SavageMan Triathlon 70.0 - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Swanton, Maryland
United States
Tri-to-Win Events
50F / 10C
Overcast
Total Time = 6h 08m 43s
Overall Rank = 91/390
Age Group = M 35-39
Age Group Rank = 19/53
Pre-race routine:

Wake up @ 5:45. 3 hrs before race start. Drank an Ensure, ate a banana, drank coffee and water. I wasn't hungry after a big Chicken Parm dinner the night before. So I didn't have my usual PB&J. I also drank a 3 scoop EFS bottle at the race an hour before the start. Left at 7 am, only took a few minutes to get there and park. Had an hour to set up, plenty of time.
Event warmup:

Little bit of running to get the body moving. It was 50 degrees and overcast with a little wind. I aid goodbye to Lisa @ 8. She was on the bus to Westernport for the Wall party.
Swim
  • 30m 55s
  • 1931 meters
  • 01m 36s / 100 meters
Comments:

I didn't try to kill myself on this swim. The water was nice. It was warmer in the water than it was on the beach. Clean water, nice conditions. I knew that I had a tough day ahead of me, so blowing up on this swim was not my intentions. I got into some packs, drafted well for a while, long and smooth strokes. At the first turn around at Thomas the Turtle, I noticed a whirlpool and a current pushing me along. That was nice, then I started passing more people from my wave as well as the wave before me. I thought I was having a solid swim. 13th AG, 92nd OA
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I felt good.
Transition 1
  • 04m 46s
Comments:

T1 here was a different story. The time reminds me of the good ol days when I would pretty much camp out in transition. But here, the goal was to towel off, put on a cycling jacket, gloves, and socks, and I just went ahead and put my shoes on while I was there. I already had my calf sleeves on under my wetsuit. It was 50 degrees and the first 19 miles of this ride is downhill. I didn't want to freeze. 13th AG, 106th OA
What would you do differently?:

Not much. Needed to stay warm.
Bike
  • 3h 30m 19s
  • 55.7 miles
  • 15.89 mile/hr
Comments:

Wow! This is a triathlon, not a bike race. That is so true here. I got passed more in this bike ride than I think I've been passd over the past few years combined. You know what, I passed a lot of the back again after Killer Miller and even more on the run. I got my brick in the wall - which was the only reason I wanted to do this, besides finishing of course, Killer Miller killed me. But keep on moving. No reason to push this last 10 miles, you need legs to run an incredible hilly half marathon.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I put on a compact crank for this and had a 28 in the back. There were a few times when I was searching for another gear. I made it up all the hills, and absolutely crushed the Westernport Wall.
Transition 2
  • 03m 14s
Comments:

Smiling riding into T2. I conquered the bike ride. But it was still cold and the last 10 miles are pretty much downhill. So, my hands were a little frozen and I had trouble getting some things off and on. But oh well, this race isn't about the transitions for me.
What would you do differently?:

I could have moved faster.
Run
  • 1h 59m 32s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

I could not get my legs moving fast for any long period. I tried, but they wouldn't fire. They felt a little cold from coming downhill back into town. And they were also destroyed from the ride. Killer Miller did it's job and killed them. I ended up walking part of the major steep hills. Through the campgroud and on the fire road to the turnaround. After the first lap I looked at my watch and realized that I had a shot at 6 hours. Then after the fire road I saw that I was at 5:56 with 1.5 miles to go. That's when I realized I needed to take this all in and reflect. So I took a nice run along the lake. Took in the scenery, watched the racers, thanked the volunteers, zipped up, hat on straight, and smiled thinkg of an insanely successful season. I had 14 races, but only 2 goals this year. 1. Sub 11 Ironman and Lake Placid. 2. Brick in the Wall at SavageMan. Check and Check. Then I heard Lisa screaming for me over everyone else and the finish. Smiling with pride, then pain goes away. And a kiss from my wife.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. This was all I had left after a long season and a tough race.
Post race
Warm down:

A little walking. I cream, and BBQ.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

This is the world's hardest triathlon. I wasn't tapered or trained directly for this. I was just riding on my fitness from Ironman Lake Placid in June. I also did Reston the week before (which was turned into a duathlon), so I was still a little beat up from that.

Event comments:

All in all I GOT MY BRICK IN THE WALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone must do this race. At least once!




Last updated: 2011-09-20 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:30:55 | 1931 meters | 01m 36s / 100meters
Age Group: 0/53
Overall: 0/390
Performance: Good
Avg HR: 143 bpm Zn 3.7 Max HR: 151 bpm Zn 4.2
Suit: Full sleeve Orca 3.8
Course: 1 clockwise loop. Start at the beach turn around at Thomas the Turtle, long straightaway and turn around at The Swan, then left back into the beach.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 6F / -14C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:46
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
03:30:19 | 55.7 miles | 15.89 mile/hr
Age Group: 17/53
Overall: 92/390
Performance: Good
Avg HR: 141 bpm Zn 2.3 Max HR: 177 bpm Zn 5.4
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: 55.7 miles of the most brutal, unforgiving, relentless, and savage riding you can think of. It is the most beautiful and most savage course in the world. The SavageMan 70.0 Triathlon bike course is the most beautiful and most savage triathlon bike course in the world, guaranteed. If, after finishing the SavageMan 70.0 Triathlon, you feel you have previously completed a similar distance race that is more scenic and more savage, race management will refund your entry fee complete with a profound apology. 8 Major climbs, along with tons of other rolling hills similar to what I usually ride in Loudon County. The Westernport Wall is the steepest climb in all of road triathlon. At just four street blocks the Westernport Wall is not particularly long, but it starts steep and gets steeper, culminating in a final block on a stretch of road so steep that it has long been closed to traffic. With its poor pavement, an average grade of 25% and a max pitch of 31%, successfully getting up the final block of the Westernport Wall takes a bit of skill, a bit of luck, and a lot of True Savage determination! All savages who conquer the Wall without putting a foot down receive a special "Brick In The Wall" prize. The Westernport Wall is the steepest climb in all of road triathlon. At just four street blocks the Westernport Wall is not particularly long, but it starts steep and gets steeper, culminating in a final block on a stretch of road so steep that it has long been closed to traffic. SavageMan's Big Savage Mountain. At 7.1 miles long with 1950' of elevation gain including extended pitches in excess of 20%, Big Savage Mountain lives up to its name. It is Big and it is Savage. Welcome to Killer Miller. Strategically located at the 40 mile mark, Killer Miller is the final epic climb of the day and is the culmination of the most savage 23 miles in the sport of triathlon. At 1.3 miles and an average of only 8%, the specs of Killer Miller underwhelm the savage reality of the beast. The first 0.6 miles of the climb shoot seemingly straight up at an unfair pitch, forgoing switchbacks to head straight up the hillside at an average of 13% with stretches over 20% before leveling out to a more gradual summit.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 85
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:14
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
01:59:32 | 13.1 miles | 09m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 21/53
Overall: 125/390
Performance: Average
No HR data Lap 1 - 56 minutes
Course: 2 loops with tough hills and challenging climbs. Hardly any flat road. You are either going up, or going down.
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