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Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon - TriathlonFull Ironman


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Wilmington, North Carolina
United States
Set Up Events
49F / 9C
Overcast
Total Time = 13h 14m
Overall Rank = 315/
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 23/57
Pre-race routine:

Felt reasonably prepared for 1st IM attempt. Followed proven training plan (Fink Intermediate) & had my weight down to 161# (my lowest event weight ever). Drove into Wilmington Weds PM with DW. Swam 20min Thurs AM @ swim start beach. Good to get used to local water/wind/chop. And jellyfish. Harmless cannonball jellies according to locals. I saw several on beach & 6 during my brief swim. Slept pretty well 2 nights before race. In bed pre-race @ 10PM.
Up race AM (Sat) @ 4. Had my usual hot tea and bagel with peanut butter/honey for breakfast. Took trolley to T1/bike start. Rechecked bike. Rehearsed my 'T1 jog' (from T1 in to changing tent to my bike to bike exit). Got body marking & caught 2nd trolley to swim start. Ate Cliff Bar & 20oz water. Port-a-Let stop showed I was well hydrated. Comfortable until changing into wetsuit when I felt the cold of that windy pre-dawn 49F. Wore old swim shoes until having to ditch 'em at last trash can before beach.
Event warmup:

Walked ~1/4mi to start line with other athletes. Wind & sand made for a cold 15-20min wait. Did some easy stretches. Coast Guard held start until adequate visibility.
Had fleeting question of "How did I get myself into this???". Then the horn sounded & into the sea we went.
Swim
  • 59m 16s
  • 3862 meters
  • 01m 32s / 100 meters
Comments:

Started BOP & left but still got crowded @ 1st turn buoy. Lots of contact but no damage. Stayed left on the long straight for better current & less crowd. Back into the mix at big L turn buoy. Fog rolling in hurt my sighting of exit dock. By 3-400M after the big buoy I had drifted too far R. Suddenly got SLAMMED in R calf (punched?) & muscle locked. Disoriented & lost sight of exit. Swimmers were scattered everywhere so swam over to kayak to get proper line. Swam straight in from there but minimal kick due to calf injury. Easy exit up the ladders with hand from the EXCELLENT volunteers.
What would you do differently?:

Wear full wetsuit - maybe neoprene cap &/or swim booties. Overall effort felt comfortable & relaxed. Even did some bilateral breathing for sighting. Getting hit was unfortunate but don't know how I could have prevented it. Typical swim contact around buoys but never got 'into it' with anybody. Maybe victim of a shot intended for someone else???
Transition 1
  • 17m 26s
Comments:

Long run (3-400M) on road from dock exit to T1. Suddenly felt cold at swim exit so left wetsuit on (only stripped to waist) & walked through warm shower tent (GREAT idea by race staff!!). That run over asphalt was rough on the feet. Felt cold in changing tent & was slow to change clothes. Swapped my prescription goggles for sunglasses (sun was supposed to be out later). Sipped water to dilute any salt water I swallowed during the swim. Wore LS base layer, SS jersey, bike shorts, bike socks, road shoes, aero helm, & neoprene gloves. Vent holes on shoes & helm were taped. (sad T1 rank of 468th; I'm usu above ave)
What would you do differently?:

Maybe use swim booties for run to T1. Otherwise, just practice clothing changes. Moved WAY too slow changing. Taking a moment to use some vaseline would have improved my seat comfort during bike.
Bike
  • 6h 34m
  • 112 miles
  • 17.06 mile/hr
Comments:

