General Discussion Race Reports! » MIT - Miami International Triathlon Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply

MIT - Miami International Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Key Biscayne, Florida
United States
Excel Events & Productions LLC
78F / 26C
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 19m 44s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 1/27
Pre-race routine:

This was our first race of 2008 and it seems like our first race in a long time (3 months) so I was much more nervous than I thought I would be. This race was also big race with over 1,000 competitors and top pros were racing too for over 30,000 in prize money.

Dante and I arrived in Miami Saturday to check- in our bikes at transition and check out the course and expo. The course was beautiful. The swim which is suppose to be .92 miles was actually a little short come race day but was in the bay and was clear green water and flat. The bike course was 24 miles on a two-loop course on the Brackenridge causeway with a big bridge that we would have to go over twice (so 4 climbs). In addition, the run was a 6.2 miles on a two-loop trail run in off a side of the key.

We woke up at 5:10, forced down some food, and headed to the race. Good thing we left early because parking was a little crazy. We got our numbers written on our arms and we had to put our ages as of Dec 31st, 2008 on our calves. Yup that’s right 30. This year I am in a new age group 30-35, I personally am not quite ready to identify with this age group but I couldn’t lie. Next we took extra time to set up our transitions because we were a little rusty having not raced in 3 months and wanted to make sure we had everything. Dante is my lifesaver here because I often can forget many things so he always double checks my transition and helps me pump air in my tires. Next, we pulled on our wetsuits, which took about 15 minutes of pulling and tugging to get them on. Dante again had to help me.

The races started at 7 am with the pros first so off they went and boy are they fast. Then the elites took off and next the age groupers. I was really nervous at this point because this race was my first race using my new wet suit and my new bike and new race helmet. So my tummy was flip floppy.

Swim
  • 17m 13s
  • 1575 yards
  • 01m 05s / 100 yards
Comments:

And Go . I ran and got a good dive into the water and started swimming. So far, the wet suite felt pretty good, earlier in the week the suit had really been bothering my arms because it was so tight on my shoulders when I swam but I think we got it better this time. Ok so I am swimming and swimming and passing some people and feel pretty good. I round the last buoy and headed for the beach but for some reason I was way out wide and seemed like everyone else was closer to the right. I tried to angle more towards them and the beach and make my way end. After a few strokes, I looked up and I was still out wide. I don’t like this for two reasons. Number 1 I am probably swimming further than I need to, and Number 2 sharks (I would rather be in a group then by myself in case someone gets hungry). Anyway, so I make to the shore. With a swim time of 17:13. The female pros best swim time was 13:06 and the female elite best swim was a 16:04.
Transition 1
  • 02m 7s
Comments:

Ok I am up and running out of the water and have to get this wet suite off. Yes the one that took 15 minutes to get on. I release the zipper and work my upper body out of the suite as I am running. I get into transition and look for the tree that my bike is racked near (with over 1,000 bikes in transition I use landmarks to help find where my stuff is). I see Jessica Wald one of my competitors ahead of me. I sit down, pull off my wet suite, and tug at my ankles and the suite comes off with no problem. Great!! Grab my helmet, glasses and bike and go. I do a successful flying start (which means I put my bike shoes on while biking instead of before) on the bike and I am off although I can’t see a thing because my glasses are way foggy but they defog once I get some speed. T1 time 2:07
Bike
  • 1h 14m 16s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 20.08 mile/hr
Comments:

I love love love my new bike. It is so light and I feel so fast on it. The course took us right to the big bridge first and I did the climb in my big chain ring and realized at the top from the burn in my legs that I should have shifted to my small chain ring but I had 3 more climbs on the bridge to correct that. On the way down I actually stayed in aero and only kept my right arm out on the brakes but I barely touched them. This is a pretty big deal to me because I am a wimp when it comes to descending hills most people just tuck in aero and fly down the bridge at like 30 – 35 miles per hour but I am a scaredy cat.

The rest of the bike race was great I caught Jessica about half way thru the bike and got a pretty good lead on her. This was the first race where only one girl passed me on the bike course – usually a lot of girls pass me. So I really feel like the extra weight lifting is helping me get more power on the bike. I caught another girl at the finish of the bike and did a flying dismount (take shoes off on the bike) and beat her into transition. My final bike time was and I averaged according to my garmin 21 mphs, but the bike course was longer than 24 miles (25.86) so my bike time was 1:14:16. The female pros best bike time was a 1:05:12 and the female elites best bike time was a 1:09:11 .

Transition 2
  • 01m 22s
Comments:

Put on my sneakers, grabbed my visor and race belt and some GU snacks and was on my way to the run.
Run
  • 44m 47s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 07m 13s  min/mile
Comments:

I really wanted to average less than a 7:10 min/mile pace for the run. So I started off strong at a 6:54 min/mile and was around 7:08 for miles 2, 3, and 4 but then I started to hurt a little and thought to myself I am having a really good race and I don’t want to blow up so mile 5 I baked it down to 7:30 and the mile 6 I tried to finish strong and ended up running a 7:06 – not as strong as I would of liked. I ended up averaging a 7:14min/mile based on my garmin but the race has my time at a 44:47, which is a 7:22 min/mile but I think the course was a little longer than 6.2. The female pro best run time was a 37:42 and the female elite best run time was a 42:53.
Post race
Event comments:

I think if I had done a real taper ( I ran 16 miles on Thursday), which I will do for St. Anthony’s our nest race I might be able to get my run under a 7:10min/mile plus it won’t be on a trail and my dad will be there and I love to show off for my parents.

Because my wave started before Dante’s I got to not only see him on run and get some motivation from seeing him, (hopefully he gets some from seeing me too) but I got to see him finish and what a finish it was. Dante had about 1,000 meters to go and saw a Clydesdale ahead of him and Dante picked up his pace to a full sprint and I don’t think I have ever seen Dante move that fast. He passed the Clydesdale and the Clydesdale tried to pick up his pace to sprint Dante into the finish but he had nothing left and Dante cruised right in. It was exciting and it got Dante 3rd place overall out of all the 33 Clydesdale. We think it also might have torn Dante’s hamstrings because he was really sore for a few days after.

I ended up with a total time of 1:19:44, which placed me 4th if I had raced as an elite and first in my new age group of 30-35. Amy Plotkin, a 23 year old female form Miami beat me by 1 minute and 3 seconds she also beat me in Miami Man, the last race we did in November. Miami Man was the same distance as MIT and in Miami man she beat me by 4 mins and 20 seconds. So I am gaining on her and hopefully maybe if I keep up my training I can catch her next time we meet.






Last updated: 2008-03-22 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:17:13 | 1575 yards | 01m 05s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/27
Overall: 0/
Performance:
Suit: Wet suit
Course: I think the swim was a little short - more like 1100
Start type: Run Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 02:07
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:14:16 | 24.85 miles | 20.08 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/27
Overall: 0/
Performance:
Wind:
Course:
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 01:22
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:44:47 | 06.21 miles | 07m 13s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/27
Overall: 0/
Performance:
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers?
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5]

{postbutton}
2008-03-22 7:00 PM

Member
11

Subject: MIT - Miami International Triathlon
General Discussion-> Race Reports!
{postbutton}
General Discussion Race Reports! » MIT - Miami International Triathlon Rss Feed