I have to start off by saying this was a great race. I really enjoyed the course and the location. My results were:
Swim: 00:16:32
T1: 00:02:27
Bike: 00:39:56
T2: 00:00:59
Run: 00:22:20
Total:01:22:12
Full Mens Results
here.
Pre-Race:
We drove the course the day before and it is quite different then the area around home. Hills were rolling without any real leg busters. The run course does have a small trail section but looked good overall. The biggest shock was that I had in my head that the race was on the warm side of the lake and I was wrong. Thank good for the wet suit. The area was still very muddy from all of the rain the day/night before. The transition area was ok but the swim to transition area was a mess and so were portions of the run leading to the finish. I somehow ended up with bib #2 so I had what I considered the best possible rack position in the transition area. Turns out being a 'Z' pays off as they ordered the bibs in reverse alphabetical order.
Jim picked me up at 8:30 and we easily made it to the course by 9am. Took my time in getting ready which almost led to two errors:
- Almost got in my wet suit before body marking - this was a minor one.
- Waited to pick up my timing chip until the end. I didn't head over to the tent until just before the transition area closed. Turns out they needed my run bib to give me my chip, this led to a frantic sprint back to my stuff to grab my bib and get back before the transition area closed.
At this point we were only 15 min from race time and I had lost track of where Jim was - turns out he was warming up in the water. By chance I saw my family who was there to cheer me on and gave them all a quick hug before darting off to the swim area to get ready with my wave.
Not having my dad there to pit crew was a big difference. It is nice to have someone there to take care of the odds and ends while you focus on race prep.
Swim
Did I mention we were on the cold side? Water was cold but the wet suit made up for it. This was my first time in the water with the wet suit and it made quiet a difference. I don't remember ever feeling the water above my knees or below my chest. My wave was the second to go and I hung to back knowing I would be one of the slower ones. When the wave started I felt great and other than the fact that I zig-zaged over the course the swim went well. I swam freestyle for the majority of it which was good for me. I even caught a few guys from the first wave. Coming out of the water I heard Carrie yelling to me that Jim was 2 minutes up on me which was better than I thought. I was worried I would be 4 minutes plus down after the swim.
T1
First transition was ok, I needed to put more body glide around my calves as I struggled a little to get out of my wet suit. Overall I was in and out I relatively quickly. I had hoped to shoulder my bike over the mud but the race marshals were reminding everyone they had to run with the bike.
Bike
The bike course was good an I as thankful we had driven it the day before so I knew were the hills were and where I could push a little harder on the flats. I tried something different for this race. I kept in a slightly easier gear than normal but kept my RPMs high. This seemed to really help the lactic acid from building in my legs. I was also able to stay in the saddle for most of the ride. In hind sight I wish I had pushed a little harder on some of the flats to squeeze a little more time out.
T2
Second transition was great, less than a minute and 4th fastest for the day. This is where it pays off to bike with toe cages and running shoes. Can't complain about anything as I was in and out of the transition area so quick.
Run
Run was ok. We didn't scout the run course before had so I was fully expecting the hills. I re-caught some of the guys who passed me on the bike. Towards the end of the run the sun was out and it was definitely getting warm. I saw Jim as I was running back and he looked strong as he was going by. Just like in the bike I think I left some time on the course and good have pushed a little bit more. I need to work in some brick workouts in my training to be able to know my limits better.
It was great having my whole family there at the end cheering. Add in the fact that I was able to do the race with a good friend was even better. I would definitely recommend this race to other and hope to do it again in the future.
