HITS Triathlon Series: Ocala - Half Iron Course - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Ocklawaha, Florida
United States
HITS Triathlon Series
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 10m 4s
Overall Rank = 58/80
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 3/4
Pre-race routine:

Missed check in the day before due to getting really lost in ocala so up at 3 am to drive there to check in when transition opens.
Protein bar & milk on wake up & another protein bar an hour or two during the event.
Event warmup:

Stretching
Swim
  • 48m 11s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 17s / 100 yards
Comments:

Great water temperature as I didnt have a suit, the hot days leading up to the event made it warmer than expected. Swim was good really, kept it steady, didnt wear out for the race.
What would you do differently?:

Need to work on technique and swim more.
Transition 1
  • 04m 50s
Comments:

Seat in transition is great.
Bike
  • 3h 01m 19s
  • 56 miles
  • 18.53 mile/hr
Comments:

Was fighting a spider in my aerobars for the first half mile, not great for my concentration :)
Slowed down for some intersections when it really didnt seem the cop was going to stop any other traffic. Stopped at one because a car was coming through.
Really needed to pee in the last 15 miles but couldnt find a port-o-loo.
Considering I rode the bike for the first time one week before the race Im happy with the time.
What would you do differently?:

Get fit on the bike, spend more time riding it. Move aerobar torpedo mount, it was hitting the ski bends on the way out.
Transition 2
  • 06m
Run
  • 2h 09m 42s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 54s  min/mile
Comments:

Had stomach cramp out of T2 so kept my pace low. Gone by mile 4. Around mile 6 or 7 I bonked and started walking sections, got back into a run for the last 3 miles though.

Had some leg cramping when I tried to re-tie my shoe, took a few minutes to fully shake off.
What would you do differently?:

Not take a 5 week vacation with very little training leading up to a race!
Post race
Warm down:

Self applied quad massage.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Training. It went well in the 15 to 5 weeks pre race but then moving countries and vacationing badly affected my training.

Event comments:

Great to have the feel of a local race with the support/planning/execution of a larger one. They had the "feel" down but it would have been a lot better if some of the race was not shared with traffic (which I understand is impossible for a 100 participant event - even if you are charging $250 for a half).
Volunteers did an outstanding job but I am glad I wasnt near a pack as each aid station had 1 volunteer.
The lake swim was the best Ive done in florida, clear & calm water, nice lake. The bike was ok, it was flat. The road surface was satisfactory, nothing to complain about but not new, smooth roads. Very backwoods, if you like looking at trees, this is the race for you. The run through the trail was nice and in the shade, but on soft soil so a bit of extra work. Out on the road there were long sections without shade and it was hot, but its florida and thats what you train for.
The organizers worked hard to execute this event well.
Finishers medal is junk, which makes me sad and why they give an award to every age I do not know, I feel it knocks the FEW people who now do not get awards than it excites the many who turn up and get one because they're the only 26 year old that turned up (hi).
Overall the race was good. I would DEFINITELY do a HITS race again, very well run race & feel. Not sure about doing ocala again as the course wasnt good enough to make me want to go back





Last updated: 2012-01-03 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:48:11 | 2112 yards | 02m 17s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/4
Overall: 68/80
Performance: Average
Suit: None
Course: Straight out (round a buoy) and back in a lake.
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 72F / 22C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:50
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:01:19 | 56 miles | 18.53 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/4
Overall: 60/80
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Fairly smooth roads through nature reserve/wooded area. Little to no hills/climb. A few police manned intersections. Shared road with traffic. There were apparently a few collisions between bikes & traffic during the race.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Below average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 06:00
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
02:09:42 | 13.1 miles | 09m 54s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/4
Overall: 47/80
Performance: Below average
Course: First 3 miles loop on dirt path, very well shaded. Next ten on a coned off side of a road, which had some pretty heavy traffic in some areas.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4