Webster Lake Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Webster, Massachusetts
United States
Firm Racing
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 40m 57s
Overall Rank = 333/373
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Grabbed a Clif Bar and lots of water and set out for the hour+ drive to Webster.
Swim
  • 17m 48s
  • 880 yards
  • 02m 01s / 100 yards
Comments:

This was my first ever half mile in open water... and I panicked. They set up the waves in exactly opposite order so that each wave overtook the preceding one. I got whomped by the men behind me and ended up doing almost the entire 1/2 mile in breaststroke. I made it, but I've GOT to do better! I don't even think it was a full half-mile, so I'll have to work a lot more if I ever want to get to Olympic distance races.
What would you do differently?:

Learn to freestyle for longer or learn to backstroke in a straight line! Swim in open water at least a few times a month to get out of the bad habits of pool swimming. Take that swim class so I don't expend all my energy flailing and get more efficient. Bow my head to the task of learning Hill and Molly's mad swimming skillz.
Transition 1
  • 00m
Comments:

Long T1. I was running the 1/4 mile barefoot with no jogging bra so I was really slow into the transition area. Lots of time for the clothing change too since this was the first time I was using the Title9 uber-bra and tri shorts.
Bike
  • 54m 56s
  • 12 miles
  • 13.11 mile/hr
Comments:

This time looks particularly awful because it includes the long T1. The course itself was hilly and I was glad I looked at the elevation profile before the race. I managed to pass several people who were walking up the hill, but I was a bit cautious on the downhill descent. Someone had yelled to me that there was a hairpin curve at the top of the hill (actually at the bottom) and the pavement was all torn up, so I didn't fly as per usual. I did, however, eat some Goo and I'm sure this helped considerably on the run later.
What would you do differently?:

Beat my bike into submission so it gears down to the lowest set of gears. (My bike has issues.) I could have tackled the hills much better if I had been able to do that, but despite repeated tries I was never able to get into the lowest set.
Transition 2
  • 00m
Run
  • 28m 12s
  • 3 miles
  • 09m 24s  min/mile
Comments:

I do not understand what happened. I ran my race at what I thought was a steady pace and still had enough energy for a sprint at the end. When I checked the time I found I came in 30s/mile faster than usual! I will never get why I run faster in a triathlon than I do if I run the same distance WITHOUT preceding it with other sports, but I'll take that rate happily!

I also don't understand exactly why I ranked better as a runner than as a biker and swimmer. I consider myself a slow runner, an abysmal swimmer and a decent biker, but the truth is that in biking I usually do slow long-distance rides (50mi+) instead of these short fast sprints. For running, there's absolutely no explanation I can find but that maybe the long-distance riding has given me some kind of crazy endurance mojo. In any case, I guess I'll have to start focusing on the other two again!
What would you do differently?:

Not a thing.
Post race
Event comments:

This was the longest triathlon I'd yet tackled (my fourth ever), so I set myself the goal of finishing in 2 hrs. I finished in 1:40 with a sprint at the end of my run, so I felt very very good about it. Since it's a longer race, I ranked much worse than usual -- I think I'm competing against better athletes -- but I'm still quite content with my performance for the day.




Last updated: 2007-06-27 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:17:48 | 880 yards | 02m 01s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 337/373
Performance: Below average
Suit:
Course:
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 00:00
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
00:54:56 | 12 miles | 13.11 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/373
Performance: Average
Wind:
Course:
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 00:00
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:28:12 | 03 miles | 09m 24s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 319/373
Performance: Good
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
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