TRINONA - THE BATTLE FOR THE BLUFF - TriathlonOlympic


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Winona, Minnesota
United States
TRINONA, LLC
67F / 19C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 08m 1s
Overall Rank = 69/99
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 10/12
Pre-race routine:

I woke up at 4:45 and took a quick shower. I ate a bagel with peanut butter and a banana, washing it down with some orange juice. The wife and I loaded the car and made the short drive from the hotel to the event site. I was there right after they opened the transition area and grabbed a spot on the end of my row.
Event warmup:

I scoped out both the T1 and T2 entrances and exits, went to the pre-race meeting and then watched the swim starts for the sprinter groups. I probably should have gone for a quick run or done a couple hundred yards of swimming, but in the end I just did some arm circles to loosen up my shoulders for the run.
Swim
  • 31m 22s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 55s / 100 yards
Comments:

This was my first tri, and I had heard horror stories about the swim leg. I had done a handful of open water swims earlier in the month to get used to sighting and swiming in the elements. There were only 12 in my wave, so the human-washing-machine effect wasn't too bad. Sighting for the first leg was easy - head straight towards the giant rock formation out in the distance. After the 1st turn I got into a good groove and just cruised down the back stretch. By the time I made the last turn I noticed that my shoulders were a little tight. This is probably due to breathing only on my right side, instead of ever-other side like in practice. The last stretch was straight into the sunrise, so I had to sight off of the swim caps in front of me and hope that they know where they were going. By the time I reached the beach, the waves were pretty mixed.
What would you do differently?:

Lengthen out my stroke and try to take breaths on both my right and left.
Transition 1
  • 01m 20s
Comments:

Tied for 6th overall in T1. I guess all that practicing in the garage worked. Yippee!
What would you do differently?:

Not much. I practiced my transitions in the weeks leading up. It was strange to see faster athletes in transition who were still getting their stuff together when I left. What the heck were they waiting for?
Bike
  • 1h 28m 12s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 16.90 mile/hr
Comments:

Well, all of the people I passed in transition passed me right back on the bike. The first 11 miles felt good, but Garvin Heights took a lot out of me. After the hill it took me another 15 minutes to get my legs back and then back up to cruising speed. The last several miles were mostly downhill. I had a gel packet with about 3 miles left to go in an attempt to fuel up for the run.
What would you do differently?:

Convince the wife to let me buy a lighter bike. Other than that, it's all about more time in the saddle.
Transition 2
  • 00m 42s
Comments:

Tied for 8th overall in T2. Double yippee!
What would you do differently?:

I try to keep transitions simple so I'm not changing complete outfits. I just un-velcroed my shoes, hopped off my bike, racked it, took off my helmet, threw on my running shoes and grabbed my hat.
Run
  • 1h 06m 21s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 10m 41s  min/mile
Comments:

I ran about 100 yards and then it felt like I got shot in the butt. My glutes started cramping and I could only shuffle allong for the first couple of miles. I took water and Heed at the 1.5 mile point. By 3 miles, my legs started to feel somewhat normal. I tried to 'reel-in' some runners in front of me, but it was still slow going. I think the adrenalin kicked in for the last mile, because that one felt great. I ended up crossing the finish line in a full stride.
What would you do differently?:

The transition to the run was a shock. I need to work in some more bricks to teach my my muscles not to be wimpy.
Post race
Warm down:

Hug the wife, grab something to drink and hang out with friends before going out for mexican food. Hmmm..I wonder why my legs siezed up later that afternoon.

Event comments:

The race was well organized and the course was challenging, but not impossible. The difficult bike was balanced out by a flat run. I'll try to work this in next year again if the schedule allows.




Last updated: 2009-05-23 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:31:22 | 1640 yards | 01m 55s / 100yards
Age Group: 8/12
Overall: 56/99
Performance: Average
Suit: QR BIbJohn
Course: Clockwise Trapezoid
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 01:20
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:28:12 | 24.85 miles | 16.90 mile/hr
Age Group: 8/12
Overall: 65/99
Performance: Average
Wind: Little
Course: Out and back for 11 miles, then a left turn up Garvin heights to start the 14-mile loop.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Below average
Race pace: Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:42
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:06:21 | 06.21 miles | 10m 41s  min/mile
Age Group: 12/12
Overall: 88/99
Performance: Below average
Course: Out and back - run 3/4 of the way around Lake Winona, and then back again. No hills at all.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? No
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4