Catalina Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Catalina, California
United States
pacificsportsllc.com
Total Time = 1h 54m 40s
Overall Rank = 488/521
Age Group = F 20-24
Age Group Rank = 11/13
Pre-race routine:

Well, I didn't bring a blender to Catalina, so food was really uncomfortable. I had peanut butter on toast and a banana with OJ. It's great to know now that I really can't handle solid food before a race - I was somewhat uncomfortable until about 15 minutes before, and I ate 3 hours before the race. However, I set up my transition area and now know to always get there super early to be on an edge...my stuff was moved by so many people. ARHGSHG!!!
Event warmup:

I ran the bottom half of the bike loop so I could know the turns (about a mile) and swam about 200 yards. I also walked around and relaxed.
Swim
  • 19m 38s
  • 875 yards
  • 02m 14s / 100 yards
Comments:

I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF!!! I really did well to keep focused, keep my head down, keep my legs up, and not kick. I kept swimming strong, and maintained my pace. I was amazingly excited. I was so calm, and focused. I maintained my place from where I started and didn't fall behind, which was so great. Does this sound like a fantastic swim? Oh yeah, because IT WAS. Was I super fast? Of course not. But I sure as HECK was fast for me! Did I feel like a true triathlete and not just a survivor after? Yes.
What would you do differently?:

Well, swim faster and more downhill, but as I haven't worked on that technique much, not too much.
Transition 1
  • 04m 51s
Comments:

Eh, this was pretty weak, with good reason.
1) the transition area was in the sand, so everything was gross and covered with the stuff.
2) People were rude and moved my stuff...normally, I don't consider this rude if it's called for, but my stuff was extremely well organized and about as in small a space as possible. They didn't move it OVER, just kinda moved it, and someone put their bike over it. Whatever, I wasn't in it to win, just finish.
What would you do differently?:

Go faster, practice bricks and transitions OFTEN, and pracitce drinking and eating on the bike. Also, have the confidence that I can spin on the bike and catch my breath there.
Bike
  • 49m 54s
  • 10 miles
  • 12.02 mile/hr
Comments:

Well, we can't win them all. I was so frustrated by this course. I was told that it was hilly, which it was and I shouldn't have been so blase, but I just didn't seem to get my groove on. I need to practice on hills using harder gears, as I was really spinning out of fear of burning out. I also was too nervous to get water or eat my gel, which would have helped after the faster swim, because all of the riders were passing wildly on the left. Often saying nothing. On a course that was about 4 feet wide. It was really scary, and the attitude was so negative. It's an end of the season sprint, guys. I understand it might matter a lot to a few people, but for most people who aren't getting prizes or accolades, take a breath. Smile. This isn't life or death. (also to be totally fair, I was just nervous in general about getting water...a really great technique to practice in the offseason, plus I really want a camelpak.) However, my bike would have been much better if...well, you should know that the only hospital on the island was, of course, on the road of the course. As was the fire station! So, at the bottom of the down hill on my second loop, a guy stops me on the blind turn, because a firetruck was coming, and of course turned the other direction (Of course, I have no problem stopping for a firetruck, it's just that a bike course should not have any potential of interfering with hospital traffic - that's unsafe for everyone involved, especially on such an extraordinarily narrow course. I stopped, and of course fell over because I was so unprepared. What pissed me off is that then he let 30 people pass me while I was lying on the side of the road, and people yelled at me. I'm sorry, was I TRYING to fall?!?! That shocked me...so unlike any triathletes I know I tried to crawl out of the way, and did eventually, but they couldn't see me and I was a bit shocked. Finally, the guy came and helped me, which I wouldn't have needed had he just warned people that I was down. I don't know how much time I lost, but it was really disheartening, and shook me up badly. I was also getting a bit arrogant about the bike, so now know not to. However, the last loop was kinda fun as I was so far behind, the course was nearly empty. I didn't want to have a bad attitude in my head, so I started singing "Nothing's impossible I have found, So when my chin is on the ground, I pick myself up, Dust myself up, Start all over again...Don't loose your confidence if you slip, be greatful for a pleasant trip and pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again...Work like a soul inspired, till the battle of the day is done...You may be sick and tired, but you'll be a man my son!" (Now, I've been a singer for 16 years, so this was actually pretty easy to have the breath.) I stopped when I lost my breath, but this woman behind me said, "was that you? PLEASE keep singing!" So I did. She passed me right by, which actually felt kinda good...like my singing helped or something. guess because I'm so new at triathlon, but an experienced singer, it helped to remember I'm good at something, and that I've been working hard at singing for 16 years and still know I have so much to learn...may I always have that attitude with triathlon. However, I was still a bit disheartened, which explains my crappy transition.
What would you do differently?:

