Kinetic Half - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

First time for me with a beach start and I was a little unsure so I didn't go right to the front which was probably a bad move because I had a rougher first 200 then I should have because of the slow people that started out front. I was able to find some good feet for the first half of the first loop and sat on those--we were swimming straight and on the bouys. I tried to get up to run into the beach a little too early on the first loop. The second loop I didn't get much drafting done but still felt pretty easy and had good navigation---the last half or so of this loop I ran into A LOT of the first wave (I was in the third wave and had already passed most of the second wave but for whatever reason there was a big bunching of the first wave).

Not much---I would have liked to get some more drafting but the opportunites just weren't there so I took what I had. And maybe swim some more (really haven't been in the water this year......)

I was pretty pleased with this transition since it's the first time I've worn a wetsuit and therefore first transition with one.

Just get faster

Well the bike went well BUT had some real bad/down sides. I felt pretty comfortable on the bike and was riding well---I realized very early on that it was HUMID--and getting warm---can't that that I'm really used to that at this point in the year (they reported the humidity was something like 96% at the start with a "tropical" dew point). I knew that I was going to need to drink well (I had 3hr bottle of Infinit in my aerodrink and planned on water at each of the three bottlehandoffs along with the bottle of water I started with). Well that worked out just fine for the first handoff (they were great there) but on the second handoff the kids handing out bottles at that point were scared of us riding through and were dropping more of the bottles---needless to say I didn't get one. The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful until it came time to turn back into the park---it's a right hand turn at decent speed and I stayed in the aero position and started to make the turn but it just got away from me-I tried to get to the brakes but I was sliding sideways before that ever happened---at 26mph according to my Garmin. I popped right back up and continued on with blood trickling down my shin (thought I cheated the road on that one) until I realized that my right elbow/forearm was torn open and bleeding pretty heavily...so I just finished the bike.

ummmm let's see---not SLIDE into the park.... Get more fluids in.

Not a bad transition since I was also trying to figure out how bad the road rash was...

speed up and not have to check road rash

Well the first two miles went at planned and then the wheels fell off. My legs just seemed real tight and then like they wanted to cramp (they didn't but....). I started to walk the aid stations so that I could actually DRINK Heed and water at each stop (the first couple I tried to run and drink and it wasn't working so well). I would feel better on the flats and downhill but the hills were just killing me. I walked the big hill on the third loop and met a guy that had some problems on the bike (yes I was getting too much attention due to the blood all down my arm and the nice hole in the a@@ of my shorts--bloody pace booty!?!?!!!) We started to talk and that made all the difference. The Heed and water finally kicked in the last mile or so and I picked up my pace.

Take Heed and water right from the beginning and take the time at the aid stations to get the full cups down.

Go to the med tent and ask them to clean my arm---they really just poured saline on it and said to get it cleaned out.....


Not enough water/poor nutrition for the day/conditions. This was just my second tri (first was a sprint last Oct--so this was my first HIM). The weather here was cold and then rainy so outside biking suffered---that and I just bought my bike (which I ripped the side of the seat and the bar tape/scuffed the end of the aero bar) about 6 weeks ago (after using a MTB for last year) and tried to pile up the miles in that time (despite the cold and rain).


Set-up puts together great events at nice locations!!