2009 J-Hawk Early Bird Sprint Triathlon

J-Hawk Early Bird Sprint Triathlon
Race Report April 26, 2009
500yd Swim; 13.7 mile Bike; 5K Run

Matthew Amman
1:01:22 1st Overall
S-6:01 B-33:36(25.0 mph) R-21:47(6:45)

Back in 2007 I tried to win this race. The last triathlon race in 2006 was Camp Whitcomb Mason and I had shocked the field by coming in second overall to local pro Michael Boehmer. With the memory fresh, I put forth my best effort and did remarkably well with a tough field consisting of Nick Langer, Terry Harth, among others. I walked away with a solid second and a nasty side stitch. Then in 2008, the men's field was stacked with pros Terry Harth, Greg Thompson, Michael Boehmer plus elite racer Scott Bowe and Nick Langer. That time, I ended up third behind Boehmer and Harth.

This was my time to win. My training has not been much different than last year, but I've felt a lot stronger in all three disciplines. For the week going into the race, I put in my long run on Tuesday (1:52) plus my long bike ride of 105 miles so I felt a little tired. Previously, I had eased up on training to ensure a good race. This year I'm training through my C level races, something new to me.

Race morning it was raining and cold; however, the sky cleared up for the 11:35 wave letting us race comfortably. The temperature was in the upper 50's.

The swim was unremarkable. Scott Bowe took top honors getting out of the pool first, I came out second. Transition went well and I was glad to have the toe-covers on the shoes. On the bike course, I caught Scott around mile 1, taking the lead, and never looked back. I felt strong and tried my best to hold an even effort. My race wheels (PX 82-101 combo) worked fine although I could tell the cross winds pushed me at times. First the most part, the wind was light, the roads wet, and the corners well-swept. I was happy to put up a new course bike split record, previously held by Michael Boehmer 34:35(24.3mph). Transition 2 was quick and I started out running fast. The cross country run course was a muddy mess. Everybody was slipping and trying to avoid the large puddles. I was simply happy to run as fast as I could and not fall down. I finished strong and took the win.

My history at the race:

2009 1:01:22 S-6:01 B-33:36 R-21:47 1st
2008 1:02:49 S-6:06 B-35:02 R-21:40 3rd
2007 1:05:37 S-6:19 B-35:58 R-23:21 2nd

Overall, I was happy to see that everybody enjoyed the race. My training partner Scott Bowe did significantly better than last year mainly because he avoided riding the first section of the bike too hard. I believe last year he averaged 375 watts for the first five minutes, ouch! Adrienne, always a little timid on the bike corners and hates rain, was faster as well. She and Robbie Greco duked it out until the very end. We all survived a wet, muddy, and chilly weekend with plenty of stories to share.


Pre-Race Meal: 2 energy bars (Powerbar, ClifBar) 3 hrs before start time; RedBull (6oz) 2 hrs before start time
Race Setup: Team GearGrinder outfit, Aquaman Goggles, Swim Cap, Toe-Covers, Aero-Helmet, PX bike, PX 82-101 Race wheels (123 psi), Nike Skylon Running Shoes
Things to Remember: Training consistently works, Race smart with even efforts on swim and bike