Copper Creek Triathlon - Triathlon

Non-wetsuit legal was a surprise the day of. No matter, I thought that would work to my advantage. Got a good start and kept with the front of my group until the second buoy. After that I couldn't stay on their heels anymore and just stuck with my pace. Don't know why it seemed longer but it did. Surprised and disappointed when I saw my time out of the water - I expected to be around 15 min, not 16.

Try a different tri suit? Maybe go without a top for the swim if it's not wetsuit legal? Still working on that one.

1st in my AG in T1 and 37th overall. Can't complain about that.

Nothing much at all.

Rode this the day prior at the end of a long ride to see what I could do with tired legs. I figured 35 was a best-case scenario, but 36 range was reasonable. Sloppy coming out of T1 and getting into my shoes. Lost a little time but not much. Got out after it pretty well after that and traded spots with someone in my AG the entire ride. I pulled ahead of him and another guy I recognized from other sprints just before coming back into T2. At that point, the sky opened up and rained HARD but briefly. Made for a dicey T2 but still pulled it off.

Not sure about different - bike is improving, but could still find some speed in there somewhere I'm sure.

Like I said, the rain didn't help and I fumbled a bit getting my helmet off and shoes on. Slower than I was the last time I did this race, but not my much. It did allow two other guys in my AG get out ahead of me, though.

Put socks on before bike, don't worry about where helmet ends up after it's off my head.

Hooked up with Nathanial within a minute of coming out of T2. Decided to run with him since I knew from previous events he was close to my pace, and I wanted to see how long we could stay together. Turns out the answer was 2 miles before I started pulling away. The rain had stopped by the first aid station so that wasn't an issue.
What was an issue was the last 1/2 mile. I was in a groove, but was pretty sure I wasn't in a position to podium. Too many bikes were out before me leaving T1, yet oddly there weren't many when I came back. I figured it was a tough field, so I wasn't cruising but I wasn't trying to crush it either.
Then I started hearing other footsteps slowly but surely getting closer. I didn't think it was Nathanial, since in previous races he didn't have a strong finishing kick. But I knew the footsteps were determined, and soon they were even with me. I glanced to my side and knew just by looking that this guy was in my AG. "Gonna make me earn it, huh?" I asked. He just kept on running and I thought "damn, here we go"!
It made for an exciting finish - we were stride for stride coming down the path, and everyone could see we were racing each other. Just when we got to the chute I realized I couldn't pass him - he had longer legs and a longer stride, so I shouted to him "You can have it!" and came in just a few seconds after him. I shook his hand immediately after and offered congrats, but told him I was going to be pissed if I ended up in 4th.

If Nathanial hadn't been there, I might have gone out a little faster but it's hard to say for sure. Running with him may have kept me relaxed enough to have what I did left at the end. Other than that, everything technically was sound.

A little light stretching, some breakfast pizza, tried to dry off but the rain was drizzling again. Got my results and was thrilled with my 3rd place finish! But it also mean that's the second time in two years I missed second place in a sprint by less than 3 seconds. Found some other friends and went to have a beer at the nearby bar & grill on the run course.


I didn't taper for this, and just a week earlier I competed in IM Boulder 70.3, so my training has been for long distance instead of sprint. It would be interesting to see how different things would be if I focused on just this distance.


After several good years, this race appears to be slipping a little bit. Fewer competitors this year. Last year's rain-out didn't help, I'm sure, and the race director or organizer never even sent out an e-mail acknowledging that fact. Disappointed that podium finishers didn't even get a medal. Volunteers are still top-notch. I'll be back, but mostly because it's practically in my backyard. Plus my finish qualified me for nationals, and hopefully I can do that again next year since I have to skip it this year.