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LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Austin, Texas
United States
EndorFUN SPORTS
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 02m 9s
Overall Rank = 182/1929
Age Group = F 35-39
Age Group Rank = 4/94
Pre-race routine:

Warning: Long Report!
Woke up around five, showered, and ate peanute butter and honey on a cinnamon raisin bagel. FriscoBob, Fitz, Todd and I left the hotel around 5:45. We got to the race site and walked instead of waiting for the bus. It was a long walk and thank goodness it was dark so I did not see the hills that I would have to run up later on. Did not drink enough water and forgot the water for my aerobottle in the cooler in the car. Not smart but did not want to go back. Got transition area set and waited around for the start.
Event warmup:

I said goodbye to the guys as they were in the waves in front of me. Talked to KSH and JBrashear, Tommy, Erin and Brittany right before the start

Forgot my water in the car so I was a little nervous because all I had was the ice in my aerobottle and the ice in another bottle. I combined them since it melted and had just my aerobottle. (little panic)
Swim
  • 30m 13s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 26s / 100 yards
Comments:

I started the course on the right hand side in the 3rd row or so. This was an excellent starting place as there was not much traffic. Swimming is my major weakness so I started behind TexasMPgal- Brittany, knowing that she is a strong swimmer. I would have liked to draft off her but she took off and I was in my own little world after the start. I drafted several times but then would pass them and move on to the next person. Several times there was nobody around. One of my goals was to push it harder in the swim. I know the difference would only be a minute or so but I knew that I could suck it up and do it. In fact, kept on thinking,-after this my upper body can rest so now is the time to go for it! I passed several blue caps after the first turn and was very happy about that. I stayed on track until after the 2nd turn when I kept on veering to the right. I saw the finish and could not believe that I was almost done. I swam right up to the very end because I saw people walking and they were not able to walk very fast. Looked down at my watch and was stunned. That immediately put a smile on my face. Yes, the course was at least 200 m short but even so it was a great swim for me.
What would you do differently?:

Warm up in the water. I need that warmup. It always takes me 500 yards to get comfortable!
Transition 1
  • 02m 34s
Comments:

I got out of the water and started running up the hill. Fitz yelled "go Jenny, Bob is 6 minutes ahead of you!" Got into transition, went to row H, ran down the row and panicked. I could not find my bike. I decided to just get my wetsuit off, think!, then I had to actually look down at my arm to see what my number was to find my stuff. SERIOUSLY! Major time waster! Had to go under the bar to get to my stuff. Threw my wetsuit down, grabbed sunglasses, put on helmet and grabbed my bike. RAN out of transition. With all that confusion, I had the 2nd best transition in my AG.
What would you do differently?:

Know exactly where my bike is and not panic!
Bike
  • 2h 41m 58s
  • 56 miles
  • 20.75 mile/hr
Comments:

I have this new love for the bike. A year ago when I started doing these tris, I fell everytime I rode. I absolutely hated it. Now, got a different bike and I have really love this part of the race. When I first got on the bike though, my HR was in the 180s. WAY too high, LT is 165. I felt good though so I knew that it would do down soon. There were tons of people in a clump that I just could not drop. Got to mile 5, put it in a low gear and I was ready for the sharp turn and the hill climb. I did get out of the saddle at the end then I saw Brittany and said hi. That was the beginning of the back and forth with her. It was awesome because I knew that she was a strong swimmer so I was happy that I caught up to her. But also I knew that she is strong on the bike so we would leapfrog the rest of the way. I love that...it helps me stay focused and not lose interest, make excuses or let my mind wonder. I saw FriscoBob at mile 8 and said hello to him. I came upon the water handouts and it was so crowded. I tried to get the water but it dropped. I was about to stop and the girl next to me gave me hers. Seriously - unbeleivable that she did that! (thank you!) I was going to have to stop because I was out of fluid. (Never go just aerobottle again -lesson learned!)
I had a great average for the first 20 miles and was constantly doing the math in my head of what I thought I could do. (thinking of all the bets we made at dinner) Around 20 miles, I was ready to get out of this crowded area so I pushed it for the next five miles or so. My speed was around 21 then I started to fade around mile 30. I always seem to not push as hard on rough roads too. I need to get over that. Around 40 or 45, I was starting to get energized again and I came upon a smooth surface. I pushed it and loved seeing 23-24mph for the next 5 miles and my hr was at 165. There was a tailwind and I took advantage of it. Around mile 50, I came upon a girl in my AG that dropped me back at mile 20. This gave me confidence to push it to the end. Brittany and I went back and forth, then I realized we were about to be at quadzilla and asked her if she was ready. She smoked it up that hill. I got up the hill and knew it was almost over. I felt like the bike portion went by so quick. Got my feet out of my shoes and was ready for the dismount.
Food intake: - 4 GUs, 1 bottle Gatorade, 4- endurolytes, 2 - bottles of water
What would you do differently?:

