Tugaloo Olympic Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

Started off great - lots of fast people to draft off early on. Successfully drafted a few people for first 600 meters or so. Had a good strong rhythm and things were going great until I got around the second yellow buoy and headed into the sun. I couldn't see a thing! I was just trying to stay behind any red caps I could see and prayed I was on a good course. I wasn't! I veered about 30 meters off to the right, and then somehow ended up about 20 meters to the left of everyone?! When I finally saw the buoy, I saw people passing the buoy on the right and the left. It was a mess. I can only imagine how many extra meters I swam zigging and zagging. The swim back to shore in that glare seemed eternal.

Used my smoke lens goggles! I would have focused harder on staying on the faster swimmers. It takes a lot more mental focus, but would have been worth it.

This was not a very smooth transition for me. I was totally anaerobic running up from the beach (what's new) and was not focused. Feet should have been all the way in shoes by the time glasses and helmet were on and they were stuck a little.

Started focusing on transition steps mentally while I was running.

I liked the bike course, but it was a little congested out there. I got caught up in an ever-growing pack of people that were going back and forth. At first it was just me and one guy, then we picked up a second, then a third ... by the end it was a pack of 7. I would pass them on the hills ... and then they would all single file pass me on the way down (I don't weigh enough!). I clearly was the only person observing the "overtaken" rule and it seemed to be hindering me. I still had a really good average though, so maybe the unintentional recovery time was not a bad thing.

Considering I was really happy with my time, probably nothing, even though I would have loved to break away from that pack.

Was pretty wobbly in T2 and couldn't get my feet in my shoes as quickly as usual. Then I wasted a few seconds thinking about whether I needed both the hat AND the sunglasses. Stupid.

I should never have ANYTHING to decide in transition. It should be pure execution.

Since this was my first oly-distance this season, I had to really slow myself down from my usual 5K pace and force myself to think SIX MILES! The first mile I just tried to settle into a good breathing rhythm that I thought I could sustain. It was tough since I felt was like I was going SO slow, but I knew starting off too fast would be a huge mistake. It was kind of a slow Mile 1 split, but I didn't sweat it, I was starting to feel good and was ready to build. The 2nd and 3rd were much faster, too fast I thought, and then I overcorrected the other direction in the 4th (too slow). In the 5th I tried to pick it up, but it was slow, too (was there a big hill in there I hope!) At mile 5 I went to max effort to take it home. I was starting to live in minutes and seconds and wondering "where is Mile 6?!" and then miraculously I heard the crowd, saw the familiar downhill I had warmed up on, and realized I was almost there! That's the first tri I have ever done that ended on a downhil ... and it was divine. It wasn't a great run time, but I'll take the PR and be happy with it. :-)

Gone a little harder in the middle. I think I could have handled it. It's always easy to say that after the fact though!

Walking it off while subconsciously trying to determine how many women were done. ;-) Chatting with people I knew and meeting people I saw on the course. I took an Enervit recovery drink about 40 minutes afterwards and I will make that part of my warm-down routine going forward. I never want food right away and so I miss that 1 hour window, but the recovery drink was easy to get down and it perked me back up.


Lack of confidence in my ability to maintain speed at this distance. Inexperience in pacing.


Great course, well organized, great volunteers and participants, nice size. I just wish I would have realized I needed to pick up my T-shirt and gotten there before my size was gone!