Xterra Smith Lake - TriathlonSprint

Disappointing swim but ok, not any where near my best. I got boxed in by some slower swimmers for the first 300 yds, and it took a while to clear them. Then I got some "swamp weed" stuck on my chip around the second buoy, and it felt like I was carrying an anchor for the last 400 yds, but it is an Xterra right? I probably should have stopped to clear it, but I was stubborn.

Should have started a little harder. Sighting and drafting was ok, but I should not have gotten boxed in like that, especially since I knew who the fast guys in my AG where, but I could not find them on the beach to follow like I did at Uhwarrie.

T1 time included a 1/4 mile bare foot run up from the beach to the transition area. A little rocky, but I found out from last year, where to run to avoid the majority of the nasty stuff. Definitely beat putting on shoes like I saw some others doing.

Not much, I passed about 6 people on the short run, that is 6 fewer people to pass on the single track. Ended up with around the 3rd fastest T1 time overall. Free time!

Good ride. Some indecisiveness caused me to clip a tree and it snapped my front brake lever off at the pinch bolt two miles into it. No biggie, since is not a real technical coarse. Coarse was a little softer this year than last, and the overall times were slower. Mine stayed the same, so I guess I am getting stronger.

Laid the bike down one other time because of carrying to much speed into a corner, and with no front break to scrub speed it was all I could do. Also had the lever dangling by the front cable get flung into the gap between the front tire and the fork brace, lucky i was not on the fast section. I did get lucky with it never flying into my front wheel at all, but there was not much I could do about it.

Picked off a lot of people but just could not gain enough ground to really make up for the pour swim.

Not much, except not try to split a tree with my handle bar thus breaking my front lever. Or not be such a weight weenie and use heavier stuff...nah! Good ride considering the I felt like I was dirt tracking it after snapping the lever, and I stayed positive and just dealt with it during the race. Kudos on the mental side of things.

Decent T2, could have been faster. I missed racked my bike on the first shot but I caught it before it hit the dirt. I had to show Carla my broken brake lever for some reason, but she straightened me out and got me focused again. Slid on the shoes, took a nice shot of Endurox, grabbed the visor and number and I was off.

Not feel the need to show Carla my wounded bike. I guess I was starting my plea for some new components early.

I am satisfied since I was coming off of loosing a weeks worth of training a couple of weeks ago from spraining my ankle at Uhwarrie and it is still not 100%. Faster than last year in pace and relative to others. Again the coarse was much slower than last year, so I'm ok the outcome. just makes me realize that Richmond is going to hurt.

Not much other than wishing I had about another 30 sec/mile in my legs. I should have been running more down town to help out with climbing, we flat landers are at such a disadvantage.

Got something cold to drink, hung out with Carla and waited for the results. Stretched some and the typical. Then took a shower at the lake bath house, changed, ate some pizza and hung out till the awards.


Poor swim and a lack of hill training on the run. Going to be running down town to help with Richmond in a couple of weeks.


This is a good race, and it helps that the coarse fits me. Typical of Xterra's in that it has a laid back feel and it has its own little quirks. A little lake weed, sand, etc...