Culpeper Sprint - TriathlonSprint

Pretty good race and pace overall. Got in behind a guy before the first buoy and followed almost all the way in. Caught earlier wave about 4 minutes in and dodged that flotsam from that wave and the one in front of that all the way in. Went to move ahead of my pace guy about halfway in, but was unable to bridge the gap to the next person without getting cut off so I stayed behind him, though it was a tad slower than I could have gone (OK, mayyybe could have saved 30 seconds or so overall.) Happy to cruise and let someone else sight for me.

I could have been more aggressive, but chose not to fight too hard and expend energy early in the race. Save it for the bike...

The uphill run was not fun, but I didn't slip in the wet grass and mud like I feared. My rack was the third closest to the water, so I had a good 50 yard run to get out with the bike. Someday I'll get a good spot. Feet were really grassy and muddy and I took time to clean them pretty well.

No socks? Bribe the Race Director for a better rack? Change my last name to Aardvark for spot #1? Hmmmmm....

Was surprised I did this well compared to the field. With slick roads, turns were a bit slower than normal and a few uphills after turns caught me by surprise and I'd slowed down too much. Never got in a great spinning zone and was changing gears often. On the last uphill in the last mile I made the mistake of downshifting too quickly and almost jammed my chain. Was able to save it but lost all momentum and about 45 seconds to the guys I was keeping pace with.

Keep pushing myself in training.

uneventful...took a few seconds to drink before hitting the trail. Didn't know where water stations would be. Turned out there was one right outside the transition area.

eh?

I knew I pushed harder on the bike than I normally do, so I was interested to see what I had left for the run. Did 7:40s last year and hoped to beat that. Accidentally left my watch at home too, so I had no idea of pace which certainly didn't help me push. I know I tend to get out too fast and can die at the end so I think I took it too easy up the hill. Like to think I could have been about a minute faster.

Bring the watch, dummy!! Or, save a little more energy on the bike. Time-wise, though, I consider that a wash.

Water, water and....water. Waited for all my friends to come in and give them the "I've been waiting" smirk. Great having a big group to be happy for out there. Ate food and then got drenched in the monsoon.


Here's the excuses list: held back on the swim for the bike - smart or not? Rain didn't help on the bike. No watch on the run messed with my head and pacing.


The post race rain was a bummer, but Setup always does a great job. Pizza, oreos, soda, water, fruit: all great. Thanks to all the volunteers - all so nice!