For the first time, they had two waves. Male and Females/Clydes, spaced 2:00 apart. The goal of this race was to attack the bouys, and navigate without swimming around the world. I knew the first lap would not be too big an issue since I would also have people to sight off of, and I knew by the second lap everyone would start spreading out.

Nonetheless, we get the call 15 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, (Beep, start watch) GOOOOO! We were off. I always line up on the outside (right), and with this course I could sight off of the racers to my left, the island, and then sight ahead to the bouys to navigate. There was a little contact with a few people before the first bouy. No problems. I was dead on my target bouy. Nice easy swim strokes. Three count breath/check position on other swimmers/island, three count sight bouy/breath. For the first time I was rounding very close to the bouys. That was nice since normally I round bouys about 10-20 feet from them, which causes a lot of excess swimming. Not today! The rest of the first lap was uneventful. I was able to find feet to draft off of numerous times. As I closed in to the beach for lap one, I saw the first pink cap come by. Holy sh*tballs, she was moving. I had a two minute lead, and she still caught me before I finished my first lap. No problem, I reminded myself to "race my race", so I refocused on the bouy around the tree.

I passed two people as I came into shore. They stood up and started wading in from about chest deep water. I continued to swim until my hands hit dirt. Popped up in knee-deep water, tip-toed up the rocks, around the tree, noted my time at 12:15, then back in for lap two.

On lap two I started up the legs. Kicking from the hip, little more rotation, and a focus on long glides. I was still swimming right at the bouys, with close turns. Everyone was spread out on lap two, but I still managed to find feet to draft off of. Most of lap two was uneventful until I came out from around the island. There were two more pink caps. They passed, and I continued to swim on. Finally, I made shore again, popped up and started towards T1. About a 100 feet on shore they were taking caps, and called out 25 minutes flats as I handed it off.


Nothing, I felt like I had a solid swim. 1:51/100 meters is not bad considering the time it took to get out of the water to circle the tree, then a 100 meter run before handing off my cap. I was super pleased with my navigation, and attacking the bouys for close turns. Felt strong in the water. After the race I learned that I finished 32/92 overall.

The race was not chipped, so T1 & T2 are a guess. I put in one minute as it was a longer run to T1. My actual transitions are normally around 30 seconds, so I figure it evens out.

Nothing, T1 was super fast. Drop goggles, helmet on, glasses on, grab bike, and GO. Came out of the water in 32nd place, and passed half of those people in T1.

Came out of T1, and jumped on bike. I was able to get both feet in before the first turn. After the turn there is a hill, so I decided to spin up it and get up to speed before strapping in. I started passing people before I turned out of the Fair Grounds. As soon as I got out of the Fair Grounds I worked into my rythm. I could tell I was hamming away, as it took a while to get my breathing under control. A bit of huffing and puffing for several miles. Nonetheless, I got up on the front of the saddle, down in aero, and hammered.

Everyone at this point was a solid climber, as I would slowly reel them in on the hills. However, as soon as I topped the hill and started down I would hammer away and the gap would decrease FAST. There was no out running me on the flats and decents.

About five miles in I had a good laugh. I was reeling in a rider, and right before I passed I thought of someone's RR where they were would state to themself "stupid slow swimmers" when they got passed on the bike. I told myself "stupid slow swimmer" as I passed, and smiled.

I was alone a good part of the ride, and would pass anyone that came into sight. Well, at mile 8 or 9 I caught the first female rider. You know, the one that passed me before I finished my first lap. Well, as I passed I looked at her and said "damn you're fast in the water"! She laughed and yelled out "that is all I am fast at". I laughed, and hammered on.

There were three climbs that I noted during the bike. At miles 11, 15, and 20. Nothing that steep, but longer .5+ mile long steady climbs. They would beat me down to 11 mph, but a short jump out of the saddle would speed me right back up. After the climb at mile 11, I was shocked to see that at 21.5 my computer said I was below my avg. This pumped me up, so I tried to see if I could get to 22. I was well on my way until the last climb at mile 20, which brought me from 21.8 back to 21.6 where I finished. My split might have been a tad faster as it will drop a bit when I run to the rack.

I had one bottle of carbopro mixed for 350 calories. My plan was just drink as needed. For some reason I have developed a nasty habbit of riding with my mouth open. I do this normally when I am hammering to gain extra oxygen to the muscles. Well, it really works but the side effect is that I drool on myself. During training rides I will take the time to wide my mouth, but not today. I was not leaving aero. So, between the drooling and shooting carbopro all over my face/body I looked like a crazy person out there. I had shot so much carbopro on myself that the back of my right leg was starting to stick on each stroke. That made me laugh, stupid water drinker.

