Mountain Man Triathlon - Half Iron Distance - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

After going hard up here in the Sprint, I purposely went out easy to save my oxygen. It really paid off as I was able to keep a steady rhythm and stroke throughout, never having to surface for extra air. I got hit hard in the head early, which was odd as I was WAY outside for a clean line. I had estimated 41.5 minutes for a good swim, so I came in under that, as well as I cut about 2 minutes off my swim from last year's race. THUMBS UP

I am not sure if I had tried to push a little bit harder if it would have affected my oxygen or not at altitude. I suppose I could swim more inside to save some seconds, but I like the open water and not having to fight for position and move around people.

A good T1 for me. We had a long run to get to our bikes for the HIM distance, but I like being close to Bike Out, so this was fine. I ran and got out of my wetsuit fine, then was on the move with my bike. My estimated good T1 was 2:00, and I came in just under, so THUMBS UP.

Nothing, I am not sure how I can speed this up other than running faster through transition.

WOW! That is the best HIM bike split I have ever ridden, and with the hilly course I was shocked. I felt great throughout, had some late quad cramps (which would affect my run - read on), but kept a smooth pace without having to push too hard. My HR was lower than expected which gave me confidence to keep cranking away. I went with a 20min nutrition plan (20min fluid, 20 min solid, 20 min fluid, 20 min solid, etc) using my Infinit, G2, Shot Bloks and a Clif Bar. While I think my solid and calorie intake was good and consistent, I think I made a BIG mistake with my fluid intake. I had no water (just plain forgot), and did not drink often enough. I also forgot to take my salt pills earlier in the ride (odd because I just rigged the dispenser to my bike handlebars this week), and I tried to play catch-up once I started cramping, but it was too late. Regardless, I am thrilled with this aspect of my triathlon skills, and think it is getting me ready for a stronger IM AZ bike split. Was about 2 minutes faster than my previous best HIM bike time, and over 6 minutes faster than I had estimated would be a strong ride for me at this race. THUMBS UP

Drink more fluid more often, include water, and take my salt pills when I am supposed to!

Another strong transition for me. I ran well with my bike (shoes off), and racked clean and quick and was on my way to the run. I had estimated a 1:40 T2 as being very fast and strong, so coming in at just over 2:10 (especially when I just killed the bike course) was a-ok. THUMBS UP

Nothing I can think of - I felt fast and moved well through T2.

One word - BONK. 2:22 for the HIM run? Even on this tough course that is frustrating and unacceptable. I know it had quite a bit to do with my quads, as they cramped hard at .5 mile, and would not totally clear up the whole time. I took salt pills but was already behind on sodium so it only kept things from getting worse. I just could not hold a decent pace, but I did manage to walk as seldom as possible. Tried to cut the run into 4 5K segments, but it just did not help. I had to merely gut this one out, knowing my fantastic start and bike were going to be wasted. Just a miserable, miserable run, and one I am familiar with, so there is no excuse. THUMBS DOWN

Not be cramping coming off the bike, learn to push through cramps even more than I tried to do. Run, Run, Run!

Hung out with ONE Multisport and chatted a bit, then loaded the car and headed out for the ride back down to Phoenix.


Quad cramps - plain and simple. Whether it was inevitable, or if my failure to keep hydrated and take my salt pills on time, I did not put together a complete race this time. I still managed a sub-6 hour time, but I had so much more potential going into, and through 2/3 of the race.


I like the Flagstaff venue - so this is a race I will always plan on participating in.