Originally Posted by
VegasJen
I'm pretty happy with it overall. This was my fifth tri and that's my fastest pace so far. Not by a lot, but still fastest. And it was
mostly flat. The course was two laps that included a back-and-forth over a bridge.
As for the run, I gave it all back there. I ran right at a 10 minute/mile pace. I'm not exactly a speedy runner but in a single 5k or 10k event I'm generally around an 8:30-9 minute pace. I was just out of gas at that point. What I did really well (for me) was the swim. The swim has always been my worst event. Regardless of wave, I am usually one of the last ones out of the water. But about 9-10 months ago I started to incorporate some upper body free weights in my routine and I've been swimming at the public pool twice a week this summer. That has helped immensely. I got out of the water in the back of the pack, but I was still
in the pack.
My goal is to do 20mph pace at some point. So, I failed this time. As for power meters and watts and stuff, I have no idea about that stuff. I get on my bike and pedal like hell. As to the course, There were quite a few turns and I had to traverse a bridge a total of four times, so mostly flat, but not ideal.
If you can afford it, find a good local bike shop that specializes in fitting TT or Tri athletes. The will undoubtable get you more aero and potentially more powerful.
The problem is your goal was not attainable.
With a good fit and decent gear on a flat course, 20 mph is not too hard to achieve. With loose clothing, an upright position, and/or poor fit, 18 mph might be really good. No way to tell from the information provided. $300-400 for a really good eye with fitting equipment might be well worth the spend. If you are 80 years old or 40 pounds overweight, it is more than outstanding. The difference from 18 to 20 mph is about 35% more power and that is not so easy to do. Getting more aero is very easy to do. With the time invested to train for a Tri, getting properly dialed in on the bike is a no-brainer IMO. GL.