Have another bottle of water.
Transition 2
  • 01m 56s
Comments:

Dismounted off the bike and ran to the rack. Reset my Garmin as I was running and undid my helmet. Saw Brittany but don't think she heard me yell. I knew my feet had lots of dirt but it did not bother me on the bike so I was hoping that it would not affect my run. Put socks on, shoes did not go on smoothly but it was ok, grabbed hat, put electrolytes in pocket with a GU then took off. Got to the end of, the lane and had to run back to get my Garmin. I NEED MY GARMIN! That probably costs me 15 seconds.
What would you do differently?:

Need to work on T2. Always slower than I would like it to be. 14th in AG. Racing flats were hard to get on and forgot Garmin.
Run
  • 1h 45m 25s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 03s  min/mile
Comments:

I know how my body works and so my goal for the run was to start strong and probably fade latter. That is exactly what happened. I always feel great for the start and the run seems very efficient but that changes in the last lap. I caught Brittany and said good job, slapped the hands of disco volunteers directing us to the energy lab, saw Todd and Robin running together, who looked very strong, and I was just so happy to be out there on the last leg of a HIM. I could not believe how great I felt, I knew that this was not going to last but I was just so happy. Took a Gu at mile 3, drank lots of water, LOVED the cold towels and tucked one in my shirt, always had 2 sponges in my hands and constantly wiped my face. I saw Todd and yelled to him that he looked great and yelled back that he felt like sh--. I was concerned because I did not know what was wrong or if he was on his 1st or 2nd lap. Got to the downhill part of quadzilla and the guy next to me said, "this is an awesome downhill." I told him, "just wait." He later yelled "go girl, run up that hill," which motivated me.

I saw Pat at the start of the second lap and he cheered me on. This lap was very crowded which again motivated me to try to stay strong. My container of electrolytes slipped out of my pocket and my 2nd Gu was gone too. I was still feeling decent and started drinking more gatorade so I would not cramp. Did have several calf cramps but it went away. My pace had slowed by about 30 -45 seconds on my second loop but I was still hoping to meet my goal of 1:45 of the run. I yelled to ZiaCyclist and he put his arms up and looked liked he was having a blast. Saw Robin solo and she yelled that FastToad was cramping. FastToad and TeeCris looked good but they both had quad cramping. Caught up to both of them and they both were so encouraging, motivating me to try to pick up the pace. It did go through my mind at mile 10, that if I picked up the pace and did a 22 minute 5k that I could break 5 hours. Thst is doable but then remembered quadzilla and said forget it. Saw the electrolytes on the ground that I dropped 6 miles ago, stopped, but decided I was not going to bend down to pick them up. HAHA! Made it up quadzilla and knew that I was on the home stretch. Got to the sign where you either started lap 2 or finished and I kinda got teary. I got to the finishers chute, heard Pat yelling, and took it all in. I had the whole chute to myself and I was overcome with emotion! What an experience!
What would you do differently?:

Hold on to the electrolytes.
Post race
Warm down:

Hung out with Robin and Pat, got ice for my knee, cheered for Todd (Fast Toad or Ordinary Athlete) and Todd (teeCris) and Bob and took some pictures! I walked around a lot so I would not cramp up and then we got something to drink. Congratulated Brittany and saw many BTers hanging out! Checked out the results and waited around for the awards. (thanks Todd, Pat and Buehler for the whip of waiting around)

I got a Clearwater Spot for November 2009!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

More practice on the swim!

