Okoboji Triathlon - Triathlon


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okoboji, Iowa
United States
80F / 27C
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 31m 22s
Overall Rank = 5/225
Age Group = 30-39
Age Group Rank = 4/50
Pre-race routine:

Headed up to Okoboji with the family to stay at Jacki and Kyle's place. I grilled chicken and cooked angel hair pasta the night before to eat on the ride up. Kelly rode with us too. Went to bed about 10:00 PM. Had a terible time sleeping.

Alarm went off at 4:30. I was laying in bed waiting for it to go off. I wanted to leave the house around 5:15 to get to transition about 5:30. Ate oatmeal, Greek Yogurt, and a banana. Also downed a gatorade.

Got to transition and we were one of the first ones there. Set up at the end of a rack next to the bike in / bike out. Perfect spot. Set up aero bottle with water and Elixr tablet. Down tube water bottle had a powerade as well. Two gu packs on the bike in case I needed something. About 20 minutes before the gun was to go off I ate a Caffine Gu and drank some more water.
Event warmup:

Headed to the water to do some warm up in the water. I did about 6 20-30 stroke sprints to get the blood flowing. I decided to put on my wetsuit. Most of the athletes did not, but it was a legal move and I wanted practice in my wetsuit anyways.
Swim
  • 12m 44s
  • 1116 yards
  • 01m 08s / 100 yards
Comments:

Strong swim. It was really bumpy at the start. I was drafting well and sighting very well. Before the turnaround I noticed a handful of people in front of me. About half way back I looked to the beach and I only saw 6 or so people in front of me. I decided to kick it in the last 200 yards to see how many I could pass.

Ended up 4th out of the water. Felt really good getting to the swim exit.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe push a little harder sooner. I felt very strong the entire swim and was really happy with the result.
Transition 1
  • 01m 43s
Comments:

There was a long run up to the T1 entrance that was included in the swim time. I had a great T1 but my suit did get stuck on my heels again. Not a big deal but probably added 15 seconds to my time. Suit off, helmet on and i was on my way. got out of T1 fast. On my bike and my feet went in really easily. took off and got a few strong rotations in before I tightened up the velcro on my shoes.
What would you do differently?:

Trim my suit up just a little more on the legs maybe so that it can get off my heels easier.
Bike
  • 44m 10s
  • 18 miles
  • 24.14 mile/hr
Comments:

This bike was fun. Hard but fun!! It's the same course as the last two years. We head out of Arnolds Park and head south on 71. Our first major turn is a 90 degree turn to the West which gradually turns north. It is alot of up hill work on the west side of the lake. I had my eyes on one rider about 500 yards in front of me. The overall winner came up next to me on the bike at about mile 8. I hung on to him as long as I could. He caught the guy in front of me and about a mile or so later, i caught him too. Once we turned East and into the neighborhood it was a series of back and forth efforts between me and him. Another biker caught us and the three of us pushed each other very hard. At about 1 mile left, I had a sudden burst of energy and completely blew out the other two guys. Got out of my shoes well, rode on top of them very well and dismounted.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. Maybe hang on to that 19 year old that won the event a little longer. I was very happy with my bike segment.
Transition 2
  • 00m 58s
Comments:

As I was getting ready to rack my bike I stumbled and ended up dropping my bike. It wasn't a big deal but it did cost me a few seconds. I was as quick as I could be considering I still like to run with socks on. The two guys I dropped at the end of the bike ended up getting out of T2 before me.
What would you do differently?:

Better control as I get off my bike. My rack spot was really close to the entrance of T2 and I was slightly out of control. Probably should work on this somehow but I was smoking fast on the bike. LOL.
Run
  • 31m 48s
  • 4.5 miles
  • 07m  min/mile
Comments:

The run was one of my better performances for this distance averaging 7:00 per mile. There are a lot of little roller hills during this run that did affect my abilities. I did not think that there were enough water stations but I dealt with it.

I got out of T1 and started to build up speed. It's a run up a gradual hill out of T1 and when I reached the top of the hill I felt like it was time to push. It's a fun run because you see the bikers coming in as you are running on the sidewalk.

I did catch one runner but then he ended up passing me with about 1.5 miles to go. One guy passed me as well that was behind me after the bike. My last mile felt good. I was strong with long strides and good arm movement. I turned the last turn to the finish line and the streets were lined with people. This is one of the best finishes in the Midwest. The Okoboji tri is run at the same time as the 1/2 marathon, Marathon, and 10K and all athletes finish at the same spot. It's almost a party atmosphere.

I should have pushed harder on the run. I never had the "just walk for a minute" thoughts and should have pushed harder. Would I have gotten a higher position in the end?? Not sure, but I may have caught the guy that got 4th.
What would you do differently?:

Push harder sooner.
Post race
Warm down:

Crossed the finish line. I saw Stacey and the boys and stacey got a great picture of me smiling at them. Stretched and waited for Chad to finish the Tri and Kelly to finish the Half Mary. Ate a banana, drank a couple of bottles of water and gatorade and was ready to roll. I could have jogged home from the race as my legs still felt great.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not much. Maybe I was just being a wuss on the run and should have kicked it harder .

Event comments:

I gave Okoboji a 5 because the finish is one of the best in the area. I love the crowd and the announcer. I would like to see age groups every 5 years (then I would have won my age group :-)...... There are some challenging parts of the bike with traffic and the congestion of runners and bikers is difficult.

Still love the race and we stayed for two more days to enjoy Boji!!!






Last updated: 2013-04-24 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:12:44 | 1116 yards | 01m 08s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/50
Overall: 4/225
Performance: Good
Suit: Xterra
Course: Out and back around one buoy. Siting buoys were on my left and were floating tires.
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 01:43
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:44:10 | 18 miles | 24.14 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/50
Overall: 4/225
Performance: Good
HR was high most of the bike. I was pushing hard this race too. Really wanted to red line the bike as much as possible. Average 150 with a max of 160 according to the Garmin.
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: Large circle all the way around West Lake Okoboji. Mostly highways and the road was smooth. Several turns in the neighborhood and some of them are sharp that require good gearing and speed control. Really hit the course well.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 88
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:58
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:31:48 | 04.5 miles | 07m  min/mile
Age Group: 0/50
Overall: 28/225
Performance: Good
Average 136 with a max of 162. This probably means that I should / could have pushed harder.
Course: Running on sidewalks and streets in the neighborhood that we also bike on. There are some tough spots where bikers are crossing and runners are running. I almost got ran over by a biker but that's the life of a triathlete.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
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? No
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5