Bigfoot Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

Started raining lightly just before the swim started. Was a cool overcast morning.

Started in Wave 2 (3 minutes between waves). Ended up swimming so close to the bouy line that I drifed into oncoming traffic from Wave 1. Thankfully I found out about 20 yards from hitting people and did the quick swim back to my side. In case it wasn't clear, NAVIGATION SUCKED!!!! Felt good about my breathing (every 3 strokes) and the stoke felt smooth. Must have added a LOT of yardage by getting off course to have a swim pace over 2.32min/100 yards as I don't think I could swim that slow if I tried.

Seal masked fogged up and had to do the occasional 1-2 breast strokes as I needed the extra time to make sure I was reasonably on course.

Wave 3 was the first women's wave and I was getting passed by some of the women (not wearing wetsuits) so I had Pace Booty in the water.

Practice lifting my head forward then to the side to simulate what it's like to have to swim in a lake and the extra effort it takes while swimming to do that.

Tried to keep up with Pace Booty as it would have been nice to follow and I'm sure their navigation was a LOT better than mine.

Oh yeah, VERY HAPPY with T1 time. Even stopped to rinse grass clipping off my feet and get socks on.

Outside of T1, running with the bike was good. Once I was on the road it all blew up. Both shoes were already on the bike (right shoe rubber banded in place). On the bike, both feet ON the shoes and pedal to get momentum. Take left foot of shoe and let it swing. Try to catch in on the way up...MISSED...try again...MISSED....try again...you get the idea. Got Frustrated so decided to get the right foot in first. The hole for the foot had mashed together and couldn't get the toes in, so reached down and popped the rubber band (that wacked my thumb and it went numb for a few miles). Finally got both feet in and it only took TWO TENTHS OF A MILE to do it. So not a lot of distance left over to get speed for the first hill.

Don't know. Use the 'shoe swing' technique for every ride and always hit the hole on the first or second try. Just had a bad day at it.

Otherwise, nothing different.

After the horendous start on the bike I had little time to get any speed up as there was an immediate climb. After that, it was a rolling course. The 'highway' sections had a good wide shoulder to ride on and the entire course had little traffic.

Got into passing a guy (Chris) back and forth for a while till he finally intoduced himself, "Hi I'm Chris, guess we'll be passing each other the rest of the race till you dust me." (thanks for the dusting compliment).

A little further down the road, passed a woman (from wave 3), and she immediately passed me back. Must have pissed her off. She and I ended up passing each other back and forth till I let her take the lead. We were at 21.5mph on my computer and I nice spin cadence and she was Pace Booty...I'll call her SOFTRIDE (for obvious reasons....her bike). The benefit to Softride was that the black tri shorts had stretched enough to see A$$ CRACK and I was not complaining (nor letting her know). Yup, male pig in me was making itself known. ;) Finally passed her (after a few miles) and we ended up trading on the passing again so followed her in the last 2 miles or so.

Did think about putting the hammer down over the last 4 miles and decided to keep the spin going and saving some leg for the hilly trail run.

Not much. Felt I settled into a good cadence that was not buring up the legs yet was holding 21.5 mph (per my computer).

unclipped from the bike while coming into the dismount area and ran in my bike shoes. Uncomfortable to do that, yet not unbearable.

Was into and out of transition smoothly. Off with the bike shoes and on with the running shoes, grabbed my race belt and gel flask and took care of those as I was headed out on the run. Oh yeah, the helmet was taken off too.

Passed Softride in transition.

Nothing....felt happy with this transition. Again, think I rocked on T2 time.

Love having YANKS in my shoes. :)

Like last weeks race, this run started off with the Hammies and Glutes voicing a stong opinion and by about the first mile they hushed up and the Thighs were starting to speak up. Felt like mini-shocks to thighs with each stride.

Working running downhill and keeping the feet under me (not landing on the heel) really paid off.

Softride passed me on the run and made for good Pace Booty again. :)


Given that the mini-shocks were happening regardless of pace, could have picked up the pace a bit more.

Was handed a bottle of water at the finish line. Also did take time to stretch out. No true cooldown as far as jogging or biking.

Talked with Softride at the finish line (she started it). Mentioned that I hoped she didn't think I was drafting on the bike. She didn't. She was waiting for her Fiancee to finish and we got talking about how this was his second tri and how she sometimes wanted to ride behind him while training so she could watch his butt. I told her she was using him as "Pace Booty" and she had not heard that term before. So, got to teach her the term without telling her was was Pace Booty. :)

I do wonder it she put the math together to figure out why I stayed behind her on the bike. hmmmmm


Bad navigation on the swim. Dry roads MIGHT have helped. Otherwise, just need more training of the body and mind.


Good race. Chip timing was messed up and Softrides fiancee finished about 4-5 minutes behind me yet had a finishing time faster than mine (we started in the same wave). Oh well, I'm going off my stop watch anyway for total time as that time was about 4 minutes behind Softride and about 4 minutes ahead of her fiancee.