Musselman Half-Iron Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Geneva, New York
United States
Musselman Triathlon
75F / 24C
Precipitation
Total Time = 6h 08m 13s
Overall Rank = 316/549
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 2:30 could not get back to sleep, prerace jitters, up for good at 4:00, at bagel w/ peanut butter, bananna, half diet coke, water. This was my firs HIM and was really nervous, hard to get food down but knew I needed to. Woke my wife and 4 year old and loaded into car for 45 min drive to race, left a little before 5 figuing would give me plenty of time to set up and not be rushed. Wether looked good at that point a little cloudy, that fact changed drastically.


Event warmup:

Runnig around frantically trying to get ready. Well, I did leave myself plenty of time to get setup but Murphy's law prevailed. I was lay8ign out all my gear and getting ready to install the aero bottle my neighbor had let me borrow when bang, this loud pop is heard. Everyone starts looking around and eventually all eyes are on my back tire. Totally flat. So, someone informs that Geneva Bikes has a little make shift shop setup somewhere. I take my bike and starte scrambling trying to find it. I do they fix my tire I scrample back and now try to frantically set up my transition area befroe it closes. I scrap the aero bottle because in all the madness I misplaced the straw and the rubber band. Anyway, on the bright side, better to get the flat before the race than during and the guys at Geneva Bike were great.
Swim
  • 45m 1s
  • 1931 meters
  • 02m 20s / 100 meters
Comments:

Overall was pretty happy with my swim. It was really windy, thus pretty big waves, at least a lot more than I am used to. Made sighting and breathing a little bit of a challenge. I also think my time would have been much better maybe even by 4 or 5 minutes had I not had to walk for several hundred yards because it was too shallow. Tried to run for a bit but was too deep for that and I coudl tell that would really be strenuous.

The 45 minute swim was the beginning of the end of me making my goal of completing the race in under 6 hours.
What would you do differently?:

Noticed some people at the beginning swimming to the inside of the bouys and maybe shoudl have tried that, may have been deeper.
Transition 1
  • 03m 44s
Comments:

Ok, this was slow. Jopgged to transition, got upper body out of wetsuit while wading into shore (see above). Then could not get suit off heals despite body glide. Also, at that point it was sunny, did not want to get huge sunburn so took at least one minute applying sunscreen. Turns out that was probably big waste of time. At this point wife is outside transition cheering me on and says "Well, you need to get moving". So I did.
What would you do differently?:

Practice gettign out of wetsuit. Maybe apply susncreen while on bike or before race.
Bike
  • 3h 08m 46s
  • 56 miles
  • 17.80 mile/hr
Comments:

Here is where I feel I should have pushed harder. I do not train in a lot of wind, have not had much time at all riding in rain, not by choice but I have not been at this a long time and in VA just has worked out that mostly have trained with little wind and no rain. First 15 or so miles into what i thought was a strong headwind, and slightly uphill. Kept trying to pickup pace but every time I looked at heartrate woudl be up around 170. Being that this was my first HIM, I was very concerned about tiring myself out on bike and realy struggling with run. I had no idea how my body would react. So seemed like i went really slow probably 13 mph, then tured to go w/ wind and probably went 25 mph, downwind I went about as fast as i could and HR dropped. Then back into wind, then rain started. At that point into the wind with pouring rain sapped my spirit a little and then I realized this was going to be more of a mental thing. Plus after about mile 20 my back started killing me. I had to situp and stretch out every few miles and for about 15 miles it was really hurting.
What would you do differently?:

Should have pushed a bit harder, but was a little uneasy in the rain especially down big hill adn turns around mile 40 or so. Probably could have shaved ten minutes at least off.
Transition 2
  • 03m 38s
Comments:

Was happy with this took a little long but changed socks. Even though it was sunny when we started I still remembered the forcast and had stuck my shoes and a fresh pair of socks in a plastic bag. That was best decision I made all day. At least I started the run with dry socks and shoes. They did not stay that way very long.
What would you do differently?:

Nothign
Run
  • 2h 07m 4s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 42s  min/mile
Comments:

OK, so I was actually glad to be off the bike because as soon as I got off my back started to feel better. So wife and son cheering me on and I thought to myself "self, that is the toughest bike ride you have ever done, how are you possibly going to run 13 miles in the pouring rain with thunder and lighting along a lake." Well, fortunately the thunder and lighting ended after a short while and I looked at my watch and thought very littel chance I am going to break the 6 hour goal mark so lets just take it easy and see how you feel. So started good pace and felt pretty good then got side cramp, was able to get rid of it inside of first mile. Tried to run through aid station and spilled more liquid than drank. Decided from there on out woudl walk aid stations. Hill all aid stating except two taking Heed and water at each. Took one gel at mile 7 after huge hill. So after mile 4 or so looked at watch and had pretty good pace going under 10 minute miles did math in my head and though still had very outside chance of breaking 6 hours. Wanted to pick it up but again very mindful of HR, maybe too much so and I knew big hill coming at mile 7. Got up hill at mile 7 felt pretty decent but then things started to hurt, ankles, knees, hips, etc etc. Picked up pace a little but could not sustain just hurt too bad. Fought through it though and kept running but knew i woudl not break 6 hours and no need to kill myself and just use rest of race as learing experience and try to enjoy myself.
What would you do differently?:

Tough run, rain helped keep cool but running though deep puddle at points nto all that fun.
Post race
Warm down:

Grabbed some water and sports drink. Tried to stretch a littel just wanted to get to car, sit down and get dry.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of knowledge about how my body would react, not knowing how hard to push. Obviously need more time to train.

Event comments:

Overall a great race, volunteers were AWESOME. Standing in the pouring rain, cheerfull, supportive and ready to help. Great location.

After I finished I said to my wife "That was the first and last HIM I do." I waited awhile to write this as I wanted time to reflect. I now think I will do another because I know I can do better.




Last updated: 2008-07-10 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:45:01 | 1931 meters | 02m 20s / 100meters
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 250/549
Performance: Good
Suit: Full Nineteen
Course: Kind of a triangle, shallow, seaweed
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 76F / 24C Current: High
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting:
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:44
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Below average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
03:08:46 | 56 miles | 17.80 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 322/549
Performance: Average
Avg 160
Wind: Strong
Course: Not overly hilly but moreso than I train. Rough road for about 4 miles not fun.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:38
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
02:07:04 | 13.1 miles | 09m 42s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 335/549
Performance: Average
Avg 161
Course: Wet, wet, wet, some mud, some gravel, hilly.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
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:
Race evaluation [1-5] 4