Swim was chaos for the first couple of hundred yards. I started too far to the back and was swimming over several people. It reminded me of an Ironman swim. Plus some of the swimmers panicked and were breastroking already at the 200 yard marker. I spent the majority of the swim going around slower people. Time includes a 1/4 mile run to transition. I was out of the water in 28:05.

Note to people who are new and my be reading this report. Please cut your finger nails before the race. I have a huge gash in my left thumb from somebodies finger nail.

Start more to the front and get some more swim lessons. Swimming is my weakest link. I know that I am in good physical shape to swim, but my stroke is terrible. This winters project is to get faster in the water.

Decent transition. I was in the middle of it so I had a long run to get to my bike and a long run to the bike exit.

Nothing, was happy.

Bike was the usual cluster of Chicago with the passing on the right and the huge drafting. That is to expected with that many people racing. The trip north was tough as we had a 20MPH headwind. I was able to fly on the way back. I hit 32MPH on the flats a few times going south. Overall I felt the bike was pretty good. Chicago is unique and the actual bike is 25.5 miles. To get off of Lake Shore Drive they have to take you an extra mile.

Push it a little harder going into the wind. I think I held back to much. Most of my races the last 2 years have been 1/2 or full Ironman's and I found myself pacing a few times for those events rather than hammering it.

Not sure what the heck I was doing here. I spent way to much time in T2.

Move faster

Run was going great. I was averaging a sub 8 until I got to mile 5 1/2 and my left hamstring started cramping. I had to stop and stretch it a few times the last 3/4 of a mile. It really added to my time. I got the mother of all cramps just as I hit the finish line. The temperature was perfect, it was a little windy heading north but not too bad.

Need to figure out what caused the cramp. Since it was cool, I probably didn't take enough fluid in on the bike. I had about an inch of Infinit left in my bottle on my bike. I wasn't taking in that much fluid on the run either until I cramped. I may have to start bringing a few endurolytes with me on the runs for Olympic distance. If I didn't cramp I probably would have gone under 2:40.

Grabbed my left hamstring and tried to get the cramp out of it. Once it subsided I walked around some and tried to stretch it out.


The cramp I got on the run and the lack of sleep two nights before. I went to a Nine Inch Nails concert on the Friday before the race and didn't sleep much that night and drank way to much. Oh well, I had fun at both the concert and the race.


This is a good race. The only issue I would have with it is that it has gotten too big to the point the bike is dangerous. However, with the size of the race the organizers do a great job. Everything ran on time and there were no major issues with timing, running out of fluid, etc...