Almost missed my wave's start. Heard through the din of conversation that they were calling us up (where the heck did the time go??!!??). So, I ran up there as quick as I could and stacked myself in a gap between two guys in the front row and got my goggles and stuff set.

At the start, I ran into the water really well and as soon as the water felt deep enough, I dove forward, hoping to not scrape bottom, and just started to swim. Held a pretty strong pace for the first 200, which just about got us to the first turn. Held strong though the second turn, then sought to settle in just a little. Did a pretty good job of controlling my breathing and not getting gassed. Once I made the second turn onto the back stretch, I ran into my same old problem of always seeming to go a little wide with my line and not staying close to the buoys. It didn't seem to hurt me too much, but I do need to work on it. At one point, about two thirds of the way through, I took a little water in and puked a little in my mouth. It was kinda disgusting and left a nasty taste for the next minute or two, but it never slowed me down.... I actually surprised myself a little that I didn't even miss a beat through it.

Made the last turn and was in the home stretch... at this point my sighting improved and I was able to keep a solid line all the way in. ALMOST was able to get onto the feet of someone cruising past me like I was standing still, but they blew past before I could even get lined up on them.

Swam until my fingers scraped bottom, then stood and started to run, working the suit off, then getting the cap and goggles off. Came out of the water breathing heavy, but feeling fresh and strong. This was a really good swim for me.

Not puke, take a better line on the back stretch... just get stronger in the water.

This is one spot where arriving late hurt me. By not being able to pre-clip my shoes, I easily cost myself 30 seconds. An average transition time for someone in my AG that pre-clipped was 35 seconds faster. I missed a podium spot by 32 seconds. Not saying that this was the difference, because my run was the difference, but it certainly ate up some quality, free buffer room.

I also struggled to put my wetsuit in the plastic T1 bag they provided, which cost me a few more seconds. Aside from those SNAFU's, it was generally a decent T1 and once I got my helmet on and my shoes on, I was out and going as quickly as I could be.

Arrive to the race at LEAST 30 minutes prior to Transition closing. Preferably 45 minutes before.
Be more deliberate in my movements when having to deal with putting items in a T1 bag so as not to waste time or movements.

I totally overbiked this. I knew it as I was doing it, but kept thinking that *maybe* all of the training I'd put in was going to be enough.

I had talked with my coach before the race about target HR and power that we wanted to hit.... coming out on the bike, I couldn't get the HR to drop and so I thought it'd be Ok to just focus on hitting that target power while I wait for the HR to settle. Well, it never did. I ended up doing the whole bike roughly 10-12 beats higher than we had intended, and while the power numbers were right in line with what we felt I should be able to, the HR is The Decider. I could feel it in the hip flexors by the time I was half way through, and I should have backed off a bit to let things settle, but I didn't want to stop chasing the bikes in front of me.

Go softer at the start to get the HR to settle, then build into the target HR & power.

As smooth as T2 can get, really. I was held up more by people ahead of me on a narrow chicane than anything I did.

Nothing

They said the run was 6.55 miles instead of the standard 6.2.
After the race, they claim now it was 6.75.... pretty much everyone's Garmin has it as at least 6.8.

No matter the distance, this SUCKED. The short version is this: I rode too hard and the hip flexors had nothing in them to keep my legs moving. I was also (though I didn't realize it at the time) too hot... every time I tried to push my pace up in the middle of this, I got slightly dizzy. I had GI issues with lots of belching as my body wasn't dealing with the sports drink very well... which I have trained with exclusively for months, so it wasn't an acclimatization issue.

The run started decently. I came out of T2 at a pace that felt easy and comfortable, and was right in the middle of my Zone 2 - right where coach wanted me to start. I held that easily enough for the first two miles, but by the time I hit mile 3 things had changed enough that thoughts of walking were entering my head already. I was having trouble keeping the legs moving enough to keep the HR up in the zone I needed to be running in. I got passed by 2nd & 3rd in my AG on miles 3 and 4 respectively, finishing 32 seconds off the podium.

I never realized how hot and sweaty I had gotten out there. In light of that, I also very likely did a terrible job of hydrating properly... and forcing the body to work way harder than I should have definitely affected my body's ability to absorb the hydration and calories I was trying to feed it during the race.

My run fitness is definitely way above what this effort shows, but I over-extended my self on the bike and wasn't able to show that on this day. Lesson learned.

Bike better.
Stay cooler.

Water. Watermelon. Oranges.
Sitting under a tent with pretty much all of my Ohio Tri Peeps, my coach, my friends, and just B.S.'ing while cheering folks on as they came down the finish chute.


Arriving late - this set it all in motion. The race begins before you arrive. I know this now. Not getting there on time cost me time in T1. It cost me not being in the game mentally before the swim, which is also where I failed to take my pre-race gels, which got me started behind the 8-ball nutritionally.

Overbiking - this really says it all. Great bike split, but not at the expense of my run.

Nutrition - a better paced effort would have allowed my body to absorb more fluid and nutrition leading up to the run, and it wouldn't have sucked as badly.


This was the inaugural event. As is the case with any inaugural event, there will be things that need to be improved, and HFP Racing has already sent out a newsletter to folks stating the huge list of improvements they promise to deliver for next year.

This is definitely a worthwhile event on a very legit course.... this isn't the cakewalk course that the former Giant Eagle 5150 course was.