TRI Key West - Key West Olympic Triathlon - Triathlon


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Key West, Florida
United States
TRIKW, LLC
73F / 23C
Overcast
Total Time = 3h 37m 16s
Overall Rank = 208/240
Age Group = 39 & U Clydes
Age Group Rank = 2/2
Pre-race routine:

Up at 4:45, peanut butter, bagel, and chocolate milk for breakfast. Out the door for the 1 mile walk to the race site.
Event warmup:

You ever try squeezing a 300 pound man into a wet suit? That was my warm up.
Swim
  • 39m 15s
  • 1500 meters
  • 02m 37s / 100 meters
Comments:

Did not like this swim for several reasons:

1. Pre-race instructions were not able to be heard. Other than getting a PA system, not sure how to fix this issue.

2. Not enough buoys, for a 1500 yard swim, there were only 4 buoys marking the entire course. This created a huge gap between buoys and made sighting in the swells very difficult.

3. Not enough rescue personnel on the course. During my entire swim I only saw 1 paddle boarder and 1 kayak. With the smaller number of OLY participants and the vast openness of the course I felt really alone.
What would you do differently?:

Swim train more than the zero yards I have put in in the last 4 months.
Transition 1
  • 02m 34s
Comments:

Had a first at this tri, the velcro on my left shoe got stuck in the metal loop and I could not get it out without stopping and taking my shoe off. Overall it was probably a wash in time lost to fix the problem versus time gained by being able to pull with my left foot.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing, had the 61st fastest T1 in the race, I'll take that.
Bike
  • 1h 23m 25s
  • 40 kms
  • 28.77 km/hr
Comments:

The opportunity to ride on the NAS was my whole motivation for signing up for this race. IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!!! As I entered the base, I could hear multiple jets warming up but could not see them. As we worked our way south, there was an opening in the vegetation where I could see 6 FA 18 Hornets on the runway. As I made my way to the west end of the base, I was on the service road that runs parallel to the main runway and only several hundred feet from it when the jets began to take off. They literally went right over the top of me as they left the base. I can not put into words how loud that was. AMAZING!

Also, the wind sucked. 15-20 mph out of the southwest so almost the entire course was headwind/crosswind. Had some portions of the course where I was pushing to get 13 mph on the bike.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing, if I had swam any faster, or rode any faster, or got my shoe on the first time, I would not have been in position to experience the take-off of those jets.
Transition 2
  • 02m 10s
Comments:

Had to move a bike in order to get mine racked, had to move for another racer that was trying to get past, put on socks, and had to tie my shoes. All things that slowed me down, but still not a bad T2
What would you do differently?:

Get there earlier in order to get an end spot on the rack.
Run
  • 1h 29m 52s
  • 10 kms
  • 08m 59s  min/km
Comments:

Aid stations were not every mile as listed as there were only 2 on the course and they were not evenly spaced. It seemed like it took forever to get to the first station, then the second was only a little bit further but from the 2nd to the turnaround and back was again too far especially with the heat and lack of shade on this course.
What would you do differently?:

Run more, ok some, ok any. Still fighting plantar fasciitis and its not going away!
Post race
Warm down:

Cold water, watermelon, results ticket, and packed up.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I'm a 300 pound guy that works 2 full time jobs for 4+ months and I just finished football season. I'm old, fat, and out of shape.

Event comments:

This is a destination race that I will hopefully do again, although I will probably just do the sprint next time.




Last updated: 2015-10-12 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:15 | 1500 meters | 02m 37s / 100meters
Age Group: 1/2
Overall: 153/240
Performance: Below average
Suit: 2XU Wet suit
Course: On paper it looks like a rectangle, in all actuality it is a modified trapezoid. Straight south from the beach parallel to the White Street Pier, out about half way to Cuba, then right turn to the west/northwest back towards the Higgs Beach Pier. The swim takes you past the pier before turning back towards it and then swimming under it. Once you clear the pier its a hard left and onto the beach.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 76F / 24C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:34
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Bad
Biking
01:23:25 | 40 kms | 28.77 km/hr
Age Group: 2/2
Overall: 155/240
Performance: Below average
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: Out of T1 onto residential streets before making it out onto US 1. Follow the coastline then off of Key West, and across Stock Island before making your way around the Naval Air Station on Boca Chica Key. Once making your way around the perimeter roads of the NAS, you return to US 1 for a quick out and back and then stay on US 1 back to T2.
Road: Rough Wet Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Too much
T2
Time: 02:10
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:29:52 | 10 kms | 08m 59s  min/km
Age Group: 2/2
Overall: 223/240
Performance: Bad
Course: Out and back along the same portion of bike race course except on the sidewalk.
Keeping cool Bad Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4