Culpeper Sprint - TriathlonSprint


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Culpeper, Virginia
United States
Set-up Inc
80sF / 0C
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 42m 3s
Overall Rank = 210/430
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 14/24
Pre-race routine:

Up bright and early -- 4:00 AM. Light breakfast of coffee (my favorite sports drink), toast, and a bananna, with some OJ and a Clif bar for the drive.

One hour drive from Charlottesville to the race site. Well-organized, got checked in, picked up my packet and chip, and got marked up in just a few minutes.

My biggest setup problem was the darkness. It was difficult to see the gauge on my floor pump because of the darkness and my contacts. Next time I'll bring a flashlight and reading glasses, or, better yet, check tire pressure the night before.

No problems setting up transition area. Bike racks marked with race number, and laid everything out according to prearranged plan/checklist. Planning paid off with a low stress level!
Event warmup:

Topped off with fuel and asthma inhaler and strolled down to the lake. Warmed up with some easy swimming in the lake. This was good -- took away some of the OW swim anxiety.
Swim
  • 14m 34s
  • 820 yards
  • 01m 47s / 100 yards
Comments:

Well, here it was, my first OWS. Not as bad as I feared -- got bumped around a bit at times, but probably gave as much as I got. Navigation was a little tricky at the start -- it appears I drift to the left while swimming. I corrected this by using bilateral breathing and popping up for a few breast strokes every once in a while. By the last couple of buoys I had it down pretty well.

What would you do differently?:

Not much. A good experience overall, not as intimidating as I feared. Probably will strike out a bit harder next time - I wanted to be sure I wasn't going out too hard.
Transition 1
  • 02m 7s
Comments:

Little bit of a run from the swim to T1. Jogged in at a steady pace, while removing cap/goggles. No problems with sox, shoes, helmet, etc. I had each item laid out in order. Uphill run from the transition to mounting area.
What would you do differently?:

Might practice riding without socks -- they aren't the easiest thing to put onto wet feet.
Bike
  • 57m 39s
  • 17 miles
  • 17.69 mile/hr
Comments:

I was hoping to get the bike done in an hour, so I'm please with the result. Drank every 10 minutes, with a ClifShot (chocolate of course) at 15 and 45 miuntes into the ride. I need to adjust the cable for my front rings -- had some minor shifting issues.
What would you do differently?:

Be sure my bike's in perfect adjustment. And more riding of course. Compared to the people around me, I climb well, but can't always match other riders' straightaway/flat speed. Maybe time to spring for some aero bars?
Transition 2
  • 01m 43s
Comments:

Easy transition.
What would you do differently?:

Kept it simple and didn't try anything fancy. Wouldn't change a thing.
Run
  • 26m 1s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 08m 22s  min/mile
Comments:

The "brick" wasn't too bad. Went out at a slow pace to avoid any cramping problems and gradually picked it up. Took two very short walking breaks to suck in some deep breaths. The weather was warming up by this time, which made for a hot run.
What would you do differently?:

Train a few brick workouts. Invest in a lighter weight tri top - my sleevless cycling jersey was OK, but it was wet and heavy by the time I started running.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked till heart rate came down, grabbed some snacks and got a post-race quicky massage.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I beat my projected time, so I don't have too much to complain about. I probably could have pushed the swim a bit harder, but I think I was wise to stay within my comfort zone on that leg. Planning ahead for the transition areas and practicing the T1 and T2 took a lot of the mental stress off on the day of the race and allowed me to concentrate on the swim/bike/run.

Event comments:

Good race, had a great time. My only complaint is that the start/finish of the bike was on a very dicey gravel road.




Last updated: 2005-08-08 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:14:34 | 820 yards | 01m 47s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/24
Overall: 0/430
Performance: Good
Suit: Tri shorts
Course: Rectangular lake course -- very warm and murky.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 02:07
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
00:57:39 | 17 miles | 17.69 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/24
Overall: 0/430
Performance: Good
Wind: None
Course: Typical of area terrain: rolling, some fairly sharp up and downs, tight corners, a few slightly long flats. I liked it.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:43
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:26:01 | 03.11 miles | 08m 22s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/24
Overall: 0/430
Performance: Average
Course: Mainly grassy cross-country. First half the toughest part (lots of uphills).
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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