Smith Point Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

I said my prayer before I got into the water. I prayed for all the athletes, volunteers and spectators asking the Lord to keep everyone safe and for everyone to have fun and have a good race. I also asked the same for myself, just to be calm and be safe. The swim was done in 4 waves. I was in wave 3 with the men 40+. Each wave started 4 minutes apart. I hung a little to the back to the right I figured I might have some more room. Man was I wrong, the swim was rough for me. The first leg wasn't that bad, there was some bumping but I had a little room to manuever but I think I had to work much harder than I wanted or expected to. The washing machine was in full effect. Once I got down to the first buoy for the first turn I had room and got around that but the second leg was much rougher, we started catching the slower people in the first and second wave so there was less room and more contact all of it incendental of course. However I swear someone pushed me hard. I just tried to find space. When we were near the second turn around bouy I got caught behind some very slow people and had nowhere to go. People were literally going under the buoy! I got right around that and we headed towards the finish. I was able to get through that slower pack and I just started to hammer it. As I was heading in I found room but I started veering to the left towards the kayak's! I always veer right so it was weird to drift to the left. I got myself back on track and then I did it again I started veering to the left towards the next kayak! I got myself back on track again and was able to get to the end. I stood up and pulled my googles off and as I tried to get my swim cap off I had trouble with it getting stuck, damn latex swim caps! I got that off as I headed up the ramp and pulled my wetsuit top off and booked towards transition. I was totally out of breath. I could not believe how hard I had to work. It seemed liked I was swimming forever. This swim was much harder then last week. I swear my HR must have been in the 160's after I got out of there.

I am not sure, I am guessing this is typically what mass wave swim starts are all about. I think I need to find a way to get through this without working as hard as I did. I think I used up far too much energy for a swim that was less than 500m. I can't say that I am unhappy with my performance I think I handled it well and stayed focused and composed but I really thought I would be out of there in no more the 12 minutes.

I think I did much better in T1 this week. I made a much more concerted effort to get in and out faster without forgetting anything. However I was so gassed from the swim I would have been better off not running into T1 and catching my breath after what happened in the swim. Also I need to find a way to dry my feet off a little better. My socks got wetter than they should have been. Overall though it was a much, much better transition than last week but I can still do much better than this. Agian putting this in perspective overall in the scope of the race I still suck as I was 440 out of 465 but I can't be too disappointed it was better than last week.

I think I would just try and move a little faster and make sure of doing a better job drying off. At least my legs and feet so my socks aren't wet. I think the more I do it the better I will get. I'll also figure out what works best for me and I figure to get better with more experience.

Once again I did my best work on the bike for this race. I was very worried leaving transition that I used up a lot of energy for the swim. My plan was to go all out on the bike and survive the run since this was a sprint. I took it a little easy so I could catch my breath leaving the parking lot. Once I got to the end I passed a few people then I headed for the bridge. I climbed the bridge well and then hammered down the other side of it and started to pick up the pace. I was cruising pretty well and with the wind at my back I passed A LOT of people going northbound on William Floyd. I did not wait this time I totally hammered it on the northbound side. I was worring the entire time about the run but I said the hell with it I was going to go for it. I really wanted to see what I had and what I was capable of doing in a sprint by pushing myself hard on the bike. I made it to the turnaround and headed southbound where I proceeded to pass A LOT more people but I did get passed twice both times it was dudes on a TT bike. I didn't feel like chasing them and didn't think I could for that matter. I just wanted to keep up as hard an effort as I could. It was a little slower going back as we were riding into a headwind. It definitely slowed me up a little as I was already pushing myself hard. I made it back to the bridge and I climbed it well and headed through the parking lot back to the transition area. I thought I did a really good job on the bike. It was by far my best leg of the race.

I think I went as hard as I could on the bike considering how I felt after the swim. I could have been aero more but I had to come out of it a few times just to catch my breath a bit. I think I have the potential to be pretty good on the bike. I need to keep working on my bike fitness but I believe I can ride and ride well. This has been my strength so far and I need to continue to take advantage of that. Besides I am finding I love riding the bike, it is a total rush for me and to avg over 20 mph for me that was pretty sweet considering how inexperienced I feel I am at this point.

Again a much better transition this week over last week. I got in and out in a decent time for me that is. I think I will get better the more I do it. I also think once I am comfortable with the routine I set for myself, one that works well I will just get better doing it. Anything was better than last week's terrible transitions. In the overall scope of the race I still suck I was 432 out of 465 again just for perspective.

Move faster, get comfortable with a routine that works and keep practicing.
Lot's of room for improvement here.

Well I was not sure I was going to make the run much less finish it. I worked too hard during the swim, went all out on the bike and then grabbed my bottle of infinit and headed out. I was breathing so hard when I started across the parking lot I was afraid to look at my HR. It was like 166 and I thought man I am not going to make it. I just figured let me take this easy, just go out easy settle in and whatever I do don't stop running. I made the climb up the bridge and then down the other side and settled into a good pace. I didn't really feel like I was moving that fast. I got passed a few times but not really as much as I had expected. I headed down William Floyd to the cul de sac. I was able to manage to get my breathing less labored and more relaxed but the HR monitor was like at 172. I just thought don't stop moving, I grabbed a cup of water and poured it over my head. It was hot on the way down. I made the turn around and headed back. I actually started passing some people and started picking up the pace. I was just trying to make it to the finish without blowing up. I got up and down the bridge and down the hill. I was trying not to push it until I got to tunnel. Once I got to the turn before the tunnel I just hammered it but once you go through the tunnel you had to go uphill around a spiral sidewalk to the finish. I was like son of a biscuit! I did my best to sprint up there the best I could and I was happy to cross the finish line. I checked the garmin and the HR hit 181. It must have been right down the end there. I have never seen it that high. In any case I felt like I left it all out there and pushed as hard as possibly could. I could not believe I ran a pace in the low 9's. I thought for sure I was pushing it in the 10's. Being as slow as I am I think impressed myself with that run because I didn't think I'd finish. I thought I was going to pass out and die, seriously.

Not much considering the circumstances of the race. I think I pushed as hard as I could. I also think I managed my pacing on the run very well. I really wasn't sure I had much left in the tank but to my shock and surprise I had just enough in there to finish.

Bent over hands on my knees breathing hard. I did that for awhile, no kidding. I drank the rest of my infinit and some more water and had a slice of watermelon. I found my wife and we got my stuff out of transition and packed up the van. We also headed back to the beach and cashed in the free drink coupon which I gave to my wife and we just hung out for a little bit before heading home. We hit 7-Eleven on the way home I got a coke, a snickers and a milky way bar. I just had to have that and I totally earned it.


For this race I think the swim set the tone for my race and it took way too much effort for me which probably affected the effort on the bike and the run. I also think a lack of experience is going to be a limiting factor for me. I am still learning how this all works and what I am capable of doing. It's all a learning experience for me right now but I am so happy with how I have performed these first to races. I could never imagined myself being able to do this and do it pretty well.


Event Power put on a very good race. I had a great time and it was great that the race was in my town and very close to home. I am looking forward to doing this one again next year. I just wish the race was actually a 500m swim, 20K bike and a 5K run!