Pumpkinman Half Iron Triathlon - Triathlon


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South Berwick, Maine
United States
Pumpkinman Triathlon
Total Time = 6h 32m 52s
Overall Rank = 365/445
Age Group = M 45-49
Age Group Rank = 42/46
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 3:45 a.m. to have breakfast (4 waffles with PB and syrup, plus a Red Bull). Rested on couch for about 30 mins, then got dressed and drove to race. Set up transition, drank a UCan, and chatted with family.
Event warmup:

No warm-up. I would have like a bit of a swim, but there was no time.
Swim
  • 36m 18s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 43s / 100 yards
Comments:

I took the swim really easy; going basically at warm-up pace. My goal was to keep a really consistent stroke and pace and conserve as much energy as possible. I did all that. I came out of the swim feeling great. The only issue was the start. I let myself get stuck in the very back of the pack going in, so when the race started, I had to wait and then slowly walk into the water before I could start swimming. Then, of course, there were a number of bodies that I swam over. Probably cost me 20-40 seconds. But, no big deal, it was still exactly what I wanted for the swim.
What would you do differently?:

Get towards the front of the wave for the start.
Transition 1
  • 06m 27s
Comments:

T1 included this run up a steep grass hill that took maybe 2 minutes. Then, I just took T1 very casually, chatting with the family and getting ready for the long bike ride.
Bike
  • 3h 05m 19s
  • 56 miles
  • 18.13 mile/hr
Comments:

Again, I took the bike ride nice and easy, not pushing at all. I was trying to just conserve energy as much as possible for the run. I stayed in aero pretty much the whole time (except for turns and some climbing), which I was happy with as that is the longest I've been in aero consistently since getting the aero bars earlier this summer. The bike time includes one much needed pee break on the second loop at about mile 37 or so. That was probably a 3-5 minute detour. Nutrition was two bottles of Perpetuem, a gel at :15 minutes, a banana at the 40-mile mark, and another gel at the 50-mile mark.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Transition 2
  • 03m
Comments:

Again, I took T2 slow and easy with no rushing, so I was much slower than a normal T2.
Run
  • 2h 41m 50s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 12m 21s  min/mile
Comments:

Well, that sucked. Starting the run out of T2 felt great. Legs were loose and running was easy. By mile 3, things were starting to feel like, well, I had been going for over 4 hours. The first 7 miles, though, felt fine. I kept to my pace goal (11 mins/mile), I took my walk breaks as prescribed of 1 min walking every 15 minutes, and I felt I was on target for a good run. Then, at just about the 8-mile marker, my legs shut down. The last 5 miles were all about simple survival. There were miles in there that I know I walked more than I ran. That was tough, tough, tough.
What would you do differently?:

Not terribly sure. I think my nutrition was okay, and my 10-mile runs leading up the race were easy enough that I think my legs had basic conditioning for a half-marathon, but not for a half iron. Maybe I was dehydrated and didn't realize it, although I was taking in a least some water at every water stop, plus some sips from my own bottles. If I had to pin it on training, I would say that I needed more longer runs (5 miles and up) off the bike on longer rides (40 miles and up). I only had one leading up to the race (55 miles and then a 6-mile run).
Post race
Warm down:

No warm-down. I just had to sit and rest.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not sure. Run training off the bike?

Event comments:

Hey, I finished. That's all I came out to do, and I did it. I just wish I had finished according to plan, which was to actually run the run.




Last updated: 2013-02-03 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:36:18 | 2112 yards | 01m 43s / 100yards
Age Group: 19/46
Overall: 178/445
Performance: Good
Suit: Full
Course: Twice around a triangular course in pond.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 72F / 22C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 06:27
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:05:19 | 56 miles | 18.13 mile/hr
Age Group: 39/46
Overall: 318/445
Performance: Good
Wind: Some with gusts
Course:
Road:   Cadence: 80
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:00
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Below average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Below average
Running
02:41:50 | 13.1 miles | 12m 21s  min/mile
Age Group: 42/46
Overall: 397/445
Performance: Bad
Course:
Keeping cool 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 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