Shepparton HIM - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Shepparton, Victoria
Australia
Shepp Tri Club
28C / 82F
Overcast
Total Time = 7h 39m 27s
Overall Rank = 869/
Age Group = F25-29
Age Group Rank = 116/
Pre-race routine:

Get up.
Almost spew.
Go to transition... Set up, have a chat.
Almost spew...

Wetsuit on, walk to start.
Event warmup:

Quick swim in the lake, it wasn't cold.
Swim
  • 33m 48s
  • 1900 meters
  • 01m 47s / 100 meters
Comments:

Anna and I were in the water chatting to some chick and didn't hear the countdown to the buzzer.
My goggles were on my head and I wasn't ready...
So quick rush, goggles on, press start on my Garmin and go! I was a bit behind for a while, but caught up in the end.
Anyway, off we went, and I wore the sleeveless wetsuit because I was wearing it for bouyancy not for the cold.

It was a long swim. The water was like swimming in milo, you couldn't see a thing when your face was in.
I was breathing every 2 strokes to keep my breathing solid and watch where I was going. The swim was 200m longer according to both my Garmin and someone else's. Will be interesting to see what everyone else's feedback is.

Because I don't kick, when other waves come up behind me, they are pretty much on top of me before they know that I am there.
This one dude in particular grabbed my bad ankle. So not only did I kick him in the face when he did it, but I actually sat up and smacked him in the head when he went past.

I'm just a bitch ;)

I spotted David beside me at about 200m from the finish, so I tacked on and followed him into the line.

Anyway. I got out of the water at the same time as David, who was in the wave 2 mins behind me.
Was pretty happy with that! And I ran down the race into transition for a change!
What would you do differently?:

Be ready for the start!!
Transition 1
  • 02m 54s
Comments:

I did get a bit stuck im my wetsuit, but the sleeveless one is so much easier to get out of!!
Sunnies and hemlet on, make sure I've got my race belt, and out I go.

I think it was a good transition

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/128626749
What would you do differently?:

Not a lot. I fluff around in transition a lot more than this normally!!
Bike
  • 3h 30m 49s
  • 90.1 kms
  • 25.64 km/hr
Comments:

I got the mount right, which made me happy.
I got into my shoes fast, which made me happy as well.
I think I forgot to push the lap button on the Garmin till a bit further down the road though, according to my T1 data. Oh well.

For some reason, my legs were NOT keen.
Anna passed me at the 12km mark.

I'm not sure I drank alot of water in the swim, but for some reason my guts was playing up and I couldn't get down on the aeros...

Anyway, I get around the corner up the end of the road where we went out onto the 45km loop and Mum had put this sign up saying "Go Anna, Go Jess" on the road.
Anyway, kept pumping along, had a gel or two and some powerade and felt a little better.

Down the back straight I was able to get into it a little more, but halfway through that first lap, the wind picked up and it meant we had a headwind all the way home. At least it wasn't down that back straight, because seriously, that would have been a nightmare. At least on the way home it was 5km in the wind, 2km break, 5km wind.

I negative split it anyway, the second lap was much faster than the first. I got the hydration right, I got the eating right...
But the wind was disgusting. V tough conditions. Even the pros didn't do a very good job!

My last 15km was not good at all. This was the point where I started wondering if I was going to finish. My ankle was aching (my painkillers were waiting for me in T2) and it was not good. I was wondering if I could run.

I got out of my shoes well. Flying down Kialla lakes drive on that hotmix was awesome, I wish the whole bike course was like that.
Jumped off the bike and forgot about my issues with the front brakes, I almost bit it because my bike bucked, but I grabbed it back pretty fast and headed into T2. Running, for a change.
What would you do differently?:

I need to eat more breakfast because once I got some food in I was alright.
Transition 2
  • 02m 38s
Comments:

I thought I was going to be a bit slower than this actually.
I sat down to put my shoes and socks on, got my hat, sprayed some sunscreen... Had my painkillers... grabbed my gel lollies.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/128626755
What would you do differently?:

Nothing! Went well
Run
  • 3h 29m 18s
  • 21.1 kms
  • 09m 55s  min/km
Comments:

Oh. My. Lord.

That is all I have to say. I struggled a LOT with this run. I felt a cramp coming on from when I got out of the swim... and it hit me hard about 700m into the run.
It's not to bad out there at the back. Everyone talks, and I met some amazing people who pushed me along when I thought that I couldn't run any more.

Lap one was alright. I had to do a walk run combination thing, which is why the pace graph is all over the place. I would count to a hundred, then walk, then count to a hundred, and run.
Occasionally I got to a point where I would run a bit further to an aid station, or run along with someone else for a while, but that didn't last long.

I got around for my first lap, and my Mum and Dad were there at the finish line! Last year when I did the Hexman they didn't bother, so it was nice to see them there!

Pushing into lap two, I felt a little better. It was a little slower, but for some reason felt a little faster. I ran a little more.
I saw a lot of people I knew out there who gave me encouragement. Anna, David, Kevin, Rae and Zoe... and I made some new friends out there as well. I wish I could remember race numbers to find out how they went...

By my third lap I was starting to think that I wouldn't make the cutoff. I knew that the last wave went off 14 minutes after me, so I had time.
About 2km from home I was starting to wonder who was going to come and get me. On the last lap of the run they had no more electrolyte drink and my cramps were getting worse and worse... I had cramps in both calves, one in my hamstring, and then I saw Tim and almost fell over.

As I was coming through for my last lap, people started to join me to get me home. Next person was Dad, then David and Bree. The announcer even called out to tell me to jog to beat the cutoff.
Then next was Anna, and Mel and Scraggy were at the gate.

As they left me and I headed down the black carpet (probably the last competitor to get through before the cutoff) my legs went again and I almost couldn't hold the jog.
I was in pain.

But I crossed the line.
I'm a half Ironman :)
What would you do differently?:

I just need to get the legs right and run more. That is all.
And work with my podiatrist to get this ankle right! But that wasn't the major factor in the end, it was my calves!
Post race
Warm down:

Not a lot. I walked around a bit.
Came home. Ate.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Same thing as usual. Lack of running ability

Event comments:

There were a few things that were disappointing about the race.
1. There were grandstands for spectators, but last year they have plastic table and chairs out under the marquee which were good. They were not there this year, and when the granstands were in the sun, our spectators had nowhere to go.
2. The back of packers had to electrolyte drink, which made me SO mad and made my cramps worse. On the last lap I got no sports drink, which is why I hurt so badly today.
3. No countdown warning for the start and no one was ready, and the swim being 200m too long.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2011-03-20 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:33:48 | 1900 meters | 01m 47s / 100meters
Age Group: 52/
Overall: 320/
Performance: Good
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/128626747
Suit: 2XU Elite:0 Sleeveless
Course: See Garmin data
Start type: Deep Water Plus:
Water temp: 23C / 73F Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:54
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:30:49 | 90.1 kms | 25.64 km/hr
Age Group: 113/
Overall: 862/
Performance: Average
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/128626752
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: See Garmin data.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 84
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills:
Race pace: Too hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:38
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
03:29:18 | 21.1 kms | 09m 55s  min/km
Age Group: 116/
Overall: 870/
Performance: Below average
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/128626757
Course: 3 7km laps around Kialla lakes and the broken river.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4