The Tateyama Triathlon race officials mercifully cancelled the 1.5k swim sparing us from the 14-degree C ocean water followed by biking in sub-10 degree air temperature.
The swim was replaced with a 3-kilometer run which seemingly should have helped my competitive performance. And I was competitive on the 3k run, leading my wave with a 10:28 sprint. I was pretty competitive on the 40k bike too - I pushed myself through the crowded 6-loop course in 1:07:56, which was another decent bike effort for me. However my final 10k run time of 41:25 was abysmal. Conditions were perfect for running and I felt OK, I just could not find the speed.
Still my overall time of 2:02;25 was good for 21st overall in the Citizens division and 5th in my age group. It was a wonderful weekend with my teammates including a spectacular scenic ride around the tip of the Boso Penninsula.
And I am in the official race photo gallery with this sponsor friendly shot of me totally gassed at the finish line.