Highline Hustle - Triathlon


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Grand Junction, Colorado
United States
City of Grand Junction
66F / 19C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 31m 55s
Overall Rank = 200/203
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 17/17
Pre-race routine:

This was my first tri, so i wasn't sure what to expect. i ate a light breakfast of toast, yogurt, and string cheese. i left my house five minutes late but arrived on time (an hour before the race began). i got my bike out and aired up the tires. Then i got my chip and was numbered. Next i set up my transitions and put on sunscreen.
Event warmup:

i got into the water to adjust to the temperature and it was a lot warmer than i expected. i did some breaststroke but not too far and nothing too strenuous. i enjoyed the company of a couple of other women in the water. i jogged to the bathroom, then was surprised to hear that transition was about to close, but my cap was still in there so i hustled to retrieve it, only discovering afterward that no one was required to wear the provided cap.
Swim
  • 17m 17s
  • 500 meters
  • 03m 28s / 100 meters
Comments:

It was very odd to be completely surrounded while trying to swim. i never panicked, not even when someone splashed right when i was trying to take a breath, causing me to get a mouthful of water instead of air. i spent most of my time stuck behind a guy that i could not pass no matter how hard i tried. i didn't have my face in the water as much as i had hoped, but it was around half the time, and feel i made good time considering the fact that i was drafting a slow guy.
Transition 1
  • 01m 54s
Comments:

i had forgot to put the bike computer on the bike while setting up my transition: it fell out of my biking glove while i was putting them on (and as it turned out didn't work for some reason anyway). i had a little trouble pulling on my second shoe, scoffed at the girl sitting down in the grass one row in front of me (her father was telling her to take her time), but grabbed my bike and jogged out of transition.
What would you do differently?:

i had meant to wear wetsuit socks, but decided against them because of the warm water. i wish i would have worn them to protect my feet from the gravel getting out and kept them clean. My feet weren't too bad, just a little grassy and wet the entire race because i didn't take the time to dry them off, but i do have one pinprick sized injury on my feet. Not bad, all told. i was really fast compared to many, partially because i had no wetsuit to take off (which i am glad for, i would have been too hot).
Bike
  • 1h 23m 39s
  • 16 miles
  • 11.48 mile/hr
Comments:

i HATE this course. The road is smooth but not in the best condition. The three hills are killer both ways. There is never a chance to gain any real momentum, as soon as you're down one hill you've got another slight incline.

i had meant to have my first gel before the swim, but forgot to until it was too late. i had it shortly after starting the bike portion. About 2/3 through i started seeing spots and had my second gel. About 3/4 through my left hip and knee started bothering me, but i pushed through it.
What would you do differently?:

Buy a new bike. Train with more hills.
Transition 2
  • 01m 12s
Comments:

i rode in my running shoes, so there wasn't much to this transition: rack, helmet off, hat on, camelbak off, waterbottle in hand.
What would you do differently?:

Not stop to talk to my family over the fence. i was doing everything while i was talking but slowed as a result. Of course, this was my first chance to see them as they had missed my swim entirely.
Run
  • 47m 54s
  • 5 kms
  • 09m 35s  min/km
Comments:

Getting off the bike, my knee was still bothering me, so i had to ease into it. There was some concrete at the start that i walked on, not wanting to make my knees worse or bother my shins. The first ten minutes were the hardest, and i didn't run the entire time. i had meant to run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute intervals, but that proved to not be enough of a rest. During my first rest i had my third gel and drank about half of my water. After that i ran 7.5 mins and walked 2.5 minute intervals. i didn't really get into the groove of things until halfway through (the second mile seemed incredibly long), but i did push myself to run more than i wanted to at that point in the race. i walked the last big incline, then sprinted to the finish.
What would you do differently?:

Bring both bottles of water instead of just one. Considering the amount of energy and pain i had at this point i feel that i did incredibly well.
Post race
Warm down:

i walked to talk to my family, then back into transition (which they were already taking down even though i wasn't last). i had my last gel and some more water and gatorade. i also took some Advil because my knees were pretty sore. After taking my stuff to the car and going to the bathroom and getting my lunch i stretched out a bit. After the awards ceremony i went to the swimming area and stood in it waist deep for a while to "ice" my knees (it was colder then than at the start of the race, probably because boats were on the lake churning up the water).

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The number one thing, i believe, was the bicycle i used. i must have been passed about fifty times on the bike, and i noticed that i had the same cadence as everyone else. The next factor was the fact that i didn't get to rest the day before the race, i had to go to work and stand on my feet most of the day, then go home to load up the car, then get up early the next morning to drive an hour to get to the race. Lastly, my weight is still upwards of 200 pounds, which isn't a deal breaker, but doesn't help.

Event comments:

The lunch was horrible, bland and not enough, no vegetarian option (which doesn't bother me, but several that were near me in line), and NOTHING was provided to drink (luckily i had some water and Gatorade left over). No water was provided on the bike leg, but i expected that, and brought my Camelbak. There was only water at the drink stations (at my last 5k there was orange slices and larger cups, not that i used them then), in teeny tiny cups, and by the second station i was out of water but splashed half the water on my head on purpose because i wasn't doing too bad on moisture but was really hot: the temp at the end of the race was 76, but it felt hotter.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2009-04-10 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:17:17 | 500 meters | 03m 28s / 100meters
Age Group: 11/17
Overall: 153/203
Performance:
Suit: singlette, bra, and tri shorts
Course: Open water lake, some small wake from the rescue boat, but mostly calm.
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 69F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 01:54
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:23:39 | 16 miles | 11.48 mile/hr
Age Group: 17/17
Overall: 203/203
Performance: Bad
Wind: Some
Course: Mostly flattish, with three large hills. All country roads with little traffic.
Road: Potholes Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Below average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:12
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:47:54 | 05 kms | 09m 35s  min/km
Age Group: 17/17
Overall: 200/203
Performance: Good
Course: Desert trail, okay conditions, lots of changes in elevation.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3