Columbia Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Ellicott City, Maryland
United States
The Columbia Triathlon Association Inc.
60F / 16C
Precipitation
Total Time = 3h 23m 53s
Overall Rank = 1224/1568
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 127/147
Pre-race routine:

Train sporadically and inconsistently for four months.

Wake up 4:30, shower and shave, have a banana and a Clif bar, and get in the car to be driven by Noony to the race.

Set up transition, shoes in UPS priority mail envelopes to protect from the rain. Say "see ya" to Noony who was volunteering in the transition area, and went back to sit in the car, relax, and stay warm.
Event warmup:

Aforementioned "sitting in the car."
Swim
  • 39m 9s
  • 1500 meters
  • 02m 36s / 100 meters
Comments:

Bad bad bad. Panicked after about 50 meters, wetsuit started to feel too tight around my chest, and I wasn't able to exhale under water, which meant my breathing was totally thrown off. And so I ended up flipping on my back and doing the backstroke until the first turn buoy. At one point, I thought about calling it quits, but then I saw another guy doing the backstroke in the wrong direction. I grabbed his foot, pointed him the right way, and figured at least I'm heading the right way, so might as well keep going.

Calmed down after the first turn and was able to swim at a steady pace the rest of the way.

Much worse than the 32:00 swim two years ago. But I got through it, and I wasn't last in the group.
What would you do differently?:

Try and practice in open water. This was the first OWS since Columbia two years ago.

I'd say the overall swim was "Bad," but I finished.
Transition 1
  • 00m
Comments:

Don't know the exact time, and I forgot to hit lap on the watch after leaving transition. Probably a bit slower than the 3:00 T1 two years ago.



What would you do differently?:

Not take so long to get there from the start?
Bike
  • 1h 37m 38s
  • 25.48 miles
  • 15.66 mile/hr
Comments:

Time includes T1. So probably closer to 1:34. 15 minutes slower than two years ago.

Like the OWS, last time I rode the course was two years ago. So I knew it was going to be slow going, especially considering I've put very little time in the saddle this year.

Pushed the downhills to compensate for the slow climbing. Dropped the chain on one climb, otherwise a pretty uneventful ride.

Much slower than last time. But I expected as much. And I did pick up 11 spots. Yay for that.
What would you do differently?:

More time in the saddle. Otherwise, not much else.
Transition 2
  • 01m 18s
Comments:

21 AG, 176 Overall.

This was definitely the best part of the race, even if it was the shortest, and the only time from two years ago that I improved on.

Rolling dismount, wave to Noony who was working the dismount area, off with the bike shoes, on with the running shoes, grab the race belt, and out for a painful run.

Fortunately, the pitstop in the bushes outside transition isn't counted.
What would you do differently?:

Get there faster from the first transition.
Run
  • 1h 05m 50s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 10m 36s  min/mile
Comments:

The first two miles were brutal. Slow run through the first mile, and less than halfway into mile 2, my right lower leg started to tighten up, bringing me to a slow hobbled jog. Had to stop and stretch, walk for a couple minutes, and then stretch some more. After that, it loosened up, and I was able to get back to a decent pace.

The next two miles were okay, and the last two miles were probably the fastest. Passed a few age groupers who passed by me during the first two miles, so that was nice.

Came out of the trees, heard the finish line, passed by the lake, and made the final turn before the end. No end-of-the-race sprint, just a steady finish.
What would you do differently?:

More proper training. 10 minutes slower than two years ago.
Post race
Warm down:

Got my medal, my foil blanket, some gatorade, and headed up one final hill for some post-race food. Met up with Noony, got some more food, packed up, and headed home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not nearly enough training. Good lesson in the importance of preparation. It's much more enjoyable when actually prepared for the race. I'll have to remember that for next year.

Bottom line though is that I showed up, swam a mile, biked 26, and ran 6.2.

Event comments:

Second time doing this race. Excellent race, and it's one to be happy for just finishing.




Last updated: 2009-05-18 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:09 | 1500 meters | 02m 36s / 100meters
Age Group: 138/147
Overall: 1441/1568
Performance: Below average
Suit: sleeveless rental b/c i don't fit into my own
Course: U-shaped course in Centennial Lake
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current:
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Average
Breathing: Bad Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 00:00
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:37:38 | 25.48 miles | 15.66 mile/hr
Age Group: 115/147
Overall: 1008/1568
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: Hills, hills, more hills.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:18
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:05:50 | 06.21 miles | 10m 36s  min/mile
Age Group: 124/147
Overall: 1274/1568
Performance: Below average
Course: Tough run around Centennial Lake and the neighborhood.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
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] 5