Topeka Tinman Triathlon - Short Course - TriathlonShort Course


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Topeka, Kansas
United States
Topeka Tinman
Total Time = 1h 16m 10s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = 25 - 29
Age Group Rank = 16/25
Pre-race routine:

Got there around 6:20. Realized I left my drinks in the hotel fridge. Sat up my stuff in transition area - hybrid bike tires wouldn't fit in their racks well at all - end up in the last rack by the swim entrance and it still didn't fit well and the mountain bike racks were too big. Walked to the gas station (1.16 miles) and back to get some drinks. Wore my sandals with no socks in the wet grass and ended up with 4 blisters - but top of my feel thankfully.
Event warmup:

Didn't do anything besides stand around for 2 hours and watch people and the start of the long course.
Swim
  • 6h 10m
  • 300 yards
  • 2h 03m 20s / 100 yards
What would you do differently?:

I wish I would have started further in front of the heat. I thought I'd be one of the slower ones but I did a good deal of trying to go around people.
Transition 1
  • 02m 21s
Comments:

Wet suit hung up on elbow for a second, but not long. I didn't have any problems putting socks and shirt on; then helmet sunglasses and race belt. Took a second (or a few) to get a drink.
What would you do differently?:

Probably the only thing I would have changed to have better T1 time would have been a better spot in the transition area. I got stuck in the very last row and I did run with my bike but that was quite a distance.
Bike
  • 37h 02m
  • 8.24 miles
  • 0.22 mile/hr
Comments:

I am very very slow. I wouldn't allow myself to get a road bike until I figure out how to ride faster.
What would you do differently?:

I can't reach my water bottle while I ride. I got really really thirsty - I'd like to change where my bottle is so I can get a drink. And I'd prefer to be a whole whole lot faster. I need to practice my cycling a LOT!
Transition 2
  • 01m 2s
Comments:

I biked in my running shoes so T2 should have been really fast but I was again all the way at the back and I really walked my bike in because I was pretty tired. I racked my bike and ended up with a pretty large bruise on my shin, took off my helmet and sunglasses and took off.
What would you do differently?:

Besides rack positioning and not hitting my shin with my bike - not much.
Run
  • 29h 33m
  • 3.11 miles
  • 9h 30m 06s  min/mile
Comments:

I think I did okay. I could have pushed myself a bit more but I was really feeling tired. I passed a lot of people on the run. I was doing my nice easy pace and I probably could have run a bit harder. I would have on mile 3 but my sides starting hurting a bit and I was afraid to push too hard.
What would you do differently?:

I wish I had a watch where I could do splits. I had no idea what pace I was running.
Post race
Warm down:

nothing; got my stuff and walked to car to go to hotel and shower

What limited your ability to perform faster:

probably just being new to the bike. I think with practice I can get there.

Event comments:

There were a lot of little things that bothered me about the organization of the race but they weren't enough that I didn't enjoy it. The website stated that the t-shirt was a technical tee and said it wasn't your ordinary cotton t-shirt... but we got cotton t-shirts. My birthday was wrong on my label but my age was right so the age group was right. The run course not being closed was unbelievable. The water station running out of water was disappointing. I didn't like the bike racks given that my bike didn't fit in - I prefer the kind you hang the handle bars on I guess.




Last updated: 2008-04-27 12:00 AM
Swimming
06:10:00 | 300 yards | 2h 03m 20s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/25
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Suit: borrowed short wetsuit - didn't need it; wore it
Course: Out and back around buoys. Not bad - heat was pretty large and it was a rugby scramble until the turnaround point when I got pretty near the front. Caught a few guys from the previous heat that were having trouble.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Average Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 02:21
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
37:02:00 | 08.24 miles | 0.22 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/25
Overall: 0/
Performance: Below average
Wind: Some
Course: On the roads, nice roads, some hills - nothing too steep but long gradual climbs. I felt like I got passed by everyone in the race. Traffic was controlled well and everyone gave me lots of positive words when they passed me (which made me think I looked really really slow).
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering:
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Below average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 01:02
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Below average
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
29:33:00 | 03.11 miles | 9h 30m 06s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/25
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
Course: Out and back on the road that was not closed for the course. There was quite a bit of traffic and runners on both sides of the road. I was shocked that the course wasn't closed or even monitored. Besides young people at water stations there was really no one watching the course. I was REALLY thirsty after the bike and the first water station that I came to was out of water already.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? No
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 3