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New England Season Opener Sprint Triathlon 2016 - Triathlon


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Hopkinton, Massachusetts
United States
Mex Performance
60F / 16C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 27m 34s
Overall Rank = 329/424
Age Group = M 35-39
Age Group Rank = 29/32
Swim
  • 09m 20s
  • 440 yards
  • 02m 07s / 100 yards
Comments:

The water was cold, and it had a significant impact on my race. I had a hard time catching my breath for the first 200 yards or so, which led to poor stroke, slow speed, and lots of general discomfort. This was also my first race since 2014, and my wetsuit was more constricting than I remembered which didn't help with breathing. This was the first time in 7 years of racing that I seriously considered calling for a kayak (ultimately I didn't). Needless to say, my pace was not very good.
What would you do differently?:

More OWS training beforehand.
Transition 1
  • 03m 37s
Comments:

Normally I have my shoes already clipped in and I run out of transition barefoot and do a quasi-flying mount. Since this was my first race in a few years, I opted to play it safe and put the shoes on in advance, so transition time was a slower than average. Also, my wetsuit got stuck on my heels.
What would you do differently?:

I need to practice bike mounts before my next race.
Bike
  • 42m 1s
  • 10 miles
  • 14.28 mile/hr
Comments:

Lack of training and recent race experience was once again a problem. This course is much hillier than where I train or normally race, and I wasn't prepared for it. Also very windy at times. Slowest bike split in 7 years of racing.
Transition 2
  • 01m 54s
Comments:

Did not try for the moving dismount. Other elements of transition went well.
Run
  • 30m 44s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 09m 55s  min/mile
Comments:

Legs were tired coming off the bike, but not unduly so. The long sustained downhill at the start was hard on both knees, but discomfort was tolerable. The biggest problem was, again, lack of training and fitness going into the race.
Post race
Event comments:

The race was very well executed, as are all races I've done before with this RD. Location was scenic with varied terrain, plenty of parking, and great post-race amenities. I look forward to racing more with this RD again, but I'm unlikely to sign up for this specific race again next year: the course was too hilly for my taste, and water too cold thanks to the early May race date.

As to my performance, a year away from racing and inconsistent training over the winter were obvious. Swim and run pace were both on par with what I was doing 3-4 years ago, and the bike pace was the slowest I've had in any race, ever.

And a special thank you to the volunteer who was handing out extra swim caps before the start!




Last updated: 2016-05-16 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:09:20 | 440 yards | 02m 07s / 100yards
Age Group: 19/32
Overall: 219/424
Performance: Below average
Suit:
Course: Point-to-point swim with deep water start.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 59F / 15C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Below average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 03:37
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Below average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:42:01 | 10 miles | 14.28 mile/hr
Age Group: 39/32
Overall: 333/424
Performance: Bad
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: Very hilly (at least relative to coastal MA), with two very large sustained hills.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills: Below average
Race pace: Hard Drinks:
T2
Time: 01:54
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:30:44 | 03.1 miles | 09m 55s  min/mile
Age Group: 32/32
Overall: 357/424
Performance: Below average
Course: Long downhill, followed by intermittent flats & uphills to the finish. Scenic stretch across the top of the dam right before the finish.
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2016-05-16 12:52 PM

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Member
220
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Wakefield, Massachusetts
Subject: New England Season Opener Sprint Triathlon 2016


2016-05-16 10:12 PM
in reply to: #5182050

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Expert
1662
10005001002525
Spokane, WA
Subject: RE: New England Season Opener Sprint Triathlon 2016
Keep training. Next race will be smoother.
2016-05-17 7:53 AM
in reply to: #5182050

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Expert
4594
20002000500252525
Middle River, Maryland
Silver member
Subject: RE: New England Season Opener Sprint Triathlon 2016

I agree with you - no cold water triathlons.  The water temps are still in the 50s here in Maryland - I can't imagine what they are up north.

Nice job pushing through it - every race is a learning experience.

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