Lake Zurich Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

I practiced sight breathing a lot before the race and it helped me to keep my mark and relax. There were several nice portions of the swim in which I had a nice rhythm with breathing and sighting and was able to focus on form issues (reach, bend elbow, rotate, glide, etc.). I was faster than I expected and passed quite a few people. Since this was my second triathlon ever and the first in which I have passed other swimmers, I found the act of passing very difficult. I did not want to trample on or upset anyone else, so I had to pick around a little bit to find openings for passing slower swimmers. This took a lot of energy and upset my rhythm.

Line up to the left (away from the markers) and not the right. Find faster swimmers and draft a little off of them. Kick more toward the finish to wake up my legs.

A mediocre transition. I could not decide to sit or stand while changing from wetsuit to cycling gear. I also took several tries to cleat in after leaving transition. My legs were a little wobbly, still, after the swim.

Immediately sit and peel off wetsuit, wipe feet with towel, put on socks, put on shoes in a much more polished sequence. Cleat in on the first try.

I was pleased with my speed and power. I ride a relatively cheap Fuji and I had a lot of satisfaction passing people on fancy carbon rigs. I, in fact, know the area pretty well because one of my training runs passes through it, so I had the confidence to go really push myself. On the negative side, my rear derailleur is not in great shape and I mis-shifted in an important area.

Ride with a better rear derailleur. Tuck into aero-form earlier and more often. Corner more aggressively. Save my legs better, take gels better, and hydrate better for the run (more on that later).

Pretty fast for me.

I spent too much energy on the swim and bike and really ran out of gas on the run. I also have a problem with stomach cramping when I run, so I was disinclined to drink extra or take extra gels toward the end of the bike or during the run. This affected my performance significantly. I have been training mostly running the past few months (30 miles/week with 5 K, 10 mile, and half-marathon races)and I was hoping and expecting to have more endurance. I was hoping for an 8:30 or, at worst, an 8:45 pace.

Save more energy on the swim and bike. Take an energy gel at the start of T1, and two more during the bike, along with much more fluids (I took two gels total). Never listen to anyone who tells me "the rest is all flat."

Hugged my daughters, ate a little, stretched, drank lots and lots of water and gatorade.


Pacing, training, and not previewing the run course (I did preview the bike course)


I'll be back next year, better prepared.