Kinetic Half - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Spotsylvania, Virginia
United States
Set Up Events
Total Time = 6h 25m 10s
Overall Rank = 300/365
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

This was my first Half Iron Distance event, and I mainly had a goal of just finishing the event, although in my head I wanted to come in around 6hours. I started training in January, but I had some injuries that held back my biking and running early on, and then my swimming and running mid way through training. The longest run I was able to do before this was 7miles, so I was def worried about the run mostly.

Anyways, we woke up at about 5:15am, wife took a shower and I got my nutrition ready and packed the car. Got to the event just before 6:00, got my race packet, and ate my breakfast(a granola bar and a banana). Headed over to the transition area to get set up.
Event warmup:

Did a quick lite 5 min jog, got my wetsuit on, and did a couple hundred yards in the lake before my wave started.
Swim
  • 34m 54s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 39s / 100 yards
Comments:

I felt really good in the swim. My goals were to try and stay on the path, and just keep good form. The water was super smooth, and a lot warmer than I was expecting. The sun was a little blinding on the way in, but I made it to the beach just fine.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing, was very happy with my performance given my lack of training. Heck, I'd probably be super happy with this time even if I had trained more.
Transition 1
  • 06m 4s
Comments:

Not used to wetsuits and I was a little worried about getting it off based on my practice runs with a dry wetsuit at home, but with a little water, the wetsuit slid right off. Transitions are always slow for me, and I was in no hurry either. Made sure I had everything I needed and made sure I didn't throw my stuff all over my spot in the transition. Helmet on, and off to the longest bike ride I've ever ridden.
What would you do differently?:

There's lots of room for improvement, but I was fine with taking a nice slow transition.
Bike
  • 3h 02m 43s
  • 56 miles
  • 18.39 mile/hr
Comments:

My longest rides before this were 2 48mile rides. The first one hurt, the second one hurt less. My first goal for this ride was to just race my own race, and not burn myself out too much. My second goal was to try and nail down my nutrition as I'm really preparing for B2B Full in October. I accomplished my first goal, although I really think I could have pushed a little harder. I for the most part followed my nutrition plan, although I dropped one of my gel packets. Lucky for me, I didn't really need it.
What would you do differently?:

I really think I can push a little harder on the bike, but as you will read, it's probably a good thing that I didn't push much harder than I did.
Transition 2
  • 04m 35s
Comments:

Took my sweet time. Was a little nervous about the run coming up, so I took it easy and made sure I had everything I needed.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing at all
Run
  • 2h 36m 56s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 11m 59s  min/mile
Comments:

My injury that had limited my training was a knee problem that usually flares up after 3-5 miles, so I had a plan to run slow, keep my impact to a minimum, and walk the aid stations but hopefully run the entire course. It was a 3 loop course, and the first lap felt great. Early on in the second lap I decided to take 1 min walk and stretch just to keep everything loose. Finished my stretch and started running again. About a mile later I started getting some muscle cramps both in my left quad and in my right calf.

I took another break to stretch and everything was fine for about another mile. From this point on, the race turned into a struggle against cramps. I took in water and/or Gatorade at every rest stop and stretched when needed. This turned into walking the up hills, as that was the main activator of my cramps, and running the down hills.

As I started the last lap, I started getting more cramps in my other calf, and soon started cramping in my groin, which was a first for me. I was a little over a mile from being done and I decided to give it one last long walk, and a good stretch because I really wanted to run the last mile to the finish line, but alas, the cramps were having no part of it. I did manage to run the last .5 miles or so, luckily because it was downhill.
What would you do differently?:

I guess I need to develop a hydration plan. I am always hydrated in my normal routine, and made sure I was really hydrated two days out, but apparently I didn't hydrate enough during the actual race. One thing I was extremely happy about is that my knee injury didn't flare up, so the run wasn't a complete bust.
Post race
Warm down:

Sat down and relaxed taking in lots of cold water. I happened to be sitting right outside the massage tent, so it was easy to convince myself to spend a few bucks to loosen my muscles. All and all I was really happy with finishing, even though it wasn't the best performance.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Hydration and maybe overall flexibility. Need to research some more on preparation to keep myself from cramping. I think I can push a little harder on the bike, and I need to do some more run training before B2B.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2012-05-13 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:34:54 | 2112 yards | 01m 39s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 131/365
Performance:
Suit:
Course:
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 06:04
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
03:02:43 | 56 miles | 18.39 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 291/365
Performance:
Wind:
Course:
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 04:35
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
02:36:56 | 13.1 miles | 11m 59s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 318/365
Performance:
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers?
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5]