I've decided to stop sand-baggin the swim at races. So I just swam strong. I wish however I had done a couple hundred yards when he let people in the water. I always do better with a warm up.

Arms got a little tired, and it took more effort than it should have. I don't think I swam real straight. From about 300 yds to ~ 600 yds I kept running up on the lady in front of me. I'd swim off to the side, and the next thing I know I'm stroking her legs again. didn't mean to, honest. Anyway either I was swimming zig-zag or she was, or we both were.

Sighting was ok. better coming back this year than in previous years. By swimming faster I didn't get passed till middle of the inbound leg, and by then I was pretty much in open water. It seemd like a long way.

Practice sighting a bit more. Taper a bit perhaps? Warm up.

Faster than last year.

pretty quick T1, and it felt good. didn't get water on my glasses, that's a plus.

I went backwards on this one. My legs were tired at first, especially the hamstrings and around the hips. The new fitting set me up to use these muscles differently - they generate more power that way, but those muscles are not in shape yet.

On the way out I did remember to take it a little easier right out of T1. That seemed to work well. Head wind on the way out, and I didn't have the power I needed to go faster. I got into the rythm just about a mile before the turn around. Felt pretty good going back with the tail wind. Well, except I had to pee. Remember that water before the race? Pretty distracting. did it affect my performance? Probably not, but who knows?

There were still a few folks passing me though. After the diversion channel down-hill, pretty much no one passed me. Man, can I go downhill with the wind.

Pretty good ride for my current fitness and condition.

Train more. Work on hills and power. Taper for a better result.

I don't like running in my bike shoes down hill on pavement, so I took it easy to the rack.

Pretty quick change - fastest in AG. But I had decided to wear my fuel belt for fluid - remember it's supposed to be hot here. Still have to pee. It's getting serious now.

I'm hurrying, got everything on, grab the fuel belt and strap it on heading out of T2.



Look at the fuel belt and put it on right side up? Decide if I'm going to take it before I actually am standing there in transition with everything else on.

a practice or two might have shaved a couple seconds off, but it was a good T2

First, I put the fuel belt on up side down, and didn't realize it. As I ran out of T2 I realized I forgot to take my ride gloves off. ARG! Ok, just take them off and put in jersey pocket. While I'm doing this I drop a gel. Of course that's right in front of the camera guy. I'm talking to him, and trying to get my sh$t together. putting gloves in back pocket and dropping stuff that I think is coming out of my pocket. Bend over to pick up gel, stand up and one of the fuel bottles drops, pick it up, stuff it in holder and it falls out, Something is wrong. Stop and look. OH dummy, the fuel belt is on up side down. Fuel bottles dropping out, gels falling out of fuel belt pocket. This is a comedy! so I stop, turn it over, get my stuff together and all put where it belongs. And off to run. Still gotta pee, and it's getting more urgent. Who said hydrating just before a race is a good idea? I should, actually I do, know better. Wonder how many time's I'll have to learn that lesson?

I never run well out of transition, so I've learned to be patient knowing that in about a mile I can kick it up a notch, but I've got to pee and I'm trying to remember if they put any porta-potties out on the run course. Finally at just past a mile there's a good place to jump off the road into the brush. 30 seconds lost, but I sure felt more like running.

My first mile warm up is done and at that point I kick up the tempo and pace. This feels pretty good. Now it's a matter of keeping the pace up, and cooling off at the aide stations. After the next aide station I set my timer for 4 min. walk ~15 seconds grab a quick drink from fuel belt, and back to running. Chased down several people, and that usually does not happen to me on the run. It felt pretty good.

Took a gel just before the last hill to the turn around. At each aide station two waters, one for the head, and the other for the body/arms. perhaps a sip. I'm drinking the gatoraide I'm carrying, and that's working well. Pace was strong, but perhaps not as strong as my last practice run.

At two miles out I tried to up the pace just a little more, and that was ok. At one mile out I tried to up it again, but there just wasn't a gear there. Just thought to myself, run faster, run faster. Felt pretty strong almost to the finish. Took some serious effort to hold the pact to the finish line, but I did it. It was cool to break 3 hours. I'd love to break 1 hr on the 10K as well.

I ran well, but not as well as I've been running on some of my training runs.

Happy with the effort, but probably would have been faster with a more than a one day taper. It was a pretty intense week.

Put fuel belt on right side up.
Don't drink right before the race. I know this. Well, shoot, I would have easily broken an hour if I hadn't needed to stop and pee.

Drink lots of cold water. Eat a piece of pizza. head over to transition and get my recovery drink, and chat with the other athletes.

Think hard about heading out on the run course for a couple more miles. The desire went away after a while. :)


No taper to speak of.
Drinking too much before race.
Didn't practice transition with fuel belt.


For some reason this is one of my favorite races. I like the river swim. Even though the water is murky, it feels and tastes clean.

I like the bike course, usually with the wind on the way back.
I like the challenge of the run course.
I think I just like this distance, and of course the swim is a bigger part of the Oly than other distances.

I still need to learn to ride my bicycle faster.