I have been in a washing machine, but normally it thins out within the first 100 meters or so. NOT this time. This race did improve in a number of different ways from last year, but IMO the swim was a down grade. The start was a wave vs a beach start last year. No biggie, but the first bouy was just off shore (talking three feet). Last year they had it about 25 meters off shore straight out, then you hang a left. This was a shore line swim, and I mean shore line. I think the entire field swam somewhere between 5-15 meters off shore. It was so freaking crowded it was not funny. I had people on both sides, and people right in front of me. At least I can say I did a good job at drafting, since I was on top of their feet. I would settle in a stroke, then have to make a move past once they started to slow.

At one point I came up to sight, and saw some open water on the other side and forward of the guy next to me. I cut over and hit the gas to get there. Still, 400 meters of the washing machine. I checked my time after exiting the water and I was around 6:00-6:30 for the swim. The 9:35 includes the quarter mile run to tranistion.

I should have moved out in the lake further. That would have given me more room, and more-or-less been a bit faster.

By the time I got the mat, I was a bit tired. The run to T1 was about a quarter mile long, and had a nasty hill right before you get there. Nonetheless, I ran to my bike, dropped goggles/cap, helmet on, glasses on, grab bike, I am out.

One thing to note was that the racks were low. My aero-bars, nor saddle would fit under the bar, so I had to front load the bike on the rack (e.g. hanging my the aero-bars/brake levers. I have never loaded my bike that way, so I ran through how it would work in my head a few times before hand.

I wanted to go sub 20, but with tranistion being much larger, and I was moving slow that did not happen.

Move faster.

Since I am a slower swimmer, BOFOP, I started passing people exiting the water (run to T1). My fast T1, put me in a FOP bike position exiting T1.

The park has been working on the land scape, bridges, roads, etc. for the past year. They have finished now, and it is sweet! The roads leaving the park were brand new and smooth. The round abouts where all fancy, and the bridge has large pillers (Rome looking features) on each side. Needless to say, the ride had really cool things to look at, if you had time.

Well, I mount the bike, get my feet in my shoes and strap them down, and I am off. It took me about a quarter of a mile to catch the chase pack. That was really cool. There was probably seven of us, all on tri-bikes with fancy wheels, etc. blasting out of the park. Eveyone was doing their best not to draft, but fight for position to over take. Since there were no judges on the course, no one would let up to let you over take. It was a free-for-all zooming out of the park. We hit the first hill, and dropped one or two. Then, the zooming continued blasting out to the breakpoint dropping people along the way. Well, when we got to the breakpoint there were four of us chasing the leaders. I checked my speed at breakpoint/turnaround and I was shocked to see that I was holding a 21.5 mph avg. No need to celebrate, head down time to hammer.

Well, on the way back I was closing the gap on the guy in front of me, when all of a sudden a huge stretch SUV limo came flying by inches off my side. I thought WTF, why hasn't one of the police pulled this guy over?!?!? Anyways, he hangs the same left, so to stay on the race route. Well, he rides up the azz of the leaders. I had just about caught them by now, say 50 feet or so behind the end of the SUV.

At this point we started the decent down New Betheny RD. I hit 30 mph very quickly and started dodging the people riding up the other side. I guess they were packed, and started spreading out to pass the slower riders. Well, they were spreading out across the entire road, both lanes. I got as far left as I could, and barely avoided one guy (going the other way).

Well, this is where it got interesting. The limo SUV dead stops in the middle of the road in the steepest part of the hill waiting to turn left (you know, were there are 1000 people climbing a hill, so it sits there). I am doing 40 mph down the hill right behind him. I locked the brakes, my wheels stop, but I start sliding into him. SH*T!!! I feel my rear wheel come off the ground, so I am basically skidding only on my front wheel into the back of the limo SUV. I had my head with me, so I released the brakes and went right. I cut into the grass to go around him, then back on the road. I unloaded every F-word that would come out, telling him how F'ing dumb he was, etc. that I could.

At this point I was at the bottom of the next climb with zero speed from the decent. I down shifted and started to climb. That is what killed my avg. The guy behind me came up, apparently he passed the SUV on the left. We looked at each other shocked, then laughted about our fowl mouths. He said the same things except from the other side. Anyway, topped the hill, and zoomed back to T2.

