Meat Pie - TriathlonSprint

Time trial start, line up by bib numbers (which were assigned by age group), two-second intervals.

Wasn't a bad swim for me, crawled most of the way, only two or three breaststroke breaks, primarily for sighting and navigation. Did meander a little toawrd the oncoming stream of traffic and bump a guy who had done the same coming the other way.

Nothing. This was only a little slower than CajunMan. Working on it.

Very short run from swim. Transition area is on the paved river bank, so you have to climb about thirty feet up the embankment to get to the surface streets immediately after you mount the bike. Many people chose to run their bikes up the embankment and mount at the top. I tested mounting at the botom and riding up, found it to be very doable in a low gear if I kept my feet on top of the shoes, so that was how I approached it.

Problem is I was so focused on getting up the embankment, and getting around the slow/stopped people who were trying to clip in, that I didn't notice the mount line. Mounted a few feet too soon, got hollered at by the official, quickly dismounted and remounted, so the official said "go ahead." Angel was standing there, said they debated giving me a penalty, finally decided they would, but never did. I don't think it would have affected my AG placement anyway, but glad they didn't.

Watch the mount line. Other than that it was a good transition, both my transitions were fastest in my AG.

This is probably the hilliest course I've raced this year, constant rollers and an uphill bias on the way out, which makes it fast coming back.

I could tell from the start that I was flat, haven't been on the bike since CajunMan two weeks ago, but gave it my best shot. Did alright, struggled with some of the hills, maybe pushed too hard going up some of them. Downhills were fun and fast, as was most of the ride back.

Not have to take two weeks off the bike. Local guy, who I beat at CajunMan by 3 minutes, beat me here by a minute, so I think I could shave four minutes off my time here if I was in peak shape.

Got out of shoes and rode down the embankment with feet on top of them. Dismount was perfectly uneventful, decent job finding place and racking bike. Running shoes on quickly, grabbed hat, race belt, and gone.

Nothing. Again, fastest in AG, not more than a couple dozen faster in the whole race.

Really didn't push very hard, did get to the point where I started to feel a stitch. Knew I was slower than CajunMan and other recent races, like 8:30 for the first mile, but didn't have many people pass me, no more than six or seven, all younger. Picked it up a little at the end but still slow.

Push harder, not be sick the week before.

Not much, walked through transition, high-fived the brothers, got something to eat. Preliminary results were posted, shocked to see I was second in AG after such a so-so race. Waited around for awards, got a nice long-sleeve Asics top (see pics), much better than a dinky medal.


OK, excuse time, probably TMI time as well.

Coming out of CajunMan two weeks ago, developed an infection and swollen lymph nodes in the groin area which meant NO biking during that period. Even in this race it was painful to sit and pedal, not to mention the loss of conditioning a two-week layoff brings.

THEN, Tuesday of last week I finally contracted the cold/flu that Angel and Dylan had been exchanging the previous week: fever, congestion, muscle aches, sore throat, yada yada. Finally broke a little Saturday, but I still had residual effects during the race. Definitely felt weakness on the run.

All along this was a "B" race for me, anticlimatic after my "A" race at CajunMan, but still I could have done better than this. Shoulda/coulda been faster, right up there with the AG winner, who beat me by only 26 seconds at CajunMan but by 7 minutes here. All things considered, though, a decent enough outing.


Nice, well-organized race. Could use a water station at the run turnaround, could use more variety of drinks at the finish (just water and beer available), maybe more entertainment there as well. Still not a bad event, course is pretty and challenging, good food at the finish with plenty of meat pies and jambalaya. I will probably do this one as often as my schedule allows it.