Steelman Triathlon (Olympic) - TriathlonOlympic


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Quakertown, PA, Pennsylvania
United States
LIN-MARK COMPUTER SPORTS
70F / 21C
Precipitation
Total Time = 3h 09m 7s
Overall Rank = 259/385
Age Group = Clydesdale
Age Group Rank = 28/40
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 3:10am. Made some oatmeal and ate a banana. Hour and a half drive to the event. Got there right at 5am. It was raining, so after I registered and got my numbers and chip, I found an unoccupied vendor tent and put my #'s on my bike, helmet and racing belt. Got numbered and went into transition. They announced that the water temp was 78.4 degrees so it was not a wetsuit legal race. Because of the rain, I was feeling a little anxious about the swim, so I decided to wear the wetsuit anyway. Drank some gatorade and ate a power bar.
Event warmup:

Did some very light stretching in the transition area. When they opened the swim area for warmups, I got in the water and swam out and back to get comfortable with the water.
Swim
  • 38m 2s
  • 1600 yards
  • 02m 23s / 100 yards
Comments:

Swim was not crowded at the beginning. I found a good spot on the inside and swam unencumbered for the first 500 yards. Made the first 2 turns nicely. Goggles were fogging up badly. Had to stop frequently to rinse them with water; maybe 8 times. That slowed me down a lot. Toward the end of the swim, it was kind of a bottleneck at the final turn. Got overtaken by later waves and there was a lot of bumping and pushing. I was glad I wore my wetsuit, because I probably would have panicked if I didn't have it on.
What would you do differently?:

Get better goggles.
Transition 1
  • 03m 28s
Comments:

Very happy with this transition time. Took more than a minute off my Philly Tri T1. Transitioning in the rain is tough. I was trying to keep my run gear covered so it wouldn't get wet and that took a few seconds.
What would you do differently?:

Have to learn to run and get on the bike with shoes already clipped in. That will save a bunch of time.
Bike
  • 1h 25m 30s
  • 24.6 miles
  • 17.26 mile/hr
Comments:

I think I was a little tenative on the first loop because of the rain. First time riding in the rain in either a race or training. And the first 1/2 mile uphill was brutally slow. Once I got going I think the second lap was closer to a 20 mph average.
What would you do differently?:

Push harder. Subconsiously, I think I was trying to save too much for the run, since I had such a tough run in the Philly Tri. Also, I was worried that the rain would make the roads slick, but it didn't. Next time, go, go, go!!!
Transition 2
  • 02m 1s
Comments:

I was happy with this transition time. 3 minutes faster than Philly Tri.
What would you do differently?:

Take shoes off while still riding. Must practice that.
Run
  • 1h 00m 7s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 09m 42s  min/mile
Comments:

Took me about 2 miles to get the rubbery feeling out of my legs. I was also feeling very winded for those first 2 miles. But then for the next 4 miles, I felt like I got some energy back. I only stopped for a couple seconds at 2 water stations, so I am happy with my performance. My overall pace was a little slow, but not bad. I had enough gas in the tank to sprint the last couple hundred yards.
What would you do differently?:

Keep training to try and improve my pace.
Post race
Warm down:

Sat down and had 3 pieces of pizza. Got in the car and drove the hour and a half home. Then took an hour and a half nap. Felt great after that, but very sore the next day, particularly the hamstrings.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

More training... Harder training.

Event comments:

This was a fun race. The biggest downside is that spectators need to arrive before 6:45am, because that's when they close the roads. That's not realistic for my family, so I didn't have anyone there to cheer me on. The volunteers were awesome and there were A LOT of them. Very organized event. Too bad the weather couldn't be nicer.




Last updated: 2009-05-14 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:38:02 | 1600 yards | 02m 23s / 100yards
Age Group: 29/40
Overall: 0/385
Performance: Average
Suit: Sleeveless Fit2Race TNT Wetsuit
Course: Swim parallel to the shoreline. Swim down about 500 yards and then out approx 100 yds and then back about 1000 yards. Exit at the marina (Boat ramp).
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 78F / 26C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Below average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:28
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
01:25:30 | 24.6 miles | 17.26 mile/hr
Age Group: 22/40
Overall: 0/385
Performance: Average
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: Relatively flat with some rolling hills. The initial hill just after T1 was brutal and unexpected. I wasn't in the right gear, so I struggled in the beginning. Second lap was MUCH faster than the first. It was pouring rain for most of the bike. It was actually painful when coming down hills at a fast speed.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:01
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
01:00:07 | 06.2 miles | 09m 42s  min/mile
Age Group: 32/40
Overall: 0/385
Performance: Average
Course: Relatively flat, running on a paved path that winds along the lake, through the woods. Lots of water/gatorade stations, which was nice. Because the path is only about 8-10 feet wide, it could get a little crowded becuase there was running in both directions.
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4