Pelican Fest Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

This was my first open water swim of the year. Getting into the wet suit was a challenge, it seemed like it shrunk. Once I got it into the water it felt fine. My only goal for this swim was to be smooth and get out of the water comfortable. I was taking nice relaxed strokes, breathing bilaterally, occasionally looking for feet. I wasn't sighting for the first stretch, just made sure I had folks inside me and outside of me. When I finally did sight for myself I was doing a pretty good job of swimming straight towards the buoy. I found some feet that were comfortable to follow and had them all the way to the buoy, we turned right at it and then started the leg into the sun. I stayed on these feet (I think they were the same ones) for most of the second leg, again doing a good job of going straight towards the bouy, maybe drifting a little bit to the right. It is amazing, just swimming so much more (relative thing, but for me I swam much more over the last 6 months than I have the rest of my life) has somewhat straightened out my stroke. So I turn right on the second buoy an and try and pick up the third. I don't see it but start swimming with what is left of the pack around me. Eventually I sight "a" buoy an do a pretty good job of swimming towards it. I have someone else around me although I am not sure who is leading who here, but every time I look I am swimming straight towards that bouy which seems a long way off. Then I hear, "You need to go left" I look up and it is some folks in the boat. I was going towards the wrong buoy. I clear my goggles, find the correct one and get ready to go. I find out I do have company out there though, Z-dog is out there with me. Funny. We laugh about our scenic tour and get back to work. I hope I gave him a good draft back to the course. I round the last buoy and head for home. I was curious how much time I lost and how much extra distance I was swimming, but not too much. Overall it was better than last years expedition. I started kicking on this part a little more, not to make up time but just prep the legs for what is to come. I get out of the water in 14:30 with an HR of 155, I was feeling pretty good. I then make the trek up to transition. I hit t1 in 15:30 (I did it in 16:00 last year, but I think the timing mat was closer to the water.) I was much fresher that last year, In 2006 I was just relieved I survived my first OWS.

Pre determine land marks for bouys? Accurately pick up the proper buoy to swim towards? Clear my goggles? Stay on "smart" feet.

What did I do with all that time? I felt good, did a double check to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything, but I thought I moved steadily otherwise. I took nearly 1 minute out of 2006 (although some may have been on the run in)

I am not sure, it would have been good to have this on video to break it down and see where I am wasting time.

I wanted to come in and beat last years time, but I had no indications this spring that I had speed to do it yet. I was afraid I would go out like 2-3 mph slower. Once I was on the bike though I just felt pretty good. I kept it in the little chainring past the roundabout and onto the hill. Just spinning away my HR went into the 170' but I felt ok. Got to the top of the and someone I passed easily on the hill blew by me. I was like what got into him, I guess he was stronger than he looked. I crested the little hill on Hilltop drive and then got into the big chainring and just wanted to go. (AC/DC song - "For Those About to Rock" popped into my head) I just hit it. Was cranking 27 or 28 through that neighborhood. Blew by that guy and never saw him again. Would have cornered more aggressively but was hitting most of them behind people being a bit more cautious. Was passed by a young guy on the way out (only time on that bike that stuck - one advantage of being so far back out of the water and being in the third wave out of four is that most of the fast people are already ahead of you). Continued on the out bound slowing some as it is a deceptive climb, it looks like it should be pretty flat. Hit the turn around in 15 and change and started my way back. Held upper 20's for a good stretch, back to the neighborhoods and down the hill, I think I only topped out at 44. Got back in 12 and change. Actually beat last year by 40 secs. Yeah

Maybe I should work the hill a little more

Here I improved nearly 30 secs, it seemed really quick (for me). I was liking the YANKZ I bought yesterday, good purchase although the tongue wasn't quite smooth on one foot for the first 1/2 mile or so.

maybe move quicker with the bike. but this was one of my fastest t2's ever

I just couldn't/didn't push on the run that hard. In the beginning, I just ran the hills steady keeping my turnover high. The second hill I saw everyone on it walking I wondered if that would be quicker or better at least to walk and let the HR settle, but I elected to keep "running" it. tried to be as smooth as possible on the way down. In the run I was only passed twice that stuck - again the benefit of being so far back in the pack after the swim. I was moving steadily if not strongly on the flat sections, trying to pick up the tempo periodically. Played leapfrog with on guy on the run,tried to encourage him when I went by in the last mile somewhere. I picked it up the last stretch in and with about 100 yds left he comes up and says let's go. He nudges ahead and I lift it, then surprisingly this burst comes up and I am gone. I thought I had lifted most of what I had already in the last 1/4 mile so I think that kick was from beyond this world. (Thanks Aaron for pushing me in the end) Kind of interesting, I didn't see any mile markers, that would have helped my pacing (or are you supposed to pace in a sprint or just to all out)

Train more in the foothills and trail running to prepare for the steeps and descents of this run. Get myself to lift the pace a little earlier. Listen to all body indicators, not just one.

Get food, meet other BTers - it was cool to put faces to folks. I had a totally wrong image of a couple.


SPEED. Top end is untapped.


Distance bother me I could use a longer bike and would like an accurate 3.1 run, but my family likes going up for this event. The girls loved seeing the Pelicans, the hot air balloons, the water skiers, playing on the beach, playing on the inflatable toys ( and JJ seemed to like that part too he didn't comment on any of it though ;) )
So just for the overall atmosphere we will probably be back. Hey maybe next year I will have kid patrol and my wife will race it?!?!!