Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Morgan Hill, California
United States
USA Productions
65F / 18C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 05m 49s
Overall Rank = 244/580
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 22/44
Pre-race routine:

Normal pre-race breakfast: I ate a bowl of granola, bagel, banana, Gatorade. Arrived at Uvas Reservoir at about 5:45 AM.
Event warmup:

Stretched for about 10 minutes, easy 3/4 mile run, short swim.
Swim
  • 29m 50s
  • 1320 yards
  • 02m 16s / 100 yards
Comments:

I've been working hard on my swim this year and was hoping this would be a break-through race for me. But it wasn't to be. I got off to a decent start and felt pretty good when I rounded the first buoy. I also made it to the second buoy in pretty good shape too. But when the course turned north, things quickly fell apart. For some reason, I stopped breathing on my left side and breathed exclusively on my right side. I also didn't bother to look up and navigate for several hundred yards. Big mistake. When I finally lifted my head and looked around me, I discovered I had wandered way off course. The nearest swimmers were about 75 yards to my left -- Ugh. From that point on, I tried my best to aim left and get back on track. But I continued to drift to the right. I got more and more frustrated and eventually lost my stroke rhythm. I finally had to aim almost directly perpendicular to the course just to get back on track before the final left-turn buoy. Somehow I made it to the boat launch ramp and crawled out the water. I estimate I swam an extra 150 yards or more.
What would you do differently?:

Well, I guess I took the phrase "Swim your own race" a little too literally. I definitely need to work on my navigation skills. At the very least, I should have just followed the stream of bubbles. I'm assuming that going to right-side only breathing messed me up big time. But I still should have been able to lift my head and adjust my direction a little better.
Transition 1
  • 01m 28s
Comments:

I'm just happy I made it through T1 without getting lost.
Bike
  • 50m 33s
  • 16 miles
  • 18.99 mile/hr
Comments:

It took me a few miles to loosen up my legs and get my breathing settled down. Actually, the biggest challenge was avoiding all those orange cones in the road. For some reason somebody decided to place cones about every 200 yards in the MIDDLE of the lane we were riding in (I'm guessing to mark the run course?). Fortunately, it was only for the first 2 1/2 miles or so. But it was a real hazard. It seems like we already have enough to worry about out on the road...

Anyway, I eventually loosened up and felt pretty good by about mile 6 or so. I struggled a bit on the steep hill at mile 11 (I still need to lose about 10 lbs.)
What would you do differently?:

I probably should have pushed the first 5 miles a little harder. I was still thinking about the swim and wasn't focused enough.
Transition 2
  • 01m 11s
Run
  • 42m 47s
  • 5 miles
  • 08m 34s  min/mile
Comments:

This was the most disappointing part of the race for me. I was never able to find my legs. I was more than 2 minutes slower than last year when I did my first triathlon in this same race.
What would you do differently?:

I think I probably need to put in more training mileage. My run has been deteriorating lately.
Post race
Warm down:

Stretched and walked around the parking lot and expo area several times.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Well, I turned 50 on May 4th. Maybe my age is catching up with me?

Event comments:

On the bright side, I improved my overall time from last year by about 2 minutes. But I was hoping for something more. I guess should just be happy that I'm competing. :-)




Last updated: 2012-01-05 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:29:50 | 1320 yards | 02m 16s / 100yards
Age Group: 30/44
Overall: 0/580
Performance: Below average
Suit: XTerra ProX3
Course: Counter-clockwise loop around a peninsula. Deep-water start. Exited at a boat ramp. Well-marked course.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 65F / 18C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Bad
Waves: Navigation: Bad
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 01:28
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:50:33 | 16 miles | 18.99 mile/hr
Age Group: 17/44
Overall: 0/580
Performance: Average
Wind: None
Course: Fun course to ride -- lots of variety. Mostly rolling hills. There are several sharp right turns that are a bit tricky to maneuver, especially after a high-speed descent. Race organizers did a great job of keeping the intersections clear and safe.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:11
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:42:47 | 05 miles | 08m 34s  min/mile
Age Group: 24/44
Overall: 0/580
Performance: Below average
Course: Out-and-back course. Mostly flat. There's a gentle uphill just before the turn-around.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4