Nation's Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.
United States
70F / 21C
Precipitation
Total Time = 2h 23m 38s
Overall Rank = 259/2838
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 32/497
Pre-race routine:

Got up 04:45 and had Bagel and PB with coffee. Walked from hotel to Event hotel and joined the long queues for a shuttle. Entertaining shuttle driver on way down. Arrived at transition around 6am - very wet. Set out transition (very pleased no overnight flats on the bike after two on Saturday) covered it all up and went for a wander. Puddles forming in the middle lane so decided to head up the outside with the bike for T1 and keep the shoes on my feet for T2. Took gel. Longish wait in swim corrals for the male menopausals to get going.
Event warmup:

None.
Swim
  • 27m 44s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 41s / 100 yards
Comments:

Lined up two rows back in the inside middle of the 3rd wave. Clearly this was too conservative a position as I spent the first 200m weaving a way through before hitting clearer water. Bizarre to see one person in front of me take a straight diagonal line towards the centre of the Potomac. Took wide line for the rest of the outward loop and then didn't really cut in for the bouys at the turn. Lost a bit of time here. Went easily down the 'back straight' until hitting more traffic around 700/800 metres. Better round the final two turns.
What would you do differently?:

Be more assertive in picking a starting position. Draft.
Transition 1
  • 03m 58s
Comments:

This was a long run from the swim exit. I got caught up in traffic on the way to transition. Again my swim cap came off with a comical 'pop' - is this a peculiarity for me or do others have this issue ? Anyhow swiftish change and long run from my transition spot to the bike exit (I note the elites are always placed close to the bike exit so they get minimum time running with their bikes ....). Didn't get the flying mount this time as bottles/X-lab combination would have led to either (a) groin strain; or (b) catastrophic slow-motion version of a Cavendish-like pile up on the start line.
What would you do differently?:

Become an elite (hah). Lower X-lab.
Bike
  • 1h 05m 34s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 22.74 mile/hr
Comments:

What a blast ! How cool to ride like a hooligan around closed roads in DC ! At times - especially the part back towards the Lincoln Memorial - it felt like I was in the 30 Seconds to Mars 'Kings and Queens' video.

The route was occasionally tricky because of the slick surface and the drain covers and potholes but until the return route down Clara Barton it wasn't too crowded so there was room to pass and avoid obstacles. Some of the turns were tricky and I had to slow right down to a crawl (especially the top turn at Rock Creek - why did we have to go round a single cone ?

Took gel after the Cabin John turnaround. Heavy traffic back down Clara Barton - very difficult to avoid drafting. But overall there wasn't a real problem with blocking which I thought there might have been on the this part of the route.
What would you do differently?:

Get aerohelmet and aerowheels ? But this would mean Mutually Assured Spending Destruction with my wife. Decisions. Decisions.
Transition 2
  • 02m 9s
Comments:

Usually I would take feet out of shoes and run in socks through transition. Given the muddy transition area decided to keep shoes on which meant no flying dismount. Otherwise no problems - shoes on, run belt on, visor on, all relatively quickly.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Run
  • 44m 14s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 07m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

So this is where the training paid off. This was a Triathlon 10k PB by over 5 minutes.

Felt really good - went off at 7:24 pace for the first mile and then gradually push it. Was running well but I just don't have enough running pedigree to know when to up the pace even more. Didn't feel like I was really working until the last mile (Averaged 7min/miles from mile 5 to mile 6 and then 5:52/mile for the last 0.2). So I had plenty left in the tank (and the heart rate data suggests I was working about as hard as a usual training run). Doh.

But compare this with Philadelphia when I ran a 1'02 10k in the heat. Hmm.
What would you do differently?:

Run harder. Revise pacing estimates and re-work them mid-race.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around post-event zone. Ate the food (no problems for me getting any), got a foil blanket (no problems for me getting it), listened to the band, put my name to the massage waiting list but wait proved too long so didn't get one in the end.



What limited your ability to perform faster:

Understanding personal run pacing. Probably could have pushed it even more on the bike looking at the HR data.

But really can't complain when I was hoping to break 2'30 and did it by over 6 mins. Mentally I executed my race plan perfectly and hey I finished first of the four Adrians in the race according to the Audi 'Fun Facts'.... (but only second of three Matthews's - must do better).

Event comments:

So maybe I'm biased because of a good performance but I thought this was a superb triathlon. It was really well organised and they coped with the rain really well. Positives :

- loads of great volunteers ! (Thanks to everyone who cheered us all on)
- great bike and run route. Swimming in the Potomac was pretty cool as well ! Biking and Running thorugh DC - for me a Brit - was just fantastic and I'll take those memories with me for the rest of my life.
- really good athlete's services (post race results readout, Audi virtual thingy, food, music (shame sun wasn't shining), foil blankets (I understand they ran out quite quickly)
- loads of portapotties

Negatives
- really sharp turns on the bike route - Rock Creek issue mentioned already




Last updated: 2010-02-13 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:27:44 | 1640 yards | 01m 41s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/497
Overall: 686/2838
Performance: Average
Suit: 2XU Sleeveless
Course: Washington Monument shaped extended rectangle. Counter clockwise route.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 75F / 24C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Good Navigation: Average
Rounding: Below average
T1
Time: 03:58
Performance: Below average
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
01:05:34 | 24.85 miles | 22.74 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/497
Overall: 275/2838
Performance: Good
Av HR 141 Max HR 161
Wind: Little
Course: Round the monuments and then out of Canal Road / Clara Barton. Back same way then loop up Rock Creek Parkway.
Road: Rough Wet Cadence: 94
Turns: Below average Cornering: Bad
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:09
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:44:14 | 06.21 miles | 07m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/497
Overall: 451/2838
Performance: Good
Av HR - 155 Max HR - 166
Course: Flat past Washington Monument then around Haynes Point
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5