Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Providence, Rhode Island
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 8h 48m 25s
Overall Rank = 1152/1200
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 152/157
Pre-race routine:

Up at 3:00, full breakfast, hydration, feeling good
Event warmup:

Roamed around, got my bearings, hung out by the sea, watched the pros go out and come in before my wave went off, wiggled my toes in the sand to the beat Imma Be, which was my wave's send off song.
Swim
  • 55m 58s
  • 1931 meters
  • 02m 54s / 100 meters
Comments:

Wow, what can I say. I was only 11 minutes slower than my last HIM and went from mid-pack to almost dead last...this was going to be a nightmare day. Swim out seemed to take FOREVER, and on the way back I was making better time, except for the mats of seaweed I was swimming through. I was chafing badly, and my stroke suffered. I ended up taking my arms out of the water even with my head to alleviate the pain from the chafing in my pits, and my neck was rubbed raw as well.
What would you do differently?:

not really sure...I intentionally gave up swim training to focus on the run and bike. 11 minutes in the overall scheme of things did not seem so bad, but it was.
Transition 1
  • 06m 18s
Comments:

wetsuit strippers were awesome. I took time in t1, as I wanted to ensure I had everything squared away for the bike.
What would you do differently?:

hurry up
Bike
  • 4h 09m 39s
  • 56 miles
  • 13.46 mile/hr
Comments:

again...no understanding of this time. I was over an hour over my goal pace. granted I had gear, seat, and hydration issues, but this should not have affected me this much. I have been averaging 20mph in short rides up to 20 miles, and 16+ in longer rides. This was a unmitigated disaster. When I looked at my watch at mile 20, I knew I was in trouble. When I looked at my watch at mile 40, I knew my day was over. I made a deal with myself, ride to t2, turn in my chip and call it a day. I knew I was going into t1 at 5 hours, and on my best day I could not finish the 13.1 run in less than 2.5 hours, and I'd need to bust a sub 2:00 to meet my goal time. Those last 16 miles into t2 were a total suffer-fest, as I had zero motivation left. My only saving grace was I rode every mile and did not walk up the one big hill, as I saw some others doing. That was a VERY small victory.
What would you do differently?:

make sure the bike is sound before the race and stop worrying about training hard/short on hilly tracks and get some longer rides in.
Transition 2
  • 06m 29s
Comments:

6:29....with 5:00 of that sitting on the grass in t2 contemplating quitting. My running shoes were sitting next to me, and I just did not want to put them on. Why bother? My day was shot, my mental game was WAY gone, and I just wanted to pack it in. I thought of all the reasons to quit, and just thought of one to keep on going: "get this bit@h done, or you are never going to be able to live with yourself." I ambled up to the run out, and a volunteer looked over at me and said, "hey, you've got a chip on...are you just starting the run portion?" I said, with a wry smile, "yeah, I guess I am."
What would you do differently?:

ditch the pity-party and HTFU
Run
  • 3h 30m 1s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 16m 02s  min/mile
Comments:

I never intended to run after t2, as I just wanted to finish and not hurt something for my next race. I power-walked the entire way, met some fellow stragglers and just kept on going one foot forward at a time.
What would you do differently?:

considering my day, nothing
Post race
Warm down:

found a shade tree 30 feet past the finish line, and found a comfortable resting spot

What limited your ability to perform faster:

total lack of motivation

Event comments:

Unbelievable crowd support and volunteer support. Lots of people cheering on us "walking dead," no matter we were sucking wind bad. There were even people in the chute offering high-fives, which was astounding to me...it gave me a little more belief in humanity. I managed all of DNS, DNF, and DFL, but I didn't manage the last two by much. Humbling and frustrating for sure. I'll be back. :)




Last updated: 2009-09-30 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:55:58 | 1931 meters | 02m 54s / 100meters
Age Group: 157/157
Overall: 1147/1200
Performance: Bad
Suit: Sleeveless wetsuit
Course: out and back
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 06:18
Performance: Bad
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
04:09:39 | 56 miles | 13.46 mile/hr
Age Group: 157/157
Overall: 1164/1200
Performance: Bad
Wind: Headwind
Course: from the beach to Providence, started out flat, then rollers, then some decent hills.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Bad Hills: Below average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 06:29
Overall: Bad
Riding w/ feet on shoes Average
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Bad
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Bad
Running
03:30:01 | 13.1 miles | 16m 02s  min/mile
Age Group: 152/157
Overall: 1155/1200
Performance: Bad
Course: two loops through Providence
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Bad
Mental exertion [1-5] 1
Physical exertion [1-5] 1
Good race? No
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4