Lost front mount water bottle very early hitting speed bump- decided to stop & retrieve. Headwind was tough & increased during the ride. Concentrated on ignoring the speed & keeping a steady controlled effort. Cold drizzle for 1st few hrs not a bother since I'm used to it from spring/fall riding in IN. Grabbed water bottle @ mi 21, but then lost it from my front (torpedo) mount crossing rough RR tracks. Stops for water/HEED @ mi 36 & mi 86. Nature breaks mi 46 & 74. (Bypassed SN stop). Tailwind & beautiful pavement @ mi 75 had me doing 22-24+mph on little effort. Rain had stopped, sun peaked out, & life was good. Cruising nicely @ mi 108 thinking how much I had enjoyed this ride. Thought I'll ave 18mph on this easy effort...unless I flat. What a prophetically evil thought. Within sight of the bridge back into town- POP, thump, thump, thump. Road hazard rear flat. Nasty 1cm gash through tread & casing cost me 16min (Garmin time) to remove tire, fashion boot from duct tape, replace tube, then remount tire. While I was working another rider flatted in same area. With a prayer & my last CO2 I reinflated my tire & rode gingerly towards the bike finish. On last 2mi vehicle traffic jammed both travel lanes so we had to ride debris-strewn shoulder. Rode over final bridge & saw DW cheering on my turn in towards Battleship & T2. The patch & a prayer had held.

What would you do differently?:

Not much. Rode my good aero position with moderate controlled effort. Prob overhydrated a bit causing 2 nature breaks, but nutrition seemed OK (7 gels, 2 Cliff bars, & some HEED). The calf was fine during the ride (minimal ankle in my pedal stroke). Usu don't grease up much for long rides, but this ride in salt-water wet shorts left me saddle sore. Should have used my vaseline @ T1.
Transition 2
  • 08m 57s
Comments:

Hit dismount line & passed off bike to volunteer. Ran to changing tent while unbuckling helm. Volunteer handed me my T2 bag. Dumped bag, put helm into it. Changed jersey, shoes, & socks. Stuffed my gear back into bag. Stretched that R calf a bit. Saw water bottles & Pepsi on table in tent so I drank. Jogged easy out of tent but R Calf pain was back.
What would you do differently?:

Move it!!!!! What the heck was I doing in there for almost 9 min? And stopping to drink can of Pepsi was just stupid. Knew I was well-hydrated at that point & could have grabbed drink @ 1st aid station. Among my worst/dumbest T2's ever. (T2 rank 307)
Run
  • 5h 13m
  • 26.2 miles
  • 11m 57s  min/mile
Comments:

Hoped R calf would loosen up & pain would ease with run:walk strategy. Unfortunately, hurt more to walk than run. Took some tylenol & jogged easy for couple miles still hoping the calf would improve. Made Port-a-let stop @ mi 3. By mi 4 pain was worse not better. I knew then this run would be long slow sufferfest. But still had no doubt I would finish if I just kept moving. Way too much invested in this to DNF. Tripped & fell over raised manhole cover @ mi 4.5. Did a quick shoulder roll & popped right back up into my stride. Must have looked like a choreographed slapstick comedy move to the chuckling traffic cop at the corner. Drank water or Pepsi every aid station (every mile). Gel, cookie, or pretzels about every 2-3mi. Caffeine gel @ mi 13. Tried munching pretzels on the go but too dry without water. Wasted time checking my SN bag @ the turnaround for lap 2. Got my arm warmers but still forgot my cap light for dark 2nd lap through the park. My R calf pain had caused me to alter my stride so much that now my L calf & leg hurt too. Concentrated on thanking volunteers & spectators during that last lap. Clapped & joked with most everyone I went by. GREAT community support. Mild nausea on 2nd run lap--prob too much food & too little water. R calf was hurting more & L leg was now threatening to cramp. Still that run up Water St in front of all the cheering spectators was an awesome, unforgettable experience. Then it was on to final 2 bridges. Best I could do was walk up & jog down. Cresting the final bridge overlooking the Battleship I broke into a run. Passed several people on road towards finish. I was catching a guy as we entered the barricades but let him go. Passing him so close to the line on an IM would be rude if I messed up his finishing pictures. As I made the final turn I heard the announcer say my name & something like "we have a race here". Immediately thought someone was coming to pass ME at the finish. Never looked back but mustered what I had left to speed up & hit the line solo. My IM was in the books.
What would you do differently?:

Hydrate better. Too many calories & not enough water. Not sure what I else could have done with that calf bruise.
Post race
Warm down:

Felt fine temp-wise so skipped warming tent. Walked around & grabbed pizza & water. Then started to cool down & felt a little dizzy (prob dehydration- & leg pain). Put on my sweats. Debated wandering over to med tent, but just laid down & drank water/Powerade. Felt better in a few minutes. Walked down the road w/DW, bike, & gear to catch trolley back to hotel. I really wanted to stay until MN cheering the final finishers but just didn't feel up to it.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Calf injury. Disappointed that after so much training an injury would destroy my run time. OTOH satisfied to grind it out to the finish.

