Rocketts Landing Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Richmond, Virginia
United States
95F / 35C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 2h 23m 16s
Overall Rank = 57/406
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 6/35
Pre-race routine:

Woke at 3:10, ate, shaved, packed and left at 3:55. Pulled in at 5:30. Picked up packet/chip etc.
Tried to stay cool.
Event warmup:

Rode for about 3 miles on first/last part of bike course. Good shoulder stretch and then swam about 20 yards.
Swim
  • 20m 19s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 14s / 100 yards
Comments:

Hot and disgusting.
What would you do differently?:

Put ice in my shorts and cap before the start. Overall, I was happy with the swim and how long I was able to hold the high intensity.
Transition 1
  • 02m 57s
Comments:

The two flights of stairs made me dizzy after the swim and the one-block run to T1 made room for at least three people to zip past me...but I jogged. Not my best transition, and not even very good compared to the field who experienced the same conditions, but it was probably the most prudent pace considering the extreme heat of the water and the heat of the air.
At T1, put on HRM and shirt before departure. Usually, I only take things off and then put on helmet.
What would you do differently?:

Forgot my Clif shots. Only took one bottle, should have taken both. Should have ridden without shirt.
Bike
  • 1h 07m 2s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 22.24 mile/hr
Comments:

Stayed low in position, pushed hard. I need to build a bigger engine. I didn't like the railroad tracks at the bottom of a hill about a mile into the course/from finish, but otherwise, it was a great ride on good roads with lots of duathaletes to chase.
What would you do differently?:

Push harder. Few hills and none that were really hard, still, I didn't handle them real well. I could have tackled them a little more.
Transition 2
  • 01m 39s
Comments:

My best dismount and run with bike through transition. But, was a bit dizzy and disoriented putting on shoes. Stopped for a moment to take in a Clif shot and something to drink.
What would you do differently?:

Have race belt on during bike so as not to have to mess with the clip.
Run
  • 51m 20s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 08m 16s  min/mile
Comments:

I dehydrated. At finish, had massive intestinal challenges and found myself in the portapotties three times in the next hour.
Paramedic guy gave me a salt tablet when I was in the misting test. During the run, I drank at every station, but by then I was trying to play catch up with my body.
It was brutal and hot.
What would you do differently?:

Hydrate more on the bike.
I had hoped to run closer to 8 minute miles. First two splits were 7:49 and 7:33. The next 4.2 miles were 36:01 which is a 8:34 pace.
Post race
Warm down:

Drank, port a pottie, drank. Repeat.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not enough running in the heat.

Event comments:

the band afterward was cool. The distance to T1 was a pain but the small footprint of the transition area is a big bonus.
I set a PR by 3:25 and am very happy with that outcome. Though I knew the run wasn't going to be the best, I am surprised that the bike split wasn't faster.
The day after the race I signed up for Ironman Lake Placid for 2012. So I guess I won't do Rockett's Landing in '12.




Last updated: 2011-03-01 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:20:19 | 1640 yards | 01m 14s / 100yards
Age Group: 2/35
Overall: 22/406
Performance: Good
Pretty sure the course was at least 100 meters short if not more. The water was 92 degrees according to the race announcer. It was fetid and disgusting. Swam for the front and cleared my wave (wave two) within 15 meters. Well, not everyone because someone ended up a minute and a half faster. Beeline for the turn around. Started passing people within 300 meters and was in the thick of wave one by the turnaround. No trouble sighting. Usually I sprint to the front and then cruise about 90%; for this race I went all out the whole way.
Suit: Bonzaii Shorts.
Course: Upstream, right turn, angle downstream, right turn, finish about 50 meters upriver from the start. Well marked.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 92F / 33C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:57
Performance: Bad
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off: 		Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:07:02 | 24.85 miles | 22.24 mile/hr
Age Group: 8/35
Overall: 53/406
Performance: Good
There were only 2-3 hills. I think I was passed by 4 people. I thought my time would have been 1:05 or better because I spent so much time pushing a big gear with a cadence in the 90s. It felt like it was going to be a PR bike split by a lot.
Wind: Little
Course: Meandering around Henrico Co. Mostly flat. Excellent pavement. Good volunteer/turn visibility.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 90s
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 01:39
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
00:51:20 | 06.21 miles | 08m 16s  min/mile
Age Group: 19/35
Overall: 143/406
Performance: Average
No HRM. Probably was running the whole time in the 170s.
Course: Mainly flat except for a short steep climb to the turn-around and probably 6-8 flights of stairs. Hot. 3/4 unshaded and the shaded bits were under trees right by a river...felt like a greenhouse with the humidity trapped. It was scenic however and had good aid stations. Would have been much better to run on the road instead of sidewalk over a bridge about halfway through the run. Pavement and trails were even and not potholed or rutted.
Keeping cool Below average 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] 4