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Nantucket Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Nantucket, Massachusetts
United States
Streamline Events, LLC.
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 39m 1s
Overall Rank = 461/790
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 52/89
Pre-race routine:

Up at 4:30 AM. showered, normal breakfast. Car packed the night before, so I just jumped in and drove just over an hour to the ferry terminal. Took the 8 AM to nantucket. half the boat seemed to be tri competitiors heading to the race. Found a couple of folks I knew and chatted away. Also made sure to hydrate often as we were in the middle of a heat wave (was 103 the day before the race). island high temp forcast was 78, but when we arrived at 9, it was already that hot. Not good.

Migrated about a mile down to the race site along w/ all the other folks. Checked in, set up transition, and checked things out. Had LOTS of time to kill so I did a bit of exploring around the beach, checked out the swim, etc. It kept getting hotter as well, and many folks were congrgating under the various tents set up at the race site. Race organizers had extra water out for everyone, and for the most part it worked out well.
Event warmup:

tried not to sweat to death. Did I mention it was hot?
Swim
  • 13m 54s
  • 586 yards
  • 02m 22s / 100 yards
Comments:

Swim start was a wade in type. It was an ocean swim, and due to low tide, we walked out close to 100 yards to a sand bar. started in line w/ the first bouy and mid pack. Course was a rectangle long sides out, short side between 2 bouys.

A big of the washing machine to start, and I felt good going out. Was kicked HARD in the right eye which caused me to stop and make sure my goggles were not broken. All was well, and I swam a tight straight line to the first bouy. Made the turn, and headed straight for the next turn. Passed a bunch of folks on the way, and made it to the final turn quicker than I expected. Made the turn back toward the beach, and this is where things went off the rails....

After making the turn, I had a good line in and swam in at a decent clip. I realized after a minute that I didn't sense anyone else around, and even worse, I could smell exhaust from a boat engine. I looked up and ralized I'd gone way wide left, and probably added 50 or so extra yards to the swim. Not happy about messing up my good swim, but went back toward where I should have been. I zig zagged a couple more times, and made my way to sure. I was happy with 2/3 of the swim, but the last leg really was a total FUBAR. The swim pace above is turtle-like, but somehow its in the top 1/2 of all participants. I was sure i was DFL. Long run out of the water to the beach due to low tide.

One good thing was getting to try out my new wetsuit. An Xterra Vortex 3 bought right here on BT clasified. It arrived Friday, and yes, it was something new on race day! ;). Fit great, felt fantastic, and could tell it helped me move quicker.
What would you do differently?:

Work on sighting. Sheesh... Giving this a below average for the mess at the end.
Transition 1
  • 04m 25s
Comments:

LONG run from water to transition. probably 1/4 mile. Suit stuck on heels but otherwise not bad.
What would you do differently?:

Run faster to T1?
Bike
  • 42m 32s
  • 14 miles
  • 19.75 mile/hr
Comments:

Happy with the bike. Felt good the whole way, and passed lots of folks. My time was good enought to be in top 25% overall, which is good for me. Tough headwind both ways on the out & back.

One funny bit -- about a mile from the finish, one of the ladies starts to go by me and says "Come on, buddy! I've been chasing you for 5 miles, and I finally got you!". So I immediately start riding harder and off we go. I asked her "so, we're going to blow up our run for this?". She laughed and said "Sure!". We sprinted in, and hit the dismount line.

I have to say I LOVE MY BIKE. It is just a fantastic machine to ride, and every time I'm on it, I come to like cycling more and more. the bike is my favorite part of the race. I want to get better and faster at it. BTW, did I mention I love my bike?

What would you do differently?:

Not much. Continue to work on bike fitness & be sure to drink more on the course.
Transition 2
  • 02m 37s
Comments:

Don't know why this was so slow. Shoe did come untied just before exit and I stopped to retie.
What would you do differently?:

get some yankz.
Run
  • 35m 35s
  • 3.4 miles
  • 10m 28s  min/mile
Comments:

Like my last race, a real slow run. The pace above is shockingly slow. What made this fun however was the incredible thunderstorm & rain which happened jsut as I started out. Parts of the course had puddles several inches deep, and the rain was like a fire hose. the lightning show & thunder just made it all the more fun :). It all ended by the time I was nearing the run finish. Crossed the line, grabbed a water, and wondered why I didn't run faster.

I seem to have some mental block that keeps me from trying to run hard. In the 2 races I've done this year, I just sort of shuffle my way through the run. Its partly, I'm sure, due to sagging run fitness mostly due to a sprint time injury that shelved running for 3 months. But I finished, and wasn't even breathing hard. WTH?? Maybe a big dose of HTFU is needed, and more running.
What would you do differently?:

Run fitness, figure out why I run like a sally. Get some mental toughness.
Post race
Warm down:

Weather was crazy during this race. started as blazing hot & humid, and ended 15 degrees cooler, and dry. Mother nature was having fun.

Had plenty of time post race to pack up, etc. Everything was soaked to the bone due to the rain. Headed back into town, explored a bit, then headed to the ferry. Ended up hanging out with 3 ladies on the ferry, all of whom had done the race (as had 2/3 of the ferry passengers). Had a great time, shared a couple beers, and talked about past/future races. Picture below

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of run fitness. Overall fitness, and mental toughness. (Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?)

Event comments:

Beautiful location. Mostly well organized. Not much in post race food, but I understand the local restaurants, etc made a stink about it -- they want the races to spend money in town, not get free chow at the race. I'd do it again, I think.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2011-07-07 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:13:54 | 586 yards | 02m 22s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/89
Overall: 0/790
Performance: Below average
Suit: Xterra Vortex 3
Course: Rectangle
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Bad
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:25
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:42:32 | 14 miles | 19.75 mile/hr
Age Group: 39/89
Overall: 85/790
Performance: Good
Wind: Headwind
Course: Long out and back through some stunningly beautiful parts of the island. Like riding into a 19th century time warp. some inclines, no big hills, etc. Roads closed, so it was nice not to have to dodge traffic
Road: Smooth  Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:37
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:35:35 | 03.4 miles | 10m 28s  min/mile
Age Group: 68/89
Overall: 82/790
Performance: Bad
Course: Winding course through part of downtown Nantucket, and a few neighborhoods. a couple small hills, but mostly flat.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2011-07-24 9:54 AM

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Master
3195
20001000100252525
Just South of Boston
Subject: Nantucket Triathlon


2011-07-24 3:40 PM
in reply to: #3612133

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Expert
1051
10002525
San Jose
Subject: RE: Nantucket Triathlon
Great job on the race Mike! 
2011-07-24 9:29 PM
in reply to: #3612133

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Veteran
940
50010010010010025
Citrus Heights, CA
Subject: RE: Nantucket Triathlon
Great job! I feel ya on the run--On my two races, I found myself saying--I probably could have ran harder if I wanted to. It is a mental thing. Nonetheless, even with the navigational issues, the swim looked good to me---and the bike leg: AWESOME!
2011-07-25 3:17 PM
in reply to: #3612133

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Master
1471
10001001001001002525
Dunedin
Subject: RE: Nantucket Triathlon
Great work!  Maybe instead of going hard the whole run, you can just negative split it?  Good luck at the next race!
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