Swim start was a bit disorganized, though to be fair it did start promptly at 7:00 AM. I should be been getting into position sooner, instead of waiting for RD to give warnings. So I got caught way at the back of the start and had to work my way forward through the pack.

There was some contact, but a lot less than I was expecting, and not much at all once we rounded the first turn buoy.

The mass start also made it very easy to draft. I sat on feet just about the whole race, so I had a fairly relaxed swim. I didn't push very hard, just kept a smooth, long stroke going. Resisted urge to redline it on the swim. I did bridge up once to sit on the back of a larger group when the pack I was in started thinning out about midway through.

Some weeds on the outside of the course, but if you stayed real close to the buoy line they weren't too bad.

Follow the posted schedule, not wait for the RD to announce when to get into position.

Fast T1. Suit got stuck on ankles again, but I was expecting it. No matter how much I step and pull I can never get it off. It just stretches. I just need a new suit anyway.

Not much, this went pretty quick. Time includes the run up from the beach to T area, and there's no avoiding that.

A solid bike. I love the B2. It was such a sweet machine to be riding, and I did her proud out there. :)

I'm running a lot tighter/cleaner bike setup too. I used to race with everything including the kitchen sink strapped on. I rolled out with a bottle on the downtube, my aero bottle, and a spare tube/co2 taped up out of the way under the back of the seat. Definitely much cleaner aerodynamically. I don't use a rear bottle holder ( though I'll be putting one back on for Grand Columbian ) either.

Ran with my 404's and disc cover on the rear.

Water handups were great. There were 3 on the bike, and I grabbed a bottle from each one, topped off my aero bottle and dumped the rest on my head to keep cool.

Saw Tupuppy and managed to yell "Heeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!". Saw Grizdog out there too. Missed my other friends though.

Passed a few people in the early part, and only got passed by a handful of people myself.

Nutrition was:

1 bottle: perpetuem ( 3 scoops ) + 2 espresso gels + 2 endurolyte caps
1 gel ( espresso )
a little bit of heed in aero bottle, mostly water

I finished the perp bottle and about 2.5 aerobottles worth of other fluids.

Didn't pee on the bike, but felt the urge towards the end and decided to hold off until the run to answer it.

Not much, this went really well. I rode it dead on plan, and had a fast ride with enough left in the legs to run well.

I blazed this transition.

I saw Whizzzz and the Schmize and Hangloose clans coming into transition. They were providing cowbell and cheers. I was too fast for them in transition as I was running out of T2 as they were getting to the transition exit.

Nothing.

Oh the brutality.

The course kept everyone honest with the hills.

There were no mile markers, but I'm thinking that was probably a good thing. I just kinda ignored my HRM and listened to my body and ran the fastest sustainable pace I could. I walked through all of the aid stations, as they were every 2 miles, and it was getting warm, and I needed make sure I got in enough fluids.

The first aid station I took a water and a heed and 2 endurolytes. The next one I took a gel (espresso), water, and some more heed. The next one after that, I took 2 endurolytes, water, and two cups of coke. Mmmmmm, coke. :) After that, that was what I took every aid station. 2 endurolytes, 2 cokes ( they were small cups about half full ) and water.

There was one section where I felt like complete crap. My legs were in revolt, my stomach was about to go on strike, and I was covered in salt. I stopped, leaned over thinking I was going to puke, but didn't, so I walked about 15 seconds, and then decided "F*&^ this, I'm running" and took back off. This was about mile 7'ish, after we climbed up out of the lowest point on the run before heading to the campground.

The campground was tough. You just keep going down these rollers, on an out and back extension. It's tough on the quads going down, and in the back of your mind you know you have to come back up them. I tried not to think about that part. I just kept moving forward, pushing the pace when I could, backing off when I couldn't.

On the way back up from the camping area, I knew I was a lot stronger on the run this year, than this time last year. I was expecting to crack on the climb, but I didn't. I even passed 2 people who had stopped on the way back up and resorted to walking the hills.

I made it up out of the campground, and at that point, you can just barely hear the music from the finish line. I managed to pick up the effort at that point, as I thought I still had a chance to come in pretty close to 5 hours.

I made it down the road, and hit the last aid station. They informed me it was just over a mile to the finish. I checked my watch, and saw that it was 4:49. It was the first time on the run that I looked at the race overall time, and realized I was moving faster than I thought!

I grabbed only a coke at this station, and didn't stop to walk it. I was on a mission to finish under 5, and see if I could beat my PR from Racine last year.

There were two more hills left to climb, and I wanted every second to count. I came up the second to last hill, and there were a bunch of race volunteers and photogs there cheering. There was noone in sight in front of me, and noone in sight behind me. I gave 'em a huge smile, 2 thumbs up, and took off up the hill, picking up the effort even more. I was hurting at the top, but we got a little bit of a downhill to recover on.

There were more spectators now, and I could feed off their energy to carry me home. I made it up the last hill, and had to run through the parking lot, around a turn, and then back to the finish line. Race clock was at 4:58:30 when I went past for the loop of the parking lot. I somehow manaqed to pick the pace up even more and finished the last 200m strong.

I crossed the line at 4:59:13, a new PR. A much tougher course, and not much of a taper/rest before the race ( rode a hard century and 2 hour run the weekend before ).

Maybe tape my toes. I had a blister on my little toe on right foot that was getting quite irritating. When I took my shoe off after the race, it was rubbed nearly raw from having sand in there. Yikes!

My 1/2 mary PR is 1:45, on a flat course, so to run a 1:49 here, including several minutes of dawdling at aid stations, really meant a lot. My run is getting very very strong, and that's a great feeling.

Stagger through finishing chute. Got an ice cold bottle of water which I proceeded to dump over my head. Ohhh that was heaven.

I fell over in the grass and I laid there for a bit, gathering myself. Came back up to cheer in some more finisher with the Schmize, Hangloose, and Whizzzzz crew. After a few more minutes of that, decided to go cool off in the lake, so I went and did that. Cool water felt soo good on the legs. Not quite an ice bath, but it helped a ton.

Changed clothes, and finally felt good enough to eat some food. Had part of sub, a slice of pizza, some recoverite and water.


Nothing. I raced the plan I had, and set a new PR on a pretty tough course.


Could have used another aid station or two on the run, but that's just nitpicking. :)

A great race, and definitely one I want to do again. It's a challenging course, but not so difficult that it's unbearable.

A good showing by BT'ers and Salt Creek Tri Club at the race!