Superiorman - Triathlon


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Duluth, Minnesota
United States
67F / 19C
Overcast
Total Time = 5h 18m 13s
Overall Rank = 86/236
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 18/37
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 3:15 am. Ate a bagel with peanut butter and sipped on some Powerade. Left the house at 4:15 am. After missing the exit, not being able to park due to no cash, not finding a cash machine at that ungodly hour, and finally getting parking, I made my way into the transition area. The beautiful piece of this race is that the transition area is indoors, so everything was secure, dry and exactly where I left it.
Event warmup:

Some light stretching and plenty of time to think. There is no where to warm up for the swim so you just have to stretch the best you can and go from there.
Swim
  • 34m 4s
  • 1650 yards
  • 02m 04s / 100 yards
Comments:

Yep, I'm slow. The swim is unique in that you jump off of a boat for the start. The waves were such that the boat was unable to be anchored correctly so they were unsure for the safety of all the swimmers. Instead, they modified the course and shortened the swim but still allowed us to jump from the boat while it was moored to the dock. It all worked out well because we could swim with the current for two lengths of the swim and only against the current for one length.
What would you do differently?:

Get a swim instructor and more open water swims with waves. Once I got into the chop I had an anxiety moment and thought that I was going to need to be dragged out of the water. Thankfully I found a woman that I could mark off of and it got me back into a rhythm. That other racer never knew that she saved my race.
Transition 1
  • 05m 1s
Comments:

I don't know what I was doing in T1. I guess I stopped to get a coffee along the way, read the Sunday paper, enjoy the scenery. Man, it didn't feel like that long, but I guess it's better to be safe and have everything I need in place.
What would you do differently?:

Practice my transitions...at all.
Bike
  • 2h 49m 22s
  • 56 miles
  • 19.84 mile/hr
Comments:

The bike course was fun and my effort was right on spot. A few times I felt as if I might be pushing into the wind too much because I was passing lots of people. That happens when you are a whale trying to swim with sharks. You make up a lot of ground when you actually get to something you are better at. After seeing my time I was surprised that it took me that long as I felt I would make up lots of time on the back. Once we got back into town, your opportunity to make up time was pretty much lost due to the turns.
What would you do differently?:

Practice biking into the wind. Find a better way to keep my nutrition on hand. More hills.
Transition 2
  • 02m 46s
Comments:

Had a nice little run into T2 so that helped to stretch out the legs. Nearly wiped out getting off the bike, but stayed upright. Emptied pockets, got essentials loaded, Body Glide applied, Tylenol ingested, gone. I could have gone a bit faster but didn't want to rush and miss something. After leaving I felt as If something was missing, but I had everything.
What would you do differently?:

Practice, practice, practice.
Run
  • 1h 47m 2s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 10s  min/mile
Comments:

The run started out strong, probably too strong. Felt great at the start but could not get myself to ramp it back. Figured I might as well go after it. Pace initially ranged from 7:30-7:45 for the first 5 miles. About mile 6-7 the wall began to hit. That was also the turnaround when we went back into the wind for the second time. Wind is demoralizing when you are tired. Continued to move along at about an 8:00-8:30 pace for a good 3-4 more miles. At the final turnaround (near mile 11) the adrenaline kicked in and I picked up my pace once again to about the 7:45 mark all the way through the end. I walked all the aid stations switching between water and Gatorade at every other station. I was disappointed because the only nourishment they had on the course were gels. I was hoping for bananas at least. My tummy wasn't feeling bad, but I didn't want to chance it by taking on gels as I have had bad upsets while taking gels before.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. Maybe try to take on some nutrition during the run. Walking the aid stations was a bit demoralizing, but probably the best plan as I felt immediately fresher after finishing the walk.
Post race
Warm down:

After meeting my family at the finish line, I did a short run and stretch, but not too much. Paid for it the next day, but it was not too excruciating.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of experience at this distance. It was my first time at this distance and my only tri of the year. My swim is always my limiting factor.

Event comments:

The finishers food was good as well as plentiful. The medal is pretty cool (a replica of Lake Superior). I would like to see better nutrition on the run course. The RD was in constant communication with us about the changes. A very fun race.




Last updated: 2014-08-26 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:34:04 | 1650 yards | 02m 04s / 100yards
Age Group: 32/37
Overall: 198/236
Performance: Below average
Suit: QR sleeveless
Course: Rectangle course in the harbor of Lake Superior.
Start type: Dive Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 65F / 18C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 05:01
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
02:49:22 | 56 miles | 19.84 mile/hr
Age Group: 20/37
Overall: 87/236
Performance: Average
Wind: Headwind
Course: The course leads you through Duluth to eat up some miles then heads you along the North Shore to Two Harbors. You need to make lots of different little turns which kills your speed and momentum. I lost half of my nutrition about mile 6 and debated with myself for about 5 seconds as to whether or not I should go back to get it. I finally decided I should considering there was no nutrition along the bike course. It only cost me about 30 seconds, so not a huge issue. The course going out was mainly uphill with small rollers. Of course the headwind off the lake didn't help much. The way back follows the Grandma's Marathon course. This was fun because of the downhill nature of the course as well as the wind being at your back. It is nice when you can average about 23 MPH and it doesn't even feel like you are working.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:46
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Below average
Running
01:47:02 | 13.1 miles | 08m 10s  min/mile
Age Group: 11/37
Overall: 52/236
Performance: Good
Course: 2 loop course which starts in the DECC, runs through the touristy area of Duluth, under the lift bridge, and then follows the lake walk. The turn around point is about 4 miles out and is an abrupt 180 degree turn right on the path. The run continues back down the lake walk and then goes into some industrial areas and loops back around the bayfront park and back to the start for the second loop. The course finishes in the bayfront park area.
Keeping cool Good 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 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] 4