Lowell Mill City Tri - Triathlon


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Lowell, Massachusetts
United States
DOUBLECRACING
88F / 31C
Overcast
Total Time = 3h 35m 8s
Overall Rank = 66/70
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 7/7
Pre-race routine:

I ran this race in Christine's memory

Missed my wake alarm. Wanted to be up to help set up transition and got to the race about 30 minutes late.
Event warmup:

Helped mark out transition. Went to check in and my registration was MIA. Fortunately I had talked to the RD earlier in the week to confirm my entry, so all I had to do is resubmit the entry form. Woke up with tummy issues. Was kind of rummbly and gassy for no particular reason. Just not excited about this race.


Swim
  • 34m 17s
  • 1400 yards
  • 02m 27s / 100 yards
Comments:

Some day I will learn to set up a little further in the pack. Since this was a C race, I defalted to other racers to get a jump. Swam over a bunch of people. Drafted very well up stream. Could not find feet on the return. Somehow, I felt stronger and faster going upstream drafting than on my own on the way back.
What would you do differently?:

Get some sleep before the race. The water temp was said to be 73 by the ref., but a friend had taken a reading of 79 the night before. I think next time I will pass on the wetsuit when it is that warm.
Transition 1
  • 00m
Comments:

Decent T1
What would you do differently?:

not much
Bike
  • 1h 30m 15s
  • 26 miles
  • 17.29 mile/hr
Comments:

Plan of attack, go our with a moderate effort. Will pick up the effort on the second lap. Wanted to average around 15-16 MPH on the first lap. That was my average on the flats, by the time the hills were over, I was up to over 17 MPH on the first lap!!

Second lap, I just stated to run out of energy. Reasons will be at the end of the report.
What would you do differently?:

Not much, this was a C race. No tapper, and just not feeling it. Planned the ride right, but was toast from no tapper.
Transition 2
  • 00m
Comments:

No hurry, but standard solid transition.
What would you do differently?:

Nada
Run
  • 1h 30m 37s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 14m 37s  min/mile
Comments:

THIS SUCKED BIG TIME! Just was not in it. I kept a mantra going of "I am doing this because there are those who can not". Started to run, but legs were beyond junk. I understand why and I am good with that. Just hurts to have nothing durring a race.

Lots more walking than running. I kept having songs of "morning" pop into my head. Particualarly "Empty Garden" by Elton John. I wish I did not have to admit this, but I will. I actualy started crying on the run.

Christine's passing was such a tragedy, that I could not let it out of my mind. I never met her, but just the shock value of someone so full of life, passing so fast was hard to get my hands around. Working in a cemetery, I see things like this daily, and can normaly put it out of my mind quickly. Having talked to C in chat the day before she passed, kind of sent me for loop. She will be missed.

In the last few miles, a US marine joined me in my walk twards the line. He was doing his first tri ever on no training. He was taken aback at how hard a tri can be. He figured "I am a Marine, therefore I can" attitude. We chatted for about 20 minutes, equaly venting on a varitey of issues. It was quite cathartic, and prety much what I needed. When the line was in site, we started to run, I gave him honors when it came to the finishing shoot. Turns out he beat me by something like 20 minutes.
What would you do differently?:

not blow up training the days before the race.
Post race
Warm down:

All I wanted to do was pack and go home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Where should I start. When I got home from NY with my son on the Tuesday before, I went out and did a very hard run out of frustration from hearing about Christine's passing. This would become a theme for the week.

Ran a "Virtual 5k" on the Charles with some BTers. Was a brisk pace for me.

Sat. I rode to work and back. A total of about 1.5 hours. Rode some sections pretty aggresively. I am sure there were other things I did to beat the hack our of my legs, but you get the point.

Add to that, I went out to dinner with DK on Friday night, then stopped at a friends hose on the way home. Got home about 1 AM. Woke at 6:30 because that is late for me.

Went out with the wife on Sat. for dinner. Did not get home until about 10:30.

Oh yeah add to that the stress of comming home on Sat. eve, only to find a branch from a tree on my roof! The branch was about 18 inches accross. Went to the race without knowing for sure if there was any dammage to the house. Turns out there was not, and the branch was removed after the race.

To sum it up, I was just very tired going in, tummy issues, and no mojo. Good thing it was a C race. I am hopping this will help me to have a good Cranberry. The last time I struggled like this in Lowell I PRed Cranberry.

Event comments:

Small, but growning race, I plan to keep doing this as a staple race.




Last updated: 2008-03-12 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:34:17 | 1400 yards | 02m 27s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/7
Overall: 30/70
Performance: Average
Suit: F2R full
Course: out and back up current first
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 73F / 23C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 00:00
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
01:30:15 | 26 miles | 17.29 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/7
Overall: 57/70
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: two loop course. Very flat out of transition with slight headwind. After fist turn, lots of rolling hills and a some false flats.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:00
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Average
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
01:30:37 | 06.2 miles | 14m 37s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/7
Overall: 70/70
Performance: Bad
Course: out and back on a very flat road
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
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] 4