Jeff & Brede’s Houston Racing Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Katy, Texas
United States
Houston Racing Triathlon Club
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 10m 42s
Overall Rank = 50/222
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 11/32
Pre-race routine:

Got up at 4:00 AM and left the house by 4:30 to make the long drive out to Katy. I arrived at 5:40, which was 10 minutes after transition opened, so I was left with a rack position on the back end of the racks, but at least I was on the end so that made my spot easy to find. I ate a Kashi bar and drank some gatorade on the drive over, willing myself to not munch on stuff while driving just because I was bored.
Event warmup:

As usual, I walked to the bathroom about four times besides light stretching and doing a few laps in the pool. I got some recent coaching on my stroke to bring my arms closer to my chest on the pull so I was trying that out.
Swim
  • 05m 49s
  • 328 yards
  • 01m 46s / 100 yards
Comments:

I easily lost 30 seconds due to a big pack of slower people in front of me. It takes so much energy to pass when people don't stop at the wall that I had to sit back and wait. My head was pretty clear when I got out of the water, so maybe it helped to save a little energy for transition and the bike start but it was more than a little aggravating.
What would you do differently?:

I may just have to seed myself higher to avoid the pack. My swim times have been steadily improving in practice.
Transition 1
  • 01m 28s
Comments:

I'd like to pretend that I'm much faster in transition and this time was a disappointment to me, but really it was pretty decent. I can shave off more time with practice and preparation, but I did okay. The biggest "fail" moment was when I realized I did not undo the Velcro on my bike shoes before the race, so I got a 6 second stupid penalty by having to take the time to undo them.
What would you do differently?:

Undo the Velcro on my shoes before the race. At this point the investment in Tri shoes for my bike may be worth it. I currently have mountain bike shoes with three velcro straps and it would not feel good to ride without socks.
Bike
  • 36m 46s
  • 12.5 miles
  • 20.40 mile/hr
Comments:

I didn't feel as comfortable on the bike as I expected, but I trained the least on the bike segment for this race. I also tried to pace myself a little more towards the end of the ride to be better able to transition into the run. I still had calf cramps and shin splints but they weren't near as bad as the prior race.
What would you do differently?:

Train more on the bike.
Transition 2
  • 00m 46s
Comments:

I ended up with one shoe left on the bike and one shoe on.... weird. I un-clipped the one shoe out of habit even though I had unstrapped the Velcro and was ready to jump out of the shoes. Overall I got to my stall and got the shoes on quick with a quick sip of Gatorade.
What would you do differently?:

Well, I'm going to work on perfecting the dismount with no shoes, but otherwise I was pleased.
Run
  • 25m 53s
  • 3.09 miles
  • 08m 23s  min/mile
Comments:

This was almost a one minute/mile improvement over my last race in May and a minute and a half from my pace in this race last year, so I can't be displeased. I beat my best triathlon run segment pace by 4 seconds per mile and I know I can do better. The brick training helped, but I still had calf cramps and shin splints. My splits were much better for the final half of the run once everything loosened up.
Post race
Warm down:

I didn't do much after the race but talk to Dave Tessin and snack a bit. The My Fit Foods fare was really good.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

As far as obstacles out of my control, the swimmers ahead of me did affect my time, but that is part of the challenge. Mentally, I was determined to pace myself a little so that I didn't have such a hard time on the start of the run. I think I backed off a little too much and will adjust for the next sprint race. My next Tri is an olympic distance and the pacing may be just right for that one.

Event comments:

As always I really appreciate the organizers and volunteers who make these events happen. This is a good race held at a nice venue. I'll be back - as long as they promise to change the shirts. The tech T-shirts were day-glo yellow last year and day-glo orange this year. They are awful. I look forward to getting new tech shirts at these races, but not this race. I guess the positive is that they are good running shirts because no one driving could say "I didn't see you", but you just can't wear them anywhere else. Seriously.... hideous shirts.




Last updated: 2011-07-05 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:05:49 | 328 yards | 01m 46s / 100yards
Age Group: 10/32
Overall: 45/222
Performance: Average
Suit:
Course: Pool
Start type: Inside Pool Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 01:28
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:36:46 | 12.5 miles | 20.40 mile/hr
Age Group: 13/32
Overall: 49/222
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: Almost completely an out and back on flat two lane roads complete with country two lane road automobile traffic.
Road: Rough  Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:46
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Below average
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:25:53 | 03.09 miles | 08m 23s  min/mile
Age Group: 14/32
Overall: 84/222
Performance: Good
Course: I heard lots of people complaining that the run course had changed because it no longer went through the park. It was all pavement, which suited me just fine, but there were lots of non-shaded parts and it was hot.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4