Lake Geneva Triathlon - Half Iron Distance - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Fontana, Wisconsin
United States
Lake Geneva Extreme Sports
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 44m 42s
Overall Rank = 107/128
Age Group = M44/49
Age Group Rank = 11/15
Pre-race routine:

woke at 4, bagel, PB. gathered gear and made it to transition as it opened at 5. glad they fired up the light tower as it was very much on the dark side. good spot near a tree, others soon joined in, along with the largest rat i have ever seen. that helped get the heart going a bit. 1st time at the HIM distance so i was unsure what to expect. was determined to stay with in myself. hindsight i was too conservative.
Event warmup:

air temp was cool but the water was perfect. about 70-72, clear and very calm. swam til they pulled us out as the sun came up. a beautiful sight over the lake btw.
Swim
  • 44m 27s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 06s / 100 yards
Comments:

straight out east into the sun and back. left breather so the setup suited me fine. nice and easy, even passed a few people which i never do. the lake was so different from the big foot oly whne the chop washed over me with every stroke. i really enjoyed this swim.
What would you do differently?:

did as well as expected nice and easy
Transition 1
  • 06m 12s
Comments:

putz'd around a bit in T1 it seems. fired down a cliff bar and homemade cookie. hit the porta john and finally made it out. this would be my longest race day so i didnt feel great need to rush anything. no idea why i put the helmet on backwards tho.. yes i was that guy.
What would you do differently?:

put the helmet on correctly and not kill so much time.. its a race afterall!
Bike
  • 3h 25m 47s
  • 56 miles
  • 16.33 mile/hr
Comments:

first hill was a challenge, and bike malfunction kept me from gearing properly. that was ongoing issue as i could never get to the spinning gears. ride was much slower than i expected on a nice rolling course. knee pain set in at mile 20 and got worse is smy only excuse. i had much higher expectations for this portion.
What would you do differently?:

double check my bike! not correcting the rear derailer before the race was inexusable. overly concerned with the course marking which was fine. go faster next time.
Transition 2
  • 04m 16s
Comments:

hit T2 and wasnt sure knees were going to work. big stabbing in both. but took a few minutes, advil and ate another wonderful m&m cookie (thanks emily) and hit it. everything worked!
What would you do differently?:

probably pause less. but my goal was to finish and tiem was secondary.
Run
  • 2h 20m
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 41s  min/mile
Comments:

the hills over the first 2 miles are legit. ran /walked and i was ok with that. i am pretty sure it actually saved my legs for the flats where i kept a good easy pace. knees had no issues which really helped the mental aspect. 2 loops, lots of turns, big hills. the water spots were good and the shade was a true gift. it had started to warm up a bit by the time we BOP'ers got to the run.
What would you do differently?:

overall happy with the run.. it was what i expected/hoped for to end my first HIM.
Post race
Warm down:

water and huge smile from my wife. it really made the day that she was there to share it with me after she had to hear about it for so long. first HIM and i cant wait to hit this distance again, i have more to prove to myself. closer to 6 hours is doable, i left a lot in the tank. but for the first time i had no idea how i would feel.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

my own caution and concern over finishing held me back. painful knees on the bike forced me to dial it way back. NEXT TIME!


Event comments:

As i mnetioned after i paid for this race i heard the negative stories about the promoter. it lost its USAT sanction. i felt overall it was solid event, i hope to do it again and will reco it to any who do not fear hills. my garmin had the milages just a bit over the stated ones but close enough for rounding.




Last updated: 2009-09-15 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:44:27 | 2112 yards | 02m 06s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/15
Overall: 0/128
Performance: Good
Suit: sleeveless
Course: straight out east into the sun and back.
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 06:12
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:25:47 | 56 miles | 16.33 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/15
Overall: 0/128
Performance: Below average
Wind: None
Course: steep hill after the first turn. overall a nice rolling course with a few fair hills. low wind, dry. course was open to traffic but well marked and most intersections were monitored and traffic controled. i had heard the horror stories about this race after i signed up and paid, so i carried a good map with me. i thought it was well run though. some rough road along the Ill border.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 04:16
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
02:20:00 | 13.1 miles | 10m 41s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/15
Overall: 0/128
Performance: Good
Course: did someone previously mention the hills? seriously nearly 2 miles of climb wiht a few random flats thrown in. up top it was pretty easy running though.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4