Buffalo Springs 70.3 was a pretty good race. I didn't finish as high up as I would have liked and my time was slower than I would have liked. It was no surprise though as I was not tapered or rested by any means. We had the big training weekend in Winter Park with Gordo and Company last weekend and I got fried BIG TIME on the 100 mile time trial. I was sick or something. All in all though there were many positives to the day. But lets begin with what I felt was a very "controversial" swim.

The swim was in a lake that was quite warm. However, the race directors found a way to make the race wetsuit legal. For that to happen the temp needs to be 78 or below. I'm sure it was below 78 degrees at the bottom of the lake! None the less, they were allowed and it just seemed like a crime to do that. I fell that triathlon swimming was meant to be on wetsuit when ever possible.

So why didn't I just chose to not wear one? Well we all know they create a HUGE advantage. Since swimming is not my strong suit I would have been at a disadvantage. The point here is that they should have been banned....I had a really long e-mail dialogue with the race director about it and it I understand all the arguments made on his end. But still.....Maybe I will post the conversation on here.

I had to stop twice in the swim to let waste into the wetsuit. It felt like there was an electric blanket on my chest and there were times when I got a bit panicky. Luckily I have more experience in the sport and know how to calm myself down and just "get through it." I always tell myself when I am not having a good swim that I went 4:11 on a 31:00 min swim last year.

Once I got to the swim exit I stopped and let water in the suit several times and then riped it off right there in the water. I couldn't believe how hot I was! My transition was okay but not super fast. I was going to test out wearing a camel back for the ride to see how I liked it in a race. I might wear it for Full Vineman this Aug but not 100% sold on it yet. It was surprisingly quick to get on. It was funny though, because I got a tiny bit self conscious with it on. What a FREAKING GEEK I looked like!

The ride was fine. I felt like I was moving along and my legs were okay. It was a bit disappointing to see my ride time. I got my ass handed to me by Natasha Badman. I wonder what she eats to make that tiny little body of hers go so damn fast. She had one of the fasted bike times of the day...period.

Off the bike I went to go do my 1/2 marathon and again there is not a sole around me. It was like being on a training run. My run legs are just not there yet. It is so frustrating to only have the ability to run a 1:27 right now. I did feel stronger at the turn around but all in all the run jut feels laborous. It doesn't feel like I am "running." I do know that things are getting better in trailing and my foot is starting to behave. But overall the injury took a lot of good run training out of me and I am seeing that now.

I saw Denny out there many times. He started 5 min behind me in the 4th wave and I could tell throughout the race that he was about 5 min behind me. The last mile of the run I kept saying "You better push it or Deny is gonna get you!" When I finished I went and sat down in one of those old school lawn chairs they had set up...Ya know the ones made of plastic tubes that leave marks on your but and stick to you....Well about 5 min later I hear "Dennis Meeker from Boulder CO." Turns out we I fished 14 sec ahead of him. How interesting that the guy I train with the most basically does the exact same race time as me!