Black Bear Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Lehighton, Pennsylvania
United States
CGI
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 7h 53m 14s
Overall Rank = 366/397
Age Group = 35-40
Age Group Rank = 58/63
Pre-race routine:

Packed up all my gear Saturday night. Woke up early Sunday w/out waking the kids or the wife, showered, changed into tri gear, grabbed a cup of coffee, and left the hotel an hour or so befor race start. Racked my bike and set up my gear at transition, put on my wetsuit, and was able to see clearly for the first time heading to the swim start due to my new prescription goggles.
Event warmup:

No warm up. Just a potty break and arm rotations. Didn't want to tire myself out. Only swam once or twice in the last month, and wanted to save every last drop of energy for this race.
Swim
  • 45m 5s
  • 2078 yards
  • 02m 10s / 100 yards
Comments:

I felt better than I had anticipated. I knew I was going to be relatively slow. That's a given in light of my ridiculously limited swim training. I just relaxed and took the swim one stroke at a time, and finished w/out feeling gassed.
What would you do differently?:

Other than swim more, nothing. I was happy w/ my time.
Transition 1
  • 10m 26s
Comments:

Long walk/jog from beach to transition.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Bike
  • 4h 25m 45s
  • 56 miles
  • 12.64 mile/hr
Comments:

The hills were so challenging for me that I was barely able to finish the first loop. God only knows how I got through the second loop. I felt like I was in my granniest gear 80% of the time. Some of the hills were so steep, all I could do was "mash" my way up one pedal at a time. This course kicked my @$$. On the good side, my hydration and nutrition was great. My right leg started cramping at mile 39, but popped a few salt pills and it seemed to care of it.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing - other than train more hills. It was a good gut check for me. I need to get used to suffering for long periods of time.
Transition 2
  • 06m 29s
Comments:

I was never so happy to get off my bike. And I was actually looking forward to the run. My family was cheering me on - notwithstanding the fact that I was only a few places away from being DFL on the bike. Seeing my kids ringing their cowbells really did give me an energy lift.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Run
  • 2h 25m 31s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 11m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

Really enjoyed the run. Averaged an 11 minute mile w/ a 155 HR for the entire 13.1 course. Considering I train at a 10 minute mile pace, and have only logged 10 hours of runing this year, I couldn't be happier w/ my performance. I drank a little water at every mile, and had a gel pack every two miles. This seemed to do the trick hydration/nutrition wise.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. Hopefully, I can simulate this run in 6 weeks at Lake Placid.
Post race
Warm down:

When I came through the finish shoot just shy of 8 hours, I was surprised how good I felt. I was tired, but not exhausted, and was able to walk around w/ out cramping/limping etc. I think my family was more exhausted than me after sitting through the whole race.

Looking back at my training this year, I've only swum 6 hours, run 10 hours, and biked 60 hours. With this work ethic, I'm right on track for finishing just under 17 hours at IMLP!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The damn hills. And, oh yeah, my limited training.

Event comments:

Beautiful location and well run. However, the difficult bike will keep me from ever doing this race again - even the Sprint distance.




Last updated: 2008-02-01 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:45:05 | 2078 yards | 02m 10s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/63
Overall: 372/397
Performance: Good
HR average: 167
Suit: Sleeveless
Course: Counterclockwise rectangular loop. Beautiful lake in beautiful park.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Bad
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 10:26
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
04:25:45 | 56 miles | 12.64 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/63
Overall: 382/397
Performance: Bad
Avg HR: 160 Peak HR: 183
Wind: Some
Course: Ridiculously hilly two loop course. Sadistic course designer.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Bad
Race pace: Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 06:29
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
02:25:31 | 13.1 miles | 11m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/63
Overall: 287/397
Performance: Good
Avg HR 155
Course: Nice off road run course. Relatively flat w/ a few hills.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4