Lake Saint Louis Triathlon - Long Course - Triathlon

I just got out there, stayed calm, and treated it like a training swim. I was hyper aware that I am not a fast swimmer, and I had to take my own pace, and not let myself get sucked in by those around me swimming at a sub 2m pace, because it would have been the end of my race very quickly.

It was my very first time swimming in a group, so I wasn't confident drafting. In fact, I was so far off pack pace that drafting wasn't even an option.

Somehow my wife managed to convince the race organizers to let her be on the beach with my daughter at the end of the leg. That was a massive boost, and I entered T1 with a big grin.

More quality work on swimming. Most of my swim training was spent getting up to distance and making pace, and it didn't leave much room for speed and technique training.

I neglected practicing the transition until the last week, and then an accident a week before the event put my bike into the shop and me out of action. So my transition was basically to run the bike up to the mount line, stop, get on and go. So pro.

Other than that, the transition went very smoothly, and I was glad I'd spent some time the night before figuring out how my transition area should look.

At the very least learn to jump mount the bike, and maybe even practice with the shoes attached before the transition. The immediate fast descent after the start line makes me a bit nervous about that.

At one and the same time the best and worst performance on this course. In training my best previous time was 90 minutes, so I knocked 4 minutes off my PR. However, my accident had a profound psychological impact. I was scared of cornering and was braking hard. I kept losing the group on corners, then catching them on the straights. Eventually I lost them altogether.

I also went at it way too hard, too early and suffered for it later.

Pace myself better. I knew I was going too fast, but the adrenaline of the day got to me.

Big screw up. While the transition was mostly good, I forgot my race belt. Mentally I had planned to put on the belt for the bike leg, then spin it for the run. Last minute I changed my mind. Of course, I then forgot to pick up my race belt in T2. That added a good 500 yards to my run as I had to go back and get it.

Stick to the plan.

Devestated. I spent myself too early on the bike. This is where I should have shined, and I could have been much higher on the run ranking.

It was hellishly hot and humid. Despite lots of water stands, I found myself wishing I'd taken my own water. Tipped more on my head than down my throat.

Managed to run the whole route, no walking, which I was proud of.

The bike leg. Take my own water.

Ha, like I had the energy to warm-down. Good one.


Accident 6 days previous destroyed confidence in bike and riding ability when cornering.

Lack of quality swim work. Too much grinding out miles to make the distance.

Left it all on the bike course and struggled on the run.


This was my first tri, so my opinions should probably be taken with a pinch of salt. But I enjoyed it, and I'm hooked. Hope to do it again next year and have set an ambitious goal of sub three hours.