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Memorial Hermann Bridgeland Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Cypress, Texas
United States
Onurleft Event Management, LLC
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 25m 48s
Overall Rank = 539/1178
Age Group = F 35-39
Age Group Rank = 23/82
Pre-race routine:

I'm not a pro triathlete, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.
Up at 4:00, dressed and headed to the race site. Ate bagel w/cream cheese at 5:15. No Gatorade...hoping to resolve the GI issues I tend to have to deal with every race day.
Event warmup:

Jogged 1 mile...but stopped and stretched with Nik at 1/4 and 1/2.
A very short swim about 30 minutes before our wave went off.
Stretching while waiting for the wave.
Swim
  • 11m 1s
  • 547 yards
  • 02m 01s / 100 yards
Comments:

Got off to a very good start. Was pushing the pace and trying not to get lulled into easing into a comfortable pace, which has been the story of my swimming this season.

First 200 was good, then I had to deal with a zig-zagger who repeatedly whacked me in the head with every stroke near the second buoy. I was trying to stay in a positive mindset and not let little things frustrate me in this race, so I stopped, let her go on, and found some clear water to work with. Nik was on my feet and then actually passed me for a little bit, so I had to make sure to regain lost ground and get back ahead of her.

Had to maneuver through some red and powder blue caps after the turn, but not too bad. Just never regained the early momentum, but still 9th in the AG, so not completely disappointed.
What would you do differently?:

Be more aggressive holding my line, but in the interest of remaining calm, not extremely necessary. Just learn to make up for it on the bike and run.
Transition 1
  • 02m 22s
Comments:

Felt like I was running a half marathon from the swim exit to my bike!

Not too bad considering I wasn't really hustling. Could be better, but can't they always?
What would you do differently?:

Run faster into and out of transition.
Bike
  • 40m 18s
  • 13 miles
  • 19.35 mile/hr
Comments:

Another race goal was to push as hard as possible and see what was left for the run. Was hoping to average 20+. Unfortunately, the Garmin has been PMS-ing, or something, and decided to inaccurately display mph (and never more than 7.4mph). Even worse, it would frequently auto pause and auto resume, so at 5 miles into the race I had only traveled 1 mile. Ugh. So I truly was riding blind and going by feel. Considering that, 19.4mph isn't too shabby.

Had a woman in my AG drafting me most of the way, though. I won't go into details, but I am absolutely certain of this. Very frustrating. And then with 3 miles left, of course she passes me. However, I think race karma arrived on the run, as I was able to pass her and finish ahead of her in the AG.
What would you do differently?:

Keep pushing harder and keep training hard on the bike. It's starting to pay off.
Transition 2
  • 01m 55s
Comments:

Was pretty deep into transition, so it took awhile to get to the rack. All things considered, not too bad here. However, I almost took off with my flat kit in my back pocket, so I had to retreat and toss it on my towel. Maybe cost 15".
What would you do differently?:

Keep hustling and not be Forgetful Frannie about the flat kit.
Run
  • 30m 10s
  • 3 miles
  • 10m 04s  min/mile
Comments:

Not what I was expecting...pleasantly surprised. Went out the first mile sub 10'...and figured I would see the next couple of miles 11'+ (which always seems to happen to me at this race). But I was able to hold my laps consistently, and even had a nice kick at the finish. It hurt, but I was shooting for 30' or faster. Disappointed I couldn't close the deal, but still, for such a hot and un-shaded run, can't find too much to complain about.

Did have one small moment of side stiching, but it passed relatively quickly, and was nowhere near what I usually deal with in races.

Caught Nik at 1.5 mile mark. She had to pack it in with the injured hamstring and resort to jog/walk. Tough to see her suffer, and very strange to have to wait for her at the finish. Probably the first and last time that will happen.
What would you do differently?:

Keep running...training and pushing. It's not rocket science.
Post race
Warm down:

Tried to find my name amongst the 1,100 on the resuts board...no luck three different times. Waited for Nik to get a massage, then all the food had run out.

Didn't even put on dry clothes. Just packed up and headed back for my long anticipated post-race Holiday Inn Express shower.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

A little complacency in the swim, but otherwise, nothing. Going into the offseason on a positive note.

Event comments:

Not a bad race. Better this year with a little smaller field, or at least it felt better and smaller.

Nice attention to details...for the most part, the little things are well tended to. Especially loved the cold bag of ice at the finish line. Perfect!

Results postings could have been better.

Had to fight off a family of ants at my transition area. Nothing like a fire ant bite between the toes first thing in the morning.

Waves were later than scheduled due to the change from 4 minutes to 5 minutes between waves. Instead of going off at 7:34, our wave was closer to 7:55. Makes for a hot day out on the course.




Last updated: 2012-05-24 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:11:01 | 547 yards | 02m 01s / 100yards
Age Group: 9/82
Overall: 82/1178
Performance: Below average
Suit:
Course: manmade community lake...about 300m out, then dog-leg right to the finish another 200m.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:22
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:40:18 | 13 miles | 19.35 mile/hr
Age Group: 25/82
Overall: 82/1178
Performance: Good
Thanks, Garmin. No clue what my splits were, but I am certain I did more than 2.25 miles in 25:51 for a whopping 5.2mph average like you said I did.
Wind: Little
Course: Loop course...lots of long straightaways with a couple of tight u-turns.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills:
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:55
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:30:10 | 03 miles | 10m 04s  min/mile
Age Group: 41/82
Overall: 82/1178
Performance: Good
9:55 10:12 10:05
Course: loop course throughout neighborhood...no shaded trail this year. some undulating sidewalks and a nice "hill" on the turn to finish.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2012-08-05 8:34 PM

Extreme Veteran
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Subject: Memorial Hermann Bridgeland Triathlon


2012-08-06 8:34 AM
in reply to: #4348210

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Extreme Veteran
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Houston
Subject: RE: Memorial Hermann Bridgeland Triathlon
I saw Nik, but missed you pre-race.  I was shouting for ya at the finish line - you looked great!    Hope to see you soon.  I am feeling more special about my overnight in Austin tomorrow since I am staying in a Hoilday Inn express.
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