Tri for Fun Sprint Triathlon #2 - TriathlonSprint


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Rancho Seco Park, California
United States
TBF Racing
90F / 32C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 13m 39s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = Athena
Age Group Rank = 9/14
Pre-race routine:

Spend night before getting everything ready. Set alarm for 4:30 am. Hit snooze. Hit snooze again. Hit snooze again. Oh... oh yeah, I gotta race, better get up and get going.

Pack 2391 +1 bags out to car. Oh yeah, better go get the bike. Finally get on the road, and start driving. Drive for a while through the delta - think how cool it would be to do a long run on the levee. Yes, I am sick and twisted. Keep driving. Start freaking out a bit about being late. However, realize that by following google maps vs. regular route, I am saving at least 10 min. Then realize I am following car with two really nice road bikes, I'm betting they are going the same place I am. Get to Rancho Seco, passing a few people warming up on their bikes, think that one of these days I might actually have to arrive early enough to actually ride my bike before the race starts. On the other hand... I always have a good excuse as to why I didn't go as fast as I wanted to.

Find place to park, really not too far away. I seem to be good at finding these little sneaky parking places, probably due to necessity as I am always just getting there on time (never early.)

Get bike, race bag, oh, and helmet and start walking over to the race sign-in. Figure out my # (had to ask someone) then go pick up race bag. Start walking through the racks looking for place to put bike.

Note to other racers: Please do not think you can have 5 feet all on your own. I realize you have your towel, your bucket, your shoes, your other bucket, and your giant plastic tub of other miscellaneous gear all laid out, but OTHER PEOPLE also need to share that space. If it's wider than your handlebars - you are taking up too much space. Thank you.

Seriously - saw quite a few people spread out as if they were going on a picnic. Leave some room for us "barely making it on time" people.

Set up area. Look at it. Make sure everything is where it is supposed to be. Go get body-marked. Put on sunscreen.
Event warmup:

Wander down to water, have minor freak out because a green-capped wave goes off. Oh. It was men. Sigh of relief. Do usual swim back and forth. Start talking to a few people doing their first triathlon, give them warm encouragement. If I can do this - anyone can. Seriously.

I'm in the Athena wave + relay wave, so there's a guy there hanging out with us before the start, when he sees a girl from the last wave having a panic attack in the water - I didn't even see her - but he swims out grabs her and starts towing her to shore. So - major kudos to him cause I didn't even notice her at all being so self-absorbed in my own pre-race jitters. I knew WHAT to do - but that doesn't really help if you don't even realize that there is a problem. A surf board guy then comes out so she can grab on. That was scary (not the least because I didn't notice her) but everything turned out ok.

Gun went off and our wave was off.
Swim
  • 16m
  • 875 yards
  • 01m 50s / 100 yards
Comments:

Normal triathlon start which is to say everyone swimming over everyone else. I got swam over twice in the first 100 yards. Come on, people, you can find an open water spot, you do not have to occupy the same exact place I am in.

Found good feet and then felt like I was lollygagging through the first 1/2 of the swim. She was kinda zig-zaggy but when I dropped the feet for a bit, I was working really hard and losing ground, so I latched back on. Got swam over again in here somewhere. I swear, triathlete swimmers need to take a course in swimming commandments - one of which is "I will not swim over other swimmers in the race."

Stayed on the feet until she decided to swim way off to the right when the swim exit was to the left. Grabbed onto another pair feet at that point (about 3/4 of the way through) and took it easy til about 100 yards to the finish.

One of my best swims ever - I do NOT swim this fast in the pool, and when I got out, felt like I'd just had a nice gentle warmup.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Better than last year.
Transition 1
  • 04m
Comments:

I didn't remember to hit the splits correctly on my watch, so I'm dumping 4 min of the transition time into here. Run up the grass and into T1 - my bike was as close as I could get to the swim exit (I don't like running barefoot on asphalt - call me crazy)

Felt organized and not rushed, but when I got out of transition had a hard time getting my feet in the pedals.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing only become "The Flash" so I could get through transition faster.
Bike
  • 1h 04m
  • 16 miles
  • 15.00 mile/hr
Comments:

I was really strong on the way out - and going very good even into the big chain ring occasionally. I passed a LOT of people throughout the bike which made me happy - even from prior waves. Always a bit of an internal victory dance there.

Unfortunately, my lack of bike miles this year caught up with me on the way back and I slowed down quite significantly, making my bike actually 1 mph slower than last year. I did feel as though I did as well as I could given my fitness level though.

I was glad on the last half of the course that I had chosen to do the sprint instead of the Olympic - the last 5 miles for an Oly would have been hell. But since I used just a bit of common sense I had a great bike and felt great all the way through. I had a couple of gels and about 1 and 1/2 bottles of water which felt about right.
What would you do differently?:

Bike more! Stop procrastinating training!
Transition 2
  • 02m 9s
Comments:

I'm always a bit shaky coming into T2 and it was no different today - got to the rack and had a hard time getting my bike back on it, but other than that felt organized.

Legs weren't too happy with me though - they did NOT feel like running.
Mind: Hey, let's run now!
Legs: Are you @#*&$ kidding?

This conversation was repeated throughout the run segment - with the legs getting increasingly less cooperative.
What would you do differently?:

well, run more is somewhat obvious here. Especially since I've been avoiding that successfully for quite some time (probably why my swim was so fast) Should I run or swim? Run says my training mind, Swim says my "I hate running" legs - so I ended up swimming more than running as apparently the two votes from my legs outweighed the one vote from my mind.
Run
  • 47m 30s
  • 3 miles
  • 15m 50s  min/mile
Comments:

Starting running - okay, slogging, okay, shuffling out and back along the fire roads. Felt ok the first 1/2 but was definitely running out of gas the 2nd half. Plan was to walk the uphills and run (ok, ok, slowly jog) the downhills. Mostly I was able to follow the plan.

Grabbing two cups of water, drinking some and dumping the other one on my head felt amazingly good.

I really, really, really, want to be able to pass at least one person someday. I don't care if they have one leg and use a cane. One person. Please. (I can do it in the water, and on the bike - just one discipline left to conquer.) I AlSO want to not have quite as many people pass me back on the run. Cause (although I know they mean this in the nicest way) hearing "Wow you were fast on the bike" as they blow by me makes me want to outrun them just to show them... but then I can't cause my legs are in rebellion.

On the other hand, I did not get passed by any speedwalkers this time (which, let me tell you, is the ultimate in running humiliation.)

I really did give it my all though, I had nothing left for a sprint at the end, so I feel good about that.
What would you do differently?:

Oh, this is a gimmee... run more. Duh.
Post race
Warm down:

Hung out, talked to some people congratulated a few more - it's amazing how much more appreciative I am after the race is over... Walked slowly around for a while - I needed to move a bit and cool down. A couple of volunteers asked me if I needed anything - they have good post race food but I can never eat right afterwards - but had 3 or 4 orange slices which tasted like heaven.

Stored bike, found a nice tree with nice grass and laid down in the shade and did some stretches - felt really good to relax that way and just enjoy the scenery.

Then drove home and ate like a pig, which was also very enjoyable.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

training, weight. Same as always.

Event comments:

Well run, well organized.




Last updated: 2009-07-28 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:16:00 | 875 yards | 01m 50s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/14
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Suit: tri stuff
Course: Rectangular.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 78F / 26C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:00
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
01:04:00 | 16 miles | 15.00 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/14
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course: Out and back. Tailwind on the way out, headwind back.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:09
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:47:30 | 03 miles | 15m 50s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/14
Overall: 0/
Performance: Below average
Course: Rolling out and back on fire roads.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5