Ironman 70.3 Florida - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Orlando, Florida
United States
Ironman North America Athlete Services
84F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 43m 27s
Overall Rank = 639/2667
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 139/361
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 3:40. I had a 40 minute drive to disney. Like usual, I ate a bowl of cheerios and drank a glass of juice. No problems.
Event warmup:

I was under the belief that transition closed at 6:30. I was wrong. It turns out that it closed at 6:00. That's too bad because I arrived at transition at about 5:53. I spazzed around getting my gear set up in time. It turned out to not be a big deal, but it felt like it at the time. I then had a 1 hour and nine minute wait until my swim wave started. Hurry up and wait. It was no big deal though. Everyone was nice and seemingly relaxed. I had the end spot in my row and was confident that my gear was set up appropriately. No warm up except for some stretching and running in place.
Swim
  • 40m 6s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 54s / 100 yards
Comments:

I felt good during the swim. I swam wide right and avoided almost all other competitors. I'm sure I added 100m to my swim, but it was relaxing and good. I tried to draft on a few people but the water was pretty dark. I really couldn't find good feet to stay on. I just swam wide and tried to take it easy. On the last half I started getting a little cramp in right foot and calf. It wasn't too bad, but a little concerning at the time. I felt like I swam faster, but this was my first 1/2 IM so what do I know. I was happy with the swim and very happy with how I felt coming out of the swim.
What would you do differently?:

Swim OWS more. Practice with tri top so that I wouldn't have to put it on in transition.
Transition 1
  • 04m 17s
Comments:

I put my tri top on in transition. That was harder than necessary. I didn't wear the top during the swim because I never practiced that way. My transition wasn't all that slow, it was a looong run from the water to T1. I was actually pretty efficient.
What would you do differently?:

Train swimming with tri top on.
Bike
  • 2h 47m 47s
  • 56 miles
  • 20.03 mile/hr
Comments:

The bike went ok. I'm not the strong of a biker, so I was happy to average 20 mph. I guess it was a little windy, according to others, but it didn't seem that bad to me. The bike went fairly quickly. I raced in the blind with no computer or accurate clock, just HRM. That was probably a good thing for the first race, but I need to get a bike computer for future races.
What would you do differently?:

Train a lot more on the bike. I could make a lot of gains in this area.
Transition 2
  • 02m 25s
Comments:

This went pretty quick accept that I couldn't get my watch (HRM) off my bike and on my wrist while running. I guess I should leave it on my wrist the whole time, but I just don't like it there.
What would you do differently?:

Practice more
Run
  • 2h 08m 52s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 50s  min/mile
Comments:

I was pissed at myself about the run. I'm better than a 2:09 (well, apparently not...). I had no idea on my time as I left my watch running from the bike. I could have gotten in under 5:40, but I really had no idea on time. I "ran" the whole time and walked the water stations. I developed a calf strain at mile four. It was manageable, but definitely hampered me. People were acting like we were running across Africa. There were countless people walking and talking to their buddies about how hot it was and how horrible they felt. It was hot, but it wasn't that bad. I was mad at myself for not training the run enough. I just "winged" it, and paid the price. Never again.

It was good to see all the CAF supporters though
What would you do differently?:

Run more. I've always considered myself a decent "natural" runner...until now. I won't "wing it" ever again.
Post race
Warm down:

Beer at the CAF tent. I felt good and it was nice to meet some true competitors.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Need more training.

Event comments:

This is my third tri but only my second recent tri. I thought it was good. There was much complaining about the transition close time and the run course, but overall, I thought it was great. If I had to pick between this and gulf coast, I would probably try gulf coast, just because I've never done it before.




Last updated: 2009-01-14 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:40:06 | 2112 yards | 01m 54s / 100yards
Age Group: 127/361
Overall: 641/2667
Performance: Average
Suit: None
Course: One big loop. Yellow buoys out, orange buoys back. Counter clock wise.
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 80F / 27C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Average Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:17
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
02:47:47 | 56 miles | 20.03 mile/hr
Age Group: 176/361
Overall: 868/2667
Performance: Average
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: Big loop. The cops and road guards were great. Very little vehicle traffic to contend with.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Below average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:25
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:08:52 | 13.1 miles | 09m 50s  min/mile
Age Group: 139/361
Overall: 764/2667
Performance: Bad
Course: 3 horrible loops through grass (not the good kind) trails.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
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] 5