Kinetic Half - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Had a good start front and more or less center. After the first couple hundred yards I saw a guy just to my left and got on his feet. He was kicking like a 200hp outboard. I just sat in those bubbles as long as I could. He was navigating through the previous wave really well and if I just followed those bubbles I had a clear line. Worked till about halfway across the second leg and then I lost him as we worked through a big bunch of guys. The last leg is into the sun. Sighted more often to the buoys and could make out the finish line every now and then. Swam all the way to the beach.

Nothing much. This was a good swim for me and I think tactically I executed it quite well. I've put in a good chunk of yards this year and for this distance of swim and at the pace I was swimming I felt like I could change speeds with ease (surge if I had to) and never got tired despite keeping the gas pedal down the whole time.

Decent T1. No hiccups. I was very composed. Suit was down to my waist easily as I ran and got the rest off quickly when I got to the bike. Helmet and sunglasses on and go. Shoes and nutrition were already on the bike.

4/44 AG.
17/365 OA.

Nothing.

Got going up the hill out of transition and into the shoes after about half a mile. Did the short out and back and got up and out of the park and up to speed. There were a couple of guys to pass or who passed by in the first 10 miles but it was relatively quiet out there. At about mile 15 the traffic started to pick up and a pack formed about a quarter mile up the road. I just watched them basically ride a rotating double paceline. Finally a race official came by me and went up there and started handing out penalties. I settled in with 2 others at about mile 25 and it was very clean riding. When I got onto the second loop some guy who was starting his first loop decided that he didn't like being passed and he was surging and passing me and then would sit up. Did that a few times all the while blocking on the left. Finally had to surge on my own to get away from him. Saw that he racked up 12' of penalties...the marshals were definitely busy out there. The rest of the second loop was pretty uneventful. I was a tad bit behind on my nutrition. I had 2x300 calorie bottles of Infinit with me and 3 GUs taped to the top tube. Ideally I would have finished the first bottle (and a GU) at the end of the first loop, but I was a bit behind as I wasn't that thirsty on the first loop (got about half the bottle down). But I managed to catch up and get the second bottle and second GU down during the second loop for a total of about 800 calories. I picked up 1 water bottle at the last aid station and got about half that down with the last GU during the last 10 miles.

Not much. This was a significant improvement over my previous HIM bike splits.

Another good transition. Had a good dismount - it's a steep hill so you have to really bleed off the speed before you hop off the bike. Unclipped my helmet on the way in and racked my bike. Socks and shoes on. Hat on. Grabbed race belt and was out of there.

9/44 AG.
41/365 OA.

Not much. I'm not ready to run a half marathon without socks and I may never be!

In my 3 previous HIMs I've finished the run feeling content with how I managed the day but I was always left with a sense that I didn't perform fully to my abilities. I know that some of those days were hotter than blue blazes and I had to adjust accordingly but there was still that sense that I left something on the course.

I got going out of transition and saw a guy in my AG just up ahead that I've raced previously and knew was a strong runner. Up the first hill I started gaining on him til I was running on his shoulder. Went through the first mile at about 7:15 and I felt very comfortable. Hitting up the aid stations I started by alternating water and gatorade at each one. At about mile 2 we were joined by a couple other guys - I think one caught up and we caught up to another. Anyway, the 4 of us were motoring along pretty well til we hit the hill and I kept on my pace and 1 other guy did as well. The 2 of us finished the first lap together and ran near each other for most of the second lap til I pulled away from him. On the second lap I started going to gatorade at every aid station and was dumping a bit of water on my head every now and then as well. It sounds a bit excessive but when they hand out 3 ounces and 1 or 2 makes it down the pipe it's really not that much! On the third lap there was a lot of people on the course which helped with keeping motivated to pass people. The hill on the loop was tough as people were walking but I wasn't having any of that. I knew once I got up that hill that it was pretty easy terrain the rest of the way. At about mile 12 my right hamstring got a little twingy. Tried altering the stride a few times to keep it at bay. Just let it all go down the last hill and was really happy to see the finish.

Best HIM run to date.

Walked around, got food. Chatted with a few folks and sat in the lake.


Nothing today. I've been training pretty damn hard this spring (more hours and more intensity than ever before) and although this wasn't an A race I'm glad to see some solid gains as a result of all that work.


Good job as always by Setup Events. They delayed the start 15 minutes to let the fog burn off and given that it was going to be a sunny day it burned off quickly.