Hy-Vee Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

Ugh, I didn't have it this time. I navigated worse than any other race I've done and I got unlucky a lot by running into other swimmers and having to stop or go around people numerous times. I know that this would have added a bunch of time to my swim that didn't need to be there. Just unlucky I think. I did get off course by about 20 seconds almost at the end which was not going to help either. I finally got pissed enough at the end to keep up with everyone and catch a few people at the end.

I think it would have been better if I just went over my comfort zone especially since I lose so much time on the swim anyway.

I had a good run up the beach and back to Transition. I was not well rehersed once again and I fumbled a lot with my number belt and my Sportband. Once everything was on though, I ran well with the bike and did my flying monkey and had a way better time getting my feet on the shoes and getting the "F" outta there. Ran way past the mount line per usual and passed 4 guys mounting. They most likely caught me later but I like to think that it made a difference for me :)

At some point practicing T1 will have to become a part of my training. I just get "lazy" and rely on figuring it all out in the moment instead of practicing something and commiting to it.

Training for this course is not impossible if you do any sort of city biking with lights, and traffic stops. The hills however are a different story. These weren't deal killers but I think that my recent HIM race left me fatigued enough where I didn't have the extra gear I needed to get +20mph. I tried to push it but there wasn't any strength/power in my legs. I just wasn't having a good time like I did at Pigman and it got to me.

Not sure...the poor bike effort was most likely to fatigue from a HIM 2 weeks prior. But, there's also the chance that I was recovered but I didn't have my speed since I haven't trained with intensity much this year. I think that taking some ergogenic supplements may have been needed to help in the PRE.

I pushed the pace again for that last mile into T2, and manuvered well to get into the park. I didn't gauge the dismount line well at all and I swung my leg around my bike way to early. With both legs now on the same side of the bike I was left to just coast and not able to pedal anymore. That just sucked and wasted almost 10 seconds just coasting in.

Gotta re-con Swim in, Bike in/out and Run out in better so I know where my stuff is and how to get out quickly. Thats just Tri 101 and I know better. I really didn't have a sense of urgency for this race at all and I needed to give this event the res

Well, the dreaded swim was over and the bad bike had come to a merciful end. I felt strong and well within my comfort zone to start the run. I went off at a fast clip and decided I'd try to hang on and gear up for that famous hill before the finish. I got passed within the first 2 miles by a couple of guys in my age group and I didn't pursue them. I wussed out and didn't use them as a reason to compete. In retrospect, I really should have and used them to get a better finish time. I felt good through 2.5-3 miles and didn't take a gel like I should have. The miles were going really fast for me and when it came time to hussle I didn't have the mental reserve to push with. I had held back way to long and at this point it was too late to kick it into high gear.

I need to take my Gu's/sugar/calories in whether I feel like it or not. By the time you figure out you should have taken them, it's way too late to fix the problem. Also, I need to really think about my pacing strategies. If I'm not training enough to know I have a reserve then I have to hold back and negative split the run.

Drank a lot of fluids and ate my way through the post race food. My HR and body came back to normal almost immediately. This is also another indication that I didn't push myself.


I think that having done the HIM only 2 weekends prior robbed me of my speed for this shorter race. Not that I could have swam or bike much faster, but I have put down faster 10K's in worse conditions prior to this event. Also, I need to figure out nutrition over short course events. Keeping me upbeat and energetic is a must. And, this is especially important if the bike course is hilly since I have nowhere to train for hills in Chicago.


Well, I really enjoyed the race and all of the things the organizers did to provide a top notch event. I wouldn't say I was wow-ed by it all but I can definitly appreciate all the gear, shwag, and course ammenities that were provided. You just can't beat having a Q&A with Olympic medalists and pro's so close and available to anyone with a question to ask. I met Sarah Groff, Javier Gomez, Greg Bennett, and the legend, Paula Newby Fraser! Also, I literally ran into Matty Reed on Court Street as he was making his way to the lake for the mens elite start. Having met him in Chicago last year it was just really cool seeing him again and wishing him a good race. They were all so approachable and actually getting to "hang" with them was not something you get to do everyday. I was looking forward to seeing Macca again but it just didn't happen. Oh well, he's still "the man" in my book.