Binbrook Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Hamilton, Ontario
Canada
Multisport Canada
Precipitation
Total Time = 1h 42m 29s
Overall Rank = 69/306
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 14/29
Pre-race routine:

Slept in. Again. Set my alarm, then thought I hit snooze. Instead I hit off and woke up in a mad panic, 1.5 hours before the race was set to start. I drove fast and barely made it in time. I had nothing to eat, nothing to drink. I had four hours of sleep, and spent the night drinking beer and nachos. Hardly what you would expect to be a good routine for a good race.
Event warmup:

Managing panic.
Swim
  • 15m 7s
  • 750 meters
  • 02m 01s / 100 meters
Comments:

This felt like a very good and strong swim. I started off a little too hard and had to lay off a bit. There was a decent amount of contact, due to the next to zero visibility underwater. My sighting was actually very good, which is easy when there aren't any bodies in front of you.

Wait a sec. There wasn't anybody in front of me? It was too strong of a start. It did feel good to have some clear sightlines. I could tell there were people in front of me, but nobody was directly within my view. I managed to get around the buoys very well. I swam very straight.

All in all it was probably one of my best swims. My placing didn't prove that (top third in AG—same as last week), but it was still very confidence-inspiring.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe do a bit of a warmup, and pace slightly better in the early part.
Transition 1
  • 01m 10s
Comments:

My wetsuit is still getting stuck. I should have done Milton's race report before this race, because I completely forgot.

I got onto the bike well, and it was much easier getting my feet in the shoes.
What would you do differently?:

Lube the suit.
Bike
  • 50m 16s
  • 29.2 kms
  • 34.85 km/hr
Comments:

FASTEST BIKE SPLIT EVER!!!

For real this time, not like last week. The course was very flat and very fast. My heart rate was very consistent from start to finish. It peaked at 171, and averaged 161. Again, like last week I had a bit of a mushy middle. I played a little cat-and-mouse with a group of three (who were spending a lot of time sucking off each other's wheels) during the one minor ascent. Then after the second turnaround I turned it on.

After passing that group, everything opened up. The closest competitors were far ahead of me, and it felt like there was noone behind me anymore. I don't think I've ever been that far ahead, where I'm actually no longer in a pack. After my lap splits were showing super fast times, I felt like I was only minutes behind the leaders. It was surreal.

This feeling continued when I got back toward transition. The people there seemed like they were caught off guard, like so few people had come in already. Usually the volunteers at the dismount line are freaking out when I come in fast with my feet on top of my pedals. This time they seemed to understand that I was comfortable, and just motioned where the line was. The people cheering sounded like they were actually genuinely excited, and not just going through the motions, or trying to encourage the slow guy.

This continued until I got to the rack for my bike. There were only two other bikes on my rack that had come in already. I was super pumped for the run. I figured if I could hold on to this position (which granted, I thought was much higher than it was), then I would have my strongest finish yet!
What would you do differently?:

Eliminate the mushy centre.
Transition 2
  • 00m 58s
Comments:

Just a decent T2. Nothing to report here.
Run
  • 35m 2s
  • 7.5 kms
  • 04m 40s  min/km
Comments:

FASTEST RUN EVER!!!

Seriously, the fastest run I've ever had. I don't know what happened, but I started off the run super pumped, and that feeling never faded. I just wanted to try to maintain my position, and try to keep as many people from passing me as possible. Last week it was discouraging when I got passed that much.

At the first 1k lap marker I couldn't believe my time: 4:34. I've never run that fast. I knew it wouldn't last long, but I pushed through it to see just how long I could maintain it. The next lap marker: 4:36. This included a short and steep climb out of the park too. So I kept going on. 4:51, 4:45, 4:27, 4:36. I only got passed by a few people, which is extremely rare for me. I run at 6:00! This isn't me!

I only realized how well I was doing until the turnaround point. There were a *lot* of people in this race, and relatively so few in front of me. I saw Marlene, who I had completely expected to have passed me by this point (she was a wave or two behind me, but she's a faster cyclist and a much faster runner). It was awesome to high-five across the road!

Soon after I felt a twinge of pain from my IT band again. Not anywhere near as bad as last week, but it was definitely bothering me more than I would have liked. My pace slowed to 4:58, and descending that short but steep hill on the way back, I turned my ankle and nearly fell. It was close, but I made it (as I got passed for position).

The finish was strong, working down to my quickest pace of 4:26. I didn't even feel like I was going to puke at the end. So I suppose I left a bit too much in the tank there!

I can't believe how well that run was. Whatever I did, I'm going to have to capture that and save it in a bottle.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Nothing at all.
Post race
Warm down:

I ate burger and stretched!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Oddly enough, maybe my swim. My run technically *could* have been faster, but wow.

Event comments:

It was a nice touch that race organizer John Salt right at the finish line, shaking everyone's hands and congratulating them.




Last updated: 2012-06-11 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:15:07 | 750 meters | 02m 01s / 100meters
Age Group: 9/29
Overall: 75/306
Performance: Good
Includes 250m run into transition from the beach. Actual swim time was closer to 13:30.
Suit: Nineteen Frequency
Course: Counter-clockwise loop. Murky water.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 01:10
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:50:16 | 29.2 kms | 34.85 km/hr
Age Group: 9/29
Overall: 75/306
Performance: Good
AHR: 161
Wind: Some
Course: Flat T-ish course with two turnarounds.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence: 100
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills:
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:58
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:35:02 | 07.5 kms | 04m 40s  min/km
Age Group: 19/29
Overall: 114/306
Performance: Good
AHR: 171
Course: Through some woods, around the lake, up a hill, and along a road until the turnaround point, then back.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5