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Ashland Lions Olympic Triathlon - Triathlon


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Ashland, Massachusetts
United States
FIRM Racing
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 35m 49s
Overall Rank = 100/109
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Well, the day before, I made the brilliant decision to go whitewater kayaking rather than rest and taper for the race. This is like the dingy college kid going to a keg party the night before an exam. Well, I had a blast and after getting destroyed in the hole at the botoom of the final and toughest rapid, I nailed my combat roll on the second attempt. I chilled Saturday night and actually refrained from beer. Sunday, I arrived early, set up and checked out the infamous T1 route which is roughly .4 mile from the beach to the bike rack up a steep hill on rocks, roots and dirt. This event certainly gets some Gnar Points from me for this set up - this is no dainty Kona Ironman race. I tied some surveyor tape to some beater sneakers so I could easilyfind them when I got outta' the water so I can get that competitive edge.
Swim
  • 34m 1s
  • 1760 yards
  • 01m 56s / 100 yards
Comments:

Last year, I was too excited at the start of the Cranberry Olympic swim and it cost me so I promised myself I'd relax this year. I thought there was to be 3 waves, but they did 2 sans the Sprint group. So, it was youngsters and then those who remember well when Plunkett was drafted by the Patriots. There was hardly any contact on this swim and it was very pleasant. I started off very sluggish for reasons unknown to me other than my arms/shoulders were toast from the prior day. I enjoyed the swim, though, and reminded myself to stay relaxed and remember that swimming is supposed to be fun. I caught up to some from the first wave which made me happy and confident - happiness is seeing caps next to you from the first wave.. Near the very end, I saw an orange bouy, a yellow one, a dock and rope threaded through bouys to mark the publics swimming area which all confused me and I had to tread water to figure it out. I was happy.......until I saw my lousy results. I actually swam better in my OWS practice the prior 2 weeks. Apparently, I was too relaxed - the pendulum swung too far the other way relative to last years excessive excitement.
What would you do differently?:

I just gotta' find the happy medium between getting too excited and too relaxed.
Transition 1
  • 11m 17s
Comments:

I put on my beater sneakers and huffed 'n puffed up the hill. I guzzled water and downed a Hammer Gel.
Bike
  • 1h 34m 13s
  • 26 miles
  • 16.56 mile/hr
Comments:

The buzz prior to the race was to be wary of a big pothole after the first hill in addition to a dead skunk after about a 1/2 mile. On the first significant downhill, I got into my new aero bars for the first time ever in a race. I wanted to tinker with and experiement with new things in this race which I did. I got up to well in excess of 35 MPH on that downhill. The course was hilly. For the first lap, I averaged 17.2 MPH which was disappointing and I intendedto keep that pace up. Instead, the headwinds picked up and I just wasn't making it happen. I had to stop for 2 lights - sorry, but I'm a law abiding goody 2 shoes - and I was losing steam in the last quarter of the 2nd lap. Given my overall average of 16.5 MPH, I actually averaged < 16 MPH for lap 2. Bummer.
What would you do differently?:

Eat a Hammer Gel halfway through. Not doing this would be something I was to pay for in the run.
Transition 2
  • 04m 12s
Comments:

Wolfed down a pack of Nabisco Nutter Butter cookies and a Hammer Gel. I also did some quick squat exercises to loosen up.
What would you do differently?:

Go faster. Duh.
Run
  • 1h 12m 5s
  • 6.5 miles
  • 11m 05s  min/mile
Comments:

There was a hill coming outta' the gate and I got pounded by it. I was stunned at how slow I was going and getting very discouraged. At about 1.25 miles in, the Corn Syrup Buzz from those Nutter Butters kicked in and I picked up the pace and my spirits went up. None of teh stations had any Gels, just water, so at the 4 mile watering hole, I stopped to fish out an emergency reserve Hammer Gel in order to be prepared for the final hills. At around the 5 mile mark, a woman that had passed me had some medical condition flare up, so I stopped to assist. SHe was OK and said it was something that flares up now and then. I reminded her that help was thre if she needed it. I was feeling progressively better in the run, but it was all too littel too late to recover from the lousy initial 1.25 mile. Spirits picked up even more when I smelled the skunk hazard and I saw the lass that was in distress way ahead and headed yo the finish which was a relief. When I got to within 50-75 yards, I put on a big sprint s I cofinish in a blaze of glory and I actually got progressively faster up to the Finish Line.
What would you do differently?:

Eat more Nutter Butters.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around, drank water. Later that night, I downed some Sierra Nevada Torpedos.

Event comments:

Ummm, I don't think I'm ready for that "dainty" Kona race that I mentioned above.




Last updated: 2014-03-28 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:34:01 | 1760 yards | 01m 56s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 90/109
Performance: Below average
Suit: Blue 70
Course:
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 11:17
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:34:13 | 26 miles | 16.56 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 78/109
Performance: Below average
Wind: Headwind
Course:
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 04:12
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:12:05 | 06.5 miles | 11m 05s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/109
Performance: Bad
Course: Shaded but lotsa' hills, some real steeeep.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers?
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2014-06-16 8:15 PM

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Subject: Ashland Lions Olympic Triathlon


2014-06-17 8:29 AM
in reply to: #5013260

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Subject: RE: Ashland Lions Olympic Triathlon
Great race. Between the pot holes, skunk carcass and headwind on lap 2 of the bike it was an adventure, and that's leaving out the trail run that you have to trudge through just to earn the right to ride your bike.
2014-06-19 7:52 AM
in reply to: jonD81

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Subject: RE: Ashland Lions Olympic Triathlon
Originally posted by jonD81

Great race. Between the pot holes, skunk carcass and headwind on lap 2 of the bike it was an adventure, and that's leaving out the trail run that you have to trudge through just to earn the right to ride your bike.


Yeah, I felt bummed out about my performance. It was my third Olympic distance, ever, with the other 2 being at Cranberry which is flat. Yesterday, it dawned on me that between breakfast at 5:15am and T2 which was roughly at 10:40am, I only had 1 Hammer Gel. Like duh, I forget to eat – gross nutritional negligence appears to be evident. Ummmm, I think this race might have been a learning experience for me. Note that the swim is not .9 mile but instead it’s 1.0 mile and the run is not 6.2 miles but rather 6.5 miles. I did have fun at this, though. In the run, after the Nutter Butter Corn Syrup buzz kicked in, I enjoyed the challenge of the uphills which cause me to appreciate the flats and downhills. It is a great and fun race!
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