Belews Lake International Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Greensboro, North Carolina
United States
Set Up Events
49F / 9C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 36m 42s
Overall Rank = 92/298
Age Group = M 25-29
Age Group Rank = 11/22
Pre-race routine:

I decided to try Hammer Nutrition Race Day Boost for this event. So for the 4 days leading up to the event, I drank a dose four times a day. Up at 4:45AM. Had the transition bag packed the night before. Ate a muffin and a banana with a glass of chocolate skim milk. Made a peanut butter, banana, and honey wrap for the road. Loaded up the car and drove to my sister's house to meet she and my brother in law for the drive to the race site. It was all of our first olympic distances. Arrived at the race site around 6:45AM. Picked up the packet and timing chip, pumped the tires, and set up transition. My swim start wasn't until 8:34:10, so I had plenty of time to kill.
Event warmup:

None. Didn't have time. Had several friends at the race, and spent the time before the start with them. A warm-up might have helped improve on the swim time a bit, but I felt fine without one. Did some dynamic stretching.
Swim
  • 30m 5s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 50s / 100 yards
Comments:

This was a time trial start, with two people starting every 10 seconds. Started off great, but felt like I might have been pulling to the left a bit. Got to the 500m bouy, rounded it, and realized I had already passed several people. This is a rare occurance for me in the swim. The bike and run are normally wear I do my damage. Kept swimming well over the back stretch of the course, passing more people and feeling great. The sun was to my right, so I began breathing bilaterally to cut down on the time I had to stare at it. Rounding the final bouy, I could see the "whacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube guy" on the dock, and used it to site rather than the bouys. It was a good choice, because the bouys didn't lead to the dock. Several people followed the bouys and ended up adding about another 200m onto the swim. Swam until I could touch the ramp with my hand, then stood up and ran to the transition area. My teather had come over my shoulder and it took my a second to grab it, but the suit came off easily.
What would you do differently?:

Spend more time on speed work. I've neglected it recently. Try to get in more open water swim time.
Transition 1
  • 01m 33s
Comments:

This went great. As I mentioned, my suit removal was great. I slid on my bike shoes, helmet, and sunglasses, and ran out with my bike. Simple and to the point.
What would you do differently?:

Get a pair of triathlon specific bike shoes.
Bike
  • 1h 18m 3s
  • 27 miles
  • 20.76 mile/hr
Comments:

Had my gears set low. Small chain ring, 3rd gear. This was due to the hill out of transition. It's not a difficult hill, but after swimming, it's easier to ride up while spinning. Passed several people on the hill and got ready to tackle the main part of the course. Played leap frog with this girl for a while. Everytime she passed me, she slowed down. Her P3 didn't help her on the hill back up to Ellisboro though. Passed her back for the last time. Lost her real quick on that one. The second lap was great. Caught a sweet tail wind, and didn't hit a head wind until right before the marina. Passed several people on the bike, including one or two in the finishing chute. Took my feet out at the top of the hill and coasted down, jumped off, and ran into transition.

The Open men seemed to be riding in a pack. I guess no one told them this wasn't an ITU race.

Felt faster than my time reflects. Probably lost some time sitting behind a couple of cars that wouldn't pass the bikes in front of them. Lost some more time on the uphill to Ellisboro from Gideon Grove the first time when I was boxed in by 4 people. It probably looked like I was drafting.
What would you do differently?:

Had a cable issue that I didn't notice until after the race. I'm sure it affected shifting. More time on the bike. Marathon training was great for my run, but I neglected my bike big time.
Transition 2
  • 00m 54s
Comments:

The rack was a little short for me to fit my seat under, and I had to lift my end a bit to put it under. This was easy, since I had the first bike back. Other than that, everything was like clockwork. Helmet off, shoes on, grabbed the hat and number and went.
What would you do differently?:

Not a thing. Maybe just practice a little more to get faster.
Run
  • 46m 8s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 07m 26s  min/mile
Comments:

The hill out of transition seemed to be a difficult section for most people. Having done a brick of the bike and run course the previous week, I knew what to expect, and made quick work of it, passing several people. As I neared the top, I saw a few friends who were spectating, and got a little cocky. I started playing to the crowd a bit, but my quads gave me a wake up call as soon as I hit Campsite Rd. They cramped a bit, but the tightness soon went away, and I had a great run. Took HEED at a couple of aid stations, and just felt great. I had to walk some this course last week during my brick, but today I was on, and ran a descent pace the whole time. The first lap was a breeze, even the hills near the turn-around. Second lap was a little more difficult, but I was in high spirits, and pushed hard at the end.
What would you do differently?:

Push harder. I had enough energy to talk to a couple of people, so I know I could go harder. Do more bricks of this distance. Prior to today, I had only bricked this distance once, and had done another 20 & 5, as well as several sprint distance bricks. More bricks at this distance will definately help.
Post race
Warm down:

Not much of one. Walked around and ate lots of food. Then sat with friends to watch Rich, Becky, Erin, Brian, and Brad finish.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Neglecting my bike during marathon training. Not doing enough long bricks, and not working on my swim speed enough.

Event comments:

Wonderful race. A great location for an Olympic Distance. Glad I chose this as my first. Will be marking the calendar for next year.




Last updated: 2011-11-07 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:30:05 | 1640 yards | 01m 50s / 100yards
Age Group: 16/22
Overall: 170/298
Performance: Good
Suit: Xterra Vortex 4 Full
Course: Triangular course with each side being about 500m. All turns were to the right. Started and ended at the boat ramp.
Start type: Wade Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 66F / 19C Current:
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 01:33
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:18:03 | 27 miles | 20.76 mile/hr
Age Group: 12/22
Overall: 99/298
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: Out of transition and up a hill to Ellisboro Rd. Down Ellisboro to Gideon Grove. Down Gideon Grove to the other end of Ellisboro and back to the Marina entrance. Two laps. Mostly easy terrain. Only two real uphills.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:54
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:46:08 | 06.21 miles | 07m 26s  min/mile
Age Group: 11/22
Overall: 93/298
Performance: Good
Course: Out and back along the main road into the marina and Campsite Road. This is a two loop design, running Campsite Rd out and back twice before heading back along the main road to the marina.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4