Reston Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Reston, Virginia
United States
Reston Triathlon
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 49m 37s
Overall Rank = 191/336
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 45/66
Pre-race routine:

Got up about 4:30, had a pop-tart and about 12 oz of Accelerade, then made some strong coffee. Loaded the equipment then was at the T2 transition area by 5:30. Set up T2 (T1 and T2 were separate locations) then rode my bike to T1, about a mile away. Set up T1, chatted with Ernie (ejc999), Cindy (BodyCheck), and a number of other folks that I knew. Swilled another 16 oz of Accerlerade
Event warmup:

Stretched, walked around, and chatted more than stretching out... :)
Swim
  • 39m 38s
  • 1760 yards
  • 02m 15s / 100 yards
Comments:

I haven't been swimming nearly the volume that I did for my first Oly in May, so that probably seriously impacted my time. What surprised me more was that this was equivalent to my non-wetsuit time in the pool; I've ALWAYS been about 10 min faster at this distance in my suit. I never got "into the gliding groove", but I wasn't struggling either. The swim felt good, not incredibly strong, but it did feel good.
What would you do differently?:

More pool time, start working on speed and more endurance in the pool.
Transition 1
  • 04m 14s
Comments:

The race organizers had us bag everything in T1 so that they could transport it to T2 -- this took a bit more time than I was anticipating. I'm not sure how I could have sped this up much more -- my T1 spot was the furthest back from the start line so of course THIS was the entire reason for my time :)
What would you do differently?:

Not much, except put a faster swim time down so that I get seeded closer to the start (or put the slowest time, since the slowest people were also close to the start line). Ok, I'm kidding... I'd do nothing!
Bike
  • 1h 06m 16s
  • 22.3 miles
  • 20.19 mile/hr
Comments:

Average cadence was 84 rpm, with a range from 0 to 109. 6% of my time was spent coasting (too low). 23% of my time was spent in the 80-85 rpm range and 24% of my time in the 85-90 rpm range (both on target).

Spent 835 kJ on the bike leg alone, which was much higher than I had planned (probably due to higher HR average). My power threshold over the last month as been 220 watts (kind of another measure of LT but from a power perspective), and I averaged 207 watts overall, so putting out about 94% of my LT effort for the entire bike leg. More surprising was my normalized power (takes coasting out of the equation) and it was 227W average, which is ABOVE my LT, and shows that this, above anything, probably did me in for the run leg. When I was peddling I averaged higher than my LT, which is a tough thing for me to do...
What would you do differently?:

Lose weight to drive my W/kg ratio higher, and hence go faster.
Transition 2
  • 01m 47s
Comments:

Again, as luck would have it, I was in the next to last lane from the T2 bike entrance.
What would you do differently?:

Nada...
Run
  • 75m 45s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 12m 12s  min/mile
Comments:

Just didn't really find my groove, but knew I was going to be spent because I had planned to hammer the bike leg. Had tingly feet the first mile or two that I couldn't get rid of -- felt like I was plodding along flat-footed. Had to really slow down to keep my HR down -- in Memphis I allowed my HR to get within a few beats of my LT and this did me in. All I wanted on the run leg was to NOT run/walk like I did in Memphis, and mission accomplished there. Kept pouring water over my head to keep cool, and that certainly helped.
What would you do differently?:

Lose some more weight, as it is causing me to overheat. Do some serious BRICK workouts, since I haven't done any in a few months and I think this is what caused my feet to not respond when I started.
Post race
Warm down:

Walking around with a cold rag on my shoulders (!), hugs from the family, and more walking around.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of BRICKs, overheating, hammering on the bike leg.

Event comments:

I set a reference point for next year. I plan to do this again and improve!




Last updated: 2006-02-16 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:38 | 1760 yards | 02m 15s / 100yards
Age Group: 52/66
Overall: 241/336
Performance: Below average
HR Data: Min:98, Avg: 141, Max: 157. Spent 25 minutes in Z3 (131-146) and 11 minutes in Z4 (147-162). Hit the turn around at 17:46.37; 21:40.15 (or so) to get back to the start line.
Suit: Orca S1 Full
Course: Lake Audubon, Reston Virginia. Out and back loop, with an additional 150-200 yds at the end.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 76F / 24C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:14
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:06:16 | 22.3 miles | 20.19 mile/hr
Age Group: 24/66
Overall: 109/336
Performance: Good
HR Data: Min:137, Avg: 160, Max: 169. My HR at lactic threshold (LT) on the bike is about 163 BPM, so I was hammering and regulating well during the entire bike sequence, staying just a few beats below LT.
Wind: Little
Course: Winding roads through Reston. Somewhat hilly in places, but nothing serious.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 84
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:47
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:75:45 | 06.21 miles | 12m 12s  min/mile
Age Group: 143/66
Overall: 192/336
Performance: Below average
HR Data: Min:138, Avg: 153, Max: 170. My LT for running is about the same as on the bike, or 162 bpm or so, so I was pushing it hard during the running leg. Had to work hard to stay out of Z5 (163+) BPM, and spent 50 minutes in Z4 (147-162).
Course: Trails through Reston.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Too much
Post race
Weight change: %(1%)
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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