Pelican Fest Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Windsor, Colorado
United States
Pelican Fest LLC
Total Time = 1h 23m 33s
Overall Rank = 188/281
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 21/24
Pre-race routine:

Packet P/U Friday evening; gear check, couple bike adjustments, pasta & a big salad for dinner. Slept OK despite nerves.

Next morning, got up @ 5:45. Ate a Clif Bar & some yogurt, drank some diluted Powerade. Didn't feel like eating much.
Event warmup:

On the road at 6:45, set up transition, body marking, portajohn, gentle jog on the grass and some half-hearted stretching. Found the start through crowd-following - it was not marked at all.
Swim
  • 22m 44s
  • 875 yards
  • 02m 36s / 100 yards
Comments:

OMG, that was hard. I haven't been in the pool much except to teach my kids to swim lately. I hung back a little to avoid the crowd, but still ended up bumping into people some. Between that break in my rhythm and the fact that I was unprepared, I was hypoxic very quickly. Eventually switched to backstroke as "temporary" recovery, but never managed sustained crawl. Veering all over the lake, probably swam an extra 100m. At least they didn't have to drag the lake for my body.
What would you do differently?:

Train, maybe? I've heard some people find it helpful.
Transition 1
  • 02m 21s
Comments:

No wetsuit. I don't currently have decent tri shoes. I did this race in Teva-style SPD sandals, which I put on on the ground. I was very shaky and weak from my ordeal in the lake, and doubted whether I could really complete the race. Dropped my helmet, and almost dropped the whole bike... My wife shouted to me to just get on the bike and spin, which was the best advice I could have gotten.
What would you do differently?:

I'd like to get a decent shoe setup. Maybe skip the gloves, even though I feel naked riding without them.
Bike
  • 30m 57s
  • 9.5 miles
  • 18.42 mile/hr
Comments:

Stayed in my tuck well, kept speed & cadence up. Didn't get passed on the bike, but a little disappointed with my time. I think the reason it was slower than expected is that the hill came just after T1 and I wasn't recovered from the swim yet. Mentally, I was afraid to push too hard after being challenged so badly by the swim.
What would you do differently?:

I need to use a drinking system on the bike. I didn't drink enough because of the issue of breaking the tuck to get a bottle. On the other hand, I was pretty well hydrated from the swim ;^)
Transition 2
  • 01m 15s
Comments:

Again, the sandals were a mediocre substitute for tri shoes. Gloves sucked up a couple seconds. Shoes on smoothly. Things were definitely looking up at this point.
What would you do differently?:

Had some blisters on the run, so maybe I should be using socks?
Run
  • 26m 14s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 08m 26s  min/mile
Comments:

I started to get pretty hot & winded on the hills, but even untrained I can handle a 5k without too much trouble. Got done with the climbing the best I could, stretched it out and tried to pull the time back down.
What would you do differently?:

Pick a different triathlon? For my first race after a long hiatus, this was a poor choice, as the course was very challenging and didn't play to my strengths. I think I could have run a disproportionately faster 5k on a flat course.
Post race
Warm down:

Water. A little jogging. Needed a T-shirt for sun protection, but didn't have one.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Base training and swim training. Not necessarily in that order. I'm proud that I got myself back under control after that abysmal swim, but I'm not proud of other aspects of the performance. I'd like to do this race 10 or 15 pounds lighter and see what affect that had on my bike & run times.

Event comments:

There should have been water stations near the tops of the hills - some of the Clydes and Athenas were really having a hard time with the run, and it was hot by then.

It was unclear where the post-race stuff was, and there wasn't much fluid available when I finally found the tent.

Judging from my experience, I would not return to this race. However, the area is under construction and should be finished by next year. It might be a lot easier to organize when the construction is over.

Also, see my run notes regarding the unsuitability of this race as a beginner course.




Last updated: 2006-05-28 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:22:44 | 875 yards | 02m 36s / 100yards
Age Group: 23/24
Overall: 0/281
Performance: Bad
no HRM, but it was pegged - I was hypoxic almost the entire swim.
Suit:
Course: clockwise loop around small lake. Water seemed pretty clean, I guess - I don't have much frame of reference. Bottom was a little mucky.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Bad Drafting: Bad
Waves: Bad Navigation: Bad
Rounding: Bad
T1
Time: 02:21
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:30:57 | 9.5 miles | 18.42 mile/hr
Age Group: 21/24
Overall: 148/281
Performance:
Tried to settle in quickly despite the hill. HR pegged on the hill, but got my position down and got control of HR right after the hill. Began picking people off almost immediately.
Wind: Little
Course: Dismayed to see that two of the corners of the bike course were unmarked, unmanned, and being universally ignored. It was just a little side loop that returned to the same road a little further on, but all riders in both directions were cutting the loop. I decided to follow the crowd.... Course was pretty simple and in good condition. Some rough pavement right at the apex of the turn on to Crossroads Blvd.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: ?
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 01:15
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Below average
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:26:14 | 03.11 miles | 08m 26s  min/mile
Age Group: 18/24
Overall: 130/281
Performance: Average
HR pegged on the hills again, but kept running. Flew downhill smoothly.
Course: Course was VERY hilly. Two major climbs, the second so steep that I couldn't put my heels down. It would have been easier to climb as stairs. Once you were off the second hill, it was flat and smooth. Most of it was on concrete, which I don't mind, but some folks aren't happy running on concrete.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %?
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? No
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? No
Plenty of drinks? No
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3