Whirlpool Steelhead 70.3 Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Benton Harbor, Michigan
United States
CAPRI Events
Total Time = 5h 48m 31s
Overall Rank = 1515/1890
Age Group = 35-39 F
Age Group Rank = 85/107
Swim
  • 18m 28s
  • 2310 yards
  • 48s / 100 yards
Comments:

This is my split for the run. No swim.
Transition 1
  • 02m 5s
Comments:

Strange to transition run to bike. Instead of having water and Perpetuem powder to mix in transition (thats what I did in my last 1/2) I pre-mixed it and put it in a small (very small) cooler in transition. The cooler leaked and got my stuff wet, didn't seem to keep my bottle all that cold. Maybe freezing it would be better? Also, I had staged my socks with powder in them to get on my feet better. Since I didn't swim, I didn't get to test that, but it seemed like it would work well.
What would you do differently?:

Thinking about giving up on the Perpetuem due to the hassle of avoiding spoilage. We'll see, I really do like it.
Bike
  • 2h 53m 13s
  • 56 miles
  • 19.40 mile/hr
Comments:

I felt like I had a good ride. I improved my time over Gulf Coast by 10 minutes, what more can I ask for?
Transition 2
  • 03m 14s
Run
  • 2h 31m 33s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 11m 34s  min/mile
Comments:

I'm not a big fan of 2 lap run courses. The whole first lap I spend dreading the second lap! But of course, the second lap can be spent telling yourself "well at least I don't have to run past THAT again." I wound up running behind two guys for quite awhile who were discussing the merits of an aero helmet for the bike. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself...if you're running as slow as me, you sure as shit don't need an aero helmet! ha ha ha!
What would you do differently?:

I made a gallant effort to "not walk" during this run. Of course I did walk, but I would say I walked less. I did manage to cut 9 minutes off my Gulf Coast run time, so that is great. However, this is still nowhere near my stand alone 1/2 marathon time. But I suppose I shouldn't expect it to be.
Post race
Warm down:

Yummy plums and peaches in the finish shoots. I appreciated the little cold towel they gave me too, took my breath away when they draped the thing on me dripping with ice water. I had kinda planned to get an IV post race, but never really saw the med tent. I've since heard that official 70.3 races are not so free with the medical assistance post-race. Oh well, I survived without it anyway.

Event comments:

Great course! Beware of hotels in Benton Harbor. The Lake Breeze Inn is NASTY!! Run away!! You'd be better off sleeping in your car. If you're going to do this race, book the hotel a good 8-12 months in advance.




Last updated: 2008-01-12 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:18:28 | 2310 yards | 48s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/107
Overall: 0/1890
Performance: Good
Suit:
Course: The swim was canceled due to rough wave conditions. A 2.25 mile run was substituted. Some hills, some roads, good amount of shade. The last little bit was across loose sand...that was unexpected for me.
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 02:05
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
02:53:13 | 56 miles | 19.40 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/107
Overall: 0/1890
Performance: Good
Wind:
Course: A big loop around SW Michigan. I really enjoyed this bike course. Some small elevation changes, enough to notice and mix things up for my legs, but not enough to stand up and climb.
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 03:14
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Below average
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:31:33 | 13.1 miles | 11m 34s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/107
Overall: 0/1890
Performance: Average
Course: 2 lap course around the Whirlpool campus. Some shady areas, some trudging through parking lots. Plentiful rest stops with water, ice, the usual good stuff. A few sprinklers here and there.
Keeping cool Good Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 4