The 2011 Presque Isle Tri was held this past weekend. I'm going to change up my report some and just highlight some things and post my times and places for each respective part of the race. As usual, you're welcome to comment and ask questions.
Swim: Hardest to date. 150 in wave all beating on one another. No clear water for the first 200 yards to the first bouy. Spent nearly every stroke taking a look to see where to go and also to find the bouy. Next 200 yds were fairly clear but I was gassed from the start. Felt like I stayed on course well despite being blinded by the sun and not being able to locate the next bouy.
Time: 12:17 (includes run from shore to transition area)
Overall Place: 98/349
Age Group: 8/21
T1: Transition went better than last two races. Wetsuit came off a lot quicker (could have been the BodyGlide I used on ankles). Ground was dirty so that was annoying.
Time: :54
Overall Place: 37/349
AG: 3/21
Bike: Got clipped in a lot better than in previous races. I haven't practiced this so I just got lucky I suppose. Lots of people to catch since I was so far back coming out of the water. Passed a number of people throughout the first 8-10 miles. After that only the "good guys (and gal)" were in front of me. Used a set of clip-on aerobars which I believe helped me to keep a better speed. Went back and forth with a guy for most of the bike segment before putting some time on him in the last few miles.
I was able to get out of my bike shoes towards the end of the ride which helped me in transition 2. See below.
Time: 32:52 (23.7mph average)
OA: 31/249
AG: 4/21
T2: Had a great transition. Didn't waste much time here. Noticed that the bike next to me was still 'out.' It was also gone when I had started the bike leg so I passed him somewhere.
Time: :32
OA: 8/349
AG: 1/21
Run: Took off on the run and it took some time to get my running legs. My goal was to get close to 6min pace for an average. I struggled to get there, but pushed on. I saw one guy just take off on the run. I believe he may have been 1st in my AG. Two others were in striking distance - one guy and one woman. I knew I had plenty of time to make a move on them so I took my time. I caught both of them shortly before the turnaround on the out and back course. The guy was in my AG and finished 3rd behind me. The woman finished 2nd overall in her race.
After getting by these two, I was on my own and all alone. I tried desperately to keep a strong pace whenever I noticed my avg pace slowing down. At first I was pretty bummed with my pace, but a closer look reveals this:
Results show a 6:41/mi pace.
Reported race distance of 3.5mi with my time comes to 6:30 pace.
My watch said 3.57mi and 6:20 pace.
More importantly were my mile splits. 6:27, 6:20, 6:13, 6:23. Pretty happy with that 3rd mile.
Time: 22:44
OA: 12/349
AG: 2/21
Overall: My initial feelings of the race were ones of disappointment. I had set a 'happy' goal of 1:08 and another goal of 1:06 that I felt was attainable. It's tough to set goals like that when you've never competed on the course. After having a few days to reflect on the race, I can't be too upset with it. I put in a good effort and learned a lot of things about this crazy sport.
8/29/11
8/28/11
Kick Cancer 5k
Date: 8/28/11Location: Port Matilda (Graysdale Park), PA
Weather: Overcast, humid 65-70degrees
Race Results: 2011 Results
There were 359 runners in the 1st annual Kick Cancer 5k. The race proceeds benefit Christina Fetzer who is fighting spinal cancer.
Course: The course wound through Graysdale Park in Port Matilda. The hills were long but not overly severe in terms of the degree of incline. Although there were no mile markers, directions were clearly marked with white arrows and there were volunteers at crucial intersections. There were a few places were the race involved some quick twists and turns, but the footing was good throughout the race.
Race: After taking off a month due to an ankle injury, I ran this race to get an idea of (i) how much overall fitness I've lost and (ii) have a 5k time so that I can set a goal for an upcoming race that Liz and I are running in Syracuse, NY on October 2nd (Syracuse Festival of Races). For a warm-up, I ran a mile and did a few quick strides. The start of the race was very narrow so I ran hard for around 100m to get in front of the pack. Once there, I settled down, relaxed my form, and tried to make sure I ran the 5minutes of the race at a calm, controlled pace. In some previous races, I've found that after 5-10minutes I run at the same pace for the whole race. In this race, I tried to throw in a few surges ranging from 30secs to 1min. Overall, I ran 17.36 and was 2nd out of 311 recorded finishers.
