St. Peters REC-PLEX Spring Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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St. Peters, Missouri
United States
St. Peters Rec-Plex Natatorium Foundation
75F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 47m 22s
Overall Rank = 35/184
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 2/17
Pre-race routine:

Didn't sleep a wink the night before. So I got up at 4am and showered.
The normal part of the routine is the following: Maple and brown sugar oatmeal and a glass of water.topped off my frozen 1/2 water bottles, and made a pb&j for later. Got to the race course so early that I got the best parking spot in the house, and nabbed an ideal rack spot for my bike too.
Event warmup:

did no warm-up other than wandering around a bit. i was feeling very warm and loose just from hanging out in the pool facility. this goes against what i would typically do, but i was fine with it.
Swim
  • 10m 30s
  • 547 yards
  • 01m 55s / 100 yards
Comments:

One of the worst 10 minutes slices of my life. It ranks right up there with having braces adjusted, being poked in the eye with a sharp stick, and colonoscopies (from what i hear).
i just couldn't relax, so the breathing thing was a big struggle.
What would you do differently?:

there's just no substitute for experience!
if i could have been more relaxed, and confident, the outcome would have been different.
Transition 1
  • 00m 45s
Comments:

Nailed it!
Ran straight to my bike, and wasted no time getting glass and helmet on. Velcroed the shoes easily, and ran with the bike out of T1. I couldn't have done it any more smoothly.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Bike
  • 59m 55s
  • 21 miles
  • 21.03 mile/hr
Comments:

Helluva bike effort for me. When i got out of the pool, my HR was at 180. Yikes! So I was pretty warmed up - haha! I settled into a 170's HR right off the bat. I attacked all the hills - both up and down. I made the decision that I would aim for a sub 1hr bike time. I knew there was a good chance of getting a good time by pulling off that feat. and since I knew I spent about 2 minutes longer in the pool than I had budgeted, I had to stick to my goal on the bike.
I felt awesomely strong the last 3 miles of the bike leg, which is where the major hill was. I picked two cyclists ahead of me, and told myself I would beat them no matter what. I caught them on the hill while one was passing another. I walked them both like they were standing still. That gave me a great boost heading into the turn at the top of the hill. I made my goal by 5 seconds. Those would prove to be important, precious seconds later on.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe I would drink less?? I never felt extremely thirsty, and I never had to pee, so I was right in that sweet spot, in theory. But I may have overdone it a bit because I got the sloshy, full stomach feeling right away on the next segment.
Otherwise, I am very proud of myself for this effort.
Transition 2
  • 00m 45s
Comments:

Again, nailed it! Just like I practiced. Unbuckled my helmet with one hand, while guiding the bike with the other. Racked the bike and dumped the helmet. Got the velcro off quickly and switched shoes in a matter of seconds. Took off running with gel/water bottle in one hand, and race belt in the other.
What would you do differently?:

Absolutely nothing.
Run
  • 35m 44s
  • 4.8 miles
  • 07m 26s  min/mile
Comments:

OUCH! From the second I hit the run course, I was afflicted with a nasty side-ache. Usually, I'm able to run them off in a mile or so. not this one. It lasted every step of the way. The look on my face during the run couldn't have said anything other than PAIN. It was one of the most miserable 5M of my life. Giving everything I had on the bike definitely played a part in my not being able to accomplish my running goal. I don't want to be too down on myself here, because I learned some things that will be valuable in my next tri, but good lord this was a difficult run! I will say that I had a very nice finish, out-sprinting several other racers to the finish. It felt good to reach top speed for a couple hundred meters at the end.
What would you do differently?:

finish the bike leg more in control of my HR, so i could be poised to attack the run, rather than suffer through it.
Post race
Warm down:

walked deleriously around the site, talking with the wife and friends. did a few basic stretches, too. Every few minutes, I went through bouts of feeling viciously ill, and then feeling fine. I'd feel hungry one second, and nauseous the next. I was starving, but couldn't eat anything. This continued for the next 8 hours. I felt pretty shitty all day, as a result of pushing myself so hard. For 5 hours post-race, I was only able to injest 3 saltines. And they weren't even salty like I hoped. So I just called them 'tines.'

In all of my pre-race preparations in the days and weeks before the event, I looked at previous race results. I compared them to how I thought I would do. Who would I have to beat? Whose time could I match? etc. I chose one name, the 5th place name, in fact, that would be a great goal for me. I figured if I put up those kinds of times, I would be very happy with my race. Well, he and I went head to head. We didn't know eachother. We still don't. But I do know that I beat him by 3 seconds. 3 Very precious seconds. :)


What limited your ability to perform faster:

nearly drowning was a limiting factor. it was not the start i had hoped for. but i bounced back nicely.

Event comments:

Seems like there was a great turnout. A lot of competitors signed up in the very last week. THe course is great, and the volunteers are helpful.




Last updated: 2006-05-22 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:10:30 | 547 yards | 01m 55s / 100yards
Age Group: 7/17
Overall: 77/184
Performance: Bad
My HR was already blowing up, even before i got in the pool. than it went haywire when i got in.
Suit: none
Course: 50m serpentine lengths.
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Bad Drafting: Bad
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding:
T1
Time: 00:45
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed:
Biking
00:59:55 | 21 miles | 21.03 mile/hr
Age Group: 2/17
Overall: 19/184
Performance:
My HR averaged about 170 on the bike. Very intense for me.
Wind: Little
Course: Out and back on fairly flat highway stretches.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 90
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Too much
T2
Time: 00:45
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:35:44 | 04.8 miles | 07m 26s  min/mile
Age Group: 3/17
Overall: 39/184
Performance: Below average
HR was up near 165-169 most of the time.
Course: windy rolling trails.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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] 3