Rattlesnake Olympic Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Aurora, Colorado
United States
74F / 23C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 56m
Overall Rank = /
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

I usually spend the night in Denver and drive up to the race. But this time I decided it might be good to sleep in my own bed for once. So I left work early got my bike all gussied up and went home and cooked my pasta meal. Then went to bed around 8 p.m. Woke up at 3:00 and was out the door by 3:45 a.m. Stopped at Wal-Mart to get banannas and some juice for my pre-race meal. I was REALLY tired by the time I got to the reservoir gate. I must have yawned like 400 hundred times. Got to the gate and it was closed so I was the third the car in line. I fell alessp and got a 10-min cat nap.
Event warmup:

Went running for about 10 min. And hung around until the start. I saw a lot of folks that I knew and it made me realize how much I LOVE doing triathlons. Ran into Amy who is my spin partner in spin class during the winter - she's killer on the bike and everything else - and then a whole bunch of folks including Erik.
Swim
  • 33m 8s
  • 1500 meters
  • 02m 12s / 100 meters
Comments:

This swim was OK. Although I passed several people and they let me know that I passed them. The race doesn't have split times and I forgot to set my watch so I really don't know how long the swim was. But considering my overall time I don't think I was too slow on this one. Even with the individual start there was a lot of touching and grabbing only because of the out and back out and back course. So you were swimming with people who just started and people who were on their second lap.
What would you do differently?:

Go out faster and stay strong. I took it easy on the first lap and then hit it harder on the second. But I've been working on going all out on Olympics and Sprints and leaving nothing in reserve. I do that often because I'm training for HIM but my coach told me to let it all hang out and I don't think I did it on this Oly swim.
Transition 1
  • 02m 13s
Comments:

This was good. No socks! Woo hoo.
Bike
  • 1h 40m
  • 26 miles
  • 15.60 mile/hr
Comments:

I really wanted to use this race as a litmus test for my HIM which is on the same bike course + 30 miles. And I did well. Better than I expected. When I looked at my watch and saw I had done 10 miles in 30 min I thought - holy crap. I'm kicking butt. So I just kept pumping myself up - leave nothing in the tank. Don't reserve it. Lay it all out on the course. And I did and it paid off I think. I had called myself a lazy triathlete at the swim start and when I passed this girl on the bike on a hill she screamed, "You're no lazy triathlete girl..." It felt good to finally 'RACE' as opposed to participate. Now my times are no blazing glory but I was better than a lot. And only worse than some!
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Pretty much met my goal on this bike.
Transition 2
  • 00m
Comments:

Took my time here. Ate a bannana before running.
Run
  • 1h 38m
  • 6.21 miles
  • 15m 47s  min/mile
Comments:

This was hot. Really hot. I started off at a grandma trot but then picked up the pace. I even played "tag," with a couple of girls who were really walking. They chased me and passed me and then I chased them and passed them. But they were faster than me so they finished before me but not too much before. I really tried to run this. I felt good. But slow. And I'm slow not because I didn't have the energy but because I'm always slow. Gotta fix that. One leg at a time. But I had fun. Giving shout outs to everyone around me. Smiling and thinking, "This is so freakin' cool. I love triathlons." I didn't feel bad, or in pain or anything. Just felt good during the whole thing. Weird.
What would you do differently?:

Pick up my cadence more.
Post race
Warm down:

Ate. Changed clothes. Met Zev??? from BT.com. Hung out with CDA finisher and talked trash about Ironman. Then waited for the last person to cross the finish line. I had passed her on the run - something that never happens she was going out and I was coming in. Usually I never pass people just starting the run while I'm already passed the turn around. That NEVER freakin' happens. But this time it did. Anyway I was about 1.5 from finishing and she said, "I wish I was where you are..." And I said, "You will be! No DNF today!." And she smiled. And it made me remember all those times the race director had to come out on his bike and ride me into the finish line. How people had to wait on me because I was in last place. And how they cheered because deep down all those fast tri people know that they're expected to finish fast but people like me aren't expected to even try. And we do it anyway. We stand at the swim start line knowing that we won't see our cars again for hours, hours after others are in their beds or at home but we do it anyway. That's the real hero. And that's why I waited until No. 25 crossed the finish line cause I know what it's like to be dying wanting to quit and knowing everyone is waiting on you to hurry up so that they can close down and do awards. But having the guts to stick it out. To ignore the little wagon that keeps coming out asking if you need anything and just put one foot in front of the other until your foot crossings the black timing pad. And it was great. We all clapped and she smiled.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Ummm, I need to learn how to actually run

Event comments:

I love Jim's races. And I just found out he's doing an Iron distance race in 2009. Guess CDA isn't going to be my only Iron distance race! :) Also the swag was unbelievable - sweat resistant hat, long sleep jacket. Cool.
I felt good on this race. It was a good barometer for me for my HIM. I'm well coached and trained. Just need a few more long runs and bikes and I'm good to go.





Last updated: 2007-05-09 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:33:08 | 1500 meters | 02m 12s / 100meters
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Suit: Pro Motion
Course: Crazy. You had to swim out then back, get out of the water go around an X and then swim out and back again. The start type was cool though because it eas individual start with 5 seconds in between. My only goal was to be on my second lap by the time the men started.
Start type: Run Plus: Shot
Water temp: 74F / 23C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 02:13
Performance:
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:40:00 | 26 miles | 15.60 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Wind:
Course: Hilly. My favorite course. I had been demoralized about this course because I have been practicing on it and barely breaking 12 mph average on it. Which doesn't bode well for speed. But someone I just really attacked it and managed to have a great bike. I was just kicking butt and taking names. Lots of rolling hills and very few down hills.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:00
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:38:00 | 06.21 miles | 15m 47s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
Course: Out and back on concrete. No trees in site. HOT as Beezlebub's hideaway.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4