EagleMan Ironman Aqua Bike - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Cambridge, Maryland
United States
Columbia Triathlon Association
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 24m 28s
Overall Rank = 8/52
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 1/6
Pre-race routine:

Entered this race just after finishing my first Triathlon at Columbia (OLY). Since the full race was already full, I though the swim / bike would be fun as those were my stronger events.

Woke up at 5:15 and had a bagel, banana and cup of coffee. Grabbed a shower and got ready - plenty of body glide applied! Grabbed a bottle of water and gaterade and headed for the car. Got stuck enroute due to a drawbridge openning, which delayed me getting to the race until about 6:30. Got parked and marked quickly and set my space up. Typical routine, glasses and gloves in my helmet, helmet on the bars, towel on my seat and shoes / socks in front on my bag. loaded my jersey with 9 gels for the bike, loaded my water and accerade bottles. Headed out of transition and hit the porta john line several times during the morning.
Event warmup:

Swim wave was last one off - race ended up getting a later than normal start. No real warm up, except for frequent trips to the bathroom :-)
Swim
  • 39m 12s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 52s / 100 yards
Comments:

Very tough swim. Last wave to enter and I should have paid more attention. Got in the water and made my way out with the group. Started warming up and looked up to see the pack standing about 50 yards ahead of me and the start going off. quickly got going and made up the ground as quickly as possible. Conditions at the start weren't bad and felt pretty good on the way out. Bit of navigational issues as I went out farther, the waves got larger making the markers harder to spot. Swimmers were everywhere so no easy way to spot the best line. Made it to the half way point and the water was really rough. The course turned into the wind and headed back to shore. It was a real battle all the way to shore. Focused on long strokes and just making it through. Very hard time breathing as I seemed to get crashed by a wave on every breath. Pushed strong to the end and was mixed into the pack of previous three waves.
What would you do differently?:

PAY ATTENTION AT THE START! I wanted to be off the front, and ended up bringing up the rear. In the end I didn't let it get to me - just worked through the swim, determined to finish.
Transition 1
  • 03m 54s
Comments:

OK transition - suit off, glasses / helmet / gloves on. Socks then shoes, grabbed my bike and headed off.
What would you do differently?:

Practice more
Bike
  • 2h 41m 24s
  • 56 miles
  • 20.82 mile/hr
Comments:

Very tough course. While it was very flat, the wind was crazy. Head winds and cross winds were found over much of the course, with maybe 8 - 10 miles where it was a tail wind. Settled in and worked to keep steady. HR was high out of the swim, hanging just under LT. Found myself going pretty good clip and worked to settle down and just ride. Goal was to hold ground and not be passed. Slowly gained ground, played pass each other with one rider, who I finally left for good about the halfway point. At mile 30, two guys came past and I couldn't hold the pace. Followed my nutrition plan, downing a gel every 20-30 minutes and sipping water every 10-15. Also used up my double dose of Accelerade bottle. Wanted to pick up the pace for final 10 miles, but was really only able to maintain. HR average was around 158 or so. Probably endurance related, this distance was much farther than most of my training. From an LT perspective, was 10 beats off, but legs were feeling quite tired. Rear end was very sore by the end of the race.
What would you do differently?:

Good training race for HIM distance. Need to work on endurance and experiment with how hard I can push my body. Finished strong and definately tired, but could probably squeak a bit more out with the right focus.
Transition 2
  • 00m
Run
  • 00m
  • 13.1 miles
  •  min/mile
Post race
Warm down:

Stretched out legs and back and walked around.

The OLY plan definately helped get me into shape for the race, with the swim distance being no problem. Could definately have used more long rides on the bike - but had a great time.

Event comments:

Great race! Had a really good time. The Aqua Bike was a new category added this year and gave me an opportunity to experience two thirds of the HIM race, since the main race had sold out months earlier. Would recommend it to anyone thinking about trying. Great experience!




Last updated: 2006-06-12 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:12 | 2112 yards | 01m 52s / 100yards
Age Group: 2/6
Overall: 16/52
Performance: Average
Average HR 166
Suit: Xterra Vector John
Course: Out and back course in the Choptank river. In water start. VERY WINDY.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 75F / 24C Current: High
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Good
Waves: Below average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 03:54
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed:
Biking
02:41:24 | 56 miles | 20.82 mile/hr
Age Group: 1/6
Overall: 10/52
Performance:
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course:
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 90
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:00
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:00:00 | 13.1 miles |  min/mile
Age Group: 0/6
Overall: 0/52
Performance:
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
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? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4