04/29/2026
St. Anthony’s Triathlon Race Recap
First and foremost, thank you Lord for the opportunity to train and do what I love. 🙌
This race has always been one I’ve avoided because of the swim. Between rough conditions and past cancellations, it’s always been a bit unpredictable. But training has been strong and consistent, and I was itching to race so I pulled the trigger on the sprint distance.
Everything lined up perfectly. My 4-week training cycle (3 weeks on / 1 recovery) turned into a natural taper week, and I even had Saturday off to grab my packet stress-free.
That said… my bike hadn’t touched pavement since my last Ironman in November (all indoor trainer work), and I hadn’t done a single brick run. I knew this would be a challenge and honestly, I was excited for it.
The best part? Having my family there. Especially my little minions, Harper and Hudson, getting to see me race for the first time. That meant everything.
Race Morning
Answered prayers calm, flat water and wetsuit legal. 🙏
The later start (almost 8:50am) had me getting a little hungry, but I kept it light: early breakfast + a gel before the start.
Swim
Low tide made things interesting lots of people walking sections but I attacked the start hard. High knees → dolphin dives → go time.
Heart rate spiked early and I never fully settled into a rhythm, but overall felt strong. I probably seeded myself too far back I was passing a lot of swimmers (and saw more backstroke than I ever have in a race 😅).
T1
Smooth and efficient. Stripped the wetsuit, found my bike, and got moving dodging a crowd of walkers on the way to the mount line.
Bike
Time to work.
My watch decided not to cooperate (stuck on swim mode), but thankfully my bike computer saved the day.
Coming out behind meant one thing: pass city. “On your left!” became my theme song.
Course had a ton of turns, which made it tough to build speed. Biggest takeaway? My neck was on fire. Training aero indoors ≠ holding that position while actually looking up outside. Definitely something to fix.
Also… surprise speed bumps mid-course 😳 Let’s just say that got my full attention real quick.
Overall, super happy with the effort—held strong cadence (~90 rpm) and pushed solid power.
T2
Kept it simple. No flying dismount this time terrain made that a no-go.
Run
Goal was to sit in Zone 4 (threshold), and I executed that well… maybe too well. Looking back, I had more to give and should’ve let it rip for a 5K.
Finished strong with a solid kick and the best part of the day?
Seeing my family at the finish line and putting that medal around Harper and Hudson. ❤️
⸻
Takeaways:
* Seed smarter on the swim
* Train neck positioning for outdoor riding
* Be willing to hurt more on shorter races
Grateful, humbled, and hungry for the next one. 💪🔥
FCA Endurance | Kennedy Law Racing
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