Leon's World's Fastest Triathlon - Triathlon

This was a pretty rough swim. The wind kicked up pretty hard (15-20mph) just before the race and made it tough and sloppy. I got pushed off course a few times and over swam a bit due to corrections. I never felt like I was pushing it too hard, but I definately drank more of the lake than I would have liked, and had to swim harder to correct sighting issues a few times. Not bad considering I'd taken 4.5 months off of consistant swim training this winter and this was my first real OWS this season.

practice swimming more in the suit pre-race. Got a nasty wetsuit hickey in the new suit. :( Also, my sable goggles leaked a bit after the swim start and I had to stop to adjust. Should have used them once prerace. They still had sand in them from IMFL! Last but not least, I should have begun sighting earlier. SInce I've not swum OW (just one short swim this season) I've not practiced that. Remembered after the first course correction though!

The Best of the US Amaetures got to rack right by Bike Out, so it was a long run to t1..,having not practiced IN the wetsuit, I struggled getting unzipped. My QR suit has the reverse zipper which I love. And know how to use! ;) Then I hit my rack, and start to get it off, struggle, its stuck of course and see the damn camera man for Comcast. Not quite the camera moment I was hoping for LOL! Finally got out, dried off just a bit, and took off. Not my most effecient transition LOLOLOL!

Lots! Practice full wetsuit transitions. I had intended to, it just didn't happen. Shouldn't have toweled off...we got rained on anyhow. It was just so darn cold!. I approached on the wrong side of the rack...not a big issue as it was the ground rack system, and our rack wasn't full, so I just hopped over quickly, but it cost me time for sure. Still CAN NOT think in transition!!!

Billed as the fastest triathlon in the world, I was expecting flat. What I wasn't expecting was LOTS and LOTS of turning! (disclaimer...I neglected to research the course ahead of time and was underprepared for the turns...MY BAD!) That's a lot of scrubbing speed! The road conditions were not great either....part of the course is on a closed highway (5 of the turns each lap) and had on ramps which weren't hard, and sort of like an overpass in the middle. Out n back on the south lanes, then out n back on the north lanes...into/with the wind. It was very hard to get a rhythm going between the turning, wind and dodging rough bits in the road. Through in rain and mist and lots more traffic (and slicker roads) on the second loop...tough day on the bike for sure.

Look at the course map!!! If it's full of turns, practice turning so I'm more comfortable RACING with turns. Stony Creek has LOTS of parking lots I could have practiced in. BAD ATHLETE!!! I would have left my toe covers on as well. I raced with just my kit...the weather was promising when we hit the park to set up, but turned nasty a bit before the race. Either way, I don't think my feet would have minded the protection of the covers. Could have used armwarmers too. I was FROZEN when I got off the bike....FROZEN!

There are no transition times from the timing company, so I've made my best guess based on my watch and my official times. Sooooo, yeah....PU! I saw my hubby at the end of the bike and tried to blow him a kiss, but the photo just looks like I'm sort of waving. Because my fingers were frozen in the "claw" aero position! Which, you know, kinda sorta slowed down my helmet removal, since, yeah, the claws weren't too helpful. ::-/ Nor were they helpful in dragging socks onto my frozen stumps aka my feet! Adding insult to injury was the fact that my new Pure Flow2's had been giving me a tad of trouble in my practices...and were even worse today. Don't know if these shoes will cut it in the racing scene for me.

Get better dressed for the ride, and just speed the heck up! I watched 4 girls haul ass out of transition, and should have just trucked right after them. I fussed a bit too much with my numb feet and fingers tugging on my shoes and finally just gave up. Should have been a quitter earlier! ;)

The course was a wee bit short...I forgot to stop multisport, but Cathleen had 6.01 and when I did stop it I had 6.1. I really was nervous about the run. I didn't know if I could do what my coach wanted me to pace wise, and I'd looked up my pr run at this race distance. I WANTED to beat it. It was so cold I'm sure that helped me reach my paces by staying cooler. I used my nutrition and had no issues. I felt good through the whole race...legs were there. My extra motivation was the knowledge that Cathleen is one bad assed runner and has beaten me so many times with her killer run, and she was out there, hunting me. We are great friends, we push each other, and support each other...we are training partners, but when we toe the line, we are competitors, and until today, she has ALWAYS placed better than me. I saw her after the turn around...I was running scared lol! I stuck to my plan, knowing I could only do what I could do and I nailed my run. My ranking was 43 of 43. That might sound awful...dfl in the run, but I was the oldest competitor, it was an elite amateur race and I had a nice PR. Nuff said!

Had I thought of it I would have tried to draft in the last 2.5 miles. It was pretty darn windy and it was a head wind the whole way back after the turn out of the park. I did *ahem* cheer a bit in the first half for the leaders and the two guys (Roman and Daniel) from the Michigan team...perhaps I should have saved my breath. ;)

none. Caught my breath and waited for Cathleen and Brian to finish. Then I froze while Dave ran off to get my dry warm things. Had fun despite the shite weather chatting up Roman, Daniel, Brian.


Swim: was great considering my training of late...just need to practice siting and wetsuit removal.
Bike: should have been more familiar with course and practiced cornering and turns more, and STEADY riding. I didn't do much steady riding in my last training block. More high intensity and recovery type rides. This block should mix that up and it will improve.
Run: I think I did well with this run because I've raced several half marys with a similar race strategy and was better prepared mentally for it.
Transitions: no THINKING! More practice with wet suit and perhaps different race shoes.


I rated the race a 4 mostly due to it being the Best of the US Amateur race, not Leons. The bike was not as fast or fun as I'd hoped, nor scenic,there were crappy roads and, well, it was stinky in the industrial area. I had a blast with Cathleen, Brian and my hubby. The weather sucked (nobody controls that) and it would have been fun to hang out and have that beer I earned (but was too frozen to drink) afterwards.

It was awesome to be "kind of a big deal" and hang out with some seriously speedy peeps at the race, and be left in their dust on race day! I highly recommend doing a BOUS race if you qualify!!!