IronGear Sports Rio Salado Triathlon - Olympic Course - TriathlonOlympic


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Tempe, Arizona
United States
Red Rock Company
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 21m 49s
Overall Rank = 30/192
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 8/45
Pre-race routine:

Wake up, eat a banana and sugar-free red bull. Take the dogs to do their thing and drive to the race.
Event warmup:

Walk to transition, set up area, light dynamic stretching. Drink a 5-hr energy drink.
Swim
  • 28m 14s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 43s / 100 yards
Comments:

Longest OWS for me so far, so I wanted to make sure I didn't overdo it. I positioned myself at the front on the right side, away from a lot of the action but in front of most of the other swimmers. I started at an easy pace and tried to stay on course without sighting too often. Didn't bother trying to draft. Overall, I'm very happy with the way it went. Got out of the water feeling fresh for the bike.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing for this swim. In the future, I'll start closer to the inner buoy, where the faster swimmers seem to start. I would like to start catching a good draft and maybe putting a little more effort into the swim. I need to work on pacing, as I may have been a little too fresh when I got out :)
Transition 1
  • 00m 53s
Comments:

This was a good transition for me. There were wetsuit strippers (1st time for me) which helped getting everything off. My T1 time was 6th OA, which is really surprising.
What would you do differently?:

I need to stop looking around my transition area like I've forgotten something. I threw my stuff down, put on my helmet, then looked around trying to see what I forgot. It only took a couple of extra seconds, but I think it threw my rhythm off.
Bike
  • 1h 03m 14s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 23.58 mile/hr
Comments:

The bike felt really good. I think I gauged my effort well and didn't go too hard or too easy.
There were two near-incidents for me on this ride, which has never happened to me before. The first one, a police woman was crossing the road at the turn with her back to me. I had to yell out to her and she stopped in place allowing me to swerve around her. Not too big a deal, except the turn was a little tight even without here there.
The second incident was a bit more scary. On a fast and flat spot, a black car passed me, then started to slow down. As soon as I realized what was about to happen, it was happening. The car decided to turn through the cones to get into a parking garage or lot. I was on the aerobars and didn't have the time to switch to the horns and hit the brakes. I started to swerve to the left. I noticed the window on the car was down a couple of inches and started screaming at the car. It slammed on it's brakes mid-way into my lane and missed clipping me by less than a foot.
These are the kinds of things you don't usually expect during a race.
What would you do differently?:

I was really happy with my bike overall. As I get more experience at this race distance, I'll get better with my pacing and know how hard I can push it without ruining my run. This was a new PR for this distance.
Transition 2
  • 00m 58s
Comments:

T2 went really well. Only issue was my big toe getting stuck outside of my shoe while trying to put it on, but that was it. Put on my number belt on the run.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Run
  • 48m 29s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 07m 49s  min/mile
Comments:

The run was OK. I was hoping for a faster run, but this was right around my LT pace right now. By this time in the race, I'm not sure I could go faster. The run is something I've been working on a lot in the past year, but I still have a long way to go.
What would you do differently?:

I need to be patient with my run. I ran a similar course earlier at TTL (Marquee) and the results were virtually the same. With time and practice I'll get faster.
Post race
Warm down:

Hung out in the shade of the food tent with some fellow competitors. Chatted for a while, then went to find my wife and our new puppy.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Just need more time and practice in the sport. I'm happy with my performance. It's my first Oly race, so I wasn't completely sure what to expect - especially with the swim.

Event comments:

The event was well-run and the course was pretty nice. TTL is a nice swim venue, as is the run around it. The bike had a few too many turns but overall can't complain.




Last updated: 2011-02-21 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:28:14 | 1640 yards | 01m 43s / 100yards
Age Group: 12/45
Overall: 48/192
Performance: Good
Suit: Zoot Flash
Course: Rectangular, left turns.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 73F / 23C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 00:53
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:03:14 | 24.85 miles | 23.58 mile/hr
Age Group: 3/45
Overall: 18/192
Performance: Good
Ave HR: 159 (LT 161) Ave Pwr: 223
Wind: Little
Course: Pretty flat course, 2 loops, lots of U-turns. Too many U-turns, as bike traffic gets congested approaching them.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 91
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills:
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:58
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:48:29 | 06.21 miles | 07m 49s  min/mile
Age Group: 15/45
Overall: 57/192
Performance: Average
Ave HR: 165
Course: Pretty flat course, 2 loops around TTL.
Keeping cool Average 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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4