I was happy to hold even power for the most part. The classic side stitch reared its ugly head but never got out of control like last year. The power level floated between 18 and 19 with only a few times easing back to 17.

Run:
Treadmill running is always easier than the real thing. I started out at 5:48 pace for the first five minutes and dialed it down from there. The last 90 seconds was at 5:00 flat and it felt hard. The stitch was present but did not hinder performance much.

Post Race and Final Thoughts:
Running five to six times a week for the last six weeks proved beneficial. My overall biking volume is down from last year, but the focus on zone 4 bike intervals is working. This race capped off the preparatory period for the beginning of the 2009 training season. Next week starts Base 1.

(Adrienne swim .653, bike 5.69, ran 2.29; 8.63; 1st overall female)

Things to Remember:
• Consistent base training pays dividends, the short hard stuff does a better job getting my abdomen in shape. Otherwise my body rebels by developing a side stitch.
• Red Bull might be enough for sprint triathlons.



Matthew J. Amman 3-18-2008

(picture from Spirit of Racine 2008)