Loggerhead Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

With only 50 meters to the first buoy, it was the most crowded turn I've ever experienced in a tri. The turn went well enough but I wouldn't call it swimming. Once around the that buoy I really enjoyed the swim.

I was swimming a bit outside to avoid the crowd and there was someone to my right who wasy trying to work his way to my left and he was swimming right into me. I decided to swim faster to just get ahead and out of his way, he matched my speed. I settled back in to my pace to let him get by and out of my way, he matched my speed. If we are going to swim the same speed, I might as well draft behind him and save the energy.

I drafted him for about 400m. During the swim I had a couple inadvertant taps on his toes so he'd start swimming very fast to get rid of me but it was so effortless behind him that it was very comfortable. He'd settle back into his pace and then a couple more inadvertant taps and then we were speeding up again. We did this cycle about 4 times.

At the turn back into shore I got out from behind him and sprinted in to shore but he never let me get by him. He was a strong swimmer to have that much left in him at the end of the swim. For me, the swim felt effortless.

Not too much.

Probably my best transition but the time doesn't show it. I could not have had a worse bike rack location. The race officials put all of the clydes, athenas, first timers, and relay teams way off in the back corner of the transition area. In from the swim and out to the bike were right next to each other and on the opposite side of transition from where my bike was racked, so I had to run the distance of transition twice to start the bike leg.

I need to be quicker in transition but it's getting better.

The bike was a bit disappointing. Going in I had hoped to avg. 22 mph but I just couldn't. It took me about a 1/2 mile to settle in and get down to what was probably zone 2 (didn't wear HRM). I pushed hard on the bike, I never let myself settle into a pace that was really comfortable. I'm not sure why but my legs felt tired most of the bike. My pace was gradually increasing throughout the ride, I'll take that as a positive.

Not that it would have bumped my avg. up to 22mph but a few comments about the course. It was very crowded. Almost 600 bikes on a 6 mile loop with only 1 lane in each direction with bikers ranging from very fast age groupers to first timers on Mtn. bikes. Also, 3 tight 180 degree turns with lots of people.

Not sure why my legs felt tired, maybe too much kicking during the swim??

This should have been faster, especially considering T1 was only 22 seconds slower. My rack was next to the bike in and I'm not sure where I used all of this time. Just put socks and shoes, grabbed hat and number and ran out.

Not sure but I suppose I should figure it out if I want to get faster.

Not bad but I had hoped for faster. I wanted to avg. 8:45 min/mile. Mile 1 was 8:40 and I felt good. Mile two didn't feel much slower but was 9:30, I had hoped it was the hill and I'd make it up on the way back. I never really picked up the pace. I was running fast enough that I was uncomfortable, had a small cramp, and wanted to slow down but not fast enough that it hurt.

No reason that I can't be more uncomfortable while running in a race. I need to push harder. I should be pushing harder while training so that I'm accustomed to the feeling during a race.

Found the family and cheered them on while they wrapped up their relays.


No complaints, I missed my goal by 2:32 but PR'd by 12:34. Hard to complain about picking up 12 minutes but I was hoping that I had improved a bit more.


I did not expect much from this race but it was very well organized with lots of volunteers. Anyone local should do this race.