The race in Quincy IL is a 400M (or 437 yards) pool and is a 5 sec per participant serpentine swim. The lanes where pretty wide so it ends up being 464 yards if you want to figure out your pace. With only 50 participants this was pretty good as no one passed me and I didn't pass anyone. This was good bc a 12 year old girl started right behind me. (may have went out a little fast bc of this). The run to the bikes was a little long and winding and I almost fell on the slippery grass.
The 13.1 mile bike course is where it gets interesting. Definitely the toughest tri course I have ever done. I pre-rode only half of it so I could see "Ghost Hill" which I supposed is because you are ghostly white at the top from lack of O2. I slightly missed geared in my second lowest gear, a 42x21 and had to walk about 50M of the hill during my warm up. That messes with you a bit. During the race the course is decent sized hill after hill with two turnarounds and 8, 90 degree turns so it is fairly slow. There is only one somewhat flat mile in the whole thing and the descents have turns at the bottom. Wanted a 22mph avg with the new chipsealed sections and added turnaround. Coming into the big hill I got in my low gear, stood and cranked as hard as I have ever gone in a race and took a minute of spinning to regain composure which was less then I planned bc the minute was all uphill still.
My second transition went well and I was off on the run. I quickly knew I had pushed too hard on the bike and with the rising temps I just wanted a solid run. The run course is ALL rolling hills and the downhills felt good so I knew I wasn't myself. I stayed strong the whole time and got really hot but held on.
Results Link http://www.mattoonmultisport.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=151&Itemid=66
This was the 4th year for the event and the only difference is that the bike course had an added a tiny out and back turnaround which kinda sucked. Humidity was really high.
Swim 7:43 Best in the top 29 overalls. (~1:35 pace with the long run to T1)
T1 :36
Bike 34:26 Course Record by 44 seconds even with new slower course. 22.7 mph. Next two best were 20.7 (37:30) and 19.9 (39:09)
T2 :31
Run 20:21 (6:34 pace) Course record was set today at a 20:04 which shows how tough the bike course is as an team runner knocked out a 19:33.
Total 1:03:40 Course Record by 1:19 and with the added turnaround it should stand for a while I hope.
