Swim
Comments: I felt really good at the start and up the first straight leg. I passed some people and really had a good groove going. However, I went too wide which cost me some time. I really need to stay closer to the buoys because it is adding yards to the effort. I will work on that in the next race. I worked on drafting. I picked a few people that I had problems passing. I would drift back to their hip and sit. It was great to get a free ride for a period of time. On the last turn home, I hooked up with a guy and we yo-yoed back and forth all the way. New goggles! Keyanna from Aqua Sphere were excellent. I love them. Overall, I felt like it was a good swim, but the time was much slower than I thought. 5th in AG is a good marker. I did hear people with Garmins indicate the course was long. I guess you look for excuses when you time is not what you wanted! What would you do differently?: Stay closer to the buoys. I think this is adding more time to the swim than I think. I am adding too much distance. Otherwise, I things went as planned. Transition 1
Comments: 8th fastest in AG. Coming out of the water, I felt slow. Went through the progression properly. I forgot rubber bans, so I had to run in the shoes up hill to the mount area. I know I left at least 20 seconds in T1. I am happy that I am holding my own in the transitions. What would you do differently?: Move quicker and remember rubber bands. Bike
Comments: I was determined to finally pace myself on the bike. Normally, I let it all hang out. I wanted to average north of 19.5, but not more than 20. Since my hamstrings were in a weak state, I knew I needed to save some for the run. This course can/should be really fast, but I stayed disciplined. In shape, this is a 21 MPH course for me. At mile 5 my hamstring flicked to remind me to be careful. It relaxed and was not a problem the rest of the bike. I had a gel about 45 minutes into the bike and took two eCaps at 1 hour into the bike. I think the decision to take the eCaps saved me on the run. They did turn my stomach some. What would you do differently?: I am going to leave this one alone. I could have gone faster, but the run would have been even more of a disaster. I had a pacing plan and stuck with it. Transition 2
Comments: 3rd in AG. Not bad at all. I got out of my shoes before the line which was the right decision. I passed a bunch of people trying to run in cleats up the hill and trying not to slip going down the racks. Once I hit my rack, again, I was slow in getting through the progression, but it was not terrible. I got slowed up putting the shoes on as the feet were wet and the foot did not go in smoothly. What would you do differently?: Just need to move quicker. Not much else to do differently. Run
Comments: First two miles were at pace, then the first crossing of the dam. I could feel my body temp rising and slowing down at the same time. My hamstrings were tight and I was constantly thinking "if I push, they are going to let go on me". I had my Garmin for the run, so I could see my pace slipping at the miles went on. I can honestly say the fight left me at this point. There was no talking on the course. It seemed like most people were in the zone dealing with the heat. I saw Darrel at his "bad" spot in the race coming the opposite direction. I yelled some encouragement and shuffled forward. I saw Fred at a rough point for him and encouraged him. I yelled to Brian, but he was in the zone and not looking around at all. On the trip back across the dam, I could tell it was time to shut down. My head was thumping which is a sign of heat exhaustion. I was determined to not walk on the dam. Got the aid station, got 2 cups of water and walked for about 50 yards. I did the ironman shuffle to the line. I did not expect much from this run. There is no excuse for this time, so I will not make one. I was happy, given the conditions, to get through with no cramping. What would you do differently?: I had challenges coming into the race. I made decision to not go deep based on my condition. It certainly cost me on overall time, but it could have been a bad ending. I was happy that I listened to my body (for once). Post race
Warm down: I hit the soaker tent for about 15 minutes. I stumbled over to the ATC tent, talked with the crew and ate some food. I could not get myself back on even ground. I felt woozie and 100%. So, I hit the soaker tent again, headed over to transition to pack up. I was going to have lunch with a bunch of BT people, but I did not feel good and the thought of BBQ was turning my stomach. What limited your ability to perform faster: Heat was a big factor. I do not do well when it is that hot. My hamstrings were coming off stained status and had just settled down late last week. I had not worked out much from mid-May. I could feel the run form was just not there. Event comments: Ga MS generally does a good job. The soaker tent was a brilliant idea. The food was poor and sitting in the sun getting warm. I was a little disappointed but they did offer the basics. The bike course is just asking to be crushed. With a flat run, it should be crushed. The results posting was over 24 hours after the race. All the other races post same day. It is a minor knock, but I am putting it out there. Last updated: 2010-04-02 12:00 AM
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United States
GA Multi-Sports
90F / 32C
Sunny
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 18/34
I knew it was going to be hot and humid. I started hydrating the day before to make sure I showed up topped off. I got up at 4 AM, bagel and a little coffee, and drove down to West Point. It is a bit of a long drive at over 90 minutes, but not terrible.
Setup transition and talked with Brian. They announced that the water was 89 degrees. 89? Really? Not a good oman for the day. I did an extra long swim warm up. My shoulders were a little stiff and knew they needed some easy swimming to get going.