Post-Race: After the race, I ran the course again as a cool down with two other runners. There were baked goods, water, and bananas for refreshments, and a raffle. The male & female winners received a $75 gift certificate to Rapid Transit.
8/24/11
PI Tri Preview
My third and final triathlon of the year is coming up this Saturday. It's held at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA and entry fees go towards the upkeep of the park. I've never been to the park - much to the surprise of most that I talk to. It sounds like a wonderful place for families and kids. With a nice beach area and miles of a paved multipurpose trail, we may have to put this on our destination list for next summer.
The tri was capped at 400 entrants and sold out for the 3rd straight year. It is a .35 mile (616y) swim, 13 mile bike and 3.5 mile run. The bike and run are both flat and fast (highest elevation on PI is 7'). Last week they reported that the water in the bay was a balmy 78 degrees. I still plan to wear my wetsuit (if it's legal) as I feel much more confident in it.
According to initial reports, there will be 5 waves. That equates to ~80 racers in my wave. In my biggest race to date there were ~50 in my swim wave so this will be "fun." We will wade out into the water before getting the GO signal. Based upon the participant list (which isn't always correct), there are ~26 in my age group. This is down from 31 last year. From my research of past results and events, there look to be 3-4 racers that I'll be contending with for a top-3 spot in my group.
Overall my 'happy' goal time is sub 1:08. I believe that if all goes well and smooth that a sub 1:06 time is definitely achievable. Both times should put me in the top 10-15 overall in the race.
Other Bradfordians racing include: Sam Johnson, Sam Johnson Sr., John Marasco and Mariann Kahle. Sam and Sam Sr just recently finished Ironman Lake Placid and are currently training for the Presque Isle Marathon on 9/18. This is John's 2nd tri.
I'll post a race report next week.
The tri was capped at 400 entrants and sold out for the 3rd straight year. It is a .35 mile (616y) swim, 13 mile bike and 3.5 mile run. The bike and run are both flat and fast (highest elevation on PI is 7'). Last week they reported that the water in the bay was a balmy 78 degrees. I still plan to wear my wetsuit (if it's legal) as I feel much more confident in it.
According to initial reports, there will be 5 waves. That equates to ~80 racers in my wave. In my biggest race to date there were ~50 in my swim wave so this will be "fun." We will wade out into the water before getting the GO signal. Based upon the participant list (which isn't always correct), there are ~26 in my age group. This is down from 31 last year. From my research of past results and events, there look to be 3-4 racers that I'll be contending with for a top-3 spot in my group.
Overall my 'happy' goal time is sub 1:08. I believe that if all goes well and smooth that a sub 1:06 time is definitely achievable. Both times should put me in the top 10-15 overall in the race.
Other Bradfordians racing include: Sam Johnson, Sam Johnson Sr., John Marasco and Mariann Kahle. Sam and Sam Sr just recently finished Ironman Lake Placid and are currently training for the Presque Isle Marathon on 9/18. This is John's 2nd tri.
I'll post a race report next week.
8/23/11
"I'm Here to Win" Book Review
He takes you on his journey from his Australian upbringing to his training and racing in Europe and eventually to America. Along the way he works his way up through the various triathlon distances - from sprints to the full Ironman - all while winning more than losing. He was a natural talent and he knew it. He let his competition know it too.
McCormack writes mostly about his journey to Kona or Ironman Hawaii, which is the premier event for triathlon. It plays host as the World Championship and served as Chris' biggest challenge. His extreme confidence had him believing he could conquer the lava fields and take home the crown in his first attempt. However, it took him many tries before finally overcoming his demons in 2007 to win. He became the oldest champion in 2010 at the age of 37 when he won for the 2nd time.
