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Lake Zurich Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Lake Zurich, Illinois
United States
USAT
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 36m 8s
Overall Rank = 303/638
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 49/94
Pre-race routine:

Awoke 4 AM. Drank one cup coffee and ate a plain sesame bagel. Got dressed and drove the 20 minutes to the race site. Set up my transition area and socialized a little. Openly admired my neighbor's $5K bike. Took my time getting everything settled before taking the shuttle to the swim start.
Event warmup:

Got in the water for about 35-30 meters of butterfly, just to warm up and get a sense for the water temperature and lake floor surface.
Swim
  • 26m 43s
  • 1500 meters
  • 01m 47s / 100 meters
Comments:

I practiced sight breathing a lot before the race and it helped me to keep my mark and relax. There were several nice portions of the swim in which I had a nice rhythm with breathing and sighting and was able to focus on form issues (reach, bend elbow, rotate, glide, etc.). I was faster than I expected and passed quite a few people. Since this was my second triathlon ever and the first in which I have passed other swimmers, I found the act of passing very difficult. I did not want to trample on or upset anyone else, so I had to pick around a little bit to find openings for passing slower swimmers. This took a lot of energy and upset my rhythm.
What would you do differently?:

Line up to the left (away from the markers) and not the right. Find faster swimmers and draft a little off of them. Kick more toward the finish to wake up my legs.
Transition 1
  • 03m 56s
Comments:

A mediocre transition. I could not decide to sit or stand while changing from wetsuit to cycling gear. I also took several tries to cleat in after leaving transition. My legs were a little wobbly, still, after the swim.
What would you do differently?:

Immediately sit and peel off wetsuit, wipe feet with towel, put on socks, put on shoes in a much more polished sequence. Cleat in on the first try.
Bike
  • 1h 07m 48s
  • 22.8 miles
  • 20.18 mile/hr
Comments:

I was pleased with my speed and power. I ride a relatively cheap Fuji and I had a lot of satisfaction passing people on fancy carbon rigs. I, in fact, know the area pretty well because one of my training runs passes through it, so I had the confidence to go really push myself. On the negative side, my rear derailleur is not in great shape and I mis-shifted in an important area.
What would you do differently?:

Ride with a better rear derailleur. Tuck into aero-form earlier and more often. Corner more aggressively. Save my legs better, take gels better, and hydrate better for the run (more on that later).
Transition 2
  • 01m 20s
Comments:

Pretty fast for me.
Run
  • 56m 23s
  • 6.24 miles
  • 09m 02s  min/mile
Comments:

I spent too much energy on the swim and bike and really ran out of gas on the run. I also have a problem with stomach cramping when I run, so I was disinclined to drink extra or take extra gels toward the end of the bike or during the run. This affected my performance significantly. I have been training mostly running the past few months (30 miles/week with 5 K, 10 mile, and half-marathon races)and I was hoping and expecting to have more endurance. I was hoping for an 8:30 or, at worst, an 8:45 pace.
What would you do differently?:

Save more energy on the swim and bike. Take an energy gel at the start of T1, and two more during the bike, along with much more fluids (I took two gels total). Never listen to anyone who tells me "the rest is all flat."
Post race
Warm down:

Hugged my daughters, ate a little, stretched, drank lots and lots of water and gatorade.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Pacing, training, and not previewing the run course (I did preview the bike course)

Event comments:

I'll be back next year, better prepared.




Last updated: 2005-08-15 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:26:43 | 1500 meters | 01m 47s / 100meters
Age Group: 40/94
Overall: 0/638
Performance: Good
Suit: wetsuit - QR bottom of the line full body suit
Course: Across Lake Zurich with a 90 degree left turn at about the 1000 meter point.
Start type: Run Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:56
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Bad
Biking
01:07:48 | 22.8 miles | 20.18 mile/hr
Age Group: 52/94
Overall: 0/638
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Double loop with low to medium hills through semi-rural areas.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 01:20
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:56:23 | 06.24 miles | 09m 02s  min/mile
Age Group: 67/94
Overall: 0/638
Performance: Below average
Course: Rolling hills through neighborhoods.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %3
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
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: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2005-08-15 9:04 PM


0

Subject: Lake Zurich Triathlon


2005-08-15 10:28 PM
in reply to: #226004

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Elite
3020
20001000
Bay Area, CA
Subject: RE: Lake Zurich Triathlon

Awesome race, especially for your first one! Good Job!

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