Patience and pacing is the name of the game for the rest of the day. I mentally divided the two loop bike course into four sections–be patient and steady the first quarter heading south when winds are calm. Pick it up slightly in the second quarter with a slight tailwind heading north. Be strongest in the 3rd quarter heading back south into the stronger headwind. Relax slightly coming home north with a stronger tailwind and get ready to run. My goal was to take in 2300 calories (575g of carbs) and 4-5 liters of water. 

Section 1 was relatively smooth sailing. I found myself in a group of four guys 5 miles into the bike, and they were riding too closely together for my comfort. It’s against rules to ride within 12 meters of another athlete, and I did not want to risk getting a penalty. I put in a surge once we turned onto a 3 mile section of extremely bumpy pavement, and I never saw them again. I rode the rest of section 1 solo with the next group of cyclists visible in the distance.

Section 2–a group of 5 caught up to me. They were working together legally–all spaced 12 meters apart. There is a slight advantage riding 12 meters behind another cyclist, as they break the air for you. I rode slightly harder than comfortable for 10 miles to stay with the group, but we made quick work of the rest of section 2.

Section 3–I let the group go, as they began to push harder than I wanted to. It’s always a gamble. Do I take the risk of pushing harder to stay with a group and ride faster or ride my own race but move a little slower? Patience, I said to myself. I rode most of section 3, into the wind, solo again, making sure to keep the power up to maintain my speed into the wind.

Section 4–was fast with the tailwind back into town. I’m getting tired, my back is aching. The bumpy sections of pavement are more jarring than ever. I made sure to finish all my calories and hydrate well before the run. I finished the bike in 4:30–24.8mph average and in 19th place. Thirteen minutes faster than last time!