The Great Buckeye Challenge - Mini Distance - Triathlon

Well, I think I made my goal time-little slower on the swim than I wanted to be, but I think I'll be in my goal range. Had a little problem with the sighting today. The course was supposed to be a rectangle...but it was what I'm calling a crazy rectangle. After rounding the first corner, intead of being a straight shot to the next buoy, there was an angled portion or something (and no, it wasn't just me... :) other people noticed it as well). So, I got a little off course. I was focusing on my breathing, not sighting so much. Oops :) I also didn't seem to have as good of a start as in my last couple of races-I lined up to the left of the crowd, because I knew there were rocks in that area, so that put me a bit behind. The water was really warm, I don't know how people wore wetsuits-to me, for this shorter distance swim, it almost seems like it'd be a waste of energy to struggle into it, and struggle out of it. There was algae/weeds growing in the lake, which I've never encountered before. It kept getting caught on my hands. My throat is sore and scratchy this morning, I sure hope it's not from that water-yuck!

Sight a little more. Watch out for the crazy rectangle.

Fine, I thought.

Not take a plastic bottle of water-only take one water and one gatorade. More later. Don't need fig newtons either.

This was a great ride, I had alot of fun. It was a pretty course, and I was familiar with the roads. The weather was great, overcast and I was actually a bit cool for most of the ride. In the last 5 or so miles, the sun started to come out and clouds were clearing. It was really nice. On the rollers right at the beginning I dropped my chain, so I had to stop and fix that. I probably lost a minute or so. This bugged me because I've had problems in the past with dropping my chain, but lately have been shifting well so it hasn't been an issue-and then I mess up my shifting on the rollers. It wasn't a huge time loss, but frustrating. Especially because the girl who got first in my age group passed me a couple miles later. A lady passed me (she was in the mini du) and we played leapfrog the whole course. She was better on the flats, but I was better on the climbs and rollers I think. It was good though, we said a couple of things to each other, a few positive pick me ups. I think maybe I should be going faster on the flats and rollers. One of my goals was not to coast, but I ended up coasting quite a bit on the hills/rollers because I was afraid to drop my chain again. I also realized about this time that I didn't put air in my tires, so I was concerned that I might flat. I also was messing around with the plastic bottle of water in my jersery. First, I didn't need it. I had two bottles on my bike of gatorade, and then this plastic bottle of water. I should have had one gatorade and one water. At the time, I was thinking that I didn't want to run out of gatorade. So, throughout the ride, I keep have to reach back and shift the water bottle back in the pocket. So, I'm sure this affected my ride some. I'm not very focused on the bike yet. In the last 5-8 miles, we rode through more open areas, where there was a strong wind. Sometimes I felt like I was barely moving :) But overall, I was happy with my ride. I felt like I could have pushed it more (or gone another loop with the half participants :) ). I don't think I went to hard, but my legs were pretty sore on the run, so I might have needed to take it a little easier.
My nutrition: I took a gel about 20 minutes in, and then about 1/2 a gel about 1:20 in, plus 20 oz of gatorade and 17 oz of water. This seemed to work fine. However, I wonder if I needed some on the run besides my 6 oz of gatorade and sips of water....

-shift better, no dropping chain
-put air in tires
-Not so much coasting
-practice getting on/off bike in a hurry at start/finish of race

This was frustrating because some person had racked their bike back too far over, and I couldn't fit my bike up, so I had to move their bike first. There was plenty of space on the other side for them to put their bike a little closer to the other bike, but no.

Well, I knew this would be the problem, and it sucked. It was really warming up by the time I got out on the run (although, it was much hotter for the half iron folks). I tried to stay positive. I knew several people on the course, and so said positive comments (which I think helped keep me going as well), and heard many positive comments. I think I must have looked pretty bad though-my face always gets really red, and I was sweating alot, plus I was pouring water on my head to help keep cool-and, I don't really run, I kind of shuffle, more now since my hamstring is so tight. Several of folks said stuff to me. The first 2.5 miles were good, I kept telling myself that I had to make the first 3 (the first loop). But then I walked for a bit. I should have pushed through this first mental need to walk, because I think I was feeling okay. And it seems like once I walk the first time, I tend to walk alot more. When I started the second loop, I really started to notice my sore legs. Going up the hill for the second time was hard.
Walking during the second loop was mostly due to the soreness in my legs, not for cardio reasons. The lady that I was playing leap frog with on the bike kicked butt on the run, and so when we passed each other, we always said something. She finished before me, and was cheering me on at the finish. Now how cool is that?

-More bricks
-More weekly running mileage
-Focus on my weakest sport :)
-Run more in the heat
-Think/practice nutrition more-could this have contributed to my low energy levels? I had those two gels and gatorade/water on the bike, and only 6 ozs of gatorade and sips of water during the run? Should I have tried a gel or something? Or maybe eaten some solid food on the bike, and then a gel on the run? Don't know.

Excited that I finished by first 1/4 iron (international? olympic?-not sure what to call it) race. Walked around, ate 1/2 a peanut butter/jelly sandwich, lots of watermelon, drank water and my recovery drink. Changed clothes and stayed to cheer on teammates that were doing the half iron. Finished around 11:30-12:00, stayed until after 2:00 to cheer on folks (that's why the loop courses are nice-the half participants had 3 loops, so we could cheer for them alot).


Being concerned about the run so didn't push hard on the bike, could have had a better swim, sore legs/walking on the run :)


I thought this was a really well done race. It was another HFP race, adn they always do a good job. Lots of volunteers and drink stations were well placed for the run. I liked the food that they had afterwards. Pasta, pb&j sandwichs, fruit, cookies, chips, water, pop....I will do this next year!