Deer Creek Fall Challenge Half Iron Triathlon - Triathlon


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Mt. Sterling, Ohio
United States
HFP Racing
Overcast
Total Time = 5h 38m 25s
Overall Rank = 23/115
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 3/13
Pre-race routine:

None. Got there, Put transition together. Suited up.
Event warmup:

Got in water about 10 minutes before swim to test out new goggles. They worked.
Swim
  • 29m 44s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 25s / 100 yards
Comments:

I haven't Trained for speed in swimming in a long time. That said, I was surprised to see how fast I got out of the water. I was sure the course must be short, because I certainly wasn't "killing" it out there. I was just trying to relax and not go off course. Ashley said her watch called the course the correct distance. Who knows......My right shoulder seemed to be strained a bit but didn't hurt, so I purposely didn't try to push myself very hard.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I had zero expectations on this swim and tried to judge my outcome based on previous Ironman's I had done. I ended up doing much better than expected.
Transition 1
  • 03m 11s
Comments:

First let me say, my "OFFICIAL" swim time was about 45 seconds longer than I posted above. I used the time I got in the water and the time I got out. They didn't stop my swim time until I had ran up a long hill and crossed into the transition area. I'm pretty happy with my swim time, so I posted the actual time. FYI. Transition went ok. Not super speedy, but I didn't dick around either. I stopped long enough to borrow a bit of Ashley's sunscreen and slap it on my neck and shoulders. Good thing too, because I still ended up a bit burned, so would have been much worse without it.
What would you do differently?:

Probably practice a home a bit. I haven't done a transition in years.
Bike
  • 3h 04m 38s
  • 56 miles
  • 18.20 mile/hr
Comments:

The winds were in your face, then at your back, so ya got it as bad as it gave ya. It kinda all equaled out. I purposely held back a bit. I could have easily went harder, but I kept telling myself to save it for the run. I didn't want to walk ANY of the run. I got passed a few times on the bike, and it was hard not to pass them back when I knew I could, but I stuck to the plan. Hold back. Hold back.....I still ended up with a nice average pace, so I won't complain. In the end, it worked out great, because I was able to put down a good run.
What would you do differently?:

Train speed more, but I did put in some good hill training, so I did ok.
Transition 2
  • 02m 39s
Comments:

Just as earlier. I could have been faster but not much. I didn't loose 2nd place because I didn't transition fast enough, and 4th place was well behind me.
What would you do differently?:

Practice. 1st and 2nd places were very fast non transition, so I know it CAN be done faster.
Run
  • 1h 56m 58s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 56s  min/mile
Comments:

Gotta be happy with this. Last few Ironmans, I've had to walk some of the course. I was determined to ride the bike smart so I could put any extra energy into the run, and it seems to have worked. I felt strong the entire run. Sure, I was hot, and it was hard, but I never felt like I had to walk. I could have gone a bit harder I believe, but I was doing 8:30 splits most of the time, so I had nothing to complain about. No one passed me during the run, and I was able to pass several people. The wind played a role on how hot it felt at different times on the course. Overall, I think I played this good.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I planned the race and raced the plan.
Post race
Warm down:

It didn't take me long to go to hell in a hand basket. Within 10 minutes after the race, I went between wanting to collapse and throw up. I had shit to do, but all I wanted to do was lie down and breath for about an hour. I wussed for a bit, but eventually ate some stuff and after about 45 minutes, I began to feel better again. Wow, that sucked.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I didn't train for this event like I wanted to race it. I trained for it like I wanted to finish it in good style. I didn't take it overly seriously for several months during training, but the last 8 weeks, I stepped it up a bit. I have trained harder, but I'm very happy with how this turned out. I used my head more for this race and it paid off. I'll look at harder training next year.

Event comments:

I actually expected there to be drinks on the course during the bike. If I had read about the race more beforehand, I would have known there wasn't. My fault.




Last updated: 2015-09-30 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:29:44 | 2112 yards | 01m 25s / 100yards
Age Group: 6/13
Overall: 49/115
Performance: Good
Suit: YEs
Course: 2 Loops in the lake.
Start type: Run Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 03:11
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
03:04:38 | 56 miles | 18.20 mile/hr
Age Group: 6/13
Overall: 38/115
Performance: Average
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: 3 Loops with an out and back.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:39
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:56:58 | 13.1 miles | 08m 56s  min/mile
Age Group: 3/13
Overall: 23/115
Performance: Good
Course: 2 out and backs.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
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? No
Post race activities: Bad
Race evaluation [1-5] 3