Cedar Hill Triathlon Festival - Triathlon


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Cedar Hill, Texas
United States
Tri-Now
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 29m 10s
Overall Rank = 6/80
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 2/8
Pre-race routine:

Got up at 3:30 (woof), had coffee and morning prayer. Was out the door around 4:15 with breakfast in hand. Ate a Rx Bar and a banana en route, sipped on water.

There were actual toilets at the swim start, which was great, because I really needed to use one!

I saw that others had tied their T1 bags to their slots only on one end, which would make it easier to put swim gear in. I copied this. Got everything ready on the bike, then walked around to understand the flow of transition. Chatted up other competitors; I actually knew a few.
Event warmup:

None.
Swim
  • 18m 17s
  • 750 meters
  • 02m 26s / 100 meters
Comments:

The sprint was the last group to go, so there were a lot of folks in the water. When I rounded the buoy, the current and chop increased substantially. I had a hard time keeping form, which is to say, I didn't. Started breathing more, which was no good. I'm a bit disappointed with my time and my swim.
What would you do differently?:

Same as always - practice open water swimming. Learn how to swim by perceived effort.
Transition 1
  • 02m 1s
Comments:

I was a bit out of breath coming out of the water. I decided to go a little bit slower, sip some water. Also, with the transitions being in separate locations, I had to make sure all my stuff was packed in my T1 bag. That slowed me down a little.
What would you do differently?:

Be better at swimming so that I could zip in without needing to catch a breather and some water.
Bike
  • 47m 17s
  • 13 miles
  • 16.50 mile/hr
Comments:

This was the toughest bike segment I've done in any race. That probably worked to my advantage, giving me a chance to break people on the run simply by having a comparatively strong run.

On the frontage road, there was a steady headwind that led me to ride in the small ring. Talking to others, that seemed to be the norm. When I turned north, with the wind, I really flew. That was fun.

As I reviewed the results more in-depth, I get happier and happier with my bike. It looks like the course ate up most competitors.
What would you do differently?:

Be good at cycling? It's hard to say, as I felt that my bike was a good effort, and compared to the field, it was pretty good. Maybe next season, or off season, I'll hit hill repeats with regularity.
Transition 2
  • 01m 21s
Comments:

We didn't get to set up T2; our run gear was in bags hanging from our assigned spots. Not having my shoes, visor and belt laid out slowed me down, as I had to untie the bag and get everything out and on.
What would you do differently?:

I would have tied my T2 bag to my spot differently so that I could access the contents without having to remove the bag from the post.
Run
  • 20m 12s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 06m 31s  min/mile
Comments:

I had a goal to run 6:30/mile, but there was no way after that challenging bike course. I felt like I was in good shape compared to the field, so I decided to run by feel and try to pick off runners ahead of me. I caught both.

I've done very little speed work, so expecting a strong run was probably a reach.
What would you do differently?:

Be in good running shape.
Post race
Warm down:

Ha, get out of here with that warm down business.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Very hard bike course. Split transitions meant I could not have my T2 set up, and had to unpack bag when I arrived after the bike. Swim was disappointing.

Event comments:

Tri Now puts on good events, and this was no exception. It was a very well organized race. I like that there was a challenging course, and I got to ride through a state park. I hope that the organizers can make the 5k run more accurate in distance next year.

The field was a bit small, but given that this was the first year, that's not terribly surprising.

Overall, this was a good race that's actually somewhat unique. I registered early enough that my fees were under $75, so it was also a good value. I hope they put this race on again next year.




Last updated: 2018-06-10 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:18:17 | 750 meters | 02m 26s / 100meters
Age Group: 4/8
Overall: 15/80
Performance: Below average
Suit:
Course: One loop
Start type: Wade Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Below average Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:01
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
00:47:17 | 13 miles | 16.50 mile/hr
Age Group: 3/8
Overall: 12/80
Performance: Good
Avg HR: 163, max 180
Wind: Some
Course: Big loop with two Cat 5 climbs in there. The first big hill was almost immediately out of T1, and several people were already walking their bikes. Another tough climb at mile 10 served as a mental and physical test. My watch had the overall distance at 13.89 miles, which more than makes up for the short run.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 89
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:21
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:20:12 | 03.1 miles | 06m 31s  min/mile
Age Group: 1/8
Overall: 2/80
Performance: Good
HR AVG: 170, max 181. About right for a 5k.
Course: One loop, fairly flat, with three turnarounds. My watch had the run at 2.77 miles, so either my watch was way off, or the course was very short. Regardless, having the second fastest overall run split was nice.
Keeping cool Good Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4