Post-Race Reflections:

After crossing the finish line, I rehydrated with some Gatorade and water and reunited with my fiancée to capture the moment with a few pictures. Although I missed out on a massage because they were closing up, the support from everyone was fantastic. We spent an hour or two just resting in the car and in Huntsville before making the drive back to Toronto. Getting out of the car afterward was tough, and the muscle soreness peaked on Tuesday.

Things I Could Have Done Better:

  1. More Open Water Swims:

    • I needed to get used to several aspects:
      • Darkness of the water
      • Waves
      • Depth of the lake
      • Crowded swimming conditions

  2. More Training Overall:

    • My heart rate was too high transitioning from each discipline to the next:
      • Improve this by more training, running, and biking faster at a lower heart rate with pace work.
      • Maintaining a 155 bpm race pace seems okay, but I need to increase both bike and run speed at this heart rate.
    • Incorporate more hill training.

  3. Better Nutrition Management:

    • I winged the nutrition, and although it got me through the race, better management could have reduced cramping:
      • Use gels in water bottles instead of eating Clif Bars.
      • Practice grabbing nutrition at aid stations while rolling.

  4. Gear:

    • Use a race belt instead of safety pins.
    • Get a better nutrition belt as the one I had kept falling.
    • Upgrade to a triathlon bike; my Jamis aluminum bike slowed me down and lacked enough gears (it was a 9-speed).

  5. Lose Weight:

    • Running at 200 lbs was challenging; losing 20 lbs would have made a significant difference.

  6. Better Pace Management:

    • Focus on maintaining a steady and manageable pace throughout the race.