Spudman Triathlon 2008 - TriathlonOlympic

This course was much longer than the advertised 1.5k distance. But it is a beautiful course with clean water.

To avoid the mass of bodies (was paranoid about my goggles getting knocked off my head!) I took the first several buoys very wide. It was only my second triathlon, so I'd decided beforehand to just swim a conservative pace. I was able to complete the entire course without stopping or switching to another stroke, which was very satisfying.

I really enjoyed this swim.

Swim faster and get in with groups of swimmers.

Time is estimated, as they didn't split out the transition times in the results sheet for some reason. I thought my T1 went well. I got my wetsuit off quickly.

The bike segment was also longer than advertised. My powermeter indicated 26.6 miles and a 23.5 mph average.

This is a nice, scenic course with a hefty amount of climbing. My plan going into the bike was to hit the climbs 20-30 watts over threshold power and then rest on descents, which were long and steep enough to spin out the top gear. I'd also planned on dropping the pace and upping cadence a couple miles before the bike finish, to prepare for the run.

I must have come out of the water just behind of a huge group of people, as I was passing folks nonstop the first several miles of the bike. I had separated pretty nicely by the time I reached the main climb of the day. Felt very good all the way up and then bombed the descent on my aero bars. I passed a couple guys like they were standing still (thanks to my 195 lbs).

Finished the rest of the ride feeling great. Dropping pace and spinning before T2 works very well for me as I was feeling energetic and ready to run.

Nothing.

Estimated time. I was in my shoes and running very quickly.

I consider this to be my best run effort (yet!). I'm fairly heavy for a triathlete/runner and I've struggled with one issue or another my entire time running (usually ankles/knees). I've been conservative in training and always run an easy pace.

Everything just seemed to come together nicely for me today. I credit my bike pacing and fueling. I finished both bottles of water/electrolytes along with my entire gel flask. Backing off the pace towards the end of the bike helped my legs make the switch to running.

I briefly stopped/walked three times at aid stations, making sure I stayed plenty hydrated. I also dumped water on my head to stay cool. I kept a higher pace than I do in training and felt fine. The course had areas of trees to run under which was very nice.

Great run, great race!

Nothing.

Hung out and chatted with friends; cheering for other finishers.


I love this race. It is very well run and a great course.

This was my second triathlon and I'm excited about future races.