Water was COLD and heart rate and breathing were erratic as I fought the bitter salt water and other 150+ swimmers to get into postion. Two swimmers were pulled out by lifeguards rounding the first buoy. I did try to set my stroke and breathing at approx. the 150 meter mark but the cold water was sapping me and I never did get to bilateral breathing. I did site the buoys and noticed I was consistently going to my left and had to get back on course. Slow to get around 2nd bouy as swimmers jammed up. Leaving water was a relief due to cold. I did feel disoriented and sluggish as I ran up the beach due to the effects of the cold water I suspect. Hit the beach and ran into transition area. Time of 10:35 I felt was poor but mostly due to mass of bodies and cold water. Swim wasn't long enough though to separate the pack. Top time was in the 8 minutes and good bikers can make the lost swim time up.

With water temps in the mid 50's I would wear a full wetsuit vs my shorty. Also unzip the wetsuit leaving the water to prepare for transition. I lost a full minute I suspect in transition area vs. my friend. I pulled a 3:25 transition where he pulled a 2:28. Otherwise I felt I was prepared for the short 400 meter swim and didn't struggle with strength or conditioning but the cold water was an energy sapper and significant shock to the cardio system.

Unzip wetsuit prior to transition. Waved to family as they yelled for me so I probably lost a few seconds looking for them(but WELL worth that shot of energy...almost teared up as they yelled for me..very nice) Otherwise I felt I was organized but just didn't move fast enough. Also took time to clean sand off my feet with water bottle and dry them. Could have just brought a bucket, dunked them in and tossed on my bike socks and shoes.

Unzip wetsuit prior to transition area and MOVE FASTER! Bring bucket to clean sand off of feet.

Have to get more experience on the bike. I did push a bit but felt like I needed to save my legs for the run. Was passed pretty consistenly by stronger bikers. Felt that this leg was the game changer for many as stronger bikers can make up for a slower swim. Swim wasn't long enough to seperate the pack. Pace of 17-18 miles per hour was significantly slower than I need to be to place higher. Need to get 20 MPH+ for next race.

Train more consistently on a 'real' bike outside vs. spin classes and do more bricks of bike to run. Will train for bike portion of next race on more hilly terrain to build stamina and endurance.

This transition went much better. 1:20 was a decent time. I stripped my shoes quickly and having the lace locks helped me just toss on the running shoes and hit the beach. Slugged a raspberry GU and took a sip of Cytomax before hitting the beach for the run. Felt pretty good.

Not much. Probably take Gu pack with me on the bike to save time in transition. Best transition time I saw was 57 seconds so there's time for improvement but overall I felt good.

Hitting the beach was certainly challenging. The sand was solid but jumping the beach breakers was a challenge. I focused on keeping a solid pace and watching runners in front of me. My legs did feel like quitting a few times but I worked through the fatigue and some minor inner quad cramping. (mostly due to lack of time on a 'real' bike) I was surprised to average an 8:33 mile as it felt like I was going much slower. Last 100 meters of race finished on soft sand which was like a cruel trick when trying to push to finish. Overall I felt good afterward.

Do more bike/run bricks.

Drank water and ate some oranges and water ice. Just walked around to meet up with family and friends.


Lack of training on a real bike. I few MPH better on the bike and I finish in the top 1/3rd of the race. Also I felt I was limited by overal fatigue created by lack of sleep the two nights before the race. Visiting family and sleeping on a futon without proper support led to restless sleeps Thurs and Fri night. Also drank a few pre-race dinner brews and should have stuck to water. I probably need to drop a few lbs off the body as well to improve my time. Currently weigh in about 190 and should be 175-180 for my height.


Very well organized race! Nice job to everyone involved. Plenty of volunteers supporting us on the bike route! They were cheering and calling out numbers. Overall I am ready to come back next year and improve on my performance!