Gulf Coast Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Panama City Beach, Florida
United States
86F / 30C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 23m 50s
Overall Rank = 143/1045
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 30/125
Pre-race routine:

Woke at 4:30 and showered. Ate a bowl of oatmeal. Other pre-race nutrition: coffee, water, boost, V-8, 1 gel, and water.
Event warmup:

Just a practice of the swim start a few minutes prior to start.
Swim
  • 39m 22s
  • 2640 yards
  • 01m 29s / 100 yards
Comments:

Last year's gulf coast swim nearly retired me from the sport. I didn't handle the rough waters very well. This year was a little calmer than last, but it was still a challenge. I certainly didn't score a swim PR, but I did remain relatively calm - especially after the first few hundred yards.
Transition 1
  • 03m 14s
Comments:

Little bit of a beach hike up to transition. I really didn't stress over transition times. I just went quickly and methodically.
Bike
  • 2h 24m 57s
  • 56 miles
  • 23.18 mile/hr
Comments:

I had planned to race by HR and speed, but my HR monitor flaked out. My previous best average at this distance was 22.6MPH. I wanted to better that and was shooting for 23MPH.

The wind was at times your friend and at times your enemy. I knew when I was cruising along over 30MPH and a low heart rate that there would be hell to pay at the turnaround, and I was right!
What would you do differently?:

I consumed only about 400 calories on the bike which might have contributed to my subsequent run issues.
Transition 2
  • 02m 56s
Comments:

I was trying a new pair of running socks to prevent blisters. It was those socks that fit like a glove over each individual toe. This took a little time to wrestle onto each toe, but it was worth it. I drank some calories here because I was afraid that i was in deprivation.
Run
  • 2h 13m 23s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 11s  min/mile
Comments:

Ok, this was by far my worst 1/2 IM run. Due to injuries, I haven't been able to train like I would have preferred. In any case, I was happy in the sense that I had no pain on the run - none of the usual suspects showed up.

However, I was not ready for the heat. I'm not sure if it was my effort and nutrition on the bike, but I just couldn't move. I never stopped except at the aid stations, but it was a battle of the mind.


What would you do differently?:

Work on my overall nutrition strategy. Heat train a bit more.
Post race
Warm down:

Water.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Heat and nutrition.

Event comments:

The organizers did a great job with the race and the events surrounding the race.




Last updated: 2009-04-28 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:22 | 2640 yards | 01m 29s / 100yards
Age Group: 48/125
Overall: 355/1045
Performance: Good
Suit: QR Wetsuit
Course: A rectangular course - mostly out and back.
Start type: Dive Plus: Waves
Water temp: 77F / 25C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 03:14
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
02:24:57 | 56 miles | 23.18 mile/hr
Age Group: 5/125
Overall: 34/1045
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course: Flat, out and back course.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:56
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Average
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
02:13:23 | 13.1 miles | 10m 11s  min/mile
Age Group: 42/125
Overall: 313/1045
Performance: Below average
Course: Flat, out and back course.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5