The Lobsterman Aquabike - Aquabike


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Freeport, Maine
United States
Tri-Maine
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 57m 37s
Overall Rank = 19/29
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Had a bagel and cream cheese with coffee. Probably should have had peanut butter but I am not a pro athlete so I went for taste instead.
Event warmup:

I scanned the beautiful Casco Bay horizon, felt a cold shiver up my spine and with a tinge of nostalgia, recited a poem by Thoreau. I forget the name of the poem. All set.
Swim
  • 24m 20s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 29s / 100 yards
Comments:

The water was not warm, and the wind was blowing, so I was happy to be wearing the mandatory wetsuit plus a new neoprene cap - if you're going to be swimming in cold water, GET A NEOPRENE CAP that fits properly! It makes a huge difference (going to use the cap in the Hopkinton Season Opener 2010)

I decided to try and do a good but steady pace in the beginning and push it at the end depending on how I felt - the strategy was to breathe every 2nd stroke, left then right, and then step up the pace near the end and breathe on every stroke. Turns out I ran into quite a bit of traffic at the end so I could not swim all out but frankly I don't think it made much difference in total time.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing much. Maybe push just a little bit harder. I wish waves were spaced far enough so that we don't always have to swim over the preceding wave, but I suppose that's the way it is.
Transition 1
  • 03m 46s
Comments:

I did not wear socks, and the wetsuit came off easily... so my transition should have been fast. But it was not. You really want to know why... it's because I freaking doodle with making sure I am comfortable (such as wiping myself off with the towel, cleaning my feet off etc), instead of just getting on with it. Seriously, I just need to get my butt kicked... no excuses!
What would you do differently?:

I don't know how to write a book. But not drying myself off and not putting a jacket on, then deciding to take it off might help. Duh.
Bike
  • 1h 29m 33s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 16.65 mile/hr
Comments:

This course was the most hilly I have ridden in a race. Some people said it was harder than Timberman but I have not seen that course. I liked the course, but it was not suited for my style of riding which is momentum based (you know, the heavy dudes like me carry much more momentum on the downhill and flat sections, but lose it on the hills..) hehe. The volunteers, police and race organizers really did an excellent job of keeping the road open and probably as good as it gets for a race course.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really. I had good fun.
Post race
Warm down:

I wasn't tired at all, so I just hung around waiting for redsoxchick and friend-of-harpoon to finish, then went to the lobster bake.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Nothing. I just need to keep on training and improve over time.

Event comments:

Lobsterman was great! I'll be back for sure, except next time I'll be doing the run portion too. My only minor complaint was having to wait a long time for beer :-)




Last updated: 2009-07-22 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:24:20 | 1640 yards | 01m 29s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 7/29
Performance: Good
Suit: 2XU
Course: Triangular swim in a tidal ocean bay.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Bad
Waves: Bad Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:46
Performance: Bad
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
01:29:33 | 24.85 miles | 16.65 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 23/29
Performance: Average
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: It was windy. On a scale of 1 to 10, my effort was probably an 8... I ended up chatting with some people on the course, enjoying the scenery. Hey, my goal was to have fun.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: 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?
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5