This is the 3rd of 3 articles written about my new found racing career. For Montana multi-sport athletes, September means the end of a long triathlon season that started in April, and there is no better place to close things out than right in Bozeman. The sprint distance Bobcat Triathlon on September 25th becomes a unique source of pride for those who complete it, as the race brings both new club athletes looking to (literally) get their feet wet and get first-race jitters out of the way, and it is also a chance for some of the top triathletes in Montana to duke it out one last time before winter.
This years Bobcat Tri was going to be a little different however. Early in the summer, MSU decided that the club faculty advisor, who was an expert event planner and managed the previous 2 races, couldn't continue putting everything together and the burden of race directing fell on the clubs shoulders. It would become a test of organization for college students already pressed with rigorous class schedules. Thankfully, after some initial drawbacks and last-second orders, we were ready to go.
Swim: Unlike most races in the state, the Bobcat has an indoor pool swim for the first leg. 2 swimmers per lane with start heats spread out makes swimming slightly less stressful, and I foolishly thought this would work to my advantage. Alas, my swimming is still a weakness and even though I felt fast, chlorine leaked through my googles and I quit flip-turning from fatigue 15 laps in, my time wasn't spectacular and I got out of the pool a little behind my heat leaders. 1000 meter swim in 19:07
Bike: This is where the fun began. Early on biking down Kagy I managed to pass 5 or 6 people who beat me out of the water, and knowing the elevation of Kagy/Bear Canyon Road like the back of my hand, was able to use the course to my advantage and make a full-on charge. I was able to shave roughly 6 minutes off my bike time from last year and even after getting passed by 2 old-timers on much fancier bikes, I came back into TA in much better position than what I started riding with. 20 km bike in 34:50.
Run: Once again my strength. I passed those same older guys pretty quickly on foot and had a fairly eerie run through an empty MSU campus. Then on the Gallagator Trail I passed teammate Sam Knox as we were heading in opposite directions. Sam beat me out of the water, but I must have gotten out of transition faster and remained ahead of him for the remainder of the race, this passing point reassured that. 5 km run in 20:59.
While not quite what I expected, this years Bobcat proved to be a success in its own right. I came in expecting to at least set a sprint distance PR, and wound up placing 4th out of the 29 males competing, my second overall podium.
It's safe to say that my first full triathlon season was a success. I was able to really take control of my racing and go for longer periods of time in the 'pain cave' recognizing that pushing myself harder is what it takes to get to the next level and cut down my times. I landed my first 3 sponsors, qualified for both Collegiate Club National Championships and Age Group National Championships and networked within the multi-sport community. With dedication, intense training and a "can-do" attitude, it will be exciting to see where the sport of triathlon takes me.
But on another note, tri season ending means that nordic ski season is literally just around the corner.
(Since there are no properly-sized photos from the Bobcat, this is me during the bike portion of Conference Championships on 9/11)
