HITS Triathlon Series: Napa Valley - Full Iron Course - TriathlonFull Ironman

Bad swim all around.

From the very beginning I knew it was going to be a bad swim. My goggles filled with water immediately and I fought that throughout the race. I had to empty them every 30 meters or so, which really made getting into any rhythm impossible. I have clear goggles and the sun made wearing them a big mistake. Sighting was also near impossible.

Add to all that - I had a near panic attack during the first 300 meters or so. I had this feeling that my arm was not getting any rotation and was tiring very early. I thought there was no way I was going to be able to swim another 2.3 miles in that condition. I calmed down, tried to get into a some sense of a rhythm. Which I was able to do.

My first lap was crap in terms of tracking the course. I was way off course on the north leg. I improved on the second lap.

I wore wax ear plugs. It helped with dizziness coming out of the swim.

I did not wear a skull cap or booties. With the water as cold as it was that is probably warranted.

Wear better goggles that are tinted. Have booties and skull cap available. I did not train with my wetsuit before the race - I will next season.

Good transition. Efficiently put on helmet and shoes. Put on sunscreen and lip balm and eye drops.

Much better than in IMAZ. The HITS series has stools at the transition point. I liked it. It facilitated getting feet dried and ready for the bike. I did not go into the changing tent - I raced in my trisuit that was under the wetsuit.

Work on getting through transition faster. It was overall good for an iron distance race.

Race reports from last year warned of the difficulty of this course. HITS changed the course for this year's event - it was still very difficult. Anytime an athlete has to come out of the saddle on an iron distance race it is not necessarily a good thing. A lot of riders had to come out of the saddle. I was able to stay seated for nearly all of the race with a couple of exceptions.

There were aid stations at the mid-point and at each of the two turn-arounds. They were well stocked. Thankfully, they had Hammer Endurolytes. I took those and it alleviated cramping that was starting in my quads.

I knew the run was going to be difficult. So I was very cognizant of keeping my enthusiasm in check in order to keep energy for the run. I took the opportunity to dismount and take a bathroom break and take on fluids.

I trained using the actual course loaded into the virtual training program for the trainer (Power Beam Pro). The trainer and program did a pretty good job of simulating the conditions of the course. Great purchase and addition to the training kit.



Train more. Training volume was not where I wanted it to be. Additionally, the difficulty of the course required a different training approach. I feathered a lot of speed off the downhills - mostly because of the road conditions. I could probably use some more work on downhill speed.

Good transition. Took the time to put on more sunscreen. Also took time to text family on my condition and anticipated finishing time.

I might not text. But I thought it important to let folks know how I was doing since there was not live tracking

Very tough run course. Started in the last part of the day - it was still warm. Sun went down just after the start of the second half. As it cooled down I was able to get into a better rhythm.

I decided to do a run/walk regimen to conserve energy. I ended up walking uphills and running downhills. The second half I cut down on the amount of walking - only walked at a couple of the main climbs.

Cramping started in my left quad that I thought might lock up (started at the 5 mile mark). At the six mile mark I took some more Endurolytes and the problem resolved itself.

Felt well conditioned for the run. Training regimen was good. I might have been able to pick up the pace just a bit.

None really. Wrapped in thermal blanket and took some Recoverite.


Training volume. Bottom line. I traveled quite a bit leading up to the race and basically did not get any training in for the last three weeks leading up to the race. The longest ride I did was only 3 1/2 hours at 60 miles. Enough to get through the race but not enough to perform well. I also did not get as much swimming in as I would have liked.


Tough course. The HITS team was well organized and put on a super event. they made changes to the bike course from last year and it was the right call. The race was well organized. A small and very intimate race. Not a lot of the festivities that you might see at a larger event - e.g. Ironman branded race. However, it was a great value for the money. If you plan ahead and register early the price is untouchable - around 100 dollars for a full distance tri. I am sure it will get more expensive as the race series gains in popularity - but I hope not. The Race Director personally encouraged the athletes at the bike and run turn-arounds. I would definitely recommend a HITS triathlon to other triathletes. I will be doing another in the future.