Florida Challenge Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Clermont, Florida
United States
Sommer Sports
78F / 26C
Overcast
Total Time = 6h 53m 6s
Overall Rank = 247/350
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 43/53
Pre-race routine:

Met alltom1 at the pre-race meeting. We drove the bike course and it looked as hard as everyone indicated. It seemed like we were going up more than anything. I was all about my time goal until alltom1 said, "you should be proud of yourself for taking on this course as your first HIM". Holy crap what did I do to myself! Oh ya, it was 89 and super humid. I was still full of myself at this point, but a hint a doubt creped in.
Event warmup:

5:00 AM up. Great sleep which surprised me. I do not sleep well period, let alone before a race. I ate a muffin and cup of coffee on the way to the race. 40 minute drive. A cool front blew in and it was overcast and raining. Nice! Overall I was relaxed and joking with people. I did not find alltom1 before the start. I found some cover and was very cold before the race.
Swim
  • 38m 28s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 49s / 100 yards
Comments:

Good swim. I did not go all out. I wanted to get done with swim as if I had done nothing going into the bike. Mission accomplished. I stayed relaxed and just did it. I sighted perfectly and drafted some. The start was wide open, so no bar fight. I was laughing that I was about the only one without a wet suite.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing. This is my strongest leg. I know I could have gone lots faster, but it is better to conserve for latter.
Transition 1
  • 03m 57s
Comments:

Slow transition because I had to leave my stuff in the duffel bag due to the rain at the start. I did the best I could but it was a little messy. I wore a regular bike jersey with full zip front. I preloaded it with everything while food was in bento bag on the bike. So, it was an efficient change.
What would you do differently?:

I could have run the swim to rack and rack to start better.
Bike
  • 3h 20m 52s
  • 58 miles
  • 17.32 mile/hr
Comments:

This was a very hard course. Notice that it was 58 miles, not 56. Nice. I ate well (3 gels, 6 bloks, 1 entervit, 1 small cliff bar, 4 e-caps) and drank all 4 24 oz. bottles of accelerade. The climb up Sugar Loaf Mt. was a real laugh, no it is not a mountain. It was nothing really. Buck Hill Rd. hurt much more. 3 miles of 3 HUGE rollers. Overall, it was a quad buster ride.
What would you do differently?:

I think a tri bike would have made a difference. I think I needed more long rides in training. If I knew the course better, I would have trained different. Hind sight is 20/20.
Transition 2
  • 04m 16s
Comments:

slow change. My time goals was blown up and I was tired from the bike. I drained the tank a little too low on the bike and was slow running with the bike to the rack. pulled my run stuff out of the duffel bag and changed my shirt to my favorite Nike running shirt.
What would you do differently?:

Move quicker.
Run
  • 2h 45m 35s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 12m 38s  min/mile
Comments:

The wheels fell off. I did not cramp or have any special problems. I just could not get moving. I started out ok, then hit a bad spot between 5 - 8. I picked it up a little too much between 8 - 11, then hit my limit. It was a death march home. However, I can't hide from my terrible time. It was embarrassing. A friend qualified for Boston at 2:50 on the same day. I will not hear the end of this one.
What would you do differently?:

I came to the realization that I could not build run endurance in 6 months when starting from zero. If I could have run a respectable half mary, I might have made my time. Frustrating.
Post race
Warm down:

died at the end and could barely walk to collect my stuff. My wife helped me get everything back to the car. I had to drive 40 minutes back tot he hotel. I had a dinner, iced down, then had another meal. I was sore all night, but much better in the AM.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I under estimated the toll the total event takes on you. It was great experience. I will train differently as a result.

Event comments:

The best part of the race was the end. My little girls ran the last .2 miles with me. They were so excited. When they put the medal around my neck, my 7 year old yell to my 5 year old "Daddy won, look they gave him the medal!" Also, Alltom1 stayed 90 minutes after his race to root for me all the way across the line. A real stand up guy! He had some great words of encouragement for me at the end.

Overall, I loved it. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. It was a great personnel challenge. I am hooked! Already thinking about the next one.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2007-07-20 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:38:28 | 2112 yards | 01m 49s / 100yards
Age Group: 15/53
Overall: 0/350
Performance: Good
Suit: tri shorts only
Course: Triangle
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 78F / 26C Current: Low
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 03:57
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
03:20:52 | 58 miles | 17.32 mile/hr
Age Group: 30/53
Overall: 0/350
Performance: Average
Wind: Headwind with gusts
Course: Hilly and hard. Lots of head wind coming back.
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 04:16
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
02:45:35 | 13.1 miles | 12m 38s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/53
Overall: 0/350
Performance: Bad
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 4