This is a race report -
Below is a picture of my new bike that I was riding for the race for the R & A cycles FIT Multisport team, courtesy of Jason.
The frame is a QR Lucero, and was very light, stiff and comfy for the bumpy course and Jason said that I should go with HED 3 front/rear combo, which was perfect for this course!! I went to 172.5 cranks from 175’s I had ridden all the years before. This was a great decision too, b/c it allowed me to have a more open hip angle while still being low, and it allowed me to spin easier. I used 12-23 cassette in the rear and 53-39 up front. I didn’t have the HED aerobars on b/c I accidently cut them too short and the bar ends wouldn’t fit, but I still had the HED base bar to use.
**RACE PLAN - **
Paulo and Jonny helped me and told me to be patient and wait for the run, and not to take the run out too hard. Paulo also helped me alot with my taper, and my training for most of the season. I learned alot from he and Jonny this year. The two of them also convinced me to only run on grass and trails, which is what helped me to get enough injury free running to get one under 3 hrs.
**BREAKFAST - **
Honey Nut Chererios - Water - Air
SWIM
So I took the swim start hard to try and get in as fast as a group as possible, but I couldn’t stay in the group b/c two or three of us were fighting for the same guys feet, and if you are barely hanging onto a group, this is not a good situation. I fell back and did the rest of the swim pretty quietly with two other guys and it was nice and relaxing.
-------swim split 56:xx--------
BIKE
I took the time to put on cycling clothes in transition b/c I like a nice cycling pad for 112 miles. Out of Transition I face planted when i tripped over the timing mat…YES!! Now I would look like a badass with a bloody knee all day 
I start the bike usually with no power b/c I am so tight, and my hamstrings need to loosen up, and the saddle starts to feel like a good height again…so when Christophe Bastie went by I couldnt go and pace with him yet…so about mile 30 Dave Harju went by and I thought I would ride with him, so I started to and realized I needed to shift down a gear and spin and things are much easier…freakin dumbass I am. I rode with him and we started passing guys. so everyting is going great until mile 102 and I slam a bump going downhill and hear a snap, then lose control of my bike…SHIT!! I snapped one of the bolts that secure my stem to my handlebars, so I tighten the other the best I can and and I have to sit down and ride conservative in…maybe lost 3 minutes or so, so nothing major…just suck not being able to stand up the last 10 miles!!! (this stem was provided by me)
-------bike split 5:06--------
RUN
I had to start the run slow b/c of fear of a sidestich. If I got a sideache my race would be pretty much over. So I was running easy, then Bernd E. run up to me and we work together very well through about 11 miles, we would slow up for one-another at aid stations so we hit them single file, and we spoke a little German, this was probably the coolest part of the race. Then Norbert K. went by pretty fast and I kept his pace from about 50 m back for a long time…till maybe 16-17 miles. Then another guy came by and I used him to bridge up to Norbert. We we all moving well now and I noticed the guys falling off a bit, and I knew Eric Bean was up the road and FRITZ and GARN gave me splits up to Mr. Bean. I had 40 seconds to get him with 3 miles to go. I closed it down in about two miles, and the last mile we ran together and I tried to drop him, but I couldnt…he eventually outsprinted me…it was a tight bunch from 2nd to 9th place with about 5 minutes between us all, I ended up in 7th overall.
-------run split-----2:58 (1:28 , 1:30)--------
****
overall 9:08:xx 7th overall.
I am happy with the race, and it was the first time I didn’t say to myself “I am never doing this again” during the race. It was nice to feel in control and be “racing” for 9 hours And yes I got very skinny for the race!
