Ironman 70.3 Florida - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Orlando, Florida
United States
Ironman North America Athlete Services
90F / 32C
Sunny
Total Time = 7h 20m 58s
Overall Rank = 1687/1995
Age Group = W 35-39
Age Group Rank = 95/119
Pre-race routine:

Had my alarm set for 5:00, but woke up on my own about 4:20 so I ate some yogurt with gel, drank some water, and went back to bed for a little while. Woke up, mixed my drinks, got dressed, got out the door. I had everything organized the night before so I was able to move pretty quickly - my husband didn't even wake up.

The day before, I had hydrated very well and ate some pasta and chicken. I did have an upset tummy the night before, which was a little worrisome but I chalked it up to nerves for lack of any other explanation. Went to bed about 9:30, but then my phone rang at 10:00, which was a little disturbing, then had some trouble getting to sleep again because of the little kids in the room next door.
Event warmup:

Walked about a mile to the race site. Met a nice guy doing from NJ who was doing his first HIM, and his sister was there (up at 5:00 am!) to cheer him on. Got body marked, transition very organized, all set to go.
Swim
  • 46m 8s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 11s / 100 yards
Comments:

The first part of the swim was great, but once I turned at the first buoy I kept getting run over by the wave behind me. This kept me from getting into a good groove, which I can usually do on the swim. It was very frustrating. Navigation okay - didn't get too far off except on the return leg when I drifted too far left (as did lots of others - I kept getting caught in a crowd). I was never able to draft very well, despite the crowds. Gas fumes from boats were a lot worse than I remembered from the last time I did it. Shoulder did okay, a little twingy. A little disappointed in my time - I had hoped to do no more than 45.
What would you do differently?:

Practice crowd swimming and drafting.
Transition 1
  • 06m 46s
Comments:

So I thought I would make up my swim time on the transition. This plan almost worked until I noticed a friend from high school who was racked on the same bike rack - we had no idea that the other did triathlons! Brief reunion cost a little time, but I was able to chat while getting everything on. Trouble clicking in at mount. Improved about 1:00 from last year despite catching up with old friends :)
What would you do differently?:

Set up was good, so other than the high school reunion, nothing.
Bike
  • 3h 29m 56s
  • 56 miles
  • 16.01 mile/hr
Comments:

Sigh. The longest leg is still my worst. I had planned to start in z2 for the first 20 miles, then for the next 20 do high z2, then z3 for the finish. I ended up in z3 and 4 for the first part because of the winds - they were pretty tough. RPE was more of a z2, though. The rain was nice, except I lost my sunglasses when I was trying to put them in my pocket. I need some new sunglasses anyway, but I would like to have waited until after the run to have to buy some. Rain also caused my shoes to get sloshy and left me with wet socks for the run.

I did really well on the hills. The only time I felt like I may have been pushing too much was during the first part in the wind.
What would you do differently?:

Train more with some more long rides and pushing it harder. I really need to increase my speed.
Transition 2
  • 03m 36s
Comments:

Very good - much improved over last time.
What would you do differently?:

Like someone else said, turn running shoes upside down. Also bring an extra pair of socks in a plastic bag.
Run
  • 2h 54m 33s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 13m 19s  min/mile
Comments:

Ugh. Could not get HR down in first lap without stopping and drinking. It didn't even come down when I used the portolet. Running was fine when I was on pavement, but I had a lot of trouble on the grassy trails. I did a good job of hydration and nutrition - I stuck with my plan, and I never felt like I was overheating or mentally wearing out. My leg muscles, however, didn't want to cooperate. They did not want to run at all on the grass by the third loop. My mind was ready to run, the rest of my body was ready to run, but my legs just didn't want to move. Very tough run.
What would you do differently?:

Push more in training so my legs don't wear out during race.
Post race
Warm down:

Walk around, get water, wonder why I couldn't get anything but a "large" t-shirt when I had ordered a small on my race application. Rode bike back to parking lot, stretched, took a shower.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Muscle fatigue.

Event comments:

It's a well organized race, and the volunteers are fantastic. The bike course was much better when I did it two years ago, but the run is absolutely dreadful.


I am disappointed with my performance. This is the first race I've ever done where I haven't improved the second time I did it. I'm thinking that my muscles weren't prepared for the hard push, and that maybe I need to push a little more in training - do some muscular endurance workouts.

Also, major kudos to my husband for going with me (he is not a triathlete) and giving me great motivation on the run!





Last updated: 2007-11-25 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:46:08 | 2112 yards | 02m 11s / 100yards
Age Group: 67/119
Overall: 1389/1995
Performance: Average
Suit: tri top, tri shorts
Course: Bay Lake. rectangle/parallelogram - out and back is longer than cross section.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 81F / 27C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 06:46
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed: Bad
Biking
03:29:56 | 56 miles | 16.01 mile/hr
Age Group: 100/119
Overall: 1846/1995
Performance: Below average
Wind: Some
Course: Lots of open roads, rolling hills.
Road: Smooth  Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:36
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:54:33 | 13.1 miles | 13m 19s  min/mile
Age Group: 90/119
Overall: 1580/1995
Performance: Bad
Course: Miserable. Some pavement in shade, but mostly grassy trails in hot steamy sun.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? No
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4