Nanticoke River Swim and Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Bivalve, Maryland
United States
Nanticoke River Swim and Triathlon
65F / 18C
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 36m 23s
Overall Rank = 154/228
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 5/12
Pre-race routine:

Race started at 10am, so I was up at 7, had some yogurt with strawberries, granola and ground flax seed, skim milk with Ovaltine, black coffee. 30 minutes before the race I had a banana-flavored gel pack and water.
Event warmup:

Jumped in the water for 5 minutes prior to the start - did a few strokes - water temp was 68 degrees, so with the wetsuit, it was not bad.
Swim
  • 19m 5s
  • 875 yards
  • 02m 11s / 100 yards
Comments:

Practically dead last...70 of 74 women out of the water. Made the mistake of thinking I could handle the middle. Too much splashing, kicking, and had to start out way too fast. Had an asthmatic reaction - of course, forgot to use the inhaler that morning, so spent the rest of the swim on my back or side trying to catch my breath. Abysmal.
What would you do differently?:

Start to the side, wait for the crowd to pass. Take an Open Water Swim Clinc to feel more comfortable sighting. Oh yeah, don't forget the inhaler.
Transition 1
  • 02m 29s
Comments:

Still just trying to catch my breath...used Body Glide, which helped immensely getting the suit on and off. Would highly recommend around ankles, shoulders, neck and wrists.
Bike
  • 49m 7s
  • 15.2 miles
  • 18.57 mile/hr
Comments:

Best bike leg to date...just switched to Michelin Pro 3 Racing tires on my road bike, and got shortie aerobars. Last fall, got the Speedplay pedals and clip-in shoes. All have made such a difference...if you haven't done the switch...you won't be fast without clip-in shoes, and skinny tires make a huge difference. So if you don't have a Tri Bike, you can surely optimize the efficiency on your road bike.
What would you do differently?:

I need to find a water container I can just suck from a straw without taking my bottle out from the cage. I slow down way too much to drink.
Transition 2
  • 01m 25s
Comments:

Good transition - velcro cycle shoes are the way to go...slipped on running shoes w/ elastic laces - no tying, helmet off - running cap on, and away I went.
What would you do differently?:

Don't drink gatorade at the water stations - stick to water...way too concentrated, and I immediately cramped.
Run
  • 24m 19s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 07m 50s  min/mile
Comments:

Felt good on the run...very steady...fastest post-bike run I've done.
What would you do differently?:

I only run 1-2 x a week, because it's my strongest event. With a little more training, I should be able to drop that time to below the 8-min mile mark.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around - ate a hamburger.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The Swim! It did me in...need to keep calmer - stay out of the feeding frenzy.

Event comments:

Really loved this race...great first event for the season...calm, clean water, flat, fast roads for both the bike and run. The people who organized and ran the event were wonderful. I will definitely mark my calendar to do this one again next year.

Despite my poor swim, I'm very pleased I was 70 of 74 women out of the water, but placed 35 of 74 when I finished. Since the top three female finishers are also in my age group (45-49...holy cow, women just faster and tougher in their 40s!), that actually bumped me up to 2nd place in my age group, according to their official list. Not bad, considering I swam like a netted tuna. I'll take it!




Last updated: 2009-01-10 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:19:05 | 875 yards | 02m 11s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/12
Overall: 0/228
Performance: Bad
Suit: Full wetsuit
Course: Straight out from the shore and around a buoy. Very calm, nice water, clean.
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Bad Drafting: Bad
Waves: Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 02:29
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:49:07 | 15.2 miles | 18.57 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/12
Overall: 0/228
Performance: Good
Wind: Cross-winds
Course: Very flat - out and back - great race to hunker down on the aerobars - bit of a headwind and crosswinds - it's the Eastern Shore, so there's always wind going on. Rain held off until 1pm, so dry conditions.Used my new Cats Eye pedometer, so averaged 18.6 mph. Fast for me...
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills:
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 01:25
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:24:19 | 03.1 miles | 07m 50s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/12
Overall: 0/228
Performance: Good
Course: Very flat - out and back
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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