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The Dam Tri - Olympic Course - TriathlonOlympic


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Meadville, Pennsylvania
United States
Meadville Family YMCA
65F / 18C
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 58m 29s
Overall Rank = 43/64
Age Group = 44-49
Age Group Rank = 6/8
Pre-race routine:

Woke up before my alarm at 4:35 am. Ate overnight oats and a banana. Had to use our sedan with bike rack for the 2:15+ drive north on the interstate. The 70 mph speeds had my bike flopping all around. I had to pull over and secure it better on the way. I spent the whole rest of the drive checking the rearview mirror and stressing about it. Drove slowly and arrived a lot later than I wanted. Tried to pick up my race packet. Showed my USAT card on my phone, but they wouldn't give me my packet without ID. Back to the car for that. Got my packet and set up transition. Listened to the pre-race instructions from the confines of a port-a-potty. Went down to the swim start.
Event warmup:

Wanted to get at least a swim warmup in, but they kicked us out of the water so the elite wave could start. Basically went from sitting in the car for 2:15+ to stressfully running around to racing in no time.
Swim
  • 29m 44s
  • 1500 meters
  • 01m 59s / 100 meters
Comments:

This was the worst swim I've ever had. It started out ok. There was a lot of congestion and contact over the first 300 yards which is pretty typical. I expected things to spread out, but I remained in the thick of the pack. I was having difficulty getting a breath and gettng free, and, uncharacteristically, I started to panic. I sat up and took a look around. The first buoy still seemed really far away. I tried to swim and couldn't do it, so I swam some breast stroke. I looked around for a kayak and considered putting my hand up and going home. I knew my swim time was shot. I started thinking about my next race which will be way more crowded and panicked some more. Eventually I got things under control and started swimming slowly toward the buoy. At some point a pink cap passed me, which I knew was the women's wave starting 3 minutes behind. I finally got into a rhythm breathing every stroke and sighting every two or three strokes. I think I swam pretty straight and saw some people farther away. That gave me some more confidence, and I finished up.
What would you do differently?:

This is really concerning. Need to make sure to get in a proper warmup and not fall in the door.
Transition 1
  • 02m 47s
Comments:

After the swim and the long run uphill, I was pretty discombobulated in T1. I got my things together and ran barefoot to the bike mount line. I must have gotten small small stones in my shoes because there were uncomfortable spots in my shoes.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe running in bike shoes is better when the pavement has a lot of debris.
Bike
  • 1h 29m 56s
  • 40 kms
  • 26.69 km/hr
Comments:

I struggled with the hills throughout the course. At one point, I switched to my granny gear and it sounded like someone was playing the harp on my back wheel. I happened to be passing another guy and he said your derailleur is hitting your spokes, shift up. I misunderstood him and ended up stopping to take a look. I couldn't see anything unusual, so after two attempts, I got clipped back in a got enough momentum to get going uphill again. I finally realized what he meant and shifted up one, and the music stopped. I did have a little bit of fun bombing the downhills. Went back an forth with some other riders. Had a few scary moments when wind gusts caught my front wheel, but I kept it together. Took the corners pretty conservatively because the roads were wet.
What would you do differently?:

That is a good question Beginner Triathlete website. I feel like I have been working pretty hard on the bike doing intervals on the trainer twice a week and long rides on the weekend. I guess the lack of strength training and hill work showed on this course.
Transition 2
  • 01m 24s
Comments:

Not sure why the bike dismount line snuck up on me. I didn't have my feet out of my shoes. I got one out so I didn't tip over when I stopped. Took the other foot out and ran to my rack. Overall didn't cost much time.
What would you do differently?:

Not space out!
Run
  • 54m 39s
  • 10 kms
  • 05m 28s  min/km
Comments:

This was a little bit of a slog. I feel like I paced it ok:
9:05, 9:13, 9:08, 8:53, 9:15, 9:03.
At some point I got a hot spot in my shoe which hurt the last 3 miles. Not sure if it was debris or gravel or just a part of my shoe.
What would you do differently?:

Even though the power numbers don't show it, I probably overcooked the bike due to the hills. Not sure a different race strategy would have helped. More of a training issue. Should wear socks on such a gravelly course because something will inevitably get inside my shoe.
Post race
Warm down:

Packed up transition and headed home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Definitely needed more leg strength. The drive, stress, and swim probably took a lot out of me too. For this race, it's probably a good idea to take them up on the overnight housing at Allegheny College.

Event comments:

This race has really shrunk in the number of competitors and the number of volunteers. There were plenty of spots where the couse was unclear and there was no one to help. It had rained the night before and during the bike, so there were a lot of mud spots and debris that made riding and running a challenge.




Last updated: 2018-06-24 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:29:44 | 1500 meters | 01m 59s / 100meters
Age Group: 5/8
Overall: 33/64
Performance: Bad
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2801875456/1
Suit: Tri shorts and PTC top
Course: Counter-clockwise triangle in lake
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 67F / 19C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Bad Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 02:47
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
01:29:56 | 40 kms | 26.69 km/hr
Age Group: 6/8
Overall: 48/64
Performance: Below average
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2801875456/3
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: A single large loop on open roads surrounding the park. There were plenty of rough sections, but most of them were marked with orange paint. It poured down rain for a short time. Roads open to traffic including one stretch of highway. Cars were pretty respectful. There were signs alerting motorists to an ongoing bike race which probably helped.
Road: Rough Wet Cadence: 77
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Below average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:24
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Below average
Jumping off bike Below average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:54:39 | 10 kms | 05m 28s  min/km
Age Group: 5/8
Overall: 39/64
Performance: Average
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2801875456/5
Course: Varied terrain. Parking lot, dirt path in the woods, gravel path through an open field, paved out and back on the dam and back. Pretty well marked with white arrows, but they disappeared after mile 4. Some places were well manned with volunteers. Others, like the sprint / Olympic split or the entrance to the dam had no one.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? No
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? No
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 3

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2018-06-27 10:38 AM

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