Delaware Diamondman Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Bear, Delaware
United States
Piranah
65F / 18C
Overcast
Total Time = 6h 45m 34s
Overall Rank = 182/213
Age Group = Clydesdale
Age Group Rank = 9/15
Pre-race routine:

Packed all gear in the car the night before. Horrible night's sleep. Very anxious about the race (my first 1/2 IM). Got maybe 4 hours sleep. Alarm went off at 4:45am. Ate half an egg white and cheese on whole wheat sandwich and a banana with a cup of coffee. Got to the race around 5:30am. Got transition area set up. Walked around, stretched, stressed. Walked to the water start area (1/4 mile from transition area).
Event warmup:

Not much stretching... probably should have done more. Ate a power bar, drank some gatorade and talked with other athletes.
Swim
  • 52m 58s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 31s / 100 yards
Comments:

Overall, it was a great swim. I was very happy with my stroke and, most of all, my lack of anxiety. I tend to be an anxious open water swimmer. At about the .8 mile point, I got a bad cramp in my left calf, which is unusual for me. I struggled with it for about 10 minutes, trying to swim without kicking, floating for a few seconds and stretching it, etc. After about 10 minutes, it subsided and I was able to finish strong.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe take some anti-cramping supplements before the next race. I had a banana, which is supposed to prevent cramps, but that wasn't enough.
Transition 1
  • 04m
Comments:

I wasn't trying to rush through this transition. Since it was my first half ironman, I didn't want to forget something. Worked very deliberately to get through transition and I was happy with a 4 minute transition.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Bike
  • 3h 07m 24s
  • 56 miles
  • 17.93 mile/hr
Comments:

The ride out went great. I was cruising along at a very good clip (20+ mph). When I reached the turnaround, I realized this was because the wind was at our backs. As soon as I made the turn, I could feel the increased wind resistance and it made the 2nd half of the bike much more difficult than the first. On top of that, my gear shifter for the front derailler broke and it was very difficult to get out of the big ring for the last 1/4 of the race. And at about the 45 mile point, there is a huge bridge... that, along with the head wind had me pretty spent after the bike.
What would you do differently?:

Get my bike fixed... I knew the gear shifter was loose and chose to wait until after this last race to get it fixed. It turns out it was broken and completely fell apart during the race. Pretty dumb not to have it looked at before my first Half IM.
Transition 2
  • 02m 41s
Comments:

I'm not disappointed with this transition time, but I was wiped out after the bike portion. I had thoughts of "packing it in" and quitting, but I knew I just couldn't do that. What would I tell everyone that's been listening to me talk about this race for the past 6 months?
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really.
Run
  • 2h 38m 33s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 12m 06s  min/mile
Comments:

I was not totally prepared for how tough the run is in a Half IM. I was already wiped out after the bike and then had to run a half marathon. I started out of transition by "shuffling"... wouldn't call it jogging. Hit the port-a-potty on the way out and my pee was orange... not good, very dehydrated. Then I started doing a run/walk combo (300 run steps, 100 walk steps) and kept that going for the first half of the race. I drank at every aid station, but I guess not enough. At about the 9 mile point, I started cramping up very badly. My calves and groin were locking up if I ran more than 100 steps. So I stopped at an aid station and drank a TON of gatorade and water, plus ate a Hammer Jel. After continuing a running/walking in 100 step increments for the next couple miles, the hydration and nutrition finally started to kick in. I was able to go back to 300/100 and then saw my wife and kids at the park entrance. I probably ran 80% of the way after that, and ran the entire last 1/2 mile. I was proud to finish strong after struggling so much on the run course.
What would you do differently?:

Lots more hydration on the bike and in T2. I just ran out of gas.
Post race
Warm down:

Drank a lot of water, went home, watched the Eagles romp on the Carolina Panthers. Drank a few martinis ;-), went to bed early.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Poor hydration

Event comments:

This is a great course for a first Half IM. It is very flat. The transition area is far from the swim start/exit, which means you have to put on shoes after the swim and run 1/4 mile to transition. No biggie, just different. If I ever do another Half IM, I would probably do this one again just based on the course. Neil Semmel's races are always very well organized and have lots of volunteers. They were all great once again! I would recommend this race to any first time Half IM-er.




Last updated: 2009-05-12 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:52:58 | 2112 yards | 02m 31s / 100yards
Age Group: 10/15
Overall: 172/213
Performance: Good
Suit: Sleeveless Fit2Race TNT Wetsuit
Course: Out and back, very well marked.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 69F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:00
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
03:07:24 | 56 miles | 17.93 mile/hr
Age Group: 11/15
Overall: 178/213
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course: Out and back. Very well marked.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:41
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Below average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
02:38:33 | 13.1 miles | 12m 06s  min/mile
Age Group: 8/15
Overall: 179/213
Performance: Below average
Course: Very flat. Through Lums Pond State Park, then down to the C&D Canal where you run along the canal for about 6 miles out and 6 miles back. There is not shade, so it got very hot when the sun came out. It only got up to about 78 degrees, but it felt much hotter.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
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