Hagg Lake Race Report

July 12th, 2009 | by fredrik.eriksson |

Yesterday’s sprint race at Hagg Lake was my best triathlon so far, which took me by surprised since I didn’t mark it as a high-priority event. I’ve focused on longer and more endurance-specific workouts this season in preparation for the Olympic distance.

The weather was not optimal for a fast race. It was overcast and 60-something the whole time and I felt stiff on the bike. Comfortable running temperature, though.

A brief race report below the pictures.

  • Not liking the long line to get body marked.
  • The line was so long they decided to skip the age markings on the right calf.
  • ...
  • ...
  • Awaiting the start signal, which came as a complete surprise.
  • Emerging from a decent swim along with a bunch of people from other start waves. The swim was very chaotic.
  • The fateful fall where I lost my timing chip.
  • The kids' favorite activity at my races: Eating (in this case blueberries from Grandma and Grandpa's garden).
  • Adjusting my number bib.
  • Let the chase begin.
  • Returning from a decent ride.
  • More food for Navy.
  • Heading out on what was to be my best triathlon run to-date. 5k in 19:02.
  • ...
  • I had a strong finish.
  • "Sorry, but I don't have timing chip for you to cut."
  • No, I didn't hide it anywhere.
  • Post-race chat with Don. He finished #3 overall.
  • Time for chilled chocolate milk. Xan needed some coffee.
  • ...
  • This is what a results list looks like when you lose your timing chip.
  • My first age-group medal, and it was GOLD!

Swim – 14:15 – 50th Place
Had secret hopes of breaking 14 minutes but was very pleased with 14:15, which put me in 50th place overall.

T1 – ?
The reason why I don’t have an official time is that I lost my timing chip during a fall on the way up to the transition area. Fortunately, my trusted Timex watch still works, so I was able to keep time myself.

Bike – Right around 34:00 (unofficial) – 5th or 6th Place
Didn’t feel great and held back a bit, trying to save some for the run. Still improved by about half a minute from last year.

T2 – ?

Run – 19:02 (unofficial) – 2nd Place
My best triathlon run ever. Felt OK coming out of T2 and really hit my stride at the 2 km mark. The final kilometer was awesome and I chased down a couple of competitors.

Final Time: 1:11:10 (official) – 4th Overall and 1st in my age group (35-39)!

Off to Portugal tomorrow. Will try to squeeze in a few runs but otherwise take it easy for a week between business appointments.

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