CajunMan - TriathlonSprint

Not a bad swim for me, relatively speaking. Stayed calm the whole while by thinking happy bike thoughts. ;)

Took me the first half of the course to get into a good rhythm, switched to breaststroke a couple times to even out my breathing. After the turnaround, I was better, stayed mostly in the crawl and was still able to breathe.

2004's time 19:30

Obviously the swim remains my weak event, something to work on over the winter if I can find the resources.

Swim exit on a dock, then you climbed a set of stairs and ran up about 50 yards of embankment. From there, it was about another quarter-mile to the transition area, running barefoot on the asphalt.

Ran it at a controlled pace to get my HR down. Got helmet and sunglasses on easily, short run to mount line. Good mount, got up to speed, shoes on and fastened, then was off.

2nd in Age Group
2004's time 2:59

Nothing, maybe move the swim exit closer to transition, but this was nearly perfect.

Happiness is:

Holding 23mph on the first part of the course at a reasonable RPE

THEN, at the turnaround,

finding out that you were riding against a slight headwind, which now becomes a tailwind going back and helps you to stay over 24mph for most of the return trip.

This was a bunch of fun, passed many in my AG (take that, swimmers!)and was passed by only two young guys.

2004's time 54:55

Nothing. This is a nice course, few minor hills and some stretches of bad surfaces, but overall it's a fast bike route that I'm very familiar with.

Perfect dismount, short run to rack, good job putting on shoes. Grabbed hat and race belt and headed out. About 100 yards run through transition.

1st in age group

2004's time 1:24

Nothing. Nailed it.

Just as I left transition, the sun broke through the clouds. Joy, joy, just what we need, turn up the heat.

Coming out of transition, I'm aware of two local competitors that I've never beaten. One I've previously referred to as Old Guy (OG), who is in the age group above mine; he's about 100 yards in front of me. The second guy always wins my age group, he's a great runner whom I had passed late in the bike and estimated was 200 yards or so behind me. So my objectives were to hold off Guy#2 and to catch OG.

Spent the first half trying to regulate HR, concentrating on cadence and even effort, all the time gaining slowly on OG. At the turnaround, I'm about 50 yards behind him, but I see Guy #2 about 100 yards or so behind me. We get back to the hill we have to climb, I pick it up and OG fades enough for me to pass him. At the same time Guy #2 passes both of us. I think momentarily about trying to stay with him, but then the first symptoms of stitch start to appear. As we crest the hill, I back off a little to try to hold the stitch in abeyance, then get back to my previous effort level for the next mile or so.

As we leave the airport property, I look back and see OG about 25 yards behind me, with about 200 yards to the finish. Don't know what he's going to do, or what I have left in the tank, but at that point I break into an all-out sprint, or at least the best I can muster. Manage to hold it for the entire stretch, and beat OG by 26 seconds. Guy #2, in turn, beat me by 26 seconds to get 2nd in the AG (out-of-towners took first and third).


2004's time 26:09

Nothing. Airport refuses to air condition the run course, so this is the best I can do in this heat after swim/bike. Only 45 seconds off my stand-alone 5K PR.

Found some shade, tried to hold on to the contents of my digestive system.


The swim, but I'm working on it. Meanwhile, I'll smile and wave as I pass you on the bike. ;)

Knocked over 9-1/2 minutes off of my previous best at this race (2004, last year's race was cancelled due to Katrina), bettered my times in each of the five segments, so I'm happy. Moved from 15th to 4th in my AG, from 147th to 56th overall. Just hope to continue to improve on these results.


This is easily the biggest and the best local event, very well organized and run, tons of volunteers, nice course, good food and entertainment afterwards. This is also the state championship triathlon, so it brings out some good competition. Fun race, I'll do it every year as long as I am doing triathlons.