The swim went very well. I managed to have a nice space around me at the start so I didn't have to run into anyone. I was able to pull out in front quickly and stay there - there was just one woman who shot way ahead of me. I just kept it nice and smooth. Unfortunately, I hit the first person from the previous wave just before the 100 meter buoy, and it was heavy traffic for the rest of the swim. I did a pretty good job dodging, for the most part, but there were so many people that I did get stuck a few times. About halfway through, I caught up to the other pink cap and we leapfrogged for awhile. After the big turnaround, though, I started going a bit wide. I think that's what let her gain some ground on me. After climbing over more guys, I rounded the final turn and headed for shore, which was a real traffic jam. I managed to get in without too many problems, though, and powered across the line for an unexpected PR.

I could have navigated better - especially on the way back when I went so wide - but there was so much traffic it's hard to say what the best course of action was. I could have gone out faster, but I didn't want to tax myself too hard. I think it went as well as an OWS can go.

My biggest quibble with this course is that it has the longest transitions in the world. I think I got through it pretty quickly, but we had to run an awfully long way to get to the bike start, over bumpy, rocky ground. My highest HR of the day was when I got on the bike and I definitely felt it. The course was so crowded, though, that it kept me from getting my HR up too quickly, since I had to worry about not drafting and passing people at the start. I think this actually helped my whole race.

Tape my nutrition to the bike so I don't have to worry about getting it into my tiny back pocket - that was probably the only part that could have gone more quickly.

This was a great bike. I got out there on the road, got up to speed, and quickly realized that I had the ability to pass guys on time trial bikes with fancy aero helmets. I felt like a badass. I was a little worried that this was going to my head and making me ride faster than I should be going, but I kept with it because my pace felt comfortable. The course was nice with slightly rolling terrain that allowed some gliding. I was really able to crank it - at times, exceeding 20 mph even on upgrades. It felt awesome and I never ran out of steam. The biggest problem I had was when a full sleeve of shot bloks went flying out of my pocket at the 30 minute mark. I had no nutrition (other than one bottle of half-sports drink, half-water) on the course. Worry about this stayed in the back of my mind for the rest of the bike leg. I don't think it slowed me down too much. I was able to keep up a hard but not uncomfortable pace and absolutely killed the leg.

I need a better place to keep my nutrition so that I can hang onto it and use it!

Pretty good transition, time-wise. I liked the wheel racks they had, which made it easier to rack the bike without hurting myself (I always end up pinching my fingers under the seat or something). I got my helmet off, shoes on, grabbed my race belt, water bottle, and watch (the long run to transition let me get the watch unhooked early) and set off. It was a bit awkward holding the bottle and trying to put on my belt and watch (I had to hold it in my teeth), but I know it helped my speed.

BUT in my haste to get out of there, I completely forgot my shot bloks, which was the story of the rest of the race. My bottle was, again, half-sports drink, but I had no extra nutrition after only taking in a hundred calories or so on the bike course.

REMEMBER MY NUTRITION!!!!

This was the leg I was most afraid of, since my other two Oly experiences had disastrous runs. Running about ten steps out of transition and realizing that I'd forgotten my shot bloks and had no nutrition AGAIN made it even worse. I got myself to settle down into a manageable rhythm and just went. Early on, I was around 10:00/mile and I tried not to let myself speed up too much. There was a lot to see out there - the course had a few out-and-backs, the path was a little uneven in places, and there were lots of teammates going by, so my attention was kept off of the distance. The first mile went by very quickly and, honestly, I was surprised how quickly the remainder went as well. Running more and longer on a regular basis has made an enormous difference in my attitude, if nothing else. Because of my nutrition woes, I made a point of grabbing a lot of Gatorade at aid stations. The first aid station put ice in it, so I only managed most of one cup, but I took two cups (of course, only 1/3-1/2 full) at the next one. As I got through the first half of the course, I realized that I was on pace for my goal time, under 3 hours. I was about 32 minutes in the first half, and I had about 36 to go before the 3 hour mark. This really helped me through. If I didn't have a goal, if I didn't know the time and the distance, I might have walked a great deal more. Knowing where I stood in relation to the goal and knowing that it was achievable helped me stick to it. I continued walking only briefly at aid stations until mile 5. (Also, an aid station around mile 4 finally had nutrition, so I was able to suck down a gel (ick - and banana, so double-ick, but I needed it so badly I hardly tasted it) and begin to recover - I never actually bonked, but I do think my pace wavered a bit.) During the fifth mile, there were a few little inclines - I can't even call them hills - which got to me. I felt my HR go up more than I wanted and so I walked them just to keep myself calm and steady. During miles 5-6, I also started to get goosebumps and little chills, which I've had before as a symptom of hard races. (I've since learned that these are a sign of dehydration, because my body didn't have enough fluid to cool itself by sweating - and I was definitely not drinking as much as I should, despite going after all the Gatorade.) I kept pushing on, forcing myself to maintain a steady but not too taxing pace. When I got to about half a mile from the finish, I switched my watch to cumulative race time so I could keep tabs on my goal. When I got to the finish chute, I underestimated how short it was - I thought I still had a few turns to go, so I didn't accelerate until right at the end - but I DID have it in me to accelerate and run through the awesome tunnel of thundersticks to the big finish line.

I would not change my pacing. I think I did an awesome job of pacing and getting myself to keep running all the way through the end.

I need to change my nutrition. Leaving my shot bloks in T2 was a HUGE mistake. I could have recovered better from losing the pack on the bike course if I'd had these on the run (and, while on the bike, I was considering eating all of them right at the run start and then going for gels later on, to make up the deficiency), but instead I compounded the problem through poor planning. Next time, I'll put them in my shoes so I have to pocket them before going out. I also need to force myself to drink more. I was carrying a bottle - it should have been empty before I finished. Instead, I drank about half of it, and most of that was forced down. When I got home and finally peed hours later, it was clear that I was seriously dehydrated, even after having a lot of fluid post-race. Now that I know the chills are a sign, I can hopefully do a better job of fixing the problem, but I should also do a better job of not getting myself to that point.

Walked around the finisher festival, hung out in the CJTC tent, and decided after about an hour to go home because I was starting to crash.


Nutrition and hydration. Some of it wasn't my fault, but some of it was. I need to do a much better job of planning race nutrition and then following my plan - even more when it comes to drinking than eating.


CGI runs excellent races. The atmosphere was so much fun from beginning to end. They are exceptionally well-organized and keep everything fun and lively. The course was great, too. I usually shy away from events that cost three figures, but this one was totally worth it. It will make it onto my summer calendar every year from now on.