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Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes Triathlon - TriathlonSprint


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Wyckoff, New Jersey
United States
Wyckoff Family YMCA
Total Time = 2h 08m 7s
Overall Rank = 405/663
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 42/58
Pre-race routine:

Woke up a 3:30 took a quick shower and made a bagel w/ peanut butter b/c that's all I could make at the time and it seems to be a popular breakfast from all the other race reports I've read. Got half way to the race before I realized my directions were cutoff on the right side, so I didn't know if I should make a right or left when I got off the highway. I guessed right and was wrong. Drove a round for a few minutes until I found someone to ask for directions. Finally got to the race site around 5:15 and set up my transition. I'm so glad that I found this site, there are so many little things that I learned from other people's race reports and posts that it made me that much more prepared and less nervous than if I had gone into this cold. That being said I still forgot my water bottel and towel. So I quickly called my parents who were just getting ready to leave the house and told them what I needed.
Event warmup:

Ate a powergel about a half-hour before my wave, walked down to the water and swam 50yds.
Swim
  • 25m 42s
  • 880 yards
  • 02m 55s / 100 yards
Comments:

I completely blew up on the swim. Now I understand all of the OWS posts. First of I was totally intimidated by the lake. I never really thought about how far 880 yds looks when they are all in a row. I'm so used to swimming 25yds at a time. Then the black water and weeds didn't help the situation either. I tried to go out hard but after the first 100-150 yds my breathing was terrible and everytime I sited the bouy seemed to be getting further away. I actually started to panic. I thought I might DNF. Then I looked back and I saw a guy doing the backstroke then I looked over and saw another guy doing the sidestroke (which tells you how bad a swimmer I am) and they seemed to be fine w/ that so I flipped over on my back (thank goodness for wet suits, I need all the bouancy I can get) and caught my breath and a little bit of composure. I told myself that I knew I could swim the distance b/c I had done it in training, so I just leisurely finished out the swim using a combo of back, side and breast strokes.
What would you do differently?:

Swim, swim, swim. Also ows, ows, ows. I have to be come more efficient in the water I feel like and know that I am just thrashing about in the water and wasting a lot of energy and getting know where. Must get out and swim more ow. I have to get used to swimming out to the horizion or some other distant point, a 25yd pool is not going to cut it for me.
Transition 1
  • 02m 44s
Comments:

There was about a +200yd run from the water to T1. On the run I got my goggles and cap off and unzipped half of my wesuit. I saw my mom w/ the camcorder and she told my that dad had the stuff I forgot and was waiting along the fence by T1. 3/4 of the way to my spot I saw my dad and he trew my a towel w/ my water bottle wraped inside. Got to my spot, had plenty of room b/c there were less than 5 bikes left in my area. Washed my feet in tupperware container I brought. Got my socks out of the ziplock bag and baby powder and they slipped right on. Threw on my glasses and buckeled up my helmet.
What would you do differently?:

Overall happy w/ my time considering it was my first and I ended up ranking 277. One thing I would do is remember to put on my race belt, that came back to bite me later on.
Bike
  • 51m 39s
  • 17 miles
  • 19.75 mile/hr
Comments:

After blowing up on the swim I altered my race strategy a bit and decide to go little harder on the bike then I had origianlly planned and not worry so much about saving my legs for the run. This is my area of strength and I figured I need at least one part of this race to be decent.
What would you do differently?:

Go harder.
Transition 2
  • 02m 10s
Comments:

Came in got out of my bike shoe and pulled on my running shoes. The lacing system I got helped a lot. Grabbed my hat and took off. 1/3 of the way out I realized I didn't have my race belt and had to go back and get it.
What would you do differently?:

Remember to put on my race belt.
Run
  • 45m 52s
  • 5 miles
  • 09m 10s  min/mile
Comments:

I'm really happy with this time considering the strategy change I made on the ride and the fact that I have done zero brick training. My legs felt a little wobblely in the transition area but b/c my mom was taping me I pretended like I was ok. It probably took me 1/2 mile to really get into a decent stride. At around mile 2 a girl caught up with me and we started talking and pacing each other. We ended up running the rest of the way together. I think that is my favorite thing about the run, that you can meet people and talk and help each other keep pace.
What would you do differently?:

Run harder. Brick train so that I can start running harder sooner.
Post race
Warm down:

None. Ate a banana and packed up and drove home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

OWS.

Event comments:

All in all I have to be happy w/ the race b/c it was my first all of my times are PBs! And based on my times I am within range of meeting my goal of breaking 3hrs in the NYC Tri in July. That being said, I am very disappointed in my swim. I have to get more comfortable in OW, I know I don't have enough time to become a good swimmer this season, but if I can stay calm and be a little more efficent I can work my way from aweful to very bad. On the other hand I am very happy w/ the other two legs of the race. B/c of my swim debacle I now know that I can go pretty hard on the bike and still have legs to run, what is for me, a good pace. I also have to say that I have a new found respect for anyone who has even attempted a tri and especially for those who excel at them. The time and courage it takes to sign up for, train and complete even a sprint is significant.




Last updated: 2006-05-01 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:25:42 | 880 yards | 02m 55s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/58
Overall: 608/663
Performance: Bad
Suit: yes
Course: Counter clock-wise triangle lake course.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Bad Drafting: Bad
Waves: Bad Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:44
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
00:51:39 | 17 miles | 19.75 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/58
Overall: 180/663
Performance:
Wind: Little
Course:
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:10
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:45:52 | 05 miles | 09m 10s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/58
Overall: 479/663
Performance: Good
Course:
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5]
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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2006-06-20 7:10 AM


12

Subject: Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes Triathlon


2006-06-20 8:03 AM
in reply to: #459857

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Veteran
225
10010025
Parsippany, New Jersey
Subject: RE: Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes Triathlon
Ben,
Great meeting you at Wyckoff. Good report!! OWS will help, with you getting comfortable to stay with one stroke the entire distance.

Also great that your Parents were there. It was nice meeting them too. We did make a mistake, not having your Dad take a pic... Oh well.

I just heard that West Point is closed. Best of luck training the rest of the summer, and good luck in NYC.

Matt
2006-06-20 11:07 AM
in reply to: #459911


12

Subject: RE: Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes Triathlon
Matt,

It was great meeting you too! At least I have a face to put w/ a screen name. Too bad about the West Point Tri closing out, it sounded really cool.

-Ben
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