Copper Creek Triathlon - Triathlon


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Pleasant Hill, Iowa
United States
Copper Creek Triathlon
74F / 23C
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 17m 59s
Overall Rank = 45/275
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 3/22
Pre-race routine:

Usual breakfast. Since site is barely 3 miles away I just loaded up my backpack and rode to transition to set up.
Event warmup:

Bike ride to event, ran around the pond, but didn't get in the water in time since they moved up the start by 15 minutes.
Swim
  • 16m 22s
  • 750 meters
  • 02m 11s / 100 meters
Comments:

Non-wetsuit legal was a surprise the day of. No matter, I thought that would work to my advantage. Got a good start and kept with the front of my group until the second buoy. After that I couldn't stay on their heels anymore and just stuck with my pace. Don't know why it seemed longer but it did. Surprised and disappointed when I saw my time out of the water - I expected to be around 15 min, not 16.
What would you do differently?:

Try a different tri suit? Maybe go without a top for the swim if it's not wetsuit legal? Still working on that one.
Transition 1
  • 00m
Comments:

1st in my AG in T1 and 37th overall. Can't complain about that.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing much at all.
Bike
  • 36m 38s
  • 12.5 miles
  • 20.47 mile/hr
Comments:

Rode this the day prior at the end of a long ride to see what I could do with tired legs. I figured 35 was a best-case scenario, but 36 range was reasonable. Sloppy coming out of T1 and getting into my shoes. Lost a little time but not much. Got out after it pretty well after that and traded spots with someone in my AG the entire ride. I pulled ahead of him and another guy I recognized from other sprints just before coming back into T2. At that point, the sky opened up and rained HARD but briefly. Made for a dicey T2 but still pulled it off.
What would you do differently?:

Not sure about different - bike is improving, but could still find some speed in there somewhere I'm sure.
Transition 2
  • 00m 56s
Comments:

Like I said, the rain didn't help and I fumbled a bit getting my helmet off and shoes on. Slower than I was the last time I did this race, but not my much. It did allow two other guys in my AG get out ahead of me, though.
What would you do differently?:

Put socks on before bike, don't worry about where helmet ends up after it's off my head.
Run
  • 22m 50s
  • 5 kms
  • 04m 34s  min/km
Comments:

Hooked up with Nathanial within a minute of coming out of T2. Decided to run with him since I knew from previous events he was close to my pace, and I wanted to see how long we could stay together. Turns out the answer was 2 miles before I started pulling away. The rain had stopped by the first aid station so that wasn't an issue.
What was an issue was the last 1/2 mile. I was in a groove, but was pretty sure I wasn't in a position to podium. Too many bikes were out before me leaving T1, yet oddly there weren't many when I came back. I figured it was a tough field, so I wasn't cruising but I wasn't trying to crush it either.
Then I started hearing other footsteps slowly but surely getting closer. I didn't think it was Nathanial, since in previous races he didn't have a strong finishing kick. But I knew the footsteps were determined, and soon they were even with me. I glanced to my side and knew just by looking that this guy was in my AG. "Gonna make me earn it, huh?" I asked. He just kept on running and I thought "damn, here we go"!
It made for an exciting finish - we were stride for stride coming down the path, and everyone could see we were racing each other. Just when we got to the chute I realized I couldn't pass him - he had longer legs and a longer stride, so I shouted to him "You can have it!" and came in just a few seconds after him. I shook his hand immediately after and offered congrats, but told him I was going to be pissed if I ended up in 4th.
What would you do differently?:

If Nathanial hadn't been there, I might have gone out a little faster but it's hard to say for sure. Running with him may have kept me relaxed enough to have what I did left at the end. Other than that, everything technically was sound.
Post race
Warm down:

A little light stretching, some breakfast pizza, tried to dry off but the rain was drizzling again. Got my results and was thrilled with my 3rd place finish! But it also mean that's the second time in two years I missed second place in a sprint by less than 3 seconds. Found some other friends and went to have a beer at the nearby bar & grill on the run course.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I didn't taper for this, and just a week earlier I competed in IM Boulder 70.3, so my training has been for long distance instead of sprint. It would be interesting to see how different things would be if I focused on just this distance.

Event comments:

After several good years, this race appears to be slipping a little bit. Fewer competitors this year. Last year's rain-out didn't help, I'm sure, and the race director or organizer never even sent out an e-mail acknowledging that fact. Disappointed that podium finishers didn't even get a medal. Volunteers are still top-notch. I'll be back, but mostly because it's practically in my backyard. Plus my finish qualified me for nationals, and hopefully I can do that again next year since I have to skip it this year.




Last updated: 2014-04-15 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:16:22 | 750 meters | 02m 11s / 100meters
Age Group: 6/22
Overall: 88/275
Performance: Average
Suit: None
Course: Modified rectangle, 3 right-hand turns
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 00:00
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
00:36:38 | 12.5 miles | 20.47 mile/hr
Age Group: 2/22
Overall: 51/275
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Out and back with hills
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:56
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Average
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:22:50 | 05 kms | 04m 34s  min/km
Age Group: 2/22
Overall: 46/275
Performance: Good
Course: Out and back through residential neighborhood. A few hills but nothing too big. Nice finish around the lake.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3