STAMFORD KIC IT TRIATHLON - TriathlonOlympic


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Stamford, Connecticut
United States
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 57m 11s
Overall Rank = 256/374
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

First, I should note that I used the BT 8 weeks to an Olympic training program to prep for this race. It was my first effort at a tri, and the training program was great for keeping me focused. Overall, I was able to put in about 80% of the time recommended (some days you just can't fit it in). Second, a friend suggested that I do a Sprint a couple of weeks before the Olympic to get a feel for race day jitters and the transitions, and that was great advice that I readily pass on to anyone planning an Olympic as your first event.
On race day I was up at 4, ate a bagel and a banana, drank cup of coffee and 24 oz. water on my way to the race. Parked car and dropped off gear at T2, then road bike (~2 miles) with swim gear down to race start/T1 area.
Event warmup:

Light bike ride from T2 to T1, followed by stretching.
Swim
  • 28m 26s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 44s / 100 yards
Comments:

Race started at low tide and we had to run out the first ~150m, cut my feet up pretty good on the rocks/shells (that would be a problem later), and hadn't planned on working my legs that hard during the swim. It's not easy running through knee deep water.
What would you do differently?:

Statistically, this was my strongest event, but I felt like I should have done better in the swim relative to the field. Starting out running was not helpful as I was out of breath from the run before I even started to swim. I don't think I pushed as hard as I could have when we were actually swimming.
Transition 1
  • 03m 30s
Comments:

When I did the Sprint two weeks ago for practice, I got my foot stuck in the wetsuit and fell down. Used more body glide on the feet/ankles this time and avoided that problem.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Bike
  • 1h 28m 13s
  • 24.8 miles
  • 16.87 mile/hr
Comments:

Did this on my hybrid bike modified with 28mm road tires and aero bars. I knew I would be slow becuase of my equipment, and I tried not to get discouraged as I was being passed on the ascents. I caught some people on the descents (one benefit of weighing 215 lbs), and overall was happy with my average speed. I biked the course twice in practice, so I was ready for the hills. The climb on Erskine Rd. is a killer -- I passed three people walking their fancy road bikes up the hill, and that made me feel pretty good.
What would you do differently?:

Get a road bike or a tri bike and get my avg. speed up around 18-19 mph.
Transition 2
  • 01m 1s
Comments:

Not much to do in T2 as I don't have pedal clips and I rode my bike with my running shoes on. Pulled into T2 just as announcer was saying "and our winner is coming into sight now..." Was happy to get out of T2 before the winner finished.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Run
  • 56m 2s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 09m 02s  min/mile
Comments:

For me, this was a great result. My 10k time in training was pretty consistently in the 1:02 range. It was hot and humid, my feet hurt from the cuts, and I developed blisters on both big toes by the 4 mile mark, but I still came under an hour. Stopped very briefly at each water station to hydrate. Was very happy with run result.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really. This was about as good as I could have hoped to do for this race.
Post race
Warm down:

Lots of water and stretching, then cold beer and a cheeseburger at Bobby V's in Stamford. Bobby was nice enough to buy a beer for every racer, and I got a nice picture taken with him. Very cool for me as I'm a huge Mets fan.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

This was my first Olympic distance tri and my second tri overall. I used the BT 8 weeks to an Olympic training program, and given my level of conditioning, probably would have benefited from a 12 week program. I was happy with my overall result, but I need to lose a few more pounds and get into better shape if I want to get my time down into the 2:30-2:40 range, which would be my goal.

Event comments:

Race was very well organized and staffed. Police and volunteers did a great job with traffic and with water stations. The only problem, really, was the low tide at the start, and there's not much the race organizers could have done about that.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2010-06-03 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:28:26 | 1640 yards | 01m 44s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 257/374
Performance: Average
Suit: Orca 3.8
Course: Triangle
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 66F / 19C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Below average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 03:30
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:28:13 | 24.8 miles | 16.87 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 277/374
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Flat, then a series of challenging climbs from mile 8 to mile 17 (Erskine Rd. is a beast at about mile 16), then rolling hills to finish.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:01
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:56:02 | 06.2 miles | 09m 02s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 267/374
Performance: Good
Course: Flat, no shade.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
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