Belews Lake International Triathlon - Triathlon

Overall, I was really pleased with this swim. It was a triangle course, and I feel like I swam the first two legs really well. My sighting was good, I never got fatigued, and I felt like I was on pace. When I rounded the second turn buoy to start the 3rd and final leg, I did not turn sharp enough and got a little off course. The paddle boarder at the turn motioned me over, and I got corrected pretty quick. However, I had a hard time sighting for about half of this leg. I just could not find a sight buoy or wavy man, and I ended up just trying to follow the swimmers in front of me. I finally saw the wavy man with about half the leg to go, so I hammered down to try pick up a little time.

The only thing I would do differently is better estimate how sharp I need to turn at the buoys. I was thinking a 90 degree turn the entire time; it should have been more like a 120 or so.

So I was pleased with this. I just took my time and refused to get in a hurry. I removed my cap and goggles while running to transition, and I also got my suit down to my waist. Getting my suit off was pretty simple, and I grabbed my gel bottle, put on my shoes and helmet, and ran with the bike.

Not a thing.

I hit the bike and took off; I got a held a little bit trying to get out on the main road by a couple of guys in a gator and a course marshal. I do not know if they did not realize there were riders behind them or what, but they slowed 3 or 4 of us down a bit. I did not get to worked up and took the time to gather myself.

The bike went well. I tried to stay on target related to effort, and I believe I did a good job of hitting the effort level I had planned before the race. I went back and forth with a few other riders and overall the ride was uneventful.

The only hassle was near the end of the second loop and maybe 3 miles from the finish, two riders who (I think) were on the first loop held up two cars. I got caught behind them and when the cars finally passed, I was right in the wake of the exhaust, which sort of sucked.

Regarding nutrition, I had one bottle on the bike, Gatorade. I tried to drink about once every 10 minutes. If I do not do this, I forget about it and get behind. I am still not sure if I really drank enough on the bike. I did not consume all of the bottle; I had maybe 20 ounces. I was pretty thirsty on the run and had dry mouth really bad. I am going to try to start consuming a bit more in training and see how it goes.

I also had a gel bottle of honey, molasses, and salt. This is what I had used in training, and it had worked well. I took just under 3 ounces of this on the bike. About one ounce when I got on the bike, about one ounce at the 30 minute mark, and about one ounce at the 1 hour mark. Each ounce is around 100 calories.

I probably should have dialed my effort back. While the ride went well, I would pay for it a little on the run.

Got off at the dismount line and quickly found my rack. I had some trouble putting my socks on. I had them rolled up so I could get them on quickly, but my feet were still wet.

I need to practice here more. I might also just sit down next time to put on socks and shoes.

So I was pretty unhappy with this run. While I am not fast, I consider running to be my strength. I have dropped about 10 pounds over the winter, and I have seen some significant improvements in my training pace. However, I did not get on the bike much the last 4-6 week prior to the event, life happened! Not much you can do and I refuse to worry about it.

With that said, I am pretty sure my run was a direct result of not having the bike fitness I really needed, and I am ok with that. This was a really hilly course, and it sucked most of the way. I walked aid stations and dumped water over me at most stations. I also drank at each station, and I learned I do not like the taste of HEED.

Get more time in on the bike!

I had a bottle of water, a Pepsi (my first in months), and a piece of pizza. I found my wife, kids, and buddy and hung out for the awards.


I needed more time on the bike in training.


Overall, I am really happy with this race. While the run sucked, this was my first international distance (and second tri that I finished) and am pleased with how I did. I should have spent more time on the bike in the 4-6 weeks leading up to the race, but with a family (3 kids, 6 and under) and busy job, it just was not going to happen. Regardless, I am in this to stay active, be a good role model for my kids, and have fun. All three objectives were achieved, in that regard.

I am not sure what I am going to do next. It is easier for me to stay motivated with a race on the schedule. But we have a pretty busy summer. I might just put it on autopilot for the summer and run. We will see!

While I know a lot of members are familiar with JRC events, I will throw my two cents in and say Benji and Hope are awesome. They put on a great race, with activities for the kids! I would and will do JRC events in the future.