Alum Creek Sprint - TriathlonSprint

I felt good on this swim, even though I have been out of the water for a week. I didn't push but I was steady. I really need to practice the OWS more where I do sighting, since that was the area I felt like I needed work on. I could NOT hold a straight line.

Sight better and maybe swim a little harder.

I didn't put the shoes on the bike. I need to change my shoes if I want to do that. This model doesn't have any end loops to string up.

The only thing I did, was started out the wrong way.... DOH.

The transistion also included about a 100 yard run from the beach.

Not much, I felt good and handled the transition smoothly.

I had a great ride. I didn't quite hope on the bike, but I did get out pretty fast. Had some gal swerve into my path. She said she was sorry, but I didn't have any problems with her.

I didn't want to go out too fast, but I did want to just push as best as I could. I had just ridden 300+ miles over the previous week, and Thursday had done a century much of it in my big gear. I had pushed fairly hard that day, but had ridden most of the ride behind someone. He had given me some pointers on hills, and I just "floated the metal".

The rains had the roads pretty wet so I was trying to be careful around the corners. I took several pretty wide, and would have liked to take them a little faster. I didn't want to end up with the bike slipping out from under me.

I saw one of the guys from my tri club within the first 1-2 miles on the bike, he was doing the Oly but even with that I was pretty shocked to blow by him like I did. I did 2 races with him last year, the first one I passed him but he had a low tire. The other he passed me late in the bike course.

I was focusing on keeping a good cadence, and not working too hard. I was in the big chain ring most of the ride, which is some what a change. Legs felt pretty good most of the time. I passed a lot of people, and was passed by a few. I had one guy that likely was hanging pretty close to my rear wheel, but I don't know. He thanked me later for pulling him a long. If I did I sure didn't know I did.

Saw several people riding the same model bike I had, one guy flew by me at one point and said "nice bike" so when I blew by him later I gave him the same compliment. I am not sure he liked it at that point, but I was feeling great and had the energy to burn, and the legs to do it.

Not very much

Pulled shoes off about 200-300 yards from the end, pedaled with feet on top, jumped off the bike and ran into transistion.

Got the helmet off, socks on, shoes on, then headed out. Had to pin my number on since I forgot my race belt, but sort of did that on the run.

Not forget my race belt.

I started out fairly easy, legs were feeling fine. I had grabbed a gel and ate that during the first mile. I didn't have water to wash it down with but I was able to get it down anyway.

Mainly just focused on pushing the cadence. First mile was pretty cross counrty feeling, tree roots, ruts on the ground, mini hills. Once I did hit the road the road was angled pretty heavy at first. I stayed in the center. I don't know if I passed anyone, or how many passed me.

I know at one point about the 1.7 mile mark there was a 20 year old UM gal that went by me. I thought about trying to pace off her, and would have tried if I had been closer to the end. I don't think I would have been able to hold out that long. The was also a guy that passed me that I did pace with for a 1/4-1/2 mile, but then I let him go.

There was someone in my AG that went by me about the 2.75 mile mark, and I really thought about staying with him, and I really should have. But the signs were all goofed up. They had the 2 mile mark about .25 of a mile a head of where it should have been and the 3 mile mark a head of where is was. So I am glad I didn't take off based on those. I was checking my garmin, but I had gone under some trees so I was not sure how right it was either. I think I could have paced with the guy, but it would have been a big challenge.

Since the day was pretty cool, I was not having cooling issues. So I likely could have pushed harder. I did hit a point where I said, hey that guy has been going as long as you have, he is just as tired. So I pushed a little harder, but I needed to give just a little more.

Again not a whole lot.

Walked around, grabbed some grub. Water melon, hamburgers, drink. Talked with some folks. Got hugs from the kids (mine) who were hanging out at the race site.


Still not enough running miles.


This is my first race with the group. I was not impressed with the support they had to get body marking done, and race packets handed out. They may do better other times, but this one was pretty crummy.

I am making an assumption that they NORMALLY do better, since the RD said they close the transiton at 6:30 sharp. So I am not sure why that did not happen. I am guessing it was lack of help to get the lines processed, or maybe lack or being orgainized. They had a LOT of people that picked up packets, and it sure seemed like they could have done better. They had most of the numbers stacked, so they had to go through 3 sets of numbers to get all of them. I would have thought they would have done that prior and then you would only need the out side of the bag numbered... but that is another story.