Tune Up Tri - TriathlonMini Sprint


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Manassas, Virginia
United States
Tri It Now
35F / 2C
Overcast
Total Time = 29m 54s
Overall Rank = 33/252
Age Group = 35-40
Age Group Rank = 1/29
Pre-race routine:

I got up at 5:00 and had an orange, oatmeal, and an egg for breakfast. I had a cup of coffee on the way, and left home a little after 6:00 to get to the race and set up. At about 6:20, I pumped up my bike tires but some chain lube on the chain, and set up my transition area. Then I dropped a dry bag off by the pool, used the bathroom, got body marked and picked up my timing chip.
Event warmup:

I was running out of time, so I just jogged for about 5 minutes and did a couple of accelerations. Then I stretched during the pre-race announcements.
Swim
  • 05m 7s
  • 250 yards
  • 02m 03s / 100 yards
Comments:

This was the last leg. Fortunately, I was a bit ahead of the crowd, so I didn't have much traffic to contend with in the pool. I passed one guy who was doing breast stroke, and I got passed by another guy, but then I passed him again later. I felt pretty slow in the water. It was a really different experience to be so out of breath at the start of the swim, so I just tried to get a rhythm and stick with it. I didn't feel like I could sprint or make much of a surge here.
What would you do differently?:

If I were going to do more races where the swim was at the end, I would practice going from the bike to the swim more. Beyond that, I just need to keep working on my efficiency and speed in the water.
Transition 1
  • 01m 12s
Comments:

I got out of my running shoes and into my bike shoes pretty quickly. I fumbled with my bike helmet a bit and wasted time on that.
What would you do differently?:

Practice a bit more with my aerohelmet before my next race. It has been a while since I have worn it, and I didn't get it over my ears very well.
Bike
  • 12m 17s
  • 4 miles
  • 19.54 mile/hr
Comments:

I was pretty conservative in the u-turns since there was still some sand left on the roads from all the snow over the winter and my racing tires have NO traction. My strategy was to just shift down a bit, make the turn, and then stand up and really go for it to get back up to speed. I stayed aero on all of the straight-aways and passed several people.
What would you do differently?:

I could get a little more brave on the turns. I also need to practice some accelerations and sprints before my next race.
Transition 2
  • 01m 49s
Comments:

I got my shoes off on the bike, so I was fast getting to my transition spot and racking my bike. I kept my watch on throughout the bike, so I had to take it off to remove my jacket and long-sleeved shirt and then put it back on. This took way too long! Then I ran into the pool area with my long pants and socks on by accident. I pulled them off before I crossed the mat and jumped into the pool.
What would you do differently?:

Wear less clothes if possible, but it was cold this morning! I also need to practice more with my Garmin because I really want to race with it, but I don't want it to slow me down.
Run
  • 09m 32s
  • 1.4 miles
  • 06m 49s  min/mile
Comments:

My Garmin showed a slightly shorter course, so I think my pace was more like 7:25/mile. I'm a really happy with that. I felt like I was pushing the whole way, but I had a little kick left for the mat into T1. My HR was in the high 160's. I'm not sure if I could have pushed harder or not. I will need to play with this a bit in my next 5K.
What would you do differently?:

Start incorporating a little speed work as injury recovery allows.
Post race
Warm down:

I just walked a little. I got a cup of water and two small pieces of whole wheat bread from the snack table and then I visited with my Master's swim group since they were there having practice. Then I swam about 800 yds with them until Charles came back from his volunteer position.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I felt like this was the best race I could run today. I did a three hour brick the day before (30min bike/2:30 run), so I'm sure if I had tapered, I would have had a greater capacity. I felt good, though. It is possible that I could have pushed harder in the run if I had a little more confidence that I wouldn't over-do it, and I need to keep working hard on my swim.

Event comments:

This was a great race! It was a fun way to start the season. It is extremely well organized and well run. One small glitch was the super long lines for body marking in the morning. I avoided this by getting someone to mark me with a marker that I keep in my bag. Also, the bike course has so many tight turns that it limits your speed a bit. But overall, I loved it and look forward to doing it again.




Last updated: 2010-03-26 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:05:07 | 250 yards | 02m 03s / 100yards
Age Group: 3/29
Overall: 50/252
Performance: Average
Suit: bathing suit
Course: in pool - snake swim
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 01:12
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:12:17 | 04 miles | 19.54 mile/hr
Age Group: 1/29
Overall: 24/252
Performance: Good
Wind: None
Course: This course was on roads around the Freedom Center. There were 5 U-turns, so it was not possible to get up to speed and maintain it for very long.
Road: Potholes Dry Cadence: 89
Turns: Good Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:49
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:09:32 | 01.4 miles | 06m 49s  min/mile
Age Group: 1/29
Overall: 49/252
Performance: Good
Course: Short course around the Freedom Center
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too easy
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4