RUDY PROJECT TRIATHLON & DUATHLON - TriathlonSprint

Well to start this was my first ever swim in a wetsuit. I didn't get time to swim in it before the race and well, swimming in a wet suit is majorly different! I just couldn't breath and I went out way to hard. I felt really good for the first 100yds or so. Had a couple of run ins with some folks but nothing too major.

This swim was by far my best swim ever. I was able to swim most of the leg with only a few breast strokes here and there. There is no way the swim was actually 880yds. We had at least a 50-75yd run from the beach up to transition and well 14:20 would have meant I was flying during my swim. I know the wetsuit made a difference, but not 20-25 seconds per 100. :)

Side note...coming out of the water and running up to transition, my left calf started to cramp up. I slowed down but this was only a preview of what was going to happen later on....

I forgot to mention sighting. I really have never had to "sight" in my previous two attempts because, well I wasn't swimming just breast stroke and on my back for a bit. I was concerned a bit that this would be a problem, but I got really lucky with this particular race and it was pretty simple to just keep the shore line and stay parellel to it. I did have one run in head on with another swimmer, but turns out he had gone of course. :)

Need more open water swims and need more work in a wetsuit if I plan on using them regularly.

I really thought this was a very slow transition, but per the stats, it really wasn't too bad. Again I had never been in a wetsuit so I really had no idea how it was going to go getting out of it. I had it half off before I got out of the water but I still struggled getting my heels out of the damn legs. Overall I was very pleased though.

Maybe practice with the wetsuit some more...anyone see a common theme here? :)

I struggled getting into my shoes on the bike. It was over 2 miles into the leg before I was finally into my shoes. Had a little bit of justice here though. This lady must not have like the idea that I was putting my shoes on while riding, because as she passed me she said left and I moved over like normal. Then she gave me a dirty look and shook her head at me. Well I caught her a couple of miles later and never saw her again until the end of the race. :)

Overall the bike was pretty good all things considering. I didn't drink nearly enough on this leg and will need to work better on it in the upcoming races. There where a few hills but nothing that I would say was killer. I did have a lot of issues getting my HR down. Coming out of the water it was upper Z5 and it took 5-6 miles to settle down in upper Z4 and lower Z5. It never got below Z4 though. Even though the HR was high, I didn't really feel like I was pushing too hard.

Not too sure really. I thought the bike went well for this time of the year. I just need more time on the bike and it will come around I think.

I had one of my fastest T2 today. I don't have yankz yet for my shoes so I did have to tie them and that cost me some time, but again over all I was really pleased!

Got out of transition and ran into GetRipped again. Chatted some with him for a little bit and then it hit, my left calf cramped and literally turned into a ball! I tried to jog through it but it just wasn't going to happen. I had to slow down to a walk for the first and only time on my run today and massage it out. After finally getting it worked out enough to run, I started off again. This was the leg of the race I was most worried about. I rolled my ankle back a few weeks ago and I wasn't sure if it would hold up or not. The trails didn't help much as they where gravel and a lot of loose rocks. I joked with a lot of the volanteers during the run portion and just kept plugging along. I just wanted to run the entire leg for the first time ever and let the time fall where it may. I don't think I left much if anything out on the run course. I was pretty shot when I crossed the finish line.

Not cramp up? I lost both of my gels somehow and I really needed some sodium coming off the bike. I sweat buckets and I could tell that something wasn't right but unfortunately they didn't have anything but water on the run course and it was only at the turn around.

I am just not a big fan of Ultra-Fit USA run races. This is the second race of theirs that I have done and both have been the same. Just not a lot to talk about. You race, you finish and that's about it. There just doesn't seem to be the same atmosphere as at some of the other races that I have done.