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Athens YMCA Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Athens, Texas
United States

72F / 22C
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 13m 27s
Overall Rank = 53/440
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 11/51
Pre-race routine:

Arrived at hotel around 6:00 Friday after driving down from Dallas. Checked in then headed over the free Carbo Dinner put on by one of the local churches. They did an excellent job -- very friendly people! Plenty of lasagna and fixins', fruit on table for next day, and a ton of very nice door prizes - workout bags, swim goggles, even a few Timex watches. Over dinner, got to talk with Roger, who's been doing the race for about 20 years, and David Jones, one of the elite triathles from the Dallas area.
Drove the course after dinner, then retired to the hotel and in bed by 10:30.
Woke up at 5:30, shaved, and had some orange juice and a half-ziplock of Kix cereal for breakfast.
Event warmup:

Half-mile run along the race course.
Several hundred yards swimming before race started, but nothing else closer to my actual swim start.
Swim
  • 05m 22s
  • 300 meters
  • 01m 47s / 100 meters
Comments:

I was seeded #171 on a swim estimate of 5:30. Despite lots of talk about people having submitted inaccurate seeding times, there really wasn't much bunching in the pool before I started. I heard that it got a lot worse shortly after my start, though.
As expected, I started a little fast and passed the guy (Austin) in front of me. However, he passed me back about 2/3 of the way through. Then we stayed even until the end and got out at the same time.
What would you do differently?:

Was focusing on balance, rotation, and good breathing (full exhale; rotate, don't lift head.) Need to get those down pat so I can focues more on consistent catch and pull.
Transition 1
  • 02m 5s
Comments:

One of my poorer T1 times. Was out door and past timing mat before I even took off goggle and swim cap. No harm, but must have looked a little funny.
Problems with shoes b/c of gravel parking lot. Wiped feet on exposed towel, but couldn't get dirt off, so I had to grab a water bottle and squirt feet. Got socks and shoes on, but then felt pebble in left shoe so had to take off and dump out pebble.
Running through transition with bike was good, and had a great start - jumping on moving bike and feet went right into cleats.
What would you do differently?:

Open top of the transition water bottle so it is ready if I need it.
Bike
  • 40m 53s
  • 14 miles
  • 20.55 mile/hr
Comments:

Did a good job staying aero the entire course. The chip-seal was rough, and my hands started going numb after a while.
The hills didn't affect me as much as I was afraid they might after scouting the course the night before. They were rolling, so my speed dropped a bit and I dropped to lower gears, but not steep enough that I had to come out of my aero bars. I pushed pretty solidly the entire course, passing a number of people, and I didn't get passed. That's not as surprising with the individual swim start, but still a good feeling.
It won't update the fields, so rankings are:
age group: 9 / 51
overall: 45 / 440
What would you do differently?:

Not much. I need to continue hill workouts for power, especially w/ Cactus Challenge in Austin coming up next. Also need to be careful of my pacing, especially for Olympic races. This pace would probably be too hard for that distance.
Transition 2
  • 00m 31s
Comments:

Excellent dismount and speed to rack. First one back to my rack, and when I threw bike on rack, the entire rack shifted, so I had to pull the rack back into place. The 4th best T2 time overall!
What would you do differently?:

I need to consider slowing down in T2 so that I have a better run. (lower starting HR)
Run
  • 24m 35s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 07m 54s  min/mile
Comments:

I had a rough start, possibly because of the very fast T2. I didn't feel strong on the starting uphill, and was fighting off a cramp in my ribs. (fortunately, I didn't end up walking). The person that left T2 in front of me was running at almost an identical speed, although I managed to catch him around the 1 mile point and ran the rest of the race with him. We picked up the pace slightly after the turnaround, and sprinted the final downhill back in the park.
What would you do differently?:

Slow down in T2. I think I could have held a slightly faster pace, but I am more consistent when I'm running with someone else.
Post race
Warm down:

Congratulated the guy I paced with most of the run. Downed a bottle of water and an orange slice. They even had baked potatos and condiments, but I skipped them. Chatted with various folks for a bit, including one of the other Team Javelin guys at the race. We cheered for the third guy as he left T1. (yes, there were still swimmers starting at this point.)
I decided to do a second lap of the run course for extra exercise, but kept a slower pace (28 min) and shouted lots of encouragement to everyone on the way.
Since it was a YMCA facility, we had access to the locker rooms, which meant a nice shower and clean clothes before starting the drive home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

This was supposed to be a 'C' race, so I didn't taper leading up to it, although the preceding week was the recovery week on my scheule and Friday has been rest day.
Swim speed is a weakness for me, but I really lose time on the run. I need so more bricks to east that bike-to-run transition, and then work on run speed and pacing.


Event comments:

Very well organized, lots of volunteers. Baked potatoes were a unique post-race option. Would be wonderful if highways had not be chip sealed, but you can't fault the race directors too much for that.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2006-03-11 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:05:22 | 300 meters | 01m 47s / 100meters
Age Group: 15/51
Overall: 105/440
Performance: Good
Suit: Tri shorts and top
Course: 6 lane snake swim. Jump-in entry at shallow end (3.5').
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 02:04.9
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Below average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:40:53 | 14 miles | 20.55 mile/hr
Age Group: 9/51
Overall: 45/440
Performance:
Wind: Some
Course: Out and back on shoulder of highways. Some mild rolling hills. However, much of surface had been chip-sealed by highway department, causing *lots* of vibration. Good traffic control, and I noticed extra signs posted to warn drivers at all highway entrance/exit points that weren't actively being controlled. One water handout (cups, not bottles) at turnaround.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence: 95
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:31.3
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:24:35.2 | 03.11 miles | 07m 54s  min/mile
Age Group: 12/51
Overall: 88/440
Performance: Below average
Course: First 1/4 mile is an uphill grade, through the part, then out onto asphalt streets where flattens for a bit after that. Slight downhill grade before the turnaround.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2006-03-12 11:40 AM

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Subject: Athens YMCA Triathlon


2006-03-12 12:44 PM
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