Memphis in May Triathlon...Round 2

This is the 2nd year I have done the Memphis in May Triathlon. Last year I was really disappointed in the results, so I really worked to get ready for this race. Here are the results:

Triathlon - Olympic
Total Time = 2h 57m 42s
Overall Rank = 599/1600
Age Group Rank = 108/134

Pre-race routine:
Got up around 4AM, took a shower, rechecked equipment bag, ate some oatmeal, went to restroom and packed up bike in the car.

Event warmup:
Got everything laid out in transition, got body marked and met a couple of fellow BTers (Rich,Cbowers and Tim) Talked with some local guys I know and then sat on a hill watching things. Finally, I hit the port a potty then got my wetsuit on, partly to keep warm.

SWIM (1640 yards): 29:13
Comments:
The swim went alot better than last year. The first leg was really choppy which made me feel a little dizzy at first, but I pushed through it so it was not a real issue. After the first turn, my sighting was horrible, the sun shining and the choppy water made it impossible, plus the swim caps were very close to the color of the buoys! I know I added at least 150 yards due to poor sighting. I got beat pretty good at the end of the swim, but it was expected so no big deal. I cut over 9 minutes off last years swim, so I felt really good coming out of the water.

What would I do differently?:
Work on sighting better. The choppiness kind of threw me.


T1 5:13
Comments:
I had a tough time getting the wetsuit off my right leg. My calve kept cramping big time and it was very difficult to get off. I have no idea what caused the cramps, but it was a factor the rest of the race. I grabbed a banana and ate it on the way out and slammed a gel hoping that would help.

What would I do differently?:
Figure out the cause of the cramping.

BIKE (24.85 Miles) 1:18
Comments:
The bike went really well, I felt I was going fast, even though my calve was messing with me. The wind was a major factor after about mile 17, the headwind was brutal. I took in more water and gels on the bike then before hoping to help the cramping, which seemed to work. I know my top speed was 29, with a tailwind, which seemed to be few and far between.

What would I do differently?:
ride more. I knocked off about 10 minutes from last years time.

T2 3:23
Comments:
Felt pretty good.

What would you I differently?:
Be faster. I do not practice transitions, which I probably should.

RUN (6.2 miles) 1:01:07
Comments:
The run was something I was concerned about, especially knowing I was already battling cramps. The first mile I went fairly easy until I could get my running leggs back. My goal was to run to mile 3 without stopping. After hitting mile 3, I would then aim for mile 4, then 5 and so on. The course is a hilly course, but driving the course the day before, it helped me remember what was coming up and I had an idea of it. I was able to run the entire course!

What would I do differently?:
Work on more brick workouts, need to speed up my run times.

Post race

Warm down:
Crossing the finish line in under my goal time of 3 hours was AWESOME! What a great feeling! As soon as the lady took off my timing chip and I saw my watch, I let out a big yell! A friend of mine had already finished and he asked if I made made and we high fived! I know I had a smile on my face and was able to sit in my chair and watch other runners come across the line. Was a great feeling

What limited my ability to perform faster:
I made a 47 minute improvement over last year! I am very stoked!

Event comments:
This is a great race, I even got back in time to watch the pros swim. I had waited a year to race this race again because I was so disappointed with my time last year, and I feel like I am making such improvements every race!