Walt Disney World Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

I started off swimming freestyle but quickly tired due to lack of training and switched to breast stroke. My sighting was pretty good on both strokes.

Strength training and swim training.

The run from the beach to the was nicely directed. We ran down a carpeted path through the expo area into the transition. I ran really strong to transition and was pleased with that. I put on my socks, shoes, glasses, sweat band, helmet and grabbed the bike. I ran pretty good to the mounting line for the bike too. Overall, my transition went really well.

Maybe get the wicking socks b/c of the water that ran down my leg into the shoes. It gave my foot a raw spot after running.

I went out hard to make up time lost during the swim. For the first 28 miles I felt pretty strong but I took a calculated risk and removed one water bottle cage so I only have one bottle on the bike. This didn't work out because I started to cramp up. I still worked hard to maintain a good average speed. There were some cross-winds and head winds where my speed slowed but as the ride continued the winds were again pushing so the final speeds were higher than the last miles 20-30.

Extra fluids with electrolytes and gel packs. I think if I would have had more carbs on the bike I would have had more fuel for my muscles.

My transition from bike to run went fairly smooth. I did try getting out of my shoes prior to the dismount point but experienced some problems: (1) cramping. (2) I had socks on; and should haven't done this with socks on (3) This is the first time trying this in transition ~ during the race. Not a wise decision. Several times my free shoe dangled below my pedal crank and as I cranked it dragged the ground. This whole experiment was bumpy at best and then add on the cramping and the "oh man, I've got socks on..." realization. I must have looked pretty funny running from the dismount line to the transition with one bike shoe on and a sock on the other. Other than 1,2 and 3, my transition went pretty good. I did have some cramping on the last few 100 yards into the bike dismount area but the jog with the bike helped work those out.

Three things I'd do differently. 1. I'll have another bottle of electrolyte fluids so I can refuel before the run. 2. I'll set out a second pair of socks. My socks were wet when I transitioned so during the run they rubbed some raw spots, making my feet sore. 3. Do not take my feet out of my bike shoes until I become a pro! Otherwise, I had a really good transition.

My run was rather slow. It was actually a run/walk because of cramping. I tried to rehydrate with my fuel belt supplements, which worked great, but was too little. I needed an additional 24oz of fluids to really cover my fluid deficit. I also drank the Poweraid (or was that Gatoraide) available at the aid stations because that was the only thing that was cold. The water was warm and not refreshing at all. The course was mostly shaded and mostly on pavement. The one section that was grass was very challenging because it was very uneven, unmowed and narrow. It was a berm with sloping edges so as I was passing others I had to go down the slope a bit and that was tough. Despite all of the problems I really liked the run course.

Hydration! That's very obvious. Next time I will have larger fuel belt bottles so I can carry more of my Advocare Rehydrate. This product is amazing and is extremely efficient in replenishing electrolytes ~ it was a shame I didn't have enough with me while running. Another thing I will do different is to put on fresh socks. My feet were wet and that caused my socks to rub a raw spot on the bottom of my foot.

I stretched just a little and began rehydrating. I also rode my bike 2.8 miles back to the Disney parking area because bikes were not allowed on the shuttle buses. Once I got home I consumed my post work-out recovery drink and just before bed I took my nighttime recovery supplements. These really helped in reducing the overall muscle soreness.


Overall I think dehydration was the biggest factor that limited my performance.


The only negative thing I can say about this race is that the aid stations on the run only had cold Poweraid, the water was warm (air temp). This won't be a factor next year as I plan on having plenty of my own fluids during the run. Overall, I really liked this race and race course. The swim course was easy to navigate, the water didn't taste like diesel, the staging was managed well. The run from the water to the bike transition was pretty nice with the carpet. The path was narrow but I didn't have any problems passing other racers. The transition area was managed very well and the volunteers helped out a lot. The bike course was awesome. Too bad I can't ride that route regularly. I'm curious about the "No Passing Zone" signs. This was not explained at the pre-race course meeting during the expo on Saturday. Lastly, the run course was nicely done. I know I'm going to sign up for next year so save me a spot.

Here are my official results from the Disney Triathlon held on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007. Good, Bad or indifferent...I finished! :)

A.G. place 75 out of 141
Bib# 709
Age Group: 35-39
Swim A.G. ranking 104
Swim time: 40:34
T1: 3:11
Bike A.G. ranking: 70
Bike time: 1:53:35
Distance: 36 miles
T2: 1:26
Run A.G. ranking: 85
Run time: 73:32

Race time: 3:52:16


Here's the URL for all of the participants.
http://adisneyworldsports.disney.go.com/media/dwws_v0220/en_US/pdf/...

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