Ran harder for a first run than normal. Slowed because of the HR monitor though. That was an OK thing because I puttered out towards the end of the race. The run is still slow though. As a better comparison of my improvement than the speed (which gets scewed because distances are inacurrate and conditions vary) I have compared myself for each part of the race to two of the top 5 to 10 competitors that ran this race and my first of the year, the Delaware Duathlon. I normalized all my data to the distances of this race.

Against my two control racers, I improved 29 seconds on them for a 2 mile run.

Drink more.

Did not screw up getting clipped in this time. Finally! (technically though clipping in is measured in the bike time). However, I did screw up finding my bike. I went to the wrong 40-44 year old rack and thought my bike got moved. I looked for about 10 seconds.

Remember where I parked.

Pushed the bike so that David (mentor) could see that I was faster than I had shown so far. Here is my comparison to my two control riders from both this race and the Delaware Duathlon:

I gained on their average time (adjusted to 13.04 miles) by 91 seconds. One of the two beat me by 2:47 in the first event (when adjusting to 13.04 miles) and only 19 seconds in this one.

I puttered out in the last three miles. My left leg just could not keep up with my right leg. I fought with that the whole ride but gave in a bit at the end. I did not completely give up my effort, but just stopped pushing it so hard. I guess I need to train more to be able to push the whole way as hard as I tried.

Was feeling parched. And my left leg and both calves were a hurting. I took some time to drink some fluids and walked out of the transition area. I stretched my calves some in transition too.

Train more.

I really spent the first mile in a surrender mode. With each step both of my calves threatened to cramp up. My left thigh was hurting too. I stopped twice to stretch the calves and my mental effort had slipped a lot. After that mile the legs felt much better and I started getting back into race mode. I probably ran that mile close to 10 minutes.

This is a good example of why I chose to compare myself to the other two. This time is about 60 seconds slower (for 3.08 reported miles) than the reported 5K at Delaware. But, I was 1 second faster in comparision to the other two. Without that comparison I might conclude I was more than 60 seconds slower.

Hydrate and train more.

I ran for about 1 minute, ate a bananna, drank some water, and stretched.


I love the UltraFit events. I am really not sure why I see so many good comments here and there about HFP in comparision to UltraFit. Maybe UltraFit has improved. The UltraFit races are/have: on time, organized, provide nice awards (sometimes announce the winners), good safe courses, good announcer... UltraFit also uses a USAT official. He pratrols the course and goes over the rules before the race. This is so beneficial to safety as well as good times. Only ONE rider in this event was blocking in the middle of the road (of the 25 riders I passed). There were at least 8 dudes doing the same thing in the HFP race. HFP chooses to pray before the race, I wish they spent that time acting like they took my money to give me a nice safe race, then go over the rules for all the slow beginners. This statement is not about prayer, theology, religion, or religious freedom. Its about (as my grade school teachers would say) using one's time wisely. I think if Jesus himself was a race organizer, he would spend his time before a race he charged me $55 dollars for, to make sure folks knew how to follow rules that would protect my safety and run a good clean race.