McCormack shares a lot his secrets concerning nutrition, race tactics and how to mentally prepare for a race and your opponents. He spends a lot of time explaining how he analyzes his opponents, studying their weaknesses and strengths. He talks of his heroes and his intense preparation. McCormack also shares his biggest trick during the grueling Ironman - drinking Coke.
While I enjoyed the insight into this champion triathletes mind, I didn't care to read about the chip on his shoulder that he seems to carry. He comes across with a 'me against the world' type attitude and just beats on that throughout the book. Always one to point out the fear he could sense in his opponents on the starting line, McCormack seemed to be driven by his own fear of failure (or perhaps to back up his smack talk). It's almost as if he created the animosity of his competitors to give him something to focus his training on.
McCormack comes across very confident in his abilities (read: conceited). I found myself re-reading some of his comments in the book with a "he didn't just say that, did he?" As a person who doesn't care much for those with overly-confident personalities, I found myself struggling to read parts of the book where he was boasting about himself, his abilities and his tactics.
With that said, Macca does have a softer side. He is involved in a handful of charities and foundations. Perhaps his biggest efforts are with the MaccaNow Foundation which raises money for breast cancer research - a disease that claimed the life of his mum at a fairly young age.
I give the book a 6/10.
8/21/11
2nd Fitness Challenge
The 2nd Presidential Fitness Challenge took place at 6PM on Aug. 5th, 2011 at the PSU Outdoor Track. While the 1st Challenge boasted 4 participants, this 2nd Challenge rose to six challengers: Ryan, Deniz, Liz, Rachel, Tugba, and David.
The Challenge consisted of the following events (in order):
1. Shuttle Run (a series of 30yard dashes)
2. 1600m Run
3. V-Sit Reach
4. Situps (60 second time limit)
5. Pushups (until failure)
There were quite a few highlights. Most improved was Deniz, who ran over a minute faster in the mile and did ten more situps than the 1st Challenge. Liz substantially improved her numbers, running over 30 seconds faster in the mile and boasts a 1.5in increase the the V-sit reach. Ryan posted some big scores as usual, running 8 seconds faster in the mile, pumping out nearly 50 pushups, and extending his body 11 inches in the V-Sit Reach. Despite an ankle injury, David ran a 5.20 mile, and thanks to Ryan's lifting training and agility drills, improved his Shuttle Run time by .38s.
The two new participants (Rachel & Tugba) showed that they were no fitness slouches. Whereas Rachel busted out 30pushups and 42 situps despite having eaten some PSUCreamery ice cream before the challenge, Tugba showed some deceptive speed, running a 10.98 shuttle run and completing 40 situps.
The next fitness challenge is Sunday, September 18th. If you are interested, post a message on the blog, and start training!
The Challenge consisted of the following events (in order):
1. Shuttle Run (a series of 30yard dashes)
2. 1600m Run
3. V-Sit Reach
4. Situps (60 second time limit)
5. Pushups (until failure)
There were quite a few highlights. Most improved was Deniz, who ran over a minute faster in the mile and did ten more situps than the 1st Challenge. Liz substantially improved her numbers, running over 30 seconds faster in the mile and boasts a 1.5in increase the the V-sit reach. Ryan posted some big scores as usual, running 8 seconds faster in the mile, pumping out nearly 50 pushups, and extending his body 11 inches in the V-Sit Reach. Despite an ankle injury, David ran a 5.20 mile, and thanks to Ryan's lifting training and agility drills, improved his Shuttle Run time by .38s.
The two new participants (Rachel & Tugba) showed that they were no fitness slouches. Whereas Rachel busted out 30pushups and 42 situps despite having eaten some PSUCreamery ice cream before the challenge, Tugba showed some deceptive speed, running a 10.98 shuttle run and completing 40 situps.
The next fitness challenge is Sunday, September 18th. If you are interested, post a message on the blog, and start training!
