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Onalaska Half Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Lake Livingston, Texas
United States
itrievents
83F / 28C
Overcast
Total Time = 7h 04m 53s
Overall Rank = 51/70
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 8/10
Pre-race routine:

Slept probably around 5 hours not continuously. Pretty good before race. I just ate 2 Powerbars. Hitched a ride from the buoy man from the hotel to race site. I set up transition It was 70s the night before first thing i did is feel the water its good like 82+. Went to the portalet and fir last minute call of nature.
Event warmup:

didnt exactly warm up like i normally do dip in the water.
Swim
  • 1h 01m 33s
  • 1900 meters
  • 03m 14s / 100 meters
Comments:

This is my first time to do a half iron without a wetsuit. I am not afraid I have no problems doing my Olys without a wetsuit . its Out and back and there are mild waves from the side which is not exactly helpful. I just went on strong against the mild waves. As usual i am the very back of my pack. Some kids with kayaks thought i was in trouble keep on rowing beside me almost hit my arms . I just kept going when i saw the turn buoy i am happy just gave my all on my return back. I felt the ground 100 yards out started walking 20 yards out.
What would you do differently?:

I am hitting the pool ASAP and work on my stroke.
Transition 1
  • 03m 1s
Comments:

ii am pretty comfortable with T1 i went as quickly as i could that i did not forget anything. most important nutrition . Took my 1 Gu and left.
What would you do differently?:

nothing
Bike
  • 3h 10m 43s
  • 56 miles
  • 17.62 mile/hr
Comments:

I was ok keeping my pace for the first 10 miles a few rollers, first 2 miles is chipseal pavement not good .I am gladi brought 2 tubes and 2 cannisters . I dont know this area. At mile 12 there should be an aid station i am carrying concentrated Skratch my bottle will run out soon. I am glad the weather is overcast and minimal humidity we are lucky. The first aid station is off 20 miles and bottles were not handed out we have step off the bike and fill our bottle ourselves i made sure i have good enough bottles for 2 more hours im not stopping anymore. I was good for the next hour of rollers someone told me this route is flat. looks like we have a different idea of flat. I was at mile 45 i know im going to be ok so when i passed by a couple with flat i offered if they need anything they said they are good so i moved along finally i can see transition. This is no way a flat route im interested to know my bike data after the race.
What would you do differently?:

Always bring a bottle of water
Transition 2
  • 03m 10s
Comments:

Here goes the dreaded run as soon as i am ready i decided i need to leave T2 asap. I dont gain any mileage in transition. Took my 1 Gu and drink and leave.
What would you do differently?:

leave Transition faster.
Run
  • 2h 46m 20s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 12m 42s  min/mile
Comments:

I was doing ok with my pacing for the first 8 miles. I reward myself pouring water to myself every .5 miles. i thought i still have reserve later on then i started to feel weak .I reverted to run/walk 9min/1min i still feel weak after mile 10 i went to 6min/1min . Its the longest 3 miles i know i am not going to PR so just did my best. Until eventually met my wife and boy at the finish line. drank water cold towel to my head .
What would you do differently?:

I believe i lacked the medium runs i needed 1.5 hr runs before my long runs 2 hrs.
Post race
Warm down:

Drank water, cold towel on my head

What limited your ability to perform faster:

lack of training in running . I ran too much under than sun meaning too slow that i did not gain stronger legs. I also need to take swimming seriously not just to get by. Lastly as i was taking my bike out of transition i noticed i have a flat . I am still lucky my tires deflated after the bike . My day could have gone worse.

Event comments:

i dont know who ever told me this race is flat i checked my bike computer my elevation climb is 1900 Ft.. I have yet too see myself perform on a flat HIM.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2014-08-30 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:01:33 | 1900 meters | 03m 14s / 100meters
Age Group: 9/10
Overall: 0/70
Performance: Bad
Suit: TriSuit
Course: Out and back
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 83F / 28C Current: Low
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Good Drafting: Bad
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 03:01
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
03:10:43 | 56 miles | 17.62 mile/hr
Age Group: 6/10
Overall: 0/70
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: 3 out and back
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:10
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes Below average
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:46:20 | 13.1 miles | 12m 42s  min/mile
Age Group: 8/10
Overall: 0/70
Performance: Bad
Course: 3 loops
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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] 4

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2014-09-15 1:22 AM

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Member
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Pearland,Tx
Subject: Onalaska Half Triathlon


2014-09-15 4:30 AM
in reply to: #5050134

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Veteran
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Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon
Congrats Carlo!
2014-09-15 7:06 AM
in reply to: #5050134

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Champion
14571
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the alamo city, Texas
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon

congrats!  i'd be proud of that bike and run for a rolling HIM!  and i love the finish line pics.

2014-09-15 8:01 AM
in reply to: mehaner

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413
100100100100
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon
Man. Sounds brutal. Way to hang in there and deal with the unexpected. Great finish with the kiddo! Congrats.
2014-09-15 9:10 AM
in reply to: #5050134

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1945
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Baltimore, Maryland
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon
Great job, Carlo!!! Sounds like a good race overall!
2014-09-15 9:17 AM
in reply to: #5050134

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Member
1293
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Pearland,Tx
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon
Thanks for the nice words fellow trainees yes it was fun afterall


2014-09-15 10:54 AM
in reply to: #5050134

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Expert
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Grapevine, Texas
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon
Whoa, glad that flat happened after the race! Nice of you to offer to help the other folks out there on the course. Great job on the bike, on finishing, and on knowing what you want to work on going forward!
2014-09-15 12:52 PM
in reply to: squirt

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Pro
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CyFair
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon

Congrats Carlo!!

