I would divide this race into two portions. I decided to be a little more aggressive at the start so that I wasn't churning with the masses for the entire race. This worked pretty well for me I think. Through the first 800 or so, I felt very strong. After that, some exhaustion set in, which is something that I'll have to consider for my next olympic distance.

I had some trouble swimming in a straight line throughout the race. I never got way off course, but I seemed to zig zag a little bit. That is something that I will need to work on as I swim more (probably need more OWS experience). I also need to build my swim endurance a little further. I started feeling fatigued towards the last 400-500 and I was very anxious to get the swim done.

My bike was parked at the end of the transition area towards the bike start. As a result, I ran through most of the area to get to my stuff. There was a run of about 100 yds or so up from the lake to the area as well. By the time I reached my bike, I had my goggles and cap off and I was halfway out of my wet suit. It didn't take long to get my helmet and shoes on. I was right by the bike start, so I ran with my bike and was off.

Nothing really. I liked the position I was assigned for transition and I was able to move through in less than 2 minutes. I really wouldn't have been able to be much quicker unless I had my shoes already on the bike. That might save me a few seconds, but I need different shoes and more practice at that.

My plan was to take the first one fast, but not go all out. I figured if I felt strong after the first lap, I could open it up a little on the second. This seemed to work out fine. I didn't go crazy on the second lap, but I did keep my pace at or above the first lap for the most part. The hill on the second lap was a bit more of a challenge. Still, I felt better on the bike than I have since my first triathlon last year.

Nothing at this point. I had set a goal of a feeling stronger on the bike and still having something left for the run. I felt like I met this goal. While a 20.6 mph average isn't overwhelming, I think that it's something that will continue to improve over the long term.

This was a smooth transition. My efforts and practice at home paid off. It was also helpful to run the first part of the race with a water bottle as I didn't have to stop to hydrate. I might incorporate this strategy into other races where the weather is warm. I think it helped to keep me cool right out of the gate.

Nothing.

Running continues to be the dominant of the three portions of triathlon. Even though I put almost no focus into running compared to cycling and swimming this last month, I still had a fantastic run. I was fastest in my age group by more than 4 minutes. I felt strong and confident the whole way, and while I was glad when I was finished, I never felt like I couldn't run. My head was clear and I felt like I had executed my race strategy well.

Nothing. This was a really strong race for me. I accomplished my goal for this section as well.

Mostly I just hung out and waited for my brother to finish. That involved some walking. I was well spent after the event and getting back to the cars after everything was enough.


The only limiter really was my swim. I think that if I can improve my endurance for the swim and work on my technique a little more, I can decrease that by another minute or two. In terms of the bike, I think that I can continue to build a strong base for next year and incorporate some faster paced work in the spring.


These were my three goals for the race that I wrote down prior to the event:
1.Finish the race: Anything under 2:45 would be great. Conservative estimates are (30:00/ 1:15/ 55). *Dream day 2:20 (25:00/1:05/45:00)
[My finish time was 2:25:47, not quite a "dream day," but also well below the expectation I had set. In fact, except for the swim, I had a dream day that was only 1 minute slower on the run.]

2.Sub 1:10 bike ride with energy left for solid run. [I definitely had a good ride at 1:04:06. The run at the end was solid at 46:10 and it surprised me that I did that well with it.

3.Top 5 age group finish.[There were only 7 folks in our age group, but I still managed a second place finish. The winner beat me by a solid 4 minutes and I'll have to get better on the bike and the swim to be more competitive with him in that area. Still, met my goal. I'm also pleased with the almost top 20 finish overall.]

I feel like the race went especially well because I took some time to prepare mentally and I had a plan going into the race that I could execute effectively. I also took the time to enjoy the race and relish the time.

Another aspect that was effective was rest. I was a little nervous going in, because I felt like maybe I wasn't as energetic in this last week. However, taking it easier and giving myself extra taper time, really had a positive impact on my performance. It is something that I will continue to remember!