Herbie's Hometown Loop
Date: 8/20/11Location: Bellefonte, PA
Weather: Foggy, breaking sun, no wind, 70-75 degrees
198 people came out to Centre County for the 5th Annual Herbie's Hometown Loop- 4 mile run.
The memorial race honored Jeremy Herbstritt, who was a victim in the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007. Jeremy attended Bellefonte high school and later Penn State. The proceeds of the race go to funding a community track in Bellefonte.
Pre-Race: We actually arrived earlier than normal! There was no rushing around this time, which was nice. The registration table gave us our goodie bag and 4 raffle tickets that we could place in any buckets on the table, which included the raffle prizes (e.g. gift certificates to various restaurants, stores, local items). More on the results of this later!
We ran into Dave Lloyd, fellow running group member. He was all decked out in the Herbie's bright-red race shirt. :)
Race (Liz): I decided to wear the ol' iPod and I'm glad I made a new running playlist because it made the run less boring. First couple songs on the list: Hall and Oates. Great choice. There's nothing like starting out your first mile listening to the smooth sounds of Hall and Oates. It helps with 1) not going out too fast, 2) relieving anxiety, and 3) adding a few personal laughs to the run.
I ran this race last year, but it didn't make the course any easier. There were a few minor hills, but one very challenging hill. I had to walk up most of it but finished strong. There were little notes on the road that said things like "Almost there!", "Don't look up", "You can look up now", and "You did it!" Then as you reach the top of the hill and go around the corner, it still goes uphill!! And so there was a new message written that said, "Psyche!"
There was one point in the race where the traffic policeman stopped us. We had to stop for traffic for about 20 seconds. About 7-8 people caught up to me, and everyone was mad that we lost time.
I was pretty happy with the fact that I ran 6 minutes faster this year than last year. I'm satisfied with that improvement.
Race (David): I haven't been running for the last month because of an ankle injury but didn't want to miss this race for two reasons. First, in 2010 I hadn't run for nearly 10 years but decided, on sort of a challenge, to run HHL. Having trained nearly all of 2011, I was eager to see how I improved. Despite coming back from an injury, I was happy to have improved roughly 4 minutes (27.20 to 23.32). Second, HHL is a great race because of a monstrous hill at around 1.5miles. The hill puts even some seasoned runners to a standstill.
Overall, great course, great post-race food and festivities (see below), and neat array of prizes. My only complaint is that this race (much like the Herbstritt 5k in April at PSU) was not timed correctly. I give the race a 8/10.
Race (David): I haven't been running for the last month because of an ankle injury but didn't want to miss this race for two reasons. First, in 2010 I hadn't run for nearly 10 years but decided, on sort of a challenge, to run HHL. Having trained nearly all of 2011, I was eager to see how I improved. Despite coming back from an injury, I was happy to have improved roughly 4 minutes (27.20 to 23.32). Second, HHL is a great race because of a monstrous hill at around 1.5miles. The hill puts even some seasoned runners to a standstill.
Overall, great course, great post-race food and festivities (see below), and neat array of prizes. My only complaint is that this race (much like the Herbstritt 5k in April at PSU) was not timed correctly. I give the race a 8/10.
Post-race: TONS of great food. Subway subs, pizza, yummy homemade cupcakes, apple slices (I had one to feel a little healthier), bagels, Gatorade, iced tea, water, and maybe a couple other small things. They had live music, karaoke (I think only one person sang, and she sang "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benetar), door prizes, and awards. I won a $25 gift certificate to the Hofbrau in Bellefonte (awesome pizza!), and David won a Herbie's Hometown Loop bag for coming in 1st in his age group.
Overall, I give this race a 9/10. The course was tough, but everything else was great.
8/8/11
Willow Creek Triathlon 2011
Below is my race report for the 2011 Willow Creek Triathlon. They had their biggest turnout yet - 360 total participants including teams. 133 men did it individually. The race is a fundraiser for the Disabled American Veterans of McKean and Warren County and they raised over $22,000 this year. Overcast skies with heavy rain before the race. The rain stopped for the start of the race and started back up halfway through the bike leg. It stopped for good about 15 minutes after I finished. Feel free to ask questions or make comments.
