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 Swim
Comments: This was by far the best swim that I have had to date. I have been getting into the pool a lot more often over the last few months then I did last year and I feel like it is finally paying off. The start was a little rough because that is a lot of people in such a tight spot but I did a good job of just defending my space and trying to stay relaxed. By the first right hand turn things had started to thin out quite a bit. I have never been able to really draft off of someone effectively so I didn't even try. I just focused on staying long in the water and trying to really swim straight. What would you do differently?: Not much of anything. I think this swim was just about right for my ability level right now. It was 8 minutes quicker than my last half ironman last Sept.  Transition 1
Comments: I moved with a purpose but didnt try to rush things to much. Wetsuit came off pretty easy and I was off on the bike without any real incident What would you do differently?: I could probably focus on moving a little quicker. Also putting some sunscreen on would have been a good idea. I got a pretty good burn on the bike.  Bike
Comments: My goal power was 210 and I hit it almost right on the money. My main goal for the bike was to keep my power and heart rate under control and have a good solid bike and try to set myself up for a good run. I stayed in my seat on basically all of the climbs and just downshifted and spun up them the best I could. I am new to training and racing with power but feel like overall I executed my plan pretty well. Took in 500 calories of Heed and 300 calories of Gu also took in about 4 bottle of water. I had to pee pretty bad most of the bike ride. I tried to relax enough to pee while on the bike but wasnt able to. I also stopped at one porta potty to try to go but after holding it so long I couldnt get it out and didnt want to waste a bunch of time standing there trying. What would you do differently?: I could probably push my bike pace a little bit harder and still have a solid run. Also learn to pee on the bike. The pressure was bothering me for sure. Transition 2
Comments: Came to a complete stop and did an easy dismount. I wasnt 100 percent sure what my legs would feel like so I took my time a little. Put some socks and my running shoes on grabbed my hand bottle and off I went. What would you do differently?: Take a second to put some sunscreen on.  Run
Comments: Left transition at a good clip and focused on just keeping my heart rate in check. I had my Garmin set to tell me anytime my HR got above 168. I was able to move at a good pace on the flats while keeping it below that and I would run the hills until it alarmed and then change to a fast power walk. I noticed that a lot of times the hills were so steep that my power walk was just as quick if not quicker then peoples run. I truly felt good and strong almost the entire run. My stomach felt good and I was doing a good job of taking in water and Gatorade at every aid station as well as 2 gu's. What would you do differently?: Not much. Overall I was really pleased with my run. This was 16 minutes quicker then my last half Ironman run time which was on a much easier course. My main goal for this race was to finish strong and feeling good and that happened for sure. Looking back after I finished I realized that I could have picked up the pace from about mile 8 on but I didnt during the race for fear of blowing up. Post race
Warm down: Ate some food and then wandered out to find my wife who was taking pictures of me finishing. We sat in the grandstands for a while watching the other finishers and waiting for my buddy to finish. Overall I felt really good. My feet were a little sore but my legs felt pretty good. What limited your ability to perform faster: Just time and experience. I think the more I race and start to understand my limits the faster I will be able to go. I really enjoy racing the 70.3 distance. I would also like to shed another ten pounds or so which I feel would make my run a bit stronger. Event comments: Wildflower was an awesome experience. A very challenging course but they really put on a great race and I love the challenge. I am planning on going back again for sure. Profile Album Last updated: 2012-05-07 12:00 AM
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United States
Tri-California Events, Inc.
75F / 24C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 303/1963
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 51/249
We drove down from Portland, Oregon leaving on Wed afternoon. We stayed the night in Williams, CA and then drove the last 4 hours to Lake San Antonio in the morning arriving in camp around 1:00 on Thursday. After getting camp set up I went for an easy 3 mile run just to get my legs moving a little from the long drive. On Thursday I did another 2.5 mile easy run with a buddy from my club. We then got our bikes ready and went for a spin. We ended up seeing Macca on the ride and rode behind him for about 5 miles. Not a bad way to spin out your legs with a 2 time Ironman World Champ. That evening we went down to the water and went for about a 400 yard swim just out to the first buoy and back. It felt nice to get into the water prior to the race and be able to practice a little sighting. I tried to stay off of my feet for the rest of the evening and stay hydrated. Actually got a pretty good nights sleep of about 7 hours.
Rode my bike the mile or so down to transition at about 6:45. My wave didn't go until 8:20 so that left me with plenty of time to get all setup. My nerves were not as bad as they have been on my last few races. I got my transition all setup and into my wetsuit with about 20 minutes to go then went down to the waters edge to watch the pros start.