Musselman Half-Iron Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I felt pretty good for the first half of the swim, I felt I was moving along pretty good and at a comfortable pace. The contact this year seemed to be quite heavy. It really didn't seem to matter where I was either, both hugging the bouy line and out away just seemed to get swatted a lot.

The canal started to slow me down, the water temp climbed quite a bit and the smell of the water just turned my stomach. Seemed to go on forever.

I need to work more on my swimming.

I really thought I had a good T1, was hoping to go under 2 minutes.

I'm not sure, just keep practicing I guess. I really didn't stop moving other than to get the wetsuit off.

I have really tried to focus on my bike this season and I fully expected to be closer to 3 hours than this. Several reasons why I beleive. First I lost a couple of minutes stopping at the wrong aid station to hit the porto potty. Lost 2 or 3 minutes waiting for the lone PP to open up. Going down the hill towards Cayuga Lake I got stung by 2 different bees, the pain didn't help me focus for a couple of miles. The bite on my neck was quite painful. The other problem I beleive was the loss of appetite after the swim. I can usually eat and drink fairly well on the bike, but it was a constant effort to keep up with the nutrition. The canal water soured my stomach and I never really recovered from it.

Over all the ride was 12 minutes better than last year, which I was pleased with. I still lose too much time to stronger riders in the first 10 - 12 miles where it is a very slight up hill, almost a false flat.

The ride itself is on a beautiful course. I enjoy this ride, other than maybe the climb from Cayuga Lake back to 96A, not because of the hills, which are a challenge, it is more that the road is just plain rough and in dire need of repaving.

My average power for the ride was 175 which is right where I wanted it to be, ~80%.

Not swallow so much water during the swim and continue to increase the bike volume and intensity. The other thing that may have been a factor is that most of my training has been on my road bike. I think in the future that several weeks of riding at least half of the time on the tri bike will be required if that is the bike I am going to race it. This may have prevented some of the lower back tenderness I experienced.

Never have figured out how to get socks on quicker.

Started out feeling ok, not great but pretty good considering it wasn't a stand alone run. The goal was 9 minute miles, which by all accounts my training indicated this was doable at least until the couple of tough hills. Once I left the shade of the park I could feel my stomach and chest tighten up. Hit the first aid station, took some water and ice. I had a bottle of Gatorade Endurance that I had been trying to drink. Stomach starting to revolt and doesn't want anything. Water is ok, ice and sponge helps.
I walk a bit to try and settle down, hoping that I start feeling better by cooling off and getting the HR in check. After getting to the top of the short hill where you can either take the stairs or go through the lawn I start running again. Feel a little better when I see a guy in the lawn literally projectile vomitting, at least it hasn't gotten that bad. Start to overheat again and the tightness returns. Walk, run, walk run and repeat. Trying to take in some fluids, but mostly frustrated that the legs feel like running and the stomach ache and chest tightness just keeps from doing so. Run the down hills, and try to run the flats. Jamie comes by on the bike and tells me Dudley is ahead of me by 8 to 10 minutes, so I try and run. By now I am at the top of the worse hill, I am having a nice conversation with a couple of ladies from the 60 - 64 age group that started in the wave after me! Both Ironmen from last year.

By mile 8 or 9 the lack of proper nutrition has moved to the muscles as the feet and lower legs start cramping. The 2 things motivating me at this point is the thought that the faster I move the sooner it will be over and at least the chance of beating last years time!! I manage to shuffle my way in under by a couple of minutes!!



I need to figure out the things that did in this run. In no particular order the following things need to be addressed.
Swim volume
bike volume
bike nutrition
avoiding bee stings
heat of the day runs
run volume

Layed down next to a tree contemplating why I do these! Dudley saved the day with a nice cold soda to sip from!

Spent some time with Dudley and Mike. Mike came in a little behind me but he was gaining!! I am glad I didn't know he was coming that close or he knew how close he was to catching me or we both would have wound up in the med tent!!


I think there are some training issues that I need to address, but mostly I think my nutrition strategy, that has worked in the past let me down some and I didn't execute it as well as I should have. I don't know if the bee stings had an impact or not.


After last year I wanted revenge. I was poorly trained and deserved the time I got and I was mad at myself for not being better prepared. I am disappointed in the outcome this year, but not mad at myself. There were some mistakes I made and I do want to figure this race out and reach my goals, but although I could have and maybe should have done more, I was much better trained this year.

This is a good race, local for me (I think) and I will be back!!