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Highmark Triathlon at Presque Isle - TriathlonSprint


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Erie, Pennsylvania
United States
Highmark Insurance
Precipitation
Total Time = 00m
Overall Rank = 135/211
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 13/16
Pre-race routine:

Had my Wheaties and a breakfast bar in the car on the way to the beach. Set up in the rain, got my timing chip and listened to the waves crashing against the shore. It sounded like thunder.
Event warmup:

Jogged down the beach a bit and back. Got in the water just to get wet.
Swim
  • 14m 18s
  • 640 yards
  • 02m 14s / 100 yards
Comments:

Holy crap! Since my last two race swims were good but I got caught up in slow traffic from starting in the back, I decided to start up front on the outside. As we entered the water there was a head count so that everyone going in was accounted for when we came out. Race announcer encouraged 1st timers to really consider not going if they were at all nervous about the conditions. We all got in the water with waves crashing loudly all over and I was actually excited. We kept having to dive under waves. I looked around and realized the the crowd moved in all around me and I was right in the middle. As I started to move to get to the outside line people started yelling "go, go, go" and so we went. It was out of control from the start. I sucked in so much water. People getting slammed all over by the waves. People were actually crossing in front of me and I wondered who was going the wrong direction. Legs, arms, bodies, everywhere. I tried to relax, but everytime I came up for air, I got water an arm in the face or leg or some body part. 200 yards into it, I was getting exhausted and out of breath due to lack of oxygen. I was starting to loose it. I tried to calm down and float on my back to catch air but all I caught was more water. I tried to breast stroke, doggie paddle, just tread water and I just could seem to get air. I was out of the mix of people now but it didn't matter. We were all struggling. As I neared the fist bouy, I started to look for a kayak to grab. I thought, "I'm not going to make it". The nearest one was 30 yards away. In fact I only remember seeing 3 kayaks, 1 jet ski and two large boats. Not enough in my opinion. I wasn't sure if I would be DQ'ed anyway if I grab it to rest. So I kept going. Struggling trying to calm my breathing down. It was like I was being strangled and I could do nothing to get air. This continued until a little after I rounded the second bouy. I thought of quitting again but it just didn't seem right. I still had a bike and run to do. The thought of quitting seriously crossed my mind a few times. Now that I was going with the waves I thought it would become easier. NOPE! The waves lifted you up and up in the as air and as they passed, sucked you backwards and dropped you down a few feet. They were so random too, no pattern or rhythmn to catch. I just kept trying to swim in hopes I would find a rhythmn. I finally did in the last 250-300 yards. Finally I thought, As I neared the shore the lake had to pound me into the ground a few more times with some big crashing waves as if to say, "Here's something to remember me by. You barely made it this time punk". I got out exhausted and started to walk to T1. Then I saw my daughter cheering me on. She was so excited she ran out to me. At first I thought, don't come out and get in the way. Then I ran over and gave her a big kiss! It was all better now.
What would you do differently?:

I would have been better off in the back and outside. But I was going by my last two races. I need to become a much stronger swimmer, more confident, and swim in crappy weather more often.
Transition 1
  • 02m 50s
Comments:

I came into T1 slow and tired. I took my time getting ready for the bike. I was trying to slow my mind and body down after the swim. It was a good 350 yards from the water to the bike then another 100yards to the road. I'm glad I had on my shoes and ran with the bike because the T1 surface was sandy and rocky. I hopped on the bike well and took off.
What would you do differently?:

nothing
Bike
  • 38m 21s
  • 14 miles
  • 21.90 mile/hr
Comments:

The road had some wet spots. The rain stopped sometime during the swim. It took about 8 minutes for me to shake the swim off my mind and body. I re-focused, drank some fuilds and pedaled. I kept a 20mph pace. I knew a few guys that train there a lot and have some killer bikes would be very fast, and they were. I just kept to my plan. My leg was getting sore near the end but not too bad. I felt pretty solid the whole time.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Transition 2
  • 01m 25s
Comments:

