I started really strong and had some good drafting but the water was so cold my goggles started fogging up very early in the swim. I stuggled sighting pretty much the whole swim after that. I was way off course at one point and probably spent a lot of energy weaving back and forth. The downriver part was pretty quick though and I only had to stand up and find the boat launch. I ended up knocking 6 minutes off my best swim time at this distance, which I think was largely due to my big focus this summer on my ows swimming skills. I felt fast and strong and was actually passing people pretty easily.

Different goggles, and make sure and use anti-fog spray before the race. Booties might have been wise for this swim as my feet were numb when I got out and for pretty much the whole bike course. The water was definitely colder than I thought it would be. Overall though very pleased with my swim

My hands were so cold and feet werent functioning right so it was tough to move fast. Putting on a long sleeve shirt cause I was freezing was a wise move but cost me some time.

More T1 practice and preparation for the cold conditions would have helped me, I sort of panicked cause it was taking me so long to get on the long sleeve jersey and shoes.

I was so cold for the first few miles it was hard to function. Once I warmed up on the hills though the race went a lot better. The constant up and down was tough but I finally was able to settle in and put a solid effort in.

Bring leg and arm warmers, those would be easier to slide on and off I think. Nutrition was good. Maybe just try and stay with a pack more instead of surging to pass and then fading, just need to keep it steady

T2 was fast, could have been quicker if I practiced it more and got a better spot

Practice

Felt awesome the whole time, and was never passed. It would have been nice to see where my AG competition was at some point on the run. Kept pushing though and holding even splits

Give it a little more, I felt good at the end and probably could have left a little more out there. That single track section slowed me down a couple times as well.

Walked around, jogged my gear back to my car. Ate some bananas and bagels and took in some gatorade. Layed down till the awards


The cold was tough, but that was the only real excuse that I can give. Just go faster next time I guess


It could definitely be better but for a small local race I can't complain. I love the sweatshirt they gave out. A pre race meeting would be beneficial I think just to outline the course and expectations, I saw a lot of people wandering around on the run at times and the start of the race was rather hectic because we didn't know what was going on. 7am start time is ridiculous when it is 45 degrees outside and easily was in the 70's by 9am. Just start a couple hours later and it would be awesome! The post race was pretty lame, step it up with give aways and awards for next year. Overall though I had a lot of fun and was very pleased with my day. I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a late season local triathlon.