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Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course - TriathlonOlympic


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Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
United States
RecPlex
80F / 27C
Overcast
Total Time = 3h 02m 20s
Overall Rank = 575/656
Age Group = 34F
Age Group Rank = 28/35
Pre-race routine:

Ensure, banana, gatorade, stretching.
Flonase, Zyrtec-D.
Swim
  • 34m 57s
  • 1640 yards
  • 02m 08s / 100 yards
Comments:

Despite being one of the slowest swimmers on the course, this was a great swim for me. I was anticipating 40 minutes and I ended up doing just under 35. Wowza! No idea where that came from. Probably the wetsuit, although my swims in the lake have been much slower, even with the wetsuit. Anyway, I'm SUPER pleased with this leg. I had one moment of sheer panic just before the 1st buoy... I felt like I couldn't breathe, I was sucking down water, and my suit felt so tight around my neck. I briefly considered just ending the race there, but instead flipped onto my back for a second, reoriented myself, and reminded myself that I know how to swim and everybody has swimmer panic stories. I focused on breathing and just kept going. And as soon as I rounded that first buoy I was fine.
What would you do differently?:

Despite my best efforts to look up and sight, I seriously could not see anything. I don't know if my goggles were foggy or just too dark or what, but I could never see the orange turning buoys on the course, only the yellow course markers. I think next time I will need to REALLY spend some time looking at the course and making mental notes so that doesn't happen again.
Transition 1
  • 03m 46s
Comments:

About a minute longer than my previous Olympic T1 but I wasn't wearing a wetsuit last time.
What would you do differently?:

Not sure.
Bike
  • 1h 18m 37s
  • 21.3 miles
  • 16.26 mile/hr
Comments:

My goal here was to stay around 16 minute miles. And I did. On some parts of the course I was flying - my top speed was 23 mph! But... alas, I am a weak rider. My "hills" were awful, and around the last 5 miles my hamstring was hurting... it wouldn't push anymore, which was weird. I think I strained it a little somehow during the swim because I remember thinking it was feeling funky in the water but I chalked it up to my wetsuit at the time.
What would you do differently?:

I'm a little disheartened with my bike performance. I've been working on my biking so much this year and I actually got marginally slower vs. getting faster. I guess the answer is more training and better gear and more training, but I just don't seem to be making any progress here. I did have some problems with my chain slipping throughout the race, and in the beginning it got stuck, need to take it in for a tune up. I just don't have much time in the saddle compared to my racing compadres, and building bike speed takes time.
Transition 2
  • 02m 16s
Comments:

OMG, I LOST MY RACK. Ran past it with my bike three times before I saw it. Darn.
What would you do differently?:

Not lose my rack.
Run
  • 1h 02m 46s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 10m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

Slower by a couple mins than I wanted to be. I'm not sure why. I know I was pacing at 10 minute miles for the first 3 miles, then on miles 4 and 5 I was just slower. Mile 6 was better/faster, but I just wasn't moving so fast in the middle. I had to use my inhaler because I was having a hard time breathing, and ears kept popping.
What would you do differently?:

Hmmm. Tough to say. There are so many variables leading up to the run that it's hard to say. My back and my hamstrings were VERY sore after the race, so I might have been a little strained. I'd also had a terrible week with allergies and sinuses leading up to the race, so that probably affected my breathing too.
Post race
Warm down:

None.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I'm just slow. I can live with this.

Event comments:

Wish the bike course was a little more spread out. It got pretty crowded at times, with super fast guys passing me on the left AND right even though I was way over to the right already. But, that was due to the construction and there probably wasn't much the organizers could do about it. Hopefully the construction will be done for next year's race!




Last updated: 2012-06-14 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:34:57 | 1640 yards | 02m 08s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/35
Overall: 0/656
Performance: Good
Suit: Xterra Vortex 4
Course: Great lake for a swim. Warm water, calm and no waves, very comfortable overall. My only complaint was that I had a ridiculously hard time seeing any of the buoys on the Olympic course, I think they could have been higher or spaced more frequently. After the last turn I really couldn't see much of anything at all; I just followed the others and hoped I wasn't off course.
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 76F / 24C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Average Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:46
Performance:
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:18:37 | 21.3 miles | 16.26 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/35
Overall: 0/656
Performance: Average
Wind: None
Course: Two loops on suburban roads. A few overpasses and slight inclines. Some tight turns. Pretty crowded at times.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Bad Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills: Bad
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:16
Overall: Bad
Riding w/ feet on shoes Average
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Bad
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:02:46 | 06.21 miles | 10m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/35
Overall: 0/656
Performance: Average
Course: Very bendy - lots of little out and back turns on the grounds of the RecPlex.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2012-06-24 5:35 PM

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Subject: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course


2012-06-24 8:19 PM
in reply to: #4277817

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Subject: RE: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course
Nice job!  It was a great morning to race...they really put on a nice race.  It was my first time there...I'll likely come back! 
2012-06-25 9:19 AM
in reply to: #4278016

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Subject: RE: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course

runninirish - 2012-06-24 8:19 PM Nice job!  It was a great morning to race...they really put on a nice race.  It was my first time there...I'll likely come back! 

Thanks! They did a great job, I agree. And can you believe the weather? It was nearly perfect! 

2012-06-25 9:25 AM
in reply to: #4277817

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Subject: RE: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course
Nice race. Way to endure that moment of swim panic and tough it out. That can be scary.

Good luck with the rest of your season.
2012-06-25 9:45 AM
in reply to: #4278650

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Subject: RE: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course

MUL98 - 2012-06-25 9:25 AM Nice race. Way to endure that moment of swim panic and tough it out. That can be scary. Good luck with the rest of your season.

Thanks so much! Swim panic is definitely a scary thing; I'm so glad I heard others talk about it before it happened to me so I sort of knew how to handle it. Looking forward to lots more OWS practice so I get over those fears. 

2012-06-25 1:59 PM
in reply to: #4277817

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Subject: RE: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course
Nice job and good to meet you at dinner the night before.  Way to knock down the swim time.  


2012-06-25 2:03 PM
in reply to: #4277817

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Subject: RE: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course
Great job!!
2012-06-25 2:19 PM
in reply to: #4279377

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Subject: RE: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course

mattb1 - 2012-06-25 1:59 PM Nice job and good to meet you at dinner the night before.  Way to knock down the swim time.  

You too! Thanks for arranging everything... dinner was awesome!

2012-06-25 2:19 PM
in reply to: #4279388

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Subject: RE: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course

StartingToTri - 2012-06-25 2:03 PM Great job!!

Thanks Laura!

2012-06-25 3:33 PM
in reply to: #4277817

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Subject: RE: Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - International Course
Great job overcoming a swim scare to post a great time!
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