T-Gator Series - Race #3
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T-Gator Series - Race #3 - TriathlonSprint
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Swim
Comments: The swim is a point-to-point swim and you can swim near the shore. In fact in a couple of areas there is a retaining wall and you can swim right next to it (or into it as I found out). Announcer says the race is about to start and everyone needs to back up. Next thing you know I am at the front of the line. He yells “Go” and we are off. I wait about 20 seconds for the folks behind me to go ahead of me and I start. Ugh, ugly swim. I sight decently at first and bi-lat breathing is working. But I am struggling to swim. About half way I am having harder time seeing down the way. I realize that my goggles are fogging up. I am thinking I should stop and clear my goggles when I found the retaining wall. Bounced off it out and all I could think was “Ouch that hurt” and “I hope no one saw that”. Immediately cleared my goggles and swam on. I never had to stop for a breath but it was way too much effort. Some contact with others but getting used to it. Finally get to the end, climbed up the ramp and force myself to run up the hill to the T1 timing mat. With dragging myself out of the water and jogging up the hill probably takes me 30 seconds. Transition 1
Comments: Cap and goggles off while I run down the hill after the mat, get to T1, helmet on, glasses on, grab bike and go. Almost collide with a guy running to his bike. Get past mounting line, semi-flying mount and I am off. What would you do differently?: Run faster Bike
Comments: Get up to speed, slip feet into shoes and continue. Being in the first wave means I am going to be passed by the fast guys. As I get passed I keep starting to accelerate but I hold off. I let my legs get warmed up and I can tell my speed is picking up. The Garmin is on the bike but I didn’t put it on. Just decide to ride without it. I get passed by others but each time it happens less and less and they aren’t passing me as fast. Finally I get passed by my rack mate with the dirty white bike and decide he is my rabbit. I pick up the pace and track him. I have to push harder but decide even if it kills my run I will not lose him. Hit the turn around and feeling good. Dirty white bike guy takes off and I am after him. We start passing people. Finally he passes another biker and slows up. That is my cue and I sprint passed him, never to see him again on the bike. At this point it is still rollers but more downhill then up. I shift to as high a gear as I can and go. Feels good and just go, look at me, I am fast! About this time I get passed by the first woman (and only women) on the bike. She is motoring and there is no way I am hanging with her. She goes on to take first in the women’s division. I just keep going and as I get close to transition I take my feet out of my shoes. Slow down, flying dismount and run into T2. What would you do differently?: Train harder Transition 2
Comments: Wasn’t sure how much of my legs were left. Decided to put socks on as I haven’t practiced running without socks. Shoes on, grab my running belt and hat and run out putting them on. Decided to run without the Garmin. Run
Comments: The run is an out and back. Except for the first .25 start and finish its all hills, really just one long hill. For about a little under 2 miles you are either running uphill or downhill. Head out and was about a 1/8 of a mile out when I first felt a little calf cramp. It felt weird, like my calf muscles were snaking around. I wondered if I could see it happening but about that time it cleared up. Passed a few folks and was passed by a couple including a woman that was flying, passed me like I was standing still. Chat with a couple of guys, joking that right about now it would be nice if this was a mini-sprint. As I approach the turn around there is an open water cooler but no one handing out drinks. You just grab a cup, dip it in and drink. Well, I grabbed a cup, scooped up some water, took a quick drink and before I could register how cold the water was in my mouth I dumped the rest on my head. OOoohhh baby, that was cold!! I started expressing how cold it was as an ice cube slide down my back. The guys behind were laughing as I stated a few unmentionables. Head back up the hill and as I get to the top and some guy passes me, I joke that I am going to draft off of him. I target him and try to match his pace. I just didn’t have enough left to keep with him and it turns out he was in my AG and beats me by 17 seconds. What would you do differently?: Train more Post race
Warm down: Drink lots What limited your ability to perform faster: Need more training Last updated: 2010-01-02 12:00 AM
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2010-07-12 9:15 PM |
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2010-07-13 9:59 AM in reply to: #2976694 |
General Discussion-> Race Reports! |
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United States
Lake Charles Triathletes
Overcast
Overall Rank = 61/93
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 5/8
Day before washed the bike, cleaned the chain and put on my wheel with cover. Quick test ride and everything worked right. Packed bags and ran thru pre-race visualization to make sure I had everything. Took front wheel off bike and loaded bike.
Next morning, up at 3:40, PB and diet Pepsi breakfast, loaded rest of stuff and left. As I was pulling out of the driveway I felt like I had left something. So started going thru everything I had to do once I got to the race. Okay, unload bike, put front wheel back…..ooops. Turn around and go back for front wheel I had left in the driveway. Headed back out and 2.5 hrs later I was at the race with time to spare.
Checked in, body markings, etc grabbed my stuff from the truck and headed to Transition. Once I got there I found lots of open spots (but no aisle end spots that I love). I stopped for a second and tried to find a landmark that would help me find my bike. Aha, a large tree right next to one row was my anchor. Grabbed a spot on that row and talked with those around me to make sure I left plenty of space. Guy next to me had a white bike and he hadn’t cleaned his chain recently. Note to self, avoid getting a white bike or clean my chain and bike a lot.
I set out my stuff near my rear wheel while my neighbors put their stuff by their front wheel, worked out perfect. Shifted to the small chain ring on the front, set my bike shoes for easy entry, and helmet on seat with sunglasses on top. I decided to go sockless for the ride; I have been doing that for my training and worked fine. Put socks on top of my running shoes just in case I wanted to put them on in T2. Got my goggles out, decided to go with the tinted ones even though there was a little bit of cloud cover (my mistake). Garmin setup, took a gel, and ran thru my race routine.
Pre race meeting then the long walk to the swim start.
Waves were:
· 40 and over male, relay teams
· Rest of the males
· Women
My wave was first and I felt pretty good until I got in the water. Cloud cover was a little worse and I couldn’t see anything in the murky water. Tried to do a practice swim and could not find a comfortable stroke. Lined up where I thought was about 10 feet behind the start line.