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Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Olympic Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Lake Las Vegas, Nevada
United States
Sunset Racing
HOTF / 0C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 09m 29s
Overall Rank = 84/181
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 15/36
Pre-race routine:

Ate a bagel and downed some Gatorade at 5:00am, setup in transition at 5:30am, and then waited for swim start for an hour and thirty minutes at the Reflections Bay. (slight delay because of NBC helicopter and various logistics, I understand)
Swim
  • 28m 46s
  • 1320 yards
  • 02m 11s / 100 yards
Comments:

The swim went very well for me. I started out near the front and didn't have to worry about too much jostling for position. Compared to the rowdy sprint starts, I think our wave got off pretty easy. Heading perpendicular to shore to the first buoy, the water seemed calm and I got into a pretty good groove. The chop kicked up as we headed parallel to the shoreline, and as we came in from the swim, we started getting knocked around by some pretty impressive waves. (I mean, this is Lake Las Vegas.....who knew it could feel like the ocean?) I kind of enjoyed it and wished I could stay in the water longer, but alas, called it a day and finished off strong.
What would you do differently?:

We had a .27 mile run from the swim out to the timing mat up by the transition area. I was out of the swim in 26 minutes and sprinted uphill so I could have a decent swim time on the records.... In retrospect, I went a little too hard up this swim and really killed my legs and heart rate. So while I would change nothing in the swim, I would definitely be a little slower up the hill.
Transition 1
  • 02m 30s
Comments:

I'm surprised this was so fast. It seemed to go by in slow-mo. I sucked down a gel as I pushed my bike over the mat.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Bike
  • 1h 25m 35s
  • 21 miles
  • 14.72 mile/hr
Comments:

The bike is usually my strength, but coming out of the resort, I noticed that my inner thighs felt like jello. I've never felt that weak before, and it made climbing difficult. Granted, this was my first Olympic distance race ever, but I had trained almost twice the distance and pushed myself on hilly training rides before this....but I was not prepared. The 3 Sisters were evil and I actually had to hop off at one point and push my sorry butt to the top of the hill, head hung low in shame. I don't have a Granny gear, and my bread and butter on the bike is the downhill and the flats......so somehow walking didn't seem like the end of the world considering I needed my legs to make up ground for the remaining 12 miles.

After the hills, the bike went well for me. I stopped getting passed and I started making up ground on people. Not as many people as I would have liked, but at least I held off the rest of the pack.

The wind was pretty brutal out there and I could not stay hydrated despite drinking my water bottle and my bottle of e-Fluid. I finished strong, but desperately thirsty.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe get to Vegas a few days early and pre-ride the course to figure out how to climb those horrid hills! Also, drink more?? somehow.
Transition 2
  • 02m 14s
Comments:

I did remember to spray on some sunscreen and only missed a few small places...that was definitely worth the time, and I didn't feel like I lost too much considering I rubbed it in while running.
Run
  • 1h 09m 43s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 11m 14s  min/mile
Comments:

This was rough for me. I'd lost training time these past 3 months due to knee and hip flexor injuries, so although I had a 7-mile base and several bricks behind me, my "peak" week had left me pretty sore and the recovery was difficult. So heading off on this run, I let the atmosphere get me down. I was insatiably thirsty, had a horrible stomach ache, felt like dry heaving, and could not get my heart rate down. I had goose bumps all over and a splitting headache. What a wreck. I think I managed to run the first half mile, and then I hit the first big hill and decided to just scrap my run and try to survive. I ended up walking the uphills and then running the downhills and flats for the first few miles, taking time to drink copious amounts of water at the aid stations and taking advantage of the wet sponges when I found them.

Eventually, I settled down and was able to get back into my routine....run a mile, walk a minute. By the end, my legs felt very strong, but I was emotionally drained. It was a relief to finish my first Olympic triathlon, but also a humbling experience to have the run go so badly for me.
What would you do differently?:

Where to start?

First, I suppose I'd hope that I could train injury free so that I was coming into the race with a very solid base and a stronger run.

Second, perhaps my e-gel from right after the swim never digested on the bike? I'm not sure what happened there, but the stomach ache was pretty horrible. It went away with drinking more water, so maybe next time I will just carry my own water and not be at the mercy of the aid stations.

Third, I would adjust my attitude. Being out in the middle of the desert is maddening and it's so easy to let it defeat you. I need to approach the race with the same toughness I face training. In training, I push through so I can make it to the race prepared. Why I throw it all away in the race is beyond me.
Post race
Warm down:

I walked around for 10 minutes after the race and ran over to the paramedics to beg for BandAids for my blistered toes. :)

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My painfully slow run.

