Diamond in the Rough Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

I moved all the way to left as there was a large group on the first wave. Started out with a fast pace to get ahead of the back and then eventually settled down to a moderate pace. Sighting was an issue early with the sun glare and my googles started to fog up. Toward the 1/2 point, I lost site of the lead pack but then regained composure to finish. My breathing was fine and I knew slower then normal but I wanted not to overheat in the water. Upon exiting the water, I was sweating a lot and my body temp was higher then normal which would impact me later.

This would have been a different pace if the heat was not a major factor. The timing for all racers is skewed because of the long run from the swim to T1.

Good transition as my bike was in a perfect location in Transition. I decided pre-race, not to clip my shoes to the bike which worked fine.

Nothing

Started fine but noticed the non-existent breeze and the intense heat when in direct sunlight. Prior to the large climb on mile 21 and on a long flat in the shade, I was penalized for drafting by an official although it was close to call. The biker in front of me who had passed me, proceeded to slow down and then my bike lengths decreased from 3 to 1 1/12. Right at that moment, I heard the motorcycle pull up and had to pull back. The long climb in Port Deposit was a tough one but mainly because of the heat. I did not recover well after that and the last couple of miles should have been stronger. On a positive note, during the long flats prior to the hill, my avg pace per my garmin, was around 22.5 to 24 which is solid although I wish I had my powwer numbers (see below) during that stratch.

Note: My Power meter was not working during part of the ride due to a low battery.



Again, a different race without the heat especially when climbing. Still no excuse but I didn't want to pull back anymore on the swim. The 2 minute penalty is something I obviously need to avoid. I spoke to the official after the race, who was a really nice guy, and he stated his case without argument from me. I would have finished around 47th in the bike without the penalty.

Solid transition from running with the bike to getting out of T2 without issue

Nothing but just continue to move quicker going forward.

Now the fun begins. It was around 1030am the heat was just BRUTAL. It seemed everyone was running in slow motion, except for a few, including the winner who passed me around 1 mile into my run (his bike split was very fast). I only stopped twice on the way out to the 2.5 mile marker for some really refreshing ice cold towels!!. My pace was slow but no one was going to set a PR this day or even maintain their normal pace. Just under my 4, I had to urinate and that's when the wall went up. I could not actually go and all of sudden felt as I was going to pass out and vomit at the same time. I decided to shut it down which is the right call and started walking for the next 3/4 of mile. I started feeling better and then I heard Mike Carney come behind me and we jogged very slowly into the finish.

Skip the race:)...kidding but seriously this was the hottest race ever to date (note: Philly and NJ State in 2010 were brutal as well but this was the hardest). On a positive note, I stopped at lot less then expected until my mind shut it down per the above. Mental toughness is something I needed to get through the race but I didn't have it (props to those racers who did!). I'm glad I stopped because getting very ill or passing out was not something I wanted to experience.

Soaking wet, freezing cold towels with plenty of zero water sitting under a tree. It took me a while to feel better but eventually I was fine. A number of racers were hurting after the race as it was evident that I was not the only one suffered.


Brutal heat and humidity!!


Neil from Piranha did a solid job of making sure there was plenty water stops on the run with cold towels and even some coke. Volunteers were helpful and even with the conditions, the race was well organized.