Tri for Real #2 - TriathlonOlympic


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Rancho Seco, California
United States
Total Body Fitness
82F / 28C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 35m 18s
Overall Rank = 72/251
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 15/33
Pre-race routine:

Woke at the ungodly--even for me--hour of 3:30am. Downed a bowl of cereal, packed my cooler with water and ice, hopped in the car, and headed out towards Stockton/Sacramento. I had packed the car the night before with my bike, and all my gear in my transition bag.

Left the driveway at exactly 3:56am, and driving at or above the speed limit the entire way, I arrived at the race by 5:48am. Way early...oops. The staff were still setting up the bike racks when I arrived, but at least I got a killer parking spot right up near the transition area.

So, I took advantage of my early arrival to have a breakfast bar and banana, visit the the head, have a look around the transition area to figure out where I wanted to setup. I found a slot next that slit the difference between the Bike Out, Bike In, and Run Out.

Hit the Registration area, got my numbers, affixed them to my bike, run belt, and wetsuit....yeah, wetsuit. No electronic-timing chip at this race, all timing was done manually. Weird.

This still left me with 45 min. to kill before warming up; so I just walked around and chatted with fellow rack mates.
Event warmup:

At around 7:20am, I started my warm-up. Following Joel Friel's (Triathlete's Training Bible) recommendation, I did the events in reverse order. I went out for a 10-12 min. run at a very easy pace; followed by a 10-12 min. ride to check and make sure my bike was all in working order; followed by donning my wetsuit and going for a 8-10 min. swim in flat, bathlike-temperature resevoir.

Then, I realized I had forgot my swim-cap up in the TA. Ran up, got it, and got back just as the first-wave was going off. I was in the 4th wave, which kicked-off right at about 8:15am.
Swim
  • 28m 49s
  • 1500 meters
  • 01m 55s / 100 meters
Comments:

First 200-300m was a little frenetic. The usual bumper-swim, but swimmers got strung out after that. After rounding the first buoy, I seemed to be all by myself--well, except for the occasional bass or trout that saw in the water! Then, right around the half-way mark, I swam into my ride--a swimmer which I drafted off of right up until the near the end.

This was my first time swim-drafting in a race--and it was cool. Saves big energy. Once or twice, I thought I was going too slow drafting behind this guy, and I tried swimming around him. Low-and-behold, when I did that I swam the same pace as he did. So, I just fell back into his wake and cruised the second half of the swim course.
What would you do differently?:

Find a pair of feet to follow earlier!
Transition 1
  • 00m
Comments:

Stripped wetsuit down to waist upon exiting water. Ripped cap and goggles off too. Jogged/walked to bike rack.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Bike
  • 1h 14m 37s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 19.98 mile/hr
Comments:

Bike leg felt great for me. Though I worried I was hammering away at the expense of my run; but I just have so much fun on the bike.

I passed alot of riders, and was passed myself by some speed-demons too. Passing people always makes me worry that I'm working too hard. But, this being only my second race, and first at Olympic distance, I'm still learning about pacing myself between bike and run.

Saw at least 2-3 folks with flats, and that always makes me sad for them--especially when you see the frustration on their faces. That's why I always install new tubes for races; and put on my special "race-only" tires--and inspect every square millimeter of the tread for punctures or cuts before the race.
What would you do differently?:

Pace a little easier to save up for the run. Had I known the course was so flat, I might have considered changing rear cogset to 12-27 or 12-25 (instead of the 11-28).
Transition 2
  • 00m
Comments:

Usual.
Run
  • 51m 55s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 08m 22s  min/mile
Comments:

Legs felt pretty worked from I hammering on the bike. It took alot of mental concentration to keep focused and not end up walking. I just concentrated on gait and cadence (and breathing).

The run course was HOT, with the gravel having soaked up the heat and reflecting it back on us. Temps had reached the mid-80's by the time I got to the run. The dirt roads were very dusty--and while not quite technical in any sense--had lots of ankle-twisting loose rocks in the surface you had to watch out for. The slow rolling course also meant hill-training paid off.

One thing I noticed was that the gravel amplifies the "footsteps" you hear from the runners behind you. Which is both motivating and annoying at the same time.

The hiking paths at least were partly shaded which was actually kind of nice.
Post race
Warm down:

Just walked around the transition area, cheered on some of the other racers.

Event comments:

Great course for newbies, because the resevoir is warm and shallow in many parts. More importantly, the water is totally flat!

Great organization, and nice fellow competitors. Good vibe overall. Would recommend it to anyone interested.




Last updated: 2007-05-11 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:28:49 | 1500 meters | 01m 55s / 100meters
Age Group: 0/33
Overall: 0/251
Performance: Good
*Note: Time above is by my watch; from my swim-wave start, to exiting the water and running under the big Red Bull inflatable-arch.* Avg: 172, High: 179
Suit: Full (Quintana Roo Hydrofull)
Course: Swim course was 3 legs of a rectangular course in a warm, shallow resevoir. Perfectly flat, no chop. Just about perfect conditions (wish my first tri were in conditions like this!).
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 73F / 23C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 00:00
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:14:37 | 24.85 miles | 19.98 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/33
Overall: 0/251
Performance: Good
*Time by my watch. Includes T1 time* Avg: 161
Wind: Some
Course: Easy rollers, out-n-back course, through vineyards and agricultural fields, on back country roads.
Road: Smooth  Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:00
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:51:55 | 06.21 miles | 08m 22s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/33
Overall: 0/251
Performance: Good
*Time by my watch.* Avg 171
Course: A circuitous and rolling course with a mix of gravel road, dirt fire roads, paved road, and hiking paths.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
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? Yes
Plenty of drinks? No
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4