Sullivan Civic Center Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Sullivan, Illinois
United States
Sullivan Civic Center
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 24m 36s
Overall Rank = 7/86
Age Group = F25-29
Age Group Rank = 2/19
Pre-race routine:

Went to sleep about 9.30p. Woke up about 7.45a, cleaned bike for 45min. Ate toast/PB/J about 8.45a, packed up, drove to Sullivan. Arrived about 10.30a, dropped stuff in transition, checked in and got marked (complete with smiley face!). Organized transition area - since this was my first triathlon I wasn't really sure how to arrange things. Basically tried to keep everything compact and visible. I left out an extra towel, bike gloves, and run visor as options but didn't use them. Made sure my bike computer was set to zero.
Event warmup:

Went for a 1mi jog on part of the run course about 11a. Stretched. Ate a date/cranberry/almond bar. Drank more water. Went to pool, jumped in, swam a few laps and practiced turns.
Swim
  • 08m 53s
  • 440 yards
  • 02m 01s / 100 yards
Comments:

Did a good job of keeping breathing under control and not getting too excited. Was passed by a couple swimmers but didn't let it bother me. Totally botched up my turns - I had planned on sticking to open turns but still found myself too close (horizontally) to the lane rope so I was wiggling under it instead of pushing off the wall and gliding under. Was contentiously trying to correct this at each turn but wasn't working. However, I was very pleased about keeping my breathing under control - I think the Saturday evening practice session in the pool helped with this a lot.
What would you do differently?:

Improve the turns! Just need more practice in setting up the turn and then pushing off at the correct angle.
Transition 1
  • 01m 15s
Comments:

My first transition ever!! I debated pre-race whether to use socks or not but socks won out due to gravel on the run. They were a little tricky to put on along with bike shoes but everything went much more smoothly than I expected. Was in and out in good spirits.
What would you do differently?:

Work on the bike mount more...almost fell pushing off with new bike shoes. Difficult to get clipped in at first. Remember to arrange nearest pedal downwards to make it easier to step on.
Bike
  • 49m 32s
  • 13.4 miles
  • 16.23 mile/hr
Comments:

I tried to get my speed up when I could and maintain a comparitively high cadence, but the wind made it difficult to focus. Gear changes went great, I stayed in my big ring most of the time which was my goal. Created a modified aero position to combat the winds. Mental attitude was very positive and I had fun out there.
What would you do differently?:

Stretch calves more in last mile - will help with run transition. Also try to push myself more to figure out how fast I can go on the bike while still maintaining a sub 8min/mile pace on the run.
Transition 2
  • 00m 49s
Comments:

My second transition ever! Getting off the bike was fine, re-racked it, switched shoes and off I went. Easy-peasy.
What would you do differently?:

Try taking off shoes during bike.
Run
  • 24m 5s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 07m 46s  min/mile
Comments:

Great run! First mile was dealing with tight calves from the bike. Just tried to keep cadence up and worry about stride length later. Took water at 2mile mark just to wash out mouth. Dumped most of the cup on my head.
What would you do differently?:

Try to increase stride length sooner.
Post race
Warm down:

Ate a banana and drank root beer...yum. Did not stretch very much. Hung around until preliminary results were posted, then thought i was out of the top 5 so left. Turns out I was 2nd in my age group after 2 girls were taken out due to their high overall performance. I guess technically I was fourth in the AG. Anyway I skipped the awards which I now regret because maybe I could have met some people? I will stay next time.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Need to improve "body feel" and focus on the bike to take weather conditions in stride. Also need to improve swim speed/conditioning.

Event comments:

Great first race experience! Had a lot of fun!




Last updated: 2008-12-31 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:08:53 | 440 yards | 02m 01s / 100yards
Age Group: 6/19
Overall: 32/86
Performance: Average
Suit: tri shorts and top
Course: Serpentine swim in pool.
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding:
T1
Time: 01:15
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
00:49:32 | 13.4 miles | 16.23 mile/hr
Age Group: 3/19
Overall: 14/86
Performance: Average
Wind: Cross-winds with gusts
Course: The wind. Oh my. I checked "cross-winds" in the above box but it was really more like "constant in every direction"...and gusting up to 25-30 mph. Tough. Most of the ride I was more focused on keeping the bike upright. Course was mostly flat with a few gradual hills. Nothing major.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:49
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:24:05 | 03.1 miles | 07m 46s  min/mile
Age Group: 1/19
Overall: 5/86
Performance: Good
Course: Very curvy and windy. Lots of switchbacks although the course was very well marked. Combination of gravel and pavement.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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] 4