Chicago Triathlon - Olympic Distance - TriathlonOlympic


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Chicago, Illinois
United States
Capri Events
60F / 16C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 59m 55s
Overall Rank = 1989/4283
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 279/488
Pre-race routine:

Up at 3:30 3 min before the alarm. Slept 6 hours. Not too bad for me. Quietly got dressed and got some Pop tarts and gatorade at the hotel. Rode/walked over to transition and got there at 4:15. Met a BTer (?Mark) from the area. We got lost heading to transition, but the company was nice. Set up and waited in the cold for my start at 9:00.
Event warmup:

Up to the Port-a-John 4 times. It was the only warm place there.
Swim
  • 39m 39s
  • 1500 meters
  • 02m 38s / 100 meters
Comments:

First 375 was horrible. Kept thinking: "Why am I doing this?" then at the turn I started to breathe better and got more comfortable. I felt like I was in the pool and started passing a few people from my wave and the wave before me. Then I heard some cheering every time I breathed and once I looked up to see what it was all about, I realized that I was about 100m to the right of the course and a kayak was waving and yelling at me. I swam back to the pack and finished well.
What would you do differently?:

Sight and learn to bilateral breathe. I always breathe to the right and pull that way.
Transition 1
  • 04m 3s
Comments:

Huge transition. I looked at the Pro times for T1 and they were in the 20 second range. So thats why they are so far ahead of me.
What would you do differently?:

Move more quickly.
Bike
  • 1h 22m 48s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 18.01 mile/hr
Comments:

Huge winds. average was 16ish up and 20ish down. It was fun going 25-27mph on the flats heading south. Stopped for 1min to check on a guy who crashed. He was fine, but my left calf kept cramping up trying to get back into my pedals and I maybe lost a few min here.
What would you do differently?:

Ride faster
Transition 2
  • 02m 43s
Comments:

Again 20 secs for the Pros. I would like to get this below 1:00.
What would you do differently?:

Move more quickly.
Run
  • 50m 40s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 08m 10s  min/mile
Comments:

A decent effort. I rounded the last turn and saw the clock at 11:59:35. My goal was a 3hr finish. I kicked hard and sprinted in at 11:59:55. 5 sec below my goal. It felt amazing.
What would you do differently?:

Just run faster. Do more hills for strength. More bricks.
Post race
Warm down:

Usual grub. Beer. Hugs and high fives with my family. Great support.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Just a newb. Will improve.

Event comments:

Huge race. Logistically tough compared to local events, but worth the trip. Doubt I will be back for a few years, but I loved it none-the-less.




Last updated: 2009-02-06 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:39 | 1500 meters | 02m 38s / 100meters
Age Group: 0/488
Overall: 3213/4283
Performance: Average
Suit: Full
Course: 375 to bouy, 375 to start and 750 to finish
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 63F / 17C Current: Low
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Good
Breathing: Average Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Bad
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:03
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:22:48 | 24.85 miles | 18.01 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/488
Overall: 2254/4283
Performance: Good
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: Up LSD back and up again and back home.
Road: Potholes Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:43
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:50:40 | 06.21 miles | 08m 10s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/488
Overall: 1068/4283
Performance: Good
Course:
Keeping cool Good 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