Tri the Parks Triathlon - Blalock Lakes - Triathlon


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Newnan, Georgia
United States
Blue Sky Sports
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 23m 16s
Overall Rank = 14/293
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 1/29
Pre-race routine:

This race was only about 50 minutes from the house, but since we were traveling all day Saturday after the race and then again all day on Sunday, we decided to get a hotel near the race site on Friday night just to make a little shorter day of it on Saturday. We grabbed diner in Decatur Friday night and took our time getting out of town. Got to Newnan around 8:30pm, scrounged up some breakfast for the morning and got our stuff ready. Asleep by 10pm.

Up a little bit after 5am for breakfast - stomach was feeling a little "off" for some reason, so didn't have as much to eat as I normally would: peanut butter & toast, tea, and a little juice. Loaded up, and we were at the park by 6:15am. Walked down to checkin and got our race packages, then set up in transition and checked the in and out routes. Just like the sprint race earlier in the year, the transition has plenty of room and is right by the water - I can't imagine a venue that would allow for speedier transitions.
Event warmup:

I had plans to get a legit 15 minutes or so of swim warm-up before the race start, but my stomach was not really cooperating (the juice maybe, but probably just one of those things?) so instead I spent that time standing in the port-pottie line. Awesome. I got to the start line only just before the gun went off, so I got maybe 200 yards of swimming in tops. Ah, well.
Swim
  • 29m 18s
  • 1500 meters
  • 01m 57s / 100 meters
Comments:

The swim goes off right in to the rising sun, so you just cannot see too far up the course. The outbound leg is very well marked because of this though with buoys seemingly every 75 meters or so it seems, so very easy to swim a straight line. Since I didn't get a warm-up, I took it out pretty easy and for better or worse wound up in the gap between the fish and the crowd. For this race it was fine not getting into a pack and I actually enjoyed an almost-contact free swim. On the second loop around I picked it up just a little bit, but still stayed fairly loose and relaxed. I am glad that I did not look at my swim time though, as if I had of seen 29+ minutes I might have just shut it down and cruised the rest of the race.
What would you do differently?:

Warm up, if possible. Even though I was going at a fairly relaxed effort, I still thought I would be a bit faster - 26:30~27:00 is what I felt like, and since I had very little contact and swam a good line (and based on the swim times of the fasties) I am betting the loop was about 75 meters too long (150 meters total). Well within the margin of error I would think for how fast they set the buoys. For the kind of swim fitness I am currently carrying and how long it takes me to warm up these days I would rather it be too long than too short.
Transition 1
  • 00m 54s
Comments:

Cap and goggles off as I was coming of the water and unzipped on the run. Speed suit off quickly and helmet on, then shoes on for the run to the mount line. Last year for the sprint I had my shoes on the pedals. I was 4 seconds slower this year, but didn't have muddy feet on the bike like last year at least....
What would you do differently?:

Nothing - it really is hard to mess this transition up.
Bike
  • 1h 09m 18s
  • 25.4 miles
  • 22.04 mile/hr
Comments:

This course is lumpy (a little over 1400 feet of gain), but for the first 4 miles or so they are just small ups and downs, so I just sat 230 watts for the first 10 minutes. When the bigger rollers started around mile 7 I really started watching my power and throttled the ascents at 260 watts and then push the descents at about 210~215. There was lots of space between riders up the road, which I like as it makes it better for long sustained pursuits. Like always I was surprised at how folks would crush the hills but then just cruise the descents: like 400+ watts up and MAYBE 100 drown. I just dont get it, but to each their own.I was very happy to be feeling great, but began to back it down with about 3 miles to go, hoping to save a little leg for a very hilly run. Ate a gel early on the bike, and one late, and killed two full bottles of fluids. It is a nice downhill finish, so I slipped out of my shoes early and dismounted well.

Averaged 228 watts, with a normalized power of 232 (VI=1.02) - when I see numbers like that I know I should be able to run fairly well.
What would you do differently?:

This was a very good bike for me. I hit the same targets that I had in Knoxville, so it is good to see I am holding similar fitness now a month later. That said, I do look forward to pushing these a little harder, but right now I just don't have the training in place to do so and still have a respectable run.
Transition 2
  • 00m 32s
Comments:

Hit this transition well - helmet off, shoes on, grab my sunglasses, race belt and visor and put them on on the fly. Same exact time as last year's sprint,
What would you do differently?:

Probably should have at least tried to swipe my feet across my transition towel before putting my shoes on.... ah, well - it is just a 10k....
Run
  • 43m 13s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 07m 03s  min/mile
Comments:

I ran out of T2 shoulder to shoulder to a 23 year old kid and matched him up the first sharp hill. My right calf immediately started to cramp just a bit and I thought "uh-oh, this is not going to be good...." I shook it off and just determined to hang on to my rabbit. Got it together on the first downhill and settled in and then checked my time - at two miles it was looking like I was going to run 46 minutes flat. Ugh. Legs slowly came around though and was able to pick it up bit by bit. My pacer was doing the same, and I somehow managed to never let him get more than about 15 meters up the road. I am really glad we were not in the same age group (and that he started 3 minutes up on me). At the 5k turnaround we began to swap pulls and just took turns running folks down - it was god to have someone to work with on the run. The last half mile or so was generally down hill and we just motored down to the finish with a good gap to the next runner back - just the way I like it. I am not spec'd out to win a sprint finish.... At about 150 meters out we passed Dan Arnett in his giant afro yelling like crazy - I don't know how that dude can be so animated immediately after he finishes a race - all I seem to be able to do is stagger around in a daze.... The run course volunteers were great and there was lots of water on the course - I think I had 5 opportunities to grab cups, and I took them all, but I did fumble one of them. Didn't really need it, but it was plenty hot by the finish.
What would you do differently?:

Really wanted to run 42:xx, but with such a hilly run I will take what I can get, especially since I haven't done much real threshold work since Knoxville.
Post race
Warm down:

Grabbed some water, got dried off, changed clothes, and went out to watch JT come in. Ran into Allen Heaton and his wife and new baby. They had found a nice little bit of shade with a good view of the course so I waited for JT with them. It was awesome to see her come over the hill - she finished really strong and looked great - her fitness is really coming around well.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

IM training - Heh.

Event comments:

Tri the parks races are always well organized. I was really hoping Dr. Sadri's crew was there cause I could have really used a massage. Last I talked to him though it sounded like he was traveling most of June and July - ah, well.

JT got changed quickly and we loaded up and raced to south Georgia for a family wedding - nothing like a 4 hour drive immediately after a race to get the legs feeling just right!




Last updated: 2013-06-05 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:29:18 | 1500 meters | 01m 57s / 100meters
Age Group: 3/29
Overall: 30/293
Performance: Average
Suit: TYR Torque Pro
Course: Counterclockwise, two-loop triangle in a muddy little lake.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 82F / 28C Current:
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 00:54
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:09:18 | 25.4 miles | 22.04 mile/hr
Age Group: 2/29
Overall: 16/293
Performance:
Wind:
Course: Constant Rollers from the get-go.
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 00:32
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:43:13 | 06.2 miles | 07m 03s  min/mile
Age Group: 1/29
Overall: 18/293
Performance:
Course: Hilly out-and-back run with 3 little additional out-and-and-and back doglegs.
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
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] 4