Virginia Run Sprint Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

What a mess this swim was!! The people definitely didn't seed themselves based on ability. I had the first 50m clear starting about 10 seconds back from the guy in front of me, then I caught him ...... and he finally let me pass at the 100m point. Then I caught a log jam of three people with the woman in front of me going fairly slow and I couldn't get passed her. There were two points where I just frickin' stood up and walked ..... then felt guilty so I breast-stroked a little until she finally let me pass around 200m. Then I had a clear run in the last lap to the finish. The time includes about a 50 foot run from the edge of the pool to the timing mat towards the transition area.

Seed myself a hell of a lot higher. I was honest in my assesment of doing a 4:15, but nobody else that started near me was. I probably could have broken 4 minutes with clear water! Maybe not wear the wetsuit as the air temp. was colder than the water. Could have saved 10 - 15 seconds or so (which would have been enough - see finish results).

Transition went well all things considered. I think I did okay with this one, especially since I had a wetsuit and many didn't. It was a long run on the rough asphalt to get out the bike transition as I was racked near the swim area.

Nothing, I think this one was okay for what I needed to do in transition.

I went "blind" on this one as I didn't have the rear wheel sensor on the disc. So I only had cadence, HR and time to go by, which is what I wanted. With my limited bike mileage (barely over 500 miles for the year) and still semi-recovering from Boston I was not sure what I would have. I just wanted to get out there and push it and see what I could do ......

And boy did I!!! First lap I was flying and caught probably 50 or more people (I started about 60th or so in the pool). I may as well have been a broken record with my "On your left ...... left!!" since I was constantly passing. It was like being back in the left lane of the Autobahn with my motorcycle - I was passing them like they were standing still. I was only in the small ring for the small hill that we had on each lap and that was only for about an 1/8th of a mile or so. After that we turn left and finally get a tailwind. The main drag going back to the start/finish was all tailwind and I was down in the 53/12 and cranking it.

Second lap I was doing even more passing as I got wrapped into the whole crowd out on the course, but no real worries with passing as everyone basically moved when I asked. At no point was I in a draft as no one was near my speed, which was sort of surprising to me. Second time up the hill was more small chainring then before but I knew that trying to fly up it wasn't going to gain me much. Back onto the main street and push it hard to the bike finish. Feet out of shoes as I got near, dismount well at the line and jogging back to my rack.

I frickin' killed the bike!! 2nd fastest split overall (for the ones that actually got chipped correctly - there were some weird average speeds as people must have come in after one lap instead of two - the winner averaged 24.7 and was the only real average that was higher).

Nothing, had a great ride and Blackbird felt like spreading her wings. Can't wait until I have some bike fitness to really cut it loose!!

Below average because the feet were numb. I was in my Team Gu tri suit and nothing else, so the piggies got really cold. This was causing me grief to get the shoes on, so I had to kneel down to do it. Right calf twinged a bit and I said "Uh Oh." But I finally got the shoes on and since the run start was right next to me it was quick to cross the timing mat.

Work on getting the shoes on faster. And check them for rocks before putting them on ..... see run description .....

Run was just kind of there. The out part is barely up inclined and into the wind. I passed two people right at the start and then literally didn't see anyone until after the 1-1/4 mile point where I saw the first 4 guys that had gone by the turn-around. Mile 1 was around 6:30-ish, but some said that is was marked a little far. Turn around was at 9:50-ish and I saw a guy ahead of me. So I worked on picking it up. This was where I noticed I had two rocks in my right shoe (the one that was giving me the most grief to put on). I curled my toes up a bit and let the rocks roll aorund until they were in a more "comfortable" position and went to work on catching the guy ahead.

I passed him at about the 2 mile mark and set it on cruise control to get in as I couldn't see anyone else ahead of me, just the runners on their out lap. Got back to the transition area and had to slow down a hair to get through all the people just starting out on the run. Probably added a few seconds to the mix.

I really didn't feel that I was going that fast and probably could have picked it up more on the way back with the tailwind and slight downhill. But my HR was in the mid 170's, so I was working okay (about my half marathon range for HR).

Got my medal, grabbed some grub and talked with the three guys that finished ahead of me. Watched out for other BTers and cheered them on when I recognized them.


Lack of bike training, less than ideal swim seeding and lower running mileage since Boston.


Great race, designed for people just starting out, spectator friendly. A little crowded on the bike course, and not the best swim seeding. But the event was run extremely well and things went off without any real glitches. I got a $20 gift certificate and a custom made jersey (all the AG placers and overall winners got them). After looking at the results I was only 9 frickin' seconds out of the top 3!! I could have had any number of slight changes be it a clear swim or a smoother T2 and I would have been in 3rd. The 2nd place guy was another minute up the road, so I wouldn't have been able to "catch" him.