Ballantyne Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Charlotte, North Carolina
United States
Set Up Events
72F / 22C
Overcast
Total Time = 00m
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = Clydesdale
Age Group Rank = 10/12
Pre-race routine:

Set up transition and talked to a few fellow competitors. Walked around the parking lot and familiarized myself with the inside of one of the port-a-johns...4 times. Played Hurry Up and Wait from 6:15 until my swim start time at 8:39.
Event warmup:

None.
Swim
  • 06m 56s
  • 328 yards
  • 02m 07s / 100 yards
Comments:

I got held up behind a swimmer in front of me and wasted all my energy trying to pass. Wound up sucking in water after started the next lap. Lost all rhythm and never did recover. Would have been disaster in an open water swim or a longer pool swim. The lifeguard looked like he was concerned about my wellbeing since he was standing over me each time I reached the far wall. I couldn't even muster up a slow jog after the swim. That's how out of breath I was.
What would you do differently?:

Swim a LOT more. It was my weakest event even though I thought the run would be. Keep my goggles in a pocket instead of being shut out of transition and not being able to get to the ones that I know work.
Transition 1
  • 02m 56s
Comments:

Terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad transition. It was the first one I had ever done but I could tell where I went wrong and I need to practice transitions a lot more.
What would you do differently?:

Practice, practice, practice! Improving my swimming would help me be not so winded in T1 and maybe speed things along a bit.
Bike
  • 46m 36s
  • 12.7 miles
  • 16.35 mile/hr
Comments:

A little more time in the saddle beforehand. Next time I think I might go with a Speedfill or similar hydration system since I had some issues getting comfortable while drinking and not turning my body into a drag chute in the process. Pay more attention to cadence. Actually ride the route instead of driving it or looking it up on the Internet. It is a night and day difference in perspective when driving versus pedaling.
What would you do differently?:

More time in the saddle. Don't go so hard so early. Ride the course on the bike beforehand.
Transition 2
  • 01m 57s
Comments:

Had trouble getting my leg over the top tube to dismount. Kicked a water bottle out and some nice volunteer picked it up for me. Couldn't decide if I want to wear glasses or not. Decided against. Glad I didn't wear them since it was totally unnecessary. Was able to get into my running shoes without collapsing or knocking anything over (I was surprised).
What would you do differently?:

Be a little more flexible than I am.
Run
  • 42m
  • 3.11 miles
  • 13m 30s  min/mile
Comments:

I think I forgot how to run coming out of T2. My legs were not doing what I thought I was telling them to do. Had to do a good bit of walking but got into a nice series of intervals and that made it an enjoyable run for the most part. Got back to the last little bit and put it all out there. I wasn't crossing the line with anything left in the tank. I made a little goal of passing at least one person and wound up passing 7 people. Turned down the sidewalk and gave it the last little bit of oomph and crossed the line. I didn't know if I want to smile, cry, or puke. I decided to smile. I feel I chose wisely. That could have been a really bad finishing picture.
What would you do differently?:

Run more in training. Increase distance to the actual race distance.
Post race
Warm down:

A couple bottles of water and a few pictures with the wife and kid. A bit of stretching but not much.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Smoking. Drinking the night before. Poor diet the past couple weeks. Not training nearly enough.

Event comments:

I will absolutely do this race next year. I'd also like to give a big thumbs up to those who stuck around to watch the last couple of runners finish. It was odd to have random people cheering for me since any competitions I've been involved in rarely had anything like that. But, if it is the norm, I can see why so many people love triathlons. The only thing I would think to change would be actual signs marking the Mount and Dismount lines. They were spray painted onto the ground and could have been made a little more visible.




Last updated: 2011-05-30 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:06:56 | 328 yards | 02m 07s / 100yards
Age Group: 8/12
Overall: 218/
Performance: Below average
Suit: 2XU Tri Shorts
Course:
Start type: Inside Pool Plus:
Water temp: 75F / 24C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Bad Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding:
T1
Time: 02:56
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:46:36 | 12.7 miles | 16.35 mile/hr
Age Group: 8/12
Overall: 254/
Performance: Average
Average heart rate was 167 bpm. Maximum heart rate was 185 bpm.
Wind: None
Course: Nice challenge with some long climbs. Easy for someone more experienced than I am but one long hill gave me fits. The volunteers and police did a great job making sure riders were able to continue along the route without having to stop. I did almost run over one of the police officers in the first to last turn.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 73
Turns: Good Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Below average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 01:57
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Below average
Running
00:42:00 | 03.11 miles | 13m 30s  min/mile
Age Group: 9/12
Overall: 251/
Performance: Average
Course: After the turn onto Community House the path was worn down grass and dirt. It was nice and soft but rather uneven. I about turned my ankle over through there. Passed the school and turned into a nice little neighborhood. Nice and shaded and lovely houses.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below 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