Savageman Triathlon 70.0 - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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McHenry, Maryland
United States
60F / 16C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 48m 28s
Overall Rank = 189/390
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 35/64
Pre-race routine:

I did my usual routine, eating some dry cereal, setting up transition, sipping on water, eating a gel about 1/2 hour before my wave started, and just hanging out talking to friends until the race started.

Because it was cold this morning, I put on my wetsuit much sooner than I normally would have.

Finally, I completed my pre-race routine with the obligatory pee in the wetsuit just before my wave started. (As a side note, I feel like I hydrated pretty much perfectly on this cool day. I never peed again the entire race, and only felt a little bit of an urge during the run.)
Event warmup:

Just tried to stay warm during the nearly 45 minutes between when transition closed and my wave started.
Swim
  • 31m 28s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 29s / 100 yards
Comments:

This was the best drafting I've ever experienced in a race. The fast field provided a lot of feet to follow. Plus, conditions were perfect for a fast swim: Glass smooth water with a breeze from the south which aided for the long straight from the turtle to the swan. Even allowing for the course being between 50 and 100 yds short, this was still a good swim for me.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Transition 1
  • 03m 24s
Comments:

I thought this transition was only average today, but it was 4th/64 in my AG and 30th/390 overall. Because it was about 50 degrees, I threw on a long sleeve pullover that was snug enough not to flap during the ride, but loose enough to get on easily. In the end, this proved to be the right choice.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Bike
  • 3h 57m 11s
  • 55.7 miles
  • 14.09 mile/hr
Comments:

My pacing seemed to be perfect. To deal with the cold, and be prepared for the Wall, I tried to keep spinning during the 18 miles from T1 to Westernport.

I took it really easy on the 3 blocks leading up to the wall, trying to both conserve energy and position myself to avoid being taken out by another rider. When I hit the 31% face, it was surprisingly easy. I never redlined, and actually only put out about a 90% effort on the worst part. BRICK EARNED!!!!

For nutrition and hydration, I consumed approximately 70 calories of Gatorade in the form of a 50/50 water/Gatorade mix, 190 calories of Gel Blasts, 300 calories in 3 gels, 1/2 of a Clif Bar worth about 125 calories, and a little less than 2.5 bottles of water for a total of between 650 and 700 calories during the roughly 4 hour ride. This is an average of only about 170 calories / hour, but it seemed to be the right amount in the end.

My conservative pacing paid off well, with all the other hills being a steady effort, and even Killer Miller not maiming me and leaving me for dead the way it did during my training ride several weeks ago. With about 10 miles to go, I started increasing my effort level a little, because I felt so good. This resulted in passing quite a few people during the final miles.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Transition 2
  • 01m 34s
Comments:

This was another good transition: 6th/64 in my AG, and 43rd/390 overall.

With the consistently quick transition times in recent races, I may have to consider changing my screen name to TransitionGuy!
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Run
  • 2h 14m 53s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 18s  min/mile
Comments:

Any doubts I had about my pacing quickly evaporated during the run. I felt good out of T2, turning the first 3 miles in 30 minutes, and maintaining that pace for a first loop split of 1:06:xx. I decided to walk up all the steeper hills to avoid blowing up, and was able to maintain a good run pace everywhere else.

I pretty much held onto the same pace for the rest of the run, turning in a second loop split of a little over 1:07:xx with only the last 3 miles hurting badly. It's good this race wasn't any longer, because I was redlining for the last 30 minutes, and I'm not sure how much longer I could have held onto this pace.

Coming out of T2 37th in my AG and finishing 35th is a victory for me, considering that only 2 years ago, I still stuggled on the run, being passed by almost everyone, and routinely posting run splits near the bottom of my AG. I'm not fast, but I'm not as slow as I used to be!

For hydration and nutrition during the run, I ran through all but 2 aid stations without stopping. At 1 I grabbed a Coke, and at another, I got a HEED. With a temperature of about 65-70, this was plenty for the length of this race.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Out of the 4 HIM's I've done, this was my 2nd fastest run split. I'm ecstatic with this result after that bike course!
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around a little while wrapped in a space blanket to stay warm.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Fitness. I feel that I ran a smart race for my fitness level, and could not have squeezed out much better performance.

Event comments:

This course is as challenging as it's reputation, and this attracts a bunch of studs, so if you want to challenge yourself against a brutal course and a fast field, this is the race for you.

This event is well run with only a few suggestions for improvement, and those relate more to spectators than athletes. There should be a few more port-o-potties at the race venue, and there should be some at the Westernport Wall (There weren't any at all for the spectators who were there for several hours). Also, something playing in additin to the theme from Rocky on a continuous loop at the Wall wouldn't hurt. My wife said she wanted to rip her own ears off after hearing it several dozen times without a break. Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall comes to mind immediately as another option, and I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to come up with a few more for some fun variety.

The post-race food was awesome! I had a pork bbq sandwich with some side dishes.




Last updated: 2011-01-04 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:31:28 | 2112 yards | 01m 29s / 100yards
Age Group: 21/64
Overall: 113/390
Performance: Good
Suit: Full Sleeves
Course: Clockwise cigar shaped with 3 turns total: 1 at each end of the course, and a third turn around a rock outcropping into the beach. Kyle Yost, the course designer confirmed later that it was slightly short this year, because they had trouble with the swan drifting. He said that their confirmation with GPS put it at 1.16 miles rather than 1.2.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 63F / 17C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:24
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
03:57:11 | 55.7 miles | 14.09 mile/hr
Age Group: 44/64
Overall: 216/390
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course: This is an incredibly difficult course that can crush even the strongest triathlete if they aren't prepared or don't pace well. The climbs are relentless between miles 18 and 45. They are long, and many are steep. If you're not climbing, you're on technical descents that frequently prevent the use of aerobars.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 80
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:34
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:14:53 | 13.1 miles | 10m 18s  min/mile
Age Group: 38/64
Overall: 220/390
Performance: Good
Loop #1: 1:06:xx Loop #2: 1:07:xx
Course: This course is mostly rolling with a few hills. The worst hill is Fire Tower Road (?). Steep, rutted, and rocky, it's challenging to make good time up it and to avoid twisting an ankle on the way back down.
Keeping cool Good 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]