As I closed in on the final turn, I knew I only had about a mile before reaching the Fair Grounds. I took the turn aggressive, as I knew I would have a turn lane to swing into. So, I hit that turn at full speed and there was a slight climb afterwards. Topped the hill, and saw the Ramada hotel sign. I knew I was almost there, so I hammered. I entered the Fair Grounds and did not see any runners (unlike last year where the run course was packed). I saw the first runner about half a mile from T2. I knew I was in a good position.

don't shoot carbopro all over myself. Other than that, nothing. I hammered away. After the race I learned that I had the 5th fastest bike split of the day.

As I came into T2 I saw Steph ready to take a picture, since I always complain about not having one on the bike. She was ready this time!

I took my feet out of my shoes about half a mile from T2, as I knew it was mostly downhill from there. I blasted to the mount line, dismounted, and ran to my rack.

I was having a very strong metal focus during this race, and T2 proved that to me. As I ran to my rack, glasses off and placed them in my mouth. Racked the bike, helmet off, and put my glasses back on. I notice my sock was out of my shoes (odd), so I grabbed it and put it on. I noticed the sock was on upside down. Mentally I thought: I can not run with it like that, the run is only four miles, I have practiced training sockless, and make the call to go sockless. Sock off, shoe on, took the other sock out of my left shoe, shoe on, grab race belt and out. The whole decision process took about one second. Again, very fast T2.

Nothing, T2 was flying. I have no idea how my sock was knocked out, but it did not phase me.

I came out of T2 and by-pased the aid station. Actually, I by-passed all the aid stations for a reason.

I knew there was a hill right outside the transition, so I just focued on running out the rubber legs and building my pace. I knew a four mile run was nothing because of my B2B training, so the goal was to find my pace and push it. I passed the first guy at the top of the first hill. As the course started to roll to the front of the park I found my pace. My legs still felt a little blown up from the bike, but after I made the 180 turn and climbed that hill (chopping) the rubber feeling left. Great timing as there is one monster hill on the run. It is the climb into the parking lot. I powered up it, and saw a guy heading to the aid station at the top. SUCKER, I by-passed it and passed him as it flatten out. I decended the other side and did my best to run down a hill. As I came by Steph and Carey I saw Derek coming out of T2. I yelled at him "great job, don't let me catch you!!!" That became my goal of the second lap.

I round the circle, and headed back out for the lap two. At this point other runners were coming out of T2 and on the run course, so it became hard to tell where I was position wise. The new goal was to pass EVERYONE in front of me, and catch Derek. I started passing people left and right, and as I passed I made sure to say "great job, keep it up"! At the 180 turn, I knew I was closing the gap between Derek and I. I hammered back up the hill and there was a guy in an yellow Army tri-top on his second lap. I knew he had a 32 on his calf, so I HAD to pass him. I made my pass, but as the course flatten back out he caught back up. He made a pass right before the parking lot climb and I let him go. I knew I would take him on that hill. As I made the turn right behind him, I gassed it and cut to the inside. That move put me in position to overtake him. I started powering up the hill, and passed/dropped him. As I topped the hill I put the hammer on down to make sure he could not catch back up. As I decended the other side, a guy asked how long the run was. I took the time to say two, two mile loops. Then left him. As I made the final turn I started hammering again. I could see Derek about a 100 meters ahead, so I hammered the pace. As I made the circle, I had him, so I hit the nitrous to make my pass. I thought I was in position to hit the nitrous to make my pass, and take me to the line. Well, I under estimated how far was left, so I made my pass and yelled "I got you!", then realized I still had a 100 meters left. I was winded trying to catch Derek, so I eased up a tad and huffed to the line. I had no idea how I finished position wise.

Nothing, but I could have definitely run harder. I had plenty left in the tank afterwards.

Not much of a CD, but I drank several glasses of water. There was an older guy that was flying and trying to catch me that came in about a minute after I did. He came over and said great race, and I gave him a hug and told him congrats! We chatted for a bit.

Steph, Carey, Tristen, and Alex came up shortly after that. Alex had been counting our (derek and I) positions throughout the day, and stated I had finished 4th OA. I was putout, because at that point I wanted 3rd OA. Oh well, I must push harder next time!

I kept an eye out for Derek and cheered him on to the finish.

I love cheering on other racers after I finish. That could be the best part of the day.


Not much, I pushed pretty hard. I still had ample left in the tank afterwards, so I am sure I could have pushed harder. Oh well, just call me savey save up.


Great race! I love the races up there. They are on the smaller side (e.g. 92 people this race), but the competition is stiff.

4th OA
1st place AG (25-29)

Since the race was not USAT cert, the USAT AG rules do not apply. Since I am 29, they placed me in the 25-29 AG. I guess it is a moot point, since I was 4th OA I would have won any AG they put me in (OA positions come out of AG's).

Solid day, and reminded me how much I love race day!!!