On Sunday I raced the Lifetime South Beach Triathlon. It’s one of my favorite races, and this is the sixth time I’ve done the race. In the past I’ve done really well here. It’s a really fast course, mostly flat and it comes in the beginning of the year when I’m anxious to get out and see what all the winter training has earned me. This year didn’t go as well. It just wasn’t my day – no excuses – I raced with everything I had and it earned me sixth place. It may be a reflection of my fitness – perhaps I let the nasty winter get to me – but it may have also just been a bad day. They happen to everyone. I’ll race again this coming Sunday in Puerto Rico at the San Juan 70.3 – it might go better.
A quick recap of South Beach. I swam poorly. I exited the water way out of the front group, swimming alone through some rough water. It took a while before I saw anyone on the bike and I didn’t actually catch the group ahead of me until about half way through the bike. Even then I rode to the front of that group but never was able to shake them. Brooks Cowan started the run right behind me, and despite putting up a better run than most of the guys in the field, I was still caught around mile four, which put me in sixth place – where I crossed the line.
Cameron Dye won the race for the second time (he won in 2011), Greg Bennett was 2nd, Michael Poole 3rd and Eric Lagerstrom was 4th ahead of Brooks and then me.