XTERRA World Championship - Triathlon


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Kapalua, Hawaii
United States
Xterra
88F / 31C
Sunny
Total Time = 4h 22m 56s
Overall Rank = 445/665
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 27/53
Pre-race routine:

breakfast of eggs on toast, yams, OJ , banana, coffee.
Rode to transition, about 1 mile from hotel. Lesley Patterson (PRO) passed me on the way there LOL (one of my idols)
Event warmup:

None. Just felt not necessary. Stretched some.
Swim
  • 31m 41s
  • 1500 meters
  • 02m 07s / 100 meters
Comments:

felt ok in the swim, but made a mistake in positioning. Was way too far to the right of the buoy, and made the distance further and was congested on the way. Those the positioned directly behind the buoy were better off IMO.
What would you do differently?:

Re-consider the starting position.
Transition 1
  • 03m 38s
Comments:

long run from the beach up the grassy hill to the bikes.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really. It's a a tough run from the beach up to the transition. Mushy sand and grass uphill. Getting on the camelbak and bike shoes takes time, hard to reduce that. I skipped the gloves this year.
Bike
  • 2h 38m 40s
  • 20 miles
  • 7.56 mile/hr
Comments:

very difficult this year. They added a lot more climbing (over 4500 ft total) and added at least 1 mile to the course from last year. Also added more single track. I tried to strategize by starting off slow on the hills, but wound up getting stuck behind slower people on the single track. Was not easy to pass people, especially when a whole line are walking up a hill and blocking the trail. Tried to make up time on the downhills but just not enough to get the time down. Was about 22 minutes slower than last year on the bike.
What would you do differently?:

Train the hills more, and take more risks on passing.
This of course may lead to a crash, as one guy broke his leg and another separated his shoulder. Something to be said for surviving this bike course unscathed.
Transition 2
  • 02m 8s
Comments:

ok but had to tie my shoes. I opted for no speed laces, due to the fact they are less stable on the trails than tied laces. This slowed me a bit.
What would you do differently?:

Not sure. Maybe nothing.
Run
  • 1h 06m 49s
  • 9.5 kms
  • 07m 02s  min/km
Comments:

Same course basically as last year. 3 mile climb up to the lake and charge down, with a few more hills tossed in. Beach run at the end.
What would you do differently?:

Did ok considering I had major cramps in my adductors about mile 4 and 5. Felt like I needed a nursing home instead of racing XTERRA LOL. But popped 3 salt tabs and prayed they'd subside. Struggled to finish the last 2 miles. Foot problems too. Ouch.
Post race
Warm down:

the usual walk around eat and drink.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

poor swim position, weak hill performance on the bike, cramps and foot problems on the run.

Event comments:

very good race quality overall. XTERRA does a good job. Even though bike course was harder this year, it still is probably the most scenic course I've ever done. Extremely challenging.




Last updated: 2013-10-29 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:31:41 | 1500 meters | 02m 07s / 100meters
Age Group: 28/53
Overall: 461/665
Performance: Average
Suit: 2 piece tri
Course: "M" course. First part of the "M" was longer, 1000m approx, then out to run a section of sand to dive back in for the remaining 500m.
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 74F / 23C Current:
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 03:38
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
02:38:40 | 20 miles | 7.56 mile/hr
Age Group: 28/53
Overall: 460/665
Performance: Average
Wind: Little
Course: hilly mix of single track and cane fields. Single loop.
Road: Rough  Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills: Average
Race pace: Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:08
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:06:49 | 9.5 kms | 07m 02s  min/km
Age Group: 21/53
Overall: 417/665
Performance: Average
Course: windy, hilly single track course of 1 loop. Mixed terrain.
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5