Rev3 Williamsburg - Olympic - TriathlonOlympic


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Williamsburg, Virginia
United States
Rev3
73F / 23C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 55m 57s
Overall Rank = 146/369
Age Group = Clydesdale
Age Group Rank = 6/13
Pre-race routine:

Got up in the morning and got my stuff ready. Had a light breakfast and drink, applied my race tattoos and headed to the venue.
Once there, I got my stuff set up and then began the long wait. Transition closed at 6:25, but our race wasn't supposed to start until &7:30! The good news is that the bathroom lines were nice and short once the half got going.
Event warmup:

Did some light dynamic stretches to get the blood flowing and to pass the time.
Swim
  • 22m 57s
  • 1500 meters
  • 01m 32s / 100 meters
Comments:

There was a rather long delay before the race start. The official reason was due to some of the half competitors taking longer on the swim than anticipated. There were also issues with the dock that we were launching off of. They could only allow 25 people on at a time, so we had to head onto the dock in small groups and then dive in. I had heard that the current had shifted and we would be swimming against the current, but I couldn't really tell other then the chop coming into my face.
The bonus of launching people in groups was that I never felt crowded on the swim and easily managed to find good lanes. The sun was behind the trees for the whole swim so siting the bouys was pretty easy.
Overall, I think this was a really nice swim course and definitely well set up.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing different
Transition 1
  • 04m 34s
Comments:

Most of the reason this transition time is so long was due to the long run from the swim exit to transition, just over a quarter mile. I did "run" the entire path as it was all smooth asphalt. Once into transition, I quickly dried my feet and put on socks and shoes. Grabbed my helmet and sunglasses and got out of there.
What would you do differently?:

Once I was in transition, I felt that I was as efficient as possible
Bike
  • 1h 26m 17s
  • 27.2 miles
  • 18.91 mile/hr
Comments:

The course is labeled as flat, but that can be slightly deceptive as there are some sections that are just enough incline for you to feel it and slow your pace. No major climbs though.
There was some pretty good headwind for the first half of the course, but I would rather have the wind at the beginning anyway.
Once we turned to head back, you could see the paces quickly jump! The ride back was either tailwind or slight crosswind all the way until we approached the bridge, at which point the wind was coming straight off the water at a good clip. It made the final climb up and over a little difficult, but knowing you're done made it all better.
What would you do differently?:

My bike training has been really lacking since last fall and it showed. I need to get back to spending time on my trainer and rebuild my speed.
Transition 2
  • 01m 36s
Comments:

Not much to say here. I quickly got my bike racked and switched into my running shoes. Grabbed my race belt and water bottle and headed out for the run.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Run
  • 1h 00m 34s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 09m 46s  min/mile
Comments:

My goal for the run was to try and keep it under a 10 minute pace and to run the entire course. Sounds sad, but honestly I haven't done that on anything longer than a sprint tri for the last couple years.
Heading onto the run course, you're immediately confronted with the bridge, which is a pretty good hill to start with. Loop over that and at mile 1 you hit the first aid station and then shade! From there it was a pretty nice run down the path. Because it's an out and back, there are tons of runners heading in both directions that cheer each other on.
Heading back, I was doing ok, but was getting worried about my stamina for the final climb back over the bridge. However, once I got there, the breeze, which was such a pain on the bike, actually helped to reinvigorate and cool me down for the final push! The course turns off the bridge and runs through the grass behind the pool and around transition (which is where I saw my family). Then it felt like we looped the entire park before I saw the finish! I made the final turn and was able to finish strong!
What would you do differently?:

Nothing different
Post race
Warm down:

Once I crossed the finish line, I was handed a water bottle and gatorade along with a cold, wet towel. I have to say that the towel was probably the best part!
My family caught up to me at the finish and I hung with them for a few before heading over to the food tent. Grabbed a quick bite and then made the trek back over to transition to clean up my stuff.
I have to say that all the walking after to go from finish to transition to the car actually helped to keep everything nice and loose and prevent too much tightening or soreness.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My abilities

Event comments:

Rev3 has been running this event for 5 years now and it shows. Everything was well laid out and organized. The only issue that I would have is the huge delay in the start. While I understand that you don't want anyone to not get to finish, there are cut-off times for a reason, and if people can't make those times, it's not fair to hold up an entire event because of a handful of people. Rev3 should do a better job of policing their timing (especially in the swim). They delayed our start over 45 minutes because of a few half iron swimmers that were struggling to complete the swim.
Also, the food at the finish was not very good.

Those complaints out of the way, I still feel that overall this was a great race and venue! I would definitely come back and also would race a Rev3 event again in the future.




Last updated: 2018-07-02 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:22:57 | 1500 meters | 01m 32s / 100meters
Age Group: 5/13
Overall: 120/369
Performance: Good
Suit:
Course: Point to point swim around the bend in the river
Start type: Dive Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 86F / 30C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:34
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:26:17 | 27.2 miles | 18.91 mile/hr
Age Group: 4/13
Overall: 116/369
Performance: Average
Wind: Headwind
Course: A lollipop style course with some elevation, but nothing terrible. Crossing the bridge at the beginning and end.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:36
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:00:34 | 06.2 miles | 09m 46s  min/mile
Age Group: 6/13
Overall: 135/369
Performance: Good
Course: Out and back along the greenway. Some short, but steep hills on the path along with the bridge that you cross to enter the course and finish the course. Mostly shaded after the first mile
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3