Thousand Islands Triathlon - Olympic Course - Triathlon


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Brockville, Ontario
Canada
Somersault Events
22C / 72F
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 25m 3s
Overall Rank = DQ/73
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 0/3
Pre-race routine:

Up at 5:45am
Ate bowl of oatmeal with chia and almond butter
Drank beet/banana/mango smoothie on drive to race
Drank green tea upon arrival, an hour and a half before race time
Ate a gel 20 minutes before race start
Event warmup:

5 minute warmup run followed by dynamic stretches
Got in water 10 minutes before start for warmup swim - mostly easy with a coupe of race pace accelerations
Swim
  • 29m 17s
  • 1500 meters
  • 01m 57s / 100 meters
Comments:

Lots of contact over first 200m of course - I got squeezed on both sides and had to reposition a few times. Lots of slapping, kicking and grabbing. The first turn was violent - this was the first time I've been punched in the head and had my goggles knocked off. Luckily I had double capped for the first time, which likely saved me from losing my goggles. I did have to stop to get the goggles back on but it didn't cost me much time. I stayed on a guy's feet for most of the race, and there was someone on my feet for most of the race as well. There was a lead pack of about 5 guys out ahead and then a chase pack of about 5 of us that stayed mostly together.
What would you do differently?:

I felt like I swam with a good effort level, and drafted well, but the time doesn't really reflect that. Despite some significant improvements in my pool times over last year, my swim + T1 time was only 35 seconds faster than last year. Perhaps I was on some faster feet last year, maybe my lower swim volume in the week leading up to the race was a problem, I don't really know.
Transition 1
  • 00m
Comments:

T1 went well, getting mounted and into my shoes went well too despite not practicing at all over the last 3 weeks.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Bike
  • 1h 08m 45s
  • 40.2 kms
  • 35.08 km/hr
Comments:

I aimed to hold 210W - final average was 207 so pretty close. The pace felt right - it was hard but sustainable and wasn't too hard on the legs. My big problem this year continued though, in that keeping an eye on my power (and on the road) I lost focus on keeping my head turtled. I kept catching myself with my head up and likely spent most of the ride in a less than ideal aerodynamic position.
What would you do differently?:

Watch my garmin less and just focus on riding by feel in order to keep my head in the right position.
Transition 2
  • 00m
Comments:

Time is included in run time
Put a gel in my back pocket and took off - there was some confusion about the run course (more on this later) and it took a while before I got my watch switched over to "run" from "bike". This added to some confusion later on in terms of the distance I ran, which was another contributing factor to the DQ.
What would you do differently?:

Get watch set to run during T2 rather than figuring it out on the run
Run
  • 47m 1s
  • 10 kms
  • 04m 42s  min/km
Comments:

They changed the run course from last year, and the new route they emailed out suggested that this little 1km loop was only for the first run of the Sprint Du and the Try-A-Tri races. The instruction called for those racing the Olympic to make the turn at the start line and head out for the second lap.
Upon exiting the T-zone, I started what I thought was the Olympic course, but a volunteer directed me to the 1km loop. My wife said several people had the same confusion, as the course as it was set up on race day did not seem like what they had described in the email a couple of days earlier. I did the 1km loop around the island then headed out onto the regular run course. Once I finished the first loop I came to the start line where there was a pilon with a sign that said "turn here", so that's what I did. Unfortunately there was no volunteer present to correct me. The "turn here" sign must have been meant for the duathlon/try-a-tri people
When I finished the course my garmin read 8.63km. I knew that the first part of the run course was not counted in this number since it took me a while to switch over from the "bike" setting, but I also knew that it was certainly less than a km in when I did that. I saw a few people starting their second lap and they were all doing the full tour of the island (by this point in the race the "turn here" cone had been removed). I asked the race director for clarification and found out that I had made the turn early and as a result was 1km short, so I went over to the Sportstats tent and DQ'd myself.
Aside from the frustration of a DQ, I wasn't all that happy with my run. I wasn't able to hold the pace I wanted. I was hoping for 4:20/km but only average 4:35/km, and was hurting pretty bad doing it. I ran significantly faster at Nationals, and that was up and down a hill 4 times.
What would you do differently?:

A few possible reasons for my slower run than Nationals:
- I put out more watts on the bike, which maybe sapped my legs just that little bit more
- Worse taper (family trip the week of the race really limited my training, and I tried to make up for it when I got back, so instead of taking friday off and doing a quick shake out on saturday, I put in a solid bike and run on friday and then just a swim on saturday)
- Higher humidity
Post race
Warm down:

Quick swim in the St. Lawrence
Massage from Melissa
Fish and chips in the park

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I think the different/worse taper than normal is the biggest contributor to my slow time.

Event comments:

The blame for this DQ is shared. The map and instructions they sent out really did not seem to match what happened on race day, and the lack of volunteers (they were pleading for volunteers over the PA prior to the start of the race) exacerbated this problem. Having a "turn here" signed right were they said we were supposed to make the turn was a problem.
I should have realized that each loop would be identical, but I had in my mind the instructions from the email and my mental abilities after 2 hours of racing were not their sharpest. Seems as though no one else DQ'd themselves (no volunteer at that pilon meant you couldn't have been caught) so I must be the lone idiot that made the turn at the wrong spot, which means the blame is more on me than on Somersault. Still, lots of other people were confused.




Last updated: 2016-08-15 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:29:17 | 1500 meters | 01m 57s / 100meters
Age Group: 1/3
Overall: 8/73
Performance: Average
Time includes T1
Suit: Zoot Force 3.0
Course: Two 750m loops
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Shot
Water temp: 14C / 57F Current: Medium
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 00:00
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:08:45 | 40.2 kms | 35.08 km/hr
Age Group: 1/3
Overall: 5/73
Performance: Average
Average power: 207 watts Average speed: 36.2 km/hour Average heart rate: 166 bpm
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: A couple of quick turns and a sharp climb to get the main part of the course, then two out-and back laps along the road (open to traffic). Some rough patches in Brockville but mostly smooth once out of the city. Rolling hills - no serious climbs but very few flat sections.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 88
Turns: Average Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:00
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:47:01 | 10 kms | 04m 42s  min/km
Age Group: 2/3
Overall: 6/73
Performance: Below average
Time is extrapolated - actual T2 + run time was 42:26. Due to run course confusion I turned early after the first lap and ended up running 1km short. Adding in the time it would have taken me to run that extra km get me 47:01. Average Heart Rate: 165 bpm
Course: Mostly flat with lots of shade in the back part of the course. Mix of road, paved path, and wooden boardwalk.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? No
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? No
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3