Ironman 70.3 Florida - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Orlando, Florida
United States
Ironman North America Athlete Services
91F / 33C
Total Time = 8h 38m 11s
Overall Rank = 1887/1995
Age Group = W24-29
Age Group Rank = 94/99
Pre-race routine:

In bed at 6:30pm. up at 3:30am. Prep, dress, cinnamon raisin bagel, 24 oz InfinIt mix, out the door.
Event warmup:

Meditative slow transition set up. Quiet corner in some random location to stretch, breathe deep and calm down.

Read more on my training blog for this date about my entire race experience. This was my first HIM.
Swim
  • 59m 55s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 50s / 100 yards
Comments:

The BEST open water swim I've ever had. Really relaxed and calm 95% of the time. Rhythm good from the start. Swam wide to avoid the fray as I know I'm slower than most. Ended up swimming much too wide at times. Sighting was good, but my directional ability was failing me. Went off course too far many times...felt like I was in a cross current and being pulled away. I swear I swam 2500-3000 yds instead of the 2112.
What would you do differently?:

Try to swim closer to the buoys. People don't freak me out as much as they used to, they just get in my way.
Transition 1
  • 05m 54s
Comments:

Been training injured, so I didn't run as much with the bike as I wanted to. I still had quite a few miles to go. I didn't get to practice flying mounts or dismounts with my new shoes enough, so I ran in them instead of the alternative.
What would you do differently?:

Learn flying mounts and dismounts. Pick up the pace.
Bike
  • 3h 44m 11s
  • 56 miles
  • 14.99 mile/hr
Comments:

Fun course. Rainy this time though. A nice break and reprieve from the anticipated oven.
I managed to forget to check my odometer and started out with no registering of mileage or speed. Not good. I needed the markers for nutrition and planned stretch breaks for my knees to continue. Fixed that within first 1/2 mile.
Probably could have pushed harder, but I was concerned about jsut how "brutal" the run was going to be. Glad I saved something for the end.
What would you do differently?:

Heal properly before doing a race like this. My bike times were not as good as expected.
Transition 2
  • 05m 8s
Comments:

I could have sworn I was here for 15 minutes. I literally took my time. Was worried when I noticed my feet were starting to blister from the soggy bike shoes. Then, I noticed my run shoes and socks were soaked. 13.1 miles in swampy shoes is not a good idea.
What would you do differently?:

Cover my stuff up at even a hint of rain. Go faster.
Run
  • 3h 43m 4s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 17m 02s  min/mile
Comments:

I literally didn't know how I would hold up in the heat and humidity, so I didn't push as hard as I could have at first. Interspersed run and walk for a while until blisters got too annoying and heat got worse. Worked to stay cool. Saw a lot of people having problems with the heat. I highly reccomend taking 4-5 sponges at the first aid station you find and keeping them with you. Just re-wet in any ice/water you can find. I also dumped ice into the pocket of my tri jersey, down the front, and in the back. And I never knew hot and flat Coke could taste like nectar. I swear the heavens parted and angels sang. However, the last 0.5 mile was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I think the heat and electrolytes got the better of me.
What would you do differently?:

Learn to tolerate heat and humidity better. Find ways to simulate training in it. Practice nutrition when exhausted in these circumstances. Things were definitely different than I anticipated.
Post race
Warm down:

Directly to med tent to ice knees and bandage the dozen or so blisters on my feet. I didn't even get any post-race food! Walking was difficult, and solid food after any race is hard for me. Drank 12 oz of InfinIt and some water. 60 oz of gatorade later.
Soaked in epsom salts when I returned back to hotel.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Heat and humidity hands down.

Event comments:

This was the best d@#! race I've been to! I had so much fun and a smile on my face the whole way. The volunteers were overwhelmingly awesome and gracious. I really felt like we were taken care of and cared about. I could not have asked for a better first HIM experience.




Last updated: 2007-10-09 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:59:55 | 2112 yards | 02m 50s / 100yards
Age Group: 60/99
Overall: 1899/1995
Performance: Good
Suit: none
Course: Lake swim. Out, Left turn, back.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 82F / 28C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 05:54
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
03:44:11 | 56 miles | 14.99 mile/hr
Age Group: 91/99
Overall: 1925/1995
Performance: Average
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: Flat for the first third, rolling with a couple mildly intense climbs in the second third, and fast and flat for the end. Waaaaay too much fun.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Too much
T2
Time: 05:08
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
03:43:04 | 13.1 miles | 17m 02s  min/mile
Age Group: 94/99
Overall: 1886/1995
Performance: Below average
Course: 3 laps. First 1/3-1/2 on pavement. The rest on a very uneven dirt and grass service road trail. Miserably hot and humid. NO shade whatsoever on trail portion, and only a few hundred yards on the paved portion.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5