Whirlpool Steelhead 70.3 Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I tried to stay out of the "washing machine" and stayed on the outside edge of the pack. I consciously tried to not go out too fast and managed to do this. I maintained a good even pace and didn't feel winded at all at the finish.

Nothing

I took my time in transition. I had a gel and some water. After reading some of the other race reports, I can see there are benefits to being in an early wave. I was in the 4th wave and was out of the water towards the front of the pack. The transition area was pretty much empty which made things easier.

I could have shaved a minute or 2 off this transition easy if I pushed it, but considering this was my first HIM and I wasn't planning on breaking any records, I didn't see the point.

I've been having problems with my bike fit and my upper hamstrings and left buttock were painful withing the first 10 miles. I figured it was going to be a REALLY long day on the bike, but I found that going into the drops things got better. I was averaging 19.5 mph until we hit the Blue Star Highway and a strong headwind. My knees were bothering me and I pushed the last few miles trying to keep my average.

I stayed well hydrated and actually had to pee. I read in a forum that some people just pee on the bike. I waited until there was nobody in sight behind me and gave it a try, but riding and relaxing enough to get something going was not going to happen. I took an extra 30 seconds in the transition area and took care of business.

I'm wondering how much difference a tri bike makes. On my road bike I don't see how I could get much faster, and can't imagine getting up to 21-22 mph like a lot of riders. I've heard that it takes 2-3 years to get good on the bike and I've been riding less than a year and a half. Maybe I just need more training. . .

I had changed bike seats a week before the race. I shouldn't have made a big change right before the race.

I took my time again.

The first two miles I had trouble getting started. I had pain in my knees and I figured the first couple miles would be tough. The next 2-3 were OK. I had a few miles under 9 minute pace. Things started getting much tougher after that. It's hard to run with significant joint pain. I walked up one hill and walked a couple times for 30 seconds to a minute. I got some mild stomach cramps the last few miles, but they weren't bad.

I'm hoping my bike seat position was the main cause for my knee pain. If it's not, this distance may be too much for my joints.

Not much.


Knee pain on the run. It's frustrating that I've been running since I was 15 and running is my worst event. I think I'll need more run focused training to get some speed back.


This was my first HIM. I thought it was well run.