Event comments:

I suppose I am being hard on this race. They really tried hard to make it a positive experience. You can't beat the venue, the host hotel, or the organization of the pre-race. It felt like we were competing in an Ironman with the fancy bike check-in the day before and our small bags we were allowed to take in. Keith tried really hard to communicate with us via e-mail blasts, and I appreciated being kept in the loop about the race.

I understand why the race went off late, and aside from messing up some of my hydration and nutrition timing, wasn't that upset about it. I thought the volunteers were great, particularly out on the bike course. (I said good morning to everyone!) I loved the Aid stations on the run, but really wished there was one more out there. The wind and heat were tough for us out-of-towners, and I just couldn't get enough water.

My biggest complaint was with the run course. I understand that there wasn't much to be done with the bike course....but the run was so hilly that I really wasn't prepared for it. In fact, if I knew it was so hilly, I would have not signed up for the race at all because of my runner's knee and hip flexor strain. (Yeah, this race did wonders to my body) It was hard for spectators to get out there and then get to the finish line without them having to run the whole 10K, too. And trust me, the barren desert was the one place we needed the spectators the most.

So, while I love the all-women's race concept and enjoyed the big name sponsorship and pros that Iron Girl attracted, my experience in the run kind of marred my whole opinion of it. I probably will only return to this race if they change the run. If they do that, then I'll get my revenge on those Sisters then....




Last updated: 2008-01-07 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:28:46 | 1320 yards | 02m 11s / 100yards
Age Group: 13/36
Overall: 46/181
Performance: Good
Suit: full wetsuit
Course:
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 02:30
Performance:
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:25:35 | 21 miles | 14.72 mile/hr
Age Group: 13/36
Overall: 99/181
Performance: Below average
Wind: Strong
Course: Course headed out of Lake Las Vegas resort, down Lake Mead Parkway for a short distance, and then out into the desert on a bike trail called the River to Mountains trail. 3 Heinous hills in the first few miles of the bike trail (they are short, but the grades make them difficult), then there's a false flat for a few more miles until you hit the streets again for a fast, flat, and/or downhill course. One little climb back to Lake Las Vegas, and then a really fast finish.
Road: Rough  Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills: Bad
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:14
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:09:43 | 06.21 miles | 11m 14s  min/mile
Age Group: 24/36
Overall: 123/181
Performance: Bad
Course: I didn't have my Garmin, but we headed up past the developed portion of the resort into these hills that were covered with dirt-packed, gravel roads. These weren't small hills, either. They were huge, and there was not a tree in site. This was roughly 2/3 of the entire course. It was an out and back, and then the course snaked back through transition and followed the sidewalk all the way around the Lake to the Montelago Casino area, where we eventually found the finish line in a remote cobblestone street.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? No
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2008-04-14 10:45 PM

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Veteran
166
1002525
Douglas County
Subject: Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Olympic Triathlon


2008-04-15 3:27 PM
in reply to: #1338206

Pro
3715
20001000500100100
AZ
Subject: RE: Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Olympic Triathlon
Hey! Good job out there!! The desert IS brutal if you are not used to it!! Sucks the moisture right out of ya!!! This race was my first Oly LAST year!!  The bike was different, though.  We had to do 4 or 5 laps of those nasty hills there that your ran on and out to the hi-way and back.  But you are right....the hills on this course are killer both on the bike and run.  I was also having IT band issues as well.  I had signed up for this year, but did not go as it was the same weekend as Ironman AZ, and I wanted to volunteer and meet all the BT people who were in town.  It's a beautiful venue, though!!  Hope your legs get to feeling better and you are ready to go for your next Oly!!
2008-04-15 9:54 PM
in reply to: #1338206

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, North Carolina
Subject: RE: Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Olympic Triathlon

Wow!  You rocked that swim!  Congrats on a great race.  This was a tough course.  I liked the swim.  The bike was challenging.  The run just sucked!

I was looking at the results tonight and I noticed they've changed mine and now they have 180 participants instead of 144.  T2 times are completely missing right now.  Not sure what's going on with that!

2008-04-15 10:47 PM
in reply to: #1340877

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Veteran
166
1002525
Douglas County
Subject: RE: Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Olympic Triathlon

RMarzano-- I think they finally included the people who came in over 3:40 in the results, hence the changed results.  Looks like I moved up a position in my age group but down one overall....I noticed some funky bike times in there -- but the other times look accurate.  Perhaps in the next few days they'll get it straightened out!

 

 

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