Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Stroudsburg, PA, Pennsylvania
United States
Ironman
50F / 10C
Overcast
Total Time = 5h 41m 56s
Overall Rank = /1331
Age Group = Clydesdales
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Got ready, dressed warm and was ready for rain. Had to drop the bike at T1 the night before and run gear at T2. Also had to take a shuttle from T2 to the start in the AM.
Event warmup:

Unpacked my gear, bags kept the handlebars and seat dry, bike was wet otherwise from the rain before. Rear derailleur was hitting the spokes a little so I had the techs check it out and was fixed up and ready to go in minutes. Other than that I jogged to the port-a-johns and stretched a little. Mostly tried to keep warm.
Swim
  • 00m
  • 0 yards
  • / 100 yards
Transition 1
  • 00m
Comments:

No T1, swim was cancelled. I said they should have made us put on our wetsuits, get our feet wet, and then run into transition and do a T1.
Bike
  • 3h 10m 14s
  • 56 miles
  • 17.66 mile/hr
Comments:

Started out a little quick, but felt fine, never felt like I had burned out my legs at any point. Maintained a good pace, and didn't have to brake on many downhills except in traffic. Due to the time trial start (which for everyone but the pros meant pretty much nonstop one after the other), there was a good bit of congestion, but nothing unbearable. Had to walk the last big hill on Turkey Hill Road, but so did 90% of the other people. Those did manage to climb it on their bikes were moving only slightly faster than us walkers, and it was a tough hill to climb on foot! Had a great ride though.
What would you do differently?:

Definitely need more hill work. Need a better food plan, had trouble getting stuff out the plastic bags stuffed in my jersey, but it wasn't that hateful. Also probably could have drank a little more on the bike. Even though I had to make 2 pitstops on the run, I have a feeling I was a little dehydrated.
Transition 2
  • 03m 42s
Comments:

I did run the bike as much as I could. We were setup in the outfield of a baseball diamond and it was a bit muddy due to all the rain the night before. I didn't waste time, but had to strip off my tights and arm warmers, changed my socks, put on my race belt, and dump a good handful of Gold Bond powder down my shorts.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really. If there were more port a johns in T2, I would have used them instead of waiting until the aid station at mile 1.5.
Run
  • 2h 28m
  • 13.1 miles
  • 11m 18s  min/mile
Comments:

Whew. Well I was out of the gate a bit fast, but caught myself and tried to dial it back. Then I had to wait what seemed like 5 minutes at the bathroom at the first aid station. Ran most of the first 5-6 miles, but pace kept falling. Walked the aid stations, then started talking short walk breaks every so often because my hamstrings and quads were getting pretty tight and close to cramping.
What would you do differently?:

Definitely could have done better with the run training leading up to the race. Not adding 10-15 lbs since spring probably would have helped too. Not sure how much more I had in the tank to say I could have ran more, as I think the walk breaks really helped finish upright and have enough for a good kick into the finish that was definitely worth it, especially hearing the crowds yelling as I did. Awesome feeling.
Post race
Warm down:

Stumbled around downtown Stroudsburg. Had some local Octoberfest beer that was delicious. Walked what seemed like 2 miles to T2 to get my bike and gear and another 2 miles back to the car to load up.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Training. That's really it. I can't say I mentally could have pushed any harder at any point and still finished. By far the hardest race I've ever done. Can't wait for my next one.

Event comments:

A great race. Despite having to cancel the swim, and deal with roads that were all but destroyed by recent storms, they did an incredible job. I'm very impressed with all the support teams they had working every corner and all the volunteers and everything. Probably why it cost so much to race!




Last updated: 2011-02-03 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:00:00 | 00 yards | / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/1331
Performance:
Swim was cancelled due to very high water and fast currents on the Delaware as a result of significant recent rains upstream. I'd guess it was moving at least 10 mph, if not faster, on race morning. They made the right call. Otherwise they would have been finding swimmers in the water somewhere near Philadelphia by the end of the day.
Suit:
Course:
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: High
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 00:00
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
03:10:14 | 56 miles | 17.66 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 743/1331
Performance: Good
Actually distance may have been a little shorter, which means my pace was faster, not sure. Sporttracks says 2,151 feet of climbing, Map My Ride won't upload the data right now. I'd say it was more than 2,151 feet. Autopause, plus mountains and tree cover may have lost some of the hills.
Wind: Little
Course: Winding, up and down through the Poconos Mountains. Very technical course with beautiful views all along the way. It was a great ride. I wish we had rides that nice back home. Some people were complaining about the roads being rough, but they must either only ride trainers or live somewhere with the best road crews in the world. There were a few rough patches, but nothing terrible, and most of the roads were in great shape. Following description is from someone with a lot more experience cycling than me: Frequent Rolling hills, very wet, lots of sections had rougher pavement but not as bad as was being described a few weeks ago. Course is very twisty and turning on narrow roads. My Subaru Impreza just fits in a lane in most places. A number of sharp or blind turns. This is not for the faint of heart, but if you have some skill, it can be a lot of fun. It is likely one of the most technical in the nation. Skill in negotiating the turns and terrain changes can most certainly beat someone with only a strong motor.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:42
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
02:28:00 | 13.1 miles | 11m 18s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 1086/1331
Performance: Below average
See training log.
Course: Mostly out and back on roads north of town. A couple of good hills going out, especially near the turn around that I walked for the most part (probably a good idea based on how I was doing). Mostly uphill going out, mostly downhill coming back.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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