Xterra Bonelli Park - May 14, 2016

Back again to race Xterra Bonelli Park for the third time.  The last two years I ended up just off the age group podium, so I was coming in this year to try to change that.  The biggest challenge would be to see how my legs would hold up just three weeks off the Belgian Waffle Ride and one week removed from St. George 70.3

Swim (14:53, GPS'd at 946 yards)

4th of 23 out of the water.  I felt like I swam pretty good, and based on the fact that I was 4th in the age group, this was likely my best triathlon swim. Yay!!

T1 (1:19)

5th out of 23

Pretty quick time because the timing mat was just outside of the transition area.

Bike (1:08, 15.4 miles over two loops, 13.6mph)

3rd fastest bike split in the age group.

Looking back, most of the time I was riding in 2nd place.  On the second loop, strong cyclist, Brian Johnson pulled ahead of me and the other guy up front.  I didn't see an age on his calf, and assumed he was in another age group, so I didn't try to kill myself to keep up.  I rode just hard enough to keep him in my sights though.

Coming into T2, I saw Brian (whom I met for the first time after the race), running the wrong way in transition.  I found out later that he missed his area and was running back to his stuff.  I exited T2 ahead of Brian and the other guy in my age group.  Little did I know that at that point in time, I was actually running in first place.

T2 (0:43)

Boom, fastest T2 in the age group.

And, like I mentioned before, I was actually leading the age group at this point.

Run (29:57, 3.4 miles)

4th fastest run in the age group.

So, yes, I started the run in 1st, but Brian passed my pretty quick up the first steep climb.  He was always in my sights, in case I wanted to try to chase him down, but honestly, I had assumed he wasn't in my age group, so I guess I just wasn't self-motivated to chase him, which is a silly excuse either way.  I was then passed by the next guy in my age group, somewhere around mile two.  I tried to keep pace with him for a little while, but that only lasted about a quarter mile.  

Finish (1:54:43)

3rd place out of 23 in the age group, and only about 45 seconds behind the first two guys.  Overall, I was 11th out of 150 racers.

It's always nice to get the end of the rack.  It makes for easy transitions.

Finishing up the first bike loop.  I was in second place at the time.

The loops require a run through transition.

The home stretch.  Thanks to teammate Adam Harita for the pics.

The podium...3rd place for me.

Post-race beers with teammates Tom Monica and Adam Harita