Silverlake Sprint Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Pearland, Texas
United States
Total Time = 55m 4s
Overall Rank = 18/395
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 4/40
Pre-race routine:

Woke up around 4:45 AM. Got up at 5:00. After dressing for the race, I made a bowl of oatmeal and drank water. Forgot to make my coffee and I think that might have been part of the reason I felt a little sluggish all morning.
Event warmup:

I hopped on the bike and rode up CR 90 to the event. After setting up transition and getting my chip, I did a very short jog up the first few hundred meters of the run course and then came back to stretch before the swim.
Swim
  • 07m 37s
  • 437 yards
  • 01m 44s / 100 yards
Comments:

I knew I was in trouble on the swim when I noticed early on that I was in second place about 100 meters into it. The guy in first (the eventual overall winner) was gone pretty fast, but I went out WAAAAY too hard trying to stay on his toes. By the time we hit the turn around buoy, I had dropped to 3rd and was rapidly losing ground to everyone else. I really should have picked a consistent pace and just swam my race. What WAS I thinking?
What would you do differently?:

I continue to be a very average swimmer. I really need to buckle down and swim more. I could probably pick up a good amount of speed just by swimming a consistent 5000-6000 meters a week. Instead, I often swim less than 4000 meters per month and don't get any better.
Transition 1
  • 00m 56s
Comments:

I'm kind of surprised that T-1 took me as long as it did. I must've been running slowly from the swim-out to my bike. I didn't wear a wetsuit, so there were no issues with that. All I had to do was put on the sunglasses, put on the helmet, grab the bike, and go . . . which I did. I think I passed six guys in transition, because when I got on the bike, there were only a couple of guys ahead of me.
What would you do differently?:

I'm not sure there's much I can do. I could move faster on the run to the bike, I guess, but not a whole heckuva lot.
Bike
  • 25m 12s
  • 10 miles
  • 23.81 mile/hr
Comments:

Okay, so counting the overall winner, I was second in the AG on the bike. Even with a good placing on the bike, though, this was a disappointment. I've done a few bike races this year and felt that I was in better bike shape (although a bit heavier) than I was at this race last year. Still, my time was more than 30 seconds slower this year and I averaged under 24 mph. Although there was a little bit of wind, it didn't seem like enough to do any real damage. I think my hard effort early in the swim took a bit out of my cardiovascular system. I was redlining a good bit on the bike and not seeing the speeds I was expecting. Still . . . no complaints on a good bike split.
What would you do differently?:

Take it easier on the swim. I could've made up 20-30 seconds off the swim time with a better, more consistent bike effort.

I also need to get better at putting on the shoes while on the bike. I deliberately kept my feet on top for about a quarter of a mile to get past the bike out area, even though there weren't many people there yet. However, the velcro strap on my Trivents got pushed together and made getting my toes in the shoes a bit hairy. A couple of guys passed me while I got through it and, although I did pass them back, it cost me some time.
Transition 2
  • 00m 44s
Comments:

This was one of my best transitions ever. Fastest in the AG (excluding the overall winner, who was 2 seconds faster). After coming into T2 a very close 3rd place, I moved into 2nd because of the fast transition. Too bad I couldn't hold it!
What would you do differently?:

Not much of anything. I took my feet out a little early, but other than that, not a problem.
Run
  • 20m 37s
  • 3 miles
  • 06m 52s  min/mile
Comments:

I'm mystified by my run split. I thought for certain that I'd average well over 7 minutes per mile. Although I was close to 7 mins., a 6:52/mile is a good deal better than I expected.

I was also surprised that I got close to half way through the run before I got passed. Although a few guys did manage to pass me in that last mile and a half, I was a little surprised it wasn't a few more.
What would you do differently?:

No doubt, I have to lose some fat. I don't know that I need to lose much weight so much as just tone what I've got. I also need to run more. I had a nice 6-week period at the end of the winter when I was running almost 30 miles a week. Lots of day-trips for work contributed to me letting those workouts slide and now I need to get back into them. With consistent running and some fat loss, I think I can shave a minute/mile off that pace and be competitive.
Post race
Warm down:

I didn't really do a warm down. I walked quite a bit around the finish line and the food tables, but didn't do any kind of jog or run. I figured since I had to ride my bike back to my friends' house, that would be warm-down enough.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My weight and my run/swim conditioning, no doubt about it. On a short swim like that, I should be closer to (if not under) 1:30 per 100 rather than 1:45. I also need to get back into consistent running 30 mpw is a good number for me and it fit my time schedule well. Time to re-commit.

Event comments:

For a "neighborhood" race, this is a good one. The bike route needs to be longer (at least 12 miles to help out us gearheads) and straighter (because with a course that flat, you want speed!) Pretty much everything else is spot on.





Last updated: 2008-05-19 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:07:37 | 437 yards | 01m 44s / 100yards
Age Group: 10/40
Overall: 72/395
Performance: Average
Suit: Just my tri shorts and singlet
Course: Point-to-point triangle route.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 74F / 23C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 00:56
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:25:12 | 10 miles | 23.81 mile/hr
Age Group: 1/40
Overall: 6/395
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Flat, flat, flat, with lots of tight turns.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 95
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills:
Race pace: Hard Drinks:
T2
Time: 00:44
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:20:37 | 03 miles | 06m 52s  min/mile
Age Group: 10/40
Overall: 49/395
Performance: Good
Course: Flat, flat, flat.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too easy
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4