Med Express 1/2 Iron Distance - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Morgantown, West Virginia
United States
HFP Racing
70F / 21C
Precipitation
Total Time = 6h 01m 1s
Overall Rank = 115/257
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 13/26
Pre-race routine:

Up at 4:30, bowl of oatmeal, walked to transition area and unloaded gear, and then packed up hotel room and stowed gear in the car.
Event warmup:

None. Unless trying to zip up my wetsuit counts.
Swim
  • 35m 3s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 40s / 100 yards
Comments:

Great swim. My sighting was dead on, which allowed me to swim 20-25 yards before looking up to ensure I was headed in the right direction.

The water was reasonably clear, meaning you could see your hands and the feet of the guy in front of you as you swam near him. Tasted pretty good, too. No taste of oil, which I was expecting.

But watch that entry and exit. I had heard of the stones that you'd step on entering the water -- but we're talking chunks of concrete blocks here. I didn't understand why everyone was going in so slow until I hit one myself. You exit by pulling yourself up onto a boat launch, which means you're still in deep and you cannot push off the ground. The guy in front of me kind of pulled himself up one leg at a time and then rolled onto his back, limbs splayed, resembling a turtle. And then you begin the very steep climb up the hill to T1.
What would you do differently?:

Start at the front. No more starting in back and easing my way into the swim, waiting for openings to slide up in front of others.
Transition 1
  • 02m 16s
Comments:

I have to work on getting onto the bike faster. And paying attention when I'm in transition to my gear. I casually tossed my wetsuit onto my pile of things, and when I came back from the ride noticed that it was not where I left it. No problems, I thought. Until I started packing up at the end of the race and realized that the wetsuit with my gear was not my wetsuit. Now since I was the first one out in my rack of bikes, I know I didn't put my wetsuit in the wrong place. And once again, my swim cap is gone. Not a big deal, you get free ones every race. But it made me aware of how things can so easily go missing. I need a system of stowing my gear away as I strip it off.
What would you do differently?:

Just work on getting faster. 2 minutes is good, but 1 minute would have been so much better.
Bike
  • 3h 07m 35s
  • 56 miles
  • 17.91 mile/hr
Comments:

Very tough hills, which mean you're going about 6mph up, but 30mph down. A racer died at Mile 8 in 2005. A local going up it with me the second time around called it the Morgantown self-flagellation hill.
What would you do differently?:

More hill training. My legs hurt. And take it easier on the first loop so I could crank it up on the second.
Transition 2
  • 03m 32s
Comments:

It rained throughout the ride and I was seriously soaked, so I decided to change socks and ditch the padded shorts for a pair of running shorts. Sat down to do it, which was a mistake. Felt like a mountain climber who says let me just sleep here in the snow for a minute. Put shoes on, turned my race number to the front, got about 10 steps from my stuff and realized I was just wearing the speedo. And my body isn't good enough to run in just a speedo. Backtracked to gear, pulled on shorts, and I was off. Note to self: never pass a portajohn if there is any inkling that one might be appreciated.
What would you do differently?:

Work on T2. Doing it in your mind is not the same as doing it for real.
Run
  • 2h 12m 33s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

Serious hill, a/k/a Devil's Hill, at Mile 5, which you hit again at Mile 11. Let me say that again -- very steep hill. The kind of hill that you would avoid if you drove a stick shift. The kind of hill that you would have killed to have when you were a kid on a snowy winter day. The kind of hill that made me realize I live in a flat area of the world. Ouch. And Satan stands there mocking you as you work your way up. Of course, once you're on top, there's an aid station, with the sweetest grandmothers handing out water and drinks as you turn the corner.

My goal was a 10/minute mile because this is a practice race for Lake Placid. First mile out was at 8:04, so once I slowed it down, the run went as planned except for very tight legs at Mile 12.

I liked this run, and as I sit here now, wish I could give it another go.
What would you do differently?:

More long runs at pace training.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around for a bit, changed into dry clothes, and hit the road home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Slow speed on bike, long transitions.

Event comments:

I'd do it again.




Last updated: 2005-11-16 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:35:03 | 2112 yards | 01m 40s / 100yards
Age Group: 3/26
Overall: 36/257
Performance: Good
Suit: Ironman Stealth
Course: In the Monongahela River between the dam and the Mon River Lock. Started in the water just pass the bridge, so you could look up and see spectators looking down upon you as you waited for the gun to go off.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 74F / 23C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:16
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
03:07:35 | 56 miles | 17.91 mile/hr
Age Group: 14/26
Overall: 114/257
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: 2-loop. Serious hills from Mile 7 through 11, with a very tight turn around at Mile 18 and head back into town to finish the first loop.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Bad
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:32
Overall: Bad
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Below average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:12:33 | 13.1 miles | 10m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 17/26
Overall: 145/257
Performance: Average
Course: 2-loop course along the river and through town. Water/aid stations at almost every mile, and plenty of portajohns. Not that I visited every one.
Keeping cool Good 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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4