Race Report: Triathlon Saguenay - Sprint

The only Sprint race I'll do this year - they're too damn short! This race is also the only race Audrey and I did last year, and is thus good for comparison. 

In brief: We both did better than last year and are happy with how it all went. I did 1:11:44 (4:38 better than 2011) and Audrey took off 3:44, finishing in 1:23:51. We didn't care too much about actually doing it because we used the race as a reason to come to Jonquière for Audrey's parents' suprise 25th anniversary party which Audrey and others had organised.


Pre-Race: We spent the day preparing for the suprise party and driving up to Jonquière. Being a Friday night and being pretty relaxed, we had a few beers and glass of wine or two. We slept like babies and were up at a quarter after 6 to nail a small breaky and some coffee. We arrived at transition and set up slowly. A little too relaxed, perhaps as I almost missed the damn start, making it into the water with something like 90 seconds before the start. 

Swim (750m): 13:03. I took 1:25 from last year's swim. I put this down to a better fitting wetsuit (which isn't quite broken in yet) and simply swimming better. Last year I swam pretty crap even for the shape I was in, as I didn't swim in the straightest lines, let's say. 


Bike (T1 + 23.1km + T2): 39:36. 40 seconds better than last year. Doesn't look like much but this year the course was a touch longer than the 23.1km they say it is (they added a loop around a neighbourhood block for one of the turn-arounds brining the course closer to 24km) and the conditions were slower this year with a steady 20km/h wind. Punchy hills and 5 turn arounds make this course tricky. I also had ordinary transitions as it took me a while to get my wetty off. 

Run (5km): 19:05. 2:35 better than last year, where I ran like crap having drunk too much or something, giving me some awful cramps or stiches. This isn't an easy run course as it's punchy little hills consistently mess up your rythym. 


Other stuff: Audrey won! She crushed her 2011 performance and the rest of the women's field handily. We partied on Saturday evening having successfully suprised Eric and Diane - lot's of great food and fun times!

Audrey collecting her prize from the Race Director

Next up: The inaugural Toronto Triathlon Festival where Aug and I will both race the Olympic.