Pre-race routine: Up at 6am and ate a bowl of cereal with a banana. Took a shower and packed up the car. Made sure to grab a few extra towels as it was lightly raining and the threat of heavier showers were in the forecast.
Met Scott from Warren (scottinpa on BT) before the race. I was hoping to catch up with him after the race, but we missed each other.
Event warmup: The worst part of the rain was getting ready for the race. I wasn't able to get my T1 area set up because I wanted to keep things dry. Everything was in a garbage bag in front of my bike and stayed there until after the swim. I was able to run a mile warmup before the rules meeting. I swam for about 5 minutes before lining up to start.
Swim
Comments: Time trial start. I wasn't sure what to expect as this was my first time trial. I started about halfway through the first group (~30 people). My thought process was that this would give me some people to chase on the bike and run. Ultimately, I believe this helped me to a strong finish on the run. After last year's tri, I was worried about my heart rate after running into the water, but everything went great and I settled right into a smooth rhythm breathing wise and stroke wise.
I wore my Xterra suit even though there weren't many wearing suits. I felt that it would help more than hurt - even with the very short swim. Within 100y I caught the woman that started in front of me (a very experienced swimmer and I felt great about this). My sighting was very good, except for my first 1-2 looks where the bouy was blocked by swimmers ahead. After that I was able to locate it each time and keep on line. I caught two more swimmers at the bouy and had to maneuver around them, but there was no real contact. After rounding the bouy I located the white bouy that is at the corner of the designated swimming area. I thought that this was a good landmark to shoot for although doubts were filling my head that maybe that WASN'T the swim area bouy. I went with my first instinct and turned out to be good. Once I got to that white bouy I started to look for the rope that sets the swim area and used that as my guide coming back towards shore.
Overall I feel as though the swim times were fast. Hard for me to believe that I swam 300y plus a run towards transition in 5:05. Most times seemed fast so I'm guessing that the swim was short. At least all of the times were consistent this year.
OA 37/263; Men 23/133; AG 1/6
What would you do differently?: Can't say that I'd do much more different. I worked hard over the last year to improve my swim and I think that came through in the race. I cut nearly 3 min. off of last years swim. The only little hiccup may be around the bouy and got slightly off line coming back to shore.
T1
Comments: They don't have separate timing mats for the transitions. This is a fundraiser for the Disabled American Veterans and extra mats would reduce proceeds raised.
A timing mat is placed on the paved path in front of the bathhouse. Once you cross that mat your bike time starts. I struggled in transition because all of my items were in the garbage bag in front of my bike. I didn't have time to set my gear out right before the race (transition area does not close) so I had to fumble through the bag. This really took some time. Add to that the struggle I had in removing my wetsuit and it seemed like I was there for an eternity. I ended up having to sit down to finally get the suit off. Once I got everything off and on, I ran with my bike for a bit as the start is uphill. I stopped and got on the bike and once again had a hard time clipping in. This added even more time.
What would you do differently?:Really need to practice this transition. I struggled at ATITB and again here. It cost me 6th overall (3 sec back). Need to practice getting on the bike fast and clipping in.
Bike
Comments: Once I got going the bike leg wasn't too bad. My goal was to average 21.7-22mph. The first few miles are probably the toughest so I knew my speed would be down and that I'd have a chance to bring my average up in the middle to end of the leg. I had my bike computer set to show avg speed so I could monitor it.
There weren't as many bikers in front of me this year so there weren't as many to catch. I did catch a handful though over the course, but felt more in no man's land this year than last. I was passed by two Erie guys with about 6 miles to go. I worked to keep contact with them and they helped me to stay focused on racing. This was when the rain started back up again and it was coming down pretty hard. Those guys both had fancy tri bikes so I figured it might be hard to stay with them.
