MooseMan OLY - TriathlonOlympic

Last year 43:08 when 1045 yds which equals 67:45 for this distance. Goal time was 35-45 minutes, I thought I'd come in 39-42 minutes which I did. Last year I place last for swim split...this year 528 (I originally misread the results 318 was T1 time) out of 550...so I moved up 4% (much more reasonable and improved 28:15 from last year...this was so sweet. I sucked so bad at swimming last year to improve this much was great!!

Pacing plan was to hold back and to increase speed as the swim goes on.

I started in the back of the middle in my wave and wasn't nervous...we were off and I just started swimming. In the past I'd let everyone go a ways before I'd go, but not today. I swam in the chaos of all the women 35 and older and had fun. For me it was absolutely great...felt good, didn't go to hard. I was able to swim to first bouy nonstop quickly glanced at my watch and saw 6 something which was on course for a sub 40 swim...glad....sited off others, but by the second bouy had gone quite far away from pack...off to the right...angled back toward turn bouy...no reason to go straight back to the main pack as that would be longer. I was having fun swimming..I think it was a first for me. At the turn I started catching people from the other ways..wow...never done that.

I was at 19 something at turn...felt like I could pick up the pace a little, but know going faster 15 seconds/100 yds would make me out of the water 2 minutes faster...not a big deal. Kept on passing some, enjoying myself feeling that the mental planning and work I have done this last year was really paying off. Just before the last bouy so about 300 yds left, stopped to adjust my HRM as it was digging into my hand...my calves cramped up...not good. I get it from relaxed toes to normal toes when I pool swim. Just a bit after the last bouy, I tried to look and wave to Emily as I did that last year, but I couldn't see her on shore...more cramping and now in my hamstring...crude...kept swimming and I was having a blast. The thought ran through my mind, I think I could do an IM distance swim, never have I felt that...I was comfortable in my swim zone, and doing something fun. Swam until my hands touched and then ran out...enjoyed every minute in the water.

Very pleased with my swim...seriously from dead last to MOP in a year...made me feel my 3xweek swimming all winter paid off! Yet I know I can swim faster, but need to work at gaining confidence in swimming faster in open water.

Placed 318/568

I didn't see Emily or Max at swim exit, but found them at the edge of transtion ran and gave Emily and Max a high 5...was bubbling over at how fast I was and how I beat last years time...I was very excited!

It was pouring rain, my stuff was in rubbermaid containers, it was muddy with puddles in transtion...I was racked by a tree. It was a challenge, but I was quick and beat all the people in there at the same time with me. Bikes in transtion when I come in from a swim...new experience for me...loved it!

Put on my sunglasses and they fogged so stuffed them down my jacket/tri top but lost them running out of transtion...now I would get rain in my eyes the rest of the race.

Nothing...did my best given the weather.

Last Year 1:57:03, this year 1:48:19, goal time 1:36-1:49, improved 8:44 and 10.3% to overall rank.

Pacing goal: keep HR< 140 until get up the Devil Hill area and after make the turn recover and then let it go. Make it up the Devil Hill and all Hills w/out walking or stopping.

It rained on and off the whole bike, with some gusty headwinds and it was a bit unpleasant given it was in the mid-50's. I had ridden the course a week before and averaged 15.1 mph with a aerobic HR so I was optimistic that I would be in the high 15's or low 16's.

From the get go I was thirsty and I kept drinking my Gatorade. I saw Patty at the first uphill about 1.7 miles into the ride. She said I'll see you at the end, but soon enough she passed me back. Didn't feel great on the bike, not quite in what I think of my biking zone.

It was wet and tires were leaving tracks up all our backs. At about mile 4.5 I made a break through and was able to pee on my bike...learned an important lesson...critical where to have your feet positioned so it doesn't get in your shoes...I go sockless so it all washes away.

Arrived in little town green and knew I was about .5 mile from the Devil. Slowed down, drank more, and pedaled easily. Met a nice women who said we are about the same pace and we had been passing each other back and forth. It is so fun to race with others...last year I never saw another biker the whole bike leg. Get to the Devil Hill, she is under a tent...loud music blaring...racers 3-5 wide on the hill...shift down smartly as I learned from last week, started spinning up...got to the driveway where I had stopped last week, kept going...cadance down to high 50's and it hurts. Then two tri angels were there, cheering each of us on...first a man cheering us up, then a women, she said such kind and encouraging things..then she says red Softride, I know you, you were here last week and then some other nice thing...it was enough to distract me from the pain and make it up....she and her friend were doing the 1/2 and gave their time to encourage me and many others...she helped me so much! I saw Patty make it up the Devil and passed Ellen part way up looking strong.

Another goal done...it was sweet...my plan was unfolding like I imagined. Made it up the last of the nasty hill to the turn....sweet it was all easier from here. This was where I wanted to quit last year, but was encouraged by a police officer who told me it was easier from there and he was right...another tri angel.

Here I started thinking about what was going on, looked at my bike computer and thought wow, I'm really going slow. I continued to drink a lot and by mile 10 had taken on 28 oz of Gatorarde..it was weird I was so thirsty and it was cold. I wonder if I was just so cold it felt good trying to warm me up. My bike computer was goofy as at mile 10 marked aid station, it was at like 7 something. My legs were cramping so I kept stretching them, and took an enduroltye ever 30 minutes hoping that would improve and be okay for the run.

I love this part of the course, I ride in aero and can go fast and the hills mostly I can stay in aero, passed Patty and when aid station came, grabbed a Gatoraid and refilled my new Podium Quest Bottle and it is so easy to do...Patty passed me back here....drat!

