TriAmerica Series (Chicago) - Duathlon

I took this nice and easy because I knew I'd have to bike and then run again. I had never done a duathlon before, and wasn't expecting one this morning (as stated above, the swim was cancelled due to cold water) so I hadn't really been working on any sprint work lately. It went well though.

Maybe not hold back so much.

I really need to practice having my shoes already on the bike and pedaling with my feet on the shoes. My transitions continue to be a week part of my racing. The fact that I didn't have to shrug out of a wetsuit made this much faster than my average T1.

Practice jumping on and slipping into shoes already clipped on.

I felt pretty good on the bike. I started to get a weird knee pain about halfway through, but it wasn't enough to really hurt my ride. Gears felt good, cadence felt good.

I attempted to pull my feet out of shoes while moving and pedal on top for the first time ever in a race. I got the right foot out but couldn't get my left one, ha ha. I looked like a dork running through transition with 1 shoe on my foot and the other on the bike. Also, I was so fast on the bike and passed a bunch of people, but they all caught me in transition. While I was sitting there tying my running shoes they were in and out. I lost a lot of time here, and really need to invest in some Yankz or something.

practice practice practice.

I felt great on the run for the first time in months! My shin splint which has been nagging me since spring didn't flare up at all and I had a strong rhythm and felt comfortable the whole way. I even managed to catch a few of the people who smoked me out of transition. My best run in a long time.

crawl to the food tent, give my wife a sweaty hug. She hates that!


lack of practice in transitions.


I would do this race again. It was a total bummer the swim had to be nixed but that's not the fault of Sommersports. The bike course could have been better marked, but I've ridden worse. Overall a great race, perfect for my ability and I think everyone had a great time. USAT officials were visible and very pleasant, overall a great day for a race!