Steamboat Express Triathlon - TriathlonMini Sprint


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San Dimas, California
United States
TriEvents
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 01m 22s
Overall Rank = 38/173
Age Group = M45-49
Age Group Rank = 1/6
Pre-race routine:

**(Note: T1 & T2 splits were included in bike split--split times for those are approx based on watch timing)**

For our second tri, my wife and I focused on starting to build routines. Arrived early, got a good rack position.
Event warmup:

We were in the last two of six waves (3 oly, 3 sprint), so we had time to jog and stretch. Swim start was a longish walk from transition, so I wore my crappy old deck shoes...I was having mysterious left arch discomfort, didn't want to beat my feet up more.
Swim
  • 08m 26s
  • 400 yards
  • 02m 07s / 100 yards
Comments:

Actual swim time in water (per watch) 7:48 (1:55 per 100 yds)--long run to transition. Water was warm...could have skipped wetsuit if goal for day wasn't to work on transitions. I self-seeded up front but outside a bit...generally got around buoy without too much contact, but did throw a gentle elbow at someone persistently swimming onto me. With about 75-100 yds to go, caught some of the previous wave and had to merge into BOP oly distance women coming in from their course from my right.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. Not wear wetsuit. (The pre-race info had this at both 300 and 400 yds in different places. Based on my time in the water, I'm pretty sure it was actually 400 yds.)
Transition 1
  • 03m
Comments:

Took more than 2 min. off T1 from first tri two weeks ago.
What would you do differently?:

Not much...still defining my routine, though.
Bike
  • 29m 30s
  • 8.39 miles
  • 17.06 mile/hr
Comments:

I had decided--since the run leg was going to be so short--to experiment with standing on the pedals for sections of steep grade. Found that was okay in small doses--had a good sense of when it was becoming too fatiguing.
What would you do differently?:

Probably could have pushed it a bit harder.
Transition 2
  • 02m 6s
Comments:

Fell at dismount line when left foot got stuck on pedal--broke left wrist as it turned out...continued race...

Honestly, by the time I was tying my running shoes, my left wrist was in agony. If I'd taken any longer, I might not have gotten it done. But, I'd come this far...and I don't run on my hands...so off I went on the run...
What would you do differently?:

Not break my wrist...

Seriously, though, in retrospect, I realize this was only the second time I'd done a dismount in a race and I've only been biking seriously for 9 months, so I should have practiced dismounting somewhere along the way in training.
Run
  • 17m 49s
  • 2.49 miles
  • 07m 10s  min/mile
Comments:

In addition to running with a freshly-broken left wrist, I was experiencing serious discomfort in my left arch throughout. This was also the first trail racing I'd done since HS x-country 30 yrs ago. As was the case at Malibu, I passed quite a few people...this time no one passed me.
What would you do differently?:

Might have pushed it more, but with broken wrist, painful arch, and challenge of terrain, I think I did okay.
Post race
Warm down:

Packed everything but bike to car and grabbed ice from our cooler in car for wrist (which was painful and swelling). Waited for Liz to finish and iced. I had enough range of motion that I had some hopes it was a sprain, but no such luck. I made a point, though, to stick around and enjoy the post-race food and reassure Liz that we didn't need to rush off to urgent care. Lifeguard was able to wrap my wrist which made a big difference.

Huge surprise when results went up: I won my AG, broken wrist and all.

(Photo below shows what finishing a sprint tri with a fractured left wrist looks like, btw...)

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Actually, the arch pain was a bigger practical limiter than the broken wrist (since my fall happened literally at the end of the bike leg). The wrist pain actually kept me very focused on the run.

E.T.A. on 10/2: Now that splits are posted, it is glaringly apparent that I have to improve on the bike...and in transitions, which were included in the bike times. Out of 54 men in my swim wave (all 40+, Clyde, and MTB), I was 4th on the run, 8th on the swim...but barely sneaked into the top half of the wave (27th) on the bike. That I smoked most of my wave on the run WITH A BROKEN WRIST, but lagged on the bike/transitions (just like at Malibu) says it all.

Event comments:

This is a race specifically intended for beginners--there is an Olympic distance race run concurrently, sharing parts of course. The run course is really a trail run (no major hills, though)...organizers should be clearer about that (esp. given the high percentage of first-timers in the race). Despite some minor lags (parking lot opened late, race started about 1/2 hour late), I thought this was a very friendly and well organized event.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2007-09-18 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:08:26 | 400 yards | 02m 07s / 100yards
Age Group: 1/6
Overall: 29/173
Performance: Good
Suit: My cheap Body Glove spring suit
Course: 50 yds out to buoy, then left and straight into beach. Fairly long run over dirt and pavement to transition.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:00
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
00:29:30 | 08.39 miles | 17.06 mile/hr
Age Group: 2/6
Overall: 64/173
Performance: Good
Wind:
Course: One loop with several uphill grades and two long fast downhills.
Road:  Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:06
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:17:49 | 02.49 miles | 07m 10s  min/mile
Age Group: 1/6
Overall: 20/173
Performance: Average
Course: Looping, but actually technically point-to-point (finish is a couple hundred yards from transition/run start). Mostly trail--narrow in places and uneven terrain--with last 800m or so on concrete.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3