Pigman Long Course Triathlon - Triathlon

The Olympic swimmers started at 7:30a and the long course at 8a. The announced did a good job of calling out which waves were starting. It's a TT start by wave (elites, F 40+, F39-, M40+, M39-). One person gets into the water every 3 secs.

This was the easiest swim start I have ever had. Minimal contact. None of that chest restriction feeling or racing heart rate. Easy easy. So why was my swim so slow?!?! I think part of it was that my goggles got so foggy and I coudln't see the buoys. Each leg of the triangle had one triangle buoy to signal turns and then just one other bubble type buoy on teh first and last legs, and two bubble buoys on the second leg. I couldn't tell if I was swimming straight so I relied a lot on the other swimmers to take me in the right direction. I also popped my head & body vertical to sight instead of sighting while I was swimmiing. This added time.

Otherwise, I think I just didn't swim fast. I was expecting about 37-38 mins. Maybe a wave start is actually helpful to me - I swim fast in the first 200m so I can try to escape the commotion, and bc this was such an easy start, I didn't do that.

This race reinforced that I have OWS issues to address. Three triathlons this year, three bad swims. In the next year I will:
1. Buy new mirrored/tinted goggles that don't fog!
2. Practice more frequent sighting
3. Just get faster!

Fastest in my AG, so no complaints. I exited the swim feeling pretty fresh and energized. Goggles up, top half of wetsuit off then took off goggles and swim cap on the run. Made it to transition spot and saw my friend was already gone! Wetsuit off, helmet on and clipped, sunnies on, bike shoes on, grabbed bike and off I went!

Make it to transition before my friend, lol

I live in flatland and this was a little more rolling than I'm used to, but nothing too tough and lots of fun. Before this race I had biked some with a friend who is significantly faster & more knowledgeable than I am, and he would make me do pulls after one ride he suggested that I ride in a harder gear. We would follow our bikes with a short brick to test if the harder gear had any effect. Anyway, at this race I figured "why not?" and did that and this was my best HIM bike time, to date. Very happy to crack the 3hr barrier!

I stuck with my usual nutrition plan, but given that I'm writing this RR two months too late (durr!) I don't exactly recall it, but I'm pretty sure it was about 250 cal/hr (mix Clif bar, Honey Stinger in the first two hours, Gu in the last hour) and about 32 oz water per hour with nuun. I think I took two additional salt tabs when my legs were feeling twingy at the start of the third hour. Passed my friend at about mile 10 and we had a quick chat. Complimented her on her swim!

In and out! Fastest in AG

My Garmin HR monitor was being wonky (I'm quite positite my max HR was not 251!) so after about a half mile of weird reports I just settled in and ran by perceived effort with occasional pace checks.

The first two miles were in the state park with some hills.Took the first mile at 8:30 and knew that is too fast. Slowed down and the second was at 9 and felt pretty good - effort and exertion seemed manageable and in a target pace for previous HIMs. Just past mile 2 exited the park and got to the highway, where the rest of the course would be run. Mile 2-3 was all done hill so I knew that mile 11-12 would be all uphill! Ran through the first couple of aid stations and started to walk them while taking in nutrition at mile 4. Tried the Heed - gross! Water and gels it will be. Took in a half gel at miles 4, 7 and 10. Pace started to slow down but was still making good time.

No shade on the run course while it was on the highway and the heat just radiated off the pavement, so I kept cool by pouring ice down my shorts and into my sports bra, then holding a piece of ice in each hand. When that ice melted, dug out a piece from my bra. Got some strange looks while I did that!

When I finished mile 10 I did some mental math, figured as long as I ran a 13 min mile (which I could definitely accomplish) for the next 3.1, I would set a PR. Math is not my strong point at this part of the race so it took about a half mile to figure that out, ha. Made it up the loooooooong hill and when I finished mile 11 back to math time and now I had a cushion of a 14 min mile to set a PR, but if I stuck to a 9:30 min mile I could crack 5:45! Challenge accepted! Pretty fatigued but hit mile 12 at 9 mins on the nose and then gave it everything for the last mile. Took off my sunnies for the home stretch and actually broke them. Finished with a big smile bc I had done it!

The race had this waterfall-type shower that was awesome. Did some stretching, ate all of the food and got a beer. Waited for my friends.


This race was a lot of fun! The volunteers were SO NICE and helpful. At one aid station on the run course I called out for ice and they didn't have any. But someone actually ran to a different aid station across the street and got me a cup, and then chased me down about a quarter mile later. I had a great time.