Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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New Orleans, Louisiana
United States
Premier Event Management
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 08m 32s
Overall Rank = 235/1649
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 36/229
Pre-race routine:

Large cup of coffee, 3 granola bars and about a gallon of water
Event warmup:

None - Got in the water to get the wet suit warmed up.
Swim
  • 38m 21s
  • 2000 yards
  • 01m 55s / 100 yards
Comments:

There were large swells - no white caps but quite a churn. I started in the second to the last wave. This meant that the lake was full of swimmers. From experience I know that even though I am not the fastest swimmer I am faster than everyone in front of me (or else I would not catch them).

It took me about a quarter of the swim to get the timing of the swells down so that I would not get a mouth full of water. With so many turns on the course the congestion at the buoys was evident.

My goal time for the swim was 35 minutes. I finished in 38:21. In better conditions I could achieve this goal.
What would you do differently?:

Learn to bilateral breath to site without losing my momentum.

Transition 1
  • 02m 37s
Comments:

There were wetsuit strippers but they were in a grassy / sandy area. I did not want to get covered with grip so I did the stand and stomp methon at my tranistion area.

I got everything on and adjusted and run to the transition out. I ran past a few people and stayed to the left where I mounted the bike. No flying or anything - I just stopped and clipped in and I was off.
What would you do differently?:

I still debate about learning the flying mount. Something to work on.
Bike
  • 2h 39m 34s
  • 56 miles
  • 21.06 mile/hr
Comments:

Starting at the end of the race there were tons of riders in front of me. I took it easy on the rough pavement and then got up to speed. My heart rate was in my race zone and I did not have any problems pushing my pace. I set my race watch to alert every 7 miles ( 56 / 7 = 8) to let me know when to take a gel. I was also able to use these split to gauge the speed on the course. The first 7 miles were into a head wind with some crosswind thrown in. I could feel the cross winds but they were not nearly as bad as last year. The time went by quickly especially on the back portion with the tail wind. It was easy to maintain 23 – 24 MPH. My heart rate was the highest in this area as I was keeping my momentum as I passed slower riders.
What would you do differently?:

There is a fine line on how hard to push on the bike to be able to run fast. I am in the area but I do not have it completely dialed in.
Transition 2
  • 01m 54s
Comments:

My legs felt fine after the bike (no wobbling) and I was able to run to my bike rack. I

I politely said excuse me to a couple of people walking through transition but it really did not slow me down much. I was not going to make the mistakes of past races and try to save a few seconds and skip the socks. I sat down next to my bike and put socks on. Transition was still pretty quick.
What would you do differently?:

Learn the flying dismount.
Run
  • 1h 46m 8s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 06s  min/mile
Comments:

I looked at my watch as I ran out of transition. I had put myself in position to reach all of my goals. I wanted a 4:59 for this race and I thought it was possible to run a 1:35. Calculating the - time all I needed was a 1:38. I am not so good with the pace math in race situations.

The first mile went down well. I ran the first mile at 7:05 pace but I needed to use the bathroom (just number 1) bad. I have never needed to stop in a race at less than a full ironman. I guess I drank a little too much water on the bike (and the swim!). There was a single port-a-loo at mile one. I knocked on the door and it was occupied. The racer in the port-a-loo only took a few more seconds. However, it seemed like it took me forever. I entered the port-a-loo. It felt like gallons. Actually the total time was about 80 seconds for the pit stop. I knew I could make this time up.

I grabbed some water outside of the port-a-loo and started running again. I started to notice the heat. In training I have been able to make adjustments on my pacing. The 7:05 pace that I wanted to run was not going to happen. I dialed it back to a 7:30 pace and I was able to maintain. My average pace was still high because of the stop but it was slowly coming down. My goal was still obtainable.

The heat was taking its toll and there really was no shade for the first 9 or 10 miles of the run. I think that this must have been the hottest weekend of the year so far and my race pace goals no longer seemed realistic. I could run my paces 10 degrees cooler – but…

I started to grab ice and big drinks of water at the aid stations. I mentally broke the race down into 1 mile sections. However, trying to stay cool I was drinking too much. At around mile 6 my stomach started to ache. I believe that it was combination of too much water on the swim, bike and run. I had thoughts of pulling off and forcing some of the pain out of my gut. I never did but the thought was there.

I grabbed cups of ice and held them with my fingers in the cup. This acted like a huge heat sink and cooled me off. The ice would only last the 8 minutes to get to the next stop where I would refill.

My running pace slowly climbed up to averaging 8 minute miles. I saw my race time of 4:59 slipping away. I did not have the mentally fortitude to keep it from happening. I let it slip. My heart rate was in check but I was just not able to push the pace as fast I wanted to run.

I only walked the water stations for the run and the walking there was minimum. At mile 12 I knew the end was near and I tried to pick the pace up. I knew the fantasy goal was gone but I still wanted to finish strong. I was able to push the pace for the last half mile.

What would you do differently?:

I started out a little fast. It was the pace I wanted to run but I could have spared a few seconds.
Post race
Warm down:

Last year a tri club had a kiddie pool filled with ice water. I looked around for something similar. At the medical tent they had several of these. I walked straight over. They asked me if I was okay and I said I was fine but wanted to cool off. I took my shoes off and sat down next to someone. My feet were freezing – it was painful. I laid down in the ice bath with my feet sticking out. My legs and torso were submerged in the icy goodness. I could feel my body lose all of that extra temperature.
They need these at all races!!!


What limited your ability to perform faster:

Limited conditioning on the bike. Learning the line where to push to set up for the run.

Also, this year my wave started an 1:12 after the start of the race. My run was much hotter than last year.

Event comments:

I enjoyed the race. I improved all around but have some areas to work on.




Last updated: 2010-04-20 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:38:21 | 2000 yards | 01m 55s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/229
Overall: 501/1649
Performance: Average
Suit: bib john blue seventy
Course: L shape configuration, 4 90 degree turns
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 72F / 22C Current:
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting:
Waves: Average Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Below average
T1
Time: 02:37
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
02:39:34 | 56 miles | 21.06 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/229
Overall: 403/1649
Performance: Good
Wind: Cross-winds with gusts
Course: East to west course. Wind was from the east. Strong cross winds and head wind on the out section. Allowed you to fly in sections.=
Road: Rough Dry Cadence: 95
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:54
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:46:08 | 13.1 miles | 08m 06s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/229
Overall: 218/1649
Performance: Average
Course: Flat and sunny.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Too much
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
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]