Columbia Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Ellicott City, Maryland
United States
The Columbia Triathlon Association Inc.
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 31m 30s
Overall Rank = 242/1722
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 37/143
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 2:15am to start the day! Took a hot shower to wake up and loosen up the muscles a bit. Headed downstairs and finished organizing the bag and putting my food in order for breakfast and th race. Following the organizational stuff I put on the Glide and the outfit and made sure everything felt comfortable. Packed up the last of the odds and ends, gave Lyn and Camryn a kiss good-bye and I was out the door at 3:40 to pick up Dan at his place. We put his gear in the car and took off for Columbia. I sipped on water during the drive down and enjoyed the Tri conversation with Dan. When we arrived at Centennial Park we were one of the first cars to arrive and got a nice spot to sit and eat breakfast. I had oatmeal and and english muffin with peanut butter. Continued to sip on water and some gatorade. We headed down to the transition area to get marked up and head in to get organized. Once I got to my bike I took off the plastic I had put on the night before in case it rained, laid out my stuff on the towel and put the bottles on the bike. Headed down toward the Pro's to get a glimpse at the elite and saw a couple. Actually waitied in line with Macca and was able to chat a bit - pretty cool. Lieto joined and the two had an interesting conversation. After that I headed back in and we caught up with Geoff for a minute of two before heading up to grab our wetsuits, caps and goggles for the walk to the swim start.
Event warmup:

Stretched a bit before the swim but that was about it. I will make a point to warm-up more effectively in the future. It was interesting reading about stretching and warm-u and watching some of the best in the sport really get in a good warm-up.
Swim
  • 21m 31s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 19s / 100 yards
Comments:

Overall, I have to be pleased with my swim considering I improved a great deal from my swim at Annapolis last Fall. I loved being able to position myself in the front of the pack and hold the position avoiding the chaos. I felt like I wasn't efficient in the beginning at all rather just turning over quickly and churning water. However, once I got out a bit I started to concentrate a bit more on my form and felt better about my breathing. My goal was sub 1:20 splits and I did that and only hope I continue to improve on that in the future.
What would you do differently?:

The main thing I want to work on is being more efficient throughout the entire swim. Sometimes I get away from solid form and completing the strokes. I also want to get out fast but do so without jeapordizing form, breathing and energy.
The last two things are clear goggles and I would like to draft a bit instead of swimming alone.
Transition 1
  • 02m 42s
Comments:

26 out of 143

Have to be pleased considering my transition times at Annapolis and Charlottesville. I was definitely more organized and thoughtful which made me faster. Will continue to work on this to get better but I think it'll improve with more experience in races!
Bike
  • 1h 16m 11s
  • 25.48 miles
  • 20.07 mile/hr
Comments:

I am very happy with my effort on the bike! My goal was to average 20mph and I got it! I feel like my bike has really improved since logging a good amount of time on the trainer this winter. Hopefully, I'll improve even more being able to log even more time outside as the weather gets better. Regardless of what people say I know times will improve even more once i get a Tri bike instead of pushing my Trek 1500...i love my bike but it's not the lightest or the most aerodynamic.
What would you do differently?:

Drink more fluids!!
Transition 2
  • 01m 55s
Comments:

72 out of 143

Not as good as I wanted but better than previous transitions. Wasted too much time with race belt and fluids!

What would you do differently?:

I will take in any and all fluids before getting off the bike. I can wait to get some additional fluids on the run. Get in and Get out!!!
Run
  • 49m 12s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 07m 55s  min/mile
Comments:

I actually felt pretty good the first mile when I saw 7:26. Then the legs started to seize up and pulsate and I knew it was going to be a long run. My quads and my hamstrings were twitching and moving non-stop. I did the best I could to not stop but eventually had to about 4 miles in. I actually had no choice because I couldn't walk or run on my left hamstring for about a minute or two. I eventually walked/jogged a couple hundred yards and got some Gatorade from the aid station. Whether it was mental or not I was able to finish the run without stopping again and tried to finish strong.
What would you do differently?:

Not sure what I could do other than fluids on the bike and possibly gel. But other than nutrition I think it was a tough course and I really rode hard the entire ride which the more I read actually impacts your run a ton when you are not on a Tri bike. Just the set-up helps coming off the bike and into the run...just need to continue to improve endurance and strength in my training......more hills and get back to strength training maintenance
Post race
Warm down:

None....TERRIBLE!!!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

LEGS, LEGS, LEGS!!! Whether nutrition or training I just didn't have the legs to finish better!

Event comments:

An incredible race to start the '08 season!!! I absolutely love the race, the course, and the entire atmosphere. Definitely doing this race again next year and I'll be better prepared for sure! I do think it's going to help me become a better performer as the season goes on especially considering I got through the run even though my legs were in a lot of pain.
On a side...talking with Macca in the morning was pretty special as was listening to Lieto and Macca talking Tri with one another. I also liked ending the day taking pictures with Macca, Yoder, Ficker, Fiona Docherty. What a great event!!!




Last updated: 2007-11-16 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:21:31 | 1640 yards | 01m 19s / 100yards
Age Group: 9/143
Overall: 127/1722
Performance: Good
Suit: Orca Apex
Course: The swim was one counter-clockwise lap in Centennial lake. Considering how many people started and how many were in the age group we evntually caught it wasn't bad at all. I did like the basic straight line finish.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Below average
T1
Time: 02:42
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:16:11 | 25.48 miles | 20.07 mile/hr
Age Group: 42/143
Overall: 244/1722
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course: A fantastic course that kept you engaged the entire ride...evidenced by my inability to drink and take in any gel. I loved the constant change and the hills were challenging but managable.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 01:55
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:49:12 | 06.21 miles | 07m 55s  min/mile
Age Group: 59/143
Overall: 418/1722
Performance: Bad
Course: HILLS...HILLS...HILLS!!! I knew the run had a reputation and now I know why.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
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