I knew I was going to loose some time from last year. I took a break after my last race. A few months later did Masters for 3 months. Then work got in the way, and before I knew it I only had 6 weeks before this race. I lost a lot over that time, but my swim was the last thing that needed a better time. I decided not to kill my self, just swim my swim. Make every stroke count, and just get ready for the bike and run. Well I only lost 2 minutes off last year. With the amount of swim time I did, I am actually really happy with that. I felt very relaxed. I stayed within my self. Never really pushed it. I sighted well. Only a couple of course corrections. There was not too much traffic or contact. It was really a nice swim.

Well I will be swimming more until my next HIM. I need the fitness, but the swim is not where I am going to save a ton of time. I am happy with where I'm at.

Transitions are always slow. I alway dork around with something. To me it is not that important, but when the number is posted, I certainly wish it was lower. :) I got a little hung up on my suit. No quick release for my Garmin. Socks and cycling shoes. Put my zip up shirt on. Overall it was OK, but I could cut some time off for sure.

Just practice more and stop worrying about forgetting something.

So this is where I was going to make up for last year. I have done much more riding and testing, but this year I was actually going to pace it right. I had my plan and I stuck to it. It took about 20 minutes for my HR to fall when I first started riding. I did not get on it right away and waited to settle in. I was a little fast on the second quarter. By the second lap I resigned myself to sticking to my HR target. It was 140 and My second lap avg HR was 141.

I drank plenty. I had to stop and take a wizz real quick, and I had to go again at T2. I ate a PB which was new, but I hate a full stomach of water on the run. So I took on Gatorade, water, food, focused on what I was doing, didn't chase down everyone that passed me, stuck to the plan.

Honestly, nothing. I nailed it. I go too hard on the bike, and loose all that time on the run. I just kept telling myself any time I save will be lost. I felt my nutrition was perfect to set me up for a good run.

Now I just have to get my threshold up so I can go faster in Z3

This includes a quick stop at the porta potty and was actually really good. I just missed breaking 2 minutes which was my goal.

Nothing really.

So here it was... this is what I have been waiting for for a whole year. Revenge on the run that destroyed me last year. 2:47. I have worked a lot on my run, ran in heat, paced the bike, I was ready to go. I have no trouble transitioning to the bike. I felt I was properly hydrated. Food was good, caffeine was good... it was time to lay it out.

My HR was high to start like normal. Plus a hill to start... so I took it easy. I started out at 8 m/m... noticed 7:30 for a bit and felt really good. But I pulled back to get the hill, see how the heat was, let my HR come down. I was doing well till mile 2 or 3. I felt some twinges in my calves and my legs felt a little tight. I never get cramps, but I do have knots in my calves and if I do get one, it is there. So I started taking in Gatorade right away which was sooner than I wanted. Then I needed to hit the can... no, not #1. I sort of felt like I had some unfinished business, and sure enough, I did. In real life, this is a 20 minute event... race time 60 sec. :)Sucked I lost time (lap 4), but now I was done with goofing off.

I got through the first half of the lap. Legs were calming down. I was trying to not blow up. Heat was not bad, but I was just starting to get sore... just wore out. But I was still going. Gatorade at every stop, ice water, cool down.

So at the start of the second lap, it was time to give it all I had. I got up the two hills, and then the heat just came. The breeze was gone. I kept trying to go faster, but instead just kept going slower. I had several goals, and one by one they kept passing me by. I just could not go faster. I felt I could do 8 m/m. My last long run was at the same time and temp and I hit 7:30 for the last 3 miles. Of course it was not in a tri, but still.

By the last 3 miles I was feeling queasy. At that point I had drank more than I ever do running. I could not put down anything else. I was trying to do all I could... but I was doing all I could. I tried to kick to the end, but I was done. Legs were toast. I wished I had gone even easier on the bike. The last mile was my slowest and it was all I could do to just keep running.

I really don't know. Not sure if I would have slowed down more on the first half if I would have been faster on the second. I really do not think I would have gained any more time by saving more on the bike. Perhaps heat was more than I thought it would be.

Tried not to throw up. Got in the shade. Could not eat. Ate a orange, soda, and potato chips.


I don't know. I really thought 5:30 was a realistic goal. I knew a lot more about my abilities this year and put in a lot of work. It sounds bad, but it really was a good race. I finally swam, biked, and RAN a HIM. I never stopped on the run. Even when it was not going as planned, I didn't throw in the towel and let it ruin my race. I paced the bike great, and I did better than last year. And I also know I gave it EVERYTHING I had. So overall, I did really good.