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Race Result

Racer: Mike Guzek
Race: Reston Triathlon
Date: Sunday, September 8, 2002
Location: Reston, VA
Race Type: Triathlon - International Distance
Age Group: Male 25 - 29
Time: 2:10:34
Overall Place: 17
Age Group Place: 3



Race Report:



I am 27, I am a male, and I am from Arlington....this is my story:

I started in wave one and was determined to stay with the lead swimmers as long as I could. About 15 seconds in the race, I decided I would not be staying with the lead swimmers any longer. I settled about 7 or 8 back and followed some guy most of the way around the course. About 200 yards from the finish I moved around him and edged out a pack of sorts that formed and came out 5th or 6th in the wave, but well behind the fish that were first out of the water.

The bike was fun, but pretty crowded. They put those cones out to protect the bikes from traffic but I am pretty sure it does more harm as a bike hazard than it does as protection. On a 3 loop course, that 8-10 feet or so they give you is just not enough. About 1/3 into the first loop I heard that deep sound…..SHVOOP, SHVOOP, SHVOOP and in an instant Steve Smith blitzed past me on his disc wheel on his way to the fastest bike split (he was actually 2nd, but I have a suspicion the person with the number 1 bike split cut the course a lap early). I basically kept a steady pace and (as one who never misses a chance to hang around the ladies) road most of the way with the 1st and 2nd place females.

I got off the bike in just under an hour (pretty happy that) and stumbled onto my death march, I mean run. Running is by far my weakest event and all the other racers were kind enough to point that out by flying past…."bye guy in the blue shorts….by 1st and 2nd place females…..bye guy with the big grin…. I actually felt ok and put together a pretty good run for me at 46 mins, but not good enough to fall a fair amount from where I was on the bike. I came in at 2:10:34. I was very pleased with my time and my overall place.

As always, it was a fun race and was great to see so many friendly faces. I missed the RATs photo somehow though!! I was standing right there and somehow missed it!

Congrats to all the finishers and to Steve Smith for his third place finish.

http://mguzek.tripod.com/reston02.htm