Tough swim in a choppy gulf. Wasn't horrible OMG bad, but it was fatiging over 1.2 miles bad. I lost 5 minutes over last years swim. Mostly due to fatigue. Maybe fighting some current as well, but either way, this was how may day would turn out across the board. I just didn't have the usual energy I have going into a race. It just wasn't there. I could tell when I woke up, I could tell two days earlier, and I could tell as I did the out portion of the course.. it was not going to be a great race for me.. so I thought to myself.. just manage it, and maybe you'll 'turn on' so to speak, during the bike.

Needs further evaluation. The more I use my wetsuit, the less I like it. I used to swear off sleeveless wetsuits. Maybe not so much anymore. Swim training could be better, but was not really THE issue. I had done enough recent events, and did them too well for that to be the case. General fatigue, which will be a common theme throughout this race report, was the number 1 factor.

Not sure how I managed a 3:40 here. My HR was way high coming out of the Gulf, and I walked a small portion of the boardwalk to lower it. Once I got past the showers, I picked it up.. so overall, not bad.

Nothing. The transition was fine, my body was not.

Ouch.. not happy with my bike at all. This is where the humidity took it's toll on me. Conditions were tough, but I could have done much better.. but hey, theme of the day was no energy to push. Just was not there. Was not feeling it, did not have it, whatever. There are no other reasons than that. I drank too much in the first half of the bike, which goes back to not hydrating enough before the race start. Also trying to overcompensate for the humidity.

In other biking news, I put a hose clamp over my seat post clamp and tightened it. It confomred to the needed shape and held up very well. I put electrical tape over that to prevent injury. Seat held in position the whole bike. I was happy about that. Thanks to everyone who gave advice on taking care of the issue.

Nutrition. Would have used my Infinit had it been available, and would have done pre race nutrition much better. Also, should have eaten on the bike. I took two GU's, but that wasn't enough.

Time was ok, the rest was a complete failure.

Well.. where do I start. The sun was not out at this point, so I left my sunglasses in T, I also didn't have a hat or visor. I also left all my nutrition in T. Ouch. Total failure. Mental mistakes across the board.

Ahhh.. the run. My strength by far. All I needed to have a respectable race (for me, by me), was to run a 1:55 half.. no problem. I'll kill the run. Just ran ING in 3:23 right.. Did the run at St. Anthony's in 46 min.. right! Well, there is one constant that you MUST respect in any kind of racing, and that is the fact that the only day that matters, is today, and that the only easy day, was yesterday.

I left transition and hit a brick wall of heat. It was unbelievably hot on the run course. Within the first half mile, the clouds cleared and the sun was blazing. So for the first half of the run. there was Sun, and high humidity. Those conditions were enough to make me call off the dogs on this race at mile 2 of my run. I decided to walk all aid stations for as long as was needed to cool down enough to get to the next one. That worked, but the walks got longer and longer. Anyone who knows me, knows that I simply do NOT walk during a run. Once I gave into that, my race became just about finishing in the sub 6 hour range.

I managed the rest of my race as best I could. Saw several BT'ers et al on the course. I would say that a good 75 percent of the participants where I was on the course, were walking more than running. Although I ran more than I walked. Doesn't show in my run time, that's for sure. Every aid station became a routine. Drink ice water. Dump ice water. Get two sponges. Sip gatorade.. if gatorade was warm, dump into ice cup, then sip. That all worked well. Got me through.

Nothing. I know what I am capeable of, and this was not it. For my run to be THIS off, it had to be a hot, or otherwise bad day. I suffer pretty greately in the heat. Perhaps more than others, who knows.

Walk to NAMC tent where everyone was meeting up. Had some beers and some pretzals.


1. Heat / Humidity / Wind - Conditions.
2. Was not in the game. Was an off day after an off week.
3. Nutrition. My plan was no plan at all. I usually get it right based off of feel, this time I did not. Failure across the board with that.



I have to say that I am happy with my overall time. It was still 10 minutes below 6 hours, and speaking for myself, I would call anything above 6 hours a really bad day. It was tough conditions. I was not ready for the heat and humidity at all. That was the pivot element between a good race and a ok race. My run, which everyone knows is my strength, was a complete disaster. Not because I pushed on the bike. I've ridden plenty this season. Much more than last year. I was not really there physically, and had mental mistakes all over the place. I tried to make things better, but it just wasn't to be. Still, it was fun. That's never lost on me. I love the sport and lifestyle of Triathlon. I am smart enough to know this is just how it is sometimes. Best said as.. It is, what it is. No greater truth.

This race is amazing. The Volunteers.. where do I start? Trust me, there are not enough good things that can be said about them. Great, Amazing, equal to IM Wisconsin.

Also, there is also no greater value in Triathlon. Included in cost:

1. Pasta Dinner, evening before race.
2. Pizza, coke, beer, muffins, chips post race..
3. Spinnakers after party that night. Free beer. Bud light, Bud, Miller Light.. I guess what I am saying is that the free beer is not Milwaukee's Best Light!.. aka, the beast. :)