Remainder of Season Update...or...Triathlon Season, Where Have You Gone?

   I don't feel I should have to be doing this in the middle of August, but the triathlon calendar and its lack of possible races to attend (living in the northeast, sans car) deem it so.  I may only have one more triathlon for the season before the distances to travel grow too great and, by default, I end this season the way I started it:  Doing running races.

   Having started this sport so late, it would be nice to have everything figured out by now.  I suppose I should be lucky that, while this season (only my second) has proven that I did not have everything figured out, it has given me the direction in which I should be headed.

   Late this past winter, I drew up a list of about eight goals for this season.  Some of them have not yet been met, such as winning a race outright, but most importantly, the ones that hinged on time goals have been met.  While it would be nice to come across the line first, it is these time goals that are far more important because getting a pro license has nothing to do with placing and everything to do with time.

   My assumptions that long course racing would provide my best opportunity for a pro license were firmly shattered this season, as both of my half-iron distance races ended with very disappointing runs.  It seems as though I cannot yet nail down a good run at the end of a race that long.

    Surprisingly, confirmation that all is going according to plan came from Olympic Distance races; a distance I have always associated with speed, especially in the water, that I just did not have.  Well, I've knocked nearly ten minutes from my OD swim time since the Pittsburgh Triathlon last July and my running speed has been picking up.  I devoted all of the off-season to improving my swim and what an improvement it was.  It was a sacrifice to allow my biking abilities to stagnate, but in the long run, I believe it will have been a necessary step.  Although it is only August, I know that this off-season will be devoted to turning myself back into a cyclist and nailing sub-hour 40ks next season.  While improvements in my swim would be welcome, I think maintenance will be more the name of the game while I strengthen the bike again.  Opening next season with swims under 19 minutes will give me all I need in the water in consideration for my '09 goals.

   A brief outlook of the rest of my season is as follows:

   The Portage Lakes Olympic Triathlon in Akron, Ohio in early September.

   The Milton Harvest Festival 5k on September 20th.

   The Pittsburgh Great Race 10k on September 27th.

   The Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Pa on October 12th.  I'm about 85% sure I'm going to do this race, but I hope I have enough time work my run back up to sub-3 hour marathon ability.  After the Beantown disaster, I have realized just how bad of an idea it is to go into a marathon underprepared.