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 Swim
Comments: I was extremely pleased with the results on this swim. The middle third (in the deepest part of the river) was choppy, and turned in to rollers! I really had to focus on big rolls to get my breaths. I stayed very relaxed all the way through, picking up freestyle length up to 60 strokes/15 strokes of side stroke. At 36 minutes I checked my watch and decided to go for it: And made the last 5 minutes all with freestyle! I even was able to put a little extra kick into it the last 100 meters. This swim had a guide line about 5 feet underwater, which really helped alleviate the sighting needs, especially in the very choppy water. I took 2.5 minutes off of my previous best! What would you do differently?: Nothing! Great swim, great way to start the day! I kept my top down around my waist, which definitely helped with loosening the breathing restrictions.  Transition 1
Comments: This is a tough transition to compare apples to apples. I had to run uphill about 100 yds on pavement (with more than one pokey rock!) Transition was on asphault, with lots of little rocks. I had to pack my wet suit, goggles and cap into a bag to get hauled down to T2. And then I needed to collect myselft for a straight uphill bike start. So I took a fair amount extra time just to relax and get my heart rate down before attacking the hill! What would you do differently?: Not much. I had a hard time getting my gels into my back pouch. I didn't have any taped down to my tube, which may have shaved 10-15 seconds off of my time.  Bike
Comments: This was mentally the most taxing ride I've ever done. About 2000 feet up over the first 10 miles. Then 15 miles into a 20 mph headwind! And then when I thought I'd get a reprive, the road back to Grand Coulee had a rock chip finish, creating some extra drag. And then...The steep downhill back into Grand Coulee had such a strong cross wind that you couldn't relax and tuck at all. A technically and mentally very tough ride. What would you do differently?: Not much. This ride was all about survival. The scenary was beautiful, but I didn't have a whole lot of time to enjoy it! Transition 2
Comments: Race volunteers took my bike, so no need to run into the transition zone. I had to wait a few seconds while someone found my transition bag, so I took the time to sit down. I had lots of dirt and rocks on my feet from T1, so took some extra time to wipe my feet off. The sun was really starting to pound, so I took a moment to re-sunscreen. What would you do differently?: Not a bad time for the sit and sunscreen.  Run
Comments: A beautiful trail run, but the heat was the real story. I wasn't ready for it, and the sponges at mile 6 and 8 were my saving grace! I walked through all of the aid stations, and about a quarter of the tough hill at the end. My goal was to break 1:50, which I beat...by 5 seconds! Overall my best run split ever...very happy witht this, especially on the heels of such a tough bike. What would you do differently?: The only thing I did wrong was pack one less gel than needed. I ended up taking a Hamer Gel at mile 9, which racked my guts. I was lucky not to have an accident for a while there! I also could've used one more salt tablet...for myself and the cramping age grouper that I passed at mile 5! Post race
Warm down: A steady walk while taking in fluids (what little my guts could handle!) Then some shade and relaxing stretches...then a bathroom break! My guts felt good enough for some solids after that...but barely! What limited your ability to perform faster: The wind...my bike...all of the elements except for myself!!! Event comments: Just right based on my abilitly...but bordering on too tough! I was very happy with my performance, but don't know if I'd drive 6 hours to do this again! Last updated: 2013-09-27 12:00 AM
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United States
TriFREAKS, Inc.
80F / 27C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 15/57
Age Group = 30-39
Age Group Rank = 3/9
The race didn't start until 9:00 am. So I had time to time to have a bowl of cereal after I arrived and watched the Ironman start. Had a cup of coffee, banana, and clif bar during the lovely 90 minute drive from East Wenatchee. I set up my bike and took it to T1 after figuring out the logistics of equipment transfer from T1 to T2 (everything was brought down to T2 by volunteers, saving me a 5 mile detour after the race!) It was a little bit distracting trying to set up two transitions. I ended up getting back to T1 with about 20 minutes to spare, so zipped on my suit and hit the water!
My warmup was primarily time spent in the river acclimating to the water. I really focused on just relaxing in the water. Bobbing up and down, breathing underwater, floating on my back! I crawled only about 25 meters before turning around. Then out on the beach to do a quick stretch during pre-race meeting and really loosen up my shoulders. My biggest concern coming in was some discomfort in my right shoulder, which really only flared up during a late season practice swim.