EagleMan Ironman 70.3 Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Cambridge, Maryland
United States
Columbia Triathlon Association
95F / 35C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 03m 47s
Overall Rank = 672/1382
Age Group = M30-34
Age Group Rank = 81/125
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 4am and jumped in the shower to wake up then began preparing 3 Endurox bottles for the bike. Didn't get much sleep the night before as expected. Checked and double checked my gear to make sure I had everything and was out of the hotel by 4:45am and on my way to the race site.
Event warmup:

Got to the Transition area and began to set up. Had a banana and a small bagel with PB while sipping some gatorade. As usual, Hit the porta potty then did some light stretching. Put some sunblock on then headed down to the water with the wetsuit half on as the 2nd wave was beginning to start. I was in the 4th wave.
Swim
  • 45m 24s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 09s / 100 yards
Comments:

Had an ok swim for me but was hoping to come in closer to 40 minutes rather than 45 minutes. Maintained a relatively comfortable pace with good breathing to keep from overheating. But, definitely began to wear down on the way back in. Overall though not a bad swim for my first time at this distance. However, I really need to focus on my swim training to start putting up respectable times.
What would you do differently?:

More swim training to further build endurance and continue to focus on technique/speed.
Transition 1
  • 04m 19s
Comments:

Took a little extra time in T2 to to get my HR down and gain my composure as I was a little dizzy coming out of the water which caused me to jog slowly to my bike. Wetsuit came off easily and I sat down to put my socks and bike shoes on. Put my helmet and sunglasses on and shoved 2 Gu's in each pocket as well as 1 Cliff Bar. Then I was on my way.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. Maybe speed things up a little. Would have liked to have been around 3:30 but considering the heat I was fine with this time.
Bike
  • 2h 51m 5s
  • 56 miles
  • 19.64 mile/hr
Comments:

Had a good ride and came in exactly where I anticipated. I paced myself properly and perfectly followed my nutrition plan. Drank roughly 56 ounces of Endurox and had 3 gels. I was averaging 20 mph at mile 40 but I definitely began to fatigue over the last 10 to 15 miles as it was obviously extremely hot and the headwinds started to pick up a bit. I also may have been riding at a lower PSI down the stretch as a result of a slow leak because when I picked my bike up after the race both the front and back tires were flat.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. I felt like I properly paced myself to prepare for the run and my legs felt ok coming out of T2. God was I wrong and I found that out very quickly!
Transition 2
  • 02m 48s
Comments:

Good T2. Bike racked and shoes off/sneaks on quickly. Grabbed a drink of gatorade and emptied the used GU packets and bar from my shirt and put back in 4 new Gu's.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Run
  • 2h 20m 14s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 42s  min/mile
Comments:

This is where the wheels fell off for me and what seems like everyone else. I cannot believe how hot that course was! This could have been the worst pain I've ever felt. I started to walk around 27 minutes into the run and became very discouraged as I have never done this in a race before. After roughly a minute or so I made a deal with myself to start running again and not to stop until I got to the aid stations. I grabbed as much ice, water and gatorade as I could at each station to try and stay cool but I was falling apart and praying for the finish line just so I could stop moving and get out of the sun. I also could not eat any of the gels I had on me because my stomach just wouldn't allow it.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. Obviously my time and everyone elses was affected by the weather but that was out of my control. Maybe a little more training.
Post race
Warm down:

As soon as I finished I felt like passing out and I think I was delirious. A volunteer helped me to a chair then squirted me down with a hose and put a cold towel on my neck. She also gave me some gatorade and water. As others have mentioned already, the volunteers were great at this event and it was very much appreciated. After about 10-15 minutes I made my way over to my wife and kids and hugged and kissed them and also saw some friends that made the trip down to see me race as well. It was great seeing everyone but I had to lay down on the grass for another 15 minutes or so while my wife poured cold water on my neck and back. I finally got up to get some food/drink and take a dip in the River to cool off.

My realistic goal coming into this race for my 1st 1/2 IM was sub 5:40 and on a normal day I am very confident that I would have accomplished that. However, early on in the run I realized that wasn't going to happen and my focus switched to finishing. I tried desperately to break 6 hrs. by the 2nd half of the run but I just didn't have anything left. I am still very happy with my overall perfomance and ability to persevere through the pain and finish where I did under such horrible race conditions.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Outrageous Heat and Humidity!

Event comments:

Overall, this was a great first 1/2 IM for me despite the weather and course conditions.




Last updated: 2007-11-20 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:45:24 | 2112 yards | 02m 09s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/125
Overall: 1107/1382
Performance: Below average
Suit: Xterra Vortex
Course:
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 76F / 24C Current: Low
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Average Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 04:19
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
02:51:05 | 56 miles | 19.64 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/125
Overall: 813/1382
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course:
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:48
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
02:20:14 | 13.1 miles | 10m 42s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/125
Overall: 616/1382
Performance: Below average
Course:
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5