Rochesterfest Triathlon - Olympic Course - TriathlonOlympic

Equipment: Blue Seventy wetsuit. Goal time: 26m 30sec. Had a good start and did corkscrew turns at every corner. Couldn't get in with anyone to draft with though. First lap was 13:17 so I thought I was doing ok and could get the next lap in under 14 and get close to goal. Out of the water at about 28:30. That sucked. I was going off to the left a few times during lap 2 so that may have added additional distance/time, but I thought I was doing good. Guess not. Don't get me wrong, I'm slow, but veering off made it worse. Official swim time includes running uphill on the beach and grass area as they didn't have the timing mat at waters edge like previous years.

Swim more. I was following my plan pretty good for the first 20 weeks or so--swimming 3x per week. However, the last 5-6 weeks I skipped some swims and got in 2 a week, a couple weeks only once. I paid for it.

I thought this went ok.

Position bike in a better spot (see "What Would You Do Differently" in the T2 section).

Equipment: QR Kilo w/ HED 3's, Giro Advantage Helmet.
Goal time of 1h 2 min.
First off, I didn't go hard enough on the bike. I always hold back a little on the bike due to the run, but still had a decent bike time. I usually go by perceived exertion and monitor HR. I didn't feel like I was working that hard and my HR was in line with that. HR was pretty low with an average of 163. Should have been in the 165 to 170 range. However, would I have ran the same had I worked harder on the bike...? I originally needed 1:02:00 on the bike to reach overall goal, but now needed around 1:00:00 to meet goal. I went 1:03:29 and now needed a run so fast that I PR my solo 10k by a couple minutes. Not gonna happen, not gonna try that either. This was a faster bike time than last year, but not faster than 2010 bike time--but that was on an altogether different bike course. Nutrition note: I was able to take in 5 CLIF Bloks, drink my entire aerobottle, and then dip into the diluted Zuko (think gatorade) so I was well hydrated and had some calories in me which I think helped during the run.

To improve my time, I think I might just have to take my chances next time and push a little harder.

This went pretty good except for the where I had my bike. Had the barracade been moved, my T2 time, and others that faced the same issue, would have been 5-10 seconds faster. Didn't affect my end placing so no big deal.

Position bike in a better location. I had my bike at the end of an aisle near the perimeter of the Trans zone. However, they never opened up one of the barracades just on the inside of the BIKE IN area of the T zone which made people run with their bikes from the BIKE IN to the middle aisle then up which ever aisle their bike was in. I think they forgot to move the barracade as it looked more like and access control check when the T zone was open prior to the race.

Equipment: Saucony A4's. Goal time: 38m 50 sec. Getting out on the run course I knew I would not meet my overall time goal so I threw that out and figured I just have to run smart (around 6:15’s), not go for overall time, focus on my original run time goal of 38:50, and pick off as many guys as I could. I was probably in the top 15 off the bike to enter the run course and started catching guys at a half mile in. I was surprised to see as many in my AG out there in front of me because I caught quite a few on the bike (but then….my swim was so bad). The run is a loop with an out-n-back that’s about 1/2 mile long(.25 out/back). As I am turning on to it, some guy is finishing it and moving on to the rest of the loop putting him about a 1/2 mile up on me--he looks about my age. I take a mental snapshot of jersey. I hit the 3 mile marker at 18:23 during the outnback section so I’m at 6:08 pace. With under 3 miles to go I figured I’ll never see that jersey I noted, but I’ll stay on pace and maybe he’s slowing. On the straight stretches I can see that I’m gaining on him a little, but he’s still catching people (relays that started with elites, fast swim-bikers that are slower runners age 35+?) and figure it’s going to be close if I can time it right and catch him near the end. He started fading pretty bad around 4.5 miles and I caught him with just under a mile to go. I hovered behind him trying read his age off his calf. I couldn’t tell if his calf said “41” or “47” - the top of the second digit is smudged off. I got next to him because I know how annoying it is to have someone right on your tail. I slowed a bit to his pace as we ran side by side, but he started picking up his pace a little. I think he needed someone to keep him focused and moving fast. I ran next to him, not getting ahead as I didn’t want him to see the age on my calf. Mentally I told myself I was getting a break from my pace and would be able out sprint him if and when it came to that. A million things were going thru my head though--he’s taller and more muscular, but a little heavier, so he may not be as quick, but he looks more fit than me, maybe he can sprint pretty goodp; then again he's tty gassed already, seemed to be hitting the wall just a few minutes ago, etc, etc. We stayed side by side along the shoulder of 37th St toward the last section of the course. We turned left off of 37th St and on to the road that goes to the park. We’re about .2 two from the finish line at that corner, a little long for a sprint-off, but I went for it. I could hear his feet speed up behind me, but in the lot where we turn to face the finish banner I looked back and he’s a good 30-40 yards behind. I got him by 6 seconds. I talked to him after he finished and asked him his age: 41. I won my AG, but was well short of my overall goal time. I don’t think I have it in me to go sub 2:10 at Rochesterfest. Maybe an Olympic course with a flatter bike and run and not a such a long run to T1, but not at Rochester. It was a oly run course PR, and an overall PR for "this" Rochesterfest Tri course as the 2008-2010 course had a completely different bike course than 2011 & 2012.

Nothing really...

Nothing. Walked, talked, ate, etc.


Poor swim.


Great race venue!