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Triathlon at Pacific Grove - Olympic Course - TriathlonOlympic


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Pacific Grove, California
United States
Tri-California Events
58F / 14C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 46m 7s
Overall Rank = 116/570
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 8/49
Pre-race routine:

I woke up at about 4:15 AM. Breakfast: granola cereal, bagel, banana. Left my house at 5:45, arrived in PG at about 6:45. Surprise -- no fog! The sun was out and beaming. Gorgeous.
Event warmup:

Usual stretching routine, not much jogging this time. Quick 10-minute swim warmup. Water felt good. Collided with a rock -- didn't feel so good. Just before our wave started, the race announcers talked about a story I wrote about my experience in last year's PG Triathlon. That was kind of cool -- until they mentioned my fading run split times from last year. At that point, I sank in the water and hid my head...
Swim
  • 34m 2s
  • 1640 yards
  • 02m 04s / 100 yards
Comments:

My plan was to start out easy and work my way into a faster pace as the race progressed. But when I finished the first lap, I felt some fatigue and was thinking I might not have enough left in me to push the second lap. Fortunately, after exiting the water for the turnaround, I found a second wind, and managed to swim much better on the second lap. The kelp was an ever-present obstacle -- but, overall, it wasn't too bad. I was surprised that I found myself drafting behind other swimmers for long stretches. I'm still not a very good swimmer, but this was my best swim to date. I improved my time from last year by 3 minutes.
What would you do differently?:

I didn't put much effort into finding clear channels away from the kelp. I was just trying to stay relaxed and keep a straight line. In hindsight, I could have chopped off some time if I'd navigated a little better.
Transition 1
  • 02m 14s
Comments:

No mishaps in T1 -- that was my goal. Unlike last year, the quick release lever on my front wheel didn't come loose. I pre-mounted my shoes on the pedals, and slipped into them easily.
What would you do differently?:

Do everything quicker. I'm usually a little faster in T1.
Bike
  • 1h 16m 34s
  • 24.85 miles
  • 19.47 mile/hr
Comments:

Pacific Grove has some rather unique challenges... I'm just glad I wasn't the poor guy who collided with the deer about a 1/2 mile from the start! Apparently, he was okay after a quick trip to the hospital. I'm not sure how the deer fared... I managed to stay out of trouble for the most part. I held a decent pace for the first three laps, but faded a little on the last lap. My Garmin was helpful. But it says I biked about 25.4 miles -- not 24.85. I guess that's typical in races, though... I didn't feel as much fatigue coming off the bike this year as I did last year, although my time was almost exactly the same as last year. I ate GU gels at mile 8 and mile 22 -- which is something I didn't do last year.
What would you do differently?:

My average cadence was at 91, which is much higher than most of what I do in training (about 83-84). I guess it was from the adrenaline and rolling hills... I was trying to hold a 20 mph pace, but came up a bit short. Next year I'll get my pacing down a little better.
Transition 2
  • 02m 15s
Comments:

Just a little slower than I had hoped. It took me a few extra seconds to put on my race belt and Garmin Forerunner, but it was worth it.
Run
  • 51m 2s
  • 6.21 miles
  • 08m 13s  min/mile
Comments:

I was hoping to get my run time down to about 50 minutes. But it didn't happen. I ended up almost exactly where I was last year (~51 minutes). The only difference is that my legs didn't cramp up badly and I managed to hold a steady pace for most of the run. So the run was more enjoyable this year than last year. But that darned headwind coming back on Ocean View Blvd really messed with my head -- and body. I made sure I had plenty to drink, which probably helped.
What would you do differently?:

I should have pushed myself more while running into the wind. But I was afraid of overcooking myself like last year. I was prepared for the rolling hills -- just not the wind.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around, drank some Gatorade... I accidentally drank some coffee that I thought was coke -- blech!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I need to focus better on the run and trust my training. I've had some bad runs in some recent tri's, and I was afraid it would happen again.

Overall I was happy -- a top-10 finish in my AG feels good.

Event comments:

The Triathlon at Pacific Grove is, simply, a GREAT triathlon. The scenery is unmatched anywhere, and it's exceptionally well organized. I'll keep doing this race every year until they tell me I'm too old or too slow.




Last updated: 2012-08-16 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:34:02 | 1640 yards | 02m 04s / 100yards
Age Group: 15/49
Overall: 211/570
Performance: Good
Suit: XTerra ProX3
Course: Triangular counter-clockwise course in Lovers Point Cove -- two laps. Exit water between laps. The kelp is still there -- in great abundance.
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 58F / 14C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:14
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
01:16:34 | 24.85 miles | 19.47 mile/hr
Age Group: 11/49
Overall: 117/570
Performance: Average
Wind: Some
Course: Out-and-back six-mile course -- four laps. Rolling, curvy seaside hills overlooking Monterey Bay. The longest straight section on the course is maybe 200 yards.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 91
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:15
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:51:02 | 06.21 miles | 08m 13s  min/mile
Age Group: 12/49
Overall: 192/570
Performance: Average
Course: Two-mile looped out-and-back course -- three laps. Headwind and hills coming back were very annoying. :-(
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2012-09-21 6:00 PM

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Regular
165
1002525
Morgan Hill, CA
Subject: Triathlon at Pacific Grove - Olympic Course


2013-06-21 5:41 PM
in reply to: #4422880

Member
61
2525
San Jose
Subject: RE: Triathlon at Pacific Grove - Olympic Course
Steve,
Great job on your race! Hope prep for this years race is going well. Looking forward to seeing you at PG, and having a good race! Last year you got me by 27 sec, wont be close this year unless i learn to run :-)

Clyde
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