Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon - Olympic Race - DuathlonStandard


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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC
90F / 32C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 39m 8s
Overall Rank = 411/1260
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 83/254
Pre-race routine:

Woke up 0415. Bagel, PB and coffee. Almost managed to get out of the hotel withougt waking Caroline and the kids but pumping up the tires by the light of the bathroom was just too much noise .... cycled from Crowne Plaza to event. Body marked and set out transition only to hear confirmation of rumours that it would be a Duathlon. Extremely tragic and sobering.
Event warmup:

Cycling 2.5 miles from hotel to event.
Run
  • 24m 12s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 07m 49s  min/mile
Comments:

Had to change strategy quickly ahead of the race. Running is my worst element so I knew it was going to be an interesting morning. Thought I'd aim for 24 mins for the first 5k in order to pace for the rest of the day. Hit this target but my heart rate was about 20 bpm higher than if I'd had come out of the swim.
What would you do differently?:

Run slower.
Transition 1
  • 01m 32s
Comments:

Changed shoes without problem. Waved to Caroline, Ellie, James, Mum and Dad as I came out. A lot of congestion coming out of T1 - basically single file. And then lots of stationary bikes as people tried to clip in. Managed to squeeze through a gap and jumped onto bike - then took a couple of extra revolutions to clip in properly.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Bike
  • 1h 09m 14s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 21.54 mile/hr
Comments:

Enjoyed 90% of the bike leg. Passed lots of people - course was very congested on first lap. Went up all the hills well - stayed seated and powered up them. Training really paid off here. Race wheels were good - nice noise ! However after going past Art Museum (made myself chuckle by shouting 'Adrian' as I went past the steps - well I laughed) I then hit an expansion joint at 25 mph and almost came off. Front aerobottle knocked loose, velcro strap flapped open. Accidentally dropped the strap and then had to hold the aerobottle until ditching it near Transition (never to be seen again). Thought I'd buckled the front wheel. On second loop started to feel hamstrings so backed off a bit. Shouted out 'Adrian' as I went passed the Art Museum again. Still no one found it funny. Bunny hopped the tracks and expansion joints on second circuit. Feet out of shoes on short loop before Black Road then into T2 a bit too quickly.
What would you do differently?:

Recce the bike route if I had the time and didn't live 120 miles away. Sort out my fluid intake (only managed 1/2 aerobottle of water and 1/2 bottle of Gatorade for the whole 25 miles). No gels either. Am I an idiot or what ?
Transition 2
  • 01m 47s
Comments:

Felt good and faster than 1'47. Guess that was a taste of things to come.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Run
  • 1h 01m 42s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 09m 56s  min/mile
Comments:

Dreadful. Brutal. I was struggling from mile 2. Made it to the turnaround at about mile 3.5 and decided I'd have to walk (despite HTFU comments in my head). Then saw race photographer so ran another 100 yards. Then walked for about a minute. Got passed by men, women, small children, sloths and arthritic ants. Then ground out another mile to the aid station. Walked through aid stations and under final bridge. Desperately, desperately slow. Managed a short bust of lightening slow acceleration for the finish line. Grim. Grim. Did I say grim ?
What would you do differently?:

Run more in training : wear a water belt. Was hoping for a 45 min 10k if it had been a Triathlon. But realistically less than 25 miles a month can't prepare you for running 5k/10k in 90 degree heat. Going to have to up the training distance seriously for Nations Tri, Baltimore Half Mary and ultimately MiamiMan in November. Still a good hard lesson in what it is going to take.
Post race
Warm down:

Drank two bottles of water then a third then a fourth. Had a massage - first time I've had a post race massage and I reckon it has helped the recovery process a lot. Ate the post race food while chatting to my family. Learnt that England were getting thrashed by the Germans in the footie.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The heat. Competing in a Duathlon rather than a Triathlon.

Event comments:

I thought the organisers did a great job under incredibly difficult circumstances. They showed respect for the tragic circumstances of the Saturday but still managed to go ahead with a well organised duathlon. Given it was my first Philly Tri (amd second Olympic) I thought there were too many people for a two loop bike course which also overlapped with a run course; the Black Road descent is plain dangerous as you have slow cyclists on first and second circuits mixing it at high speeds with fast cyclists. Add the bumpy road under the bridge and there could be a really bad crash there. But the volunteers were great, there were plenty of aid stations, and all the organisation was mostly smooth (bike racking in my area was chaotic as the numbering had gone awry). Supporters had to park quite a distance away - shuttle buses were a good touch. Immediately finishing the race I said I wouldn't come back. Now I'm not so sure.




Last updated: 2010-02-13 12:00 AM
Running
00:24:12 | 03.1 miles | 07m 49s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/254
Overall: 846/1260
Performance: Below average
Av HR 162 Max HR 170
Course: Out and back. Flat.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
T1
Time: 01:32
Overall: Average
Run with bike? Good
Jump on bike? Good
Getting up to speed and into shoes: Below average
Biking
01:09:14 | 24.85 miles | 21.54 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/254
Overall: 211/1260
Performance: Good
Av HR 154
Wind: Little
Course: Two loops. 4 moderate shortish hills.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 01:47
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:01:42 | 06.21 miles | 09m 56s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/254
Overall: 959/1260
Performance: Bad
HR - off the scale.
Course: Two out and back loops. Flat.
Keeping cool Bad Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4