Cape Henolpen Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Lewes, Delaware
United States
Piranha Sports
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 32m 22s
Overall Rank = 216/322
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Stayed in nearby Georgetown with a couple of friends who were entered with me. Had a bagel with peanut butter and a cup of coffee at about 6:30am, then headed over to the park. Had a gel and sipped on some accellerade in the 30 min. or so before the start.
Event warmup:

None, really. Stretched a little. Just focused on getting my transition set up. Spent a lot of time coveting other peoples' bikes.
Swim
  • 00m
  • 0 yards
  • / 100 yards
Comments:

Apparently, last year's swim was brutal. After check-in on Sat., we went out to the beach. My friends, who both entered the race last year, said the conditions looked better than last year's.

I milled around at the run start chatting with some other first-timers in my wave. I was reassured to find that many were as nervous about their first race as I was. Run went really well. I found a small group of people who ran at a moderately fast pace and stayed with them. I usually train alone, so it was fun to run in a group and it definitely helped me to run faster. I ran shoulder to shoulder with a woman for almost the entire last half. Finished at 13:11, an 8:47 pace, which is pretty fast for me.
What would you do differently?:

Currently working on a weather-control machine. I'll keep you posted. I think I could have run a little faster, although 8:45 is fast for me. I usually run around 9/mi.
Transition 1
  • 01m 12s
Comments:

No problem with the transition. I think I jumped on my bike a little early, but no penalties.
What would you do differently?:

I'd leave my fuel belt behind. Didn't end up needing it. Just the bottle on my tube and the gels in a bento box would have been fine.
Bike
  • 48m 35s
  • 15 miles
  • 18.52 mile/hr
Comments:

I vacation in Lewes, so I'd ridden the course before. I was on a borrowed road bike with tricky shift levers and the bike probably doesn't fit me as well as it could. I hardly shifted at all. Still, I passed more people than passed me. I was really saving energy for the run, so I didn't push that hard. Borrowing the road bike was smart, I think. At one point, the headwinds got pretty strong, and I was passing one mountain bike after another.
I had a gel and about 3/4 of a bottle of accelerade on the route.
What would you do differently?:

Get a better bike, and I think I would push harder.
Transition 2
  • 00m 52s
Comments:

As I was braking into the dismount, I heard a CRUNCH coming from my back wheel. When I started to run with the bike, I realized that the reflector had slipped off the spoke, gotten caught in the gears, and ripped out the spoke, jamming the wheel. Had to carry the bike on my shoulder into the transition area. That sucked, but miraculous that it happened when it did and not 10 minutes earlier.
Once I racked, I sucked down a gel and had a few sips of accelerade.
What would you do differently?:

Once again: get a better bike.
Run
  • 28m 34s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 09m 13s  min/mile
Comments:

Felt terrible at the beginning, but that went away quickly (caffeine in the gel kicking in?) Found a small group to pace with and felt really good. Passed several people on the hills. At about the 1.5 mark, I caught up to my friend who had started 3 minutes ahead of me. We ran together for about 1/2 mile, until she said, "if you want to pass me, go ahead". I took off and ran the rest of the way. I had the urge to walk a couple of times, but resisted. Running the last stretch on the muddy grass was tough, but the crowds definitely pull you along.
What would you do differently?:

I would have kept running past my friend instead of running along with her at her (slower) pace.
Post race
Warm down:

A few bottles of water, and I finished a bottle of accellerade.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Inexperience. I think I could have even run a little faster than I did, and I might have been able to pick up some time on the bike if I'd pushed a little harder.

Event comments:

I think this is a great first tri. Very laid-back, very diverse crowd, from really hard-core pro's to lots of people just looking to have a good time.




Last updated: 2006-10-11 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:00:00 | 00 yards | / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/322
Performance:
Suit:
Course: A 1.5 mile loop, up to the restored cannons in the park and back. My GPS had it at closer to 1.75mi.
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 01:12
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
00:48:35 | 15 miles | 18.52 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/322
Performance: Average
Wind: Strong
Course: A loop around Lewes, DE. A few rolling hills, but overall very flat.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Bad Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:52
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Bad
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:28:34 | 03.1 miles | 09m 13s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/322
Performance: Average
Course: A rolling course around Cape Henlopen Park. A couple of small hills. Not much shade. Apparently, there was a HUGE snake sunning itself right next to the course at the turnaround. I didn't notice it at all, so I guess I was in the zone.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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? Yes
Post race activities: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5]