Time: 3:40:05
Age Group: 8/22 Overall: 53/208
Swim 2000 m (+T1):
Time: 41:41 AG: 13/22 O: 79/208 pace: 2:06 min/100m
Bike 56.5 km:
Time: 1:39:48 AG: 9/22 O: 36/208 AVG speed: 34.0 km/h
Run 15 km (+T2):
Time: 1:18:37 AG: 11/22 O: 82/208 pace: 5:15
Race goal:
To beat 1triatatime (Mark) in swimming and cycling and to be able to race direct age group competitors near the end of the run.
Pre-race:
Dinner at Jo-Jo's. I met Mark and for the first time Jo-Jo. There was so much to talk about and so little time... Lasagnia made by Jo-Jo was fantastic. Mark still had dreams about winning the shallonge...
Race:
I arrived early to the race site, transition spots were preassigned, when all participants arrived it was very crowded. I met briefly La and 1tryatatime before the start. I hydrated myself well with Gatorade, coffee and some Infinit, I ate banana and energy gel just before swim start.
Swimming:
There was a large number of people in the water and some confusing information about exact path of the swimming course. I was close to Mark but lost him right after the start.
After initial chaos I had quickly found nice readom and I was shamelessly drifting of one or another person for most of the swim. After the half turn the person in front of me wasn't on the shortest course to the finish. I had to work alone hard for 200-300 meters to join main pack of swimmers. Drifting or not I was working hard to keep pace, near the end I dropped the "pacer" in front of me and had fast finish, although I probably could start this faster pace much earlier.
As I was pull out of the water my hip hit the edge of the dock. In reaction to the pain I immediately curled my legs and I had a terrible cramp pain in my inner right thigh. I was trying to grab the post on the side of a dock and stretch my leg, but strong volunteer who thought that I will probably collapse was keeping me off the post. I was trying to stretch my leg leaning forward onto that volunteer but I think that he took it as sign of a weakness and was pulling me up.
Suddenly number of paramedics surrounded me, they had obviously nothing more important to do
I just wanted to grab this post, and each time I try to lean toward it they thought that I am collapsing. I am not sure when I moved with them to another area.
After long time (1-3 minutes) they let me go. I was limping to my bike thinking that possibly I will not be able to ride it. I was so absorbed by this cramping that I didn't even check if Mark, who wasn't far from mine transition area, has already finish the swim.
Cycling:
The pain in my tight was strong and I felt like the cramping will happen again as soon as I will start cycling. To my relief I started slowly blocked by cyclists in front of me and the cramping didn't return during the whole race
The lift bridge was 500 meters from the start, I feared before the race that it will lift in front of me and I will have to follow the procedure to find official to register time of arrival and than again time of departure when it reopens. I was hoping that it won't happen, and it didn't, but the bridge's rough surface had shaken my aero bar bottle and it fell out of the holder. I had my reserve bottle of Infinit just in case
but I decided to not use it later.
T1 Aero bottle in place:
Just a few days before the race I have decided to race this course on my old road bike, I didn't feel safe on my new tri bike. I added aero bars to my road bike. It was noticeable improvement. I was riding fast while in aero position.
It was near 1/3 of the course when I noticed that my GPS (Garmin Edge 305) is acting strangely. I didn't turn it on before the swim, and when I turn it on at T1 it never locked properly to satellites. It was showing 80-90 km/h speeds, losing satellite signal all the time, so I had no idea what is my speed. I was pushing hard thinking that if I am passing people my speed is probably OK. My post race average according to Garmin is 154.7 km/h
and my distance 243.42 km. And don't ask about my max speed 
I couldn't ride any faster and I wasn't holding or saving anything for the run. I was passing many cyclists. I wasn't sure where was Mark and wanted to pedal without interruptions. I decided to not reach for my Infinit bottle as it would slow me down and in addition there was one problem... I really had to pee. I didn't learn yet how to do it on the moving bike so I had to stop. I never stopped for anything during the race and I was surprised how many cyclists passed me while I was doing it. It was more then 20. I decided not to drink during the bike part - I didn't want to stop again. As we were approaching half turn I passed more people. I wasn't sure were was Mark. Around 2/3 or 3/4 of the race I have noticed Mark in front of me. I told him that the race is starting right now when I passed him, but he wasn't ready to challenge me. As I learned later he was dealing with some pain in his groin at this point.
I was racing hard. Without working GPS I didn't know what was my speed, and I was compensating that with harder work. Today, more than 24 hours after the race with sore upper thighs, I know that I left it all there on that biking course.
some traffic near the finish of the race:
Running:
While I was on the bike I had no idea how far behind is Mark, I was almost sure that he didn't pass me, but I was more assured that he is still an the bike course when I noticed that his bike wasn't yet on the rack. I did change to my running gear reasonably fast; in the past I had some issues with my time in transitions.
I forgot to take my hat, but used the head buff to cover my head from the sun. The buff was also cool when soaked with water, it was sticking to the head cooling much better than the hat.
I though before this race that I should easy run the 15K at my marathon pace (4:58 min/km). I started easy 5:10 on the first km planning to increase it later, I did second km at 4:59, but it felt hard. My confidence boosted when I reached first water station with Jo-Jo/Hula Girl on duty. All volunteers did great job during this race. The sun, the heat and the course become suddenly also more hilly. I struggled to keep pace of 5:20, racing mostly against my GPS ( for the run I had Forerunner 305 ). I passed 3 AG competitors, while only one passed me. 2 minutes after the half way turn around I spotted Mark, He was 4-5 minutes behind me at this point, we were not racing the run portion, but it was my confirmation that I left transition before him. In the last 5 km clouds moved over and with the shade I had more energy. There was also La heading onto the hilly part of the course, looking very strong. I left something for eventual strong finish end did last km at 4:53 min/km.
refreshing cold shower after the race
Post race:
I waited for Mark and La to finish. Both placed at the top in the Clydesdale category
Mark finishing:
La finishing:
I have seen Jo-Jo again during rewards ceremony thanking her for a great support
Awards ceremony:
Plans:
In the next few days I will have to decide if I am focusing only on PEC marathon shallonge or doing a few more triathlons.
