The Dam Tri - Triathlon


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Lexington, South Carolina
United States
Set Up Events
75F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 42m 56s
Overall Rank = 18/136
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 3/20
Pre-race routine:

Stayed at the hilton garden near the mall in columbia sc. as 2 years before ate at the pizzeria uno, had the gluton free thin crust and some chips and guac. got up at 5:40 drank some coffee, had steel cut oats and a banana on the drive over (12 minutes from hotel). got body marked, chipped and setup transition.
Event warmup:

took the bike out for 2 mile spin, that climb out of transition is a beast. then down the rode for a mile and back, felt good knowing that tailwind was going to be behind us for a majority of the ride. got wetsuit on and swam 300 meters to get loose and a good feel for the water. took a advocare O2 gold and 4 antifatigues 1 hour out and a gu roctane 15 minutes before race start.
Swim
  • 18m 27s
  • 1000 meters
  • 01m 51s / 100 meters
Comments:

i started far to the left in the deep water, which allowed me to clear 95% of the field and not get stuck in the washing machine. I took the 1st navigation buoy to the right where everyone else was taking it to the left side. hit the 1st orange turn buoy and was in a good rhythm. the next leg was the long leg of the swim and was into the wind which delivered plenty of chop and led to drinking some water unnecessarily, again i took the inside line and the green navigation buoy to the right (spent most of this leg right side breathing because the sun was shining bright from the left), made the final turn into the leg but started losing momentum. this leg was directly into the sun and my goggles had fogged up, so navigation relied heavily on the few swimmers in front of me and the sound of jeremy davis' s voice. pull the wetsuit off, dunked the feet into the kiddy pools and shot into transition.
What would you do differently?:

nothing best swim ever!
Transition 1
  • 01m 11s
Comments:

transition was a bit long because i put a ace bandage wrist brace on my right hand which I had sprained riding just 1 week before. everything else was fine with transition
What would you do differently?:

skip the wrist brace
Bike
  • 53m 52s
  • 21 miles
  • 23.39 mile/hr
Comments:

Coming out of the water 1st in all the male age groupers allowed me to race with the lead pack of age groupers and a few open racers. i have heard the talk of the lead pack at ironman in kona but had never really experienced it. the intensity was unbelievable in the pack, everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses in the group which led to constant yo-yoing. I was good at descending and ok on flats and bad of uphills but this suited the group and i would frequently lead the group. At about mile 2 the wrist wrap was catching too much wind so i discarded it. on the bike i had a roctane at mile 1, a 2nd surge at mile 11 and a antifatgue, and at mile 21 i had a last roctane. drink bottles were carried on aerobar and behind seat with mix of carbpro and rehydrate but this was too sugary and pace was too fast and i ended up spitting (puking) a few times on the bike and several more times on the run.
What would you do differently?:

nothing, fastest bike of my life
Transition 2
  • 01m
Comments:

had trouble tying shoes as my legs were trashed but this was more about B2B half ironman practice and these were the shoes I am wearing for that race
What would you do differently?:

maybe quick laces on the shoes
Run
  • 28m 28s
  • 4 miles
  • 07m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

the heat was unreal for this time in the season and the dam felt hot. my mouth felt like sugar overload from the drink mix so i wanted water every aid station. there is one half way across the bridge (miles 1 and 3) and one at the turn point mile 2. I pushed as hard as my legs could go but I was pretty broke from the bike. overall i was 1:30 slower on the run than 2012 but it was 10 degrees colder and my bike was 3 minutes faster so oevrall good tradeoff.
What would you do differently?:

wear racing flats
Post race
Warm down:

i got across the finish line and layed down on a picnic table for about 10 minutes until my heartrate got back under control. found the family went for a dip in the lake which was amazing way to cool off and refresh.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

nothing this was the best triathlon i have ever raced

Event comments:

this is the final event of the year for SCTS and a should not miss event. the distance is great and being centered on the dam is excellent. this is a fast course.




Last updated: 2014-10-12 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:18:27 | 1000 meters | 01m 51s / 100meters
Age Group: 2/20
Overall: 24/136
Performance: Good
Suit: Nineteen Tsunami
Course: The swim is one large triangle starting alongside the massive spillway of the dam. The 1st leg is about 250 meters then make left hand turn for 450 meters, then making a final left turn for 300 meters.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 75F / 24C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 01:11
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:53:52 | 21 miles | 23.39 mile/hr
Age Group: 3/20
Overall: 14/136
Performance: Good
Wind:
Course: the 2 loop mostly flat to rolling bike course. Athletes get to cycle over the dam 4 times and experience the amazing views from atop this monumental structure. the course features 800 feet of climbing (according to garmin) the toughest parts are the 60ft of climbing immediately out of transition and the 100ft climb coming out of the spllway to the top of the dam.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Too hard Drinks: Too much
T2
Time: 01:00
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Below average
Running
00:28:28 | 04 miles | 07m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 4/20
Overall: 33/136
Performance: Average
Course: The entire run course is held on the dam with an out and back format and is unlike any other run you will experience. there is a solid hill coming out of transition and then coming back into the park but it's 98% flat. The course is listed as 7k but it barely measures 4 miles.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5