Blackland Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

Last year I did it in 7:42 and had issues with the lane ropes when changing lanes and waiting at the ladder treading water to get out. My swim form has improved even if I am not very swim fit. I noticed I can breath on either side..sort of a surprise really-nothing I worked on, it just happened. I suspect the TI balance drills or something is behind this

Be a better swimmer

:37 seconds faster than last year though I was racked in a similar area and the venue was laid out the same. My rubber bands snapped early, probably because I stored them in my truck all summer, but it didn't cause me an issue

fresh rubber bands I guess. No big deal other than a brief moment of confusion on how, exactly to get to "bike out" but still a quick transition

I moved up to 9th on the bike, that's interesting. I passed people steady and was only passed once, and passed him back a little later. On a two loop course with a TT swim start that's a pretty meaningless fact unless you can mentally place yourself based on others race numbers, age and such, even then it is tough to be sure what lap anyone is in.

Probably back off a little. My strategy for sprints this season was to just go hard, but my runs have suffered so I may need to pace just a little better

6 seconds slower than last year but had trouble getting my running shoes on.

Wear my running shoes a little that morning and check that the laces are the way I like them. I don't untie my running shoes and I don't use elastic laces, I just pull them on and off. However we have puppies around the house and sometimes if I am not looking they "adjust" thins

This is wear I struggled, I have been running well and consistently after recovering from Ks. But my cycling has taken a big hit since the Sherman Kiwanis Century, as I implied above I may have pushed the bike pace and paid on the run. I really wanted to see if I could hold a 20mph avg even under trained. The run is also where someone turned up the thermostat..I could really feel the heat. I could run a nice quick pace but couldn't hold it, or a slow pace either..I did a run walk routine and mostly tried to chase down runners I thought I could catch.

Bricks, transition runs. These have been mostly non-existent this season. I'm going to call it a "bad" run because there should not be a 6 minute gap between my stand alone 5k time and my sprint tri 5k time, in my opinion.

water, sitting with my head hung between my legs and watching otehrs finish until I became self conscious about being sweaty and headed back to the transition area to begin packing up.


Some hits in my training and slippage of my own resolve


Live entertainment, free chicken sandwiches and free beer for those who imbibe..the amphitheater offers a cool vibe to watch the finishers and hang out but it is exposed to direct sun.
Next season I may shift my focus off of long course tris and see if I can zero in on the sprints and duathlons, maybe sneak up on a top 3 age group finish some how.