Event comments:

This was an incredible race with lots of talented athletes! Keith put on a top notch 70.3 and I was impressed with it!


Profile Album


Last updated: 2008-09-01 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:30:13 | 2112 yards | 01m 26s / 100yards
Age Group: 25/94
Overall: 774/1929
Performance: Good
Suit: wetsuit
Course: triangle
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 77F / 25C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation:
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:34
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
02:41:58 | 56 miles | 20.75 mile/hr
Age Group: 5/94
Overall: 302/1929
Performance: Good
Average HR 171
Wind: Little
Course: Outskirts of Austin. Some rolling hills, Quadzilla at the end (mile 55)
Road:  Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:56
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:45:25 | 13.1 miles | 08m 03s  min/mile
Age Group: 4/94
Overall: 143/1929
Performance: Good
Average HR = 184: not bad for me. I was expecting it to be higher than that.
Course: Hilly
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2008-10-07 11:00 PM

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Veteran
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Subject: LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron


2008-10-08 6:27 AM
in reply to: #1726040

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Elite
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Fishers, Indiana
Subject: RE: LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron

CONGRATULATIONS! You are such an incredible athlete! You ROCKED that course out there....you are super strong in all of the events and deserve that Clearwater slot! I look forward to tracking you at it next year! 

It was AWESOME to race with you out there, especially on the bike--I've never had such a solid performance and enjoyed it so much, and your attitude and smile on the bike attributed to that.  Sorry I didn't give you that draft on the swim!

Absolutely awesome race out there! You are an incredible triathlete and I cannot wait to see how you continue to get so much faster! You inspire me!!

2008-10-08 6:54 AM
in reply to: #1726040

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Master
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Frisco, Texas
Subject: RE: LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron

Awesome race, Jenny.  I know I've said this before, but, the first time I rode with you I thought 'she's got what it takes'.  Only a year into tris and you pull out a 4th and Clearwater.  These branded events aren't like the local DFW events.  The best of the best show up at IM events looking for Kona and Clearwater spots.  Or, they use these as tune up races for Kona and Clearwater. 

This was a breakthrough performance for you.  Congratulations.

2008-10-08 12:00 PM
in reply to: #1726040

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Regular
57
2525
Plano, Texas
Subject: RE: LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron

You went how fast? You placed where? And in your first year of doing tris?

You are clearly an amazing athlete with mad skilz and a drive to not only do well, but to kick some major butt!

Congratulations on a terrific race!

(I'm now going to pick my jaw off the floor and return to work)



Edited by Multi-Spork 2008-10-08 12:01 PM
2008-10-08 4:11 PM
in reply to: #1726040

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Champion
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Evergreen, Colorado
Subject: RE: LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron

Super spectacular!  SPEEDY SPEEDY!  Stupdendous!

Okay, I'm out of s words.  Congratulations!

2008-10-10 9:18 AM
in reply to: #1726040

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Veteran
101
100
The Colony, TX
Subject: RE: LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron
Sheez, 20+MPH on the bike and an 8 min average on the run? Did we do the same race or was there some all downhill bike and flat run course they forgot to tell me about? Congratulations on your placing in your age group and awesome race!


2008-10-10 11:58 AM
in reply to: #1726040

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Master
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Breckenridge, CO
Subject: RE: LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron
Wow. Fantastic. Really bummed that I didn't get to spend any time with you and Todd in Austin...
2008-10-10 6:47 PM
in reply to: #1726040

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Extreme Veteran
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Frisco, Texas
Subject: RE: LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron
you are amazing. i can't say it enough. i'm proud of you and proud to have you as my sil and training buddy. you're greatness!! congratulations on an amazing event.
2008-10-12 1:48 PM
in reply to: #1726040

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Expert
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Wylie, TX
Subject: RE: LongHorn Triathlon Festival - Half Iron

Great race Jenny. It will be fun to watch you go for a Kona slot at IMCDA!

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