Black Squirrel Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Council Bluffs, Iowa
United States
Hy-Vee
75F / 24C
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 33m 50s
Overall Rank = 91/650
Age Group = 30-35
Age Group Rank = 5/5
Pre-race routine:

Woke up early and took a hot shower. Shaved and put extra conditioner in my hair. Put on my compression gear followed by my tri suite. Ate a Cliff Bar with 12 oz of V8 from a can. Had my bag packed the night before, went through it again to make sure everything was there. Headed out to the race site, having drove to it the night before finding the parking was no problem. Got a spot close to the transition area, unloaded without a problem. Gathered my packet, got my body markings and found a spot to rack my bike.
Event warmup:

Walked around talking to other people who where there. Got in the water for a few minutes and found the water to be a great temp. Not to cold and not to warm. Continued to walk around and swing my arms in a swimming motion.
Swim
  • 30m
  • 1000 yards
  • 03m / 100 yards
Comments:

This was by far the worst part of the race, and in a way it set the tone for the rest of my events too. Almost as soon as I started swimming my goggles fogged over making sighting even more difficult. Then I quickly noticed that I could not see the smaller bouys as I attempted to swim towards them. Being a slower swimmer as it is I was quickly in the back of the pack. About 200 meters into I quickly found out that I was traveling in a wide zig zag pattern. This meant that I would swim into the path of the returning swimmers, make a correction and within a few stroks I went way off the to the other direction so I had to change again and try to get back on track. By the time I was back in line the pack had left me behind and I was by myself. I continued this awefull back and forth pattern for the rest of course. I was so frustrated that I could not get going in a strait line and maintain it. I was literally the last one out of the water, but time I got out my legs and arms felt like rubber. Very upset that my swim went so poorly.
What would you do differently?:

Better sighting technique, try to keep up with the pack and use them as a guide.
Transition 1
  • 01m 54s
Comments:

Had a decent transition. Attempted to run but my legs still felt like rubber. Had my cap, goggles, ears and nose plugs off before I got to my bike.
What would you do differently?:

Get out of the water quicker.
Bike
  • 48m 38s
  • 19.3 miles
  • 23.81 mile/hr
Comments:

Being the last one out of the water and on the bike I had to try to follow poorly drawn arrows on the pavement to get me on the right path towards the road. I finally got up and soon got going. I maintained a speed of about 20 mph. The course was mostly flat with a few small hills and lots of tight turns. It went ok I guess, still frustrated from my swim. Really had a hard time concentrating on maintaining an agressive pedal stroke. Did manage to pass two people though.
What would you do differently?:

Get out of the water more quickly. Pay more attention to my pedal stroke and speed so I can keep up with the others.
Transition 2
  • 01m 33s
Comments:

Still can't do a flying dismount, to scared to try it. The transition went well, got my shoes on and helmet off in good time. Headed out after a quick drink of Gaterade.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing, actually happy with how things went.
Run
  • 1h 11m 47s
  • 6.1 miles
  • 11m 46s  min/mile
Comments:

I was exit transition "running", it was more like a glorified shuffle but I was moving at a better pace then my last tri. I was able to keep it up for about a mile before I took my first break. From there I walked for a minute, then ran. When I ran I counted slowly to 60 four times before I took another minute break. I stopped at every water station which was every two miles for a drink. I walked for a full minute after I finished my water. I did not have any side, back, or abdominal pain during the run. A lady, named Ann, ran with me for the last 1.5 miles. We talked and shared tri stories. She really heled me get to the finish line with fewer breakes than I would have taken without her. Very glad to have her by my side.
What would you do differently?:

Tryed to go a little farther on each run segment. Also attempt to move a little quicker when I was running.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around and stretched. Took a bottle of water from my son that he did not want and poured it over my head. The cool water felt very good. Ate the post race snacks that were available and continued to stretch and drink water.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Still frustrated from the swim, it just set the tone for my entire race. I think that if I could have gotten got my mide off that my times would have been better.

Event comments:

Will like to do it again next year, this time with a better swim experience.




Last updated: 2011-08-29 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:30:00 | 1000 yards | 03m / 100yards
Age Group: 5/5
Overall: 5/650
Performance: Bad
Suit: Tri
Course: This was an out and back course. The course was marked by two large bouyes with smaller bouyes in between.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 80F / 27C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Below average Navigation: Bad
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 01:54
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:48:38 | 19.3 miles | 23.81 mile/hr
Age Group: 5/5
Overall: 5/650
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: Mostly flat with some small hills. Narrow roads and had sharp turns.
Road: Potholes Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:33
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 Average
Running
01:11:47 | 06.1 miles | 11m 46s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/5
Overall: 0/650
Performance: Average
Course: Flat, ran mostly on paved trails with some parts on the road.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Ok
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] 3