MRU Sprint Triathlon - Aquathlon


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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
Mount Royal University Recreation
Total Time = 27m 7s
Overall Rank = 109/188
Age Group = M30-39
Age Group Rank = 18/24
Pre-race routine:

Event was originally supposed to be a sprint tri (500m swim, 18km bike, 5km run) but a typical Calgary April snowstorm forced the organizers to scrub the bike and move the run indoors (shortened to 2km).

This event was quite civilized -- didn't start until 11:30am so no need to wake up super early. Except for my 1-year-old, who had other plans -- he cried for much of the night so not a very restful sleep.

Made pancakes with the kids -- had this plus a banana at ~8:00am. Had second breakfast (thank you Pippin!) of peanut butter toast and orange juice around 9:30am. Drove down to the university and got settled in.
Event warmup:

Virtually nothing. Once they called our swim group to head down to the pool, we were on a tight schedule. No opportunity to get wet or loosen up. Did spend a bit of time chatting with my neighbours in line, mostly about races we had done, or are planning to do.
Run
  • 00m
  • 0 kms
  •  min/km
Transition 1
  • 00m
Swim
  • 12m 53s
  • 525 meters
  • 02m 27s / 100 meters
Comments:

First competitive swim since last September (which was my first tri and did not go well -- OWS). Overall this felt pretty good. We had 5 to a lane -- didn't run into anyone for the first 200m, but after that we saw some bunching. Lots of passing at the wall, and a few people passed mid-length. Nothing too remarkable though.

Pace was a PR for me -- sustaining anything under 2:30 for 500m is better than any previous training.
What would you do differently?:

Felt like my stroke rate was higher than normal, and was not pulling as much as I could have -- but otherwise went well.


Transition 2
  • 03m 21s
Comments:

Unofficial time -- from my Garmin. (T1 was wrapped into swim for the official results)

Probably slow. I was out of breath following the swim -- took a bit of time to catch breath, dry off, put glasses on, and head upstairs with my stuff.

Wife & kiddos were waiting for me at T1 to cheer me on, which was great to see! Thankfully they had chairs to use -- much nicer than my previous experience sitting on the ground.

They had men's and women's change facilities set up, but I just wore my tri shorts throughout. Threw on a T-shirt and hat.
What would you do differently?:

Not sure. Socks were a bit of a pain, but I'm not a fan of sockless running.
Run
  • 10m 55s
  • 2 kms
  • 05m 28s  min/km
Comments:

Track running was a bit weird -- too much turning! Hard to know exactly when is the right moment to pass. Also a bit hard to tell my pace without the Garmin satellite tracking distance -- luckily they did have a big digital clock at the finish line, so I could tell I was going ~1:05 - 1:10 per lap.

Very nice part -- family was able to watch on the sidelines and cheer. Every lap! It was so nice to have the added moral support. Plus, someone else in the crowd had a cowbell, and rang it for me every lap (probably for the lady running behind me, but who's counting?)

Overall felt like a pretty good pace, could have been faster but I don't feel like I slacked much. Never stopped to walk or drink.
What would you do differently?:

Kick at the end -- definitely could have turned on the after-burners. My legs said yes, my heart said yes, my mind said no way. Something to work on.
Post race
Warm down:

Not much. Mainly just found the family, then sat down for a few minutes. Packed up, changed and headed out.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Continued training at faster paces, and weight. (Isn't that always the answer?)

Event comments:

Overall good. I was disappointed that it got cut back to a splash 'n' dash, but it's Calgary in April -- can't say I didn't know the risks...!

Event is geared for beginners -- more than half the field was doing their first tri. Very good race as a season opener, or for beginners -- others likely to find it less challenging.




Last updated: 2012-11-25 12:00 AM
Running
00:00:00 | 00 kms |  min/km
Age Group: 0/24
Overall: 0/188
Performance:
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
T1
Time:  00:00
Overall:
Putting on cap, goggles and wetsuit:
Getting out of shoes:
Swimming
00:12:53 | 525 meters | 02m 27s / 100meters
Age Group: 17/24
Overall: 110/188
Performance: Good
Suit: Tri shorts only
Course: 21 lengths of MRU pool. Time is from my Garmin (to break out T1) -- official race time was 16:13 including T1.
Start type: Inside Pool Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time:  03:21
Overall: Average
Removing cap, goggles and wetsuit:
Getting into shoes:
Running
00:10:55 | 02 kms | 05m 28s  min/km
Age Group: 19/24
Overall: 105/188
Performance: Good
Course: 10 laps of the MRU indoor track (200m each).
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge Too easy
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3