Ford Ironman 70.3 Hawaii - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Kohala Coast, Hawaii
United States
Ironman
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 54m 31s
Overall Rank = 372/1100
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 84/158
Pre-race routine:

First 1/2 Ironman!
Arrived at the Mauna Lani on the Sunday before the race. Spent the week getting used to the heat and humidity. I ran twice during the week, less then 5 miles each time. I also worked out in the gym once. Just light stuff. We stayed in a condo so we could control our food pretty well. I also swam the swim portion 4 times during the week since it was my biggest concern.
Event warmup:

Got up at 4:00 am. Took a short 10 minute jog to warmup. Showered, ate eggs, oatmeal, and toast with honey on it. Drank a water and juice. Took the shuttle to Hapuna beack around 6:00. Doublec checked my bike and put my bottles on it. Could not get a pump to put air in my tires. I was really worried they were low. BTW since we had so much wind I decided to run my Reynolds wheels instead of my Zipps. Got marked, went to the bathroom. Took a quick dip in the water. I was ready as I will ever be.
Swim
  • 46m 14s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 11s / 100 yards
Comments:

I do not trust my swimming so I started at the back of the pack. I ran into a lot of people pretty quick, just tried to stay calm. Since this was not a wave start the first buoy was a joke. Scary. Dead stop for maybe 2 minutes. My breathing always bothers me about 500 m into the swim. I feel much better after my heart rate get's up. But I was close to calling it a day. I could not get control. After the third buoy, I relaxed and was able to bi-lateral breath plus one breath on the right. The rest was cake.
What would you do differently?:

I might try to move up a bit in the start line. I think I could cut 5 minutes off.
Transition 1
  • 04m 3s
Comments:

Good T1. Seemed fast to me. Big hill at the start so I put shoes on first.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Bike
  • 2h 41m 36s
  • 56 miles
  • 20.79 mile/hr
Comments:

Never left big ring. I was going much faster then I planned. But I figured what the hell, hammer the bike. The hill up to Honu was my only tough part. I was so happy to be out of the water! I was going so fast and the wind so bad, I did not eat anything. Just did not feel like it. Paid for it later. Only drank 2 of my 4 bottles.
What would you do differently?:

Force myself to eat the food I brought. Drink more. I felt bloated twards the end, but not a lot.
Transition 2
  • 03m 31s
Comments:

No issues here. Do not remember much.
What would you do differently?:

Eat something, take a little more time.
Run
  • 2h 19m 10s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 10m 37s  min/mile
Comments:

Well, I never cramp. I was beginning to think I could not cramp. I never really knew what it felt like. Boy did I learn in the first 5 miles. Each leg took a turn. Each muscle group took a turn. I had to walk a bit, and throught the aid stations. 1 bathroom break because I was very bloated. I'm a better runner, but not this day.
What would you do differently?:

Eat and drink more before hand. Maybe salt tablet.
Post race
Warm down:

Could not talk. Walked straight to the Jamba Juice tent. Hugged my family. My daughter, wife and Aunt were there to support me. I could not have done it without them. I lost 9 pounds. 150 - 141.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Cramping.

Event comments:

Great race. Going to do another one.




Last updated: 2008-06-09 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:46:14 | 2112 yards | 02m 11s / 100yards
Age Group: 129/158
Overall: 785/1100
Performance: Average
Suit: None
Course: Course was a big 1 loop rectangle.
Start type: Deep Water Plus:
Water temp: 77F / 25C Current: High
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Bad
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:03
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed:
Biking
02:41:36 | 56 miles | 20.79 mile/hr
Age Group: 40/158
Overall: 137/1100
Performance: Good
I chose to not wear my monitor. PE only. Seemed low though.
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: The ride was very windy, but I live in the wind and hills. There is about 2800 feet of ascent on this ride, so It's not a flat as people think. But it is gradual.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 03:31
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
02:19:10 | 13.1 miles | 10m 37s  min/mile
Age Group: 113/158
Overall: 6006/1100
Performance: Below average
Course: Hilly, Hot, Humid.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %5
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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