Las Palomas Triathlon at Rocky Point - Olympic Distance - TriathlonOlympic


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Rocky Point ,
Mexico
Red Rock Company
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 27m 2s
Overall Rank = 45/173
Age Group = 40 - 44
Age Group Rank = 11/36
Pre-race routine:

Woke up about 6:30am and milled around for a bit. At 7:00am my friend and I headed down to transition to rack our bikes. Then headed back up to the condo for breakfast. I ate bagel with cream cheese and peanut butter and washed it down with a Propel. At about 8:00am we headed back down to transition to set up our areas and warm up for the race.
Event warmup:

Short out and back swim in the ocean a few minutes before race time.
Swim
  • 19m 43s
  • 1000 meters
  • 01m 58s / 100 meters
Comments:

The first leg was pretty rough - a lot of wave action and currents pushing you off course. I had a good idea of what to expect by watching the first wave of triathletes. After the first turn the wave action was not so much of an issue - however, the smaller buoys were hard to spot in the waves and at one point I found myself 25 ft or so to the right of one of them. A quick course correction and all was well. Once the second larger corner buoy was in sight - staying on course was much easier. After rounding the second buoy, I swam in (catching swells as I was able) until my fingers touched the bottom and then stood up and began the run up the beach. The sand was loose and there was a decent hill between the beach and the transition area - so running was difficult to some degree.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Transition 1
  • 03m 57s
Comments:

I lost a lot of time here... first, I was concerned with sand in my socks (this was my first beach swim triathlon). So, I probably spent more time than I needed to to ensure that the bulk of the sand on my feet was brushed off. Second, I tore my number off of the safety pins when putting on my tri-shirt (I had my race number pre-pinned to it). So, time was lost in pinning my number back on... ugggh!
What would you do differently?:

Two things...
1) I'm investing in a race belt to solve the number issue.
2) Maybe add a small tub of water to my staging area that would get the majority of sand off my feet with a quick dunk.
Bike
  • 72m 24s
  • 24.6 miles
  • 20.39 mile/hr
Comments:

The course was not very scenic and it seemed to get more crowded as the race progressed. The out and backs were nice because I got see see my friend several times during the race as we passed on each leg. The road was particularly rough at the top of the hill on the third leg and the wind took most of the enjoyment out of the downhill sections as it seemed to be a head-wind on those areas. I settled into a nice pace (better than I expected for the amount of training I allotted to the bike portion) and felt good for most of the course.
What would you do differently?:

Definitely put in more training time on the bike. I spent a lot of time swim training (looking forward to SharkFest) and run training (as this was the discipline I was looking forward to the least) - as a result, bike training got grossly left behind. I also think I could of pushed a little harder overall - an average HR in the low to mid 150s should have been doable.
Transition 2
  • 01m 47s
Comments:

Average transition - nothing spectacular or particularly bad about it.... took off bike gear, put on running shoes, ate some gel, drank some fluid.
What would you do differently?:

Do everything I did - just faster.
Run
  • 49m 8s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 07m 55s  min/mile
Comments:

I'm not a runner... I was only hoping for 8:30 miles - so, I'm ecstatic on my sub 8:00 average performance! I put in a lot of effort (interval) training for the run and it paid off. The course was hillier than expected and I had to talk myself out of walking at the top of a few of them. I took water from aid stations 2,3, and 4 - skipping 1 and 5. The run (and race) finish was finalized with a lack-luster performance on the slip-n-slide (I just didn't have the energy left to do it justice).
What would you do differently?:

Get more speed up for the slip-n-slide!
Post race
Warm down:

Just kept my legs moving while downing water and beer.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of effort training for the bike portion.

Event comments:

A "must-do" triathlon for anybody that can swing it. The post-race party put on by Corona and the event organizer was crazy! Can you say FREE BEER? The host resort was very accommodating and nice, the people were great, and the the overall vibe was killer. The day itself was a "Perfect Storm" - fueled by the accomplishment of the race (my first Olympic distance), the attitude of my friends and fellow athletes, and the copious amounts of Corona - that set me up for a day (and night) that I will never forget... my own personal version of the movie "The Hangover". I'll be back next year!




Last updated: 2010-04-28 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:19:43 | 1000 meters | 01m 58s / 100meters
Age Group: 2/36
Overall: 11/173
Performance: Good
Suit: None - Tri Shorts Only
Course: Three sides of a mis-shaped rectangle. The corners were marked with large yellow buoys. The sides were marked with smaller yellow buoys.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 69F / 21C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:57
Performance: Bad
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:72:24 | 24.6 miles | 20.39 mile/hr
Age Group: 14/36
Overall: 71/173
Performance: Average
Avg HR: 149 bpm, Max HR: 156 bpm
Wind: Some
Course: Three loops of a "Y" course - three turnarounds and two turns per loop.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 01:47
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:49:08 | 06.2 miles | 07m 55s  min/mile
Age Group: 11/36
Overall: 46/173
Performance: Good
Avg HR: 157 bpm, Max HR: 165 bpm
Course: Nice scenic run through the golf course with lots of winding pathways and rolling hills - some hills seemed very steep (but short).
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
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] 5