Great navigation on the 2 long legs on the triangle. Swam way wide on the short leg. Added an extra 20 or 30 yds to the swim getting back into line. Really focused on swimming steady and staying comfortable. I didn't blow myself up early on the swim. My splits for each leg were almost exactly the same pace, probably within 2-3 secs per 100. Felt awesome when I got to the end of the swim.

Nothing--one of my best swims ever.

Decent ta. Had a little trouble getting the wetsuit off. Took my time to make sure I had everything together. Was also a long run from the timing mat into TA to my spot

Do a better job with the sun tan lotion

Was jamming on the first 25 miles. My pace to that point was about 20.4mph. I wasn't wearing a HRM but felt like my HR was somewhere around 140-145 (high zone 1). I wasn't breathing hard and felt very comfortable. My right knee was tight and limited me some on the bike. Somewhere around mile 25-30, the course turned into the wind. It wasn't terrible but it definitely slowed me down some. Once again, I ignored my own advice to never use something new on race day. My coach talked me into buying an aero bottle for the front of the bike. I never had a chance to try it out and found out the hard way that I needed the straw extension. I had to jam my head down between the aero bars to drink. I also thought that it would hold more liquid than it did so I put my Gatorade there, knowing that I could carry water in my regular water bottle and replenish it at the 3 hand offs. Should have done it the other way. I also ended up wearing a good bit of gatorade thanks to the open top and the seams in the road. Nothing like a sticky coating of blue gatorade on your arms to make the day more fun.
Nutrition on the bike--2 pkgs shot blocks, 3 gels, 1 powerbar, 25 oz gatorade, about 900 calories total

Need more gatorade and also e-caps. Do more long rides. I did plenty in the 30-40 mile range but not enough in the 60+ range.

Quick TA. Bad job of spraying suntan lotion.

I came off the bike feeling great. Came out of T2 feeling strong and started my run. I was less than 1/2 mile into the first mile when my left quad twitched, once, twice, and then BAM!!! Locked up solid. Pulled up in the middle of the road. Stood there cussing for a few secs and rubbing it. It loosened up so I decided I would try to just walk for a few minutes. As soon as the left foot hit the ground...BAM..again. Ended up sitting in someone's driveway for about 3 mins. All I could think was that there was NO F'n way I was going to have 2 DNF's in a row. The leg loosened up and I started walking. The whole rest of the run I had to battle with cramps although I never locked up again. I could feel varying muscles starting to cramp and would walk until it would ease up. Was trying to take a gel about every other aid station. Was drinking water at every station and started taking the ice water towels. By mile 6 I was wearing one on my head and another on my shoulders under my jersey. About mile 4 I also decided to risk some e-caps. I've never used them before so I was nervous about it, but decided that it was better than lying on the road cramped up like a pretzel. Not my best run ever but I SURVIVED!!! That's what really counts. I was majorly battling the heat but the towels and made a big difference.

Ummm...take some more electrolytes/gatorade on the bike

Stood in the lake for a few minutes. Ate a banana and downed a coke, then some gatorade


Me :)




Despite my challenges, I felt like I was ready for this race. Even during the run, my limiting factor wasn't my cardio as much as it was battling the heat and electrolyte imbalances. I got thru the bike and swim in Zone 2 heart rates or below. I felt pretty good when I finished...much better than I expected. Ready for the next one!!