Ironman 70.3 San Juan, Puerto Rico - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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San Juan,
Puerto Rico
BNSports
73F / 23C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 23m 5s
Overall Rank = 226/1554
Age Group = Male 35/39
Age Group Rank = 51/281
Pre-race routine:

Went to transition early (first time ever), got everything ready, I ate some raspberry oat bar and drank some coffee. Went to the swim start that was in a different point and waited for my wave (12th out of 14).
Event warmup:

Jogged across the bridge for five minutes.
Swim
  • 35m 18s
  • 2078 yards
  • 01m 42s / 100 yards
Comments:

I positioned myself just right on the second row, it was a good idea since I didn't get run over or had to go around anyone. Not once I got hit nor hit anybody except for the ocasional feet touch. About a quarter into the swim I found this guy that was going just a tad faster than I was so I hung on to his draft, great decision because he was doing all the sighting (he was pretty straight), and it saved me some energy. With a third of the course still to go he cranked up the pace but I felt this was no time to go hard so I just let him go.
After leaving the lagoon area and entering open water (last 500 yards) there was some swell. With my body going up and down I got a bit dizzy but it wasn't for long.
What would you do differently?:

Absolutely nothing, it was a good swim and the first time I'm able to draft for a good part of the swim.
Transition 1
  • 04m 29s
Comments:

The longest run in transition that I can remember, over a quarter mile long. Pretty organized transition area with a huge space between racks which made for a quick exit despite the long run.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing at all.
Bike
  • 2h 42m 59s
  • 55.92 miles
  • 20.59 mile/hr
Comments:

I took the first 25 minutes to lower my HR to aerobic numbers. Climbing the overpasses was not helping but I wasn't over by much, maybe two to three BPM. After I got it controlled, I just cruised at the same HR for the first 40 miles then cranked it up about seven beats.
I had some crosswind/tailwind going out (about 10mph) which made for a faster first split. Heading back into town the wind had picked up a lot so even though my effort was higher the speed was about two mph slower. I executed to perfection though because I passed a ton of folks (that were blown) on my way back.
It was a clean bike course, I never saw anybody drafting and there were zebras all over making sure no packs were formed.

What would you do differently?:

Nothing, nice pacing, great execution.
Transition 2
  • 02m 48s
Comments:

Uneventful transition, pretty flawless.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Run
  • 1h 57m 31s
  • 13.05 miles
  • 09m 01s  min/mile
Comments:

I wish I ran the course before the race, to get a better idea of what kind of trouble I was getting myself into.
This was a TOUGH run, pretty much all of the course has some kind of gradient, including some nasty, long climbs. I started feeling great, I even slowed down to conserve energy thinking I would run faster later (ha!). There was some serious hills with funny names like hamburger hill and cat's hill (lot of felines roaming around). There were not enough aid stations, and the water was hot at the end because they seemingly ran out of ice.
At that point, it was hot and humid, and I could only think of the finish line. I kept looking at the watch hoping to PR, and I remember thinking a couple of times that I wasn't going to as I had to walk steep uphill sections at the end.
Even though this run was slow, it was very good relative to the courses challenge.
What would you do differently?:

Get more hill training!
Post race
Warm down:

I was toast, tired and blistered so I went to the athletes lounge, ate a slice of pizza and a banana, then headed back to transition to get my bike and morning clothes bag.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

No hill training and the scorching heat.

Event comments:

A great race, the most scenic course I ever did, period. I'm coming back for sure, with more hills under the belt though.




Last updated: 2010-04-23 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:35:18 | 2078 yards | 01m 42s / 100yards
Age Group: 51/281
Overall: 260/1554
Performance: Good
Suit: Speedo FSII trisuit (no wetsuit).
Course: Point to point swim starting on the beach next to the Conrad Hotel, swim exit at the Caribe Hilton. Rectangular shape and very well marked (buoys close together).
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 79F / 26C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:29
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
02:42:59 | 55.92 miles | 20.59 mile/hr
Age Group: 58/281
Overall: 249/1554
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course: A two loops (second one shorter) going out of San Juan, across Dorado and all the way to Toa Baja. A good part of it (in Dorado mostly) was next to the ocean with some incredible views. The road was in good conditions, some fresh paved too. No rough sections. Leaving San Juan and at the end there's a lot of overpasses that you could call "hills" but nothing major.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 93
Turns: Good Cornering:
Gear changes: Good Hills:
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:48
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Below average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
01:57:31 | 13.05 miles | 09m 01s  min/mile
Age Group: 51/281
Overall: 226/1554
Performance: Good
Course: A two loop, hellaciously hilly run going through colonial San Juan, a good part on cobbles and no shade whatsoever. Very tough!
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? No
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5