Spirit of Racine Half Ironman Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Racine, Wisconsin
United States
HFP Racing
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 57m 51s
Overall Rank = 836/1200
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 94/109
Pre-race routine:

Up at 4:45, in the car at 5:15 to drive the 40 minutes to Racine. Stomach didn't want food--forced myself to eat some oatmeal in the car. Felt a bit rushed setting up transition, could have used a bit more time to get relaxed.
Event warmup:

Walked the mile down the beach to the swim start. I viewed the swim as warm up--one of my focuses for this race was to prevent a HR spike early.
Swim
  • 39m 25s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 52s / 100 yards
Comments:

First swim in bit body of water. The inland lakes are no big deal anymore, but this was the first time I dealt with real waves. It didn't impact me as much as I thought it would. The first leg of the swim was into the rising sun which made spotting a little difficult, and dealing with the rise and fall with the waves was a new experience. I managed to use the waves a bit, as when I felt a swell approaching I would plan to take my next breath at the top. I was successfull in focusing on the basics--count strokes, stay relaxed, spot effectively, and try to draft as much as possible. Still need to work on the drafting technique. Was pleasantly surprised with my time when I checked my watch going into T1, I certainly didn't feel that fast in the water.
What would you do differently?:

Get to the start earlier so I can get my game face going more effectively.
Transition 1
  • 04m 34s
Comments:

I made a decision that I would not rush my transitions because of the length of the race. Wanted to be cool and collected heading out on to the bike, my favorite leg of the race. Unfortunately I ended up stopping about ten miles into the bike as I had a small pebble / large grain of sand on the ball of my right foot, and it hurt on the bike!
What would you do differently?:

I've got the transition basics down pat, I think I could have pushed myself through this harder. Still feel walking fast out of T1 with the bike was a better strategy than running.
Bike
  • 2h 46m 37s
  • 56 miles
  • 20.17 mile/hr
Comments:

Having ridden this course four times prior to the race, it was cruise control all the way. Rode faster than I planned on, and I credit the perfect weather for this.
What would you do differently?:

Push a little more.
Transition 2
  • 02m 59s
Comments:

Again took it easy, but jogged in to T2. Traffic jam at the dismount area, so I got off the bike a little earlier than I would have liked. My transition area was very close to the swim in and run out, but far from the bike in bike out. What can you do...
Run
  • 2h 24m 14s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 11m 01s  min/mile
Comments:

Running continues to be my downfall. That said, I feel pretty good about this performance--it is the farthest I have "ran" in one shot--ever! I didn't hit the wall, but the second of the two loops I was limited by the fact that my thighs were toast, and my HR would bounce up to the high 180's while running. Did lots of alternating between speed walking and running. I usually enjoy a good sprint at the end of a run, whether it be training or racing, but it was all I could do to simply run through the chute with what I'm sure was not a pretty expression on my face, and managed to throw my arms up in celebration at the finish.
What would you do differently?:

Join a running club to improve my form and do more focused training, rather than just going for runs. I rate this run as average--it sure wasn't fast, but I'm still exstatic about it.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked a bit, but so tired I wasn't able to really cool down.

Event comments:

The swim start was attrocious. The actual start was not marked--we just waded in to what seemed like an appropriate place. There was no official at the start line, just athletes. The race PA was set up far enough away that we could not hear ANY announcements, only the siren. There was one race official standing on a pier within shouting distance of where we started, but he did not know anything that was going on, did not have a radio, did not know the wave start order. Lots of grumbling going on amongst the athletes. Simple solution: Give him a dry erase board to write down the next wave information, a radio to communicate with the starter, and a bull horn. Not rocket science here, I expect more from an organization like this.

After the swim, everything was great. There were well stocked and staffed refreshment stations every 10 miles on the bike, and every mile on the run. Plenty of volunteers and staffers in and around transition. Security in transition was great too, I was asked for proof that I was an athlete every time I entered and when I exited with my bike. If the start had been handled better, it would have been an overall fantastic event.

This was by far the most difficult physical challenge I have ever taken on. Glad it is behind me. The rush of finishing an Oly is much more enjoyable for me, but last night while enjoying a few beers, I was thinking about how cool it would be to do a full. The sky is the limit...




Last updated: 2006-07-26 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:25 | 2112 yards | 01m 52s / 100yards
Age Group: 75/109
Overall: 589/1200
Performance: Good
Suit: Orca Full
Course: .1 out, 1 mile along the beach, .1 in.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Below average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:34
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
02:46:37 | 56 miles | 20.17 mile/hr
Age Group: 79/109
Overall: 592/1200
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Mostly flat, with some minor rolling hills.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 88
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:59
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:24:14 | 13.1 miles | 11m 01s  min/mile
Age Group: 100/109
Overall: 933/1200
Performance: Average
Course: Generally flat, some minor and short rollers.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3