I got to the race site around 5:45AM set up my transition area, got bodymarked, and started stretching for the race. At 6:45 I was in the water waiting for the race to start. I was in the first wave along with over 150 other guys, wading at our knees to start. Once the gun went off everyone headed for that first buoy. I swam the first 100 meters or so with my head out of the water trying to find some open space, but it was no where to be found. The entire 750 meter swim I was constantly surrounded by other swimmers; getting hit with flailing arms, kicks, and the occasional collision. This was probably one of the most uncomfortable feelings I've ever had. It was hard for me to get into any sort of rhythm and the conditions didn't help. The water was pretty choppy and I got plenty mouthfuls of water along the way. Going slightly off course after making the last right turn I headed into shore and ran into transition slowly getting my wetsuit to my waist. After a few minutes in transition I head out onto the bike course. I knew the bike leg would be my best one and I would have to go full throttle for the entire 11 miles. I felt great the entire time and kept my speed around 20mph, which was what I hoped for. The only problems I had on the bike were a bad water bottle transfer to my cage, causing me to stop and get it and when I ate an energy gel around mile 8. After taking the third gulp of gel I gagged and it almost came right back up! Thankfully I was able to keep it down and finish the bike course. Once out of transition and onto the run I realized how hot it was out. My legs felt fairly capable of running a solid 5k but I knew if I pushed it too hard my stomach wouldn't be able to handle it. So I tried being smart about it and kept a slower pace than hoped for. When I hit the water station at the half way point I stopped and took full advantage, dumping 4 cups of water over me to cool down and drinking 2 or 3. Once I hit the last half mile or so I picked up my pace a little bit and was able to muster up enough strength to sprint the last 100 yards into the finish line.
Happy to be done, I recieved my finisher's medal and immediately went for the food and water stations to get some energy back. Overall I was extremely happy about my race. Although the swim was mentally tough, I finished it faster than I thought, telling me that with better conditions and more open water experience I can go even faster. The bike was as close to perfect as I could have gotten, and while my 5k was very slow, I was still able to finish over 6 minutes ahead of my goal. I'll take a few days of from training and get right back into it to get ready for the rest of the season. With races tentatively scheduled for July 31, August 8 and 28, September 12 and October 12 and 24, I've got a long season ahead of me!
Great South Bay Triathlon: 750 meters/11 miles/3.1 miles
Swim: 13:39
T1: 3:09
Bike: 35:12
T2: 1:31
Run: 29:50
Total Time: 1:23:19
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