Pinehurst International Triathlon - Triathlon


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Pinehurst, North Carolina
United States
Set Up Events
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 53m 55s
Overall Rank = 66/235
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 12/35
Pre-race routine:

Got up early, grabbed coffee, finished a salad from night before and headed to race. Got there at 6am and ate my yogurt with granola and Green Machine drink. Drank about half a bottle of Hammer Fizz prior to race.
Event warmup:

10min on bike testing gear and new this race, a real swim warmup. About 10 minutes in water EZ with some sprints near the end to get my motor humming for my new swim strategy.
Swim
  • 27m 21s
  • 1500 meters
  • 01m 49s / 100 meters
Comments:

Decided to test my skills against the big boys. Lined up in front and made a mad dash into the water as the gun sounded. Sprinted hard to outpace the pack and swam for a mark in the silhouette of the treeline as the sun glare made it impossible to see the buoys. I swam hard the whole first leg as visibility was poor and I wasn't sure how close the pack was to me. Rounding the first buoy I could my strategy worked. I soon was passing people in the first wave. I started to swim wide to get around the pack of slow people from the first wave, then corrected and hit the buoys on mark till I finished. I knew I outpaced most of my age group and was psyched, but also surprised at my time. Thought I would be faster. Maybe the course was long?
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Great confidence builder for me to execute this strategy. Kind of always knew I had it in my, but never been so bold as to line up in front.
Transition 1
  • 02m 9s
Comments:

Only part of my race I didn't PR from 2011 and only because T1 was further away than it was in 2011.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Bike
  • 1h 30m 33s
  • 30 miles
  • 19.88 mile/hr
Comments:

As in IM Raleigh, lost a water bottle. This time, however, I also dropped the handoff - thought about going back to gabbed the dropped handoff, but reasoned that since the weather was cool and the course shaded, I would just hydrate immediately on the run. Went the whole course on 1 bottle. Saved my final sip to was down my gel just before end of bike. Not quite a 2 bottle course, but definitely more than 1. Started feeling tired at the end. Likely due to the lack of electrolytes and also that I really only put in enough bike training for a 25 mile bike.
What would you do differently?:

More training and DEFINITELY need to get different bottle cages for next season. Would be nice to ride a course without a serious bump or railroad tracks, but that's just wishful thinking. Losing a bottle has bit me in the butt my last two big races.
Transition 2
  • 00m 44s
Comments:

I slacked on thinking through my transitions as I had been so good in prior years. Took the time to run through my mental check list before the end of the bike and simply blasted through T2. I knew I'd have a top time here and I did - 2nd in AG and 7th overall.
What would you do differently?:

Run faster. That's all I could do!
Run
  • 53m 10s
  • 10 kms
  • 05m 19s  min/km
Comments:

My strategy was to go easy for the first few minutes. Typically, I run fast right off the bike and then fade away and struggle to hang on. This year, i decided to go easy at first then run the entire course as I put in a lot of run training for this race. The hydration issue on the bike didn't seem to be a problem the first 5 minutes and I struggled to keep myself from just tearing loose, which was good, because just before I hit mile 1 cramps started making their presence known. I downed my emergency gel, then walked through the first water point to make sure I drank a full cup. I could feel the cramp fading away, but every time I picked up the pace I could feel them coming back. Heat came out in full effect and I just never got to the point where I thought I could run through an aid station. When I got to mile 5 I decided to make a go out of sprint to the finish. Passed an Open Master on a hill, but then cramped up majorly in both hammies on the final hill. Heard someone behind me and hoped it wasn't the OM, which it wasn't. Was a young guy. I bucked up and pushed through to the finish and the cramps actually went away.
What would you do differently?:

I did what I had to do for this run. I could have run this faster I'm certain if I had been able to hydrate properly on the bike. In the end, it was a 1-second PR for whatever that is worth.
Post race
Warm down:

Cooled down in lake, which was awesome. Didn't see a massage table nor the Rice and Beans truck that was there in prior years. Maybe that's because Setup was having a post race/season bash later that day and the good vendors were going to be there? Pizza was great, but was looking forward to some good red beans & rice.

Event comments:

Great venue. Beautiful and super clean lake, which makes swimming into the sun a non-issue for me. I'll take sun glare over nasty water any day! There is one rough section of road on the bike course, but otherwise a well-shaded and beautiful course. Run is beautiful as well, but very hilly. I wish the bike was a typical oly distance as the extra 5 miles eliminates my swim advantage.




Last updated: 2013-09-24 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:27:21 | 1500 meters | 01m 49s / 100meters
Age Group: 3/35
Overall: 45/235
Performance: Good
Suit: Sleeveless
Course: Counterclockwise rectangle into the sun for the first leg.
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:09
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:30:33 | 30 miles | 19.88 mile/hr
Age Group: 22/35
Overall: 95/235
Performance: Good
Wind: None
Course: Lots of hills. A few flats where I built up a good pace.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills: Good
Race pace: Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 00:44
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:53:10 | 10 kms | 05m 19s  min/km
Age Group: 13/35
Overall: 82/235
Performance: Average
Course: Rolling hills and more rolling hills, and then some more rolling hills, and then even more! Only one flat section. In 2011, the course was in the opposite direction, which meant you finished on a half mile or so flat straightway. This year, you started with the straightaway and finished on a hill basically.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
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: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3