Ironhead Dallas Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Grand Prairie, Texas
United States
Ironhead Race Productions
90F / 32C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 44m 51s
Overall Rank = 132/390
Age Group = M25-29
Age Group Rank = 14/37
Pre-race routine:

Couldn't sleep the night before (as always), so woke up on my own at 430am. Got dressed, loaded up my stuff, checked out of the hotel, and head to the race site. There got set up and ate a bagel and a peanut granola bar. No caffeine for once!
Event warmup:

Didn't do anything specifically, which I think was a mistake. Next time I'll do 10 minutes jogging followed by swimming 200-300m easy 5-10 minutes before the race start.
Swim
  • 36m 30s
  • 1500 meters
  • 02m 26s / 100 meters
Comments:

Last wave (of four). Got in the middle of the pack at the start, water was deep enough to tread water while waiting for the start.

First 400m really sucked as I went out too hard and got out of breath and then started sucking in water due to the (light) chop. Bad breathing eventually made me frustrated I resorted to breast-stroking.

I alternated breast-stroking with the crawl for the next 800m. While breast-stroking, I kept looking around me to make sure I didn't whack anyone with my frog-kick, as I expected to get passed like crazy while breast-stroking. Surprisingly, I pretty much kept pace with those around me and the upright position of the stroke made it much easier for me to navigate than some of those around me.

Last 300m I did the crawl all the way in, which was nice as it made me feel more like a real triathlete, and even remembered to keep stroking until I could feel the bottom.
What would you do differently?:

Do a pre-race warmup swim. More frequent long swims in the pool (1600-2000m) and a few open-water swims for practice.
Transition 1
  • 01m 56s
Comments:

My transition is SLOW. I can't figure out what everyone else is doing that they can do T1 in one minute or under. Goggles and cap off, shirt on, helmet on, sunglasses, socks and bike shoes on, and away I go!
What would you do differently?:

Get a race belt and eliminate needing to put a shirt on after getting out of the water. Book it out of the water to my bike (none of this "easy jogging" crap, and the same for running with my bike to the start line.
Bike
  • 1h 16m 24s
  • 26 miles
  • 20.42 mile/hr
Comments:

Started out pretty hard (22-23mph) at the very beginning, which meant I passed quite a few people who I guess were still getting warmed up. Legs felt spry and kept up the pace for most of the first loop. Attacked hills and hauled ass on the downhills. Second loop wasn't quite so easy, but managed to push my way through it, although the hills weren't quite so easy this time around.

Took in two bottles of Gatorade on the bike course (~40oz), decent job of riding while drinking, although one of those spiffy aero-drink bottles between my aero bars would be nice (and a set of cages behind my seat, rather than within my frame).

Near the end the back part of my upper left thigh started cramping pretty bad and the following day my butt was just plain SORE!
What would you do differently?:

Put more time in the saddle, include some longer rides (30-40 miles) and more bricks. Get properly fitted for my aero bars, add an aero bottle and rear seat bottle cages. Do half Gatorade half water, and I was kinda refluxing Gatorade on the run.
Transition 2
  • 01m 24s
Comments:

Stopped at the line, hopped off and ran to rack my bike (legs didn't feel completely weird at this point for once). Swapped shoes, helmet off, spent WAY too much time switching my shirt around to put the bib number facing forward, running hat on, grabbed a Clif Bar and off to run!
What would you do differently?:

Get a race belt. Get a haircut (or grow it out a few more inches so I can put it in a ponytail), obviating the need for a hat while running. Practice transitions.
Run
  • 48m 35s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 07m 50s  min/mile
Comments:

You couldn't really tell it on the bike, but I was HOT out there. The air was pretty still, so running you don't get the benefit a steady to keep you cool (unless your name is Meb Keflezighi and you're putting in 4-minute miles). Dumping water down my neck and in my hat didn't seem to help much at all. Decent splits (7:30's) quickly faded to 8 minute-plus miles.

It's weird, the running in a running race is pure bliss for me, but the running in a triathlon for me is pure torture. It just hurts, I'm tired, and everything feels all funky.
What would you do differently?:

Put in at least 20 miles/week of running in my training rather than this slap-dash, willy-nilly crap I've been doing for the past 6 months. Include at least a few longs > 12 miles. More bricks.
Post race
Warm down:

My kick-ass girlfriend came all the way up from Galveston to cheer me on, even though she had to work that night (and all the way through until noon on Monday), so I found her at the finish just stood in the shade chatting with her while I drank some sort of fruity-drink concoction they had there. Ate a banana and stretched, and that was pretty much it.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Training (volume and quality).

Event comments:

This is a very well organized race and a good value as well ($70 versus CapTex's 120 bucks). Good course support in all three events, beautiful location, and a good mix of triathletes. The race director (Jack) was bitchy and rude to pretty much everyone around him (participants and fellow volunteers alike), but he did put on a good race so I can't complain too much. Definitely considering returning next year.

What was the story with some race participant getting bit by someone's dog??




Last updated: 2007-07-08 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:36:30 | 1500 meters | 02m 26s / 100meters
Age Group: 25/37
Overall: 240/390
Performance: Average
Suit: None allowed
Course: Loop course, in a sort of stubby Ehrlenmeyer flask flask shape. Having the bouys where you turn in yellow and the rest in orange was a nice touch.
Start type: Deep Water Plus:
Water temp: 80F / 27C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Bad Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 01:56
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:16:24 | 26 miles | 20.42 mile/hr
Age Group: 18/37
Overall: 184/390
Performance: Average
Max speed 26.6mph
Wind: Some
Course: 2 loop course, with two U-turns in each loop. All nice roads, with only the occassional holes and uneven-ness. Gravel near the south U-turn made me slow down more than I would have liked.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 84
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Too much
T2
Time: 01:24
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:48:35 | 06.2 miles | 07m 50s  min/mile
Age Group: 9/37
Overall: 67/390
Performance: Below average
Splits: 7:33, 7:30, 7:45, 8:06, 8:08, 8:08, 1:25
Course: Out-and-back course, within Lynn Creek Park.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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] 4