Nathan Tempe Triathlon - Sprint Course - TriathlonSprint


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Tempe, Arizona
United States
The Red Rock Company, Inc.
Total Time = 1h 43m 6s
Overall Rank = 172/217
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 11/18
Pre-race routine:

Bike drop off in the transition area was the day before. I scored with a end spot near the bike exit/entry! I laid out, triple checked, and packed my transition gear the night before. Due to nervousness/excitement, I only slept for three hours tops. I got up at 3:30, ate my usual breakfast and drank two cups of coffee. Wife dropped me off near the transition area so I could set up my transition area, get body marked and get my timing chip while she parked the car. It all went off without a snag. A micro-burst blew through the race area the night before and we were told to check that our bikes were functioning okay. Mine was fine. I walked through transition flow a couple of times then got a good luck smooch from my wife.
Event warmup:

Got in the water about 5 minutes early so I was not rushed to get to the start bouys. Swimming the 25 yards to the start buoys and treading water was my only warm-up.
Swim
  • 21m 18s
  • 820 yards
  • 02m 36s / 100 yards
Comments:

A friend recognized my voice while waiting for our wave to start. I did not know he was going to be there, so chatting with him was a pleasant surprise and took my mind off treading water. I wanted to be in the back of the pack but wound up in the middle. I was hit a couple of times in the start but nothing bad or distracting. I got my rhythm and stuck with it. I noticed I fatigued quickly and realized I was not exhaling in the water so I was not getting a complete breath in. Corrected that and all was good. I passed a few people, swam fairly straight, and got passed by a couple of the female speed demons in the wave behind me. I only treaded water or breast stroked to clear my googles once and to sight. I turned on all of the speed I had after the last turn into the home stretch.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing for this race. Overall, I should work on my sighting a little. I also need to work on getting faster to place better in the swim and going longer so I can move to Olympic distance toward the end of next season.
Transition 1
  • 03m 48s
Comments:

I thought I went faster than this. Overall, I think I did well but I was probably too cautious to not forget anything.
What would you do differently?:

Trust my practice more. Just get moving once I get to my bike.
Bike
  • 41m 46s
  • 12.32 miles
  • 17.70 mile/hr
Comments:

I was pleased with my bike ride. I got a good start and felt strong and focused throughout. I intentionally rode a lot more in the drops than I usually do. I never rode this far without stopping for traffic. I passed a lot more people than I thought I would. I made a point of briefly chatting with a few people on the ride and shout some encouraging comments to others. I pushed hard on the bike because I knew my run would be bad no matter how much energy I had left in my legs. This ride was a blast!
What would you do differently?:

Work on bike handling skills so I do not take turns slowly or have to slow down to a crawl or pause to eat or drink will riding.
Transition 2
  • 02m 53s
Comments:

I thought it went well but, again, took too long just making sure I had everything.
What would you do differently?:

Trust my training and don't spend so long looking for what I forgot.
Run
  • 33m 21s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 10m 46s  min/mile
Comments:

Just a note...I REALLY dislike running! I took off too fast causing me to walk twice in the first mile. I shifted my focus from my dislike of running by chatting with folks and ran the last two miles without walking. I think this helped my pace even out. I finished strong.
What would you do differently?:

Get a better attitude about running which will help me do more training runs to improve my performance.
Post race
Warm down:

Hung out and ate a little until the bikes were released.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Being new and wanting to be cautious with my energy. Next time I do this or a similar course, I will put forth more energy in each event.

Event comments:

I have no comparison, but I think Red Rock did a great job running this event! There were lots of great volunteers and there was no way to get lost on the course.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2011-09-05 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:21:18 | 820 yards | 02m 36s / 100yards
Age Group: 8/18
Overall: 127/217
Performance: Good
Suit: None
Course: Single lap around a well laid out and well marked rectangular course in Tempe Town Lake. Water was very warm and murky green with little visibility.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 81F / 27C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Average Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:48
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:41:46 | 12.32 miles | 17.70 mile/hr
Age Group: 11/18
Overall: 153/217
Performance: Good
Wind: None
Course: A looping course with several sharp turns and three U-turns.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 81
Turns: Below average Cornering: Below average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:53
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:33:21 | 03.1 miles | 10m 46s  min/mile
Age Group: 14/18
Overall: 184/217
Performance: Average
Course: One big loop around part of Tempe Town Lake over two bridges.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
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? No
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5