The first 200 yards felt great. I was navigating better than the pack of people who started ahead of me and was able save time getting to the first buoy. There was a lot of traffic at the first buoy and my turn was a little awkward because I cut it too tight. The next 100 yards went OK until another racer slowly started to cut me off. I slowed down and then had to tread water to let her pass. In hindsight, I should have pushed harder to cut her off because I was navigating the straighter path - just a lack of confidence that comes with being a newbie. I ended up gulping some serious water during the last 150 yards and couldn't get back into a good rhythm.

Take the corners around the buoys a little wider. Maybe draft behind another swimmer to avoid collisions. I may want to start at the front of the pack as well, instead of the back, to avoid some of the traffic jams.

Everything was great.... until I got 50 yards down the road and realized my helmet was not on!!! My transition would have been soooo much better. The cold and lack of oxygen to the brain really got to me.

More mental preparation.

Beautiful course around Dover. Between all my injuries this summer, I didn't have much time to train for the biking segment. Overall, I was really happy with my performance. If I pushed anymore, I wouldn't have been able to run the last segment.

Train a lot more, because 15 miles is a lot for a sprint. Get lighter tinted sunglasses. There was a lot of tree shade and the ground was wet (i.e., dark), making it hard to see the road with sunglasses on. Luckily, the course was smooth and there were no problems hitting pot holes. My hands and feet were cold and very stiff/numb. A jacket and gloves may be worth the extra transition time.

My fingers and feet were numb from the ride. I had to sit down and really concentrate to tie my shoes properly because my fingers weren't working right.

In addition to the brick effect, my feet were numb for the first mile and felt like I was running with snow boots on. My hamstrings were VERY tight from the bike ride and I had adjust my stride to take smaller steps and avoid cramping. I really wanted to take off into my natural stride, because I had the cardio and fuel, by my leg cramps impaired my pace the entire way.

More bicycle training to save my legs for the run.

I walked a couple miles because my legs were so tight.


Great race, plan to do it again next year.