Deer Creek Fall Challenge - Half Iron Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Mt. Sterling, Ohio
United States
HFP Racing
40sF / 0C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 42m 43s
Overall Rank = 48/116
Age Group = Male 25-29
Age Group Rank = 4/7
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 6:00 AM, ate 3 eggs and some oatmeal. Drank a lot of coffee. Was on the road by 6:30 AM and arrived at Deer Creek State Park by 7:30 AM. I headed down to the beach after the quick check in process.
Event warmup:

Stood on the beach and waited for my wave to start.
Swim
  • 40m 27s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 55s / 100 yards
Comments:

It took me a little while to get used to swimming in the choppy water. Luckily I learned somewhat quickly and only had two mouthfuls of water. After the first 200m, I found a good rhythm and swam the rest at a comfortable pace. I didn't try to push it too hard. I found it hard to sight the bouys, it would have been easier if they had more than six.

The temperature was really not too bad, I didn't feel cold at all. I put some petroleum jelly on my nose and cheeks. This probably helped more during the bike and run by protecting it from the wind and my gloves.
What would you do differently?:

I should have practiced open water swimming wearing my wetsuit. My shoulders tired pretty quickly.
Transition 1
  • 06m 13s
Comments:

I didn't really try to run very hard to T1. I took my time putting on all my biking gear. Sipped some coffee as well.
What would you do differently?:

Tuck my timing chip under my wetsuit. It took way too long to get that foot out.
Bike
  • 3h 00m 42s
  • 56 miles
  • 18.59 mile/hr
Comments:

There was a touch of wind out on the bike course. The hills were rough, but towards the end of the loop so once I hit those I knew I was close to finishing. The course could have used a bit more gravel, one section was clearly not enough...

I noticed a freshly ran over squirrel in the bike lane during my third loop. My guess is that the little guy ventured too close to the action?

I consumed: 3 gels, 2 power bars, 1 pack of shot blocs, PBJ sandwich, and 2 bike bottles of gatorade.

I started out the ride by waiting to use the restroom so my actual time biked was a few minutes less than what is recorded above.
What would you do differently?:

One bottle of gatorade, one bottle of water. Pack more shot blocs than gels.
Transition 2
  • 05m 32s
Comments:

I had noticed that my feet were cold during the ride. When I removed the bike shoes at T2, I realized that the first three toes on my left foot were completely numb. I sat there for a while rubbing my toes but nothing happened so I added another layer of sock to that foot (3 total) and laced up my running shoes. I forgot to put on a hat before I left.
What would you do differently?:

Grab a hat or sweat band.
Run
  • 1h 49m 48s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 23s  min/mile
Comments:

3 miles into the run I regained feeling in my toes, so that was good.

I had some side cramps late in the run but managed to run the last mile at an HR of 167ish.

I wore my running belt but never felt like eating anything, I had a few sips of gatorade between the aid stations. I drank water at every stop, just didn't feel like having anything sweet.

I started out the run by hitting up the restroom so my actual time ran was a few minutes less than what is recorded above.
What would you do differently?:

Not much.
Post race
Warm down:

Sat down and drank some water. Passed on the sloppy joes and hit up Skyline on the ride home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I didn't get much sleep the night before the race.

Event comments:

More swim bouys.




Last updated: 2011-09-26 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:40:27 | 2112 yards | 01m 55s / 100yards
Age Group: 3/7
Overall: 36/116
Performance: Good
Suit: Vortex full wetsuit
Course: 2 rectangular laps.
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 65F / 18C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Good
Breathing: Average Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 06:13
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
03:00:42 | 56 miles | 18.59 mile/hr
Age Group: 4/7
Overall: 64/116
Performance: Good
My HR average was 134.
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: 3 loops.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 05:32
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:49:48 | 13.1 miles | 08m 23s  min/mile
Age Group: 3/7
Overall: 37/116
Performance: Good
My average HR was 153.
Course: 2 loops.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
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: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3