Mainiac - TriathlonSprint


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Biddeford Pool, Maine
United States
Kennebunk Beach Triathlon Club
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 25m 31s
Overall Rank = 73/259
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 10/19
Pre-race routine:

This was my first tri, and I don't know if due to the excitement of that or not, but I got very sick a few days before the race. No sleep, high fever, nausea, etc. Lost 10 pounds from Weds-Sat. Pre-race - got sick upon waking, had "the drink for breakfast", coffee and clif bar on the drive to Maine.
Event warmup:

Ran about 10 minutes easy, biked about the same. Did a few yoga moves to loosen and warm hips. Waded in ocean but didn't really swim at all.
Swim
  • 09m 10s
  • 450 yards
  • 02m 02s / 100 yards
Comments:

This was beach start with a pretty small wave of about 75. I went to the far right and ran in and got into a groove very quickly. I stayed way too far right, and at the first buoy I turned about 45 degrees instead of 90. For some reason I didn't correct, and eventually a lifeguard in a kayak cut me off with the classic line "the race is that way dude". I re-aimed and headed in. Epic failure on navigation.
What would you do differently?:

Start in a more aggressive position and navigate better. I was actually very surprised my navigation was so bad since all my swimming was OWS. I think the issue was everyone had warned me so much about the scrum at the start I was determined not to get involved with it, so I stayed too far away and never corrected. The actual swimming part was fine, I felt comfortable and strong. I probably swam 550 yards I was so far off course. On the straight shot in, I was passing tons of people, so I think my actual swim pace was fine.
Transition 1
  • 02m 20s
Comments:

Another disappointment. There was actually a fairly long run up the beach to T1 and I was not very comfortable as my head was spinning. Wetsuit came off fine, but I just couldn't focus even though I'd practiced T1 a bit. I think my sickness had a lot to do with the trouble. I actually left my goggles on, forgot to get a gel, and didn't dry my feet - which was bad due to the beach sand.
What would you do differently?:

Not get sick. Also, I need to learn the in bike mounting for sprint distance races so as not to put shoes on in transition.
Bike
  • 46m 22s
  • 14.85 miles
  • 19.22 mile/hr
Comments:

The bike was actually a bit longer since the marked distance included only the main paved ride, but there was a fairly lengthy amount of dirt/gravel road leading from mount to pavement. The ride itself was FLAT. I paced pretty slowly given how I felt health wise, hoping to have something left for the run. Overall I did the bike about as expected. I didn't push much, and in retrospect I should have pushed a lot harder. I tried to make up for energy loss in T1 (no gel) with more drinking. Big mistake.
What would you do differently?:

Ride harder and not save so much. Drink less and just follow the plan. Maybe have a plan B as well.
Transition 2
  • 01m 40s
Comments:

I needed a little time to recover from the chest congestion. Also very slow getting my bike shoes off, I think again mainly due to head congestion from cold.
What would you do differently?:

Not get sick and learn to do the running dismount and leave shoes on bike.
Run
  • 26m 1s
  • 3.2 miles
  • 08m 08s  min/mile
Comments:

Difficult run. Because I drank too much on the bike to make up for not eating the gel in T1, I had cramps after about 1/2 mile. I'd never had them before so it was not something I knew how to deal with. I just had nothing in the tank to keep going or pick up the pace.
What would you do differently?:

Train more and do the same thing on race day as practice. And I probably could have saved 3-4 minutes on the bike and run just as bad!
Post race
Warm down:

Easy jog and typical food.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Sickness and training. I only had about 7 weeks to get ready, but I felt great and really prepared a week before the race. I did a simulation race on a much hillier bike and run in 1:25 the week before the race. I really had hoped to go in the 1:20 range, but then the sickness hit. I was actually excited about doing the race at all, and I guess the results were great all things considered. I have the tri bug!

Event comments:

This was my first, so I have no basis for comparison. Great race for a beginner, very helpful staff.




Last updated: 2009-12-05 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:09:10 | 450 yards | 02m 02s / 100yards
Age Group: 10/19
Overall: 86/259
Performance: Below average
Suit: yes
Course:
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Bad
Waves: Average Navigation: Bad
Rounding: Bad
T1
Time: 02:20
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Bad Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
00:46:22 | 14.85 miles | 19.22 mile/hr
Age Group: 11/19
Overall: 62/259
Performance: Below average
Wind: Some
Course:
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 88
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Too much
T2
Time: 01:40
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:26:01 | 03.2 miles | 08m 08s  min/mile
Age Group: 13/19
Overall: 111/259
Performance: Bad
Course:
Keeping cool Good Drinking Too much
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
Good race? Ok
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] 4