The Swim: At an average of 2:10 per 100m, I was happy to be out of the water. My time was 127 overall, putting me behind the 8 ball eary (as usual). It was a very rough swim, as since it is Wasaga, it is extremely shallow and difficult to swim. I tried diving, running, swimming, but I could not get comfortable until the deeper water. Then, I had difficulty getting into a strong stroke/breating rhythm. Add the rough waters, and it was difficult going out to the first buoy. The swim across was smooth, and the swim to shore was great. To save my legs, as the water got really shallow about 200m from shore, I relaxed my legs and grabbed the ground and pulled myself. I felt this was most effective as I was not as tired as others exiting the water because I wasn't running in thigh deep water.
The Bike: Great! That's about it. I passed about 60 or so people. I finished with the 16th fastest time, and if I can improve my swimming over the winter, I will be able to compete for a podium in a lot of races next year. The road was smooth, gradual inclines and declines, and well shaded. The opening was flat, so you could flush your legs out after the swim. I was blocked on a descent which really upset me, as the rider in front of me had 2 opportunities to move left (which I clearly communicated to him well in advance). What bothered me most was that this allowed other racers to catch up and complain that I was blocking (which I politely yelled that I wasn't, and when the blocker moved over I showed that I wasn't by speeding up to 55km/h and finishing the ride above 40km/h avg).
The Run: Although the bike was great, it left my feet completely numb. All my right toes had no feeling in them, and the last 3 toes felt as though they were being roughly cut by a handsaw with each step. I began at a 5:00/km pace, but knew I could go faster. Around the 3km - 4km mark I sped up as the blood started flowing to my toes, passing 3 runners in front of me. In the last km, I passed a person in my age group while running up a hill, and finished the straight-away at a strong pace, ensuring a strong finish.
Overall: I liked this race. I had heard a lot of negative things about Wasaga from past years, but it was a really nice course (obviously the good result helps me like it!), and the weather was great (which helps).I'd like to return next year to try and get a podium, but I also want to do Muskoka 70.3 next year, and if they are on the same weekend again, I'll opt for Muskoka.
So that's it for triathlons, now time for Marathon season. I've never done a running race before, and I have my first 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks: the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Should be good. I can't see it being anymore physically straining than the triathlons in Bala, Orillia, or Guelph, so I should be able to complete the whole 1/2 marathon without a break. My goal time is 1:45 to 1:50. I'd like to avg 5:00/km, but that may seem unreasonable. I'll let you know!
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