Nathans Sprint - TriathlonSprint

Terrible, terrible swim. I lost my composure at the very beginning (and this is the real mistake) never regained it. We found out the day before that wetsuits would not be allowed, so I started to fall off my game when I learned that. It didn't get better after getting in the water. The start was rushed and there was little time to get used to the water. It was very crowded and with the sun right in my eyes, I couldn't see a thing. I could hear the announcer loud and clear and was anticipating the next wave starting and being swum over by another group. About 200 yds in, my HRM fell off my wrist, so I had no idea what my heart was doing or how much time had passed. I slipped into survival mode and used breast and side stroke to get around the course. My breathing never got under control and I never calmed down. Between not being able to swim or breathe, I didn't really do any swimming as much as propelled floating for 750 meters.

I'm going to have to start wearing ear plugs for all open water swim races - hearing the start of later waves only brings the panic again. They have worked well in other races where I have worn them. I am counting this as a throwaway swim, an aberration, and not a continuation of my open water problems, since I think I have gotten them under control for the most part - it was just a bad day. The thing I have learned is that when I do have a problem, I need to be able to put it aside and move on. I don't have a very wide comfort margin to play with - I get thrown off easily. What I NEED to do in the future is when I run into an issue, I need get into some clear water, calm myself down and get into a normal swim. I gave up on my regular technique way too easily and soon in this race. I missed not having some time to get used to the water, and not being able to wear the wetsuit, but these are not valid excuses. I am a much better swimmer and I am much more comfortable in the water than I showed in this race.

Transition was smooth and quick. I have learned that I can't balance myself to get my shoes and socks on, so I immediately sat down to get them on. This worked out well and I didn't lose much time.

Nothing - I am satisfied with this transition and it was in the top half of the field.

Despite the course being crowded, I had a good bike segment. Unfortunately, my drink was still frozen at the beginning, so I didn't get a chance to drink anything until midway through the second lap. My speed was consistent, but passing was challenging. I felt strong and don't feel that I burned my legs out.

I won't freeze my drink before the next event - since the weather is cooling down, there isn't enough time for it to melt before the bike start (although I gave it a LOT of extra time to melt during the swim!). I finished in the top 20% of the field for the bike, so I am happy with the performance - I made up a lot of time that I gave up in the water.

The transition went smooth and was fairly fast. Once again, I just sat down to change shoes rather than trying to balance. This works for me, and I didn't lose much time. The transition was (barely) in the top half of the field.

Nothing different - I got through the transition and was ready to run.

The run was okay - not great. I was secretly hoping to come in under 30 minutes for the first time in an event, but didn't make it. It was a little hot and I felt that hy HR was running pretty high. I feel good about the pace, but I would have liked to have known what the time splits were and might have tried to push the pace if it was close to my goal - I was really missing my HRM during this portion. I saw Cody and said hello and met Rick toward the end - we ran together during the last half mile and he had a little kick left coming down the chute, so he went ahead.

As it was a sprint, I might have been better off skipping a water stop or two. I slowed down to get a drink to avoid any hydration issues and probably lost a little time. It may be a better idea to just carry a water bottle instead of relying on the aid stations. I finished in the top half of the field for the run, so it was a good effort.

Hung out with the other sprinters to cheer on the olympic distance people during the run.


A rough swim, crowded course, and flying blind as far as HR and time data. I am used to being able to monitor the time as I go, and not having that information and going entirely by feel probably hurt.


Although there are some bright spots, this was not the race I was hoping it would be. I really wanted this to be a 'statement' race, where I put everything together and really showed what I can do on a good day. I had adopted the mantra 'leave no doubt' for this race. I wanted to erase the problems that I have had in previous races and demonstrate that I have learned and improved all the way around - decisively. I didn't entirely come through as my run was a little off what I wanted and the swim was a disaster. However, it was, overall, a good race. Since the swim was a terrible, my overall placement suffered and I came close to wriggling out of the back of the pack into the middle third (70th percentile). All of the other numbers look good. My transitions and run were all in the top half, and the bike was in the top 20%. I'll still have to wait for the 'put it all together' race, but maybe I'm getting closer. I need to put the swim out of my mind. I can't have it haunting me at Pumpkinman and Soma. I can swim in open water and I will at those races. I just need to get my head straight, stay calm, and do what I know I can do. At the upcoming events, I don't have time to mess around in survival mode - I need to get in there and SWIM to make the cutoffs. That means no more messing around. That means no more succumbing to panic attacks. That means no more letting everyone go ahead until there's no one left to throw me off. If I experience an HR spike or hyperventilation, I can flip over or grab a kayak, get it over with, calm down, and move on. I have to remember that the swim is being timed as well - I have fallen too easliy into 'the race begins when I get out of the water' way of thinking. I don't have try to be blazing fast or expend too much energy, but I need to go at a comfortable pace in the neighborhood of where I train. If I do this, I can have the races that I want to have.