Triangle Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Morrisville, North Carolina
United States
Set-Up, Inc.
75F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 24m 22s
Overall Rank = 267/552
Age Group = Clyde
Age Group Rank = 13/38
Pre-race routine:

Went to Raleigh for the weekend to visit the family, so I did packet pickup on Saturday and drive the course. Everyone I had heard from kept talking about how hilly the course is. I guess I was just spoiled by the Columbia course b/c it really wasn't that bad.

Picked up number 41 and wondered how I got such a low number. This means I'd have to step up my game on Sunday.

Got to the venue early and went through body marking. I had them put 'BT' on my calf in hopes that someone would notice, but noone did. In transition setup, I tried a different setup with my bike hanging on the rack from the bottle holder on the back. That way I didn't have to turn the bike around on exit.

After transition, mainly hung out with the family and had a gel and Red Bull to get ready.

I did see two people standing around near the swim start. 1 was wearing a IMCDA finishers shirt and was talking to a short blond. I almost wanted to walk up to him and say "Does the name 'Stake' mean anything to you?" but didn't want to seem like a strange guy if I was wrong.
Event warmup:

A little bit of swimming and just walking around trying to stay loose.
Swim
  • 15m 1s
  • 820 yards
  • 01m 50s / 100 yards
Comments:

I tried to find a decent place to start so that I wouldn't get swam over. Found a nice niche and got off pretty well. No feet to draft off of, but kept a good pace with the person next to me.

Started out with a breath on every stroke but slowed it down to every other stroke as I got comfortable in the water.

I rounded the bouy pretty easily and turned to see a number of clydes still behind me, which made me feel pretty good.

They had a giant inflatable guy at the end which was really easy to sight on and I thank the RD for that.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Transition 1
  • 01m 27s
Comments:

This was my first Suitless tri and it was nice not to have to fight with a suit in T1.

Socks and shoes on, bike off the rack, and I was off running the 1/4 mile to mount line. (Why was transition so far from the mount line?)
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I really liked having the bike hanging from the rear so I didn't have to turn the bike around.
Bike
  • 41m 57s
  • 15 miles
  • 21.45 mile/hr
Comments:

I finally got my hydration figured out. Drank a whole bottle of water on the course and took on a gel as I was heading back in to sustain me for the run.

The hills were solid, but nothing close to the hills of Columbia. I did enjoy the feeling of spinning up the hills with a high cadence while seated. Especially as I go by people who were in too high of a gear and were struggling. The looks on their faces was priceless.
What would you do differently?:

More hill training and more Musc Endurance training.
Transition 2
  • 01m 21s
Comments:

Racked the bike head in, off with the bike shoes, and slipped into the run shoes. Race belt and visor on.

Grabbed the open red bull and took off drinking.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Run
  • 24m 38s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 07m 55s  min/mile
Comments:

This was the payoff. My primary goal for this race was to go sub-30 on the run. A secondary goal was to go under 1:30 for the race. I left on the run at exactly 1 hour and knew that I had both goals in my grasp.

The adrenaline was pumping as I took off on the run and I drank about 1/2 the can of Red Bull between T2 exit and when I hit the road. Had to dump the rest (I know, blasphemy) and carried the can in my side pocket for the first mile.

I tried to keep a solid pace and focus on my cadence and breathing for the first mile. I was following pretty well and only got passed by one Clyde and a half dozen racers total.

When I hit the 1 mile mark, I looked at my watch and about keeled over. 7:30 for my first mile. That crushed my previous best 7:49/mile. I knew at that point, unless I broke down, I was going to crush my goal. Now the question was, by how much.

At each water stop, I grabbed 2 cups. 1 for a couple of sips to keep the throat wet, and another to dump on my head.

As I approached the final 1/2 mile, I saw a calf with a 'C' on it, and realized that he was slowing down. I decided to light him up going to the end. I lowered my hips, came up on the balls of my feet, and dropped the hammer. I passed him like he was standing still.

I came sprinting down the chute and felt great. Even had enough sense to throw out a 'shocker' for my race photo.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Post race
Warm down:

Stretching and eating.

Signed up for a massage and hung around for the awards.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Conditioning and speed.

Event comments:

My primary goal for this race was to have a strong performance in front of my parents and sisters. I certainly met that goal and everyone was pretty astonished with how well I finished (including me).

I finished 13th out of a field of 38 and couldn't be happier. There is still a good amount of room for improvement, but I'm happy with my performance for now.




Last updated: 2005-12-11 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:15:01 | 820 yards | 01m 50s / 100yards
Age Group: 23/38
Overall: 0/552
Performance: Good
Suit: None
Course: Out and back triangular swim.
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 80F / 27C Current:
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 01:27
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:41:57 | 15 miles | 21.45 mile/hr
Age Group: 10/38
Overall: 0/552
Performance: Good
Wind: None
Course: Cloverleaf-style with a few small hills.
Road: Smooth  Cadence: 85
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:21
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:24:38 | 03.11 miles | 07m 55s  min/mile
Age Group: 17/38
Overall: 0/552
Performance: Good
Course: Rolling course through the park.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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