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Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance - TriathlonOlympic


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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC
70F / 21C
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 42m 13s
Overall Rank = 109/609
Age Group = W30-34
Age Group Rank = 22/113
Pre-race routine:

We made a mini-vacation out of this race. Headed to the shore to hang out with my Parents on the boat Thursday. Then got up early on Saturday morning to watch Kevin (kcav) race a sprint about an hour from the beach house. Then headed to Philly for packet-pickup. Finished up the jam packed pre-race activities with a trip around SE PA looking for a Sprint store (slake's phone broke) and heading to EMS to get a new roof rack. Thinking we should have spent more time relaxing and less time rushing around...

Got up at 430 and drove from my Parent's PA house to the race-site. Parking was easy, and we decided to ride our bikes to transition, which must have saved at least 15 minutes. And it's all downhill so not a stressful ride. Got body marked, quickly set-up transition and then Slake and I got on the bus to the swim start. We really should have hit the porta-potties first, because I thought Slake was going to faint from the pain ;) As soon as we got to the water, we ran over and jumped in, and instantly felt much better.
Event warmup:

None. Hung out with Kristin after Slake left at 7:10 for his wave. Ours was at 7:35.
Swim
  • 24m 2s
  • 1640 yards
  • 01m 28s / 100 yards
Comments:

Started the swim pretty fast at the front of the line. Felt very strong. After the initial start, I slowed down and eased into a good pace. Found some feet to draft off of and just chilled for awhile. Going under the bridge was pretty cool. We used a large painted V on the side of the bridge to know which span to swim under. I started singing the Villanova fight song that my Dad likes to sing, "V is for Villanova, V is for Victory".

Looking at my watch as I turned the last buoy I knew this swim was pretty fast. Especially since my swim has been taking a major back-seat lately.
What would you do differently?:

Swim train more.
Transition 1
  • 02m 3s
Comments:

Good transition. Put socks on for the bike because of the pesky blister/cut on my ankle.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Bike
  • 1h 17m 30s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 19.24 mile/hr
Comments:

Really enjoyed the bike course. Right out of transition (after about a mile) is a nice long climb. Lungs were out of control.

I think I had an ok ride. A few problems.
1. I have not worn my HRM or Garmin for the last two races. So essentially I have no feedback to speed (I know not as good as power) or HR. I figured I would just "ride hard" and it wouldn't be a big deal. Well, I really felt that I loafed parts of this bike ride. I worked the hills and part of the flats hard, but there were many times that I would catch myself soft pedalling or just "chilling" instead of racing. If I had HR (or speed) in front of me, I think this would be different. When riding without "stats" Slake says I slow down and when he tells me our speed, I speed up right away. Guess he was right ;)
2. I was in the 8th of 11 waves and the course was just so so crowded. This race was a big TNT event, and many of them just didn't have the bike skills for such a technical event. Many times I would be crowded to the left by a newbie biker (or just a slower biker clearly blocking) and then have a FAST guy pass me at 5-10mph faster (on a downhill) with only a few inches of clearance. The course is either flat and fast or up and then a few CURVY downhills. The course is closed, but just too crowded. There where instances where some bikers would ride the yellow center line down a hill where I was probably going 30 mph, with other bikers going much faster. TNT is great, but some better training in bike racing would be helpful.

The first loop my legs were not there. But they came back the second loop and I probably negative split the loops.

It was an Eliteho-fest of bikes. This race was amazing. I have never been to a race where Elites clearly outnumber Cervelos, Felts... And when you pass or get passed by an Elite, everyone says hi to each other. I saw the guy (bf of a girl I know) who rides a hot pink Elite (with hot pink handlebar tape) and races in a Splish hot pink speedo bottom. Fun times :) Also saw the mechanic that built my new bike up from the Elite shop who was racing a relay on a sweet Elite Joule Carbon. David and Chrissa were great cheerleaders out on the course :) Crowd support was amazing.
What would you do differently?:

I still need feedback for my performance, so wear my Garmin. Execute.
Transition 2
  • 01m 40s
Comments:

Fast transition. Came into transition with at least 20 people within 15 secs. That is insane.
What would you do differently?:

-
Run
  • 56m 56s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 09m 10s  min/mile
Comments:

First 1/2 mile were awesome. I was running strong with a quick cadence and passing people way more than I was getting passed. Then the stomach cramp started. It was the side stitch from hell. I wonder if I had stopped, walked, and twisted around would have fixed it. Dunno, because I just kept going.

