St. Anthony’s was a few weeks after the South Beach Triathlon. First and foremost, this was one of the best races I have ever participated in. St. Petersburg is a lovely city with plenty of culture and a great energy. The race director and his crew did a great job of taking care of their professional athletes. Heather and I were put up in a wonderful homestay that was located on the Tampa bay, It was a nice way to relax before the race.
Great views of Tampa Bay at our homestay
As for the race, eventhough I finished 32nd, I was pleased to have moved forward from my last race and I achieved another personal best. The field was stacked; it was the most competitive professional field I have ever been a part of. There were probably at least 15 Olympians there and quite a few big name triathlon all-stars.
Watching the birds catch fish
The waters were a little choppy, but my swim went very well. I was only about one minute back from the majority of the other guys. Thanks to Vasa for your awesome Ergometer that continues to show its benefits in my fitness. This time I was able to stay with the swim pack for a little over 800 meters until we swam further out from the shore and were met with some big waves that threw me around like a dodge ball.
Stingray
Even though my last race did not show me much benefit, I decided to wear my speed suit again. Besides it sticking to me a little more, I felt like it helped me this time. I found myself in no man’s land once on the bike course, wishing I was a few minutes ahead in a pack of about 20 that I kept seeing whenever we were on out-and-back portions. Compared to South Beach, this bike split felt smoother, almost too smooth after I found out I had only did a 1:00:11 40k (two minutes slower than my last race). However it is give and take, since I ran a solid and well pace 33:41 for my 10k run.
Enjoying good company
My time: 1:56:25 – Personal Best!
Heather running strong
Although we had to leave, it was a fun experience that both Heather and I got to be a part of. Heather also had a great race. She would have had a personal best too, but the swim course was cut short due to safety concerns for the Age group athletes. Stay tuned for my next adventure, Haines City’s Ironman 70.3 Florida.
