Devil's Challenge Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Baraboo, Wisconsin
United States
Wisconsin Triathlon Series
57F / 14C
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 32m 32s
Overall Rank = 196/620
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 26/46
Pre-race routine:

Ah, well, the usual happened. It's like my Devil's Lake routine: Woke up at 5. Got dressed. Had a glass of water and packed my breakfast to eat on the way. I have to finish my food 75-90 minutes before the race time. So, on the way I ate: wheat bagel w/ cr chz on one side and jelly on the other, banana, oatmeal, 12oz powdered gatorade endurance, 12oz coffee, and some water. Got there at 6:10 and had a primo parking spot and plenty of time to wander and get my bike tweaked (first time for doing that at it was great).
Event warmup:

13 min bike out of the park and 3/4 up the hill. 7 min run. 2-3 min swim with a couple of pickups. Wandered some more. Stayed in the warmer water and had a gel about 20 minutes before my start.
Swim
  • 07m 2s
  • 440 yards
  • 01m 36s / 100 yards
Comments:

I lost about 15 seconds from last year. Weird. I started on the outside and went too wide heading to the first buoy. I'll also add that I was the first swimmer in about 3ft of water. The chop was more than I thought so I took a couple gulps, but nothing major. Didn't get my breathing down until about the 300th yard. I was breathing every stroke up to then, but my HR wasn't high or spiking. This is the first time for this race that I actually got bumped a few times.
What would you do differently?:

Not go so wide to start and have confidence that I can stay near the front (not in the front). Learn to dolphin dive...maybe that will help get me in front a bit more.
Transition 1
  • 02m 20s
Comments:

A few seconds faster than last year because I had my race belt on and gels in my pockets under my wetsuit. I also stepped on my wetsuit to take it off for the first time - wow, it actually worked! I hate the long, bumpy, acorn-filled run to T1.
What would you do differently?:

Try to put helmet on while stepping on wetsuit to take it off.
Bike
  • 56m 18s
  • 15 miles
  • 15.99 mile/hr
Comments:

I was 3 seconds faster than last year! Here's to consistency!!! I felt pretty good most of the way and maaaybe could have pushed a bit more here and there, but kept thinking of the last big hill (which I made it up with no problem) and the run (which was great). The first 20 minutes I felt out of breath and just wanted lots to drink. Through the bike I drank about 20oz water and 20oz gatorade endurance (though I made it too strong - yuck). It seems the gatorade helped me after the first 10 minutes or so, because I got my breathing back and didn't have that tingling/lack of oxygen feeling in my legs. I also had two GUs on the bike, 1 about the 8 mile mark and the other (caffeinated) at the 14 mile mark.
What would you do differently?:

Train more hills a couple months prior to help gain speed. I always seem to wait a few weeks before to get some course rides and hill repeats in, but don't seem to gain speed fast enough.
Transition 2
  • 01m 58s
Comments:

Hmm, lost my sunglasses and my bike computer during the bike and into T2... yea, for throwing $110 more into this race. I also went down the wrong aisle - ugh! I hate going into T2 since it is so bumpy. I've got to learn to dismount without my shoes on for this race. I had trouble getting into my shoes even though I used the squeeze-ums on the laces to make it quicker. The tongue of my right shoe got stuck and I fumbled with it for a few seconds. I knew it wouldn't work to pull it out since my feet were wet so I just left it. I actually ran fine.
What would you do differently?:

Hold the tongue, slip my foot into the shoe. Look look look at what aisle you are going into.
Run
  • 24m 56s
  • 3 miles
  • 08m 19s  min/mile
Comments:

Awesome! I think this was my best tri run ever. Yes, 32 out of 40 and I am a poor runner, but this was great for me. I think taking it "easy" on the last long incline on the bike helped. I carried my heldheld water bottle and had two cups of water at the turnaround (1 for the head and 1 to drink.) I felt pretty confident all the way through. I did walk about 10 sec through the water station, but that was it. I had a hammer gel at about the 1.5 mile mark which seemed useless, but I think it helped give me the last 1/5 mile push and helped me recover at the end.
What would you do differently?:

I think the lot of bike/run bricks I did for 3 weekends in a row helped a ton. What's odd is that I didn't feel like I was going to cramp up once, I forgot about it. Yet, during my training my calves were sore and on the verge of cramping. Weird.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around for 5 minutes, went to the portojohn, found my girlfriend and her kids, and hung out for a while. Had some grub which wasn't as good as last year.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Needed more interval work in the pool. I don't think I did enough. Missed the aisle in T2. Missed the shoe tongue. More hill work for a longer period before the race. Probably could have pushed more on the bike on some of the downhills and a few of the flats. Kept thinking about "saving" my legs for the run.

Event comments:

This is always a fun race to end the season. It's one to look forward to as a challenge on the bike and the great scenery. Food was not so good this year and seemed to be smaller in portion. Otherwise - a well run event and fun time.




Last updated: 2009-05-11 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:07:02 | 440 yards | 01m 36s / 100yards
Age Group: 11/46
Overall: 82/620
Performance: Average
Suit: Yes
Course: Run out, take left, then back to shore.
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Below average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 02:20
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
00:56:18 | 15 miles | 15.99 mile/hr
Age Group: 26/46
Overall: 0/620
Performance: Average
Wind: Little
Course: Hilly. You get a .6 mile flat warmup before you hit the mile-long hill. Then it's rolling for a bit, then a long incline to the downhill and turnaround - then back up, then rolling to uphill, then an almost 2 mile downhill. Then rolling, then a very slow incline to save to your legs before you hit the last big hill.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:58
Overall: Bad
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Bad
Shoe and helmet removal Bad
Running
00:24:56 | 03 miles | 08m 19s  min/mile
Age Group: 32/46
Overall: 0/620
Performance: Good
Course: Flat with two very small rises. Goes through a campground.
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? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4