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Rev3 Knoxville - Olympic Rev - Triathlon


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Knoxville, Tennessee
United States
REVOLUTION3 Triathlon
58F / 14C
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 34m 3s
Overall Rank = 50/268
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 3/20
Swim
  • 25m 33s
  • 1500 meters
  • 01m 42s / 100 meters
Transition 1
  • 02m 30s
Bike
  • 1h 10m 3s
  • 40 kms
  • 34.26 km/hr
Transition 2
  • 00m
Run
  • 54m 29s
  • 10 kms
  • 05m 27s  min/km
Post race
Event comments:

REV3 Knoxville is in the books and by all accounts it was a success. The family Glow Run Friday night was fun for all, the kids rocked the “Revvie” kids’ tri on Saturday morning, and the REV3 expo and dinner with pros on Saturday afternoon was first class all the way as was the main event on Sunday morning.

There were three races contested simultaneously - an Olympic, a half, and a unique, one-time-only “championship” distance contest by professional triathletes and the top age-groupers from across the county who qualified based on their races last season. The good news for me (competing in the Oly) is that the top competitors were siphoned off for the championship event. The bad news is that there were still more than plenty gung-ho wanna-bes (like me) competing to qualify for next year’s AG championships. Let the race begin!

Swim. The first leg was swum in the Tennessee River where the official temp at race time was 68-degrees making it wetsuit legal but not so cold that it took your breath away upon entry. REV3 sent the waves out like clockwork - first the professionals, then the AG championship, then those competing in the half, and then finally the rest of us. I donned my yellow cap and joined all the over-40 Ollies in the drink for a deep-water start in front of Volunteer Landing at Calhouns off Neyland Drive on the campus of the University of Tennessee at precisely 8:00 a.m.

At the horn we swam up stream (east) for one length before doing a U-turn and swimming back with the current (west) for two lengths. Visibility in the river was virtually nil, which was to be expected, and there was a slight chop from a breeze that was pushing against the current. I slowed once to defog my goggles and when I lifted my head for a breath a wave broke in front of me and I swallowed a mouthful of whatever flowed out of the bottom of Douglas Lake two weeks prior. Nasty! The river is both deep and wide through Knoxville, but it took the full first length for the crowd to thin - lots of kicking and thrashing about for the hole shot - and then it took me another full length before I finally found my stroke and settled in… at which point it was about time to get out of the water. All and all I had a decent swim - 25:33 - out of the water 40/268 OA, 2/20 AG.

T1. Swimmers exited the river at the Lady Vols’ crew boathouse which was right across the street from T1 - onto the dock, up a ramp, into and out of the boathouse, across the street, up the sidewalk past T1, across the timing strip, and finally to our bikes. Whew! Off with the wetsuit, on with the helmet, and across the timing strip for a flying mount (sorta) east-bound on Neyland Drive. Air temps were in the upper 50s which made for a chilly first couple of miles as I dried off.

Bike. The bike route exits downtown Knoxville and crosses the river via the James White Parkway before heading south of town into the hinterlands just this side of the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s a rolling lollipop course with one significant climb going and coming. The grades aren’t so steep that you have to get out of the saddle to power up them, but the subsequent descents down winding, two-lane roads are technical enough that you have to keep your wits about you. The road surface was generally smooth and there was plenty of law enforcement along the route to stop traffic at all intersections to permit safe (fast!) passage. That said, the roads were open to traffic and on more than one occasion I found myself passing traffic - particularly on downhill straights - that had slowed as a courtesy to bikers in front of them. I had to get on the binders once and feather the brakes to keep from overtaking a car on a twisty descent, which was a bummer. But discretion being the better part of valor (and with a wife and two kids counting on me to return) that was probably the smart thing to do. All and all it was a fast course, particularly if you are accustomed to training on hills. I felt strong on the bike but didn’t drain the tank like I did at OBX last fall - 1:10:18 - off the bike 18/268 OA, 1/20 AG.

T2. Off with the shoes as I approached T2 on Neyland Drive (the same spot I left an hour or so earlier), running dismount at the line, rack the bike, off with the helmet, on with socks (feet were numb), on the with the shoes, on with the belt, and across the timing strip back onto Neyland Drive westbound for the UT Gardens and the Third Creek Greenway.

Run. The run course is a relatively flat out-and-back with aid stations and markers all along the route. If I enjoyed running even a little bit it would’ve been lovely, but since I don’t the beauty was lost on me. Pity that. About a mile into the run I encountered the leading professional male kicking it toward the finish line, which was pretty cool to see. A mile or so later I encountered the top female professional about to start her final push, which was equally cool. And those were the highlights of my run : ) On the plus side, my watch indicated that I was slightly ahead of pace so I endeavored to maintain my slog and resist the temptation to push too early… not that I could. I was still ahead of pace with a quarter mile to go when I past the transition area and started the final, uphill push toward the finish line at Worlds Fair Park. With 500 yards to go some dude with a “46” on his calf passed me. Dangit With 100 yards to go I saw my daughter waiting for me at the chute. And with 50 yards to go she burst from the crowd (which is encouraged at REV3) and raced me to the finish line grinning ear to ear which caused me to grin, too… or was it a grimace? Hard to say - we’ll have to wait for the photo - but I was done! Across the line in 2:34:03 - 50/268 OA, 3/20 AG. Podium, Baby!

I can’t say enough about the REV3 staff and volunteers from Knoxville (no, not those Volunteers… the ones helping with the race). They market themselves as a family-friendly event and they lived up to their billing all weekend long. The kids (and others) had fun at the Glow Run, and the pre-race give-aways hurled into the crowd were plentiful - lots of glowie thingies that the kids loved. The “Revvie” went off without a hitch, and the kids got to swim in a world-class, Olympic training facility during the first leg (…plus got sa-weet medals for finishing). And the main event ran like clockwork! The SWAG was better than most, the access to pros was pretty cool, the MC/DJ kept up his energy for three solid days making friends and lifting spirits along the way, the venue and weather were perfect, the course was challenging but fair, and the post-race festivities and food (Buddy’s BBQ) were fun, too. And you should see the ridiculous tri-bling I scored for third place. Flavor Flav never had it so good!

Can't wait for REV3 Williamsburg in a few weeks!


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Last updated: 2013-11-06 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:25:33 | 1500 meters | 01m 42s / 100meters
Age Group: 2/20
Overall: 40/268
Performance:
Suit: Xterra Vortex full
Course:
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 02:30
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:10:03 | 40 kms | 34.26 km/hr
Age Group: 1/20
Overall: 18/268
Performance:
Wind: Little
Course:
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 00:00
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:54:29 | 10 kms | 05m 27s  min/km
Age Group: 3/20
Overall: 50/268
Performance:
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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