Buckner Mission Man Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Burlington, North Carolina
United States
Set-up Inc
77C / 171F
Overcast
Total Time = 21h 19m 34s
Overall Rank = 154/154
Age Group = 55-59
Age Group Rank = 2/2
Pre-race routine:

After getting up at 5 a.m., I dressed, drank a Revival soy shake with soy milk, yogurt and a banana. I left for Lake Cammack at 6 and was in the transition area by 6:20. I ate a Kashi Go Lean bar and drank a cup of coffee. I liked having my timing chip, transition area set-up and numbers marked early enough to be able to walk around and relax. The woman next to me on the bike rack was helpful in suggesting a way to set up that was different from what I'd read. Two trips to the bathrooms and I was as ready as I would be.
Event warmup:

I walked briskly.
Swim
  • 23m 19s
  • 820 yards
  • 02m 50s / 100 yards
Comments:

I mostly swam sidestroke, some breaststroke. I relaxed and was comfortable but pushed as hard as I could. I was surprise by how hard I was breathing. I either swam slower than in a pool or I swam farther than the 820 yards. I felt like I swam as fast or faster than usual. I turned close to the bouys and found myself briefly off-course once. During the final 5 -8 min I was hit pretty hard by a man's arm and kicked a few times but was OK, just paused and got out of the way.
What would you do differently?:

I have a TI DVD and book and would like to master a comfortable freestyle with bilateral breathing. With current skills, there wasn't much I could have done differently. I put below average because I ranked 139 of 154.
Transition 1
  • 03m 46s
Comments:

At T1 I needed a break! Already! I ran/walked up the hill from the lake, was organized but struggled to get dry and get on biking shorts. I forgot my gloves, took time to drink some Hammergel in water. I ran part of the way with my bike, had a little trouble clicking into my pedals but then was OK riding. I was surprised I felt as comfortable as I did when starting the ride considering how tired I felt after the swim.
What would you do differently?:

If I were more fit, I could move faster and wouldn't need to stop and breathe.
Bike
  • 1h 07m 2s
  • 15 miles
  • 13.43 mile/hr
Comments:

I breathed really hard for the entire segment and it felt good to finish. Since I've only ridden 15 miles, on mostly flat terrain, once before and 8-9 miles only 3 times, I was pleased that I never stopped and managed to finish. I tried to focus on my pedaling form, relaxing my neck, shoulders and arms, and managing my gears. I was concerned about my heart rate and also wish I'd watched my cadence on the computer. After starting, I decided my best strategy was to pedal until the end and not think about how far I'd gone or had to go. I never saw the 5 and 10 mile marks. I drank a bottle of Cytomax slowly during the bike leg. I rode as hard as I could. I appreciated some encouraging comments by some who passed me.
What would you do differently?:

Clearly I will have to bike a lot more before doing this again. I want to find out what is healthy for my heart and work to lower my HR during strenuous exercise. I put "bad" because of my rank but really I feel pretty good about accomplishing this.
Transition 2
  • 02m 34s
Comments:

Really tired at this transition but still I hurried, got my running shoes on quickly and drank some more Cytomax. I was 152 of 154. Looking at pictures, I wondered how I managed to put my race belt up so high--it looks ridiculous, but then I guess I was focused on just making it to the finish.
What would you do differently?:

Not be as tired after the bike so I could go faster. I'm not at the place where I can imagine clipping my shoes on the bike in advance.
Run
  • 42m 55s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 13m 48s  min/mile
Comments:

I usually can walk 1.7 miles in 27 minutes, so to complete 3.11 miles in almost 43 minutes, considering the course, was good for me. I've had heat exhaustion and was concerned about overheating so I dumped a cup of water on my head at each aid station as well as drinking a cup. I felt really hot but was able to jog periodically, even on hills. Very few people were left in the woods, and if I hadn't been concentrating so hard on making it to the finish line, I would have enjoyed the beautiful scenery. This was the only part of the tri that my stomack felt slightly queasy for a moment. I ignored it and it went away. My original goal was 2 hours but during the run I increased it to 2:20.
What would you do differently?:

Run.... I haven't jogged out doors for years. I tried one day and got shin splints and didn't try again. So I will work on this. In March I practiced running on the treadmill and I also jog-in-place at Curves. I have read articles on running form and will practice. I put "bad" because I was 151 of 154, but I finished and that was good. I kept thinking it was nice to be off the bike!
Post race
Warm down:

After jogging across the finishing line, I walked around for a few minutes and then talked with my daughters, son-in-law and in-laws. I felt surprising good except for a muscle on my inner left thigh that kept me from being able to bend down to get anything off the ground. I remembered it pulling when I was running down a hill.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Training, or lack thereof, carrying an extra 30 pounds, and not having learned the freestyle stroke.

Event comments:

It's probably not good to choose a moderate difficulty course for a first tri, but my daughter and son-in-law were doing this one. Although I didn't come in last in any of the races or transitions, my over-all time was last...or as my daughter says, last of those who entered. I'm really glad I made this effort and thankful for all I've been able to learn through BT. Now I am ready to keep gaining in my training and losing in my weight. I put a capsaicin patch on my strained muscle and the day after the tri I'm a little tired but with no sore muscles. I appreciated the encouraging words from so many volunteers--they all did a great job. I put "4" for the race because of the spectators on the running course despite the announcer asking them to stay out of the way. I think this may be changed next year. My funniest memory will be of my telling a young boy at the 3/4 mile run station I wanted water for my head and he dumped the cup on me! That made me laugh and carried me up the next hill. My best memories of this day will include the very nice beginning prayer, the echo of the sax "Start Spangled Banner" bouncing across of water, competing with my daughter and son-in-law and being cheered on my by other daughter and son-in-law. All-in-all, a good day and good memories.


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Last updated: 2006-06-26 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:23:19 | 820 yards | 02m 50s / 100yards
Age Group: 1/2
Overall: 139/154
Performance: Below average
Decided to just watch time and check HR periodically.
Suit: Speedo w/sports bra
Course: Lake Cammack open water around bouys to the left. We entered the water off a cement wall and stood chest deep until the start. Exit was at the boat ramp.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 86F / 30C Current: Low
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Below average Drafting: Bad
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:46
Performance: Bad
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
01:07:02 | 15 miles | 13.43 mile/hr
Age Group: 2/2
Overall: 152/154
Performance: Bad
My speed ranged from 6-8 mph going up some hills to 27-30 going down some hills and on flats. I was pleased that even after struggling up some of the hills I was able to resume pedaling at a decent rate, for me. I tried changing gears enough to keep my cadence steady and felt OK about that. I was concerned about my heart rate. It stayed in the low 170's, eventually dropping to high 160's. 164 is considered my max HR and it's usally in the 150's when I cycle. At the dismount line, I unclipped in time but my legs buckled and my bike tipped over. No harm done and I jogged to transition.
Wind: None
Course: Rolling hills, pretty countryside. Although this was my first tri, I realized that the turns were pretty sharp and I felt I had to slow down to make them safely. I was passed by only one car--the sheriff's department did a great job holding/re-directing traffic.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Below average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Bad
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:34
Overall: Bad
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Below average
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:42:55 | 03.11 miles | 13m 48s  min/mile
Age Group: 2/2
Overall: 151/154
Performance: Bad
I didn't watch my Hr--just determined to get to the end.
Course: "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep." I don't think Frost was thinking of this hilly terrain. At least it was shady with some level places to run, but lots of hills, roots and slippery spots from the previous night's rain. Also some nice views of Lake Cammack along with a 1-mile stretch of the park entrance road.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4