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 Swim
Comments: The swim was rough, but so much fun. I have always been very comfortable in open water so the conditions were not a big deal to me. However, the current was! My usual pace is around 1:30/100m but the current made that a bit difficult. Had some nice waves disrupt my stroke throughout the swim but was able to avoid swallowing any water or having any discomfort. Was actually able to catch up several people from two waves before me so I figured I was doing alright. What would you do differently?: Nothing, I was very happy with my swim and just plan to continue working on my endurance.  Transition 1
Comments: T1 included the run from waters edge up to transition, which was roughly 200m or so in the sand. I chose not to wear socks since that is how I have trained. Was happy to see that all the sand had come off by the time I got to my towel! What would you do differently?: Jog a bit faster to transition area, make sure I am putting on my shirt the correct way, buy a pair of sunglasses for next time.  Bike
Comments: The bike went well, that's the best way to describe it. While I feel good on a bike, I wasn't sure how I would feel in the run. The first 5 miles were smooth, first time going up the RB bridge was good and I started to feel the burn towards the top. Smooth sailing on the way down and hit the turn around point right away, and then it hit me. It was like getting slapped in the face by a wall of wind. I went from 60-0 in 3.12 seconds, no really.. it felt that way. Going up that bridge the second time with that wind felt like it was going to take forever. I would look ahead and people were pedaling, but not going anywhere. Some guy was even doing the side to side deal. Much burn and a couple of gears later, I finally got to the top, riding at like 4mph. It felt so good to be done with that climb, but my legs felt heavy and I was a bit worried about the run. The ride back was against the wind and I just tried to keep a high cadence to get some blood flowing. Yes, I got "insert word here -ed" by just about every category of person you can think of. What would you do differently?: Train on windy days more. Not be so worried about the run and just ride at my comfortable race pace. Bring two water bottles instead of one to get some more hydration in. Buy a tri bike ;) Transition 2
Comments: Pretty uneventful. Took off bike shoes, helmet. Put on running shoes and took a sip of water. Grabbed my race belt and put it on while jogging out of transition. What would you do differently?: Nothing  Run
Comments: Even though I was where I expected to be at, the first mile SUCKED. No other way to put it, just plain old sucked. My right shin and left calve felt really tight and I walked/stretched several times during the first mile. Walked through the aid stations and had some water then threw the rest of it on my head/neck. Right around mile 2 I started feeling better and running became a lot easier. Apparently this is the "rhythm" everyone talks about. I have to admit I didn't do any training for the run, less than 5 miles total in the last 2 months. It is something I really need to work on. Luckily for me, my VERY VERY VERY supportive wife loved being out there and wants to sign up for a couple of 5k's to get started. Some dedication to running + dropping 30-40lbs will make my running much more enjoyable. What would you do differently?: Other than train? train some more. And drop weight a.k.a stop drinking sunkist. Post race
Warm down: None actually, a kiss from the wife and hugs with the parents. What limited your ability to perform faster: Training and weight. I have to start running more often and drop this extra weight. Event comments: I really enjoyed my first triathlon, Mack Cycle and MultiRace did an amazing job. This journey started 3 years ago with a thought and I finally decided to go for it 2 months ago. I am happy I achieved my goal to finish my first triathlon, and very happy I was able to do it in 1:32 considering the conditions. A big thanks to Yasser for taking me up on the idea of doing a triathlon and being the one to get me into cycling, amazing race you had. I am grateful to have had my parents and sister out there on the course at 6:30am, on the beach taking pictures and cheering me on throughout the course. And of course, a huge kiss to the wife for putting up with my random training times and being supportive of my new (not so new) love. Miami Half Ironman 2011, here I come! Last updated: 2010-09-20 12:00 AM
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United States
MultiRace / Publix FWW
85F / 29C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 362/479
Age Group = Clydesdale 225+
Age Group Rank = 7/10
First of all, woohooo! What a blast this was. First triathlon complete, and it was everything that I expected and more. The triathlon bug bit me, and I am looking forward to olympic and Half Ironman distances next year. It was great to have my close friend Yasser with me, we trained and raced together and many props to him for how far he has come, especially in the swim!
Had prepared everything the night before, we left at 5:30am and I had a ham and cheese sandwich and two bottles of water with a banana on the way. It sat well and I had no issues with it. Once we arrived we collected our racing chip and went straight to transition. It was AMAZING to see hundreds of people walking around at 6am while it was still dark getting ready to start. We set up transition as best as we could, and took off to check out the water and get ready.
Conditions were not very favorable, the wind was coming in hard at around 15mph and the current was ridiculous. Jumped in the water and swam about 50 yards out and against the current to get a feel for it. I was happy to have a strong swimming background, otherwise seeing these conditions would have made me stain myself! You could definitely see some worried faces in the crowd. Did some more stretching 5 minutes before our wave started.