Sprint Triathlon Series Race 1 and the National Duathlon Championships

Birkirkara St. Joseph Sprint Triathlon Series Race 1

Hi,

On the 8th of June, I was on the starting line of one of my most awaited races of the year: the first race of a series of 4 Sprint Triathlons (750m Swim - 20km Bike - 5km Run)organised by my club Birkirkara St. Joseph. I was eager as this was going to be the first triathlon of the season - all the other races before had been either running only or duathlons which I am not particularly good at. This year the venue was changed from the usual Coast Road route to a new one in Birzebbugia. Since it is close to home, I was quite familiar with the route although like all other athletes I had tons of questions about turnaround points and laps. Having also trained during the week in the sea rather than pool sessions, I knew the water was still cold. The only wetsuit race I had in March had not gone so well and I was a bit afraid that I might be underperforming because the wetsuit although it should always give you an advantage due to its buoyancy.

I was early at the venue to warm up well as I was eager to see if and by how much I would have improved especially in the swim and run (the bike course, being hillier does not count for a comparison). The race started a bit late but I was very relaxed and chatted with others to keep pressure low. I was up front for the swim and as soon as the horn blew I tried to gain a good place. We had to go around 3 buoys and I noticed I was exactly behind the leading group till the second buoy. I struggled only from the second to the third buoy as there were some smaller buoys present and I had to sight more frequently to check I was swimming straight. In fact I noticed I was at a disadvantage as some swimmers had reached me and could not keep up with them. I still managed an unprecedented 8th place out of the water in 13mins 1sec (Personal Best by 25sec and very close to my target this year to make it in less than 13mins) and wanted to be as fast as possible in transition because some other triathletes were without a wetsuit and could gain an advantage in getting on the bike quicker. Transition was quite smooth although my glasses fell off and had to pick them up.

 Pretty Bay Swim Details 

The bike segment was a bit tougher than expected - my usual training on the course would not be with race conditions and I had to fight hard so as not to let other athletes go past me. There were a number of good bikers and I kept a bit back from pushing harder as I did not want to run on very tired feet. The road leading from Birzebbugia to Hal Far should have been closed to traffic but it was very crammed with the competitors, some commuters, cars and even a horse! Not what I usually expect in a race like this. I managed to finish in 38:26 and strangely felt stronger and fresh to run.

Birzebbugia-Hal Far Cycle Details 

This year I have done a minimal number of brick workouts so far but I must say I still feel very strong when switching from bike to run. Even though I had gained a good advantage especially in the swim, stronger runners quickly caught up during the 3 laps around pretty bay promenade. This was the first race I have been where the atmosphere was very special as there were a number of bypassers, commuters, joggers and people sitting on the various benches who were constantly talking about the race. I also saw some people cheering at athletes from house balconies which is very nice and unusual in a Maltese race. I was keeping a very good pace - my best yet of 4mins20sec/km and although I badly wanted to increase to keep up with some better runners I held to that pace as I knew this was the  most I could sustain for 5km. Considering that many feel running is their strongest part in triathlon, I managed a very good time of 21:57. This is a personal best by 22sec.

Pretty Bay Promenade Run Details 

I finished the race in 1hr 15mins 1sec placing well in 17th place out of 53 and extremely satisfied with my performance and my improvement. All this could not have been possible without the constant support of my wife Maria and daughter Elena together with the all the help I have been receiving since March from my coach Keith Galea.

National Duathlon Championships

On the 1st of May I took part in the National Duathlon Championships, organised by the Malta Triathlon Federation on the Zebbug Bypass with race distances of 8.5km run - 38km bike and 4.25km run. I have not been preparing specifically for this race but it's an important one and I wanted to try and improve on last year's time of 2hrs 16mins 42sec. The race conditions were surprisingly hot. I ran my first run at a very good pace - averaging 4:22/km. The bike course started after a 37:59 run.

First Run Details 

The bike course consisted of 9 laps which took me 1:10:48. The effort to cycle as best I could and crouched for that time in a Time Trial position did not do good for my hamstrings as during the moment I stepped in transition I cramped and could barely walk. For a second I thought of stopping as the pain was considerable. My coach was encouraging me to stop and stretch before continuing. I had to do so; otherwise there was no way I could continue with the final run. It took me a while to pick up the pace but once I did I had a good run.

