Falcon Groundspeed Olympic Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

The swim went very well. However the race was advertised as a 1500m swim and we found out it was 1640 once we got there. Each lane had a counter and it was unclear as to our progress along the way. The guy I shared a lane with ended up doing an extra lap as he did not see the counter's signal for last lap. According to my count I did 1700m as I feel the counter miscounted.

According to my wife, I was the only Olympic distance swimmer that utilized the breast stroke. After 200m I alternated 50m breast, 50m front crawl. Being a non-swim team guy, this is an area I need to continue to train on. I should be able to do the front crawl the entire time like everyone else.

The pool was two levels below the transition zone. This required going up two flights of stairs and out a set of double doors and another 50m to the transition area. Also it was 40s and rainy as you exited the building. This made for a slow, cold transitions.

The biggest mistake of this transition for me was not putting my glove on. I figured i would be able to do it on the ride. It was blisteringly cold and rainy. I had to stop my bike to get my gloves on. Also, in my haste I initially left with my helmet on backwards. Again, my transitions need practice. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. I need to continue to practice and make my actions sequenced and muscle memory.

Need to continue to work on my hills. Also the crappy weather and the 7300 ft above sea level was an added bonus. Put gloves on before I start riding and bring second pair for a rainy/wet day.

Feet and sock were soaked from the ride. Changing sock for the run was a requirement. However, my feet and hands were completely numb and cold. It was extremely hard to put socks and shoes on. My feet did not come back to me until 12 min into the run.

Not much I could have done given the weather conditions.

Run was good once my feet warmed up. They were numb for about the fire 12 minutes. There was a super hill at the beginning of each 5k lap. I had to stop and walk a few times which is unlike me. I remembered to take my extra water bottle with me so I did not have to rely on the water points.

Only thing I could have done better was to train at 7000 ft a couple times. Stopping to walk in several places was a huge morale killer.

USAFA provided a great BBQ for after the race. Waited in line for food and stretched.


The weather and elevation were huge factors. Need to prepare better for wet/cold environment. Also I should have gone up to the Academy and gotten more familiar with the routes for the bike and run.


This was my 2nd triathlon. Having ran several marathons I thought this would be easily doable. It proved to be right at my max capability right now. The weather did not help. I need a lot more training before I go for the 1/2 ironman.