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Lake Lenape - My First Tri!
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Lake Lenape - My First Tri! - TriathlonSprint
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 Swim
Comments: I took the warnings about starting too far up in the wave in your first tri. I lined up almost to the end on the right. My plan was to swim at about a 60 degree angle until I got close to the course line. I figured that the wave would spread out by then. Big mistake! Turns out that I kept overtaking the other geezers. Didn't know how to get around them and had never tried going over someone. So I just kinda pushed on and would slow down when I'd see feet emerge from the tea colored water and then speed up when it seemed like the way was clear. The result of all of it was that I never got into a good easy pace for the swim. The TI mantra is to never practice struggle. This whole swim was struggle. It's wild to be swimming in the middle of a washing machine full of other swimmers. Unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Made the mistake of standing up way before I needed to. I had told myself on the warmup to swim the crawl until I was in about three feet of water. Wasted a lot of energy running through chest high water. What would you do differently?: Take a more agressive position at the start. I think it might be easier to have the fast geezers muscle over me rather than having to work my way up a pack. Swim the crawl until the very end, and then stand up.  Transition 1
Comments: Ran out of the water and to the bike. Had a bit of trouble getting my right leg out of the wetsuit. I had a small one foot high stool in the transition area. Didn't use it for my right leg. Then I put my left leg on it and it was much easier to take the suit off. Balanced on one leg to put each sock on, and then used the stool to put my shoes on. Smiled at my son as I ran out with the bike. What would you do differently?: Work on stretching and strengthening my core. The stool was a big help, but a stronger and more flexible core would have made the whole race better.  Bike
Comments: My plan was to ride in cycling zone 3 and with a cadence between 95 and 105. I came out of transition up into zone 5. It took me two miles to get my heart rate down to zone 3. Once it was at my target, I basically enjoyed the ride. I encouraged many of the few people that I passed and a few of the many who passed me. Thought I heart BrianPBN yell out my name as he was riding back on the other side. I really appreciated that, especially since he was trying to win this race for the second time! Rode for a while near a guy who had his handicapped son on the front of the bike. Amazing! The guy ended up smokin' me. It was over way too soon. What would you do differently?: I think I could have gone much harder. Need to practice that on bricks and see what I have left for the run. Oh yea... If there was an Oldest Bike In The Race division, I woulda won. I was riding my buddy's twenty year old junker that he let me borrow for the summer. I trained mostly on my Mnt bike, and then road this road bike a half dozen times before the race. I really need a better bike (doesn't everyone?). The boss has given the ok for a decent road bike. :) Transition 2
Comments: No problems. Ran immediatly after getting off the bike and through to transition. What would you do differently?: Maybe learn a better dismount.  Run
Comments: My plan was to do the first mile in running zone 3, then the second in zone 4, the third in zone 5a, and then sprint to the finish. Well I came out of transition in zone 5 and spent the first mile getting it down into zone 4. After that, I followed my plan. The best part was that the transition to running was easy! All of the brick work paid off. I had been worried that my back would be tight. Thankfully, I didn't have any problems. I love running, so I'm glad it comes at the end of the event. What would you do differently?: I could have run the whole thing in zone 5a. I had more in the tank when I finished. I would not have tried to drink anything at the water stations. I knew that I didn't need it for a 5k, and it just reminded me of how hard it is to swallow while you run. Post race
Warm down: Just walked around and basked in the glow of this accomplishment. Found Evan, high fived, then drank a pint of recovery mix. Met up with maxmattmick, TRIBMAC, and kleinrider. Great guys!!! Drooled over kleinrider's Cervelo and thought that maybe my roof really wasn't so bad. What limited your ability to perform faster: Well, it's probably obvious from my pictures. I've got at least twenty to thirty pounds of excess baggage on me. I'm thinking of it this way: most of the things that help you race faster cost money, except losing weight! You actually end up saving money 'cause you don't spend as much on food. So the best overall addition to my triathlon arsenal is the subtraction of flab around the abb! Event comments: This was a great race. As several people had mentioned, it was a good one to do as a first tri. My only negative on it was the pre race communication. There was no web site for information, and emails kept getting bounced back from active.com. Other than that, it was near perfect! Profile Album Last updated: 2005-01-19 12:00 AM
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 2005-07-10 10:54 PM |
 Philadelphia, south of New York and north of DC |  Subject: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! |
 2005-07-10 11:25 PM in reply to: #194435 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2005-07-10 11:52 PM in reply to: #194435 |
| Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! WooooHooooo!!! Way to go Don! You're a TRIATHLETE!!!! Peeing in your wetsuit... too funny! I like the camping out thing. Adds to the whole experience. You did a great job, you should be very proud (I am  ) Chris |
