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Another successful outing

I have a streak going -- my last four races have been defined by oppressive hot weather. Eventually the streak will have to end, and now would be a good time. My next race is the big one, Ironman Wisconsin eight weeks from yesterday.
Speaking of yesterday, it was a good day for me at the Half-Iron race in Effingham, IL. This was a small race, probably the smallest organized event I have ever run, with 130 finishers. That is certainly smaller than the 600 who participated in my last long course triathlon, and much smaller than the usual 30 thousand plus runners in the Boston Marathon. The race site was a typical midwestern campground beside a narrow artificial lake. It was well run, even as the race director struggled to conduct the race and corral her kids at the same time.
The Swim
I didn't get much of a chance to warm up in the water. I guess I dallied too long getting my transition area set. Just weeks ago, this would have thrown me into a panic, but I am starting to get comfortable with the swim and I was generally confident about yesterday's race. The race was advertised as a wave start, with the 3 waves as men, women, and beginners. This meant that 75% of the field started with me in the first wave. I hung back a little, but ultimately swam right into the middle of the crowd. The carnage was not as bad as I expected. Every new triathlete is warned about the melee in the water at the start of a race. I was kicked a few times and jostled a bit, but nothing to get worked up about. I was able to settle into a comfortable stroke quickly. The water was comfortable, the temperature of a warm swimming pool, so there were no wetsuits allowed. Even without that crutch, I was entirely comfortable during the whole swim leg. My stroke was even tracking in a straight line, which was a very pleasant surprise. This meant that I could just swim comfortably and not worry too much about picking my head out of the murky water to "sight" often. Of course I got a bit overconfident at the end and went off course rounding the last buoy. Even so, I emerged from the water with plenty of company this time. I checked my watch to find that I had taken ten minutes off my swim split -- an unbelievable improvement (42 min to 32 min).
Some of the improvement is due to preparation, but I credit most of it to the confidence of having completed the swim once before. The barriers that I face in this sport are so much more often mental and not physical. It seems like coaches and intricately planned workouts will help you improve, but a psychologist or even a hypnotist is what you need.
The Bike
There is not much to say about the bike. It was a two-lap course made up of out-and-backs. There we no loops, and the way it was set up, you are able to look every other participant in the face five times during the 52 miles. It was flat and there was a light wind. It was exactly like riding on the roads around Champaign.
The biggest drama from these three hours for me was watching as the athlete immediately in front of me was nearly struck by a utility truck during the race. Luckily, she saw it coming. I heard the ill-maintained truck's exhaust from behind the corn, but couldn't understand why the cyclist in front of was slowing until I heard the sound of tires sliding on loose gravel. The truck slid straight through the intersection (and a stop sign) with wheels locked. This lady would have been creamed if she had tried to race through. I rode up to her and talked to her about it. She didn't seem too concerned, so maybe it looked worse than it was.
I wasn't pushing too hard, but felt as if I was moving at a good pace. I would have felt better if I didn't see the leaders gain more and more ground on me over the course. The really important result was the fact that my legs didn't get tired. I did a good amount of passing in the last ten miles as other riders' legs started to fade.

The Run
On this day, this is when things got difficult. I took extra time during the second transition to re-apply sunscreen because the sun was getting intense at this point and there was no escape from the sun on this course. It was a two-loop out-and-back on a road out in the middle of corn and soybean fields. There was nothing else challenging about this leg of the race, but the heat and humidity were oppressive. Many athletes were struggling. The sun was so hot on my second lap that the asphalt became tacky underfoot. You could see the running shoe footprints in the road tar.
The aid stations had large jugs full of icewater, and these saved me. Aid station volunteers were saturating sponges with the icewater and handing them to runners, but that was not what I wanted. I saw those containers of icewater and it reminded me of a similar setup we had during August football practice in highschool. At some point, the overheated team had decided to take the top off the insulated gatorade jugs, take off their helmets and dunk their heads in the icewater. (We'd usually choose the jug of drinking water intended for use by the JV or soccer team.) So in an attempt to capture my youth and cool my core temperature, I ran up to the aid stations, shoo-ed the volunteers away, and stuck my head upside-down in the water -- up to my chin. Straightening up, the cold water ran down my back. I thanked the volunteers, and my body temperature was maintained this side of brain damage for another mile or two.
Overall
My final time was faster than last month in Innsbrook, but not significantly so. I was a little disappointed that there was not more improvement in the time, but there were other, more important improvements. The whole race was easier for me --certainly during the swim and bike before the heat became a factor. This tells me that I am on the right track for the upcoming long race.
This race was also the first time in many races that my stomach didn't turn on me. I changed my fueling strategy during the run and finished feeling so good that I was eating pizza as soon as I crossed the finish and cooled off. Hopefully, I can use what I learned to build a successful strategy for Wisconsin. That's next. I think yesterday in Effingham was an excellent stepping stone on the path toward that goal. It was a fun day as well.