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Folsom International - TriathlonOlympic


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Folsom, CA
United States
J&A Productions
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 16m 47s
Overall Rank = 418/456
Age Group = Clydesdale
Age Group Rank = 10/10
Pre-race routine:

Packed the night before. Only had to do breakfast any my day's hydration before heading over to the race site. I got there about 1 hour before the start of the first wave because I know this race director is a stickler about closing down the T-area after the race begins. This gave me enough time to set up my area, do a bike warmup, then get everything I needed for the swim before the T-area shut down.
Event warmup:

Rode out on the bike for a short while, checking the gears and getting some spinning in. I took an old pair of running shoes with me and left them on a picnic table during the race (Team Mike was not there today) that allowed me to do some running warm up before the race start and after the close of the T-area. About 20min before my wave started, I squeezed into my wetsuit and did a swim warmup, which mostly consisted of getting used to the COLD water before the start.
Swim
  • 44m
  • 1500 meters
  • 02m 56s / 100 meters
Comments:

The swim went well overall. Similar to San Jose Int'l, I just went "slow" and focused on technique, putting one hand in front of the other. I was able to freestyle the whole time and didn't really have any problems. I was at the back of the pack most of the time (as far as I could see), but I passed a few stragglers from previous waves and came in about the same time as another in my wave.
What would you do differently?:

I think I just need more time in the pool and more time in my wetsuit. Endurance itself was a limiter here. I could have put a little more slack in my wetsuit around my shoulders to fight fatigue there, which might have allowed me to go harder and faster.
Transition 1
  • 03m 11s
Comments:

It seemed like I took more time in T1 than I usually do. I had a little problem getting my wetsuit off over my ankles. Wetsuit off, grabbed my hanky, put socks on then shoes, glasses then helmet (forgot my sunglass clip-ons), and finally my camelback, which I've never used in a race before. It was definitely nice having it because I've had problems with bottles before, including having to stop pedaling while reaching. And it only took a few seconds to put it on (I didn't clip the chest strap until later). I'm sure I saved those seconds later, and I was well hydrated. I picked a spot that was right next to the bike entrance. I liked how it worked out. I didn't have to run as far in bare feet, and when I came in off the bike, my spot was right there.
What would you do differently?:

Bodyglide the ankles. Remember my sunglass clip-ons.
Bike
  • 1h 21m 16s
  • 24.9 miles
  • 18.38 mile/hr
Comments:

Bike is usually my best leg and this was no exception. I passed probably 10 or so people, and in the end, was passed by no one. I played leapfrog with this one guy -- he was on my tail for a long time, then he passed me on this long hill. I passed him back up on the other side, and he wasn't able to pass me again but I knew he was right behind me. Then a 47-year-old woman on an old, pink bike passed me. WTF? I eventually passed her again, but she returned the favor shortly after. I couldn't hold her off. Unfortunately there were some pretty lame volunteers (I should have known the course, but they should have been paying attention) and I followed her in the wrong direction. We had to back track across an intersection to get back on course and I'm thinking maybe she got stuck on the other side of traffic because I never saw her again (until T2 and the run). That's the only reason I came in before she did.
What would you do differently?:

Know the course. I need more time in the saddle to toughen up, because my crotch is pretty sore as I write this (5 hours later). Some form of chamois butter would probably have helped this too. I also first noticed here the effects of not training much for the last month. I was slower than I could have been, I just didn't have the steam I had before. I was weak on the hills. I think it just comes down to a need to "ride lots".
Transition 2
  • 01m 13s
Comments:

T2 seemed a little slow too. Luckily I didn't have far to go in my bike shoes. I had a hard time racking my bike (I think I was just pretty exhausted). But I remembered everything I needed to (helmet off, etc.), putting on my shoes (yay, speedlaces!) and grabbing everything else, then heading out on the run.
What would you do differently?:

I think my slow speed was just a lack of general training. I was pretty exhausted so it was hard to do anything. I don't think there's anything I did wrong technically.
Run
  • 1h 07m 5s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 10m 49s  min/mile
Comments:

Again, my lack of training showed up here in a serious way. I was holding almost a 10min/mile pace (I'm curious what the official times will be) but felt very sluggish and a little sore. For better or for worse, I just focused on my race and wasn't very competitive (trying to catch people, etc.). The 47-year old woman who I passed on the bike passed me back up, along with the guy I had leapfrogged on the bike. I just didn't have an answer for them. I think I came in in the last 10 people or so. This was a pretty tough field. I brought my own hydration (Gatorade and diluted Endurox) but a few times I just wanted water, so I drank that.
What would you do differently?:

Run lots. More long bricks.
Post race
Warm down:

Took some stuff back to the T-area, ate, changed my shirt, and listened to the awards. There was a 10-year old kid and a guy who ran a 31:02 10k off the bike (faster than any triathlete in the world, with the possible exception of Simon Lessing at the Olympics). Since the Clydesdale division was very small, I thought there might be a remote possibility of me winning something even though I was so slow. No dice. It was some guy who was like 6'7", and a couple of body-builder types. I should have stretched more, but I drank a lot and had a little to eat.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of general training.

Event comments:

I would recommend this race to anyone. The whole course was just so nice and some really good triathletes show up in every division. It would be a great first Oly. Brad Kearns kept the commentary going the whole time and was really funny as well as knowledgeable about the sport. He gives some of the long-time athletes a hard time.




Last updated: 2005-06-08 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:44:00 | 1500 meters | 02m 56s / 100meters
Age Group: 9/10
Overall: 429/456
Performance: Average
Suit: Orca S1
Course: This is probably the best swim venue I've been at. Other than being cold (which you get used to), the water was clean (no motorized boats allowed on this lake) and the surrounding scenery was beautiful. The course was a big rectangle, starting about 1/3 of the way down one side, then 90-degree turn along the short side, then one long line down the other side, down another short side, and in to the swim exit.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 60F / 16C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:11
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
01:21:16 | 24.9 miles | 18.38 mile/hr
Age Group: 9/10
Overall: 365/456
Performance: Good
(Time is approximate until I get official split times.)
Wind: Some
Course: Nice course winding through the Natoma Lake park for a short while, then out to the farm streets where I only saw a very few cars. "Rolling hills" is probably the best way to describe it, but some hills were fairly serious. Luckily they didn't last too long, then it was down the other side. Probably the worst hill is right before a turn-around, so you got it coming and going.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:13
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
01:07:05 | 06.2 miles | 10m 49s  min/mile
Age Group: 9/10
Overall: 424/456
Performance: Below average
Course: A few rolling hills but mostly flat through the Lake Natoma park. A very nice run course -- plenty of gentle weaving through the shaded park keeping things interesting. Lots of trees kept the course shaded. The support was good. Again, they had COLD water (the first time I've had cold water on the run was the last race I had with this race director) which was awesome. Since I was BOP in the last wave, by the time I got to the mile 5 water station, the kids had left. Kids! I think I passed them a half mile later, kicking a pylon on the course. I said, "The race isn't over yet for some people!". I had my own hydration so it wasn't that big of a deal, but they also left all the equipment unattended and didn't pick up any of the cups.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2005-08-14 6:49 PM

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