Rev3 South Carolina Half Rev - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Anderson, South Carolina
United States
Rev3
55F / 13C
Overcast
Total Time = 5h 50m 59s
Overall Rank = 25/97
Age Group = F40-44
Age Group Rank = 4/21
Pre-race routine:

Ate a bagel and a banana, drank 2 cups of coffee. Stayed at a friend's lake house near the race site. This was a point-to-point race so we had 2 transition areas to prepare.
Event warmup:

Quick plunge in the lake
Swim
  • 34m 52s
  • 2310 yards
  • 01m 31s / 100 yards
Comments:

I hate beach starts. It involves running. Running across rocks and muck. I was far too timid on this start and ended up in a lot of slow swim traffic and crazy chicks who couldn't swim straight. I kept getting elbowed in my rib cage by the girl to my right cuz she kept swimming into me. I finally stat up a second on got on her left side. That took care of Elbow Wench. Usually by the first turn buoy things spread out and there is room to swim, but not today. I was very surprised. There wasn't that big of a women's field in the half, but we must have all started out at the same pace. At the second turn buoy , I finally found room to swim and could settle into a proper rhythm.
What would you do differently?:

Be more aggressive on the start and run in on the front row.
Transition 1
  • 03m 6s
Comments:

Yeah, I suck at getting my wetsuit off. At least I didn't fall down like I have in some races. I really must work on this.
What would you do differently?:

Race only non-wetsuit legal races:) Nah. Practice transitions more, silly.
Bike
  • 2h 55m 37s
  • 56 miles
  • 19.13 mile/hr
Comments:

My bike is my strength. And, unfortunately, I have been off pace a lot since August. My training has been sporadic due to selling our house and buying another one. I came into this race about 200 miles undertrained. Add the brutal winds and my strong bike just wasn't there today. I tried to ride smart because you can't fight the wind and power through it. You will lose because the wind doesn't get tired and unlike a hill, it never ends. So I did the best I could with the fitness I had and the race day conditions.
What would you do differently?:

Not miss so many long training rides. Not do a half ironman while selling a house! Of course, I would have needed a crystal ball to see that this was going to happen back in March when I registered for this race. I feel pretty happy with my bike performance, all things considered. I had a positive, relaxed attitude and enjoyed the race knowing that everyone else had the same brutal weather conditions to contend with.
Transition 2
  • 01m 6s
Comments:

I like T2. Shoes on grab number belt and visor. That is all.
What would you do differently?:

Practice more to get faster
Run
  • 2h 16m 17s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 24s  min/mile
Comments:

My run was really coming along nicely in training. I had high hopes for this segment. I planned to take short, walking fuel breaks at miles 2, 4, 7 & 10. That was my mantra. Do not walk until those aid stations. Relentless. Strong. Keep going. This was working well until around mile 6 when my hamstrings cramped. I stopped for a moment to stretch them then my feet felt like they were on fire. I walked to the closest aid station and ate and drank. Then I tried to run again. It actually felt better to run than walk to I tried to keep up a hobbling jog. The next 2 miles were a mixture of shuffling, jogging and walking. I did not think I would every reach the turn around to head back toward the finish. I met a guy on a Christian racing team and we walked and hobbled together for a while. Finally I saw the mile 8 turn around. I vowed to run til mile 10 and attempt to get back on track. I successfully ran til mile 10. Took my finally fluid and nutrition break. I started seeing some of my friends heading out on the run. They were all smiles at this point and I didn't want to spoil there mode by telling them what kind of hell lay up the road with this course. I could hear the music of the finish line. I was feeling better. I looked down at my watch and realized my goal of 5:30 had come and gone. I was determined to get across the line in under 6 hours. A volunteer direct me and this very nice 56 year old woman to the left and says "you are almost there!" I am expecting to wind through the parking lot of the convention center. No. We are greeted with a short, steep hill leading around the park. I walked. Sigh. Wimp. The 56 year old lady trots up the hill with a fire in her step that I genuinely wished I possessed. At the top of the hill I started running again. Finally knowing that I had less than half a mile to go. 5:45 has come and gone. I crossed the line at 5:50. Not my goal, but a victory nonetheless. I must say to all the folks racing this half, if you can do this one on those conditions, You can do just about any race out there.
What would you do differently?:

Not walk so much. Wear my heavy trainer shoes with my orthotics instead of my racing flats. Never give myself permission to walk outside my pre-planned fuel breaks.
Post race
Warm down:

Got an ART massage. It was either that or find a wheelchair.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Sporadic training, weight, weather and my inner wuss limited my performance.

Event comments:

This was not my best race, by far. REV 3 puts on a great event. I just wasn't my day. I would say that this race was more difficult than my ironman. The weather and my lack of consistent training were the reasons for this. I would like to do another REV 3 event. If I do this one again, it will definitely be the Olympic distance and not the half.




Last updated: 2011-03-01 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:34:52 | 2310 yards | 01m 31s / 100yards
Age Group: 3/21
Overall: 20/97
Performance: Below average
Suit: Blue Seventy Helix Full
Course: Weird triangular shaped loop around a peninsula
Start type: Run Plus: Shot
Water temp: 74F / 23C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:06
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Below average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed:
Biking
02:55:37 | 56 miles | 19.13 mile/hr
Age Group: 3/21
Overall: 16/97
Performance: Below average
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: Hilly, fun loop through Anderson & Pickens counties. Brutal head and cross winds. Gusts over 20mph at times.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:06
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
02:16:17 | 13.1 miles | 10m 24s  min/mile
Age Group: 4/21
Overall: 28/97
Performance: Average
Course: Hilly, undulating, winding and cruel.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? No
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 2