XTERRA Curt Gowdy Triathlon - TriathlonOther


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Laramie, Wyoming
United States
Without Limits Productions
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 01m 43s
Overall Rank = 86/181
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 12/25
Pre-race routine:

Was going to stay with a friend in Laramie but with the late race start (9:30) and my friend's wife extrtemely pregnant I decided to just drive up that morning.

Decent breakfast, not too much coffee, as much water as my bladder could handle on a 2+ hour drive.

Sunscreen, Chamois Butt'r, hydration pack full of ice cubes, insulated bottle for transition area full of ice...ready for hot day.

Parking at the Finish was 3/4 mile from start. Had to pack everything and transport...no problem.
Event warmup:

Got set up in Transition...was getting a bit crowded by the time I arrived. Still plenty of space.

Warm up was OK. Had a decent swim, but then had to get out for meeting and first waves. It was 40 min between my warm up and wave start...not sure how to handle that in the future. Took a disposable water bottle to beach to sip on while waiting....definitely do that again.
Swim
  • 23m 26s
  • 1200 meters
  • 01m 57s / 100 meters
Comments:

I had been practicing in open water this year and felt comfortable but did not feel fast. I would estimate 2min per 100 yd/m, but with my slowness I thought I might be closer to 30 min.

From the start kept with the pack. Not too bad.

Was trying to change my mentality from "please don't hit me" to "get the f$%k out of my way". I was somewhat successful changing my mindset! ;-)

Second lap was much better paced although my time was about the same. Was happy with time.
What would you do differently?:

Keep that face in the water!! Try to get a better warm up in...but not sure how with 40 min in between.
Transition 1
  • 03m 34s
Comments:

I don't know if this is an XTerra thing or at most races, but the transition area seemed pretty dirty/rocky. I'm not really complaining but this adds a step of cleaning off my feet prior to socks. I don't regret as a rock in my shoe could have ruined my day.

Also my wetsuit is old. I would imagine a new one would be easier to get out of.

I don't ever do the "shoes attached to the bike" thing. Making sure they are on right seems more important.
What would you do differently?:

Forgot to reset bike computer...messed with it for 15 seconds too long. Try to clean feet faster.
Bike
  • 1h 33m 15s
  • 14.1 miles
  • 9.07 mile/hr
Comments:

Felt pretty good on the bike. Sometimes people were walking sections I knew I could ride that made me dismount...little frustrating.

Was not feeling the flow at the end. Fatigue was keeping me from being active in the cockpit and almost washed out (or braked too much).

Eating is tough in XTerra! Had to stop twice to eat a Stinger Waffle. I think each stop was 40 sec or so. Had two GUs taped to my bike and ate one.
What would you do differently?:

Even though I felt good and passed a lot of people, my rank is not as high as I expected. I knew there were many sections where going anaerobic is the only way through so I went too easy most of the time. Next time I will push myself harder in the easier sections.

I think because I was passing people I thought I was riding hard enough.

Also need to make sure I have my loose surfaces game on...slacking in the fast easier sections cost me. Need to keep the speed up. This will be a must for Lory.

Need to figure out how to eat and keep moving better.
Transition 2
  • 02m 57s
Comments:

One thing I did for this race that I never have before is I changed my socks here. I run with minimalist shoes and wanted a bit more cushion than my cycling socks provide.

Also had a small packet of sunscreen and was able to reapply neck and shoulders. Will definitely do that again. Even with this the neck was red at the end of the day.
What would you do differently?:

Not sure on the sock change. I did have a good run so I can't say it was worthless but I think it nearly doubled my T2 time.
Run
  • 58m 34s
  • 5.3 miles
  • 11m 03s  min/mile
Comments:

This ranking surprised me honestly. I am not much of a runner but to see a better ranking than my bike is frstrating. I am trying a new low impact method of running that is a slow shuffle. Several people passed me going much faster only for me to pass them back later on.

It was pretty hot...I pulled my trisuit off my shoulders to get as much cooling as I could. Much better!

One 30 yr old guy came bounding past me. 10 min later I passed him, then he was back, then I lost him again, finally he caught up to me and I said "holler if you want to pass" and he said "no thanks". He must have thought my pace would get him home. I took off with 1/4 mile left and never saw him again.

I can only assume that the bike course kicked a lot of good runners' butts forcing them to go slower.
What would you do differently?:

I think I could run faster. Was worried about the heat and blowing up. Didn't do as much run training as I should have but I think I could have run a full minute per mile faster.

Not sure if the sock change had any impact but I do know I had a great run.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked in circles and ate pizza! Sure wish I could have gotten in my car right away where I knew I had a cooler full of ice.

Event comments:

This is my first race where the transition area and the finish were in different places. I wish I would have thought about this in where I should have kept my car keys.

I had a great race at the first Curt Gowdy XT. Will be back next year for sure. Glad I have a decent benchmaark to improve upon.




Last updated: 2012-06-22 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:23:26 | 1200 meters | 01m 57s / 100meters
Age Group: 15/25
Overall: 122/181
Performance: Good
Suit: Full Suit - 20 yr old QR Speedsuit
Course: Two 600M loops in Granite Springs Reservoir
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 63F / 17C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Bad
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:34
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:33:15 | 14.1 miles | 9.07 mile/hr
Age Group: 12/25
Overall: 91/181
Performance: Average
Wind: None
Course: Beautiful singletrack course. First 9 miles are rocky and somewhat technical. Many small grunt sections...keep it in the big ring! After the tech it was loose and twisty.
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 02:57
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Below average
Running
00:58:34 | 05.3 miles | 11m 03s  min/mile
Age Group: 11/25
Overall: 83/181
Performance: Good
Course: Twisty, rocky, singletrack roller coaster.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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] 5