YMCA Spring Sprint Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Boise, Idaho
United States
Treasure Valley Family YMCA
41F / 5C
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 09m
Overall Rank = 26/224
Age Group = M30-39
Age Group Rank = 7/38
Pre-race routine:

My first tri, so I didn't really know what to expect. I just focused on eating and sleeping well, and not stressing too much. Race format was a Friday evening pool swim, and a staggered bike start Saturday morning.
Event warmup:

None before the swim on Friday. Did some spinning with short bursts before the Saturday bike start, trying to stay warm in the chill breeze. Mostly I just chatted with friends also doing the triathlon.
Swim
  • 12m 20s
  • 750 yards
  • 01m 38s / 100 yards
Comments:

This was my first experience whatsoever in a competitive pool environment. I got there early just to observe the fast guys and gals, which included several ex-collegiate swimmers. Way cool.

As for my own swim, I was within 10 seconds of my predicted time so I was happy. Our start times were based on predicted performance. I was pretty nervous to begin, given the environment and all the people watching, but I settled down within a few laps. I did err a bit on the conservative side, as I wanted to make sure I didn't have any spells of gulping/gasping/panicking/etc. I had none of that and finished strong (for me), and I'm excited for future swims.
What would you do differently?:

Do flip turns.
Transition 1
  • 00m 20s
Comments:

The swim was the night before, so we started ready to go on the bike. T1 consisted of running through the chip timer, unracking bike and mounting at the other chip timer.
What would you do differently?:

Practice jumping onto the bike.
Bike
  • 31m 45s
  • 12.5 miles
  • 23.62 mile/hr
Comments:

My background is cycling, so I was hoping to go a bit better. Due to my lingering cold I had some troubles breathing and coughing, but I felt fine physically during the bike. Once I found my rythym and settled down, it was a nice ride. The weather was quite cold but I didn't feel it much in the heat of competition.

I went harder at the start of the ride since I was bunched with a lot of people and wanted to separate from them quickly. Good motivation to improve my swimming. Oh, and I was using a disk wheel cover for the first time. No hard data there, but it felt fast. FWIW
What would you do differently?:

Settle into a steady pace sooner, which would allow me to sustain higher average wattage. And, of course, more training!
Transition 2
  • 00m 57s
Comments:

Too slow. But I had leg and arm warmers to remove or else my run would've suffered more.
What would you do differently?:

Practice taking off the leg/arm warmers more quickly. Also, drink before T2 not during (duh).
Run
  • 24m 26s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 07m 53s  min/mile
Comments:

I felt very sluggish coming off the bike. But I'm not sure whether to attribute that more to the uphill, being sick with a cold, or just to being undertrained. I suppose all of it. It felt rediculous taking such small steps going up the hill, but oh well.

I got passed many times and, honestly, it was impressive seeing stronger runners up close in action. I gave words of encouragement and got some in return. By the halfway point I started feeling good and went much faster on the downhill. I was thankful for the soft surface which allowed me to throw caution out the window and really pick up the pace. I've been battling ankle issues lately.
What would you do differently?:

Definitely need more run miles/week, incorporating in some tempo. But I also need to keep listening to the body and continue to ramp it up smartly.

Bricks!
Post race
Warm down:

Pizza and beer and cough drops. Yummy.

Ok, that was after some stretching and hanging out talking with my wife, son and fellow competitors about the race.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Definitely this blasted cold I've had the past week, which has also kept me from any real training.

Event comments:

My first triathlon. I'm hooked.. but then I was already hooked before this race. =)




Last updated: 2008-04-07 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:12:20 | 750 yards | 01m 38s / 100yards
Age Group: 15/38
Overall: 0/224
Performance: Average
Suit:
Course: Indoor Pool
Start type: Inside Pool Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 00:20
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
00:31:45 | 12.5 miles | 23.62 mile/hr
Age Group: 2/38
Overall: 0/224
Performance: Average
Avg power: 290 Watts, Avg HR: 163
Wind: Some
Course: Somewhat hilly with a few tight corners.
Road:   Cadence: 98
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks:
T2
Time: 00:57
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:24:26 | 03.1 miles | 07m 53s  min/mile
Age Group: 20/38
Overall: 0/224
Performance: Below average
Avg HR: 165
Course: Essentially a loop gradually climbing to halfway, and decending on the way back. Mostly dirt/gravel which was nice.
Keeping cool Good Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5]