I kept shoes on for the long run back to the racks and the rough surface.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Run
  • 26m 23s
  • 3.4 miles
  • 07m 46s  min/mile
Comments:

At first I got cramping in my side and I thought, not again. I kept breathing deep and slowed my pace down a hair. I think I am getting plenty of fluids according to my sweat test I did not too long ago. I must be loosing a lot of salt becasue I am a salt mine afterwards. I kept a good pace. On the last mile, I kicked it up a bit and the last 150 yards I sprinted with a group across the line. A solid run.
What would you do differently?:

Salt tabs or suppliment on the ride to avoid cramps
Post race
Warm down:

walked around, stretched my legs, ate drank and won a yearly family free membership to the YMCA.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

the big ass waves.

Event comments:

There were some timming chip errors. A friend of mine did not have his time posted. like he never raced. They didn't have enough for everyone and so they took the no shows and re assigned them. When the race winner was announced, it was someone that didn't even race. Big oops! There difinately should have been more lifegaurds in the water. Things got off 15 minutes late??? Other then that, It was a nice event. Good awards and prizes at the end. Everyone was nice and.
At first I was dissapointed with how poor I did at the swim. My bike was solid, my run was solid, but the swim sucked. Then I started to feel good about it. I didn't give up today. I know my weakest spot and what I need to focus on for next year. I know my strong part was when I was beaten down so hard by the swim but yet I was able to snap back mentally and physically for the rest of the race. I learned a lot in that swim today. I will remember this race for a long time and will love telling the story of that swim and how I didn't give up.




Last updated: 2007-09-08 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:14:18 | 640 yards | 02m 14s / 100yards
Age Group: 12/16
Overall: 0/211
Performance: Bad
Suit: yes
Course: Holy crap! 4foot waves! Choppy in between. Raining. Waves hitting break walls, creating new waves going in different directions, crossing each other. Holy Crap! Out to a bouy that was beyond the breakwall, turn right at another bout head home. This was all at an angle to the beach. Dark, murky water and dark outside.
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current: High
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Bad Drafting: Bad
Waves: Bad Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 02:50
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:38:21 | 14 miles | 21.90 mile/hr
Age Group: 12/16
Overall: 0/211
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: flat! Big loop around the penninsula. Well marked. Nice course.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:25
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:26:23 | 03.4 miles | 07m 46s  min/mile
Age Group: 12/16
Overall: 0/211
Performance: Good
Course: Crazy. North bound a few hundred yards through a rough dirt parking lot, to a turnaround through some sand. Onto a blacktop path, back through the transiton area and onto the rough, dirt parking lot, down through a sandy trail (wait, I didn't know this was an xterra event) back out on to the blacktop path. This was all in the first 1/2 mile. It looped out and came back through the sandy trail throught the dirt parking lot across the finish line.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? No
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2007-09-08 8:07 PM

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Expert
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oregon ave,
Subject: Highmark Triathlon at Presque Isle


2007-09-09 1:27 PM
in reply to: #956605

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Royal(PITA)
14270
50005000200020001001002525
West Chester, Ohio
Subject: RE: Highmark Triathlon at Presque Isle
Great job hanging in there with all those waves.  I get freaked out in any chop so waves like that would have kept me in the DNS category. My race in August was the first OWS race I did and I stunk (hugged a kayak most of the time), today I actually SWAM the OW course in my race-full race report isn't public as the splits won't be posted until tomorrow night.  I'll release it after I can post the splits
2007-09-09 5:58 PM
in reply to: #956605

Pro
3715
20001000500100100
AZ
Subject: RE: Highmark Triathlon at Presque Isle
You did an awesome job battling through the waves!! I would have freaked!!!  You at least fought through the surf AND the battle taking place in your mind and won!!  Sounds like you had a great race dispite the scary swim!!  Great job Mike!!!
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