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 Swim
Comments: The swim was brutal for me, in large part due to my wetsuit SNAFU. I was also so freaked out about getting kicked in the face that I never really got into a stroke, stroke, breathe rhythm like I had planned. Also, the fact that I was exposed to the water more than I had anticipated, I struggled to breathe quite a bit. As a result, I did a lot of breaststroke, sidestroke and gliding on my back to catch my breath. I also swam WAY off-course at one point and probably added and extra 50 meters for myself. After all this, I was pretty shocked to see my time -- I expected much worse. Time Goal: 13:00 What would you do differently?: I wouldn't do anything differently, because it was my first triathlon and I wasn't all that concerned with my form or grace. But next time, I'll definitely stick more to my plan and do more freestyle swimming, feet-to-the-face be damned!  Transition 1
Comments: I was waaaay more tired from the swim than I anticipated being, so I was in no hurry to get through T1 (after the race my wife commented that I looked pretty rough coming out of the water!). I got back to my transition bag, sat down and got my wetsuit off quickly, then took a couple minutes just to gather myself and catch my breath. I had brought both a long-sleeve tech shirt and a tri-top, but I waited until T1 to decide which one to wear (didn't know if the rain was going to start falling). What would you do differently?: I wouldn't have done anything different, I just would have moved more quickly.  Bike
Comments: I was really happy with my time on the bike, especially considering: A) I was riding a mountain bike B) I had spent the previous six months training on a completely different bike and was only able to get one training ride in with my MTB before the race. The bike is definitely my strongest event and I expected to make up some time here, which I did (304th in the swim, 285th on the bike). My time would have been even better, but at around Mile 9 I noticed my seat post was sliding down, making my legs do more work. I made a quick stop to re-adjust and lost probably 30 seconds or so. Time Goal: 49:00 What would you do differently?: Next time I'll make sure that all my equipment is properly set up (and tightened!) so I don't have to find out the hard way. Transition 2
Comments: My MTB has toe cages, so I was able to wear my running shoes for the bike and didn't have to change them in T2. Unfortunately, pinning my number onto my shirt took longer than I would have liked, so that caused the long transition time. What would you do differently?: Next time I won't mess around and will come equipped with a race belt so I don't waste time with trying to secure four safety pins.  Run
Comments: My rack in the transition area was at the end closest to the beginning of the run course, so that played in my favor. For the first half-mile or so, there was a guy running on my heels who would qualify as a "heavy breather." He actually sounded like he was about to keel over, which made me fairly uncomfortable so I was glad when I got away from him (ok, he actually passed me). My goal was to just keep my legs moving, even though I probably could have walked faster and been less tired. Having always been a terrible runner, though, my personal challenge was to run the entire course without stopping or walking, which I was able to do. Time Goal: 31:00 What would you do differently?: I was pretty happy just to finish, and I was only 23 seconds off my target time, so I wouldn't do anything differently. Post race
Warm down: I was spent, it was starting to rain pretty hard and I felt like my wife and son didn't need to sit around and wait for me to warm down. Event comments: This was a great event for my first triathlon: calm (but cold) water and flat bike and run courses. Unfortunately, I think it's just too far from home (3-hour drive) to be a viable option in the future. Profile Album Last updated: 2009-12-26 12:00 AM
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United States
Klein and Clark Sports, LLC
50F / 10C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 324/464
Age Group = Clydesdale - 35
Age Group Rank = 18/24
Woke up at 5:00 am, made coffee (mostly for my wife, but I took a few sips just to wake up). Took a quick shower to get the blood moving, by the time I got out my 4-year-old son was already dressed (anybody who has kids will appreciate that!). Ate a banana for breakfast (didn't plan that part out too well) and was on the road by 6:00 am.
Unfortunately, my event warmup consisted of panic and frustration. As I zipped my wetsuit, something strange happened: it didn't zip closed. That's right, the zipper broke. After quickly scanning outside the transition area for the wetsuitrental.com booth, I returned to my rack and asked a fellow racer if he could pop the zipper back in -- which, of course, isn't possible on a wetsuit. He suggested closing it up with safety pins, but somehow I had the presence of mind to ask the question, "How am I going to get it off?!" I decided to just punk it and closed the velcro flap at the top, giving me quite possibly the world's first backless triathlon wetsuit! Fortunately, I did have a chance to wade into the water quickly just to feel how freakin' cold I was going to be.