Legs felt strong the whole time and the stitch finally went away around mile 4.5. Not enough time to meet my goal, but I do think I sped up for the final portion of the run.

Again, even with the side-stitch, I apparently had no clue how fast I was going. I hit mile 1 around 8:45. I was pretty sure that I was at least 8:15 pace. Maybe wearing the garmin/hr would have helped my pace, and help me use a better effort level.

At the end of the run, I felt I could have run several more miles at that overall pace. That is not how you should feel at the end of an oly.
What would you do differently?:

Execute.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked a bit and Slake ran up to me almost immediately. We chatted for awhile, then found David and Chrissa and joked with them. Slake explained the Elite he wants David to make for him, so now it is set in stone ;) A Maroon/Orange VT bike and David recommended putting a VT symbol in the paint job. I recommend a castrated Chicken ;) haha.

Got some food, chatted with Brad, and got our stuff. Next we sat in the sun and watched the award ceremony. Mostly because they were giving away a 4000 dollar bike at the end ;) Riding the bike back up the hill was the warmdown.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Execution. And possibly racing too much. I am mentally a bit out of it, and wasn't even that excited to race.

Event comments:

Awesome race. Organization up there with the best race I have ever done. Post-race food was money - great harvest bread with honey/PB, tomato pie (YUM), big hoagies, cookies, bananas and yogurt. Lots of volunteers.

At the award ceremony we learned that the race earned 75,000 for Childhood Cancer at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and that the TNTers in the race earned 800k+. That is some cool stuff.




Last updated: 2007-11-02 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:24:02 | 1640 yards | 01m 28s / 100yards
Age Group: 7/113
Overall: 0/609
Performance: Good
Swim was actually around 22:30 when I got out of the water, but there was quite a run to the timing mats, including some deep sand right outside the water.
Suit: sleeveless
Course: Point to Point
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 73F / 23C Current:
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:03
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:17:30 | 24.85 miles | 19.24 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/113
Overall: 0/609
Performance: Below average
Wind: Little
Course: Awesome loop course that is both fast, and techincal. Closed course which is awesome.
Road: Smooth  Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 01:40
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:56:56 | 06.21 miles | 09m 10s  min/mile
Age Group: 46/113
Overall: 0/609
Performance: Bad
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2008-06-23 7:41 AM

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Elite
2844
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Reston VA
Subject: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance


2008-06-23 8:41 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Master
1420
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Reston, VA
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
Nice job Shelly.

Your swim time was very fast and you were close to 20 on the bike even with the blocking and congestion. Your run is coming along as well.

Plus it sounds like the food was much better than your last race.

2008-06-23 8:47 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Extreme Veteran
398
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Sea Isle City, NJ
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
Great job out there. A great day for a race. I think the timing is still a little screwed up. They changed my times 4 different times yesterday. They are pretty close now to the overall time I had on my watch but I believe they are still off on the splits. I looked at my watch when I came out of the water and it said 24:03...it said 24:13 when I crossed the mats just prior to the transition area. They have my swim time as 24:41. They have my overall time as 3 secs slower so basically they have my swim time as 30 secs slower. I think they added it to the run for everyone. My run time seems a bit fast, but after crashing on the bike (Black Road) and it being late in the race, I couldn't remember what my watch exactly said. The run to the mats was not extremely long where your time should be minutes slower than when you exited the water. Just my thoughts. Overall I always enjoy this race as well. Great volunteers and everyone racing seems to be in a good mood and cheering each other on. Great job!

Edited by Monty 2008-06-23 8:48 AM
2008-06-23 9:12 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Master
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Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
Some days you there, some days you not.. today we weren't.. but a good time nonetheless..  and the venue was really cool.. good job out there..  still kicking a$$ and taking names
2008-06-23 9:22 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Veteran
149
10025
Quebec city
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
Good job and a SOLID swim!!!
2008-06-23 9:32 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Extreme Veteran
543
50025
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance

Sounds like the biking in the crowd was a Btich, you still did a great job.

Sorry to hear the races are burning you out, time to chill a bit and get back to enjoying the training time without pressure 'eh.