Event comments:

Outstanding organization. Logistics of this point-to-point race could not have been handled better. My biggest suggestion would be to hand out transition bags of thicker plastic-which is a pretty minor nitpick! Check-in, Expo, pre-race dinner, athlete briefing, and post-race cruise were all well-done. Commemorative wood plaque I bought from (non-profit) Kids Making It was great souvenir (made from actual teak decking from USS North Carolina!!).
I missed my dream goal of sub-13hr. Frustrated thinking I could have done better without a couple bad breaks, but satisfied I completed an ironman in respectable mid-pack time. This body's come a long way since my 1st sprint tri 3 yrs ago.




Last updated: 2011-09-06 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:59:16 | 3862 meters | 01m 32s / 100meters
Age Group: 35/57
Overall: 399/
Performance: Below average
Wore HRM, but lost the data. Felt relaxed & easy-to-moderate effort.
Suit: Xterra Sleeveless
Course: Pt to Pt on intracoastal waterway (salt water-Banks Channel). Incoming tide w/ 10mph headwind. Quick R turn, then long straight until L turn, then fairly straight to exit dock. Plenty of kayak & boat support.
Start type: Run Plus: Shot
Water temp: 69F / 21C Current: High
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Good Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 17:26
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
06:34:00 | 112 miles | 17.06 mile/hr
Age Group: 22/57
Overall: 304/
Performance: Good
Garmin Edge 305 HR ave 125, peak 146
Wind: Headwind with gusts
Course: Single loop along good to excellent roads (inc some closed interstate). Strong (12-20+mph by aviation weather reports) headwind 1st 74mi, then tail or crosswinds. Some light rain during 1st half.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence: 86
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Too much
T2
Time: 08:57
Overall: Bad
Riding w/ feet on shoes Below average
Jumping off bike Bad
Running with bike Average
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
05:13:00 | 26.2 miles | 11m 57s  min/mile
Age Group: 28/57
Overall: 335/
Performance: Bad
Forerunner 305 HR ave 133, peak 152 (during last half mi)
Course: Basically 4 legs of same route. Over two traffic bridges crossing the river, then run through downtown along the river, up steep (but short) hill, then south through city park & back. Very spectator friendly run.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2011-11-03 6:34 PM

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Master
2426
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Central Indiana
Subject: Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon


2011-11-04 8:34 AM
in reply to: #3818600

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Master
2479
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Atlanta, Georgia
Gold member
Subject: RE: Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon
Ironman! And nice RR, too...!

I wonder what the punch was all about? Mostly folks just give a little shove but an actual whack is a bit out of proportion. Some people just don't know how to have a good time. Throw in that flat(which as I mentioned in the B2B thread is my IM nightmare) and a shoulder roll on the run, and you've got a trifecta. Way to muscle through!

Congrats on your day.
2011-11-04 9:26 AM
in reply to: #3818600

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Master
9705
500020002000500100100
Raleigh, NC area
Subject: RE: Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon
Great great report.  I'm so glad to finally meet you on the cruise!
2011-11-04 11:53 PM
in reply to: #3818600

New user
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Arlington
Subject: RE: Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon
The reports are really good and like this organizations for its good work!!
2011-11-05 11:01 AM
in reply to: #3818600

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Kingsland, Georgia
Subject: RE: Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon
Great RR! Way to push through the calf injury...IM is hard enough without dealing with an injury for 12 hours... Well done!
2011-11-05 9:34 PM
in reply to: #3818600

Iron Donkey
38643
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, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon
Nice job!


2011-11-09 5:16 PM
in reply to: #3818600

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Expert
1099
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Bedford, NH
Subject: RE: Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon

Great race report.  It is nice to see the written version as I still remember you telling me about it after the race.  Way to battle through those tough breaks and you should be very proud.  You take another crack at this course and I have no doubts you'll break 13hrs!

It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope our paths cross again sometime soon.

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