Patriot Half Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Freetown, Massachusetts
United States
Sun Sport Events
Sunny
Total Time = 7h 03m 10s
Overall Rank = 427/505
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 66/72
Pre-race routine:

This was my first 1/2 Ironman, so I did not know what to expect.

I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Raynham which was close enough to Cathedral Camp. Woke up at 5am (after waking up every hour through the night thinking it was already 5am), and ate a bowl of oats and had a cup of coffee. Headed down to transition and set up as normal - I pack 3 plastic bags with all the crap needed for swim, bike and run in separate bags, which means setup is really quick.
Event warmup:

None. I don't like doing warmups on race day, for some reason. Spent most of my time chatting to all my friends - which, to me, is a good source of getting mentally ready for a long day like this.
Swim
  • 31m 54s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 31s / 100 yards
Comments:

As this is the only split I can do reasonably well, I enjoyed it a lot. It was great to be out there, loved it.

I did not swim as fast as I could have because (as usual) I needed to keep gas in the tank for the run. I've been doing Masters Swimming for a few months now, and there is absolutely zero doubt that it has made swimming much easier - while spending less time in the pool.

I got out of the water and felt as if I had done absolutely nothing. I think I passed people from at least 4 different waves.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Keep on going to Masters Swim.
Transition 1
  • 04m 24s
Comments:

Not such a great transition. I wanted to feel settled and comfortable for the ride (i.e. not socks not chafing etc) so I took time to clean my feet off, dry them, and put socks on. Also, I had trouble getting my cycling jersey on over my wet body - hopefully there is no video of my contortionist attempt at fixing this unfortunate situation. Also, on the way out of transition I was a bit freaked because I could feel the plantars wart in my left foot more than I had expected. Fortunately this turned out to be a lesser problem.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe bring a tub of water to get my feet clean. Get some spray-on socks? (hey, any inventors out there!!?)
Bike
  • 3h 19m 20s
  • 56 miles
  • 16.86 mile/hr
Comments:

Not too happy with the bike. I should have done at least 17.5 mph, but that would have made my running capacity questionable. So it was the right thing to do. I need to work on the bike - a lot, and that's what I plan on doing the rest of the summer.
Transition 2
  • 04m 18s
Comments:

I just remember crossing the mat and thinking, "Yikes. I have to do a 1/2 marathon now, and I've never run more than 8 miles, and I can't run to save my life".
Run
  • 3h 03m 16s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 13m 59s  min/mile
Comments:

I just told myself I am not a wussbag, will not complain, will not allow negative thoughts into my head, and I will push through until the end - no matter what.

The only thing that could stop me was some kind of injury or doing something stupid, like not hydrating.

So, my plan was simple: take it one mile at a time, put ice in my hat at every mile, pour water over my head, drink 1 water + 1 heed at every stop. Which is exactly what I did - with a few GU gels thrown in. Near the end I popped some Sports Beans. Oh yeah. Sports candy. What could be better for the last 2 miles?

I felt pretty good doing a 9:1 run/walk for the first 6 miles and was averaging under 11 to 12 mins/mile doing this (please, folks, do not laugh!) Then my legs started having trouble moving, and the run changed to a weird shuffle/spastic/geriatric/hobo type motion by the end. I had plenty of cardio capacity. My legs could not do the physical stuff required to run, and I can feel that in my sore legs today!

There were some negative people out on the course, but I just took Mav's advice and ignored them.

One thing I did to get myself moving again was tell someone else to keep on moving... at which point I would look like a bit of an asshole if I didn't keep on moving too :-)

The volunteers were awesome and gave great encouragement. Thank-you!

Around 3 hours for a 1/2 marathon. That's funny!
What would you do differently?:

I just need to keep on working at running. It gets better and better, and I've come to terms that all I can do, is what I can do... so I'll just keep on doing that :-) Therefore, my run sucked (compared to everyone else), but I'm scoring it "good".
Post race
Warm down:

It was GREAT to see all my friends at the finish! Thanks for waiting an extra 1.5 hours for me to roll in ;-) It meant a lot to me.

My legs were shot. I ate about 5 of those corn bread halves at the finish line.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Running.

Event comments:

This was a great race. Thanks to Sun Multisport for supporting back of the packers like me. Volunteers were awesome - thanks! Well organized. Great venue. Great course. I hope to do it again next year.




Last updated: 2011-03-13 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:31:54 | 2112 yards | 01m 31s / 100yards
Age Group: 6/72
Overall: 49/505
Performance: Good
Suit: Xterra Vortex 4
Course: Rectangular out and back. Based on the calculated speed, I would say the course was maybe a hair shorter than 1.2 miles. Or else I swam faster than expected.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:24
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
03:19:20 | 56 miles | 16.86 mile/hr
Age Group: 61/72
Overall: 72/505
Performance: Average
Wind: Little
Course: Flat to rolling, approx 1,800 ft elevation gain, lots of shade.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 81
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 04:18
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Below average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
03:03:16 | 13.1 miles | 13m 59s  min/mile
Age Group: 68/72
Overall: 72/505
Performance: Good
Course: Mostly flat, a few hills, occasional shade, road surface is good in most parts.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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