One of them eventually took off. The other stuck around and I would pass him going up the hills, only to be passed by him on the downhills. We did this for a few miles until the Willow Bay area (~2 miles to go). I passed him again and then put a lot of space on him. It gave me a lot of confidence to drop that guy and I kept thinking to myself how much stronger I was on the bike than he was.
I knew the guy in front of me and the one behind had started their swims after me and that both might beat me overall if I didn't put some time on them in the run. I was also contemplating what to do about wearing socks for the run. My feet were soaked on the bike. I knew that putting socks on wet feet would be tough, but I also remembered the blisters I had after ATITB.
The last 2 miles are pretty flat so I cruised into the bike dismount line.
Gregg Reynolds from Ridecarbon.com allowed me to use a set of Gray wheels for the race. He didn't want any rental fee for them so Amanda and I gave a contribution to the DAV on his behalf.
OA 20/263; Men 19/133; AG 2/6
What would you do differently?: This winter will be a 'sufferfest.' I've had two years to get acclimated to the bike and to put some miles in, now it's time to get fast on the bike. I had the worst bike leg in the top 15 (T1 included here) and the top 5 guys were 5-6 min. better. If I want to compete, this is my next step for improvement.
T2
Comments: Again, no transition times. My dismount wasn't the most graceful. Skidded into the line because of the wet roads. I didn't take my feet out of my shoes because I would have had to run across a gravel parking lot to my run gear. Handed my bike off to a volunteer and shouted to another for my transition bag. Slightly frustrating to have to tear into a garbage bag to get run gear out, but everyone has to do it. Guy that passed me on the bike was there when I came in and the guy behind me came in as well so he wasn't too far behind. They struck up a conversation - "Hey Joe! I didn't know that was you on the bike!"
I let my instincts take over regarding the socks and just left them in the bag. With the two guys there on my tail, I didn't want to lose any more time to them.
I had my watch in one shoe (already on and satellites located!) and socks in the other. Threw the shoes on and was gone. Hit start and strapped up the watch on my way out. I left those guys in the dust and knew that my run leg would be tough for them to overcome.
What would you do differently?: Felt as though this was a great transition. Not as much to fumble with. No race belt needed. Based on my total run/transition time and my watch time I believe that my t-time was about :35.
Run
Comments: My goal was to run 6:10-6:15 pace. According to my watch I ran the 5k in 19:14 for 6:11 pace. I kept my eyes up and worked to catch people. I knew the people in front of me started the race before me so passing them definitely put them behind me overall. The two guys from transition were behind me and I had the confidence to know that my run time would be enough to beat them. I passed only a few people on the run, but kept running hard because I knew every second counted. I didn't drink much at the aid stations. It was raining pretty hard at this point and that was enough to keep me cool.
About halfway through the run, I had a couple twinges in my right hamstring. I backed off slightly so I wouldn't cramp and shortened the stride up. This seemed to keep everything OK but I was concious of it the rest of the race. The long straight stretches make it hard to focus so I used my watch to help me keep my pace and was always trying to catch the person in front of me. I was able to push the pace to sub-6 in the last half mile.
OA 1/263; Men 1/133; AG 1/6
What would you do differently?: I believe that I could have pushed a bit harder, but with a lack of people to catch and to stay focused on it was difficult. The long straight stretches make it tough too. Overall I was happy with the run.
Post race
Warm down: Met up with my family and friends that were there to cheer. Talked with them for a bit and then Gregg Reynolds asked if I wanted to run back to get our bikes. Ran back the 3 miles and cheered on those that were still finishing. It was nice to share our thoughts on how the race went. My feet were really starting to hurt though (wet shoes, no socks). After finding all of my gear, I jumped on the bike and rode back to the finish.
