Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Galveston, Texas
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
78F / 26C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 35m 30s
Overall Rank = 1264/2199
Age Group = M 35-39
Age Group Rank = 186/307
Pre-race routine:

I woke up around 4:30am and starting to grab my gear. I had a SMALL bowl of cereal with blueberries, half a banana and some water.
Event warmup:

At the site, I couldn't calm myself down enough to warm up. I did some light stretching, but my nerves kept me from doing much more. To keep myself calm, I spent time talking to my wife and other competitors.
Swim
  • 40m 20s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 55s / 100 yards
Comments:

To be honest, the swim was a lot of fun. There was the pushing and colliding that is expected when you have so many people in the water. There were only two minor incidents that I wish wouldn't have happened.

First, I took a heel to my goggles around halfway through the swim. Thankfully, my goggles stayed in place and I didn't have any issues. It did cause me to swallow a WEE bit of water out of shock/surprise.

Second, I was struggling with my sighting because of the waves. At one point, I got excited because I had reached the second turn buoy and I was ready to turn towards shore. As I turned and swam, a lifeguard caught up to me and told me I was going the wrong way. I took a second to look at the course and realized I was only halfway through the long section of the swim. I'm glad to say I got back on track and finished strong.
What would you do differently?:

If possible, I definitely need to work on my open water swimming in choppy waters. I think that is what really threw me for a loop.

Other than that, I was VERY happy with my swim time.
Transition 1
  • 05m 13s
Comments:

As I was running up the transition chute, I picked out who looked to be the strongest volunteers. They did a great job stripping the suit off. One of my heels got caught in the suit, but they had it off within 10 seconds.

Leaving transition was a little awkward. I hadn't had a chance to practice flying mounts, so I was wearing my shoes as I walked out of the crowded transition. Walking on the cleats was tricky, but not bad.
What would you do differently?:

I'd like to practice flying mounts, but not sure if I can swing my legs over my water bottles (mounted behind my saddle).
Bike
  • 3h 21m 20s
  • 56 miles
  • 16.69 mile/hr
Comments:

The bike ride was a lot of fun. For the most part, the course was straight, flat and smooth. There were a couple areas with rougher pavement, but they were definitely in the minority.

Looking back, I wish I had pushed a little harder on the way back in. The tailwind was a huge asset that I feel I didn't take advantage of. Still, had I pushed harder, I may have had more issues on the run that I did... and there were a lot!
What would you do differently?:

I became relaxed in my training leading up to race day, and I stopped pushing on my bike as much as I needed. I think I was simply missing my necessary base miles.

Next time, I need to stay consistent with my training!! Gotta build those miles!
Transition 2
  • 03m 5s
Comments:

T2 went really well. I could feel some tightness in my quads as I left for the "run." I ended up walking out of T2, as well as the first portion of the run.
Run
  • 2h 25m 32s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 11m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

I really REALLY *R*E*A*L*L*Y* struggled on the run. Normally during my training, I could maintain a 8:15 pace for 4-5 miles. From 5-8 miles, I would normally drop to around an 8:45 pace. But my lack of consistent training really cost me.

My quads began cramping several times throughout the course, forcing me to stop, stretch and walk. The crowd's encouragement was amazing, though, and it kept me going!! I continued slowly through the course... but I continued, and that was good enough for me!
What would you do differently?:

Like I said in the bike section, I need to stay consistent with my training!! Gotta build those miles!
Post race
Warm down:

I finished and took some time to stretch. From there, we walked around Moody Gardens to loosen up my muscles. After a bit, I took in a quick massage and then headed to the medical tent for some ice.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I think the biggest factor in my poor run performance was my lack of quality miles. I just became too relaxed in my training.

Event comments:

One of the bummers after the race was in the vendor displays. After my wife finished her sprint on Saturday, she was able to go to a vendor that had some compression sleeves for her legs. She said the results were amazing and her legs didn't hurt after the race. I was hoping to do the same, but they had already packed up and left. I guess I went TOO slow on the run. :)


Profile Album


Last updated: 2011-04-12 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:40:20 | 2112 yards | 01m 55s / 100yards
Age Group: 144/307
Overall: 935/2199
Performance:
Suit: 2XU
Course: The course was a counter clockwise triangular course.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 72F / 22C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 05:13
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:21:20 | 56 miles | 16.69 mile/hr
Age Group: 200/307
Overall: 1290/2199
Performance: Average
Wind: Cross-winds
Course: The ride was a beautiful out-and-back on the seawall. I had a LOT of riders pass me, and I was okay with that. Another rider had given me the advice to simply ride my race and make sure that I had enough left over for the run. I took that to heart and went a little slower on the out ride. The wind was a slight headwind on the way out. That really forced my average down (15.9mph). On the way back, however, I think all the riders (including myself) took advantage of the tailwind (17.4mph)! VERY FUN!!
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills:
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:05
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:25:32 | 13.1 miles | 11m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 186/307
Overall: 1264/2199
Performance: Bad
Course: The course was a four-lap looping course through Moody Gardens. There were so many twists and turns that you really didn't realize your mileage until well within your 2nd or 3rd lap.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4