Tinman Triathlon - Triathlon


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Morris, Minnesota
United States
38F / 3C
Precipitation
Total Time = 2h 13m 9s
Overall Rank = 7/65
Age Group = M36-45
Age Group Rank = 2/
Pre-race routine:

Arrived early to race, first one in the transition area and promptly took the prime location. There's only one entrance and exit into T1/T2 so it pays to set up in the right spot. Then went inside and tried to relax, meet some friends (new & old) and stay warm. I was in the last swim heat (of 3) so not much point in a warm-up in the pool, then waiting 60 minutes for my wave to start.
Event warmup:

Nothing. Absolutely nothing!
Swim
  • 16m 24s
  • 1100 yards
  • 01m 29s / 100 yards
Comments:

Good swim, felt pretty good the whole way and that I was able to swim at a fast pace, but not uncomfortably fast. Felt like I started to go a bit too hard about 1/3rd of the way into it and backed off, got my perceived heart rate back under control then picked up the pace again. I was in the middle lane of the pool so I was able to have a good view of any other fast swimmers that I knew about, and able to know that I was moving faster and lapping them in some cases.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe I could have gone a bit harder, shaved 20 more seconds off my time, but at what cost?
Transition 1
  • 02m 20s
Comments:

I'm estimating my T1 time because this was not a chip timed race, therefore my "transition" time was included in my bike time. But it gets tricky, because my swim time didn't end until I actually left the pool building, but like everyone else it was so damn cold outside that I dried off, put on two shirts and my socks before leaving. So I probably spent two minutes on the pool deck drying off and getting dressed, then about twenty seconds to run outside, put my helmet and glasses on and go.
What would you do differently?:

Freeze my tail off outside? Not put on warm clothes and get hypothermia on the bike? I guess nothing really. Overall score of below average due to weather conditions making this a longer than necessary transition.
Bike
  • 1h 01m 30s
  • 18.6 miles
  • 18.15 mile/hr
Comments:

Brutal, epic bike. Winds were so strong I had to get out of the aero bars for fear of getting blown over. My avg. speed on the way out was 15.9 mph and 24.2 on the way back.
What would you do differently?:

Based on my run performance, I feel I didn't push it enough on the bike. In retrospect, I felt like I was pushing as hard as I could with my heart rate and breathing maxed out on the hills.
Transition 2
  • 01m 45s
Comments:

I learned that you can't rack my bike by the horns with the aero bottle in place. That took me 15 seconds. It was so windy I wanted to rack it that way for stability, but it didn't happen. So I lost a bit of time ensuring my bike didn't get blown off the rack. I also had the most bizarre cramp in my abs. As I reached down to get my right foot out of the shoe it hit me like a ton of bricks and I almost fell off the bike. So I lost about 30 seconds standing up and moving into a position to make that cramp go away before the run. I got my watch and shoes on, helmet off in no time at all. If it weren't for the cramp and the issues racking the bike, this would have been a 30 second transition.
What would you do differently?:

Now I know I have to rack by the seat. I also know to be a little more careful getting my feet out of the pedals and not getting that cramp.
Run
  • 51m 33s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 08m 19s  min/mile
Comments:

For all of you that have read any previous race report of mine, you know that I'm not a fast runner. This is the fastest 10k I've ever run, stand-alone or during a tri, or even in training. I don't know what happened but the imaginary speed fairy visited me and I killed the run. I felt good doing it too, not too winded or tired until the last mile when I pushed the pace into the high 7's.
What would you do differently?:

I'm not sure what the results would have been if I pushed a little harder during the first 5 miles. If I ran 15 seconds faster per mile would I still have banged out that last mile at 7:49? Or would I have exploded and run/walked the last two miles at 10:30? I'm thrilled with this run and can't contain my smile.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked, stretched, at a slice of pizza and drank water. Then drove an hour home, changed, drove 2.5 hours down to St. Paul for a hockey tournament I was coaching at. Was surprisingly not too stiff, the high school kids I was coaching couldn't believe I was still standing.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Weather, lack of hill climbing ability on bike.

Event comments:

This is a well run, small local race. Not a very tough field of competitors, as evidenced by how well an average guy like me placed. I would recommend this race with the following caveats: April in MN can be good or very bad weather, this is a low budget non-chip timed race, the field of competitors is 80% first timers and recreational athletes. I said there were not enough drink stations because there were only two on the run with water and nothing else. But due to the weather I didn't feel thirsty or as if I needed more.
I'm happy with this race and will do this one every year because it's fun and a great start to the season and gauge of fitness level.




Last updated: 2012-02-14 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:16:24 | 1100 yards | 01m 29s / 100yards
Age Group: 1/
Overall: 2/65
Performance: Good
Suit:
Course: Pool swim, my scheduled lane mate did not show to the race so I had my own lane all to myself. Awesome.
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 75F / 24C Current:
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 02:20
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:01:30 | 18.6 miles | 18.15 mile/hr
Age Group: 1/
Overall: 6/65
Performance: Average
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: Out and back.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Good Hills: Below average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:45
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Bad
Running
00:51:33 | 06.2 miles | 08m 19s  min/mile
Age Group: 2/
Overall: 11/65
Performance: Good
8:30, 8:35, 8:42, 8:36, 8:26, 7:49
Course: Big single loop, able to run on grass, sidewalk, bike trail and gravel.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? No
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 4