Ironman 70.3 Miami - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Miami, Florida
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
76F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 42m 48s
Overall Rank = 1760/2500
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 330/490
Pre-race routine:

The alarm sounding at 4:30 on race day is quite different than the alarm going off on any humdrum workday. Popped out of bed. This is what I've been working for.
Coffee, Clif Bar, Banana... Stayed about 15 minutes from the race-site. Very easy and smooth drive in.
Transistion area very well-lit, so I did not need my head lamp. The porta-potties became more crowded as the morning progressed.

Event warmup:

Event warm-up consisted of light stretching, light jog and basically relaxing and visualizing for the day ahead...
The weather was ideal. Not too cool and certainly not too warm.

Swim
  • 37m 52s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 47s / 100 yards
Comments:

Great swim. Salt water created buoyancy. This race was wet-suit legal by one degree...
I chose not to wear my wetsuit because I hadn't trained in it. That would have improved my time, but I did not want to feel encumbered by it.
In water visibility was poor...
Out of water visibility was moderate. There was not a huge difference between the red buoy which indicated a "turn" (4 total) and the orange buoys which indicated the course. Swimming near the big cruise ships was pretty cool, seeing the sky-scraper buildings while swimming was also pretty memorable. This definitely would be the most memorable swim for uniqueness / experience for most participants.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really. Right before the horn went off, I told myself... "Relax... Just Have Fun.." and a guy next to me said, that's right. Let's have fun.
We're not pro's. I'm not a blazer. Just out there to have fun and not take myself too seriously.
Transition 1
  • 06m 28s
Comments:

Bad knees. Walked with bike with bike shoes on. Usually I keep them clipped in and hop on then put on my shoes. I hadn't practiced that so I wanted to be safe and was willing to sacrifice some time.
The ground here is concrete / marble / smooth and could have potentially caused people to slip in bike shoes or not. That is something to be aware of. Plenty of space to rack the bikes. Transition area had plenty of room and was not dirty / muddy at all.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Maybe work on mounting the bike with the shoes clipped in.
Bike
  • 2h 58m 54s
  • 56 miles
  • 18.78 mile/hr
Comments:

Portions of the road were rough, but I wasn't really concerned about getting a flat other than crossing 3 sets of railroad tracks. These are at an angle to the road. Make sure you hit these right. They placed rubber-mats down this year b/c of so many flats last year.
The 30 - 35 age group that swam after me were in ridiculous groups on the ride. The slipstream and drafting was obscene. And, they didn't call out "Passing Left" and they really passed way too closely. That was the only downfall to the entire race.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Had a great ride, eventhough I didn't set the world on fire.
Transition 2
  • 04m 42s
Comments:

Wow, the crotch gets beat up after a 56 mile bike ride. T2 went fine. I made sure to take more salt tabs which I've forgotten to take with me on the run. I tied my shoes properly, and got my hat.
I should've applied more sunscreen.
What would you do differently?:

Not too much. Applied sunscreen.
Run
  • 2h 54m 52s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 13m 21s  min/mile
Comments:

I have bad knees, so I am a speed-walker. I am okay with this.
I held sub 13 or 14 minute pace the entire "run" portion which actually is not too much slower from the days I used to run these things.
Sunny, got warm. The bridge was tough... twice.
What would you do differently?:

Not too much. Trained harder. Not drink 6 beers the day before the race.
Post race
Warm down:

Yea!!!! I completed my 5th Half Ironman!!!!
Oh wait, the wife is back in Orlando with the kids and I have to go to work tomorrow...
So much for celebrating. Maybe I have time for a quick shower before I get in the car for a four hour ride.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Me. I have not put the work in to perform better, but I am okay with that. I am still proud of my accomplishment.

Event comments:

I heard this race was horrible in 2010 or whenever the first year was. This was year #3, and it was great. Volunteers were great, race officials were polite / informed. Traffic control was excellent. Swim was organized and memorable.
My only suggestion would be to either make the waves larger or go from 4 minutes to 3 minutes between waves to get the people off sooner. Pros took off at like 7:20AM and I didn't begin until 8:39AM.
Also - they shut down the store after the race. Poor decision. I would've bought some stuff.




Last updated: 2012-10-29 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:37:52 | 2112 yards | 01m 47s / 100yards
Age Group: 144/490
Overall: 724/2500
Performance: Good
Suit: None
Course: The moderately enclosed bay was pretty smooth. Course was essentially rectangular. Swim in / out was 20 yards apart. Small jump into the water, and in water swim. First turn buoy was pretty crowded.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 76F / 24C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Below average
T1
Time: 06:28
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
02:58:54 | 56 miles | 18.78 mile/hr
Age Group: 258/490
Overall: 1282/2500
Performance: Good
Wicked crazy head wind on the way out. Worst I've ever ridden in. Kept cadence high (80) in big chain ring in the front and 19 or 21 in the back.
Wind: Headwind
Course: 28 miles out and 28 miles back. The police did a great job keeping traffic under control. The first 5 miles (and the same final 5 miles) was in or near the city center. The police moved the cars when there were gaps, but really did a great job for the riders. 4 lane road way separated by a large median. Inner (left) lane was sectioned off for the bikers. Cars allowed for space and passed on our right side. The cyclists who had made the turn were separated by a median that was easily 20 yards wide.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence: 80
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 04:42
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:54:52 | 13.1 miles | 13m 21s  min/mile
Age Group: 330/490
Overall: 1760/2500
Performance: Good
High HR, getting warm at this point.
Course: 2 laps, sidewalks / road. Over a decent sized bridge - Macarthur(?) Causeway. No shade. Plenty of waterstops.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
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] 5