 Bike Details 

and Second Run Details

The race was over in 2:10:46 - almost 6mins of improvement over last year. I could feel strong throughout. It is a good sign that shows how much I have worked especially on Endurance.

Thanks for all those who support me in one way or another and thanks for Captureme Photography for the amazing shots.
Anatoly

Birkirkara St. Joseph Sprint Triathlon Race 4

Hi,

on the 22nd September I took part in the final race of the Birkirkara St. Joseph Sprint Triathlon Series organised at the Salina Coast road in less than ideal conditions. Weather forecast was windy with rain showers and although it rained in other parts of Malta the course was dry. Of course the wind plays a very important role and it affected the first part of the swim and bike segments.

I felt the water cold and although I had been warming up for a whole hour before the race, the few minutes in the water before the start felt to me as if I had not done anything. The water was choppy and it was difficult to breathe as waves were very irregular. In some swim strokes my hands were hitting directly the oncoming waves and the same happened with the oncoming waves when putting my face to the side to breathe. This slowed me down considerably, finishing the swim in 14:15.

 Swim Course Details

 The bike segment, although windy for the first part did not prove extremely difficult as I had been training the whole week before the race in stronger winds. Moreover, coming back towards transition area was easier as the wind was from behind. I still didn't manage to get a personal best, slowing by around 2mins as I was afraid my legs would be too tired for the run; entering again transition area to prepare for the run in 35:34.

Bike Course Details 

As usual, the first part of the run is the hardest: slightly uphill and cramping legs. I counter the feeling by immediately taking my last energy gel. It took me the first 2km to feel comfortable to push a bit more, always taking into account what the other athletes were doing and changing my pace accordingly. In fact in the last 200m I was seeing an athlete behind me catching up and he managed to get exactly behind me. With less than 50m to the finish gantry we set out into an all out sprint finish to get in both at exactly the same time. The run took me 22:51.

Run Course Details 

I finished the race in 1hr 13mins 47sec, having slowed down in all 3 disciplines and slightly disappointed. However, upon receiving the general classification of the whole race series (adding up the sum of all 4 races), I was extremely pleased as I have finished 12th out of 92 athletes (Full classification details). I am now more determined than ever to beat my personal best of 1hr 10mins 35sec in the most important race of the season: The National Triathlon Championships on the 6th of October.

Thanks for all those who supported me, especially my wife Maria, my child Elena and uncle Victor, who were there to support me all the way.

Cu

Anatoly

Birkirkara St. Joseph Sprint Triathlon Race 3

Hi,

first of all I have updated the look and feel of the blog. Thanks go to John Mallia, my father-in-law, for the creation of the banner photo.

On Sunday the 25th of August I took part in Race 3 of 4 organised by my club Birkirkara St. Joseph. The distances for this race were 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run in that order. I had 6 weeks to prepare for this race - having finished my previous race with a Personal Best of 1hr 11mins 05sec. 

I was aiming to improve by 1min and although these 6 weeks have had lots of ups and downs when trying to balance family, work, summer rest and training, I was determined to succeed in my intent. Moreover, the extreme heat made it very hard to find adequate time to train and early mornings are also a difficult option with my sleeping patterns and limiting in the sense that before 6am it would be dark and as such dangerous to ride a bike.

On the day I was early at the venue to have ample time for warm up. I was feeling prepared and tried to relax as much as I could - positive thinking helps me a lot. The swim was really tough - not because of the water conditions but rather because I faced tough competition and was hit many times which hindered my rhythm and stroke. This intensified at the first buoy where my goggles were almost knocked off. I turned to breaststroke for a bit to reset them properly and continued. I was out of the water after 13mins 26sec placing 16th out of 62 athletes. This was a personal best for me by 1min 3sec and was extremely happy with the improvement as I worked on my swimming technique and speed really hard during those past weeks.

 

Swim Course Details

Probably due to the effort I put in the swim, I felt slightly tired on the bike. I wasn't as powerful as I wanted to be. I also did not want to push harder as I was afraid of slowing down in the run. I finished the bike in 33mins 32sec - 33sec slower than my Personal Best.

Bike Course Details 

 By working out an estimate of the time I needed to complete the run, I was still confident I would set a new Personal Best time on the course. I started out slowly as I frequently feel like cramping in the first 200m of the run. I had to step up my gear very soon as I was seeing people going past me and most of all looking much stronger and confident in their running. I tried to look for someone to draft behind and went all the way to the second kilometre behind another athlete until I felt I needed to increase a bit more. It was very tough and painful but I knew everyone was suffering and I wanted to finish in a good time. My run was over in 22:31 which is exactly the same as my best time obtained in the previous race.

