Lined up about 3 people deep to the lefthand side. With my lack of swim training this summer, I knew it was going to be a slower swim. So I positioned myself where I have the last 2 times I came to Timberman. But within 100 yards, I realized there was not much room on the left. So move more right and found some feet. First ~200 yards were a bit of self talk about relaxing and getting into a rhythem. Then focused on staying on the buoy line. After the first right hand turn we started to swim into the previous wave and it was a bit more moving around swimmers but nothing to bad. Then at the 2nd turn back toward the beach it felt like we had a current or wind against us (but it might have also been my lack of swim endurance). Felt like this leg took the longest. But focused on going thru what I had to do in transition. Did good with standing at waste high, unzipping suit and getting it to my waist as I ran up to beach.

Swim training, more open water swims, then be more aggressive with the start and finding a position with strong feet in front of me.

The wetsuit stripping and initial movement thru transition went really smoothly. And then I forgot to put stuff in my pocket of my top so I tried to do it as I ran out, not a good idea. Just as I looked at Nate/Sloan and was trying to put stuff in my top, I fell and broke the valve extension off the front wheel. At first I thought a spoke broke, but then quickly realized it was the valve extension. This made me very concerned that it would blow and I would have no way of fixing. once I started to move I almost mounted my bike in transition as I was soooo flustered. But then I pulled it together and continued on to mount line.

practice, practice, practice....
there are no excuses for the mistakes I made other then I did not practice...

After the issues in transition I was a bit nervous the entire ride with the worry about flatting and not being able to fix it. The road conditions on 50% of the course are rather rough so I would not push it during those portions for fear of flatting. But overall I enjoyed this ride tremendously. This course is so much fun both in a challenging way and how it is divided up. The time flew by and before I knew it I was at the turn around section. Most of the riders rode clean and not a lot of issues I saw on the course. I ate every 35mins either gu or chomps and took 2 salt tabs the entire ride. GuBrew mixed for 4hrs and went thru 3hrs worth.

I did not push it as I would have liked but I did have over a 1min bike PR on the course.

If I was racing it not worry about getting a flat and push it during the times when I eased up. Train more.

Took my time to get everything the way I wanted it before heading out.

Practice. Practice. Practice....

Wanted to use this as a training run and try to keep the run right around 8:50-9min miles (8,50, 8.52, 8.47, 8.54, 9.08, 9.13, 9.29, 9.48, 9.36, 9.50, 10.00, 10.18, 9.12, rest 8.39). First loop did a decent job with it until the climb around mile 4 when my hamstrings started to tighten up. Took more salt tabs to see if it would help. Then were ok on the downs but the ups were rather slow. Second loop was a bit slower and plodding along trying not to get into full blow hamstring cramps and trying not to walk. Ended up running the entire course. ate 1 gu, 1 banana, 6 salt tabs, water thru out, and started coke at mile 7 every other stop.

more training....

walked around looking for Sloan and Nate. Talked with Jorge. Had some pasta salad. Then headed over to Gunstock where Nate did the zipline. Sloan and I got to ride the ski lift up and down. Then over to the playground :)


training...
This year has been a rough one for me with life getting in the way more then I would have liked. I put training on the back burner and knew that this was just going to be a long training day.


Timberman is one of my favorite 70.3 races. It is in a great location and has a mellower feel then most of the races you go to. The temps are nice for an August race and the course is spectacular. I will come back again to race this course, not next year, but some time in the future.