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Troika Olympic Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic


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Medical Lake, Washington
United States
52F / 11C
Precipitation
Total Time = 3h 56m 51s
Overall Rank = 215/228
Age Group = 55-59
Age Group Rank = 4/4
Pre-race routine:

Left the house at 4:15 a.m. and drove the two hours to Medical Lake. Had a banana and a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter and raisins on the way down. It wasn't raining when I got to Medical Lake. I cleaned my bike, re-oiled the chain, and put air in the tires. I set up my transition area and put everything in or under plastic bags to keep them dry. It was pretty cold and wet.
Event warmup:

It was raining again by the time I'd finished setting up transition, so I went and sat in my truck for a while to keep warm and ate the rest of my breakfast. About 45 minutes before my start time, I put my wetsuit on and went down to the lake. It was really cold. I kept wading out, and then back to shore. Finally, about ten minutes before my wave, I did a test swim to get used to the water.
Swim
  • 43m 4s
  • 1500 meters
  • 02m 52s / 100 meters
Comments:

It was cold, and the water was cold. I had a hard time breathing at first and swam tarzan-style for probably the first 300 yards or so. Finally, I was able to breathe and put my head in the water, and from there, the swim went well, and I passed a lot of people, but I was still well behind the main pack. The rain and overcast made it hard to see the buoys, and the cold kept making my legs and butt cramp. I pretty much just dragged my legs and swam with my arms, which was OK. I didn't worry about it.
What would you do differently?:

I'm not sure.
Transition 1
  • 06m 40s
Comments:

By the time I finished the swim, the rain had increased to a deluge, and it was still cold. I couldn't feel my feet, so I had a hard time running to transition. Plus, they moved the swim out route this year, and we had to run across the run path and follow a gravel path to the transition area. Once I got to my bike, I found everything soaking wet. I had to wring out my transition towel before I could stand on it. I didn't even try to dry my feet; I just rinsed the gravel off my feet with a water bottle and put my socks and shoes on. My left foot and calf were cramping from the cold, which made it hard to put my sock and shoe on. Also, I tried putting on a pullover for warmth, but I was too wet, so I just put on a windbreaker. It was soaked, but I figured it would at least help block the wind. Transition was just miserable. I knew it was taking me longer than it should, so I went ahead and used the porta potty before heading out on my ride. I'm glad I did that; one less thing to worry about! Also, the transition area was really muddy, and I had to carry my bike out the exit to avoid getting mud on my brakes and wheels.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Bike
  • 1h 46m 58s
  • 25 miles
  • 14.02 mile/hr
Comments:

The rain was a deluge at the beginning of the ride; it was just miserable. After a few minutes, I pulled off my glasses because I couldn't see through the rain. I also couldn't read my bike computer because of the rain. I just hunkered down on my bike and pedaled. In addition to the rain, the roads had still not been swept, so there was lots of sand. I didn't want to have an accident, so I was more cautious than I would have been in dry weather.

The rain stopped at about nine miles out, but then started again about eight miles from transition. I passed a lot of people. No one passed me except the long course riders. I don't know how they managed to go so fast; they just blew right on by me. I had a granola bar after the halfway point, but wasn't thirsty, so didn't drink anything. My left leg and butt still cramped sporadically from the cold, but I just kept pushing. My thighs hurt, and my back hurt toward the end. I was pretty miserable.
What would you do differently?:

I don't know.
Transition 2
  • 01m 29s
Comments:

T2 was the highlight of my race and the only area in which I ranked first in my age group. I racked my bike, swapped my helmet for a hat, grabbed a hanky, granola bar, and chapstick, and was off.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. I nailed it!
Run
  • 1h 18m 38s
  • 6 miles
  • 13m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

The rain stopped by the time I got to the run, or maybe shortly after. My feet were still numb and my left leg and my butt were still cramping from the cold. I just did quick baby steps the first mile until I could feel my body again. By then, the cramps were gone, I could feel my feet, and my back wasn't hurting anymore, so I was able to run pretty comfortably. I was finally able to dry out, too. It was a pretty good run. I had another granola bar as I started out, and then three walk-bys at aid stations where I grabbed cola and pretzels. Otherwise, I ran.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Post race
Warm down:

Grabbed a couple of granola bars from the snack tent. No chocolate milk this year. I'm guessing they were out by the time I finished. Talked to friends, threw all my gear in a big plastic back, and packed up my bike. Changed into clean, warm clothes, and then headed home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The cold and rain was a big factor. I've swam in the rain before; that really doesn't bother me, but both the water and the air were cold, and it caused muscle cramps. Also, I'm not sure why I was so slow on the run. I've done the same run before four minutes faster, and I would have thought I'd be faster now as I've been raining a lot more for longer distances. However, I really pushed myself, and I still turned in a slower time.

Event comments:

I love this race; it's always my favorite. However, this year, I hated it because of the weather. It was awful. Rain! Rain! Rain! It's the first race where the thought of quitting actually entered my mind. And I see it entered a lot of people's minds as there are quite a few DNFs. However, I stuck it out, and I'm glad I did.




Last updated: 2017-05-17 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:43:04 | 1500 meters | 02m 52s / 100meters
Age Group: 4/4
Overall: 0/228
Performance: Good
I hit the wrong button on my Garmin, so I screwed up my swim data.
Suit:
Course: Around the green buoys.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 62F / 17C Current: Low
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Good
Breathing: Bad Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 06:40
Performance: Bad
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:46:58 | 25 miles | 14.02 mile/hr
Age Group: 4/4
Overall: 4/228
Performance: Below average
I messed up my Garmin, so no bike data. Instead, I recorded the longest transition in history.
Wind: Little
Course: Rain, rain, rain, and more rain. It was miserable.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Below average Cornering: Below average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks:
T2
Time: 01:29
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:18:38 | 06 miles | 13m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 4/4
Overall: 4/228
Performance: Good
This is the only part where my Garmin worked. M1: 13:25 M2: 12:40 M3: 13:01 M4: 13:24 M5: 13:25 M6: 12:06
Course: Twice around the lake.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? No
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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2017-05-21 7:05 PM

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Subject: Troika Olympic Triathlon
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