Run Course Details

Having had two very good transitions of 32sec and 34sec, the total time was 1hr 10mins 35sec; a Personal Best by 30 sec. This was due to the improvement in my swim which cancelled out the 30sec I lost on the bike. I am still very happy with the result, considering I have improved by almost 9minutes from last season.

Thanks go to all those who frequently help me out in my training, those who came to came to see me especially my uncle Victor and last but not least to my wife Maria and my child Elena.

Anatoly

Sprint Triathlon Series Race 2

Hi,

last Sunday was a very important day for me as I had to take part in the Birkirkara St. Joseph Sprint Triathlon Series Race 2 of 4 and wanted to check if I have improved over the last 5 weeks. The venue was changed to the usual Coast Road just opposite the Coast Line Hotel. A friend of mine, Keith Galea gave me some important tips on how to tackle all the things one has to do on race day so I gave it a shot.

I was there earlier than usual. This made me relax and prepare one thing a time without rushing through transition preparations and warm up. In fact I was intent to warm up properly for the swim as well; something which I had never done before.

The race had some delays to start - it was the only time I was getting nervous. At the start there was the usual chaos of hitting people and getting hit but today it was much worse - I could tell there were much more competitors as I could not get past some athletes till the first buoy. However, I was relaxed drafting behind some swimmer's legs to keep fresh for the remaining part. I was also trying to keep as straight as possible as I had noticed I have some difficulty in going straight during this past week of frequently training in open sea. I was very happy when I finished as apart from not being tired, my watch showed 14:29: a Personal Best by 11sec.

 

Large Number of Participants in this Race

Swim Leg Details 

 Transition was quite smooth and quick and on the bike I felt strong. I was not sure about speed or cadence; I just went by feel. Looking back at the data now it was a very good feel - great bike finish time of 32:59, very good average speed and an average cadence of 94RPM. By finishing the bike in such a time I beat my previous Personal Best of 37:16 by an astounding 4mins 17sec.

Bike Leg Details

 

Transition 2 had only one hiccup - I could not get my right running shoe in properly but on the whole it was still less than one minute total. I was close to feeling some cramps as soon as out of transition but the last gel I had helped a lot. Still my first kilometre was difficult after pushing so much on the bike but I knew I was trained to overcome that feeling. Beginning the second kilometre I had an athlete dashing past me and I knew I had to step up a gear. I increased the pace as much as I could sustain. I could not plan ahead till the last kilometre as I was out of breath in no time with the increase. I was finishing each kilometre in an average of 4:30/km - much better than my usual race average of 4:40-4:45 and somehow I was sustaining that pace even though I had found it difficult to keep during training. The last kilometre was very difficult - my form broke down to manage that kind of pace and when close to the finish gantry I looked back and saw someone trying to run past me. That was the kick I needed to sprint the last few metres and finish the run in 22:31.

Run Leg Details 

I was extremely happy because I knew I had made a great time of 1hr 11mins 5sec. I threw myself on the nearby pavement breathless but proud of my improvement of 6mins 31sec over my Personal Best of 1hr 17mins 36sec obtained in the previous race at Kalkara 5 weeks ago. However, upon comparing my best time on the Coast Road course (which was of 1hr 19mins 20sec), the improvement is 8mins 15 sec.

I finished 20th out of 59 triathletes and placed 14th in my category and very happy with the result obtained today. I want to continue improving as much as I can - now I have 6 weeks of hard work to prepare for the next one. I also wish to thank all those who helped me in my training and those who supported me during the race especially my wife Maria and baby Elena.

Sprint Triathlon Series Race 1

Hi,

On the 9th of June I took part in the Birkirkara St. Joseph sprint Triathlon Series Race 1 of 4. Contrary to the previous 2 races I have done this year, this was one of my 'A Races' for this year; meaning that my training since last December was geared for this race.

