First A Race this weekend: KS 70.3

First A race is this weekend, the KS 70.3.  I'm feeling fairly confident, but you always get a little nervous.

Two weeks before the race (May 31), I did a "C" race Olympic with a few good hills.  The swim was disappointing for various reasons, but OK.  I got on the bike, hoping to do 210-220 W.  In the end, it was 206 normalized power.  Just a touch disappointing.  It was an unusual race in that you were really isolated on the bike.  Passed a few people, only got passed once.  Figured the latter was because I had a poor swim.  Didn't see any of my usual friends on the race.  But the run turned out great.  I felt very strong and ran a 7:10 pace overall.  Found my friends, who had been in front of me the whole time (because of my bad swim).  Didn't collapse at the end.  The time was 2:40.  With a 2.5 mi extra-long bike, the nasty hills, and a couple of dopey transition things, I figured it was more-or-less equivalent to a 2:30 normal course time, right about on mid-season form.

So I'm feeling strong.  Trying to shed just a little residual soreness in my quads.  And already looking past it, i.e., to the ironman.  Funny how I have trouble just focusing on the present.