Nanticoke River Swim and Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

Got in the water about 2 rows back from the front. My wave was men 25 - 39 and the 1/2 mile swimmers (there were only about a dozen of them). At the horn I let some of the front runners go as I walked a few steps then started my swim. I injured my shoulder doing something different in the pool back in like February and my swimming has been almost non-existent since then as a result until the last few weeks. Also, the last two open water swim tris I've been in had cancelled swims, so this was my first open water swim since Lake Placid last July (sheesh, just realized that!).

And all of that showed in my swim. All over the course (which is pathetic since it was an out and back), terrible sighting, never got into any sort of rhythm and generally crappy swim. Just glad it wasn't longer as I really would have lost time. Coming out of the water I decided to take my suit off there and run with it instead of stripping it on the run up to the bike. That would have made my swim split about 45 seconds or so faster. Not that it would have made much of a difference. I was still back of the pack for my wave regardless.

Not have a shoulder injury that kept me out of the water for almost 2 months? Get more swim training so I don't suck??

I actually took my suit off before I crossed the timing mat for the swim. It was a long run from there to the bike (I racked it right at the bike in/out spot so it was the furthest from the water). Considering I already had my suit off before crossing the swim mat, this should have been faster. Since I was right near the bike in/out I just put my shoes on there and not on teh bike (not too mention it was slick on the roads even though the rain held off until after I finished the race).

Maybe just go ahead and wear the suit all the way to the transition spot. Would have cut down on my swim split and I may have acutally been a little faster overall since the suit got stuck on my right foot. Not the best transition, but not bad.

Got on the bike and was tentative as to how I would feel. After my disaster last week (had absolutely zero energy, couldn't stay in my aero position and all around terrible race which I dropped out of eventually) I didn't know what to expect. But energy levels felt good, it was a flat course and I was pissed about my swim and wanted to catch up to everyone that beat me.

I had adjusted my position about a month ago and haven't ridden the bike much. I dropped the nose of the saddle a hair (to almost dead level where as I usually have it slightly pointed up) because I altered my handlebar position and I was trying to keep my angles even. Well, I spent the whole race never quite comfortable and always pushing myself back in the saddle as it kept feeling like I was sliding forward. I know I lost time doing that.

At the turn around I counted about 5 or 6 ahead of me. It never felt like we had any sort of tailwind and it was definitely a headwind or 3/4 headwind on the way out. I caught one of the guys about 2 miles after the turnaround and had my sights on the next one, but he was about a 1/4 mile down the road and I was barely creeping up on him. Then I couldn't see anyone after him even though I knew there were a few more. finally caught him and went by. Not long after that felt someone coming up on ME! That is a pretty rare thing ........ He passed, and I stayed back in his legal draft until the finish. He started in the wave after me and is a super fish (local guy to me who always places high in his AG in even big races). His swim alone was almost 5 minutes faster than mine but our bike and run splits were fairly close. He and i came into transition together and it was on to the run.

I know I could have pushed it harder on the return leg, but with only one person in sight ahead of me I just wasn't forcing the pace like I could have. It is a sprint race ..... there was no reason to be blaze about it! And adjust my frickin' saddle!! Pushing myself back so much on the saddle definitely cost me some time as I never settled in!

Not my best. Got out of my shoes too early. Then a car came into the parking lot and blocked the guy who passed me and I so we had to come to almost a complete stop. Then because it was slick and a little curvy I didn't swing my leg over the bike until I was stopped. All that really counts on the bike time, but it was really part of T2 to me.

Be more aggressive. I could have been out of there a lot quicker than this even with my long run to the "run out" spot.

Average run. Didn't feel as hard as it could have been. Just settled into a comfortably hard pace and let it go. Caught one person from my wave (younger guy though) but otherwise held position. Should have been more aggressive as there were 3 guys (the one who passed me on the bike and two others that started in my wave) that I could have picked off if I had just pushed a little more in the last mile.

Not bad, not great. I can run better than this and never felt like I was on the edge like I should be in this sort of distance. Like the bike, a blaze run.

Talked with some of the other finishers, put some stuff away at my transition spot, got some regular clothes on, got some food.


Time in the water (or lack of) and a sort of "Myeh, whatever" attitude on the bike after I had caught a lot of people and on the run.

Oh, and I raced this race entirely "blind" for the first time ever. No watch and planned on just using cadence on the bike, which was just fine since my wheel sensor on the disc came untaped and fell off in the car. It was a little weird looking at my wrist all the time before the race and not seeing a watch, but it was perfectly fine in the race.


I heard this was only the second year for the race. Well organized, good post race stuff, really cool "medal" for finishers (laser cut custom metalwork by local artisan) and a nice easy flat course. I'd recommend the race.