Message posted by: Craig W.

For the first time this year I got up to find a gorgeous morning for a tri. No rain and sunshine, how was this possible??? For some strange reason I was more nervous for this one than my first ever back in July. My wife even commented on it so I guess I wasn't hiding it very well. I promised my wife this would be it for this summer. We had brought the kids with us and I wanted to show em what dad had. All in all, a recipe for butterfly's. A quick side note to other newbies like me. Before the race I put on my Ipod, found a spot to myself and took about 15 minutes to close my eyes and visualize every part of the race, trying to feel the pain and success at each step of the way including finishing strong with a target time in mind. From that point on my nerves settled and I was able to just go implement what I had already been through.

Ok, enough of my ramblings, on to the real race report.

This was a small tri, only about 107 participants in the sprint. I liked my chances in a smaller race, lol. This was also the first year for this tri, I am sure that had a lot to do with the small field.

The swim was a bit strange, the course was set between a couple of sand bars and I don't know if they shifted after the course was set up but we watched the olys and the women's wave be able to walk 75% of the sprint course. I ended up swimming the first 250 meters then doing kind of a dolphin dive repeatedly for the next 150 meters then some swim and dolphin dive combo from there. I went out too fast initially and never really recovered but I did gut it for good time and it was fun to hang with all the young kids (they sent out all male sprint in 1 wave).

6th out of the water with a time of 9:40

T1: 2:12

Bike course: This was a great course, fairly flat slightly uphill all the way out and slightly downhill all the way back. I knew this would be pretty fast for everyone and I was right, Up until we had to stop at a stop light at a major intersection before the local law enforcement got the crossing traffic stopped for us. Talk about a momentum killer. Getting back at it. I had a few people pass me but not a lot and not a single person in my age group. The turn around was moved almost a mile farther out than it was on the map and mentally that was hard but I have come to a conclusion in these races. The courses are never what they are supposed to be and who cares, it's the same for everyone so deal with it. after the turn around I started kicking it down. I began reeling back in some of the people who passed me early on and were now starting to fall back. About a half mile before the traffic light intersection I see a pack of riders within reach and figured if I could
catch them before the light I had my best chance of not having to stop. Luck was finally on my side, I caught the tail end of the pack just as they released the riders through the light and blew by about 10 people at about 23mph with only a couple of miles to go. Downside, I burned a lot of energy reeling them in and I could now feel it in the legs. I backed off and began sucking down my gatorade and trying to save what was left of my legs for the run. Total time 37:37, avg speed 19.5mph

T2: 1:46 (not bad stopped to strech my calves for second before the run)

Run: The start of the run was awful for me!! I felt like my calves were cramped solid and if I ran any slower I would be going backwards. Let the steady stream of people start passing. A few minutes into the run things evened out and I started feeling my stride come back. This is when I saw the first person from my age group pass me that I had seen the entire race. That was wake up call. I decided right then and there that I was NOT letting another person in my age group pass me with out a fight. Let em pass, I was then going to be their shadow the rest of the way with a hope of a kick out finish. It never happened. I just kept getting stronger as I went and I actually started passing people in the last half of the run. As I ran down the shute to the finish besides the incredible urge to throw up all I could think of was could I have possibly just had a AG podium finish?

Run time 27.01

My wife and kids came running over and just loved on me. My wife wispered in my ear that she only saw 1 other person in my AG come across before me, could that be possible??? An hour later we had the answer.

3rd in my AG, 40/107 averall.

For me a PB in every aspect for this race. (not that I have a lot to compare it too) This race was a great venue and I am sure it will grow rapidly in the years to come.

Thank you to everyone here on Ontri for all the support and discussions this summer.

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