Big Kahuna Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Santa Cruz, California
United States
Firstwave Events
65F / 18C
Overcast
Total Time = 5h 57m 51s
Overall Rank = 157/817
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 18/68
Pre-race routine:

Same as always get there early put the bike together and set up transition. The only difference was that I had to put on my wetsuit.
Event warmup:

None. I did get in the water to see how cold it was going to be and it was COLD!
Swim
  • 35m 29s
  • 2310 yards
  • 01m 32s / 100 yards
Comments:

I just could not get comfortable in this swim. I was cold the entire time. My feet went numb, but my hadns and cheeks felt like they were burning (like when you stick your hands in a bucket of ice water). I had to breathe every second stroke instead of my normal every third becuase I felt restricted. I had the usual feelings of "what have I gotten myself into again" for the first ten minutes. I did a decent job of navigating because I kept popping my head out of the water. I couldn't draft because I was too slow for my group.
What would you do differently?:

Warm up the water!!!
Transition 1
  • 04m 9s
Comments:

The transition area was a few blocks from the beach so it was a long run. It was nice that they had some buckets of water when you entered the transition area so so that you could wash your feet off.
What would you do differently?:

I should have waited till after taking off my sleeves before I took of my swim cap and goggles because I had them in my hand and didn't know what to do with them wile taking off the sleeves.
Bike
  • 2h 38m 16s
  • 56 miles
  • 21.23 mile/hr
Comments:

I had to pee for the entire bike leg. I didn't want to stop becuase I was doing so well, you can guess what happened; a few times. I did the climbs very well. In fact I caught people on every climb. There were a few serious descents where I got up to 40mph, I didn't do all of them in the aerobars becuase I got a little nervous with the speed.

I used ZIPP 606 tubs and they were perfect from racedaywheels.com
What would you do differently?:

don't be afraid to push it a little harder.
Transition 2
  • 01m 9s
Comments:

The end of the bike came sooner than I though and I didn't even have time to get my feet out of my shoes. I also wasn't used to the type of rack that we were using (not the pole style).
What would you do differently?:

KNOW THE COURSE!!!
Run
  • 1h 48m 48s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 19s  min/mile
Comments:

I started out having to pee, I made it the first aid station which had a port-o-john "perfect". Then around mile 5 I started pacing a Dan from Stanford who I had been near on the bike. We had a good pace and just kept it going. The strategy was to stay at 150bpm for the first 7 miles then bring it up to 145-155 bpm for the next 3 miles then bring it up to 157-158 for the next 2 miles and then go all out for the last mile. the strategy was perfect I felt solid the entire time. though I was getting passed on the way out I started to be the one doing the passing for the last three miles. The last half mile on the beach was brutal because the sand is so soft but the finish felt good. Then I met Michellie Jones across the finish line.
What would you do differently?:

Go 1-2 bpm harder for the entire run. I might have been able to take off an additional minute or two.
Post race
Warm down:

Went back in the water to clean myself off. It was like an ice bath.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Being careful not to go out too hard. I could have pushed a little harder on the run and bike. As for the swim, warmer water would have been nice.

Event comments:

They should not have let family and friends in the transition area before the race, they needed more port-o-johns near the transition area. Needed a better photography company (should have had people taking photos by the Tiki on the run). Volunteers at the aid stations were great.




Last updated: 2007-09-13 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:35:29 | 2310 yards | 01m 32s / 100yards
Age Group: 39/68
Overall: 424/817
Performance: Bad
Suit: Orca Apex
Course: Start on the left side of the pier and swim clockwise around the entire Santa Cruz pier.
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 55F / 13C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Bad Drafting: Bad
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:09
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
02:38:16 | 56 miles | 21.23 mile/hr
Age Group: 15/68
Overall: 169/817
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Out and back on Highway 1, it was a little hilly but no sustained climbs. It was a little overcast and chilly. The first few miles fo teh course had terrible road conditions but once out of Santa Cruz it was really nice. The Highway had a large shoulder for most of the ride and not too much traffic.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Too much
T2
Time: 01:09
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Below average
Running
01:48:48 | 13.1 miles | 08m 19s  min/mile
Age Group: 22/68
Overall: 171/817
Performance: Good
Course: Out and back some along the coast some hard pack dirt trail, around the Tiki satue, some minor elevation changes. Beautiful course, I had a lot of fun on the run.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5