Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Galveston, Texas
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
80'sF / 0C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 5h 52m 44s
Overall Rank = 1010/2300
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 167/360
Pre-race routine:

Stayed in Galveston overnight and woke at 4am. Ate Bagel & PB before bumming a ride to Moody Gardens from another competitor while the family slept. Arrived nice and early at Transition, got set up, met friend Mike and chatted. Saw Lance and the Pro's set up before heading to the beach..
Event warmup:

Some arm circles and quick swim.
Swim
  • 36m 59s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 45s / 100 yards
Comments:

Started on the far left with clear water and quickly found my regular pace. Found myself not wanting to kick at all with the wetsuit on, so didn't. Had to unfog my goggles a couple of times. Sighting was good, stayed on line the whole time and consciously swam within myself. Exited in under 37min and felt like I was on schedule. Quite happy.
What would you do differently?:

Get new goggles for big races.
Transition 1
  • 03m 37s
Comments:

Suit strippers were efficient and I jogged into T1. I had decided to put on socks (worth the few secs in a longer race), and put shoes on rather than have them already clipped.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing - my expectation was a 3 min T1
Bike
  • 2h 59m 46s
  • 56 miles
  • 18.69 mile/hr
Comments:

Wind was slightly against going out so I kept my head down and worked reasonably hard. My cateye was telling me I made the turn in 18mph, but it turns out that it also had the turn at over 29 miles and not 28 - I thought I was going faster than I actually was. My official split was 1.35.48 (17.54mph) out and 1.23.58 (20.01mph) back. I was a little disappointed overall as I had expected a 2.50-2.55 split and plenty of folks were passing me.
What would you do differently?:

More time on the bike? More intense workouts? Tolorate greater effort? Rent some nice wheels? Lose weight? (I raced at 189)
Transition 2
  • 02m 10s
Comments:

Moved quite efficiently.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Run
  • 2h 10m 12s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 56s  min/mile
Comments:

I didn't exactly skip out of transition but the first 2 miles were around 8.30 pace. The heat quickly took over and the rest of the run was focussed on getting to the next aid station without walking between. The cold sponges were wonderful. I drank mainly water with a little coke and took a gel at miles 6 and 9. I was pleased that I pushed through to the finish and was happy to have my average pace below 10 min. My prediction was in the 2.05 to 2.10 range. One massive concern will be how am I going to handle the heat of IMTX in 7 weeks.
What would you do differently?:

Now it is warming up in TX I need to do my long runs in the heat of the day and not early morning. Also, I need to wear dry socks starting out the run - I didn't this time and blistered.
Post race
What limited your ability to perform faster:

Effort on the bike.

Event comments:

It was a great day. Having high calibre pros there made it even more special. Now onto IMTX 2012!


Profile Album


Last updated: 2012-01-16 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:36:59 | 2112 yards | 01m 45s / 100yards
Age Group: 115/360
Overall: 762/2300
Performance: Good
Suit: Blue Seventy Sleeveless
Course:
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 74F / 23C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:37
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
02:59:46 | 56 miles | 18.69 mile/hr
Age Group: 174/360
Overall: 1034/2300
Performance: Below average
Wind: Cross-winds
Course: Out and back
Road: Smooth  Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:10
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:10:12 | 13.1 miles | 09m 56s  min/mile
Age Group: 167/360
Overall: 1010/2300
Performance: Average
Thru 3 miles in 27.10 - 9.03pace 4 - 9.39 5 - 9.30 6 - 9.48 7 - 10.24 8 - 10.22 9 - 10.25 10 - 10.14 11 - 10.44 12 - 10.22 13.1 - 11.29
Course: 3 loops
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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] 4