Summary:
1/2 mile swim, 12.8 mile MTB, 3.5 mile trail run
2:02:21, 63/102 Men, 4/6 AG
Swim: 13:39 (1/6 AG)
T1 4:29
Bike: 1:12:03
T2 0:52
Run 31:16
9 min PR from 2011 race.
I can’t say anything bad about my performance. I wanted to go under 2hrs, but I’ll take a 2:02, given that I was going hard the whole race, just below redline and didn’t make any really glaring mistakes.
The bike course is mostly non-technical
, mix of soft and hard packed sand. A couple of long sections are in a “trench” where everyone has to go single file, no room to pass. On the 1st loop I was alone and was able to make some good time on the descents and techy bits. On the 2nd loop I got behind a couple of guys who were just a bit faster on the ascents, and a bit slower than me on the technical sections. Instead of getting frustrated I just used the opportunity to recover a bit, then hammer and pass when I could.
I felt super on the run. Hurt like a mofo at the beginning
, but legs opened up and I was able to move along pretty well. Kept the hammer down as much as possible and tried to flow over the technical sections.
About the only tactical mistake I made was misjudging the finish. The course ran along side the finish
, and I forgot that there was about a 1/2 mile loop through the woods before it doubled back and finished. I saw the finish and started my sprint only to run past where I THOUGHT the course would turn around. Once I figured out that I was a bit short, I got my HR and head back under control, and pushed on through the last technical loop. When I popped back up on the trail, I opened up the throttle and sprinted to the finish. Not a drop left in the tank.