Ironman 70.3 Austin - Triathlon


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Austin, Texas
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
Sunny
Total Time = 7h 02m 43s
Overall Rank = 1406/2634
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 195/371
Pre-race routine:

I did not sleep well the night before due to time zone change. I was up at 3:45 am local time, which was 1:45 pst. I woke up, got a coffee, ate 1 banana, 1 bagel with peanut butter, showered, and was ready to go. I knew sleep was going to be an issue.
Event warmup:

No warm up, swim course was closed.
Swim
  • 44m 11s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 05s / 100 yards
Comments:

I am not a great swimmer. I just try to maintain good breathing and not over do it. This became a very crowded course after the first and second turns. There was plenty of jostling when the waves of swimmers merged together. I know for certain I goosed another swimmer, and swam over a few peoples legs. The water visibility was poor, but I felt good with sighting. The swim felt fast considering it was 44 min long.
What would you do differently?:

I would really like to learn to draft.
Transition 1
  • 05m 48s
Comments:

This was a long run out from the water to the bike, about 1000 feet or more. Had a hard time getting my watch off, but the wet suit strippers helped. I am glad they were there. I did runr up the ramp with the wetsuit to the bike. I was thorough on getting the bike equipment, having a GU, and getting on the bike. Making sure I had my HRM on, and ready to go.
What would you do differently?:

I am not sure why I was so much slower than the pros who did this T1 in under 2 min. Maybe not dwaddle as much?!?
Bike
  • 3h 01m 48s
  • 56 miles
  • 18.48 mile/hr
Comments:

I was hoping for under 3 hours, and came close. At the last two miles, it was crowded and a more narrow road, which made passing difficult. This dropped my pace considerably.

I did a cliff shot at the right time on the bike, before the run at mile 50, but could have done one at mile 40 as well.
What would you do differently?:

Drink more on miles 25-40. Remember a variety of foods that work for me, when the bonk breakers failed. Hammer a little harder on miles 40-45. That would have made a little difference and led to a sub 3 hour performance.
Transition 2
  • 05m 56s
Comments:

I waited in line for the two porto potties that had a short line. I really needed to pee, so I decided to wait.
Run
  • 3h 05m
  • 13.1 miles
  • 14m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

My right thigh seized up before mile 1. Not sure if it was a pull or what, but it made for a tougher run than I wanted. I knew with the limited amount of running I had done in preparation it was going to be tough, but I was pretty happy that I made it through the day.

There were certainly issues with my legs, and strength throughout the run course. I felt pulls in both legs over the course but kept powering through it. The other thing I noticed was that I was dehydrated from miles 5-8. I had to work hard on hydrating with water the rest of the run.
What would you do differently?:

Focus on a single source of hydration. I used sponges to keep me cool which was helpful, but at one aid station I took on water, poweraide, and coke at once. That created a toxic mix in my stomach. I wasn't thinking clearly when I did that. Next time I will focus on one source of liquid per station. I think my body would like that better.

The two things I want to work on are run conditioning, and practicing my hydration for race day.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around for 5 min. I could barely stand by the end of the race.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Better technique on the swim. I felt happy with the bike. On the run, I really need to log more miles, that are injury free. I had no issues with shin splints on race day which I was happy for, but I felt unstable in my shoes.

Event comments:

I enjoyed this race. It was my first Ironman production and it was a much larger race than I expected. It was great to see so many volunteers and I am looking forward to doing another in the future.




Last updated: 2014-02-09 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:44:11 | 2112 yards | 02m 05s / 100yards
Age Group: 176/371
Overall: 1321/2634
Performance: Average
Suit: Yes, full
Course: This was a three leg open water swim course.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 74F / 24C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 05:48
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:01:48 | 56 miles | 18.48 mile/hr
Age Group: 133/371
Overall: 900/2634
Performance: Good
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: This was more hilly than I expected. The course elevation maps provided by IM were way off!!! I did not stop at the first rest stop, but got water at Aid 2 and Aid 3. I was hammering pretty good for the first half of the bike, and slowed down on the second half. Passing was tough on the hills, and we were going four wide at times. I noticed about 30 flats on the course, and one crash. The second half of the course was much hillier, and the heat was creeping up. I did not hydrate enough for the last 20 miles, which affected my run. My stomach started acting up for some reason. I had half of a Bonk Breaker, but it was not tasting good at all. I had half of a gu, and then lost it on a bump. I did get a banana at the half way point, which felt good. My cadence monitor was not working, and I did not stop to fix it, I just rode at what felt comfortable and check my HRM.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 05:56
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Below average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
03:05:00 | 13.1 miles | 14m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 195/371
Overall: 1406/2634
Performance: Below average
Course: This was a three loop course with up and down hills. There was no aid station for 1.5 miles on the hottest part of the course, which really sucked. The course changed from pavement to dirt, to a trail/bike path which was sketchy in places.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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:
Race evaluation [1-5] 4