What limited your ability to perform faster:Slow T-1 time. I felt flat on the bike. The miles are good, but there's something still missing. I'm getting to a point where the next step has got to be a tri bike. Get a bike fit and practice riding in aero. In order to compete with the big boys, this will have to happen.
| Willow Creek Triathlon
2011-08-06 Bradford, Pennsylvania United States Disabled American Veterens Precipitation |
Triathlon - Sprint Total Time = 1h 06m 28s Overall Rank = 7/133 Age Group = M30-34 Age Group Rank = 1/6 |
Pre-race routine: Up at 6am and ate a bowl of cereal with a banana. Took a shower and packed up the car. Made sure to grab a few extra towels as it was lightly raining and the threat of heavier showers were in the forecast.
Met Scott from Warren (scottinpa on BT) before the race. I was hoping to catch up with him after the race, but we missed each other.
Event warmup: The worst part of the rain was getting ready for the race. I wasn't able to get my T1 area set up because I wanted to keep things dry. Everything was in a garbage bag in front of my bike and stayed there until after the swim. I was able to run a mile warmup before the rules meeting. I swam for about 5 minutes before lining up to start.
SwimComments: Time trial start. I wasn't sure what to expect as this was my first time trial. I started about halfway through the first group (~30 people). My thought process was that this would give me some people to chase on the bike and run. Ultimately, I believe this helped me to a strong finish on the run. After last year's tri, I was worried about my heart rate after running into the water, but everything went great and I settled right into a smooth rhythm breathing wise and stroke wise.
I wore my Xterra suit even though there weren't many wearing suits. I felt that it would help more than hurt - even with the very short swim. Within 100y I caught the woman that started in front of me (a very experienced swimmer and I felt great about this). My sighting was very good, except for my first 1-2 looks where the bouy was blocked by swimmers ahead. After that I was able to locate it each time and keep on line. I caught two more swimmers at the bouy and had to maneuver around them, but there was no real contact. After rounding the bouy I located the white bouy that is at the corner of the designated swimming area. I thought that this was a good landmark to shoot for although doubts were filling my head that maybe that WASN'T the swim area bouy. I went with my first instinct and turned out to be good. Once I got to that white bouy I started to look for the rope that sets the swim area and used that as my guide coming back towards shore.
Overall I feel as though the swim times were fast. Hard for me to believe that I swam 300y plus a run towards transition in 5:05. Most times seemed fast so I'm guessing that the swim was short. At least all of the times were consistent this year.
OA 37/263; Men 23/133; AG 1/6
What would you do differently?: Can't say that I'd do much more different. I worked hard over the last year to improve my swim and I think that came through in the race. I cut nearly 3 min. off of last years swim. The only little hiccup may be around the bouy and got slightly off line coming back to shore.
T1
Comments: They don't have separate timing mats for the transitions. This is a fundraiser for the Disabled American Veterans and extra mats would reduce proceeds raised.
A timing mat is placed on the paved path in front of the bathhouse. Once you cross that mat your bike time starts. I struggled in transition because all of my items were in the garbage bag in front of my bike. I didn't have time to set my gear out right before the race (transition area does not close) so I had to fumble through the bag. This really took some time. Add to that the struggle I had in removing my wetsuit and it seemed like I was there for an eternity. I ended up having to sit down to finally get the suit off. Once I got everything off and on, I ran with my bike for a bit as the start is uphill. I stopped and got on the bike and once again had a hard time clipping in. This added even more time.
What would you do differently?:Really need to practice this transition. I struggled at ATITB and again here. It cost me 6th overall (3 sec back). Need to practice getting on the bike fast and clipping in.
BikeComments: Once I got going the bike leg wasn't too bad. My goal was to average 21.7-22mph. The first few miles are probably the toughest so I knew my speed would be down and that I'd have a chance to bring my average up in the middle to end of the leg. I had my bike computer set to show avg speed so I could monitor it.
There weren't as many bikers in front of me this year so there weren't as many to catch. I did catch a handful though over the course, but felt more in no man's land this year than last. I was passed by two Erie guys with about 6 miles to go. I worked to keep contact with them and they helped me to stay focused on racing. This was when the rain started back up again and it was coming down pretty hard. Those guys both had fancy tri bikes so I figured it might be hard to stay with them.
