USAT Age Group National Championship - Triathlon

I felt really good in this swim. I used my competitors to sight (mostly), and the pace felt good. In retrospect, it might have been slightly too easy, particularly as the fastest women (who started 7 minutes after me) caught me. But, I didn't have any panic moments, and I felt fresh coming out of the water.

Get better at swimming. It might be a major focus this offseason.

I never practiced the flying mount, or starting with shoes clipped in. Given my injury history, I just didn't feel it was worthwhile. Also, I had no illusions that I'd be in contention for anything.

Regardless, I could have run with my bike better. Of course, after the race, I figured out a way to run with the bike in a much more stable way. Also, the route I took from my spot in transition to the bike out was not the best (and it had lots of ruts).

Ideally, learn to get into shoes while on the bike. Run with my hand on the stem. Scope out my routes to the bike out/in for things like terrain stability.

I was very pleased with my effort. I finished feeling fresh enough for the run, but also felt like I had pushed things a bit. At the same time, I suspect that I've not trained at the right intensity, and that my perception of effort is off. I noticed that most of the folks who passed me were in a much harder gear than I was (I was in my fourth or fifth, most I saw were in 7-9). I probably need to use power or something more reliable, for my cycling is far slower as compared to my peers.

Also, I used gatorade instead of water. By the time I was on the bike, it was warm, and just tasted gross.

On the giant hill, I thought I'd get tagged with a penalty, as there ended up being a big pile up of folks. I saw the official taking notes. Fortunately, I wasn't penalized. That doesn't seem fair to anyone who got hit with one, at least on that particular stretch.

Not use gatorade. Cycling will also probably be a significant focus in the offseason, hopefully with power.

This went okay. Again, I think if I actually work on transitions and getting out of shoes while moving, this could improve a lot.

The first loop felt good, and I was close to on target for my pace. The second loop, though, I just didn't feel like I could push it a lot more. I made a point of taking a quick walk through the aid stations to get a splash of water. Maybe having water on the bike, instead of gatorade, would have been a help.

It's hard to say, as my splits were even to negative. I'd probably forego gatorade on the bike and stick with water. Also, some longer duration bricks with race-pace intensity would probably benefit me.

Sat around, ate a snow cone, and drank a gatorade and a water.


My effort was good. My execution was pretty good. I think my swim technique probably needs work, and I need open water practice. I also suspect that my bike training needs to intensify a lot.


USA Triathlon put on an awesome event. There was a delay due to traffic congestion, but that was totally reasonable. They were good about announcing the delay and updates. Everything was organized, the course was not too crowded, and it was set up for a fast race.

There were a LOT of really good athletes here. It was a humbling experience for me. I had no illusions about my abilities, but to see the vast difference between the best and where I am was eye opening. This was a great race, and I hope to do it again in a few years when I've hopefully had a chance to improve my swimming and cycling.