Heart of the Lakes Triathlon - TriathlonLong Course


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Annandale, Minnesota
United States
65F / 18C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 20m 25s
Overall Rank = 381/467
Age Group = F 40-44
Age Group Rank = 17/28
Pre-race routine:

We drove up on Saturday afternoon and camped at Olson's in Maple Lake. Not as nice a campground as for Pigman, but it was OK. Dinner was Chipotle (of course) and then we tried to get to sleep around 10pm. As per our previous experience, there was a domestic dispute complete with lots of F-bombs and allegations of too much alcohol. Then came the fireworks. Nice. Finally I put in some earplugs and was able to sleep.

Of course, the alarm didn't go off in the morning. Luckily, Mario was up and moving around and woke me up. We still had plenty of time to eat and get to the race. Peanut butter bagel and banana for breakfast along with 1.5 Frappachinos. We forgot to bring coffee. Epic fail.
Event warmup:

Found a sweet parking place about a block from transition. Nice! Got set up and even had time for a proper bike warm-up. Amazing! It was a good thing though since my computer was being sticky. I also had time to wander around and chat with the usual suspects; you know who you are. Short swim warm-up and a mocha Clif shot and I was ready for the start.
Swim
  • 17m 44s
  • 805 meters
  • 02m 12s / 100 meters
Comments:

I started in a good place and never really had much traffic to worry about. Managed some good drafting here and there too. My stupid chip felt like it was slipping and I kind of stopped twice to check it. That didn't help my pace, I'm sure. Anyway, I finished the swim feeling pretty good, logical considering that I didn't go hard enough and swam kind of slow.
What would you do differently?:

My swim has been lacking since Rochester three weeks ago. I simply haven't been putting in the quality workouts that I need to. Today it showed. Pretty disappointing swim for me. I've got a lot of work to do to prep for Waseca in 2 weeks.
Transition 1
  • 03m 38s
Comments:

Transitions suck. As usual. Had to wipe off dirty feet.
What would you do differently?:

Not sure. I did run the whole way, which is new. I think I loitered too much sitting down and putting on my shoes.
Bike
  • 1h 01m 31s
  • 21 miles
  • 20.48 mile/hr
Comments:

LOVE this course! My goal was to average over 19mph with a secret goal to break 20. I've never gone that fast before. My next best time was 18.8 on a 14 mile TT in May.

I was really glad to get on the bike and start passing people. Lots of passing, esp when we were with the sprint riders. I left transition right behind Bryan, but he was out of my sight by the second mile. Around mile 3, Joe and Mario blew by like I was standing on the corner waiting for a bus.

My strategy was simple. Go as hard as possible, then see if I had any more in the tank. If my speed got below 19 or my HR got below 160, I pushed harder. Luckily for my body, it's a course where that strategy will work without killing myself.

There were a few cars that got in the middle of it all and caused a little trouble, esp the jerk in the red car. Butthead. Much too soon, the bike course wound back to transition and the fun was over.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I'm completely happy with this bike ride.
Transition 2
  • 02m 45s
Comments:

Another kind of average transition. Nothing to see here; move on.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe hustle a bit more. Probably not.
Run
  • 54m 50s
  • 5.3 miles
  • 10m 21s  min/mile
Comments:

I started the run feeling good, which is not normal for me. Then about 2 minutes in, I got a nasty side stitch. Ouch. Sipped a bit of water and tried to stretch it out, but nothing helped. I staggered to the next water stop at the sprint turnaround. There I decided to try a little Heed. Just three sips of the vile stuff. I figured there was nothing to lose since I already felt like garbage.

Somehow either the Heed or good luck helped and my belly felt a bit better. About half way through, I started running with another girl and we stayed together until the finish. As usual, I found a fellow sufferer and she helped me get through the run. My pace picked up significantly on the second half and helped to salvage a horrid run. I finished strong and felt pretty good.
What would you do differently?:

I'm just not sure what is up with the side stitch. Is it too much water on the bike? Is it not enough sodium? Is it a problem with my breakfast? I just have no idea. For Waseca, I'm going to have G'ade on board and a few Enduralytes as well. I think my sodium is low and then too much water on top makes for a cramp.
Post race
Warm down:

Got a cup of water and some watermelon and stretched a bit. Then started looking around for the BT group. Nice gathering and yummy grill food. Great to see you all again!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of pool time and a rotten side stitch. Stuff to think about in the next two weeks before the next race.

Event comments:

Another great HOLT! Ready to sign up for next year. We will have to find a better campground though. Olson's was a bit of a let-down.




Last updated: 2008-12-22 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:17:44 | 805 meters | 02m 12s / 100meters
Age Group: 12/28
Overall: 300/467
Performance: Below average
Suit: Promotion full
Course: Narrow rectangle. Nothing tricky or odd.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 03:38
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:01:31 | 21 miles | 20.48 mile/hr
Age Group: 9/28
Overall: 285/467
Performance: Good
Avg HR- 161 Max HR- 172
Wind: None
Course: Big flat loop around in the country. Flat course with no wind = FAST. Nutrition- water and Hammer gel (flask) Maybe too much water; more later on that.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 02:45
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:54:50 | 05.3 miles | 10m 21s  min/mile
Age Group: 23/28
Overall: 440/467
Performance: Below average
Avg HR- 159 Max HR- 172
Course: Around the lake. Oh boy, what fun.
Keeping cool Good Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
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