Revolution3 Half Ironman Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Knoxville, Tennessee
United States
Revolution3 Triathlon Series
65F / 18C
Overcast
Total Time = 5h 17m 48s
Overall Rank = 44/246
Age Group = M 25-29
Age Group Rank = 5/19
Pre-race routine:

I originally was planning to go to Knoxville because one of my best friends was graduating from his UT Masters program. Turns out, the race was the same weekend, so things worked out pretty well.

Probably a bit too much drinking the days before, but I don't think it hurt too much. Went to sleep early on Saturday night and had carried around a gallon jug of water the whole time, so I think I was all right.
Event warmup:

Woke up, packed, got to the race site. Things were very smooth, parking was a breeze and setting up transition was easy. My T-spot was right next to a giant tree, so thank god for good landmarks to spot. My only complaint was the lack of toilets around transition (though I might as well get used to it)

Cold start, but I tried my best to ignore it. No swim warm-up aside from treading water.
Swim
  • 39m 30s
  • 1931 meters
  • 02m 03s / 100 meters
Comments:

Pretty crowded start, was in the middle of the fray. It didn't help that the cold water made my goggles fog up instantly, and stay that way the whole time. Oh well, there were enough people around to sight on. Going against the current was not too bad, but mentally the swim took much longer than I had anticipated. Rounding the buoy was fine, but the water got much choppier coming back in. I think the wind was in our faces, slowing us down some.
What would you do differently?:

Hard to complain, aside from cold conditions and nasty water. I don't get it though, I have been swimming a lot and still my swim times are not improving as much as I would like.
Transition 1
  • 01m 49s
Comments:

If there is one thing I do well, its transitions. I put socks on this time, so that is the only thing that slowed me down.
What would you do differently?:

Practicing flying mounts helped, but I still get on the bike rather haphazardly. I need to work on mounting more fluidly.
Bike
  • 2h 49m 1s
  • 56 miles
  • 19.88 mile/hr
Comments:

Its hard to say much about this ride, being long enough to zone out and just got with it. I wanted a consistent effort, and I think I did that. Did not hit the magic 20 mph though, but on a course like this, I'll take it. Was passed by 2 people in my AG going a pace that I knew I could not keep up, so I let them go. For the most part, I played some hopscotch with a group of riders, and with about 15 miles to go, I was pretty much alone. Being by yourself on the course will make you lazy, so the last bit was somewhat slower than it should have been
What would you do differently?:

Nothing that I can think of. I went aggressive enough to save some for the run
Transition 2
  • 00m 51s
Comments:

Bam, off the bike and into transition. Took about 30 seconds in the toilet as my bladder was about to burst.
Run
  • 1h 46m 37s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 08s  min/mile
Comments:

Started off fast, but I did not feel bad enough to slow down, almost like I could hit a 7:30 pace all day long. This came up to bite me in the ass when the hills hit and I quickly faded. Ended up walking a few times, maybe 2 minutes of time total. I felt fine throughout, but I think my mind was playing tricks on me. Slayer finally caught me in the last 2 miles, which I was happy to just hold him off for as long as I did. Last mile I tried picking it back up, but just could not hold it.
What would you do differently?:

Pacing issues held me back. I am becoming a stronger runner both mentally and physically. Upping the mileage will help, and I think the run focus I will do this fall/winter will set me up nice for next year.
Post race
Warm down:

Fell down on the grass, does that count? Another athlete came by me and helped me up, saying "you know you don't need to do this right now, keep moving." He is right, though laying down felt so good. Surprisingly, my back/shoulders were more tight than my legs. I felt super disoriented, I think because I was so close to bonking. According to Dan, that's a good thing, as it means I pushed to the right point.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Honestly, I am not sure. I can nitpick the race like I always do, but this time I have no desire to critique myself into feeling bad about performance. This was a very difficult day. Windy and thrashing swim, hilly bike and challenging run that can surprise even the most seasoned athletes. Apart from some poor pacing on the run, I did the best I could do at my current fitness level. I am just happy I held off the Slayer for as long as I did :)

Event comments:

Rev3 Put on an excellent weekend. The entire event was really all about the athlete, and that is what I want in a race I am paying premium for. I'll be back for sure, if not to Knoxville then to another Rev3 event.




Last updated: 2011-02-24 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:30 | 1931 meters | 02m 03s / 100meters
Age Group: 3/19
Overall: 59/246
Performance: Average
Suit: BlueSeventy Synergy
Course: Up river against current for 500 yds, then back downstream the rest of the way.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 60F / 16C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 01:49
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
02:49:01 | 56 miles | 19.88 mile/hr
Age Group: 5/19
Overall: 38/246
Performance: Good
Wind:
Course: Hilly
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 00:51
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:46:37 | 13.1 miles | 08m 08s  min/mile
Age Group: 5/19
Overall: 44/246
Performance: Average
Course: Out and back. First 4 miles flat, then hilly, then flat coming back in.
Keeping cool Drinking
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] 4