Columbia Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Ellicott City, Maryland
United States
The Columbia Triathlon Association Inc.
60F / 16C
Precipitation
Total Time = 2h 31m 3s
Overall Rank = 176/1569
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 10/66
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 4:15, trip to Dunkin for some pre-race coffee and had a Powerbar around 6:00am.
Event warmup:

I was in the 3rd to last wave (neon orange), so I did a lot of standing around and stretching.
Swim
  • 21m 34s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 19s / 100 yards
Comments:

Swim was good except for the start. I eyed down the results from last year and figured that probably the top 1/4th of the wave would be just as fast or faster than me, so I started right behind the front line out by the buoy. Big mistake. I spent the first 3-4 minutes trying to navigate through the churn and finally pulled ahead. I was already hitting yellow caps by the first orange buoy and continued on pretty strong. Shoulders were getting a little tired near the end, but overall my breathing was good, pace was good and came out of the water feeling refreshed.
What would you do differently?:

Start in front.
Transition 1
  • 03m
Comments:

Took my time getting into my shoes because my hamstrings were tightening up a little bit. This is just a guestimate since there was an error with the T1 timing mat.
What would you do differently?:

Stretch my hamstrings a little more before the swim.
Bike
  • 1h 17m 37s
  • 25.48 miles
  • 19.70 mile/hr
Comments:

Bike was tough, but I started out relatively easy because my calves and hamstrings were cramping. I pre-rode the course on Sunday and really took it easy just so I could figure out where the tough spots were. Attacked the hills and got into a really good rhythm and hit some 30+ downhills. I actually felt like I was going faster than I was and my legs were cooked by the end. I was a little worried I wouldn't have anything left for the run.
What would you do differently?:

Stretch the calves and hamstrings. Maybe put aero bars on.
Transition 2
  • 01m 35s
Comments:

My rack was literally the first one on the right when you came into transition, so getting in and out was quick and painless.
What would you do differently?:

Um, remember my race belt =) I had it in my hand but for some dumb reason I left it sitting right next to my bike shoes.
Run
  • 47m 18s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 07m 37s  min/mile
Comments:

I saw the run profile before the race, but I just ran a 10k last weekend with 200+ feet of climbing, so I figured I'd be ok with this. Right away a big windy climb caught me off guard, but it looked like people were struggling a lot worse than I was, so I pushed myself as hard as my legs could hold. Splits: 7:39, 7:21,7:54, 7:54, 7:26, 7:29, 1:33
What would you do differently?:

Nothing, felt solid, good mental and physical effort.
Post race
Warm down:

Cookies, pasta and some gatorade.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The hills. Get more hill training in.

Event comments:

Great race, it was my first Columbia so I was pleasantly surprised with how well the race was run logistically. I PR'd by over 9 minutes from my last Oly last summer, so I was really happy about that. Weather could've been a little better, but what can ya do.




Last updated: 2009-01-19 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:21:34 | 1640 yards | 01m 19s / 100yards
Age Group: 10/66
Overall: 89/1569
Performance: Good
Suit: Xterra John
Course: Counter-clockwise loop
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Good Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:00
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
01:17:37 | 25.48 miles | 19.70 mile/hr
Age Group: 16/66
Overall: 261/1569
Performance: Good
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: Rolling hills with 4 substantial climbs.
Road: Rough Wet Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:35
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:47:18 | 06.21 miles | 07m 37s  min/mile
Age Group: 17/66
Overall: 278/1569
Performance: Good
Course: Rolling hills with some steep climbs and descents. Wet road made the descents interesting.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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