Great Illini Half-Iron Distance Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Neoga, Illinois
United States
Mattoon Beach MultiSport
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 08m 18s
Overall Rank = 108/172
Age Group = 35 to 39
Age Group Rank = 20/24
Pre-race routine:

Woke up around 4:45 and ate a Cliff bar, drank a Gatoraide, a couple of glasses of apple juice from the hotel and then made the 30 minute drive to the race site. Set up my transition area, with what little space I had, hit the restroom rushed back to the transition area put on the wetsuit, for the first time ever, and headed to the water.
Event warmup:

Swam about 100 yards because that was all I had time for.
Swim
  • 44m 50s
  • 2112 yards
  • 02m 07s / 100 yards
Comments:

I was hoping for a better time. This was only my 4th swim in open water and my first swim this year and my first swim ever in a wet suit. Have I made enough excuses? My sighting was pretty bad and my goggles kept clouding up. I stopeed several times to let water in my goggles to clear them so I could see. In the first 100 yards I got swipped in the face and lost the goggles. I finally got a little comfortable about halfway though the swim and after rounding the third turn I remembered how to swim.
What would you do differently?:

Just about everything. Mostly I would get more OWS in and practice sighting.
Transition 1
  • 02m 39s
Comments:

Not a bad T1 but I had problems getting on my cycling jersey and I took some time to clean my sunglasses because they were fogged up.
What would you do differently?:

Get a tri top.
Bike
  • 3h 08m 42s
  • 56 miles
  • 17.81 mile/hr
Comments:

Wow, I need work. This 56 miles about did me in. About 10 miles in I realized I needed to pee really bad. I considered trying to go for the first time on my bike but I didn't want to get my only pair of socks wet and I honestly just didn't really want to pee on myself! Around mile 25 we came back thru town and I saw a playground with a bathroom a little in the distance. I rode over to the bathroom, got of the bike and the damn thing was locked. I started to say the hell with it a go right there but somebody saw me and shouted, wait! we've got the key! I yelled back, don't bother and jumped back on my bike because I didn't want to wait. At mile 30 they finally had a porta-poty so I stopped, layed down my bike and got in line. Waited about 3 minutes, got my turn junmped back on the bike and off I went. Another 8 miles went by and I realized someting was wrong, I looked down at my front tire and realized my front brakes were rubbing my rims. I tried adjusting them while riding but with no luck. I decided to wait until the next turnaround wich was another couple of miles out and adjust the there. Got to the turnaround, hopped of the bike and adjusted my brakes, chatted with a volunteer who was pretty helpful and was off again a few minutes later. The last 14 miles were pretty uneventful other than a few pretty serious s-turns so rough roads and a few more rollers. My ass was getting tired, sore and ready to get in an upright position.
What would you do differently?:

Check out my bike the night before. Pee during the last part of the swim or on the side of the road or on the bike. Log a lot more miles on my bike.
Transition 2
  • 02m 10s
Comments:

No major problems other than being slow. I walked in with my bike, took off my helmet and jersey, switched shoes and was off, very slowly.
What would you do differently?:

Run to rack my bike and unclip my helmet while running.
Run
  • 2h 09m 55s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 55s  min/mile
Comments:

For me it wasn't a bad run. I started off pretty slow but by mile 2 I finally started getting into a groove. I was a little full from the bike ride even though I had started to lay off the fluids for the last 30 minutes of the ride. I didn't feel like I could stomach any more gatoraide or gels so I just tried to take in water. At the halfway point in the run I realized I would have to run the 2nd half in 29 minutes to break the 6 hour mark and I realized I just didn't have it in me. From then on I just tried to follow a 9 min run and a 1 min walk for the rest of the race.
What would you do differently?:

Start taking electrolites at the start of the run and log more miles prior.
Post race
Warm down:

I grabbed a water and a piece of pizza and sat for a while. A few minuted later I took a shower with a water hose which felt really good.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not enough time in open water and not enough time in the saddle.

Event comments:

This was my first race of the year and my first half ever. I thought this was a great race for my first half. I didn't have a lot of expectations going into this race because It was a warm up for IMFL. I liked the course for a 1/2 but would not want to do it for a full. I thought the could have used more bike racks and need more than one porta-potties on the bike route. I think I'll do this one again next year. It's a good race for the money and pretty well organized.




Last updated: 2008-07-24 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:44:50 | 2112 yards | 02m 07s / 100yards
Age Group: 22/24
Overall: 0/172
Performance: Bad
Suit:
Course: A triangle course off of a small beach area
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Bad
Waves: Navigation: Bad
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:39
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
03:08:42 | 56 miles | 17.81 mile/hr
Age Group: 20/24
Overall: 0/172
Performance: Below average
Wind: Some
Course: A lot of turns and a lot of out and backs. Not flat as I had thought it would be. Some pretty good head winds at times and a few pretty good hills.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:10
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Bad
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Bad
Running
02:09:55 | 13.1 miles | 09m 55s  min/mile
Age Group: 15/24
Overall: 0/172
Performance: Average
Course: Out and back flat course done twice.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4