General Smallwood Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

Wave had about 75 peaple in a fairly narrow course so I was hardly ever alone. Lots of contact especially in the beginning. Spent alot of time swimming to the right on just behind one guy. Unfortunately, when he sighted he would switch to breaststoke and I got a few breaststroke kicks in the gut a few times. Luckly they were all unintentionaly and were glancing blows, but at least I was pretty sure he knew where he was going so I stuck with him around much of the course. Swim exit was up onto a dock. They had sunk a picnic table at the dock edge as a step up with volunteers to help pull you up. On my first exit attempt the vulunteer puller too hard and to my feet out from under me but otherwise it went fairly well.

Weeds were always just below the surface with lots of floaters. Didn't realy bother me till the end where the stiffer scratchier type was close enough to the surface to start grabbing my arms.

My sightly was pretty bad due to a no so perfect fit of the wetsuit, and my swimming is slow due to lack of anything resemboling swimming technique.

The swim exit to bike was about a quarter mile run along and up a oncrete path. They let you stage shoes near the swim exit if you wanted to, which I did, but I ran past them because I was in race mode and didn't want to take the time. The run actually went fairly well, as many others were definitely taking it much easier. I actually placed 5th in divsion and 54th overall witch is pretty good for me

Nothing really. I was happy with my focus during the transition. Someday I'll learn to do the shoes on the bike thing and run barefoot.

Flew out of the transition area, passing lots of riders, bu that soon ended at the first significant uphill. Although I pass more than I get past, the uphills just kill me. Sometimes, though on an uphill I find another gear and begin to accelerate going uphill going into the low mid 20's just flying past those who'd just past me, if I could only maintain that level of effort for longer periods. But these bursts don't last long I'm back to my normal power levels.

Near the end of the course a guy in front of me whom I swapped positions with may times dropped his chain. A small part of me felt a little joyfull for his mishap and I had to pay for that when on the last uphill I dropped my chain. Luckly it didn't jam and I was ablr to jump off the bike and get it back on fairly quickly.

Need to train on more hills.

This transition wasn't so good. It just takes me too long to cram my size 14s into running shoes, and I'v tried just about all the differnt types of elastic laces out there. Also I didn't get my feet out of bike shoes before dismounting so running with the bike waas fairly slow and my bike rack was all the way on the other side of transition.

Get feet out of shoes before bike dismount. Keep looking for a better solution for speed laces.

Left transition with a good pace but the first uphill came quickly and although I never stoped or walked my "run" pace fell to a low of somewhere around 17 m/m. The uphills lasted for nearly the first half of the course but after it flattened and we got so downhills my legs started to feel alittle better and I was able to pass some runners who'd past me earlier.

Train on hills.

1. Find shaded grassy spot.
2. Collapse in a big heap.
3. Pour water over oneself.
4. Get a slice of pizza.


See #4 above


Nice course, a good part of it in the shade, I'd do it again.