Utsukushima Triathlon in Aizu
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Utsukushima Triathlon in Aizu - TriathlonOlympic
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![]() Swim
Comments: I tried to take it nice and easy in the beginning, but was frustrated by some of the swimmers nearby because they kept running into me. I swam with my face out of the water for the whole race - very comfortable for me, but not very fast. I cranked up my pace for the second lap and ended up passing 15-20 people. I did get in some good drafting, but also shied away during the 2nd lap after getting my sore finger kicked a couple times. What would you do differently?: Swim a lot more. This year has not been good for swim practice due to the earthquake and my finger injury. ![]() Transition 1
Comments: I did the jog up from the beach nice and easy and basically took my time in T1. My wetsuit came off really quickly, but I putzed around a little tucking it into my basket to get it out of the way. I had put my shoes/socks into a plastic bag to keep them dry and that took a little longer. I also wore bike gloves (first time for a race) to give me a little more protection around my right ring finger which was taped. What would you do differently?: Actually, not a lot. I could move a little faster, but I will take the extra time for the comfort of dry shoes/socks. I will probably also wear the gloves for my HIM, but only because of my finger. ![]() Bike
Comments: I was happy with my ride. I handled the u turns well and usually passed a couple other riders at those points by coming out of the saddle and quickly ramping back up to speed . The course ran through some rice fields and there were a few places where the headwind and/or cross wind were intense. It did drizzle a little every now and then, but that was about it. Nutrition/hydration: I put 2 gels into a normal size water bottle with about the same amount of water. I took half about 15 minutes in and the other half an hour in. I also had one bottle with 50% diluted sports drink and drank all of it over the course of the ride. This combination has worked really well for me at the Oly distance and I only end up taking in a little water on the run. I had some new toys for this race and I think they all helped a little: Rudy Project aero helmet, SRAM S60 front wheel, aerodisc cover on the rear wheel (a new DT Swiss rim with powertap). What would you do differently?: Nothing really. I think I hit a pace that was optimal for my run given my current endurance level. I know I have lots or room to improve on the bike and another year of consistent training should knock off at least 5 more minutes. ![]() Transition 2
Comments: Slow again. I had my running shoes/hat in a plastic bag and that cost me a few seconds. I think I was also a little slow getting the bike racked because the bike next to me was pretty tight. Anyway, I did take my helmet off this time :-) What would you do differently?: Just move a little faster. ![]() Run
Comments: I screwed up something on the garmin again trying to use multisport because I wore it on the bike too (and I really did not need it on the bike). Anyway, I did not end up resetting the garmin until about 4 km into the course. I started out at a pretty good pace and pushed until my breathing was rhythmic (two breaths out, 2 breaths in). 3-4 minutes out of T2 and a younger guy and his wife came past me at a slightly faster pace so I followed and tried to hold on. I struggled a little, but settled in and was hanging with them for about a kilometer. His wife dropped off and after another km or so I passed him. About 4 km in I decided to try and reset my garmin - it worked and I could see that I was holding a really nice pace ranging from 4:35-4:50 depending on the slope (never very steep, but even a gentle incline would push me towards 4:50). To make a long story short, I concentrated on keeping an even pace and held on wondering all the time what my pace was for those first 4 km. I know that the weather was the single biggest factor in setting a 10k PR, but I also think that the advice from Birdy to "run right on the edge of being crushed" helped a lot. I think I was pretty close to the edge and the cool temps allowed me to stay there. Nutrition/hydration: I drank about half a cup of water at aid stations 3 and 6. I walked about 15 steps or so while taking those drinks. No sports drink or gels. What would you do differently?: nada for that race. I am pretty sure that another year of consistent running will knock off a couple more minutes under those same conditions and will also enable me to run harder under hotter temps. ![]() Post race
Warm down: Drank some water, ate some watermelon and peaches (fantastic local produce) and watched the rest of the runners come in. It started to drizzle again shortly after I finished and continued on through the end. The parking lots were blocked by the course, so nobody escaped until the last finisher came in. Event comments: They did a great job on the race organization. If they had used the previous course, I would have given them a 4 or 5 this year. Last updated: 2011-08-26 12:00 AM
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Japan
The Fukushima Minyu Newspaper (JTU sanctioned)
16C / 61F
Overcast
Overall Rank = 118/403
Age Group = 50-59
Age Group Rank = 11/59
I got up at 3:30, got all my stuff in the car and grabbed a quick coffee. I then did the 2 hour drive to the race location, eating my normal pre-race bfast while driving. I don't think I will do this again - better to stay in a local hotel. It rained the whole 2 hours I drove and it was dark for at least an hour of the drive.
It continued to rain until we were allowed into the lake to warm up. The temp was a chilly 16 C (60 F) at the start of the race and warmed up to a high of 18 C (65F).
I spent 15-20 minutes in the water warming up and then stood around in the water for 10-15 minutes waiting for the start. My warmup was about right to keep me from getting cold before the start. There were some folks without a wetsuit and they were visibly shivering by start time.