Waterman's Half Iron Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Indianhead, Maryland
United States
Set Up Events
75F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 34m 51s
Overall Rank = 80/103
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 14/16
Pre-race routine:

Last evening's dinner was spaghetti w/ meatballs (pasta good, meatballs bad -- gave me gas on the bike), water and Clif bar next to bed (ate some during middle of night). Woke up early (anxious) at 4:15 AM. Breakfast was Steel-cut Oats w/ P-nut butter and honey, and Apple; 20 oz. Infinit on 1 hr. drive to course (got there at 6:15, still could see all the stars above), banana 30 min. before start.
Event warmup:

Was mid 50's at course on arrival, still a bit chilled w/ fleece jacket and fleece hat (should have worn leg sweats as well). Was shivering in my wetsuit and neoprene hood before jumping in. Easy 10-min. swim before the start (water actually was OK, even though they said 64 deg).
Swim
  • 49m 10s
  • 1931 meters
  • 02m 33s / 100 meters
Comments:

Glad I wore the neoprene hood, 64F felt fine. Grr, R goggle kept leaking, had to keep draining and readjusting (seemed to settle itself after the 2d or 3d adjustment). 1st wave, was crowded but not too much bumping. Backed off a bit 200m after the start (remember, this IS an HIM). Was able to draft pretty well on 2d lap off of Mr. "Red Stripe" (red stripe along his suit). Grr, got stuck in the hydrilla field on the 3d leg of the 2d lap (was below me and EVERYWHERE ON THE SURFACE), looked up and my left calf cramped up, had to breast stroke my way 15 ft. back into the clearer water. Found Mr. Red Stripe again and drafted some more until he drifted way right on the last leg. Kept the pace nice and easy to the finish, then 100m walk/jog up to the timing mat in front of the transition area.
What would you do differently?:

Other than double check my goggles before a swim, nothing: was a good swim, good pacing, good drafting when I could find someone to pick off, and didn't panic in the hydrilla.
Transition 1
  • 04m 33s
Comments:

T1 good overall, light jog into T1 (paved parking lot 100 yds uphill of water), toweled off, applied some Assos chamois cream, jersey on, struggled a bit w/ the arm warmers then decided to HTFU and dump them. Put shoes on in T1.
What would you do differently?:

Don't worry about the arm warmers
Bike
  • 3h 17m 13s
  • 56 miles
  • 17.04 mile/hr
Comments:

First off, need to thank all those BT'ers who advised me to stay below 75-80% critical power. Was too excited the first hour on the hills and kept attacking (353W max?? Yikes! forgot it was an HIM), then realized my Norm. Power was WAY TOO HIGH (around 177W): didn't want a "great bike, terrible run", so I backed off and Norm. Power came back down to 150W (75%). Learned to take it easy going up the hills, and keep the power on during the downhills (max speed was 37mph).

Had insulated bottle of 3:1 Infinit concentrate on seat tube, two bottles of water in the rear. Took plenty of sips of Infinit mix followed w/ water. Water bottle handoff was smooth: remove cap from empty bottle while it's in the holder, put cap in jersey pocket, grab water bottle and fill open bottle in the rear holder, dump empty water bottle and re-cap. Only needed 1 bottle in back, never used the second one, and filled the one bottle only once (at the middle station at mile 35).

Something got stuck in between the front tire and fork. Stopped to get it out. 30 seconds lost, but the noise was driving me crazy and didn't want a "brake" on for another 20 miles. Started feeling the fatigue in the left quad around mile 45, but got really pumped up at mile 50.
What would you do differently?:

Don't get too excited when you start out, remember to pace yourself, especially on the hills -- NO HAMMERING. Keep the second water bottle only half full if there's plenty of water stops and the temps are cool.
Transition 2
  • 03m 44s
Comments:

Decided NO flying dismount, was a bit fatigued and didn't practice enough with the rear water bottle mount (in contrast, the dude next to me was dropping everything, as announced by the DJ). Quick text to the wife that I was in T2; fumbled a bit with the compression socks. Grabbed my stuff and off I went.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Run
  • 2h 20m 12s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 42s  min/mile
Comments:

Started off slow (like a training run) on the first mile, then picked up the pace as my legs came alive. By mile 6 I was feeling SUPER STRONG, averaging 10:15/mile. Just sips of water at each water stop, except some oranges at mile 5. Hit the porta-potty after the first lap (good news, drank enough water to have to urinate).

2d lap was where I learned how tough an HIM can be. Legs started to fatigue after mile 7, just kept my focus and tried not to slow down, had a Gu gel followed w/ water. Sunny, course was getting warmer. Had Chex mix w/ water at mi. 8, Coke at mile 10. Legs felt really heavy, bottom of feet getting sore, but everything still working. Ran the whole way without having to walk!

At mile 11 I knew I was going to finish without walking! After the last part running through the trail, heard the announcer, got really pumped up, finished with a big grin as my family cheered me on.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. BarryP's 3:2:1 run training really make this run stronger than I thought possible. I honestly didn't think I would break 2:30 on the run.
Post race
Warm down:

Hugs and kisses from the family, walk around for 5 min., 20 oz. Infinit recovery, pizza, water, Oreo's, water. (Put on some clean clothes in transition after wiping down w/ baby wipes).

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Nothing.

Event comments:

I cannot believe I finished an HIM, let alone beating my goal by 20 minutes!!! SetupEvents always puts on a great race, and the volunteers (and especially the Police on the swim, bike, and run portions) keep the race enjoyable and safe.

There are so many kind and generous people to whom I owe my deepest thanks: I could not have made it to the starting line without their help. Coach Beth, who turned my pathetic swimming into a fast, efficient technique. My neighbor, Andy, who got me into triathlons and always is happy to give me some advice on training and race prep. My PT, Robert Gillanders, who got my achilles back in shape in record time. The wonderful BT members who always had good advice for the zillion questions I always had, including Jorge who had a terrific winter bike program that laid the foundation for this strong season. BarryP and all his BT friends, who saved me from my running injuries and taught me how develop strong running fitness without injury.

Finally, I could not have reached this milestone without the faithful and endless support of my daughter and my wonderful wife, who tolerated the early-morning wake-ups, the endless training hours, the sleepless nights, and my obsessive antics whenever I discussed ANYTHING triathlon, especially if I suffered a setback or injury. Thank you for your unyielding love and support.

Update: Pics at http://chessiephoto.com/?q=wh135
http://chessiephoto.com/p10979720/h26e83b1a#h26e83b1a
http://chessiephoto.com/p21991687/h30352a16#h30352a16
http://chessiephoto.com/p21991687/h1c2e04fc#h1c2e04fc


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Last updated: 2011-07-27 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:49:10 | 1931 meters | 02m 33s / 100meters
Age Group: 15/16
Overall: 95/103
Performance: Good
Suit: Sleeveless
Course: Rectangular, clockwise, 2 laps
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 64F / 18C Current:
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:33
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
03:17:13 | 56 miles | 17.04 mile/hr
Age Group: 74/16
Overall: 10/103
Performance: Good
Normalized Power 147W, IF 0.724, TSS 113.5, VAM 251
Wind: None
Course: WOW! My first HIM Bike Ride! Beautiful course -- wooded first half, rural fields w/ paved shoulders second half, rolling terrain (460 feet variation).
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 91
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:44
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:20:12 | 13.1 miles | 10m 42s  min/mile
Age Group: 10/16
Overall: 71/103
Performance: Good
Course: 2 laps rolling hills, last mile was along trail then wooden bridge over pond to uphill finish.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %2-3
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5