Home› Races & Places 🏁⛺

Local half ron. Robin.

robin sarnerrobin sarner
in Races & Places 🏁⛺

 Black Diamond triathlon.   Near Enumclaw, WA.

 

Did a small local half  iron yesterday.   Mainly to test fitnes with arizona upcoming.    Power not to goal but speed to goal.   2:30.      Working with bike fit with todd k.    Seat to elbow pad from 11cm to 17.    First time cycling with this so pretty good for no adjustment time.   Conservative run on purpose to save self.   1:38.     4:46 total.      First for age.  18 oa.    Oldest in the top 18.   

More importantly, on the drive home, came upon  motorcycle accident scene.    Over 5 minutes since the accident.   I checked him out.   No pulses and clearly gone gone.    Paramedics shortly there and stopped interventions after brief attempt.  Got home, hugged my wife, and washed his blood off my hands.   Best to his family and loved ones.   Puts things in proper perspective.  

Comments

  • Jenn EdwardsJenn Edwards
    Hey Robin,

    Well done on the BD Tri! So sorry for what you saw on the way home. Often it seems the only silver lining is a healthy dose of perspective. There will be extra hugs at my house today thanks to you sharing it...

    -J
  • Joe MatchetteJoe Matchette
    @Robin - so right on the perspective. Gonna follow your lead and give my family an extra-special hug.
    Joe
  • rboglerbogle

     Such a sad way to end a great day. Indeed it is a good reminder of the most important things in our lives. 

    Lighter note: I'd say you had a perfectly executed race. Jealous!

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

     Robin - 

    • Bright side? - maybe someone will get a new heart, lungs, liver, kidney, etc. Even so, take care of yourself.
    • 6 cm increase to your drop - thats big, and probably accounts for your ability to generate the same speed with less power ... less wind resistence. This winter, think about shorter cranks (unless you already went that route) - the shorter crank allows you to adopt that low posture without banging your knees into your chest. 17 cm sounds like a lot, but then, you are 200 cm tall, right?
    • I hope your racing personality learned from the Black Diamond that you can work the bike and still manage the run. You won't know until you let him out of the box around Tempe Town Lake, but I'm sure he's got the message.
  • tim cronktim cronk
    Like my Dad says. Aint none of us getting outa here alive. But it completely sucks to go early and specially in an accident. The older I get the more aware I am of my own mortality!

    Congrats on a great race Robin and I think you will crush IMAZ!
  • robin sarnerrobin sarner

    Thanks all.  Still processing the day.  

    Well I am only 198 cm.          Al, have actually already gone the shorter crank thing this season.   170cm.   shortest for the quarq.   and a lot shorter than the 205cm Zinn sold me with the bike.      These long cranks were a terrible idea.  Shame on Zinn.

    So confidence.  Yes and no.    I am confident I have another complete ironman this season left in me.    Confident that I am getting close to the endpoint for the bestest bike set-up.      

     

    I am realistic though.    My ftp is lower than I had thought.  3.8 w/kg.    Maybe not quite good enough to get the 5:10 I need in Arizona.      Doing some current ftp work with help from coach P though the half iron has interrupted that a bit.        

    Learning about using heartrate.    Learning a bit more about pointy end execution.   

    So, I am going to Arizona with realistic confidence.   Looking forward to getting off a strong bike and testing the running limits more.

  • tgarsontgarson
    W/Kg is one thing, but your raw FTP is still non-trivially high in comparison to the rest of us hobbit-folk. Obviously your size incurs a certain aero-penalty even on the flats, but you are working to mitigate that as we have seen with the changes in your bike fit. I'm always a little hesitant to proclaim truths that I haven't been able to verify myself, but I hope your experience mirrors Patricks some in having a bike breakthrough in moving to a flatter race versus trying to get in a climbing duel with some of the lighter guys. Guess we'll find out, but here's hoping for the best.

  • robin sarnerrobin sarner

    Right.    Thanks.   Looking forward to racing the hobbits on flat land.

  • Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
    @Robin, losing watts with a more aero bike fit is fine...my fastest ever bike was on my lowest ever race watts. Go figure. But it's not about the bike but how you run off it...so faster bike on lower watts / lower FTP is actually a REALLY REALLY good thing for your run. image
  • Bruce ThompsonBruce Thompson

    Robin - Thanks for sharing your post race dose of reality.  We all just have been reminded of our own good fortune to see another day.

    Congrats on a super HIM.  Good luck in AZ.  Sounds like you are getting ready to rock it.

Sign In or Register to comment.