Greater Cleveland Triathlon - International Distan - DuathlonStandard


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Mentor, Ohio
United States
North Coast Multisports
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 26m 37s
Overall Rank = 114/132
Age Group = 30 - 34
Age Group Rank = 14/14
Pre-race routine:

Woke up early (4:30) and drove to park. Car was packed night before. Arrived at park in the middle of a severe thunderstorm. The lake looked really foreboding and there was a lot of lightning and wind.
Event warmup:

None. Got set up in the transition area. They changed the race from triathlon to duathlon due to the waves.
Run
  • 24m 44s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 07m 57s  min/mile
Comments:

The first 5k it was hot and humid as hell and I struggled a bit to get my rhythm. I ended up pretty satisfied with my run, despite the fact that it was the slowest in my age group.
What would you do differently?:

I need to get faster.
Transition 1
  • 02m 32s
Comments:

This was a pretty smooth transition. I got in, flipped my bucket, changed shoes, ate a gel, drank some, and was out.
What would you do differently?:

I can always go faster.
Bike
  • 1h 29m 22s
  • 23 miles
  • 15.44 mile/hr
Comments:

Saw the immediate aftermath of a bad bike wreck on the downhill. I was satisfied with my bike, overall, and I had a lot of fun on the ride. Only problem -- I'm still too slow! I thought I was maintaining a good pace but ended up substantially behind almost everyone else in my age category. Also, I think I picked up a penalty on this course somewhere but I'm not sure where. My final time was adjusted by 2 minutes for something.
What would you do differently?:

Get faster!
Transition 2
  • 00m 59s
Comments:

This was the first time I tried slipping out of my shoes on the bike. It worked great. I forgot to take off my helmet and almost ran out of the transition area with it on. I thought it was a good transition though.
What would you do differently?:

Remember to take off helmet.
Run
  • 29m 2s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 09m 20s  min/mile
Comments:

Second 5k was hard. The heat was beating me up and I was feeling it. My legs felt pretty leaden. I couldn't pull off my typical burst at the end of the run.
What would you do differently?:

Practice more bike-run transitions to accustom my legs to the change.
Post race
Warm down:

None.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

This is an interesting question. I wasn't able to train as much this summer as I wanted. That is key. But also, I think I need to specifically begin training for speed. I am pretty disappointed that I finished last in my age group. I was hoping that after this busy season of racing, I would at least be able to pull off the middle of my group. I am going to focus my off-season training on strength hoping to translate this strength improvement to a speed improvement.

Event comments:

This is the second year in a row (I was told) that this race has been changed to a duathlon due to rough lake conditions. Mentor Headlands may not be the ideal location. I will probably just do Cleveland Triathlon in the future as the swim is more assured (due to the breakwall) and the bike course is closed to traffic. I was really psyched up to do my first olympic tri but then had to settle for a du. Oh well. Also, I am a bit irked that I don't know why I was penalized. I will look into finding out why later. I would recommend this race to others as long as they are aware of some of the course/ site limitations.




Last updated: 2009-04-07 12:00 AM
Running
00:24:44 | 03.11 miles | 07m 57s  min/mile
Age Group: 14/14
Overall: 14/132
Performance: Average
Course: Flat course around park and a little by the salt quarry. Nice aid station manned by some high school track team.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
T1
Time: 02:32
Overall: Good
Run with bike? Average
Jump on bike? Average
Getting up to speed and into shoes: Average
Biking
01:29:22 | 23 miles | 15.44 mile/hr
Age Group: 13/14
Overall: 14/132
Performance: Average
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: Nice course starting on Heisely Road and then getting out into some farmland and exurbs. The course is generally uphill for the first half and then downhill for the second half. Nothing too technical.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:59
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:29:02 | 03.11 miles | 09m 20s  min/mile
Age Group: 14/14
Overall: 14/132
Performance: Below average
Course: Same as first 5k.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
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] 3