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Herbalife Triathlon Los Angeles - Olympic Distance - TriathlonOlympic


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Los Angeles, California
United States
Pacific Sports LLC
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 38m 13s
Overall Rank = 175/662
Age Group = 35-39M
Age Group Rank = 22/86
Pre-race routine:

Got up at 3:45am, ate a PB&J sammich with some coffee and banana. Caught a shuttle to the beach from the Staples center.Setup in the dark, took a dump (twice!).
Event warmup:

Ran 1/4 mile on the beach, and then swam out about 150 yards and back. The waves were getting gnarly - as in the sign of the things to come.
Swim
  • 36m 11s
  • 1584 yards
  • 02m 17s / 100 yards
Comments:

The waves picked up right before the swim was about to get started. The pros went into some serious chop, and some of them were struggling. My wave got held back by a minute or 2 because massive 8 footers had started hitting right before we were about to go in.

I managed to navigate the surf really well (thanks coach Clay) - I was ahead by 30 yards or so from the nearest blue cap when I was rounding the first bouy. Then the chop REALLY picked up and the rest of the swim was like through a washing machine. I've decided not to waste energy fighting currents here and there - I stopped kicking and swam the rest of the way at an easy pace. Caught a wave on the way back and it dragged me though the final 30-40 yards - nice!
What would you do differently?:

I decided to play it conservatively, and to spend my energy on the bike/run. Was not sure how it will feel scaling Bunker Hill twice - that was in the back of my mind too. Overall, I could have shaved off 5-6 mins off the swim time, but oh well.
Transition 1
  • 03m 25s
Comments:

Transition was not clearly marked and coming in from the swim, I could not see the rack markers, as they were facing away from me. The wet suit took a little bit of time to fit into the T1 bag.
What would you do differently?:

Lesson learned here - bring a bigger bag next time, to more easily fit the wet suit.
Bike
  • 1h 12m 10s
  • 24.86 miles
  • 20.67 mile/hr
Comments:

A memorable course, definitely a trip to ride the streets of LA with no traffic.

A little bit too chaotic in the downtown area, with the locals insisting on ignoring the road closures and crossing the streets at will. I found the course to be a bit of a bore towards the beginning of the second loop. It'd help to have a hill or 2 to climb and descend to shake things up.

I passed a lot of people, and got passed by maybe 4 or 5 peepz clearly looking very fit. Lots of people riding roadies and other odds and sods.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. Maybe go a little harder since the course is pretty flat overall.
Transition 2
  • 03m 28s
Comments:

The racks were labeled in the most confusing way possible (high numbers upfront, breaking at 1000 and restarting the low numbers). I overshot my rack and had to ran back to my T2 bag. 20 seconds lost easily.
What would you do differently?:

For this race, your T2 bag needs to be a backpack or something like that with a large zipper. This way it cam be easily opened and shoes/hat/etc can be accessed. Lesson learned, it was a dumb idea to use a shopping bag that had to be untied. Futzing with the knots and safety pins cost me another 30 seconds.
Run
  • 43m 1s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 06m 56s  min/mile
Comments:

Now for the real challenge! Two loops covering Bunker Hill - that's my type of a run. You climb 1.2 miles, then shoot straight down the hill, then repeat for a screaming descent to the finish line. I loved the run. Passed a ton of people and got passed by a few insanely fast runners. Respect! It was getting hot during the second loop, and people were slowing down quie a bit. Water stations were plentiful, I was impressed by the volunteers and their eagerness to help.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. The hills were not as bad as I thought. I could have pressed harder.
Post race
Warm down:

Walk around, get a cold towel, get the T1 bag and walk back to the T2 area to get the bike.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The swim was too conservative. I should have swam my normal pace. The bike can be pushed harder too. The first descent down Bunker Hill could have been done a little more aggressively.

Event comments:

Good race, a little pricey but well run and overall a good value for anyone in the LA area. A tough field too - Hunter Kemper did not even medal!




Last updated: 2012-10-01 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:36:11 | 1584 yards | 02m 17s / 100yards
Age Group: 45/86
Overall: 376/662
Performance:
Suit: Rocket Science full suite
Course: Rectangular course with 3 left turns. Swim out, turn towards the Venice pier, turn, turn, swim along the shore, turn right, swim back.
Start type: Run Plus: Shot
Water temp: 67F / 19C Current: High
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Average
Waves: Good Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:25
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:12:10 | 24.86 miles | 20.67 mile/hr
Age Group: 19/86
Overall: 164/662
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Steady climb towards the downtown area with a turnaround point. Some rollers here and there, but overall a slow climb that sort of grinds you down.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 84
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:28
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:43:01 | 06.21 miles | 06m 56s  min/mile
Age Group: 11/86
Overall: 111/662
Performance: Good
Course: Two loops covering Bunker Hill, a very pretty course IMO for an urban race.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %3
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:
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2012-10-01 5:54 PM

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