Big George Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Lake George, New York
United States
Big George Triathlon
78F / 26C
Overcast
Total Time = 4h 58m 4s
Overall Rank = 12/206
Age Group = M25-29
Age Group Rank = 2/17
Pre-race routine:

My lead up to this race was not exactly ideal. My training log is basically empty since Ironman, I didn't carb load for several days like I normally would before a HIM, and mentally I wasn't fully focused (I forgot several important things at home). Wasn't even all that concerned with getting to bed super early, but managed to sleep well and awoke at 4:40am. Had my standard pancake breakfast with a glass of milk, got myself ready and headed down to transition. Got a nice spot in the bike rack and waited for Liam to arrive with Alex, as he was letting me borrow his helmet (like I said, not fully there mentally for this one).
Event warmup:

Took a few strokes in the water, but no true warm up (seems to be a theme this season).
Swim
  • 33m 34s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 35s / 100 yards
Comments:

Another really good swim for me this season. The buoys seemed out of place and my watch measured this course long (others agreed afterwards) so I think my pace was actually faster than listed here. I started up front hoping to hang with Alex as long as possible. The start was pretty frenzied, but I avoided contact until a few hundred yards in when some jerk just started clobbering me without even attempting to give some space. I decided just to draft this guy and he actually held a really nice pace at the upper limit of my ability. On the way home he started to fade a bit just as another swimmer was coming around us, so I hopped onto those feet.

The home stretch was pretty rough and the chop was very noticeable. With each wave I felt my stomach get more queasy, and I realized I did not have my Gas-X in T1 waiting for me - oops. As shore neared I picked up the pace and powered it in strong.
What would you do differently?:

Really good swim, no complaints.

Its been a really good season as far as my swim legs are concerned, I've been coming out of the water much further up than in previous years. Will definitely try to find the right balance between form and speed training in the pool for future seasons.
Transition 1
  • 01m 23s
Comments:

Pretty eventful T1 for me. First, I was surprised to see Alex still in transition when I got to my bike (even though he was on his way out) - confirmed that I had a really good swim! Suit got stuck on one heel, but otherwise things went okay until I actually left T1. While trying to mount my bike I round-house kicked my bottle out of the back cage. Luckily, the Loco crew was standing nearby and Liam immediately ran to my bottle and delivered it to me without me having to go back for it. Saved my butt twice before 8:00am - what a guy!
What would you do differently?:

Not kick my bottle while trying to mount the bike.
Bike
  • 2h 46m 55s
  • 56 miles
  • 20.13 mile/hr
Comments:

Wasn't sure what to expect here given my lack of training the past 5 weeks. Wanted to get my watts up around 170, but was only able to average 159 (165 normalized). About 6 miles into the ride my right knee really started bugging me (the same issue that bothered me a few days ago), which was very concerning. The pain never really went away, but it also didn't get worse. My stomach also felt pretty terrible for the beginning of the ride, but the Rob Blobs were going down with no issue, and eventually my body figured out a way to get rid of the excess gas (and give me some rocket boosters?).

Settled into a nice pace in the middle third of the ride once my initial discomforts were sorted out. I ended up leap frogging with two other guys for much of the ride, good naturedly joking with them that we'll have to settle it on the run (nice to have that in my back pocket these days).
What would you do differently?:

Wasn't as fast as I was hoping for, but given my recent training I'm still pretty happy with how this ride went.
Transition 2
  • 00m 39s
Comments:

Started my dismount a little early (the signs were a little confusing) but otherwise this was a solid T2.
What would you do differently?:

I really should stop skipping socks for this distance. Not sure the handful of seconds I save is worth the horrible blisters.
Run
  • 1h 36m 51s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 07m 23s  min/mile
Comments:

It was very hard to settled into a nice pace on the new run course here. While the old one featured about 2 miles of sustained uphill (two times), I actually found this one harder. Recognizing that the course was harder and my training has been lacking, I had no illusions that I would PR, instead focusing on trying to move up in the AG (if possible) and getting under 5 hours.

Funny race encounter side story:

On the first two loops I noticed a guy with a bib number right next to mine (I was 25, he was 26) was flying, really gaining on me. I had no idea how I was going to hold him off, and when I finally heard him coming up behind me I was disappointed but said "ahh, I knew you were coming for me, good job". Then as he went by I saw a "30" on his calf. "Oh, you're 30!" I yelped happily "Go on then!" I encouraged cheerfully. He laughed, "I thought the same thing when I saw you!" he said as he sped away. My joy that I had not lost a spot in my age group was quickly replaced with sadness when I realized I was the oldest person of the males 25-29.

The final two loops the hills really started getting to me. I was fighting off some minor cramping, as I was relying solely on the aid station Gatorade for calories (forgot my Clif Blocks for nutrition). I have to say I enjoyed the new course for this reason: coming around 4 times and getting cheered on by everyone, especially the Loco crew was fantastic (even the butt smack from Leigh). It was a big boost each time and I really needed it heading out for the final loop. Starting #4 I began checking my watch and calculating the pace I would need to run to get under 5 hours. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was definitely doable. Nearing mile 12 my quads gave me a scare as they were really trying to cramp on me. At that point I knew I only needed about a 9 minute mile so I took a couple extra steps at the aid station and told them to knock it off before picking it back up for the home stretch.
What would you do differently?:

Very solid run, but I wish I had noticed the coke at aid station #3 earlier in the race.
Post race
Warm down:

Went in the lake for a few minutes to get the heat off my legs. Cheered on Alex and Danny as they finished up, then just hung around with the Loco crew eating pizza until the awards.



What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of training for the past 5 weeks. Given that though, I feel like I executed really well and got the most out of my fitness here. An excellent end to my 2014 triathlon season.

Event comments:

I really enjoy this race venue. I've done all 4 Big George HIMs and depending on where my life is at next year, I would really like to try and make it 5 for 5.




Last updated: 2014-09-02 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:33:34 | 2112 yards | 01m 35s / 100yards
Age Group: 4/17
Overall: 16/206
Performance: Good
Suit:
Course: Not sure what shape to call this, but I think it was supposed to be a rectangle, counter-clockwise.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 72F / 22C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Average Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 01:23
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike:
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Bad
Biking
02:46:55 | 56 miles | 20.13 mile/hr
Age Group: 4/17
Overall: 28/206
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: Lollipop shaped course, low grade climb out of town then mostly flat/mild rollers before coming back down.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:39
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
01:36:51 | 13.1 miles | 07m 23s  min/mile
Age Group: 2/17
Overall: 7/206
Performance: Good
Course: Four loop course, upside down lollipop shaped. Started uphill, then a short flat before another sustained incline. Short flat section for the turn around, came back down the hill and turned off the bike path onto a mostly flat section of road. One more small uphill followed by a short, steep downhill, then a flat section completed the loop.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5