Patriots Half - Triathlon


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Williamsburg, Virginia
United States
Set Up Events
80sF / 0C
Sunny
Total Time = 7h 21m 37s
Overall Rank = 326/363
Age Group = Women 40-44
Age Group Rank = 19/26
Pre-race routine:

Woke up @ hotel. Ate uncrustable & drank some water/gatorade. Drove to race site, set up transition, got the good news that the race was wetsuit legal (77.3).
Event warmup:

Talked to my friend, obsessed about my transition set up, put on wetsuit (always a workout for me), generously coated myself in Tri-slide
Swim
  • 53m 36s
  • 1931 meters
  • 02m 47s / 100 meters
Comments:

The swim was going great until I got caught up in some bad tidal action rounding the last buoy and got totally disoriented (along with a bunch of other folks). Had to fight to get back to get around last buoy and then swam a zigzag the whole rest of the way in, until I could touch ground...and then I walked. Yes, I should have dolphin-dived, but really I just needed to get my head back on straight.
What would you do differently?:

Do better with current/tide issues. I'm not unhappy with my swim, given the struggles I have had to get here...but I really wish that last buoy hadn't been such a pain in the behind.
Transition 1
  • 06m 8s
Comments:

I used the wetsuit strippers for fun. :)

Otherwise, this time is NOT as long as it looks, as there is a good quarter mile run up from the beach to transition included in the 6 minutes.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing - I was calm, got my stuff together, and headed out on the bike in a really good mental place.
Bike
  • 3h 36m 54s
  • 58 miles
  • 16.04 mile/hr
Comments:

I am happy with the bike, but would have been happier if I could have been aero more. Nothing felt good on the bike. In aero, my saddle parts hurt; out of aero, my back hurt - so I just alternated between the two as I could stand it. If I could have been in aero more, I think my bike would have been even faster - it's a flat, fast course.
What would you do differently?:

Aero. Also, not put too much salt in my super-Gatorade. Ick. Bad mix that I should have checked in the morning before the race, rather than for the first time when I was out on the bike.
Transition 2
  • 02m 24s
Comments:

Well, I fell off my bike while I was dismounting - didn't really fall, but I couldn't get my last leg over my water bottles on the back and ended up stepping on my tire and completely letting all the air out. Thankfully the bike was done, so I didn't need it anymore.
What would you do differently?:

Not much - this was a good, solid transition.
Run
  • 2h 42m 38s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 12m 25s  min/mile
Comments:

This run felt awesome. I found folks to talk to and the time flew. Got to 10 miles and felt good enough to push through to the finish. Granted the time is not fast, but given that my stand-alone half-marys of late have been in the 2:40-2:45 range, this is really good for me.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing - I'm proud of my run.
Post race
Warm down:

Beer Tent. :)

What limited your ability to perform faster:

? I don't know - the tidal issue? The bike saddle issue? The fact that I'm not as fast a runner as I used to be?

I don't really care, because I'm so happy to have finished and finished well before the 8-hour time limit. I'll worry about faster next time. :)

Event comments:

An extended race report at my blog: http://trimomhalf.blogspot.com/2013/09/i-did-it-i-am-half-iron-man....

Set Up Events always puts on a classy race. Even though there was a small fiasco re: swim waves and timing, they fixed it immediately. They are well run events, catering to the athlete and making it a great day. Thanks, Set Up!


Profile Album


Last updated: 2013-02-23 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:53:36 | 1931 meters | 02m 47s / 100meters
Age Group: 24/26
Overall: 334/363
Performance: Average
Suit: Full sleeve wetsuit
Course: First leg cross current, second leg against current, third leg diagonal out with current, last leg towards shore (fighting current & tide heading out)
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 77F / 25C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 06:08
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
03:36:54 | 58 miles | 16.04 mile/hr
Age Group: 20/26
Overall: 335/363
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Big loop; mostly flat - 2-3 hills over the course of the whole bike. 3 water bottle hand offs.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:24
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
02:42:38 | 13.1 miles | 12m 25s  min/mile
Age Group: 18/26
Overall: 302/363
Performance: Good
Course: 2 out & back loops - mostly flat, on paved trails and dirt/rock trails through a park. Really nice!
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5