I kept Patty in my sight and would gain on her and then fall back depending on the course. I still didn't feel good on the bike...wondered why but pushed on.

Made the turn onto the other main street with more long uphills that aren't to bad. Passed people here and there, more rain, totally soaked through my Brooks jacket.

Last turn into the rolling neighborhood, get close enough to yell some thoughts to Patty but she keep ahead of me. Finally at about 1:20 into the bike, I felt good and was able to pick it up. I was clearly not going to make the low end of my goal time, but I still wasn't sure about mileage. Passed a crazy red shirted women rider who would zig zag on the uphills and ride almost near the center yellow line so it was hard to pass here, we passed back and forth 7-8 times in the course of a couple miles. I even passed some men here...passed Patty and didn't see her again, but she was close behind me.

My feet were numb, my body was cold, and I was looking forward to see what I could do on the run. My goal of beating my time by an hour seemed possible but since I didn't gain as much on the bike it would be totally dependant on my run. Manged to pee one last time coming into transtion on the bike...felt funny like a private joke in front of all those spectators...but they couldn't tell.

Drank 48 oz of Gatorade on bike, took 4 endurolytes, 2 shot bloks



I always think I am best on the bike...not sure what happened today...being cold...I drank so much? I wonder if I was close to being overtrained with the weekend I had before. I was surprised I did the same time/pace as the previous week when that had been so easy. Did the weather effect me that much?

placed 515/568

Transtion was a mess, it had been raining all race. I had a hard time racking my bike with my new aerobottle it doesn't give enough space to hang my bike like I normally do. I dried my feet as best as I could, but body glide on my toes and balls of my feet to try and avoid blisters, grabbed my stuff and off I went. Took off my run jacket so just had BT top and tri shorts with my fuelbelt and hat.

Given the weather not much could be improved.

Last Year 1:34:00, this year 1:09:55, goal time 65-70 minutes thought I'd be just over 1:08, placed last in run split last year, this year 530/550, moved up 3.7% but improved 24:05....ran the whole race.

Race Pacing Plan: First 10' find rhythm, check how I felt, push harder, at condo complex about 1.8 miles from finish give it my all...okay to be comfortable with a challenging effort.

I was looking forward to the run to see what I could do. My long runs have been in the 7-10 mile range, so 6 should feel easyish...and my brick runs have been much improved the last two months.

It felt good to be running, my feet felt okay from being so cold, my right sock was on crocked so the seam bugged me but in time I was able to ignore it.

I saw Rob about .5 mile out of transition, gave him a high 5, and kept running. I was feeling good wondering what my mile one time would be 10:59 a little higher than I hoped...HR was low for me only 142 which is my long run HR...pondered that. I found the run zone early for me and just kept going. Mile two was 11:40 okay but need to keep it there or faster. Mile 3 has a long uphill many people were walking, but I ran very slowly uphill...no walking for me...quick port a potty stop and kept going. I had passed 2 people already (tied me with the 2 I passed all last tri season), Mile 4 was in the turn around and last big hill up and I was 12:12..once I got to the top, I picked it up as it was all downhill or flat from there.

As I saw Bters I knew, I ran across the road for some high 5's...Rob then Frank, May, Amanda, Laura, at the turn around I saw Patty just behind me and then Ellen..cool I saw so many fun supportive people.

Found a nice women from NY to run with, but talking slows me down and I was trying to go faster...drop her at the aid station. See 3 more in sight....mile 5 cool I did go faster 10:59...pass two more...1.2 miles left...one women up ahead about 50 yards...she is my rabbit I want to catch her by the end....pick it up as much as I could. I really felt good like wow just 1.2 miles I can do this...I could run more if I needed...it was a sweet place to be in. Now I had figured I could make 3:45 if I pushed hard...beating my dream goal of improving an hour in nasty conditions. I get about 200 yds from where you turn into the woods, a triathlete who is done says some encouraging thing to us, and then whispers to me, you can catch her, I told him I'm trying...soon after I pass her..total of 8 passed on the run....excellant. I head for the woods to do the finish...I had won...I did great...felt I proved myself on the course. I ran through the finish with the support of all my BT friends. After crossing the finish line I yelled like a crazy person...I'm not last this year...it felt theraputic...that monkey is off my back. It was amazing, I ran my race as planned in nasty weather...and my 344 hours of training since last Mooseman came through for me today.

Took water, banana and watched Patty finish shortly after me.





Try to push my pace sooner as I felt challenged but doable the last 2.2 miles. But seriously last October my dream goal was to be able to run one 10 m/m anyway I could...here I did it at the end of a cold, wet, nasty, long triathlon....sweet~

Waited for Ellen to finish, but became so cold, I had to leave just before she finished. Went into the warming tent, wrapped up in a towel, packed up and back to the hotel. I should have gotten into warmer stuff more quickly. Still 30 hours later I'm cold. I felt great 2 minutes after I was done. I know that I'm in so much better shape this year...fitter and faster..great to be in this place.


The nasty weather

I hit my goals at this race:
1. Make it up the Devil Hill and all the hills w/out stopping/walking
2. Feel comfortable and race the swim
3. Beat my adjusted time from last year by an hour
4. Pacing..hit my pacing goals for each segment
5. Felt mentally strong racing
6. Best of all I had fun the whole Race!!!

Placed 188/233 for women...better representation of how I faired..would have been 16/20 in my AG...all the Athenas were younger than I was.

It was a great day!


Keith puts on a great race and learns from each event to do it better the next year. I would highly recommend this race, but sign up early it continutes to fill earlier and earlier each year.

I can't wait for next year...as I'm already plotting how much I can improve (25 minutes is my goal)