The water was perfect, which is more than I can say about this swim. I like to think of this swim as epic. I started out ok, but I could not keep my breathing under control once immersed in the proverbial "washing machine". I wasn't nervous or afraid this time. However, it was clear I'm not comfortable swimming in a large group. At times, it felt like my heart was pounding so hard, as if I were close to hyperventillating. I had to flip over multiple times to allow my breathing to slow down, but as the swim wore on, I was able to relax and continue swimming for longer stretches of time. I swam the last 300-400 meters non-stop, for sure. The surface on the swim exit (a boat launch ramp) was challenging on the old dogs. As I tried to run up the ramp I remember thinking, "Ow, ow, ow, ow....ah, ouch, ow...where the hell is the transition area?"

Over the past year, I have worked hard to relax in the water. Although my pool swim has improved immensely, and I am far more comfortable in open water than I was 12 months ago, I need to get out there and swim with others and relax when I'm in race situations.

I plan to get out and participate in the local splash and dash series in order to get more comfortable with swimming with others. There are 3 OWS on my agenda, and I have entered another sprint at the Uvas Reservoir next week; the sole purpose of entering was for the OWS experience. The swim is truly my achilles heel.

Surprisingly fast considering my wet suit would not come off of my calves and over heels. I had to sit down and slide my hands down my calves underneath my wetsuit, like a shoe horn, and slide the wet suit down each leg and over the heels. I thought for sure T1 was closer to 3 minutes. I believe the placement of the timing mats relative to the transition area made for quicker times as my bike was right there close to the boat launch ramp, and I had a straight shot out to the bike course.

Keep practicing! And, try to do the super spiffy stuff, like jumping on my bike and slipping my feet into the shoes. With that said, I think my energy needs to go into improving my swim.

The bike is where I am faced with having spent too much energy on the swim! No lie. The bike course was good and bad. It was certainly scenic, which is good, and the surface generally smooth. However, it was tough for me to get into a rhythm, and since it was not on a closed course, the course was too narrow. So, I ended up eventually trapped in a bottleneck with a group of other riders. Due to undulation in the course we repeatedly leap frogged throughout most of the course. The leap frog game got old. I found it frustrating because our bottleneck accumulated so many riders that passing was impossible without veering into oncoming traffic. On the issue of narrow roads, it was nearly impossible NOT to draft at some point because of diffulty passing, especially toward the end of the ride. Being unfamilar with this bike course, I wished I had brought my road bike. I found it difficult to ride in the aero position for very long because of said unfamiliarity. Also, I wish people would yield when you shout "On your left!"

Swim faster so I can hopefully avoid the riff raff. $hit howdy!

T2 only gets better, but I defer to the placement of the timing mats and shape of the transition area. The transition area was set-up for easy in/easy out.

Maybe one day I'll be coordinated enough to ride with my feet on top of my shoes.

By the time I hit the run, the temps were starting to warm up, though they were far from spirit crushing. The course seemed to be uphill nearly the entire out portion, and my handstring was NOT happy about that. Unfortunately, I have been nursing a mild twinge in my left hamstring, which only seems to bother me on the uphills. Typically, shortening my stride helps a lot. On the return I noticed the distinct slope in the road, so I ran closer to the double yellow lines on the crest of the road. Other than sipping water at each aid station, my stomach was not ready for GU or other performance products, which is both good and bad. It's good I didn't consume a GU more because I would have ended up walking, but it's also bad because I believe I needed a few calories. The good thing is that I didn't feel like I was going to bonk.

Get past this annoying hamstring issue, and work on more bricks.

Grabbed more water, a wet towel, and waited for Tim to finish. Tried to get food, but there was a long line, so we skipped the food and headed home.


A crappy but always improving swim. That said, I do need to work on OWS with other people which has prompted me to enter the Reservoir Triathlon in a couple of weeks, and at least 3 splash and dashes. Other than that, I never felt I got into a groove on the bike, and by the time I hit the run my ability to concentrate and motivate myself eluded me somewhat. I think I settled for (cringe)"it is what it is".


Good event, very popular, well run, etc.