Cardinal Harbour Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

This was a pretty rough swim start, everyone stayed in pretty close contact for about 400M then started to spread out. Did good on drafting for the most part, though river visibility is zero. Focused on even smooth strokes. Rounding buoys went well too, at one point I basically crawled over someone to get to position. I noticed the guy and he looked pissed! Sorry about that......



- Relax mentally. I think the 2x loop hurt my mental game some, as it is the first event I have done with a 2x swim course.
- Be mindful of the current. I had to adjust and sight often to keep close to the buoy line
- Draft when appropriate. Its good to draft, especially in long distances like this, but dont do it on someone going slower than you want to go. Dont let complacency slow you down.

Overall, a good swim.

Run was not comfortable, they could have worked on clearing out the grass more of rocks and branches. Plus mats on the asphalt leading out of the water would have also been nice. Focus on this, as everything else in the day, was smooth execution. Was swift but took my time to make sure that I had everything. On the bike and was off.

- Another spray of sunscreen would have been smart.
- SOCKS, a must for the full IM (and change them out in T2)

Started out fast and flat and settled in once I hit hills on 42. Goal was to stay in Z3 the entire ride, and I did. Infinit every 15 minutes, water as needed. The out and back jaunt on 1624 was pretty fun, and I felt great during the climb back up (I rarely smile in a race, and I was grinning like an idiot at this point). Settled into the hills and was very conservative going up and down. This was about research and testing nutrition, not going all out. You can wait to do that in August. Back was tight at the end, which slowed me down substantially. Came back into transition ready to run (or so I thought).

- Push it, but be smart
- BIKE REFIT, fix these back pains
- Race your own race, dont get bent out of shape when you are passed.

As quick as I could with a long run from dismount to T2. Nothing major here, just business as usual.

- SOCKS. Ice melting from a hat tends to get in your shoes. Blisters like you wouldnt believe
- Sunscreen is a must, reapply liberally

Started out with a high HR like always, and was walking within 5 minutes. Goal was to keep HR in Z3 the whole time, and I was able to do it. Granted I was walking from the beginning and a lot of times, but that goal was more important than my finish time. Fuel belt had about 400 cal of Infinit, and I made sure to grab something at each aid station. A new hat for IMKY is a must, having melting ice in there kept me from completely burning up.

Final out and back section burned me alive, I walked almost the whole thing. I thought my heat training was going well, haha. Georgia has nothing on KY. Came into the finish line tired and glad to be done.

- Ditch the fuel belt? I had plenty to graze on at the aid stations. IMKY will have Ironman Perform, which I have worked with before with no problems.
- Try coke? Maybe that will give you a pickup towards the end.
- Ice is your friend, use it whenever you can
- Focus on yourself, run your own race, but when the going gets tough, push through (dont walk the last 2 miles)

I laid down in the shade and downed 32 oz of water immediately. I was hot and tired, but the legs felt surprisingly good. Once I regained my composure, walked to transition to pack up my stuff, because at this point, all I wanted was an ice bath and a nap. Once I got to transition, I lost it and broke down crying. I thought, how on earth will I have the strength to go 140 miles in a month? Its impossible, I thought, defeated by my own pride.

Seriously though, IMKY is no joke. I know now, after racing on essentially the same course, that I need to take it very seriously and with a lot of respect. I have 3 more weeks of really good work before I start to taper off for IMKY, so I need to make it count.


- Goals for the day. It was about 2 things 1) Testing nutrition (went perfectly) and 2) previewing the course. I accomplished both and analyzed my performance the whole way.
- No taper. If I would have done this event with a proper taper period, it would have been significantly faster event.


Very low support. Good race if you want a challenge, but not recommended for first timers. Amazing prep for IMKY.