I started out about 3/4ths way back in the pack. I was running a good clip naturally getting passed a lot, but passing a lot of people too. This worried me as I was afraid I might burn out. I kept checking my watch and realizeing that I was probably going too fast so I tried to hold back a bit.

My old shin inflamtaion was acting up giving me more incentive to hold back, but I still ended up with what is close to the fastest 2 miles I've ever run.

I may have been a bit over dressed (short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, jacket, tri shorts, and tights. The weather had told me it felt like 36 when I got up, but at this point it was closer to 60.

Really I should go a little slowewr and save myself for the bike and the second run, but I would like to be able to hold this pace, or faster next year.

I had raced into transition and didn't think to do a flying dismount after the commute to the race. It is a pain to put shoes on the bike by hand so I decided to just run with the shoes on. The distance wasn't far.

I got on the bike and had one foot slip off the cleat, took a second for those around me to clear and got on and got going.

Leave my shoes clipped in. Take a deep breath and drop my HR before mounting.

I felt really good from the start on the bike because I finally actually passed about as many as were passing me. I really felt like I was finally getting into my own on the bike.... maybe it was just the field but the over all times were pretty fast so I feel good about it.

Took a few of the corners a little wide, and tried to drink on the more technical sections rather than on the straights when I should be hammering for speed.

I took one gel on the bike about halfway. Again, in a technical section not on the straight. (By technical I don't mean anything crazy, I had to slow down for a right corner, then onto a slow curve for .5 miles or so before a left corner. I took the gel, and some of the water, there.)

I think I could have pushed a little harder. Again I didn't want to blow up, but I could probably take a couple of minutes off.

This went fairly smooth. The other 2 bikes near me were already racked and too close so I had to slide them a bit. I took my jacket off and took off down the road.

A little more practice on the dismounts.

Again I started off way too fast. I had to slow myself down but it was a bit easier this time.

Got some gatorade at the station out of T2 and walked part of that, then got some water at the one mile mark and walked the water station. About .25 miles later I was dying. I was still wearing the long sleve shirt and the tights. I unpinned the race number (didn't find my belt this morning) and took off the shirt while running. But I stopped and walked while pinning it back on.



Might have worn one less layer for the race. Still it looked like it might be a cold race. Also go out a slower. This was a good pace for me for the first run.

Got a colache and a water. Waited for my wife to come in (the women started 5 minutes back and i'm a bit faster than her).

We ran into one of the Cy-tri crew with some homeade brew and had a sip of beer and then jumped on the bike and rode home..... and then I went and got some food for the "Band".


My cold, my fitness, my leg, my pacing.


Outloud always puts on good races. There are less frills than at OUM's races, but I like to race with them.

I will say the water bottles and shirts they gave out seemed pretty nice and there was plenty of food.