Onion Man Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

Swim was definitely short, but even so this was the best part of my race. I have been having trouble with chlorine allergies, so haven't been swimming much. I decided going into this that I would just take it easy and steady. I did that, found a nice rhythm with my strokes and sighting, and remained calm and consistent until rounding the last buoy where I drove it home. Kept swimming until my hands touched and then jogged up the ramp while removing my cap/goggles and top of my wetsuit. Loved the swim!

Nothing

It was windy and cold before the swim start, so I had a jacket to put on in transition. The sun had come out by the end of the swim, and I debated for a few seconds whether to put the jacket on, then decided to go ahead and put it on rather than waste the time trying to decide. Turns out I didn't really need it.

I decided not to use my Garmin this race, which was one less thing to think about in transition. Overall, I think this went OK. Not my fastest transition, but not bad for not having done one for three years.

Skip the jacket

Got passed a lot on the the way out (uphill), which is pretty typical for me. I did pass several people on the way back while flying downhill, fun!

Just need more bike training. It is definitely my weakest sport, and I think that's what kills my run too.

Went pretty smoothly, but I didn't really hurry

hurry up a bit more

I really wanted to run the entire run, since this is something I have yet to nail in a tri. Within the first .5 mile I knew that was just not going to happen. My achilles were super tight, my calves were cramping, and it had become warm and sunny. I walked up one of the first hills and ate a gel. Then tried to run again, but my legs just weren't allowing it.

I ended up walking a large portion of this run, attempting to run occasionally until my lower leg pain was just unbearable. I did manage to run the last mile and had to dodge two snakes on the dirt trail near the finish line.

Even though I ended up walking a bunch, I managed to keep a positive attitude and not question why I was doing this. That at least is a win for me.

I have found that I am sensitive to nightshades, and will be extra careful not to eat any in the weeks before a race. I think that contributed to the achilles/calf issue. Also, I need to work on my bike fitnes so that I'm not already trashed going into the run.

Got a bottle of water, and drove back to Walla Walla, so I could get a shower before driving to Portland for my flight to Louisiana. It was a crazy, busy day.


Achilles/calf issues, and lack of bike fitness


Love this venue. It's a fun course and well organized, plus has a great Barbecue afterwards if you have the time to stick around.