Nantucket Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

Swim start was a wade in type. It was an ocean swim, and due to low tide, we walked out close to 100 yards to a sand bar. started in line w/ the first bouy and mid pack. Course was a rectangle long sides out, short side between 2 bouys.

A big of the washing machine to start, and I felt good going out. Was kicked HARD in the right eye which caused me to stop and make sure my goggles were not broken. All was well, and I swam a tight straight line to the first bouy. Made the turn, and headed straight for the next turn. Passed a bunch of folks on the way, and made it to the final turn quicker than I expected. Made the turn back toward the beach, and this is where things went off the rails....

After making the turn, I had a good line in and swam in at a decent clip. I realized after a minute that I didn't sense anyone else around, and even worse, I could smell exhaust from a boat engine. I looked up and ralized I'd gone way wide left, and probably added 50 or so extra yards to the swim. Not happy about messing up my good swim, but went back toward where I should have been. I zig zagged a couple more times, and made my way to sure. I was happy with 2/3 of the swim, but the last leg really was a total FUBAR. The swim pace above is turtle-like, but somehow its in the top 1/2 of all participants. I was sure i was DFL. Long run out of the water to the beach due to low tide.

One good thing was getting to try out my new wetsuit. An Xterra Vortex 3 bought right here on BT clasified. It arrived Friday, and yes, it was something new on race day! ;). Fit great, felt fantastic, and could tell it helped me move quicker.

Work on sighting. Sheesh... Giving this a below average for the mess at the end.

LONG run from water to transition. probably 1/4 mile. Suit stuck on heels but otherwise not bad.

Run faster to T1?

Happy with the bike. Felt good the whole way, and passed lots of folks. My time was good enought to be in top 25% overall, which is good for me. Tough headwind both ways on the out & back.

One funny bit -- about a mile from the finish, one of the ladies starts to go by me and says "Come on, buddy! I've been chasing you for 5 miles, and I finally got you!". So I immediately start riding harder and off we go. I asked her "so, we're going to blow up our run for this?". She laughed and said "Sure!". We sprinted in, and hit the dismount line.

I have to say I LOVE MY BIKE. It is just a fantastic machine to ride, and every time I'm on it, I come to like cycling more and more. the bike is my favorite part of the race. I want to get better and faster at it. BTW, did I mention I love my bike?


Not much. Continue to work on bike fitness & be sure to drink more on the course.

Don't know why this was so slow. Shoe did come untied just before exit and I stopped to retie.

get some yankz.

Like my last race, a real slow run. The pace above is shockingly slow. What made this fun however was the incredible thunderstorm & rain which happened jsut as I started out. Parts of the course had puddles several inches deep, and the rain was like a fire hose. the lightning show & thunder just made it all the more fun :). It all ended by the time I was nearing the run finish. Crossed the line, grabbed a water, and wondered why I didn't run faster.

I seem to have some mental block that keeps me from trying to run hard. In the 2 races I've done this year, I just sort of shuffle my way through the run. Its partly, I'm sure, due to sagging run fitness mostly due to a sprint time injury that shelved running for 3 months. But I finished, and wasn't even breathing hard. WTH?? Maybe a big dose of HTFU is needed, and more running.

Run fitness, figure out why I run like a sally. Get some mental toughness.

Weather was crazy during this race. started as blazing hot & humid, and ended 15 degrees cooler, and dry. Mother nature was having fun.

Had plenty of time post race to pack up, etc. Everything was soaked to the bone due to the rain. Headed back into town, explored a bit, then headed to the ferry. Ended up hanging out with 3 ladies on the ferry, all of whom had done the race (as had 2/3 of the ferry passengers). Had a great time, shared a couple beers, and talked about past/future races. Picture below


Lack of run fitness. Overall fitness, and mental toughness. (Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?)


Beautiful location. Mostly well organized. Not much in post race food, but I understand the local restaurants, etc made a stink about it -- they want the races to spend money in town, not get free chow at the race. I'd do it again, I think.