Mountain Man Triathlon - Olympic Distance - Triathlon


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Flagstaff, Arizona
United States
Mountain Man Triathlon
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 37m 44s
Overall Rank = 63/278
Age Group = M30-34
Age Group Rank = 8/32
Pre-race routine:

Stayed with a friend who also raced. This was his first triathlon so the OWS had him nervous... We had a big dinner the night before and I overdid it. Had my usual breakfast the morning of but felt stuffed because of the big dinner. As a result, I had to make numerous trips to the bathroom which usually isn't the case for me on race morning. Lesson learned...

Event warmup:

We were late getting to the race site the morning of. I only had 45 minutes to pickup my race packet, time chip, get marked, setup my transition area, then get in my wetsuit. I managed to get to do all this relatively quickly but it was still more stress than I needed.

My friend and I got in our wetsuits and headed down to the boat ramp for the start of the race. The HIM racers went first and my wave was next. I spent what seemed like the next couple minutes socializing and realized my wave was in the water... I hustled to the end of the boatramp where my wave was waiting to start and hopped in. We had 20 seconds till the start and I hadn't even looked at the swim course or knew where the buoys were. What a moron
Swim
  • 27m 36s
  • 1500 meters
  • 01m 50s / 100 meters
Comments:

As noted above, I was completely unfocused before the start of the race. I wasn't trying to win the damn race, but I could have at least put more pregame strategy into my pre-swim routine. I literally didn't know where the buoys were so I got caught up following people, swimming off course, horrible sighting, and bad form. It was literally a botch job of a swim
What would you do differently?:

Take 5 minutes to look at the swim map and put together a strategy. Walk down before the race and find where the buoys are. Have to know what to expect if you want to have a good performance.
Transition 1
  • 03m 9s
Comments:

Good T1. I shaved 2 minutes off my time from Oceanside. Still have room for improvement but was happy with this.
What would you do differently?:

Quicker getting bike gear on
Bike
  • 1h 15m 36s
  • 40 kms
  • 31.89 km/hr
Comments:

Much improved performance on the bike. My time wasn't good but I was able to keep my HR down and still average 20+ MPH. I've been doing HR training and this performance was a direct result of that. I'm still very new to the bike and am trying build fitness as it's my weakest leg of triathlon. In Oceanside, my HR was all over the place so I was happy with this performance.
What would you do differently?:

Keep training on the bike and stick to my HR training. You can't force bike fitness, just have to keep building fitness. My IMAZ training volume is starting to pick up and I'm confident that I will be okay on the bike come November 17th.
Transition 2
  • 01m 42s
Comments:

Good T2. Just like T1, I was able to shave a couple minutes off my T2 time from Oceanside.
What would you do differently?:

Chatted with my wife for about 20 seconds and gave her a kiss. I guess I could trade that for an even quicker T2 time but naaaa.
Run
  • 49m 36s
  • 10 kms
  • 04m 59s  min/km
Comments:

Tough run course but I enjoyed it. The first 2 miles are relatively flat until you get to the base of the mountain. It was at this point that I had to stop and pee due to all the water I drank before the race. That cost me about a minute but I git right back after it.

I was able to keep my HR low at a good pace up until this point which was a great sign (again - HR training paying off). The climb up the mountain started and I focused solely on keeping my HR in a certain zone while taking short, quick strides. The 1.5 climb was tough but I was able to keep my HR consistent. Reached the turnaround point and ate 100 calories and washed down with water. I knew at this point I had less than 3 miles overall left with the next mile being all downhill. I stepped on the gas while focusing on my HR and form and passed quite a few people. Reached the bottom of the mountain before I knew it and had 2 miles left to the finish.

Kicked it up another notch for mile 5 and could feel I was tiring a bit. Still felt fine so I tried to hold the pace. Paced some more folks and only had a mile left. At this point, I pushed it to 5K pace and finished strong. Felt great as I crossed the finish line and wasn't that tired. Could have pushed it more as I had a lot left in the tank.
What would you do differently?:

Change my strategy for the last couple miles. I felt tired but my body was fine. Definitely realized that I can push it harder at that point. It's all mental and your body can push harder than your brain tells it.
Post race
Warm down:

Felt great after I finished. FOund my wife and friends, chatted for a bit, then headed up to grab some food and drinks. They had a great spread of fruit and junk food which I took advantage of. The chocolate mini donuts were awesome!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Learned that I can push it harder on the bike and run at this distance. Also, don't be a clown before the start of the race.

Event comments:

Heard several folks complain about lack of volunteers on race course. I could see how certain people were over shooting the turnarounds or turn in to transition. Also, the roads weren't closed which made it dicey at times. You had to go into the road when passing on the bike which was dangerous. Cars were also getting upset with us and were honking. Hey j-offs, there's a triathlon going on, of course we're going to be on the road.




Last updated: 2013-08-14 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:27:36 | 1500 meters | 01m 50s / 100meters
Age Group: 0/32
Overall: 36/278
Performance: Below average
Suit: 2XU A:1
Course:
Start type: Dive Plus: Waves
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Bad
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 03:09
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: Good
Biking
01:15:36 | 40 kms | 31.89 km/hr
Age Group: 0/32
Overall: 98/278
Performance: Average
Wind: Little
Course: Rolling out and back course along Lake Mary Rd with a couple steep climbs/descents.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 01:42
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:49:36 | 10 kms | 04m 59s  min/km
Age Group: 0/32
Overall: 61/278
Performance: Good
Course: Out and back with a 1.5 mile climb up a steep mountain in the middle of the race. Very tough run course but fair for Olympic distance.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
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? No
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4