Nation's Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

Lined up two rows back in the inside middle of the 3rd wave. Clearly this was too conservative a position as I spent the first 200m weaving a way through before hitting clearer water. Bizarre to see one person in front of me take a straight diagonal line towards the centre of the Potomac. Took wide line for the rest of the outward loop and then didn't really cut in for the bouys at the turn. Lost a bit of time here. Went easily down the 'back straight' until hitting more traffic around 700/800 metres. Better round the final two turns.

Be more assertive in picking a starting position. Draft.

This was a long run from the swim exit. I got caught up in traffic on the way to transition. Again my swim cap came off with a comical 'pop' - is this a peculiarity for me or do others have this issue ? Anyhow swiftish change and long run from my transition spot to the bike exit (I note the elites are always placed close to the bike exit so they get minimum time running with their bikes ....). Didn't get the flying mount this time as bottles/X-lab combination would have led to either (a) groin strain; or (b) catastrophic slow-motion version of a Cavendish-like pile up on the start line.

Become an elite (hah). Lower X-lab.

What a blast ! How cool to ride like a hooligan around closed roads in DC ! At times - especially the part back towards the Lincoln Memorial - it felt like I was in the 30 Seconds to Mars 'Kings and Queens' video.

The route was occasionally tricky because of the slick surface and the drain covers and potholes but until the return route down Clara Barton it wasn't too crowded so there was room to pass and avoid obstacles. Some of the turns were tricky and I had to slow right down to a crawl (especially the top turn at Rock Creek - why did we have to go round a single cone ?

Took gel after the Cabin John turnaround. Heavy traffic back down Clara Barton - very difficult to avoid drafting. But overall there wasn't a real problem with blocking which I thought there might have been on the this part of the route.

Get aerohelmet and aerowheels ? But this would mean Mutually Assured Spending Destruction with my wife. Decisions. Decisions.

Usually I would take feet out of shoes and run in socks through transition. Given the muddy transition area decided to keep shoes on which meant no flying dismount. Otherwise no problems - shoes on, run belt on, visor on, all relatively quickly.

Nothing.

So this is where the training paid off. This was a Triathlon 10k PB by over 5 minutes.

Felt really good - went off at 7:24 pace for the first mile and then gradually push it. Was running well but I just don't have enough running pedigree to know when to up the pace even more. Didn't feel like I was really working until the last mile (Averaged 7min/miles from mile 5 to mile 6 and then 5:52/mile for the last 0.2). So I had plenty left in the tank (and the heart rate data suggests I was working about as hard as a usual training run). Doh.

But compare this with Philadelphia when I ran a 1'02 10k in the heat. Hmm.

Run harder. Revise pacing estimates and re-work them mid-race.

Walked around post-event zone. Ate the food (no problems for me getting any), got a foil blanket (no problems for me getting it), listened to the band, put my name to the massage waiting list but wait proved too long so didn't get one in the end.




Understanding personal run pacing. Probably could have pushed it even more on the bike looking at the HR data.

But really can't complain when I was hoping to break 2'30 and did it by over 6 mins. Mentally I executed my race plan perfectly and hey I finished first of the four Adrians in the race according to the Audi 'Fun Facts'.... (but only second of three Matthews's - must do better).


So maybe I'm biased because of a good performance but I thought this was a superb triathlon. It was really well organised and they coped with the rain really well. Positives :

- loads of great volunteers ! (Thanks to everyone who cheered us all on)
- great bike and run route. Swimming in the Potomac was pretty cool as well ! Biking and Running thorugh DC - for me a Brit - was just fantastic and I'll take those memories with me for the rest of my life.
- really good athlete's services (post race results readout, Audi virtual thingy, food, music (shame sun wasn't shining), foil blankets (I understand they ran out quite quickly)
- loads of portapotties

Negatives
- really sharp turns on the bike route - Rock Creek issue mentioned already