2008-06-23 10:03 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Master
1565
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SMIBville
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
solid work.  now its time to rest, rebuild, and recharge for the Timberman. 
2008-06-23 11:58 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Cycling Guru
15134
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Fulton, MD
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance

A little bit of burn out settling in, but you still put up a solid time.

Relax, take a little chill time and get back to just some fun training.

2008-06-23 1:31 PM
in reply to: #1482661

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Veteran
540
50025
Philadelphia, PA
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
good job ...the pink panther that you made reference to is none other than Pinky the Latin Espresso ...aka Ricardo Urbina ...only guy i have ever seen ride a pink bike but he is a strong rider and great athlete so its hard to make fun of him
2008-06-23 3:35 PM
in reply to: #1482661

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Expert
1205
1000100100
Herndon VA
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance

Hey Michelle,

Nice AG place even when you weren't at your best.  Don't you hate when fast swimmers about a 22 minute Oly swim.  Damn, that was fast.   Congratulations on a good race.

Ernie

2008-06-23 7:23 PM
in reply to: #1482661

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Sneaky Slow
8694
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Herndon, VA,
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
Still a good run despite the side-stitch.  Break time from racing, time to concentrate on Timberman!!  Nice job.


2008-06-23 7:39 PM
in reply to: #1482661

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Veteran
236
10010025
Reston
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
Nice, solid race!!
Thanks for finding me at the swim start...I think I managed to draft off you for less than a minute.

Enjoy training for fun before gearing up for T-Man.

Congrats!!
2008-06-23 8:14 PM
in reply to: #1484806

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Champion
9060
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Charlottesville, Virginia
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance

Good Job, super fast.

a Hokie is not a castrated turkey....Laughing

2008-06-23 8:48 PM
in reply to: #1482661

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Expert
1296
1000100100252525
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
Nice race. Ya know I think you were sitting right behind or near me and my family. Should have said hello but I didn't know if it was you!!

Congrats again.
Z
2008-06-23 9:29 PM
in reply to: #1482661

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Master
1652
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Reston, VA
Gold member
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
You did a great job considering all the elements. Me so proud of you.. Again
2008-06-24 8:08 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Veteran
214
100100
Barrington, NJ
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
Great job on Sunday.  Thanks again for coming out on Saturday.  After seeing that event on Sunday, its on my calendar for next year.  Hope you guys can make it up again in '09.


2008-06-24 8:25 AM
in reply to: #1482661

Champion
6539
5000100050025
South Jersey
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance

Great job, and I'm glad you enjoyed the course. Sorry I had to miss you guys!

 

2008-06-24 8:51 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Expert
623
500100
Wye Mills, MD
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance

Good race. Maybe not your best, but still a very solid time/placement. I think HRM would have helped ... and a thousand fewer people on the bike course. Sounds like you learned a bit along the way. Very nice!

2008-06-24 10:33 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Pro
4481
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Reston
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance

Surprisingly enough, Slake makes a relevant point.  Sometimes things happen that you can't control.  Maybe it was nutrition, or heat, or some nastiness you swallowed in the Schuylkill. 

You've made some big strides in your running (pun intended).  It's unfortunate that the day turned out as it did, but it doesn't diminish the effort you've put toward improving.  Go blast out the 4-miler this weekend, and then we'll get you going for Timberman. 

Good job, douche.

2008-06-24 2:43 PM
in reply to: #1482661

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Not a Coach
11473
5000500010001001001001002525
Media, PA
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance

Nice performance, especially as you weren't "on top of your game".  Seems like it just happens that way sometimes.  I'm sure you'll find your groove again and know you've got a better run in you when things do go your way just a bit.

Good to see you again.  Good luck at Timberman! 

2008-06-25 9:59 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Extreme Veteran
488
100100100100252525
Southeast, PA
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
sorry to hear about the side-stitch. I had one earlier this year starting the run on a sprint. they are no fun. Solid effort nonetheless and nice to meet ya!


2008-06-26 8:53 AM
in reply to: #1482661

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Extreme Veteran
471
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Northern Virginia
Subject: RE: Philadelphia Triathlon in Fairmount Park - Olympic Distance
nice job!

sorry you had a stitch on the run.
maybe you cramped from yelling to all the other elite ho's on the bike.
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