Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Lake Stevens, Washington
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
61F / 16C
Precipitation
Total Time = 6h 23m 10s
Overall Rank = 582/1017
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 30/52
Pre-race routine:

Woke at 4:15, ate a banana and a bagel with peanut butter and honey. Loaded up the truck and drove to race while sipping Gatorade.
Event warmup:

None - and this may be why the day didn't go so well. Got to transition late and was rushed to get setup, no time for the usual half mile run and stretching.
Swim
  • 40m 23s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 55s / 100 yards
Comments:

Started a little slow, sighting every stroke and trying to maneuver into a good space. Found some feet and drafted pretty well until almost the half way point when I developed a cramp in the lower left calf around the Achilles. I'd never had a cramp there before, so it was really strange. Fought through it, but it got worse. Looked for a kayak so that I could stretch and rub it, but there wasn't one in sight. Put up with the pain and kept going, just dragging the left leg and only kicking with the right.

After about 300 yards later, it turned into a full calf cramp and the only way to relieve it was to point my toes towards the bottom of the lake - not very hydro-dynamic. Still no kayaks in sight so kept going with the cramp coming and going. About 50 yards from shore, the right calf also cramped. Ended up crawling onto shore and rubbing my calves before I could stand.
What would you do differently?:

Warm up and stretch. I've never had calf cramps on the swim. I was well hydrated and the only thing I can think of is the lack of a warm up caused the cramps.
Transition 1
  • 04m 5s
Comments:

I was hurting coming into T1. When I went to pull my feet out of the wetsuit, the calves instantly cramped back up. Sat down and worked them off, but every movement seemed to bring on the cramps. Had my shoes clipped in and once I mounted, I found that every time I tried to get my feet in the shoes, the calf cramps came back. Finally got my feet in, but it took way too long.
What would you do differently?:

Leave the arm warmers and a jacket in T1. Even though they didn't seem necessary before the swim, the weather changed quickly and they would have made a big difference on the bike.
Bike
  • 3h 29m 52s
  • 56 miles
  • 16.01 mile/hr
Comments:

A cold drizzle started soon after getting on the bike. It didn't take long to start getting cold - especially on the descents. Began to ride the breaks on the downhills after seeing a few crashes and the cold started to make me unstable. Started looking forward to the climbs to warm up, plus I was passing lots of people going uphill - only to have them pass me back on the downhill. The rain finally stopped at about 36 miles.
What would you do differently?:

Wear the arm warmers if the weather is marginal.
Transition 2
  • 03m 4s
Comments:

Had trouble racking the bike, the bikes on either side were already racked and taking my space. Also had other people's stuff inter-mixed with mine and had to sort it out.
What would you do differently?:

Get to T2 before my neighbors.
Run
  • 2h 05m 46s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 36s  min/mile
Comments:

The cramps on the swim had a big affect on the run. They didn't cramp, but were so sore and painful it was hard to run. Heart rate and everything else was feeling good and it was frustrating because it felt like I could have had a good run - but I was balancing on a fine line between pain and injury with the left Achilles, so I decided not to push it since I wasn't going to set any records at this point.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing, a pretty good run given the circumstances.
Post race
Warm down:

Went to medical and got some ice on the left calf. Stretched quite a bit.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The calf cramps on the swim and lack of weather appropriate clothing on the bike.

Event comments:

Seemed to be a lack of support on the swim course, but the support on the bike course was great - there were lots of people out there to warn about the sharp turns and slick conditions. Overall a very good race for racers and spectators.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2011-11-04 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:40:23 | 2112 yards | 01m 55s / 100yards
Age Group: 31/52
Overall: 624/1017
Performance: Below average
Suit: Xterra Vortex 3
Course: Out and back
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 73F / 23C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:05
Performance: Bad
Cap removal: Bad Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Bad
Biking
03:29:52 | 56 miles | 16.01 mile/hr
Age Group: 34/52
Overall: 653/1017
Performance: Below average
Wind: Little
Course: One loop, constant rolling hills with some fairly steep ascents and descents with sharp turns at the bottom.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence: 84
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:04
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Average
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
02:05:46 | 13.1 miles | 09m 36s  min/mile
Age Group: 30/52
Overall: 582/1017
Performance: Average
Course: Two laps on sort of a figure-eight course. Good for spectators - they see you five times.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
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