The Austin Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Austin, Texas
United States
Jack and Adam's Bicycles
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 04m 10s
Overall Rank = 676/1055
Age Group = M30-34
Age Group Rank = 92/129
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 430a. Had a big bowl of cereal, an apple, and sipped on gatorade on the way to the race. We check our bikes in the day before, so just showed up and set up transition. Race began at 7am.
Event warmup:

Nothing but some stretching. We are not allowed to get in the water before the race.
Swim
  • 35m 43s
  • 1640 yards
  • 02m 11s / 100 yards
Comments:

Very good swim for me. I kept the pace nice and easy b/c this was my first 1500m OW swim. Mostly stayed to the outside but found a few people to draft on from time to time. Only negative was this one swimmer who I caught around the 700m mark. I first discovered him when he SOMEHOW hit me on the left side of my face with his hand, but he was swimming on my RIGHT side. Luckily it just jarred me and I had to slow just a bit to get my breathing back under control as I swallowed some water. I still don't have a clue how he did that. Anyway, from this point until around the 1100m mark, I could not shake this guy. We have all talked about diagonal swimmers...this dude was the epitome of that! I am not talking about just drifting off line, I am talking full blown coming at me sideways! He would ram into me from the left...I would back off and let him pass...he would then swim way out and then come back and hit me from the right. I tried to slow down, speed up, move away, but he kept finding me. Finally I had enough...his back and butt came right across my chest (yes, he partially swam under me) so I shoved him down and away from me and then I sped up for a while and never saw him again. I know it was probably wrong, but c'mon no one swims that crooked!
What would you do differently?:

Try to lose crooked swimmer earlier. Could've pushed a little harder but happy with my time.
Transition 1
  • 03m 56s
Comments:

This is still by far the longest transition I have ever seen. I actually mapped out the run distance and it is .28mi long! Ate half a clif bar.
What would you do differently?:

Eat more...I'll get to this later.
Bike
  • 1h 15m 35s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 19.73 mile/hr
Comments:

I love this course. It's got two long gradual hills and one steep short one. The rest is downhill and fast. I was slightly slower than last year but not by much and I only did 16mi last year. Pretty good time considering I didn't put much effort in the bike recently.
What would you do differently?:

I could not have pushed too much harder, except the last mile or so but I was trying to save some for the run. I would eat more on the bike and drink more.
Transition 2
  • 02m 14s
Comments:

Not as long a run in on this one. Went smoothly. Took a few extra seconds to stretch.
What would you do differently?:

Bring some gels and eat them here.
Run
  • 1h 06m 38s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 10m 44s  min/mile
Comments:

The first 3 miles of the run were going well. I was running around a 9min pace and was only 3 short miles from the finish...then came THE BONK. I have heard about it but have never experienced it. Just as I finished mile 3 I could feel my stomach growling. I had eaten breakfast, then 3 clif shots before the race, half a clif bar in T1, and then one clif gel on the bike. Apparently it was not enough. I grabbed a pure sport (like gatorade) at the first water stop after mile 3, but it was too little too late. Around 3.5mi, my legs suddenly felt like led and just would not move anymore. I was light headed. I began walking and would then force myself to run a little bit. I had to push on my legs to get them moving again. I spent the last 2+ miles alternating between slow running and walking. Every water stop I was downing cups of pure sport and pouring the water on my head. After several stops I was feeling a little better but now had the sloshy stomach. It was terrible.

I had done well all race and then got hit like this on the last lap. It is very frustrating being so close. I was on pace for around a 2:53 when it hit me. I know I should be proud since this is my first one, but I can't help but be a little disappointed. I did enjoy the race (except the last 3 miles!) and feel blessed that I am able to compete in one of these. I just have to chalk it up to a lesson learned.
What would you do differently?:

Eat and drink more before the run.
Post race
Warm down:

Crossed the finish line still light headed and a growling stomach. All I could think about was getting some food in me and sitting down, which I did. Even after eating a lot after the race, I went home and weighed myself and had lost 4.5lbs.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not having enough fuel/energy for the run. Also my rib injury. I luckily didnt feel it today but it hindered my training recently.

Event comments:

Great race great venue.




Last updated: 2008-12-31 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:35:43 | 1640 yards | 02m 11s / 100yards
Age Group: 74/129
Overall: 615/1055
Performance: Good
Suit: same old same old
Course: long straight rectangle
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 82F / 28C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:56
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:15:35 | 24.85 miles | 19.73 mile/hr
Age Group: 71/129
Overall: 519/1055
Performance: Good
Wind: None
Course: T-shaped course that is repeated 3 times.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:14
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
01:06:38 | 06.21 miles | 10m 44s  min/mile
Age Group: 106/129
Overall: 818/1055
Performance: Bad
Course: Winding course on trail and street.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Too much
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5