Savageman Triathlon 70.0 - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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McHenry, Maryland
United States
60F / 16C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 16m 26s
Overall Rank = 115/390
Age Group = M 35-39
Age Group Rank = 22/53
Pre-race routine:

Woke at 6:05; ate two bowls of cereal and had two teas. Shave and shower. Drive to transition at 7:20 to set everything up.
Event warmup:

Stretch; 4-5 minute swim; stretch. One gel 20 minutes before swim.
Swim
  • 25m 44s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 13s / 100 yards
Comments:

On the first leg, I went wide to the right and ended up near the markers for the return leg. I did however catch a great draft for more than 100 meters off the start line and rounded the turtle perfectly. The smoke/mirror goggles were not a help and should have gone with clear.
Near cramp in calves about halfway through. Little to no trouble passing. Could have shaved another minute if I was more regular at the pool.
What would you do differently?:

Practice sighting.
Transition 1
  • 05m 18s
Comments:

Uphill start on bike -- in correct gear but still a bitch. I took a lot of time to dry off, put on sleeves and a dry jersey and socks so that I would not freeze on bike -- it was in the mid-50s. Didn't matter, I didn't warm up until Big Savage Mountain.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing...move faster. I wasn't worried about the time as much as forgetting something or major discomfort on the ride.
Bike
  • 3h 33m 4s
  • 55.7 miles
  • 15.69 mile/hr
Comments:

Wore sleeves, gloves and socks -- not quite enough. The wind was chilly a few times and my feet hurt from the cold. Legs, fingers, ears and chest were okay.
I dropped the chain -- I think due to a cross-chain problem right at the UTurn at the base of Killer Miller. It was an annoyance. I didn't really suffer anywhere although several of the climbs were quite hard. Once again, I thought McAndrew's Hill was the most underrated climb of the day...it is very hard. I hit a maximum speed of 45.5 mph and really started to reel in people on the last 10 miles.
Rarely did I pedal more than about 8-10 strokes once I got past about 31-32 mph. I let gravity work and tried to save up for the run. A couple times I pedaled straight through, but it was an exception.
What would you do differently?:

I dropped some 20 minutes off my bike split and think it was well earned. While I don't think the course allows for "saving up" due to all the climbing under 10 mph that takes place, I really wish that I could have given up 10 minutes of speed on the bike in order to get one mile per minute on the run pace. The speed of the bike doesn't matter if you cannot finish the run...and my bike was fast but it really took the fuel out of my fire.
I rode about 20-22 pounds lighter than a year ago. Next year, I should be down to 185 to see what another 5 pounds can do for me over Big Savage Mountain.
Transition 2
  • 03m 26s
Comments:

I'm not sure why this one took so long. I did fiddle around with the nutrition and the pockets a bit...but not too much.
What would you do differently?:

Simpler, faster.
Run
  • 2h 08m 56s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 50s  min/mile
Comments:

I felt fine until about mile 10 even though I knew the shine had come off earlier due to the splits. It wasn't ever a death march feeling, but mile 12-13 was a real test.
What would you do differently?:

Run more milage. I did a few bricks...but I don't think I ever did a brick with a hill workout. That is probably called for in order to really prepare.
Post race
Warm down:

I stretched for about 2 minutes...then went straight for the ice cream tent. I changed into a dry shirt and then visited with Big Al about the day. I couldn't be bothered to stretch out properly or warm down. After Dan finished, we packed up quickly, went to the house to clean up and left town.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I wasn't ready for the last third of the run. I ran well for several miles, held it together for three more and then the wheels came off. I had good nutrition and good fitness yet even still, no matter how you tackle the bike course it shreds the legs.

Event comments:

4:14:26 in zone 3
95/144/176 heartrate
6,327 calories
Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN4BaOw8rpIfrom about 6:08 to 6:23. I'm in red/white/black jersey with black sleeves.
See also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hb247eT0FUat 13:42 in the background and at about 14:05 through 14:25.
I dropped 57 minutes off of my 2010 debut at Savageman and made it over the Wall for the first time. Next year, I want to go under 6 hours and run under 2 hours.




Last updated: 2011-01-19 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:25:44 | 2112 yards | 01m 13s / 100yards
Age Group: 4/53
Overall: 21/390
Performance: Average
155 and 25:27 on the watch
Suit: Blue Seventy Reaction (Sleeveless)
Course: Narrow rectangle with right hand turns. Out 600 meters, back 800 meters and then finish with 150 meters or so.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 63F / 17C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 05:18
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
03:33:04 | 55.7 miles | 15.69 mile/hr
Age Group: 20/53
Overall: 107/390
Performance: Good
average heartrate of 142 and 3:33:06 on my watch.
Wind: Some
Course: Pure savagery.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:26
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:08:56 | 13.1 miles | 09m 50s  min/mile
Age Group: 27/53
Overall: 186/390
Performance: Below average
1 -- 9:16 and 155 (including long pee break); 2 -- 8:58 and 155; 3 -- 8:40 and 152; 4 -- 8:28 and 147; 5 -- 10:24 and 149 (I ran the whole fire road); 6-8 -- 28:25 and 125 (9:28) 9-10 -- 21:23 and 139 (10:42 including lower quarter of fire road); 11 -- 11:04 and 135 (walked about one-third of fire road); 12 -- 12:46 and 138 (I was cooked); 13 -- 9:56 and 143 (started to come back around) .1 -- 1:37 and 148
Course: Savage. As brutal as the bike course. I was more ready for the campground this year.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
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] 5