Greater Cleveland Triathlon - International Distance - Duathlon


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Mentor, Ohio
United States
North Coast Multisports, Inc.
65F / 18C
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 43m 20s
Overall Rank = 67/104
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 2/7
Pre-race routine:

Rolled out of bed at 4:45 a.m. (UGH!!!) and rode with a friend to the race site an hour away.
Event warmup:

Swim was cancelled due to some rather sizable waves. Totally swimmable in my opinion, but they had a death during the swim at this race last year, so I think they were playing it extra safe. They replaced the swim with a 1.2 mile run, so I did a nice easy jog to warm up somewhere between .5 - .75 mile.
Run
  • 09m 21s
  • 1.2 miles
  • 07m 38s  min/mile
Comments:

I felt pretty good on this run. Obviously could have gone faster as it was just over a mile, but didn't want to start the bike out too out of breath.
What would you do differently?:

Probably nothing. I think this was a good pace for me.
Transition 1
  • 01m 20s
Comments:

Good T1 - kind of nice not the be soaking wet and struggling into socks.
Bike
  • 1h 27m 56s
  • 27.25 miles
  • 18.70 mile/hr
Comments:

I was mentally unprepared for the hills and that kind of threw me off. About 3/4 of the way through the course, after a series of seeming endless step-up hills, I was damn close to tears, the climbs seemed to never end and my legs were toast.
What would you do differently?:

I probably should have asked other folks about the course. It seemed odd to me that given the location of the course, that it would be flat. The east side of Cleveland is notoriously hilly. I think if I had known going in that it would have been that painful, I could have prepared myself.
Transition 2
  • 01m 3s
Comments:

This seems like a slow T1 for me, but I did fumble a bit getting my bike shoes off and the bike on the rack, not really sure why.
What would you do differently?:

Not sure. I think being physically and mentally wrecked on the bike course probably caused the fumbling, at that point, I don't think there was much help for it and overall it's not a terrible T2 time.
Run
  • 1h 03m 44s
  • 6.5 miles
  • 09m 42s  min/mile
Comments:

Considering the beating I took on the bike, I felt strangely good on the run. The sun came out early in the run and baked me for a good couple of miles, but abated on the return half, which was really nice. I got a really bad hot spot on the outside of my right forefoot and had to focus on not landing there. I was in a fair amount of pain by the end of the run because of it.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. I do not know what causes the hot spots, but I get them sometimes on my long runs and they are brutal. They abate almost immediately after I stop running, but It literally felt like someone was shoving a hot poker through my foot for the last two miles. I really would have like to have kicked it in the last mile or so, but the foot prevented that.
Post race
Warm down:

Nothing, which is not good. My training pals (henceforth to be known as the A-team) were all at the finish line, so I stood and chatted with them (more like bitched about the hills).

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The hotspot on my foot was probably my biggest limiter. I think the bike thing was more mental than physical.

Event comments:

This race was well-organized, with excellent volunteer support.




Last updated: 2013-04-09 12:00 AM
Running
00:09:21 | 01.2 miles | 07m 38s  min/mile
Age Group: 2/7
Overall: 69/104
Performance:
Course: Straight out and back on an asphalt trail in the park. Not terribly scenic as we ran past a serious of brick out houses. Thank God it was cool, I can only imagine what that would have smelled like if it had been hot! :(P
Keeping cool Good Drinking
T1
Time: 01:20
Overall: Good
Run with bike? Good
Jump on bike?
Getting up to speed and into shoes: Average
Biking
01:27:56 | 27.25 miles | 18.70 mile/hr
Age Group: 2/7
Overall: 51/104
Performance: Good
Wind:
Course: Sooooo, in multiple places I read that the bike course was flat. Since the course is over an hour away from my house in a direction that I NEVER go, I did not get out to drive the course. As I rode the actual course, I came to the slow realization that they LIED. They lied BIG TIME. This was one hilly f'n course. I am freaking tickled pink with my pace considering the amount of time I spent climbing. Aside from the hills and a multitude of sharp left turns, it was a decent course through a fairly scenic, rural area.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:03
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
01:03:44 | 06.5 miles | 09m 42s  min/mile
Age Group: 5/7
Overall: 84/104
Performance: Good
Course: Rather ugly out and back route through and industrial section of town and some run down residential areas. Again more hills (only a couple thought), but oddly enough they seemed bearable on the run.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4