This race was a very particular one for all the Triathlon community as a sudden change in venue was announced two weeks before from Salina Coast Road to Kalkara close to Rinella bay. On one hand I was worried as I did not know anything about the new place and wanted to train there (Kalkara) as much as I could to familiarise myself. On the other hand I saw an opportunity as being a beginner I would always be at a disadvantage when it came to confidence on the route. Adding to that were different opinions from fellow triathletes about the actual transition place, swimming buoys and turnaround points; together with colder than usual weather and sea temperature. These doubts were not helping me at all.

 

On the day I was a bit later than usual so I had to manage my time much more to allow myself time for registration, setting up of transition area and warm up. I managed everything just in time to hear the race briefing so that any doubts about the course would be cleared. It was a bit more confusing than I had anticipated but I could notice that it was a common feeling as the number of questions were endless so we did not start at 7 as planned. I went in the cold water trying to clear out the initial shivers and also clear my mind to concentrate. I was telling myself that I was prepared no matter what.














I had a good start in the water. I had plenty of space to move although I could not find anyone to draft behind. Close to first buoy I had some trouble with goggle and had to switch to breaststroke for a couple of seconds to adjust and help to lower a bit my heart rate as it was skyrocketing due to the excitement and cold. However, after the fist buoy I lost my orientation and could not see the next buoy. Thankfully a friend of mine called my attention to adjust my course. At that point I decided to make up for all that lost time so I pushed on. I knew I could do it as swimming is my strongest area. I finished my swim in 14:40 - a Personal Best by 19sec.

Swim Course

Transition was much longer compared to Salina Coast Road. I was a bit slow as I feared slipping but when I took the bike I managed to insert my feet in the shoes pretty fast. Now the biggest hurdle of the race was a slope which separated the bay from the bike and run courses.

Once I went up the slope I tried to settle in the bike by taking a gel but for the first kilometre the course was slightly uphill and I struggled. At the first turn, however, I settled and began finding opportunities to push as much as I could. I was particularly effective especially in the turns. I felt quite good as I practiced the route and knew what needed to be taken care of especially gearing choices. Speed and cadence were exactly as anticipated although heart rate was high. I finished the bike course in 38:02.

Bike Course

I had to descend the hard slope to get back to transition. I slowed down as I had already managed to take out my feet from the shoes before descending. T2 was much faster. My feet were aching a bit from pushing so much on the bike. I kept telling myself that I had to push on. It was really hard getting up the slope again and settling at the pace of 4:40min/km and for the first kilometre (being all uphill) I was close to 5:00min/km. However, the last 4 kilometres were pretty good and I finished the run in 23:14 - a Personal Best by a whooping 2:20 over last year's Sprint Races.

                                Run Course






I finished the total race in 1hr 17mins 36sec (Full Results here) with a good placing and an improvement of almost 2mins over last year's best time of 1:19:20 in Race 4 of the Sprint Series. I am also very happy that I got a Personal Best in both the Swim and Run. Considering the course is new and less fast than last year, I noticed that everyone slowed their time by an average of 4minutes; thus making my improvements much more meaningful. I am determined to get better and improve on my time for this course - now it's just 5 weeks for the next race.

I wish to thank my wife Maria and baby Elena for coming to support me :)

Thanks
Anatoly

Mt First Race

After a year of hard work and a very big struggle to overcome my groin injury, I have had my first competition. The targets I had set out were completely forgotten as I was at the mercy of luck. It all depended on whether I would feel pain or not.

It was either luck or the cold water or even the adrenaline rush in doing such a fun and challenging activity that I felt no pain at all.

I finished my Swim part in 15:07 - a good time for a starter but definitely needs to improve as I had to breathe every 2 strokes instead of 3.

Although I almost tripped in the water before coming out, I managed to get the 3rd best time in transition 1 (28 seconds) from my age group and had a personal best bike split of 37:25; much better than I had ever anticipated.

 The last part, and the part which I usually dislike was running. However, on the day I was so happy with my performance that I just started running and thought of nothing else than having more fun. This is also the part I feel less confident and least trained so the time of 26:20 is definitely the area for major improvement.

I managed to finish in a total of 1:19:52 - a very positive outcome for a complete beginner. Looking at the race in retrospect, I now know better how and where I can reduce my times both with harder and more meaningful training as well as some gear upgrades in the bike portion. With this good result, I am now much more motivated to become better but I also must never forget to have fun - a key area for continuous motivation.

Here are the full results of the Triathlon Series Race 1:
http://www.bkarastjoseph.com/assets/files/Triathlon/Race%20One%20Results%202012%201.pdf

Anatoly