I think they shortened the swim because the wetsuits were out. It seemed fast as I exited the water in :37 with a crappy swim and still a long climb up to T1 which counted on the overall swim time.

I need to be more aggressive at the first 200M and stay straight! When I practice in the open water I have no problem with line, but put me in a race and I keep veering to the left. Very frustrating.

I approached this day as a training opportunity so my focus on fast T times was not there. I wanted to get everything on comfortably and head out to the next stage.

In race conditions I would have hustled more.

I elected to ride the entire course in the small ring. I wanted to maintain a strict energy management strategy with what I knew was going to be an oppressive run with the heat ratcheting up as we entered the second half of the ride. I was able to reel in a lot of riders over the last 15 miles or so, all the time staying in the small ring. It was a very interesting experience. I was able to manage my HR and keep my cadence up in a consistent fashion.

With more agreeable temperature conditions I would most likely throw some downhills and flats into the big ring. My training isn't there yet to maintain a consistent high cadence.

Too funny. I was so focused on cadence and feeling better as the ride progressed that all of a sudden I was in the park and forgetting to get out and on top of my shoes! I got one out and up and the other was still snapped in when I hit the green line. So, I snapped out and had to remove one shoe so I could run to the rack. What a dope!

As stated earlier, I was not rushing these T's. Still, I did have to go into my tri bag to get some sunblock out for my face. I need to have that out on my towel and RTG if I need it in the future.

I was going to follow a run/walk strategy of 5/1 and hold to it. I started out feeling a little tight after I left the park which I thought was weird since from T2 to the park entrance I was feeling really well. But, the tightness subsided and I continued out on the course running pretty steady and strong. I made sure I was drinking two cups of H20 at every available stop. It was getting really hot and a lot of people were starting to suffer. I was feeling strong and getting stronger through 9 miles and thinking that while I was not looking for any kind of PR, a strong finish around 6 hrs or slightly under might be possible. Well, that didn't happen. After I turned the corner after Mile 11, both calves locked up. I was done with less than 1.5 miles to go. What a drag. This happened to me back in 2006 when I did this race the first time. I managed to shuffled between mailboxes and watch as all the people I had been reeling in were now passing me with a mile to go. Very frustrating. The final embarassment was cramping up just a few yards from the finish line and being forced to walk across. That was a first for me and not a very good feeling.

It turns out that I am still fighting the electrolytes issue. I should've carried some Enduralytes on the run and that might have helped me overcome the heat factor. My HR was starting to climb through the run and I was over LT but feeling good so I kept going. A clear nutrition/hydration mistake.

Shower tent baby.


Electrolytes were a huge culprit.


I think I'm done with this race. This was my third attempt and while I was 8 minutes faster than the last one, it's one that still vexes me. We could've used far more drink stations on the run. Luckily I kept my second cup with the ice in it and carried that with me to use between SAG's. Also, that stupid HEED. No one can drink that crap. How about some G'Ade or P'Ade there Jim? Ultimately, a couple of weeks earlier and twenty degrees cooler and I could realistically look at shaving 30+ minutes off of my times here. It's ok, though, since I truly was looking for a training experience. Boy, did I get one!