Ford Ironman 70.3 California - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Oceanside, California
United States
Ironman North America
75F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 7h 38m 27s
Overall Rank = 2013/2142
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 200/217
Pre-race routine:

Up at 0415 for shower. Ate oatmeal and a banana with a cup of coffee. Met Dave at 0500 for drive down to race site.
Event warmup:

In addition to riding my bike a mile to the race site, I sttod in line for the potty without my shirt on in 50 degree weather.
Swim
  • 47m 34s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 15s / 100 yards
Comments:

My swim was somewhat of an adventure right from the start. Of all things I had some dude start off the swim with a breast/frog stroke. It took me about 100 yards to get around him. I then had by ear plugs start to come out a few times. The biggest obstacle is that the strap on my goggles came undone about a third of the way. I flagged a kayak down and swam to him. I explained that I was fine but needed to re-attach my strap.

After I took care of that it was the last obstacle before the swim exit. I felt comfortable the entire way.
What would you do differently?:

I probably could have shaved a few minutes off my time had I trained for this race a little more. I am fine with my results.
Transition 1
  • 07m 26s
Comments:

Ok, this was a quick 7:26. I did not feel like I was goofing off. I did have some trouble getting my wetsuir off but not too bad and I was talking to Shelley while in T1. I felt good and ran throughout transition. In my defense I was at the end ot a long transition area which required a lengthy run with the bike.
What would you do differently?:

get the wetsuit off quicker.
Bike
  • 3h 46m 58s
  • 56 miles
  • 14.80 mile/hr
Comments:

I took the tri bike to CA. I enjoyed the course. There was plenty to look at starting with the ocean and then the very large Camp Pendleton with some natural unspoiled scenery. Every inch of coastline has been developed with the exception of the Camp.

The ride was pretty uneventful except that the hills kicked my A$$. I rode up next to a guy around mile 12. He was cruising along and was a Marine. He told me that he has ridden the course and that there was a hill at mile 37 that I would hate. So I am going along the rolling hills and get to mile 32 and out of nowhere appears a steep hill with an ambulance in the middle of the road. I decided to climb as much as I could then walk. I figured why struggle at 4 mph when I can walk up at 2.5. I got about half way up and walked the rest. oh, The ambulance was simply there to slow down traffic coming down the hill. I then had some rollers until 37 when the other hill showed up. It was not as steep but was longer. I did the same thing and ended up walking. I knew that I would need my legs later. It's funny that all the women would pass me up going uphill and then I would fly by them on the downhills. At this point I was tired of the climbing and was told that there was one more hill. Same thing as the other two. At about mile 40 the hills were done. I then pushed the pace back into the harbor. I must have passed 20 people on the way. I felt good. Looking back at my first 70.3, I stopped 2x and struggled to get through the bike. This time I felt good and did not stop at all. It truely is a fun ride but a challenge none the less. I am surprised that my avg was only 14.9
What would you do differently?:

Ride my bike more and ride it on some hills. Hill repeats.
Transition 2
  • 05m 37s
Comments:

I had a good T2. I ran with the bike and quickly found my rack. Chatted with Shelley while changing and attempting to apply some sunscreen. The time was inflated because I did stop to go potty on the way out.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Run
  • 2h 50m 54s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 13m 03s  min/mile
Comments:

Throughout my run my stomach was a little unsettled. I walked a lot as frankly I did not feel like running. My HR was fine and for the most part my enregy level was fine. I was also distracted by the bikinis on the beach. I did mostly run the last 3 miles and was able to run the last 1/2 mile into the chute passing a few people along the way. The first loop was clear of non athletes but the second loop was filled with beachgoers. I found myself dodging several unsuspecting beachgoers unaware of the face that a major race was in progress.

As I started by second loop I saw Mirinda Carfrae walking her bike. So, I asked how her race went. She kind a shrugged her shoulders and said she won. She then asked me how I was doing. I explained that I still had one more loop to go.
What would you do differently?:

Run more
Post race
Warm down:

I made my way to where Shelley and my friends were for a few minutes. I then made my way to the athlete tent for some pizza.

I waited in line for an hour to sign up for IMWI.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I am pleased with my time and performance. I was sick for half of the year and unmotivated for the other half. I still was able to get about a 20 minute PR.

Event comments:

I truely enjoyed this race and will do it again. It was good to experience this race with Dave who was completing his first 70.3. The race had plenty of volunteers many of them who are serving our country. Very organised.

Shelley was a big part of this race. It started last week when I noticed that her name was on the athlete list. So, I sent a note to explain that I was racing and not her. Upon check in, her name and info was on the waiver card. So, I corrected that. I almost left registration with a swim cap for the W40-44 wave until I noticed the error. I was the only guy in my bike rack and finally my results reflected a start time of 7:17 not 7:37.




Last updated: 2009-10-05 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:47:34 | 2112 yards | 02m 15s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/217
Overall: 0/2142
Performance: Good
Suit: Yeppers
Course: Counter clockwise loop in Oceanside Harbor.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 58F / 14C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Good Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 07:26
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Below average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
03:46:58 | 56 miles | 14.80 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/217
Overall: 0/2142
Performance: Below average
Wind: Headwind
Course: A out and back along the coast of California and through Camp Pendleton.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Bad
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 05:37
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:50:54 | 13.1 miles | 13m 03s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/217
Overall: 0/2142
Performance: Average
Course: 2 loop out and back along the coast.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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