Um, bike faster, work harder, get braver about passing, and...oh yeah, not fall! But keep the positive attitude!
Transition 2
  • 03m 22s
Comments:

I was really shaken up, and very dehydrated from the course. I had drunk literally nothing, which was a mistake and I knew it was dumb at the time too. (I'm sorry, not trying to be hard on myself, just the truth!) Also, somehow, my race number had gotten ripped off my belt, and I was just so freaked out from the fall and being yelled at that I literally was like "what do I do?" so I just held on to it. I ate a gel on the way out, downed some agua, and started running.
What would you do differently?:

GO FASTER!!! Argh. I didn't practice at all, and so I don't know what I was expecting. Whatever, I'm just in to finish, it's my first season and only two weeks after my first race.
Run
  • 36m 53s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 11m 54s  min/mile
Comments:

I KICKED ASS ON THIS COURSE!!! Oh my God. My only goal was to keep running, no matter what. Sometimes, it probably would have been faster to walk up the hill, but I didn't care. I wanted to run, and I did. I did really well - I do very well on hills aparently. I kept a really great pace down, chatted for a few minutes with someone else, kept climbing, and kept smiling. The race to the finish was incredible...I sprinted for about .3 of a mile, which was really great for me. This guy tried to pass me, and I refused to let him...I sprinted faster. It was incredible.
What would you do differently?:

Train more on hills, but besides that, nada. Really incredible run for me, regardless of time.
Post race
Warm down:

Tried not to throw up on the nice volunteers taking my chip and number, and eat fruit and drink water. Then, walk to the hotel and MEXICAN FOOD!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

No speed training, no hill run training, falling, poorly organized race, and way too high expectations of myself!

Event comments:

Well, the island itself is gorgeous. A lovely resort town, amidst stunning natural beauty. However, this is not a race I personally need to do again. The course was somewhat dangerous (the bike course was so narrow that there was literally no choice but to draft for many people) with hairpin turns and very little marking. I also didn't love the general attitude of the race. I'm sure Hermosa spoiled me rotten, but it seemed like the volunteers really weren't sure what was happening, the course changed constantly (the bouys were moved every 5 minutes until the start of the swim!) and the bike course was dangerous. Also, SO many of the racers were taking it so extraordinarily seriously and generally were quite negative about everything and nasty to us slower folk. I can't imagine with all my experience with wonderful triathletes that this is a representative of a normal race.




Last updated: 2007-07-22 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:19:38 | 875 yards | 02m 14s / 100yards
Age Group: 11/13
Overall: 0/521
Performance: Good
Suit: BlueSeventy Iron Man
Course: A GORGEOUS, flat ocean swim out 400, around buoys 80, back 400. Perfect, lovely, and did I mention flat!?!
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 04:51
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Below average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:49:54 | 10 miles | 12.02 mile/hr
Age Group: 11/13
Overall: 0/521
Performance: Bad
Wind: None
Course: A very tricky, narrow, and poorly organized course. 3 loops, around the block, and straight up a hill to wrigley mansion 3 times. Tough up hill, fast down hill, tight, blind turns, and NARROW. No signs at all, and somewhat confusing as the arrows were written in chalk and nearly rubbed out by the third loop.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Below average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 03:22
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Bad
Racking bike Bad
Shoe and helmet removal Below average
Running
00:36:53 | 03.1 miles | 11m 54s  min/mile
Age Group: 10/13
Overall: 0/521
Performance: Good
Course: Wow, intense course. I LOVE running hills. Out a bit flat, turn a corner, and straight up a twisty, turning, high course for about 1.2 miles. Then, straight down (out and back), except instead of running straight back to the transition, you run up hill for half-mile, and then down and around to the very dramatic finish.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? No
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? No
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3