One of them eventually took off. The other stuck around and I would pass him going up the hills, only to be passed by him on the downhills. We did this for a few miles until the Willow Bay area (~2 miles to go). I passed him again and then put a lot of space on him. It gave me a lot of confidence to drop that guy and I kept thinking to myself how much stronger I was on the bike than he was.
I knew the guy in front of me and the one behind had started their swims after me and that both might beat me overall if I didn't put some time on them in the run. I was also contemplating what to do about wearing socks for the run. My feet were soaked on the bike. I knew that putting socks on wet feet would be tough, but I also remembered the blisters I had after ATITB.
The last 2 miles are pretty flat so I cruised into the bike dismount line.
Gregg Reynolds from Ridecarbon.com allowed me to use a set of Gray wheels for the race. He didn't want any rental fee for them so Amanda and I gave a contribution to the DAV on his behalf.
OA 20/263; Men 19/133; AG 2/6
What would you do differently?: This winter will be a 'sufferfest.' I've had two years to get acclimated to the bike and to put some miles in, now it's time to get fast on the bike. I had the worst bike leg in the top 15 (T1 included here) and the top 5 guys were 5-6 min. better. If I want to compete, this is my next step for improvement.
T2
Comments: Again, no transition times. My dismount wasn't the most graceful. Skidded into the line because of the wet roads. I didn't take my feet out of my shoes because I would have had to run across a gravel parking lot to my run gear. Handed my bike off to a volunteer and shouted to another for my transition bag. Slightly frustrating to have to tear into a garbage bag to get run gear out, but everyone has to do it. Guy that passed me on the bike was there when I came in and the guy behind me came in as well so he wasn't too far behind. They struck up a conversation - "Hey Joe! I didn't know that was you on the bike!"
I let my instincts take over regarding the socks and just left them in the bag. With the two guys there on my tail, I didn't want to lose any more time to them.
I had my watch in one shoe (already on and satellites located!) and socks in the other. Threw the shoes on and was gone. Hit start and strapped up the watch on my way out. I left those guys in the dust and knew that my run leg would be tough for them to overcome.
What would you do differently?: Felt as though this was a great transition. Not as much to fumble with. No race belt needed. Based on my total run/transition time and my watch time I believe that my t-time was about :35.
RunComments: My goal was to run 6:10-6:15 pace. According to my watch I ran the 5k in 19:14 for 6:11 pace. I kept my eyes up and worked to catch people. I knew the people in front of me started the race before me so passing them definitely put them behind me overall. The two guys from transition were behind me and I had the confidence to know that my run time would be enough to beat them. I passed only a few people on the run, but kept running hard because I knew every second counted. I didn't drink much at the aid stations. It was raining pretty hard at this point and that was enough to keep me cool.
About halfway through the run, I had a couple twinges in my right hamstring. I backed off slightly so I wouldn't cramp and shortened the stride up. This seemed to keep everything OK but I was concious of it the rest of the race. The long straight stretches make it hard to focus so I used my watch to help me keep my pace and was always trying to catch the person in front of me. I was able to push the pace to sub-6 in the last half mile.
OA 1/263; Men 1/133; AG 1/6
What would you do differently?: I believe that I could have pushed a bit harder, but with a lack of people to catch and to stay focused on it was difficult. The long straight stretches make it tough too. Overall I was happy with the run.
Post race
Warm down: Met up with my family and friends that were there to cheer. Talked with them for a bit and then Gregg Reynolds asked if I wanted to run back to get our bikes. Ran back the 3 miles and cheered on those that were still finishing. It was nice to share our thoughts on how the race went. My feet were really starting to hurt though (wet shoes, no socks). After finding all of my gear, I jumped on the bike and rode back to the finish.
What limited your ability to perform faster:Slow T-1 time. I felt flat on the bike. The miles are good, but there's something still missing. I'm getting to a point where the next step has got to be a tri bike. Get a bike fit and practice riding in aero. In order to compete with the big boys, this will have to happen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)