Swim: 1.2 miles
The water was very glassy in comparison to most of my recent swims which made for a much more comfortable and relaxing race. Going with my most recently purchased Amber Aquasphere goggles really made sighting easier and the buoys were plentiful. In triathlon swimming compared to swim only races I have to say triathletes when passing are really not mindful or respectful of their competitors. To my tri friends out there if passing or being passed just be cautious and mindful of your surroundings and fellow athletes. Doing more open water swimming has really helped me with reaction time and awareness which ultimately leads to safety. Minus all that the swim was super fast. Who knows what caused it: the strong current, distance ?, the motor on my back. I’ll take it 🙂
Swim Split: 29:00

Bike: 56 miles
I did the Toughman tri back in 2010. This year the bike course was changed. Along with that change was also a new and improved closed traffic course. Some athletes I spoke to said that the course would be easier this year. IMO I will agree to disagree. I have confidence that my bike fitness has vastly improved from 2 years ago. The perceived effort I put out on the course compared to 2010 is at least 20% more and the results on the bike is about the same. With those two 1.5 mile cat 5 climbs in the new course I have to say it’s a more challenging elevation in comparison to 2010. That said we were extremely lucky with the weather on Sunday. The day before it was a straight up monsoon in New York. Race day weather was perfect!
Bike Split: 2:50:45

Bike Elevation

Run: 13.1 miles
Heading out into transition legs felt great until boom – major right hamstring cramps before mile 1. Oops! I’m I done? Dig deep Alex. Stop and assess. Okay try stretching out the hamstring for about 30 seconds or so. Did that and I was able to run for about 7-10 minutes before it happened again. For the next 3 occurrences I did the same stretch routine. Along with stretching I took in salt tablets, drank gatorade and water at every aid station while walking in between. I was worried about the hills I would have to encounter later in the race, but thankfully the cramps subsided to allow me the chance to shuffle up the hills. Though the results may not show that my run was the strongest leg on the day but I know that being a mentally strong runner today on the course lead me to a strong finish.
Run Split: 1:50:45

Run Elevation

Baby + Baby + Me

In the Parking Lot

In Conclusion: 
I can’t say enough great things about the ToughmanTri organization. They showcase a challenging, wonderful event. We were even entertained on the trails by local high school cheerleaders. The community of Croton, Westchester comes out to support and embraces this race. If you’re looking for a fun, challenging, scenic mix with trail running this is the course for you. Passing by the aqueduct reservoir is breathtaking. All the thanks goes to my awesome wife, Anh P. for being there for me. No better way to close out my Tri season with her by my side as we look forward to a new chapter in our lives.

Overall Finish Time: 5:14:10
Overall Place: 93/553 Top 16%
AG: 15/78 Top 19%