Challenge Maine - Half Course - Triathlon

1/4 mile run from beach to T1

cold towel and a chicken wrap


This race was great, good venue and well run. full disclosure, I grew up in the area. the bike course ran through my home town and I spent a lot of time in old orchard as a kid, having said that it was still a very good race. the swim was fast, and the water not as cold as I thought it would be. I had a little trouble sighting the boueys because of the swells, foggy goggles and flailing arms. after the second turn the current that made it a fast swim started pushing me to the right. But overall a good swim.
the bike was flat and fast, road conditions were good and there were several aid stations with plenty of nutrition (gels, Gatorade, bananas, power bars). and there was a little extra aroma around mile 54, as in a dead skunk in the road, it wouldn't be Maine without a little road kill. a little ranting about bike legs in general, if your going to pass, don't pass and THEN slow down and immediately jam up the person you just passed.
The run started out OK despite stomach cramps around mile 1.5 and a brief hamstring cramp around mile 2. I was able to maintain a good pace for the first half of the run, picked up some one drafting off me at mile 3, she ran right on my heels for a couple of miles and then decided I was to slow and passed. About mile 7 I hit a wall and had to occasionally walk out cramps for the rest of the race, I could swear I saw a vulture on the marsh at mile 8 waiting to feast on whichever poor soul dropped dead first.. but overall it was a good race.