Kic-it Olympic

I had a good recovery week following 70.3 Syracuse. My legs were still feeling some fatigue from the hard course and conditions up in Syracuse, but I was excited to race. My goal was to hit the swim hard, then ride very aggressive and see what I had left for the run. Swim: 19:25 I started out in the 8 person elite wave. I thought I had a decent start, but I found myself behind several other swimmers immediately. I resigned myself to staying steady and figured I would need to work hard on the bike to catch up. However, after about 300 meters, several of the swimmers fell off their early pace. I passed two swimmers before the first turn buoy and I thought I had put myself into the lead. I stayed consistent for the remainder of the swim. I came out of the water and somebody yelled: "you're two minutes down". At first this did not register. Then it settled in. My thoughts were: "how could I be so far down. I didn't see anyone out in front". Then I looked down and saw wet footprints on the ground. I found out later in the day that I had been smoked by Pie Geelen by almost 2.5 minutes. I felt a little bit better about this beating after another athlete informed me that Pie had swam in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics for the Netherlands. Bike: 1:01:10 As I came through the transition area, I asked who the athlete out in front was. No one knew his name at the time. I had already planned on riding aggressively, but now I knew I needed to ride a little bit harder. I worked pretty hard to catch up. In fact, it was my first zone 4 heart rate ride of the season. I believe I caught up to Pie by about mile 14. I was working pretty hard on the hilly, technical course. Once I caught up I tried to stay as consistent as I could. I came off the bike with almost a five minute lead. Run: 36:20

My legs felt fatigued starting the run. I knew that I needed to find a good cadence and settle in. The hard bike and three weeks of racing seemed to catch up on me. I focused on my form and thought that I would try to build into my effort throughout the run segment. I actually stayed pretty steady for the first 4 miles, then built the last 2 miles a little faster. I was very fortunate to race so close to my home. My family was able to come out and watch the race and it was a thrill to be able to see them as I crossed the finish line. Finish: 1:58:59 1st Overall

This race is very well run and supports a wonderful organization. I was very lucky to be able to participate in the event.