2nd Oly OWS without wetsuit in the last week and I still suck. Still not comfortable swimming in crowds without wetsuit and it was very crowded swimming out of the canal. I started toward the back hoping some space would clear up but had to stop several times waiting for errant swimmers that were zig zagging in front of me.

keep practicing long OWS without wetsuit. Push OWS workouts a little harder to get out of easy comfortable pace I end up racing at because of lack of confidence.

Had a pretty crappy spot next to a hedge and behind a tree in the grass but made the run thru transition quickly. Getting feet into shoes was an issue that impacted my bike time.

check into transition earlier to not get stuck in the corner.

Slowed quite a bit while fumbling to get feet in shoes, straps ended up getting pulled out of slots when I finally got feet in shoes so I just left them that way rather then screw around with them more. Legs, especially hamstrings were dead, probably due to 5K race I ran the day before. Tried to get HR to up to 145 Ave but legs just wouldn't let me do it, caught myself dropping effort down to 135bpm effort and had to scold myself to get back after it. Forgot to Gu before ending the bike leg.

safety pins in end of bike shoe straps so they can't get pulled out of the slots. Don't run a 5K the day before a tri.

No problems with dismount. Had a couple of guys just standing around blocking my way behind the tree to my transition area so that cost me a few seconds. Had to sit on grass to get shoes on because the acorns under the tree were sticking to my feet.

a better spot on the rack would have been a lot better

took longer then usual to get legs up to speed so just focused on cadence and knew stride would eventually lengthen out. Once again the 5K the day before couldn't of helped. Was really wishing I had taken a Gu on the bike at mile 2 and forgot to put backup in my race belt. About mile 3 big toe joint on left foot started killing me on push off so had to adjust stride to push off with out side of left foot. Got passed by one of my budies at mile 4 and gave better effort to keep up with him, passed him at mile 5 and told him lets go, he ended up sprinting past me at the finish but I didn't care he had motivated me to pick up the pace for the last 2 miles.

Gel Noosas are officially retired after two raced where I've had foot issues racing in them. Have to remember to put back up Gu in race belt. Normally I don't need to Gu in Olympic distance but the lack of my normal Clif Bar before the race turned this into a carb depletion race.

None, a few bottles of water, three slices of pizza and my fit foods chicken and fruit bowl.


Poor non-wetsuit OWS confidence, dead legs from race the day before, poor location on transition rack, sloppy getting feet into bike shoes.


I like the larger events in more urban settings like this race. Good sized crowd. Water station on the back of the course was undermanned, I passed three times because they only had two people handing out water on each side of the road and they were back at table getting cups as I was running by. Playtri does a nice awards ceremony at the end I wish the other local race organizations would try to duplicate.