2014-09-15 1:22 PM
in reply to: strykergt

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Veteran
493
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Chicago, Illinois
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon

Hey bud, congrats on the finish! 

Quick note about the run: don't beat yourself up.  It does sound like it was hot and that takes a lot out of you.  The easy answer is always train, train, and train some more, but I'd argue that the bigger reason for your struggling on the run probably wasn't your run training, the bigger reason was probably the bike.  There's really no way to mimic how tired your legs will be on the run part of a HIM.  The greatest half-marathoner in the world is still going to struggle during the run of a HIM if they weren't ready for the bike.  The trick of the triathlon is getting your body to feel comfortable getting off the bike and starting the run.  That's why the swim is generally treated as a warm-up for the bike, the bike is the key but you can't kill yourself because then you'll fall apart on the run.  So I'd wager that the hills maybe took a bit more out of you than you're thinking. 

2014-09-15 2:30 PM
in reply to: Fresno_Joe

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Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon
Joe - great insights on the bike-run transition. Do you see it the same way for a Sprint or just a HIM? Oly?
2014-09-15 2:59 PM
in reply to: 0

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Veteran
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Chicago, Illinois
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon

Originally posted by PsyTri Joe - great insights on the bike-run transition. Do you see it the same way for a Sprint or just a HIM? Oly?
Hey, thanks for the kind words! Before I respond to your question just want to pre-emptively apologize to Carlo, sorry buddy not trying to sidetrack your race results thread!  Really proud of you, completing a HIM is great accomplishment, and I've enjoyed watching your progress and reading your reports since we met here.

That said, I see it the same way for everything longer than a Sprint.  To me the Sprint is more of an all out effort the whole time...like a long cross-fit workout or something.  It is a beast unto itself.  I guess the principle is the same, you have to get better on the bike to get better on the run, but the distance is so short that it seems different.  More time in the saddle isn't necessarily  the best technique for a PR in the Sprint distance, you're trying to maximize your output.

But for oly and HIM, you have to remember bike is the most important part of the triathlon.  Because A) it is the longest part by time (and distance, not that that really matters), and B) if you aren't comfortable enough with the bike distance that you get off the bike feeling alright, your run is going to suffer greatly.  This is why some people don't stress the brick workouts as much, particularly after they are past the novice level.  The power in bricks is teaching you what your legs feel like after spending so much time on the bike, and getting you to understand that if you push past it your legs will be back to normal after 5-10 minutes.  That's what the brick is meant for, it's not meant to teach you how to run the whole thing on tired legs.  Ideally your bike training has been comprehensive enough that your legs *aren't* that tired.  That's the goal anyways.  Easier said than done, of course.

You can run 40 miles a week with a 15 mile run every weekend, but if your legs are tired coming off the bike such that you end up walking most of the run, the run training didn't really do much good.  You (the hypothetical "you")  would probably have been better off biking an extra couple hours on some hills or something.  To discuss the same concept from a different part of the race: It's the same reason you don't go too hard on the swim...the great swimmers out there are not pushing themselves harder than you and I are...they're just much faster swimmers.  They have the same goal of going into the bike feeling warmed up and not over exhausted than you and I have, they just can accomplish that goal going much faster.  Work smarter, not harder, as they say.  And in triathlon working smarter means training...a lot.

Just my .02.  I'm no more of an expert than you...having taken the year off I think you probably have more experience than I do at this point.

Carlos I'm sorry I didn't mean to sidetrack your race results thread.



Edited by Fresno_Joe 2014-09-15 3:00 PM


2014-09-15 3:15 PM
in reply to: 0

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Member
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Pearland,Tx
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon
@Scott
Thanks man should have taken your coaching package.

@Gary
Thanks for bringing up that question i was already thinking about it.

@Joe
Thanks for the explanation bro and i appreciate the detailed answer from Gary's question.I needed the info above otherwise i would have killed myself running again to no avail.

Thanks for everything guys



Edited by strykergt 2014-09-15 3:18 PM
2014-09-15 9:56 PM
in reply to: strykergt

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Master
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St. Louis
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon
Awesome race Carlo!

It's tough to say exactly what you need to do to have a run you are happy with. It's a combination of bike fitness, run fitness, nutrition, hydration, weather, and course. How spent did you feel after the bike? I went pretty hard on the bike in the couple HIM's I did and always wondered if I had taken 10-15 minutes longer on the bike would I have made it up on the run.

Like Joe said, more bike fitness definitely helps but looking at your logs, it's not like you were slacking on bike time. If you can get a swim coach, you should be able to reduce your swim time thus reducing your swim workout time to get more bike and run workout time. I like to use the rule 3:2:1 bike:run:swim workout time since that is roughly the amount of time spent racing at the half and full distance.
2014-09-16 11:15 AM
in reply to: ransick

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184
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SOUTH WINDSOR, Connecticut
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon

Great job Carlo!

Awesome pic at the finish line...

 

2014-09-19 7:49 AM
in reply to: Dennis B

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Master
1497
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Maryland
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon
CONGRATULATIONS CARLO!! HIM is a long race and you did a great job! Your finish line picture is FANTASTIC!!
2014-09-29 11:06 PM
in reply to: Terps421

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Member
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Gold Coast, Australia
Subject: RE: Onalaska Half Triathlon

Congratulations Carlo! Fantastic time for a tough race, well done!



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