| 2005-07-11 7:44 AM in reply to: #194435 |
Not a Coach 11473    Media, PA | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! Awesome Don! Congratulations you triathlete, you! |
| 2005-07-11 7:58 AM in reply to: #194435 |
Master 1699 Malvern, PA | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! Great job! Great feeling isn't it? It was nice meeting you and your son - picture looks great! Look forward to meeting up with you again! |
| 2005-07-11 8:39 AM in reply to: #194435 |
| Veteran 244 Back of the pack breathing hard | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! Congrats. I ran this one as my first as well. So hooked. What a great little town to host this Tri. Can't wait to come back next year. Hope to see you at the Brigantine one in Aug. T |
| 2005-07-11 11:19 AM in reply to: #194435 |
| Veteran 250 Florida! | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! |
| 2005-07-11 12:12 PM in reply to: #194435 |
Pro 4228 Broomfield, Colorado | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! Don, what an awesome RR! I love the comment about peeing in the wetsuit too! you crack me up. You did awesome in the race! Very impressive! |
| 2005-07-11 1:05 PM in reply to: #194435 |
| Elite 3020 Bay Area, CA | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! What a great report, and what a great first experience. The "washing machine" is a trip, isn't it? |
| 2005-07-11 2:12 PM in reply to: #194435 |
| Extreme Veteran 492 Home port | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! Great job, I didn't realize it was your first race. It's kinda cool to meet other BT'ers at a race. Maybe I'll run into you at Brigantine, it is run by the same director. Btw, I got an email from Sean Clancy(director), asking us to call the Mayor of Mays landing to tell him not to cancel next year's race. His name is Mayor Sacchinelli ph# is 1-609-625-0370. Bmac |
| 2005-07-11 3:31 PM in reply to: #194435 |
| Master 1668 Cinnaminson, NJ | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! Don great race, and funny report... it was nice meeting you and everyone else.. thanks for the kind words about my bike. I've drooled over other peoples bike, but i never know anyone to drool over mine, so that was fun to hear |
| 2005-07-12 12:38 PM in reply to: #194435 |
| Master 2233 Mechanicsburg, PA | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! Great report and an AWESOME first race Don!! Looks like all of your training has paid off in good measure. I guess this means that you're addicted now?? -Frank |
| 2005-07-12 4:18 PM in reply to: #194435 |
| Regular 87 Jackson, MS | Subject: RE: Lake Lenape - My First Tri! Great report and smart race...way to stick to your plan! Good luck in your next race. ch |
| General Discussion-> Race Reports! |
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Sunny
Overall Rank = 328/415
Age Group = 45-50
Age Group Rank = 32/36
I was appropriately nervous and excited the day before. I was glad I had seen the Philly Tri two weeks ago, so I had an idea of how things would go at a race.
Good Omen#1 - Got a yellow swim cap at registration. I'd torn my one and only cap, a yellow ,one the week before and I really miss it. The yellow cap went with my yellow bumble bee QR tri suit.
Drove the bike and the running route.
Good Omen #2 While buying bannanas at Wawa (think high end 7/11) I heard Bachman Turner Overdrive sing:
"You ain't seen nothin yet
B b b b b baby you just ain't seen nothin yet
Here's something that you'll never gonna forget
B b b b b baby you just ain't seen nothin yet"
Hadn't heard it in a looong time, which is probably a good thing. My mid-seventies high school football team used that song to get psyched up before games. We use to sit in a kid's basement the morning of a game and listen to it over and over before heading out to school to get suited up. Went undefeated in our devision for two years using that strategy.
Sang it in my head on the rest of the drive while my son played hip hop on the radio.
Camped out with my son Evan at Belleplain State Park. It was a beautiful night out. Heard bullfrogs all night that sounded like air nail hammers shooting roofing nails into shingles. Reminded me that we need a new roof more than I need an aero tri bike.
Sleeping out got me in the mind for an adventure.
Woke up at 4:30. Took a walk. Woke Evan up. Ate a clif bar and a banana. Drove to the race.
Set up my transition area just like I learned here on BT. Guy next to me thought I'd been doing this for years. It was his first tri as well. Told him about the riches to be found here on BT, and lent him a towel so he could wipe his feet during T1.
Walked around with Evan, just taking in all of the sights. He was amazed by it all.
Met BrianPBN. Really nice guy and a font of good advice. He ended up placing third overall in the race.
Also ran into the dad of a grammar school classmate of Evan's. His son was doing his first tri as well. The kid came in forth in his age group. Probably would have placed except that he waited for a friend to finish the bike leg before he went out on the run. The kid's got skills.
Put on my wet suit and warmed up about 100yds.
I hadn't been in a Pine Barrens lake in a while. It's tinted brown. People call it cedar water, although I'm not sure the color actually comes from cedars. It's like swimming in tea. The light under the surface is beautiful. My arms were tinted a warm sepia. I could see my upper arms, and the numbers on them, clearly, and then they darkened until I could just make out my finger tips.
Ate a gel.
Learned a new pleasure: peeing in a wetsuit. Hope to enjoy this for years to come!
Saw that my heart rate had hit 120 just standing there. So I relaxed and got it down closer to 100
I was in the seventh wave. Recognized my step-son's lacrosse coach stading in the hole in my wave. Traded good lucks back and forth with the other geezers as we moved on deck and then into the water.