Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon - TriathlonFull Ironman


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Wilmington, North Carolina
United States
Set Up Events
Sunny
Total Time = 14h 17m
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

This report is especially for:
1. Those of you who have never done an Iron Distance Triathlon
2. Who have never ran a marathon
3. Who have completed only one half-IM
4. Who are over 50 years of age.
If I can complete the Full, so can you.
Event warmup:

I went to bed at 7:45 PM and got a good sleep. Ate a moderate breakfast of Wheaties Fuel and OJ. Took the bus from the Hilton down to T1 and turned in my special needs bags and got body marked. Let the nice folks at Two-Wheeler Dealer put air in my tires. Tried to stay clam as I took the shuttle down to the swim start. Put on my wetsuit and tried to stay warm. 10 minutes before the horn I took 200 g of gel and washed it down with 4 oz of OJ. The tank was full.
Swim
  • 1h 19m
  • 4224 yards
  • 01m 52s / 100 yards
Comments:

I started far to the left and gave the opening right turn a wide berth. Never got kicked or punched. I felt great and tried to stay on some feet as much as possible. After a mile the chop, caused by a strong north wind, worstened. I felt like my form suffered. There was no current helping. Towards the end I was getting cold. I exited via the ladder and could only walk. I kept my wetsuit on. I must have been wobbling a little because a medic came up and asked me if I was OK. I made it to the T1 tent where it was warm but I took over 20 minutes trying to pull my act together.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe try to draft a little more.
Transition 1
  • 24m 13s
Comments:

I was very cold when I reached T1 and a little disoriented. I usually make a fast transition but I needed time to warm up and pull my act together.
What would you do differently?:

Not pack as much in my T1. I had so much stuff that it slowed me down.
Bike
  • 6h 30m 15s
  • 112 miles
  • 17.22 mile/hr
Comments:

I really enjoyed the bike course. My Cervelo P3 with 666mm Reynolds Strikers performed great. What a fast bike! Most of the roads were very smooth, however there were a few short sections that were rougher. The temps were perfect, ranging from 40 F - 65 F. I wore winter clothes until I got to the Special Needs site, then I changed over to short sleeves and short bike pants and put on sun screen. I carried only one bottle which was sufficient in the cool temperatures and the closely spaced aide stations. The last 40 miles, with the north wind at our backs, was very fast. I was going 22 - 25 mph and not even breaking a sweat. When I got to mile 100 I intentionally dialed it down to get my legs ready for the run. It really helped me.
What would you do differently?:

I didn't receive any penalties but I accidently dropped a water bottle at mile 80. I looked back and didn't see any refs but then, two seconds later, the motorcycle was right beside me. One of the refs was writing something down. I thought for sure I was receiving a penalty. This really played with my mind. Next time, I won't carry water bottles in my back pockets.
Transition 2
  • 14m 23s
Comments:

I stopped to dismount and I didn't have enough strength in my legs to support my weight. I rolled over right at the finish line with about 1000 people watching. Em-bare-assing! I took my time in T2, pulled out a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich and fueled up for the run.
What would you do differently?:

Not acting like a complete novice on the bike dismount.
Run
  • 5h 48m 15s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 13m 17s  min/mile
Comments:

I made sure my first mile was the slowest, then I got into a nice pace. Ran about 6 miles then walked/ran the rest. Talked to some nice triathletes. When it got dark the headlights on the bridges made it hard to see. One volunteer ran with me the last mile. That was cool.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Post race
Warm down:

I arrived at the finish line after 9 PM. There was still a great cheering crowd gathered but not much was happening. I wanted a blanket but didn't see anyone handing them out. I had to go hunt down a finisher's shirt. But the pizza was good and Set-Up had delivered all my bags.

Event comments:

Set-up events did a good job. I had a great experience. Wilmington is a beautiful city and Wrightsville Beach is awesome. I would recommend this Iron-distance race to both beginner and pro.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2010-11-16 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:19:00 | 4224 yards | 01m 52s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Average
Suit: X-Terra
Course: This is a great swim course right up Banks Channel. If you breathe bi-laterally then you get to see wonderful wetlands on your left and interesting beach houses and docks on your right. Unfortunately, there was not any current to help us along. But, in retropect, it makes the accomplishment of completing an Iron-Distance triathlon all the more special.
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 64F / 18C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 24:13
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
06:30:15 | 112 miles | 17.22 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Wind: Headwind
Course: This is a very fast course. The interstate is especially fast. With the wind out of the north we battled the headwind for 70 miles, but the last 40+ miles were sweet. Plenty of aide stations and the volunteers at the special needs site were great. My SN bag was in my hands before I dismounted the bike.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 14:23
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
05:48:15 | 26.2 miles | 13m 17s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Course: This is a great course with a variety of scenes: arching bridges, quaint cobberstone streets, historic downtown Wilmington, beautiful Southern mansions, and an awesome park (did I mention the sewer treatment plant?). The volunteers were great and the locals provided great support. Well stocked aide stations.
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
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: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4