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Chinook 51.5 Triathlon
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Chinook 51.5 Triathlon - Triathlon
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 Swim
Comments: Last OWS (in September 2012), I got swept up in the moment -- started way too quickly, and ran out of steam very early. Did 80% breast stroke -- the goal this time was to have a successful, panic-free swim... What was the key? Proactively switching to breast stroke... anytime I had a setback -- before it got worse. Running out of breath, swallow some water, water in the goggles, need to sight... I switched to breast stroke, if only for a couple of strokes. Really helped prevent any minor setback from becoming something worse. May not be the fastest approach, but it worked like a charm. Having a strategy for dealing with setbacks made me way more confident about plowing ahead with front crawl. First leg was really busy -- lots of body contact nearly the entire way -- quite a pain to deal with. Things started to open up on the second leg, and for the third leg and the entire second lap, I was so alone I thought I was off course! Best feeling in the world was touching sand on the final lap.... I did manage to embarrass myself emerging from the water -- my legs buckled under for a moment, and I went down. No harm no foul -- but right in full view of the spectators, bad timing..... though Kim later told me that I wasn't the only one! What would you do differently?: Nothing. I was so happy with the swim, wouldn't change a thing. For next time, I need to practice sighting.  Transition 1
Comments: Wetsuit strippers! First experience with them... quite a nice touch, I must say... Kim was cheering me at the swim exit, and then again at transition. Otherwise nothing too notable here. Tried to slap on a bit of sunscreen, but I certainly didn't end up with 100% coverage! What would you do differently?: Arrive at transition earlier, and fully think through the placement of everything. I put the towel on bottom (with shoes on top), even though the towel is the first thing I want. As a result, I forgot to dry my left foot, which led to some issues during the run.  Bike
Comments: Overall -- better than I'd hoped. Was worried about the wind, but I've done enough wind training that it was no big deal. 0-5km: Slight downhill, downwind. Though I didn't realize it! I was going at a good clip, and thought I was pretty hot stuff! 5-10km: Slight uphill, upwind. Definitely a slow pace (under 20 km /hr) but I was feeling good. I think I had convinced myself that this section would be steeper uphill, so it was easier than expected. Not faster, mind you... but easier. 10-15km: Steeper uphill, upwind. This was my biggest fear going in -- but again, it wasn't too bad. I did have an embarrassing moment when I literally drove off the road -- provided a good chuckle to the other cyclists.... 15-20km: Rolling hills, upwind. By this time we were out in farm country, so that plus the rolling hills made it feel exactly like my training neighbourhood! Was nice to have a few downhills after the long climb up. 20-35km: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Downhill, downwind. I swear, I don't think I went under 35 km/hr this entire time. THIS is why I love cycling. Got passed by the first half-iron racers -- man they were zippy! 35-40km: Slight uphill, upwind. Not a fun way to end the bike, race organizers! But not too bad. At this point, I knew I had a solid bike leg in the bag -- so was primarily focused on not overcooking the legs. Managed to drink most of a Powerade bottle, and eat two granola bars. What would you do differently?: Hard to say. Other than just generally increasing fitness, losing weight, and thus getting my speed up. Transition 2
Comments: Was nice to be back in an area with spectators (including my wife...) Lots of bikes in T2 by the time I got there -- managed to walk right past my stuff which added a bit of time. Luckily, since I still use the same shoes for bike and run, it was still a reasonably fast transition. What would you do differently?: Find my stuff?  Run
