White Lake Half - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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White Lake, North Carolina
United States
Set-Up, Inc.
81F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 25m 4s
Overall Rank = 208/439
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 29/64
Pre-race routine:

Wake at 4. Coffee, Clif bar & 2 nutrigrain bars. Lots of water. I may have had too much water since I had to pee at mile 30 in the bike, but better too much than too little. I definately need this much time to get mentally prepared for this race so that I can take my time and not get rushed.
Event warmup:

Brief swim that was interrupted when I (unsuccessfully) tried to find MA to hold my wedding band.
Swim
  • 39m 18s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 52s / 100 yards
Comments:

Very good swim. I took it easy and enjoyed the experience. I kicked it for about the last 50 to 100 meters since I saw there wasn't anyone close in front of me, but there were several swimmers right on my heels and I wanted to be first to the ladder. Didn't feel light headed after the swim like I frequently do. I ran down the dock and even sprinted a bit because I wanted my time to be under 40, and I knew it was close.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe go a little harder, but I met my goal of a sub-40 swim, so it's hard to argue with that.
Transition 1
  • 02m 31s
Comments:

Took it easy. Made sure to stock up on the gel, bar & sunscreen I had laid out. Also wore the headsweats bandana thing to keep the sweat out. It was worth the extra time since the sun came out on the ride and it got hot.
Bike
  • 2h 40m 45s
  • 56 miles
  • 20.90 mile/hr
Comments:

Sun came out around mile 10 and I reapplied sunscreen on the fly, but I somehow missed my neck. But when you're at white lake, you fit in with a red neck. Good idea to carry the small bottle on the ride. Had to stop to pee at mile 30. I had to keep reminding myself that I shouldn't worry about people passing me (a hazard of being a MOP finisher starting in the 2nd wave). I kept saying to myself that there was no one else on the course, just me and a watch. Just me and a watch.
A guy passed me midway through the bike and I swear it looked like he dropped a duece on his top tube right under the seat. Maybe this was to discourage drafting.
The song stuck in my head was "He War" by Cat Power.
Transition 2
  • 01m 56s
Comments:

Ran with shoes on. Not bad for having to put on socks and such.
Run
  • 2h 00m 36s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 13s  min/mile
Comments:

Had to stop around mile 2 to pee, so I guess I was hyrdated enough then. Missed water at a stop on the last leg back in due to volunteers being occupied with other things and I was pushing too hard to stop and fill a cup myself at that point. That was a mental blow and made miles 10 and 11 that much harder. Was really getting hot and suffering at this point because I was probably doing sub-9 minute miles trying to make my (new) goal of a 5:30 race. My right quad was on the verge of cramping the last leg of the run. Got a squirt from the boy in the neighborhood which helped a bit. I missed the 11 mile marker so I was starting to panic with the thought that I had slowed down. Once I saw the 12 mile marker I knew I could make it under 5:30 and after the last aid station I started feeling great.
What would you do differently?:

Drink more and use the towels more. Do more to stay cool on the last half of the run, if that's possible. Maybe grab two cups of water, drink one and dump one on me.
Post race
Warm down:

Walk around and drink a lot. Quads felt like they were about to fail & I was unable to stoop down to remove my chip or pick up water.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Need more run training. I held back on the swim and the bike in order to save for the run, which was the right thing to do at this point. Run training was hampered by PF this winter, so this was still the best possible outcome considering the circumstances.

Event comments:

I was aiming for a sub 6 hour completion of my first half. Made a change in goals when I started the run and realized I had a chance at breaking 5:30. As a result I pushed the run much harder than I would have otherwise and I'm still sore almost 72 hours later, but the satisfaction is well worth it.




Last updated: 2006-05-09 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:18 | 2112 yards | 01m 52s / 100yards
Age Group: 44/64
Overall: 271/439
Performance: Good
Kept HR in the 140s.
Suit:
Course: Single lap triangle
Start type: Wade Plus: Shot
Water temp: 69F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 02:31
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
02:40:45 | 56 miles | 20.90 mile/hr
Age Group: 27/64
Overall: 219/439
Performance:
Tried to keep it around 150. On the way back in it kept creeping up to 160 with the headwind & people passing me. I had to keep reminding me to slow it down and save energy for the run.
Wind: Some
Course: Hwy 53 was worse than I had imagined. I expected expansion joints, not he constant seams every couple of yards. Some were brutal enough to bounce you on the bars & seat and it was very difficult to eat and drink while dealing with those. I wish they would reverse the course so you had a tail wind on this section and a head wind on the smoother surfaces.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 01:56
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
02:00:36 | 13.1 miles | 09m 13s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/64
Overall: 0/439
Performance: Good
HR started at 166 or 168 and never came down. I gave up on trying to slow it down since I saw that I could break a 5:30 overall if I had a good run. I stopped looking at my HR after the first lap.
Course: 2 lap out and back. Some shade on half of it, zero shade on the far part of the course.
Keeping cool Average 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] 4