Escape From Fort DeSoto Triathlon XX - TriathlonSprint

I was gonna wear my bike shorts under my wetsuit but the water was warm and I was already sweating when I got finished with getting my bike set up so I said forget the wetsuit. So I wound up swimming in my bike shorts. This could have had something to do with my slowness. Weird thing though. I passed two elites in the water. Their wave had gone off 3 minutes before mine. I was like "what's wrong with you? Must be a good cyclist/runner!"

Not much. I'm sure I could have pushed harder, but I was happy. My breathing was great, my face stayed in the water, and I only turned over to backstroke for a minute to catch my breath after the initial craziness. My wave was 140 people, it was pretty crazy.

This T1 included a .6 mile run from the beach to transition. The timing mat for transition was at the water exit. I've always wished they'd do this...now they have! I dryed off my feet (no time to fill tub before race due to lateness and craziness) put my socks and shoes on, grabbed my bike, and put my helmet on. Then I just ran with it and hopped on. Probably my best T1 to date.

Nothing. Great transition. Just found out (4.17.06 2100) that the .6 run was part of the total 4 miles at the race. Poop.

I had a great ride! With an average speed of 22+mph how could I be anything but happy!! They need to do something about those roads out there though, it's like riding on paved gravel. OUCH!

Not forget to drink more. I only took a little bit of Gatorade at about mile 6 and that was it.

Just rack and go. This T2 would have been faster if there weren't 40 rows of bikes to run past. I saw Terri and started talking and forgot to take a swig of Gatorade before I left.

Not forget to drink before leaving T@.

I passed 15 people in my age group on the run. Two of them were in the last half mile. Had a good run except for the fact that the last two miles were like beach sand. It was very tough on the legs. I think I may have done something to the toes on my left foot. I took water or Gatorade at every drink station on the run course because I was so dehydrated from the bike leg.

Nothing.

Lots of water. At least a quart and a half in the first hour. I was very dehydrated from not drinking enough on the bike and in T2.


Hydration, nerves from being late, swimming.


I had yet another PR here. My goal was to beat my time from Chilly Willy...same course, 19.05mph, 31.30 split...and I did! My runs are staying consistent. Last year at every event my bikes got faster and my runs got slower. This year my runs are staying where I want them and the bike times are getting better. Now I just have to work on the swim. I'm pretty happy though, since my swim time from Suncoast was almost as much as this one, and this one was twice the distance.

The race organizers need to be more specific about location when this race has been held in one place for however many years and now they decide to change it. MANY athletes pulled into the place where they had it last year and were confused when no one was there. Part of the reason I was late.

Still though, I was really happy about the outcome. It was a grea race and I had a good time. I met some cool people. Terri came to watch, and after the race I treated myself to a nice pair of Boston Bill sunglasses that go with my trigear. After Terri left, I spent some time at the beach, it was a gorgeous day! The water was beautiful, and I felt all cool with my body all marked up!!!

EDIT: Just had to change the run split. Damn that really sucks. Here I thought I had a great run, and I really had a sh!tty one. UGH. REAL BIG DOWNER. REAL BIG.