Buffalo - Olympic - TriathlonOlympic


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Buffalos, Minnesota
United States
78F / 26C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 41m 38s
Overall Rank = 215/357
Age Group = 30-39
Age Group Rank = 70/100
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 4:15, had a bagel with peanut butter and a banana. Finished packing up and drove to Buffalo.
Event warmup:

10 minute bike, 10 minute run, 2-3 minute swim and about 5 trips to the bathroom as the nerves were working overtime since this was my first Oly and the doubt gremlins were creeping in.
Swim
  • 26m 28s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 37s / 100 yards
Comments:

This was by far my best swim. Everything felt great and the swim went by really, really fast. I had no problems with sighting, got kicked a few times but nothing major. It's the first time I've come out of the water with a big smile on my face!
What would you do differently?:

nothing.
Transition 1
  • 03m 9s
Comments:

Slow but no major issues.
What would you do differently?:

need to learn how to leave shoes clipped into bike and then get into shoes while biking.
Bike
  • 1h 13m 42s
  • 24.8 miles
  • 20.19 mile/hr
Comments:

My HR on the bike continues to be a problem during races. Going by RPE I felt I should be in zone 2/3 yet spent most of the race in 4/5. Not sure if it's training, race anxiety or what but I could do this same course as a training ride with similiar times and be almost entirely in zone 2.

That said, this is by far the best bike I've had. In my 4 previous tri (all sprints) I had averaged less then 19mph so to break the 20mph avg on a olympic course was satisfying.

I really like the course - lots of small hills, some cornering, smooth shoulders, etc. Plus the weather was perfect! Warm, clear skies, and no wind.

I saw some poor guy go down hard on the bike about 5 miles in - I think he was going for a water bottle and lost control going about 20mph. Ouch. I stopped to see if he needed help but he said he was fine.

Around 20 mile mark I almost took out a mini-van. Thankfully I noticed the lady wasn't paying attention and had time to get out of aero and jump on the breaks.
What would you do differently?:

I need to figure out my HR situation. It's way to high given my RPE but I'm still very, very happy with how this bike went.
Transition 2
  • 02m 2s
Comments:

no problems here.
What would you do differently?:

nothing.
Run
  • 56m 19s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 09m 05s  min/mile
Comments:

The first 2-3 miles felt good but the long hill killed me. Plus the aid stations ran out of water and all they had left was Gatorade which I don't like. Run continues to be my nemisis. it's improving but still have a lot of work to do.

What would you do differently?:

just continue to work on the run.
Post race
Warm down:

grab a couple waters and a banana, chatted with friends and waited for my wife to finish.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

controlling HR on bike and improving my run. Overall I'm very happy with my results - not fast by any means but it was my first Olympic and only my 4th race since getting the tri bug last summer. My goal was 3 hours and I beat that by 18 minutes so I can't complain!

Event comments:

I rated the race a 5 even though they ran out of water on the run. The race had a great atmosphere, lots of volunteers, etc. I absolutely loved the bike course and will do this one again next year.




Last updated: 2008-02-20 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:26:28 | 1640 yards | 01m 37s / 100yards
Age Group: 48/100
Overall: 100/357
Performance: Good
Suit:
Course: rectangle with buoys to the left.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 60F / 16C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:09
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
01:13:42 | 24.8 miles | 20.19 mile/hr
Age Group: 69/100
Overall: 100/357
Performance: Good
average HR 162, max 179. Entire bike spent in zone 3, 4 and 5. 3= 6:15, 4: 36:55, 5: 24:55.
Wind: None
Course:
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 88
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:02
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Below average
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:56:19 | 06.2 miles | 09m 05s  min/mile
Age Group: 86/100
Overall: 100/357
Performance: Average
Avg HR 169, Max 175
Course: basically an out and back.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
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