Congrats. Sounds like you had an enjoyable race, and that is the most important aspect!

Good job on the rolling mount/dismount. 6 X 180's?!?!?!?!?!? Yuk!

Yeah, the mental thing. I really notice it when on the MTB. I cruise along pretty good until something scares me. I get more bold each time but it's still my brain, not ability, that usually makes me bail off.

Sounds like you had a solid race, with your only (minor) complaint being your honey mishap and T2 times.  Great work, especially on the bike!

A friend who I used to race with in PA moved to FL in the past year and she did this race as well, but I didn't put 2 and 2 together until it was too late, otherwise I'd have had one or the other of you say 'hi' to one or the other!

So, what have you read that inspired you to go bagel-less? And how did that go, would you do it again?

And you can have  both mental and physical limiters, trust me But remember, those are opportunities. 

Great job Chris! 

I'm glad that someone else thought the swim course was long.   It looked like it was definitely more than 50M from the shore out to the buoy line.

Good job. Glad you enjoyed it.

Mark 

Great job Chris.  Lots of good things.  Same time, less tired on the swim is a win in my book.

Nice job on the dismount.  It is amazing how the little things add up.

Thanks all.

TJ - Yep, 6 U turns.  There is a fair bit of slowing and accelerating, but it's not bad.  I truly think most of us could use some bike handling skill improvement, I know I would benefit.  MTB really showed me how bad my skill set is.

Melanie - I still haven't met Mark and we've done this race "together" for a few years. I think I'm in my own world for most of the morning.

Adrienne - The food advice I've been reading is to intake no solid foods 3 hours before a race, and I get up and am racing in less time than that.  So, I went with water and gel during the race. It will be my standard going forward, as I felt really good all race.

Mark - I have to go back and check, but I think the swim has been long for a couple years now, but it might have been a different race.  I'm glad to know you thought the same, I feel a bit better about my swim.  

Steve - It is interesting how much each little part can add (or subtract) for a racer.  I have a long way to go on some stuff, so I'll use whatever I can.

Laura - Thanks, my wife always tries to get a pic of me dismounting, she thinks they look pretty cool, I guess.

Reece - The dismount was one of the first "triathlon skills" that I learned, and it came to me pretty quick.  I would suggest a few minutes at the end of a ride, in a parking lot somewhere. At this point, I actually do them at the end of nearly every solo training ride.  Your observation on the flying mounters you saw struggling to get shoes on and going well in your race struck a chord with me.  I need to get smoother on that.

Way to go, Chris! Sounds like things are really coming together smoothly for you...SWIMMING comfort?!?!?!

So you went on empty, or traded bagel for something else?

Great race!  6 hairpin turns on the bike course sounds like cruel and unusual punishment!

Erin - No solid food for me meant no morning eating. I did have a gel on the bike, which I guess was breakfast.  Thanks.

I had to go back and look.  In 2012 I did the swim in 8:52, 3 years later it took nearly 1:30 more.  Not that it matters much, only when I'm trying to figure out if I've made improvements or not.  It feels like I did, time says otherwise, but if distance was different...  

OK, I'm done thinking about it, I'll just keep training.

Job well done Chris!! As others have said, lots of good take aways from the race.  I'm glad you're feeling stronger on the swim, it's amazing what consistent practice can do for you -I may have to try that with my swimming before my next tri 

Of course, the most important question is, did you beat your friend?  

Oh yeah!!!!  He came out of the water 1 minute ahead of me, order in Dominos in T1 and I didn't see him again until the out and back on the run where he was cramping pretty bad.  I asked TW (sherpa, photographer, and tracker of much ability) on lap 3 of the bike where he was and she said he had gone by a little while before me.  So, I had him by half a bike lap, since it was lap 2 for him.  I knew then that I had him beat.