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Best in the West Triathlon Festival Half Iron - Triathlon


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Sweet Home, Oregon
United States
80'sF / 0C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 51m 15s
Overall Rank = 36/158
Age Group = M30-34
Age Group Rank = 2/8
Pre-race routine:

I camped at the race site with several other racers. This event allows you to camp about 100 yards away from transition for free if you volunteer for the race. I was racing on Saturday and volunteered on Sunday. I didn't sleep well the night before probably due to a combination of pre-race anxiety and discomfort of sleeping on the ground.

Woke up two hours before the start, ate PBJ toast with banana, coffee, and two doses of Endurolytes.
Event warmup:

I only had about 5 minutes to warm up in the water before the start. Didn't get much of a warm up at all. Next time, I'll need to get down to the water earlier and get a longer warm up.
Swim
  • 41m 24s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 58s / 100 yards
Comments:

The swim course set-up and start were great. Race began in waves: Men age 44 and under, men 44 and older. women 44 and under, etc. Course was a single loop with sighting buoys every 100 meters. The sighting buoys were really helpful! The turn around buoys were directly in the sun but it wasn't too big of a problem. Swim course was easy to navigate and was not congested with swimmers.I started off a bit too fast and had to slow my pace to catch my breath. But I was eventually able to settle into a rhythm and ended up having a decent swim. I still struggle to swim in a straight line. As a result, my Garmin said I swam 2,342 yards at 1:46/100 yards. Thus, my inability to swim straight cost me an extra ~200 yards.
What would you do differently?:

Slow down a bit at the start and swim straighter.
Transition 1
  • 02m 14s
Comments:

I forgot to put on my sunglasses and had to do the bike without them. Otherwise, T1 went smoothly.
What would you do differently?:

Remember to put on my sunglasses.
Bike
  • 2h 59m 57s
  • 56 miles
  • 18.67 mile/hr
Comments:

Out and back course on rural country roads. It seemed like there were very few flat segments. I felt like I was always on a gradual ascent/descent with a few bigger hills every few miles. The route was well marked with volunteers at the intersections stopping vehicle traffic so we had the right of way the entire time. Winds were light, which was a nice benefit. However, it was tougher than I expected. The relentless rolling hills took their toll on the legs. I took on what felt like a lot of water and calories (96 oz fluid and ~900 calories) but I was definitely dehydrated on the run. I was able to maintain a steady HR and I put in a consistent and sustainable effort.
What would you do differently?:

Not much, this felt like a pretty solid ride. My goal was 3 hours.
Transition 2
  • 02m 12s
Comments:

I stumbled getting off the bike and running into transition, but other than that T2 went smoothly.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really.
Run
  • 2h 05m 26s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 35s  min/mile
Comments:

This was a really tough run. It really started to heat up (around the low to mid 80's). The course was surprisingly difficult. There were several long rolling hills with big stretches in the direct sun. I struggled with this course and with hydration and nutrition. I began to feel really thirsty about a quarter of the way into the run and I knew I was pretty dehydrated. I tried to take on as much water and electrolytes as I could from the aid stations but this didn't help. I felt sluggish and nauseous for most of the run. My goal was to run 8:00/mile pace and I was only able to maintain this pace for a few miles. I had to walk for several stretches of this course, which is rare for me. I consider myself a pretty strong runner, but this run course kicked my ass and I'm disappointed with my result.
What would you do differently?:

Prepare better for the hills and heat. Develop a better overall hydration and nutrition strategy to avoid problems on the run.
Post race
Warm down:

Found some shade and sat down to get breathing and nausea under control. Drank water for a while. After about an hour I was ready for some of the BBQ and a post-race beer. Later on I went and cooled off in the lake - really refreshing!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My lack of preparation both mentally and physically for the difficulty of the run course. I really struggled to mentally to push through the adversity caused by the hills, dehydration and nausea.

Event comments:

This was a great race and I highly recommend it. The RD's did a great job. I really enjoyed the race weekend as a whole. The atmosphere was very positive and friendly. The post race BBQ was great. Come to find out that one of the RD's parents cooked all of the food for the hundreds of athletes. It was fun being able to camp at the race site despite the less than ideal sleep results.




Last updated: 2016-09-13 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:41:24 | 2112 yards | 01m 58s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/8
Overall: 0/158
Performance: Good
Suit: Blueseventy Reaction
Course: One loop out and back.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:14
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
02:59:57 | 56 miles | 18.67 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/8
Overall: 0/158
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Out and back on rolling hills.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:12
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:05:26 | 13.1 miles | 09m 35s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/8
Overall: 0/158
Performance: Bad
Course: Two loop course with two out and backs. Hilly course!!
Keeping cool Bad Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
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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2016-09-13 1:29 PM


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