Lumberman Triathlon - Half Iron Course - Triathlon


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Cadillac, Michigan
United States
3 Disciplines Racing
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 24m 6s
Overall Rank = 34/59
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 7/10
Pre-race routine:

Friday packet pickup was helpful. This was not a huge event, but was nice to be able to not worry about it on Saturday morning.

Woke at 4:45 on Saturday, 3 slices of bread with peanut butter, one banana, and sip gatorade for the next hour. Got packed up, and drove to Cadillac. About an hour to the race stie from where I was staying.
Event warmup:

Not too much. Just stretched a bit and chatted with the other half althletes. Topped off the tires (or so I thought....I will get to this later) and headed down to the swim start. There were 3 separate triathlon distances, an aquabile, and a kayak thing, Very helpful to have a jet ski ride the swim course for us...not that is helped after we started...again, more on this in a few moments.
Swim
  • 35m 53s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 42s / 100 yards
Comments:

Swim was not too bad, however, after the start, we were essentially swimming direclty into the sun. A group of us (probably 15+) turned too quickly before the last bouy, and added a few minutes (and meters) to our distance. This was not a marking issue. 3D does a great job setting up the course and explaining everything. However, during a follow the leader scenario, make sure you are following the right person. Thankfully, one of the girls on the jet ski yelled at us that we were going the wrong way!
What would you do differently?:

COUNT THE BOUYS!!! I have never had to do this before, but for longer distances, it may be a good practice.
Transition 1
  • 01m 48s
Comments:

Pretty pleased with T1. No major hangups. I was on the inner-most rack, closest to the wall, but there was plenty of spacing between bikes.
What would you do differently?:

Possibly take a few extra minutes to spray sunscreen, but whatever...the tan will even out over the rest of the summer.
Bike
  • 3h 24m 50s
  • 56 miles
  • 16.40 mile/hr
Comments:

Well, about 200 yards out of transition, I flatted out...rear tire. F'ing awesome. Yup, I was the guy with the P2 upside-down, changing a tire...200 YARDS OUT OF T1!! Really? I had never changed a tire before (either in a race or on training rides), but thankfully I watched a few You Tube videos on how to do it. However, it still took me 20+ miinutes to change. A HUGE shout out to Tim from Infinite Multisport for hooking me up with a tube. I had two, but did not realize they were the wrong size.

After a race killing delay, i hopped back on my bike and went along on my marry way...hoping that I could catch a few people. About 5 miles in, I heard a squeaking sound...Yup...both front and back wheels were rubbing the inside of the fork and frame. Are you F'ing kidding me rignt now? So, back off the bike, flip it over, adjust the wheels so they stop rubbing the frame and hop back on...again.

The rest of the first half was fine. Lots of downhills...lots of speed.

After the turn, whole different story. Kenny said the hills were challenging (which they were) but coupled with the 5-10mph headwind, it made for a difficult 28 miles back in.

I realized I was not going to PR today, so I just kept my cadence at 85, heart rate at 145-155bpm, and rode back into town.
What would you do differently?:

TEST DRIVE YOUR BIKE BEFORE GOING TO TRANSITION! I have a feeling my tire was leaking even before I setup T1. The tires and tubes maybe had 200 miles on them, but you never know. Check over equipment to make sure I have everything I need to deal with mechanical issues.

Just as a word of wisdom:

If you have never changed a tire, you tube it and pratcie it a few times. You do not have to be an expert, but just understand how to do it. I would suggest practicing on both a front and rear. You want to make sure you can get your chain back on quickly, and minimize how greasy you are.
Transition 2
  • 03m 27s
Comments:

Again, knew I was not going to PR, so I took my sweet ass time in T2.
What would you do differently?:

Probably care more. I checked out mentally after the flat and just decided to not kill myself and simply finish.
Run
  • 2h 18m 23s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 34s  min/mile
Comments:

Just took my time on this. Trying to make up almost 30 minutes on the run was not going to happen. The combination of the heat and the hilly bike course was setting me up for a miserable run. I felt good off the bike (ran my first mile in 8:15), but realized it was not sustainable. So, I walked a fair amount for the first 3+ miles, took in some fluids, and then walked every aid station, ran in between.
What would you do differently?:

Try not let a flat tire/mechanical destroy my race. IT is what it is, and there is not much that can be done. I still finished the race, but I definitely mailed it in on the run.
Post race
Warm down:

Found a tree with some shade and sat down. Also, jumping in the lake to cool off and wash off was the best part of my day.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Training was ok leading up to this race, but my lack of practice with regard to flat tires, and performing a better inspection of my bike was the determining factor of a bad race. This all could have been avoided, but I did not take the time to do tend to my bike.

Event comments:

Overall, I thought this was a well managed race by Kenny and 3D. It is a great venue, but still did not have a huge turnout (I believe there were ~275 between all athletes).

I have come to expect that 3D is not going to do finisher's medals for a lot of their races, but for a 70.3, I think it is a necessity. People train much too hard and too long to cross the finish line for a potato sack and a mason jar. The raffle at the very end was nice (I did not win a $250 Rudy Project gift certificate...would have been nice).

I will have to consider other 70.3's earlier in the season. This was my first year at Lumberman, and I am not sure if I will return for the 70.3. Perhaps an Olympic, but I think there may be better options for 70.3's in early-mid season. I am a big advocate for 3D because I think Kenny, Ann Marie, and Jay run good races, but this one did not quite meet my full expectations. I will be competing at the Festival of Races in early September, so I'll see if that one is better.




Last updated: 2014-07-01 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:35:53 | 2112 yards | 01m 42s / 100yards
Age Group: 5/10
Overall: 22/59
Performance: Average
Suit: Orca Sleeveless
Course: Essentially a big triangle, for the sprint and Olympic athletes, and the half athletes had an additional 500m bouy to hit.
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 71F / 22C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Bad
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 01:48
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:24:50 | 56 miles | 16.40 mile/hr
Age Group: 9/10
Overall: 43/59
Performance: Bad
Wind: Headwind
Course: Great course on the way out (lots of downhills), but coming back after the turn SUCKED! Very challenging. However, one of the smoothest courses I have ridden.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Below average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:27
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Average
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:18:23 | 13.1 miles | 10m 34s  min/mile
Age Group: 6/10
Overall: 29/59
Performance: Average
Course: Flat around the lake. Pretty damn hot though.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? No
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] 3