Comments: Not fun. By the time I hit the run, I had been going for 2h10min -- I've done that a few times before, but no farther. So I was in new territory -- and my cardiovascular system was not amused. Ended up doing a lot of run / walk intervals. Good news is, my legs themselves were OK. For the first 3-4 km, I "rewarded" myself with a 30-45 second walk at every km marker. As I went through -- the walks became more and more frequent. Particularly at the 5-8 km point, which was right in the valley, bright hot sun, no wind.... most of my run training was in cold weather, and I struggled a bit in the rays. Sooooo happy to see the final turnaround! Less happy to see "Heartbreak Hill" which was a nasty, nasty hill at the 9km mark. A bit disappointed that I was passed by a bunch of people in the last 2 km -- but I was well beyond my body's comfort zone.... Convinced myself to run again for the last 500m (for show, naturally!). Right at the end, I found my "personal cheering section' again. Very happy to cross the finish! What would you do differently?: I need to be more diligent about longer training sessions. If I intend to do Olys again, I need to get to the point where 2+ hours is boring and routine. Also need to rethink nutrition a bit. I was super hungry -- need to eat more on the bike. And perhaps invest in a water belt. Post race
Warm down: Eat banana, drink water, sit for a few minutes. Didn't have much chance to loiter, as we needed to get to our daughter's dance recital! What limited your ability to perform faster: Same old story... weight, cardiovascular strength, need more training. But I can clearly see improvement from prior events -- fantastic to see! Event comments: Overall good. The race organization was "casual" -- had a local community feel, which was good. Only suggestion would be more / better aid stations... particularly on the run. Maybe the provincial park didn't allow more, but it felt like a long way between aid stations. Last updated: 2012-10-07 12:00 AM
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 2013-06-16 1:26 AM |
Member  432   Calgary, AB |  Subject: Chinook 51.5 Triathlon |
| 2013-06-16 11:02 PM in reply to: #4777628 |
Veteran 196 Greenville, SC | Subject: RE: Chinook 51.5 Triathlon Great Race, Scott! Congrats on your first Olympic! Also great to hear that you see yourself improving so much. Keep at it, you're doing great! |
| 2013-06-17 2:26 AM in reply to: leechj |
Master 3205  ann arbor, michigan | Subject: RE: Chinook 51.5 Triathlon Way to set a PR. Now you have a bar to beat in the next one  I am really impressed with how your hard work is paying off. |
| 2013-06-17 9:04 AM in reply to: wannabefaster |
Member 2098 Simsbury, Connecticut | Subject: RE: Chinook 51.5 Triathlon Nice job!! |
| 2013-06-17 10:38 AM in reply to: mtnbikerchk |
Master 3058 South Alabama | Subject: RE: Chinook 51.5 Triathlon Great job Scott! Always great to see progress. Glad to see that you had a much more comfortable swim. Keep it up! |
| 2013-06-18 12:26 PM in reply to: slornow |
Champion 7163 Verona WI--Ironman Bike Country! | Subject: RE: Chinook 51.5 Triathlon Steady improvement is what it's all about. Congratulations on a great race! |
| General Discussion-> Race Reports! |
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Canada
Chinook Triathlon Festival
70F / 21C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 124/134
Age Group = M30-39
Age Group Rank = 42/45
First Oly!
My training got thrown for a loop when I started doing an out-of-town project 4 weeks before race day -- made it difficult to keep up with a consistent training regimen. I did manage to cover each of the distances as standalone, plus some... swim + 50%, bike + 25%, run + 100% (half marathon).
The event had OWS practice the week before -- tested out my new (used) wetsuit and practised a slow, controlled front crawl without losing breath or experiencing panic. Also did a brief brick mid-week but otherwise, I took my tapering seriously...!
Pasta dinner the night before. Breakfast of strawberries, yogurt, granola, peanut butter toast, OJ.
My wife joined me for the day -- nice to have a sherpa!
We left a bit late -- also had to make a pit stop to deal with some... er.... GI issues. Quite worried that I was catching the sickness that had been floating around my family -- but happily enough had no further issues.
Got to the event with limited time to spare -- quickly set up transition. We missed the start of the half-iron race, but we wandered over to watch everyone finish their first lap, and then later zip out to T1. Yeesh, some of those folks are speedy...!
At T-45, I had a final bio break, and put on the wetsuit.
At T-30, I went in the water to warm up. Started with a few minutes of breast stroke, then tried 20 strokes of front crawl, then 50 strokes. Everything going well!
At T-10, we lined up in the start corral. Seeded myself toward the back, and tried to remember -- above all else -- slow and steady, slow and steady.... Chatted a bit with a couple of other athletes.
And.... the horn blows and we're off!