This was probably the roughest swim I have raced since starting Tris, as far as physical contact goes. There were a lot of guys in my wave and I made the mistake of not getting towards the front. My goggles were kicked off twice and I had to stop both times to re-adjust. I also found myself having to work my way around some of the slower swimmers. I felt fine while I was swimming and wasn't winded when I exited the water. Again, I need to get faster and after this season I will concentrate on becoming a better swimmer.

Get out front and go harder the first 100-200m to clear the slower swimmers.

Nothing really to note here, I had a longer run to my transition area from the water exit but I was close to the bike out. My bike was stuck for a second as I tried to take it off of the rack.

Nothing really.....become more efficient at smoother transitions.

I pushed the bike hard as I knew that I would. I passed 4-5 guys around mile 1 and passed 2 more guys about halfway through the bike course. I was passed once by the guy who won our age group. I wanted to average around 23 mph and averaged 23.1 so I met my goal. I did notice that my gears were not changing quite as smooth as I would like so I need to take my bike in for a tune-up.

Nothing really.

I seemed to get into my shoes and out of transition fairly quickly.

Nothing really.

I felt pretty good on the run but I was not happy with my time. I ran 6.53 for mile 1 and 6.56 for mile 2 so I was surprised that my finishing time was at a 7.09 pace. In tracking the route the run was actually 3.2 miles so that would have put my pace at around 6.55. One of my goals for next season is to get my run times down for sure. I was passed by 2 people on the run, the eventual 3rd and 5th place finishers.

Maybe get out of comfort zone and push the pace more.

Cooled down, drank some water, grabbed a bagel, and waited for my wife to finish.


Swimming and running which I will work hard on in the off season.


Millennium Park has had some bad luck in the past weather wise and it was close again this year. However, the rain had went through and the temperature was perfect for a race. There were a ton of volunteers with post refreshments and food. It is a great organized local race with some high quality athletes and it is also friendly for the first time racers. I will be back next year!