FOURTHATLON...?!?!

Dear Friends!

Let's start by The End!!!

Yeap, you are reading correctly, yesterday,K-Swiss 2010 HK ITU Triathlon Asian Cup became instead of a triathlon a fourthatlon!!

Swim-run-bike-run...correct, T1 was 1.6 Kms running and wearing running shoes from swim finish to our bike transition area.

Before the start setting-up transition area...

                              ...everything ready...almost everything...

                                                  ...as I was still sleepy!!

                                                ...and after the race!!
What I have learned on my 3rd Olympic Triathlon race?
1- Don't train 3 days before new running drills, especially, high skipping  and butt kick running drills...result extreme hip pain and calf pain inflamated on day race!! Which affected me on last 5 Kms running...then, I moved to rin-walk-run for last 3 Kms... :-(

2- Becareful with uncontrolled "power-boat marshalls" during your swim...yeap, I have been hit twice during my swim, as I was one of the first swimmer and my swim strategy was doing a little curve to get positive tide factor on my left side to get faster to the first turning buoy...pum hitted by the f------- a------!!, second loop, I thought, let's go straight to avoid this boat over my back...but, again...I could not believe!! Anyway, of course, I am going to write an e-mail to HK Triathlon Association to inform about that fact and let's see the outcome!

3- Inspired by some "Kona running backwards finishers"...yeap, some people might thought, what an idiot...but, I just did, I finish my race running backwards and level of applauses increased!! as my triathlon time was not supposed to be too good, after so looong T1!! Anyway, I liked ...and might repeat more times in the future!! (at least I did not fall!! lol)

OK, let's go for a quick race report and comparison to LY same race, I attach my Garmin 310 XT Multisport report:
Official results:http://www.itu.sportsoho.com/result/Olympic_Results.pdf

HKITU 2010 (Result: 20th out of 118th AG-35-39)          HKITU 2009

Swim: 27'11'' (4th) (including 2 swim interruptions!!)         27'47''
T1:       7'20'' (1.6 Kms running!!)                                  3'06''
Bike:1h05'26''(10th) (strong bike...)                                        1h08'18''
T2:      2'55''                                                                      2'11''
Run:   51'12'' (72th)(injured...run-walk-run last 3Kms)                             53'26''

Total:2h34'03'' (Official time)                           2h34'47''

Friends, overall, I am satisfied with my result...if you deduct at least 5' of extra running session for T1, my ending result might have been 2h29'00'' which would mean 7th overall result, instead of 20th...bid difference...target achieved under 2h30', with a walk-run-walk time for my last 3 Kms !! yuju!!

Finally, about my CKP Global Triathlon Team results in Barcelona Garmin Olympic Triathlon,  last weekend triathlon, they did very well for their first time,as members of that new created team!

Olympic distance (bike 33 Kms instead of 40 Kms) 1,804 participants
807 Sergio Soriano 2h29´10´´
1,710 Steve Giafaglione 3h01´48´´
1,786 Patrik Stalberg 3h19´44´´
Ricard Sola DNS
Rafael Alegre DNS

Sprint Team: 79/82 total
79 Paulo Borges/Lidia Niculai/ 1h39´38´´

Last but not least, thanks to Checkpoint to offer that nice CKP Global Triatlhlon Team Elite Trisuit that we wear during our races!

Talk to you very soon on my next post!

"XTB" Xavi.