Mountain Man Sprint Tri - TriathlonSprint

A bit of mayhem at the swim start, as the width of the dock is not great, so we were crammed together. Started as close to the outside as I could, and quickly tried to maneuver to the outside for a clear swim line. Ran into some people, got run into as much, so it was normal chaos. The first 100m was kind of week due to this and just getting into a rhythm, but then I settled in and started to move. The altitude (7K ft) disrupted breathing a bit, and my stroke was not as smooth as I would like, but it was also not a hindrance. When I rounded the last buoy I turned on the speed a bit and pushed harder, and felt myself moving better and smoother.

Try to push myself earlier than I did. A 750m swim distance should not be difficult with the conditions we had, so I think I could try to increase my pull and speed to move through the water faster.

My transition location was strategically selected so I could run through transition to the end, then throw on my bike shoes and run with them a short distance. I am still working on leaving them clipped in and securing them once I am riding, so for now I put on my shoes in transition. My wetsuit came off fine, but my bike would not leave the rack smoothly so I had to work with it for a few extra seconds to get it loose and free. This was still my faster T1 in a tri, so no complaints really.

Be closer to the outside of the rack, where I am more comfortable, and learn to get into my shoes while on the bike.

A 22mph average is my fastest for any race, so I felt good. My gears were not shifting smoothly all of the time, and it was on my mind as I thought I might throw a chain at some point. I passed a number of people and pushed as hard as I could, so I believe my effort was max on the bike. I stayed in aero for 95% of the ride, and climbed out of the saddle on a couple of the uphill grades to keep my legs strong. Approaching transition I was able to get my feet out of my shoes so I could run without them through transition, which was a longer run for me as I was on the far end toward the run exit.

Nothing that I can control. I still need more hours on the bike to build up a better ride, but for my skill level I am very happy with my bike split.

Again, had problems with the rack, as it was too low and I could not get my seat racked. It did not help that I was doing it backwards, but that was necessary due to space restrictions. Got out of my helmet and into my running shoes and visor in record time, and this was the fastest T2 I have had, so all in all it was a success.

Learn to rack my bike better - beyond that, nothing.

This was the disappointing part of my race, considering it should be my strength. I run regularly at 7:30 - 8:00 for much longer distances (and after rides), so I am not sure why I was closer to 9:00 miles. Perhaps it was the thin air, but I cannot say I recognized the shortness of breath. I passed someone in my AG, but then got passed by another at the end of the run and could not keep up with his pace. I did push harder at the turnaround, but found myself then holding back a bit when I now think I could have pushed it harder.

One thing is to have a GPS trainer watch so I know my pace. I was clueless for the first mile +, and I have to think if I had the GPS trainer with pace I would have risen up and pushed my pace to where it should be.

Had a few donuts, oreos and some water provided by the event team. Had to go back and get my finisher medal, as I passed the guy handing them out originally looking for my wife, and totally forgot to stop and get one. Finally made it back to the chute and picked one up for my little collection. Walked with gear back to the car and cheered on the runners coming to the finish.


On the swim - most likely the altitude and thinner air slowed me down just a bit.

On the bike - only my skill level kept me from going faster. I am totally happy with 22mph for my current skill level.

On the run - Not sure why I was slower, but this needs to improve, as the run is my strength and for Oly and Sprint distances I should not be slower than 8:00 miles for the race.


I like the Mtn Man event team. They do not have the numbers (volunteers) like the bigger races, but they do a great job with what they have. It is hard to keep crowd control with smaller numbers of volunteers, but they make do overall. They did an awesome job of directing traffic on the highway as well as pointing the athletes on to their next part of the course.