Nothing, perhaps ride harder, but I was semi-taking it easy to not strain my calf before the run. Other than that, it was a great ride. Lots of fun, except the whole SUV issue.

So, this was really cool (well,it was if you have a HUGE ego and could dismount). There was no one right there in front of me heading into T2, and the design of the course is the road is lined with people. I came in flying, feet on top of shoes, etc. and looked up to see the dismount line. Two people were standing there so it was easy to spot. Anyway, I was in aero building speed, then popped up to my pursuit bars, swung my leg over ready for dismount. As I did, I got a HUGE EWWWWWWW, AHHHHHHHHH (fancy pants) from the crowd. That pumped me up.

Nothing, this T2 was about 10-15 seconds faster than my normal T2.

I knew this run course was a bit short from last year. I believe it is right at 2.7 miles. I don't run a 18:33 off the bike with a pulled calf, trust me.

After a fast T2, it put me right on the heels of the leaders. I almost face planted coming down the first hill, so I swung wide and went around the pavilion, down the stairs (who puts stairs in a run course, WTF?!?!), across the bridge, up the large (nasty hill), an onto the road. As soon as I got to the road, I started picking people off. One guy with a HRM set to beep would not go away, so I heard that damn thing the entire run behind me BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. I laughed because I thought this guy is going to blow up trying to catch me. After passed a couple of people, the positions were just about set. Right went I got to the turnaround, I saw first place. Maybe 100 meters? It was at that time my calf started to lock up on me. It sucked to be so close to 1st OA, but be ok with not trying to run him down. After rounding the turnaround, my calf was locked. I was running peg leg style. Shortly, Derek came by and I yelled at him "ARG, me peg leg" as I needed a laugh. Well, he said your 8th OA. For once in my life, I was fine with it. I set it down in cruse control to coast to the line, but all of a sudden I was reeling in the guy in front of me. Gottcha, passed, dropped. Ok, 7th OA in the "Next" people. What is this, I started reeling in two more guys, one guy (was a big dude, must have been 6'4" full of muscles which was odd). Passed, dropped, 5th OA. At the same time I passed those two guys, another guy passed me. Damn it! Back to 6th. SOOOOOOOO, the final large hill on the road comes and guess who is reeled back in? Here fishy, fish, come to daddy. I pulled that guy back in, and passed him. Back to 5th OA in the Next people, and it so sucked. 4th and 3rd where right there. I mean right there. I thought about, but I would have had to really push, and perhaps blow something out to catch them. Oddly enough, I heard The Captin's voice say easy, easy now, you have B2B to prepare for. No need to blow up on a sprint, so I left my pace right there. I started down the large hill before the bridge, and thought damn it, now I will actually have to run since I have this guy breathing down my neck (plus, I could hear him puffing back there on my heels). I kept it in cruse control until the final steep hill, then I hammered it up and over, then eased off to cruise in to the finish (I could feel my calf pulling after that last hill). Finished 5th OA in the "Next" people, and 7th OA after they factored in the "First" people.

No much. Not have a pulled calf going into the race? That really limited my preformace on the run. The first half I kept it easy, then the second half my leg was locked up. Still, sub 7:00/miles with a bum leg is not bad, so no complaits here.

Grabbed a water/gatoraide and walked around. I cheered on Derek and Scott as they finished, then others that I knew in the race. Cheering on people after I finish is the best part of any race day IMO. After a while, I went back to my rack and checked on how the first timers around me, and to see how their race went. They had a great time, and had a great race!!


I think I was so worried about my leg the entire time it put me out of the mood to race. I was not totally in the mood to race, which I should have been. I should have stepped it up to race mode, and hammered it vs being a sissy and easing off so much.


I don't know what the deal is this year, but this is the second race that I have been placed in the wrong AG. I keep getting put in the 25-29 AG. Per USAT rules, I AG up this year and should be in the 30-34 AG.

I finished 1st in the AG I was placed, 25-29.
I also checked and would have finished 1st in the 30-34 AG (my time of 1:04:56 vs the 30-34 winner of 1:05:13)
I finished 7th OA after the results were posted. Two First people beat my time. Interesting note, I was 2:03 out of first place. The winner posted a 1:02:53. I will catch him next year