Tri Latta (Saturday) - TriathlonSprint


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Charlotte, North Carolina
United States
Set-Up Events
82F / 28C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 38m
Overall Rank = 119/400
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 15/44
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 4 freaking am. Had oatmeal, PB toast, banana. Left for race at 4:45. So dark in the parking lot I could not hold flashlight and pump up tires at the same time. Walked the bike most of the 1/2 mile to transition area.
Event warmup:

Not much. Very humid out. Swam maybe 75 yards and then stretched out while waiting in line for the can.
Swim
  • 16m 48s
  • 820 yards
  • 02m 03s / 100 yards
Comments:

Purposelly started out nice and slow. Nothing prepares you for the first time pounding you get in the first 200m or so. Navigated fine but rhythem was WAY off from being swum over, under, and being kicked in the face. After 200m or so, found a decent rhythem and smoothed out a little. Finished at the same pace I started, slow and easy.
What would you do differently?:

Stay outside more on the start and worry less about swimming over people. On the way back, I could have pushed the swim much harder but being my 1st race, I didn't know what to expect so I took it slow and steady. Next time I will open up the swim on they way back. Could easily shave a minute off of this time.
Transition 1
  • 02m 30s
Comments:

Overall not bad. Lost a lot of speed on the bike because my speedplay cleats were clogged with mud. Took a good mile to get left foot clipped in. Missed my rack going into T1. Thanks to BT.com I had my T1 area layed out perfectly and it was fast.
What would you do differently?:

Count the rack position to make sure I go down the right one. Learn to get into the bike shoes while clipped on...or get the coffee house speedplay covers and then just take them off at the mount line.
Bike
  • 48m 23s
  • 17 miles
  • 21.08 mile/hr
Comments:

Did better on the bike than I thought I would. Avg 21+. I lost a lot of speed in the first mile due to the fact that I only had one shoe clipped in. After the mud dried and I got clipped in, got up to speed quickly. My pace was comfortable, probably too much so, but again, didn't know what to expect. Rarely got passed by guys on road bikes (which I was on) but did have some tri bikes fly by me. Note to self...I "need" a disc wheel cause they sound SO cool when they fly by you.

I saw first hand the advantage of being on the aerobars on a road bike. Flew by some guys in the drops while I was aero going down a long hill.

At no part of the ride was I "tired" and kept a comfortable pace the enitre ride.



What would you do differently?:

Probably push a little harder on the bike leg but a fine line between pushing too hard and not enough. That will come with experience.
Transition 2
  • 02m 16s
Comments:

Came to complete stop to get off. Wobbly legs mad for wobbly run with bike. Missed rack...again. Shoes/socks on OK. Jogged too slow out T2.
What would you do differently?:

Pay more f**king attention to where my rack is. Learn to get out of bike shoes while on bike.
Run
  • 22m 8s
  • 3.11 miles
  • 07m 07s  min/mile
Comments:

Hated the gravel course. Did well 1st mile (6:33) but mile two for some reason my legs slowed way down (7:30) but I didn't realize I slowed down. Sped up for the final mile (7:00) but hard to build speed on the gravel. Even though I was disappoined in my run time, I was happy to say I passed a ton of people on the run and was not passed myself. W/O the brain fart on mile 2, I could have easily gotten the run down to 21 flat. The final 200 yards I had enough energy to full out sprint (and probably piss a few guys off that I passed).
What would you do differently?:

Get a garmin so I am more aware of pace on the run. Hard to gauge speed the first mile when legs are numb and then harder to tell when you actually get the feeling back. Would start my final push earlier.
Post race
Warm down:

Gave wife and kid hugs! Grabbed a banana, coffee, and two beers (breakfast of champions). Smiled a lot. Very proud of myself for doing my first tri. Asked wife which tri we gonna do in July and August! Learned so much doing the first race.

This was a two day race with Saturday being the open/AG (which I did), and Sunday being the novice/relay. Even though it was my first race, I wanted to do with the AGers so I could learn. I just looked at the novice results from Sunday...I would finished 8th overall! But then again, I wouldn't have learned from all the AGers...but it sure makes me feel pretty good for my first race!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Zero tri race experience. Need more sprinting saddle time. Need more OWS experience.

Event comments:

Race was very well run. 6:30am start time kind of sucks. Didn't like the gravel/trail run but that is just a personal preference. I have nothing to compare it to tri-wise but compared to most running races I do, this was a very well run race.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2009-01-12 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:16:48 | 820 yards | 02m 03s / 100yards
Age Group: 25/44
Overall: 205/400
Performance: Average
Suit:
Course: Triangle
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 82F / 28C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 02:30
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Bad
Biking
00:48:23 | 17 miles | 21.08 mile/hr
Age Group: 17/44
Overall: 157/400
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: The bike course is a 17 mile loop – a course that is best described as moderately hilly. There are no big climbs on the course – but a series of rollers and a couple of fairly long hills though not steep.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:16
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Below average
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:22:08 | 03.11 miles | 07m 07s  min/mile
Age Group: 11/44
Overall: 66/400
Performance: Average
Course: It's a mostly off-road run course on the trail system at Latta Park. The run surface is hard-packed dirt/gravel. The course is heavily shaded and features a couple of hills – neither of which is long or steep. Aid stations will be located every mile.
Keeping cool Average 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? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4