My plan had been to try and swim a 1:50 pace and check my pace every 100 yards. Then, after the first 200 yards I would pick up the pace if I felt good. Well, that plan was thrown out when I checked my pace and realized that I had swam the first 100 in 1:35! So, I just kept hammering as hard as I could while trying to stay smooth in the water. I only had to pass two people and did not get passed myself, so things went really well.

The only issue I noticed (and this was pretty minor) was that because I was swimming a bit faster than usual, my stroke count was off and I ended up coasting a little too far at the end of each lap. In retrospect, I could have probably squeezed in one more stroke and swam right up to the wall.

T1 involved climbing 4-5 stairs out of the pool, then running outside and down the sidewalk (over a timing mat) to the transition area. On my way out the door I took off my cap and goggles, but I must have mis-judged it because I smacked my upper arm on the side of the doorway on my way out. I also dropped my cap, but decide to leave it and just keep running. My wife (who had come with the kids to watch) and my friend Kevin both saw me drop my cap, so Kevin grabbed it and put it in my transition bucket after I finished T1.

I had a bit of trouble getting my wet feet into my bike shoes, so I need to work on that some more. Other than that, T1 went pretty well.

The ride went very well. Because I still wear mountain bike shoes (Sidi Dominator) with recessed (SPD) cleats, I was able to run through the transition area really well. I mounted the bike pretty quickly and got a good start. At first I was pretty cold, but once I dried off a bit I warmed up quickly.

The road conditions on the bike section were good, and I felt really strong on the bike, riding almost the entire course on the big chainring (which I usually don't do). There were a few gentle downhills, during which I was down on the aero bars and hammering away at close to 30mph! I can't really remember ever being so comfortable going so fast on the bike before. I probably passed 15-20 riders, but did not get passed myself.

I need to practice drinking from my aero bottle more, since during the race I did not drink quite as much as I would have liked to.

Good transition, pretty smooth. I almost passed another rider in the transition chute, but then realized that if I did I would have missed the timing mat. So, I was delayed by 1-2 seconds getting into T2.

I was apprehensive about jumping off the bike in bare feet onto the asphalt, so I slowed down a little more than I would have liked to. I guess I just need a little more practice.

I also had some trouble getting my feet (which were still a little wet) into my running shoes, so I need to work on that some more.

When I first started the run my legs felt like lead, and I was starting to beat myself up for having pushed so hard on the swim and bike segments. After about 5-8 minutes though, they started to loosen up. I was feeling pretty tired by this point, but I kept telling myself "just keep your legs moving" over and over. It felt a little weird running without music, so I started chanting to myself something I had read the other day - "I am fast, I am strong, I can race all day long". Before I knew it, I was closing in on the finish line and was done. A bunch of people had passed me on the run, but thankfully not as many as I passed and not nearly as many as last year!

Since I did not bring any fluids with me on the run and I have a hard time gulping down water at the aid stations while still running, I should have had more to drink on the bike or in T2. For my next race, I will may try running with my Amphipod belt.

My wife and kids found me right after I finished, so we grabbed a quick picture and then they came over to the transition area with me to help pack up. I did not stick around because I had to get home and get ready for a Mothers' Day lunch at my Mom's house.


Overall it was a great race, and I'm really pleased with how I did. I have a few small things to work on, but other than that things went really well. I was amazed how much faster I was this year compared to last year, so I was really happy about that as well.