St. Anthony's Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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St. Petersburg, Florida
United States
St. Anthony's Triathlon
80sF / 0C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 14m 4s
Overall Rank = 2721/
Age Group = M 30-34
Age Group Rank = 210/235
Pre-race routine:

Got up WAY too early and Jeff and I made our way to transition to get marked and checked in. Had 1/2 a PB&J and about 10o of coffee about 2 hours before start. Parked several blocks from the event and walked in. Transition was TIGHT! Found a spot for everything and took the walk over to the swim start in our $2 flip-flops.
Event warmup:

Jeff and I ran about 1/2 a mile just to get he blood pumping. Got to walk to the swim behind Sam McGlone. That'll inspire you.
Swim
  • 32m 41s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 59s / 100 yards
Comments:

Was VERY nervous waiting on the beach. About 60 seconds before my wave men off I heard the wife and my 6 year old yell over to me. I went over gave her a kiss and him a high 5 which made me relax a bit.

The first 1/4-1/3 mile was a wrestling match. I could not get clear of a pack. I had to stop about every 4th stroke because of elbow to the back or a foot to the face. It was ROUGH and not because of the chop. Rounded the first buoy and things spread out a bit. Got into a rhythm and made some good time.

Things got crowded again on the return leg. Walking up those metal stairs is an adventure. Overall it was a GREAT swim. My OW time was about the same as my non-wetsuit pool time. It'll get better with time but I was happy.
What would you do differently?:

Need to work on my sighting. I think I swam 1.25 miles on a .9 mile course. I would end up 10-15 yards off course. I think partly due to the current but I know some of it was my fault.

I also need to be more aggressive. I tend p let the guy in front move outof the way to give me room to swim. Towards the end I was muscling past when they slowed down. Need to do that from the start.
Transition 1
  • 04m 22s
Comments:

Got the wetsuit off with no issues. However I noticed on mile 2 of the RUN that my noseplugs were sill around my neck. Real smooth.. ;)

Also had a problem getting my left shoe clipped in. Had to stop and get clipped in. Have NEVER had problems before. Of course it had to happen in the race.

Need to work on speed in T1 for sure.
What would you do differently?:

Take off the noseplugs. Try to ride w/o socks.
Bike
  • 1h 22m 14s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 18.13 mile/hr
Comments:

About 1/2 way out I had to stop because my rear tire looked a bit flat. Hit it with the CO2 inflator and was off again. Probably lost 3-4 mins because of that.

There were LARGE packs of cyclists on the course. While I'm not one to call drafting on anyone I'm not sure how you could NOT be drafting in those packs. The course was just so packed.

Also the course is not through the best part of town. Lets just say I would not be riding thru some of them without the presence of a cop every 500 yards like in the race.

My pace was real good for the first 1/2 of the course but then my left IT band (down by the knee) began to twinge a bit. By the end of the course it was throbbing every other pedal.
What would you do differently?:

Need to get some aerobars. Also need to stretch out the IT band more before the race.
Transition 2
  • 03m 9s
Comments:

Pretty fast T2 (the transition area is BIG). Most of the time was spent running in and out. Forgot my race belt with number however. Got to see Cherry & Max on the way out and gave them both a high five.
What would you do differently?:

Should have put on the race belt in T1.
Run
  • 1h 11m 41s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 11m 32s  min/mile
Comments:

The IT band began to really bother me around mile 2. Felt like an ice pick in the left knee. The worst part was that it was my RIGHT knee I wa worried about. I could run for about 1/2 a mile and would have to walk or stop and stretch it out for a few mins. I was REALLY frustrated with it. I could have had great run if i were not for this.

I did however drink a bit too much water. It was sloshing around y the end of the run. I heard a lot of people complain about the heat but I did not think it was too hot. Maybe I'm just used to the FL heat.

Managed to push it in from mile 5 to the finish with the encouragement of the crowd. Sprinted in the last 100 yards.
What would you do differently?:

Work on the IT band more before the race.
Post race
Warm down:

Met all of the people who came out to support me and Jeff. Great people! Went to the massage tent where they worked on my IT band. Got some Gatorade and an ice-cold towel. Got some grapes, pizza and strawberries at the food tent. Then waited for 45 min in line to get my bike from transition. That was my only complaint about the race.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Training. Need to work on all three but considering my goal was 3:30 and I beat it by 15 mins I'm happy with my first Olympic.

Event comments:

Super race. Well organized and lots of great volunteers. Need to find a better way for races to get their bikes after the race.




Last updated: 2008-01-28 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:32:41 | 1640 yards | 01m 59s / 100yards
Age Group: 144/235
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Suit: Xterra Sleevless
Course:
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 74F / 23C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Average Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Below average
T1
Time: 04:22
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
01:22:14 | 24.85 miles | 18.13 mile/hr
Age Group: 206/235
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course:
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:09
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
01:11:41 | 06.21 miles | 11m 32s  min/mile
Age Group: 219/235
Overall: 0/
Performance: Below average
Course:
Keeping cool Good Drinking Too much
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