Ridgefield Sprint Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Ridgefield, Connecticut
United States
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 19m 45s
Overall Rank = 79/400
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 8/36
Pre-race routine:

Arrived early to claim a good spot in the first-come-first-serve transition area, ate a couple eggs and a banana. Chatted up some friends, nothing magical.
Event warmup:

1/4 mile run. Just right, felt fine.
Swim
  • 15m 6s
  • 880 yards
  • 01m 43s / 100 yards
Comments:

This TD insists on having really large waves because he thinks it adds to the 'experience'. Everyone hates it, but it is what it is. I started WAY wide to avoid the washing machine and it worked great - a little slip and slide for the first 50m or so, but I was on my own for most of it. My goggle got too tight on my left eye and I couldn't open it at all, which I tolerated for a little while, but finally fixed. A few navigation issues in the beginning, but really a nice swim for me. A massive improvement over the prior year, and I'm really happy.
What would you do differently?:

Just keep swimming. I've made huge gains from training smarter and they'll just keep coming.
Transition 1
  • 02m 30s
Comments:

there's a good 200 yard between the end of the swim and the transition area.
My chip apparently died at this point, so I don't know any of my times for certain, just going on what I remember my watch saying. I walked a little bit just to calm down, in retrospect I don't know why, I felt fine. Great bike mount.
What would you do differently?:

No walking. I'm talking like 10 seconds lost, but still, it was unneccesarily wimpy.
Bike
  • 34m
  • 12.5 miles
  • 22.06 mile/hr
Comments:

Man I wish I had the real split data here, because I just killed it. A buddy of mine who spectated it said he thought I was top 15 overall on the bike, and he was surprised by how fast I was coming. The calculator said 22mpg average, my watch agrees with a 34 minute time, I just wish I could see it.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I took some liquids at the top of one hill which probably cost me 5 seconds, I was a little clumsy getting into my shoes, probably another 5, and was a little tentative on the biggest descent for another 5, but honestly I felt pretty beastly out there.
Transition 2
  • 01m 30s
Comments:

My feet were frozen and I struggled to get my shoes on as I couldn't feel my toes - it was all visual. My wife said I sucked on T2.
What would you do differently?:

Not suck on T2.
Run
  • 26m 41s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 08m 35s  min/mile
Comments:

I felt a little cramp in my calf right away, but my problem today was focus, 100%. I just didn't have a running head on until half way through, and it shows. I easily could have run harder and taken back 2 minutes or more, but I convinced myself the cramp was bad enough to warrant a walk up the bigger hill. Ultimately the podium in my AG is won in the water and the swim.
What would you do differently?:

Just do it. This was a mental problem, not a physical one. I ACCEPTED people passing me, I QUIT in my mind. In a sprint, this is death. I re-engaged, but it was too late to save it.
Post race
Warm down:

Big hugs from my family and cheered on my friends as they finished.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My mind.

Event comments:

This is a pretty competitive race for the area, and a lot of really fast people enter to win, which makes it a great annual barometer for me. My goals were to finish under 1:20, and swim and bike well, which I did, so I'm very happy with my performance. I was crap on the run, wouldn't have mattered from a podium perspective, though. Gives me something to work on, which is a great gift to get from a race. The mass swim start is unnecessary, but the RD is who he is. It will always be my hometown race, and unless I do Quassy's half one year, I'll come back every time.




Last updated: 2012-06-03 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:15:06 | 880 yards | 01m 43s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/36
Overall: 98/400
Performance: Good
Suit: yes
Course:
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 67F / 19C Current:
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Good Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:30
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:34:00 | 12.5 miles | 22.06 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/36
Overall: 0/400
Performance: Good
Wind:
Course: Perfect. There are some challenging and timely hills
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:30
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Below average
Running
00:26:41 | 03.11 miles | 08m 35s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/36
Overall: 0/400
Performance: Below average
Course: One slow hill for the first 1.25 miles, then rolling.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4