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St. Paul Triathlon
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St. Paul Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic
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 Swim
Comments: Pretty good swim. The course was short, so these times are generous. I actually did the lifeguard swim (face out of water) for a bit at first due to the disgusting weediness. Once we got out a bit, I settled in for the two loops. First half of the first loop was brutal from a congestion standpoint--tons of smacking and hitting, etc. But I just held my line and kept going. I had to briefly flip over and fix my goggle leak, but otherwise just cruised along. During the second lap there were also a lot of short course swimmers in the water, so it was very crowded. I just about swam right over some poor guy that was floating on his back. Didn't even see him in the water since he wasn't moving his arms or anything. Oops. Sorry buddy. For the last maybe 400 yards or so, I was in the wake of another swimmer, so that was nice. I wasn't close enought to be right on his feet, but I was still getting the benefit of following him. I just cruised in to shore and ran up the beach toward T1. As I got out of the water I saw 25 minutes on my watch and just thought, "Yeah, this course is short." (The 26:31 includes the beach run to T1.) My previous best for an OW mile is about 29 minutes. Somewhere in the course of this swim, it started to rain a little... What would you do differently?: Just generally move faster. I was worried about blowing too much energy on the swim, so I held back a bit, especially on the first lap.  Transition 1
Comments: I was pretty pleased with this transition! I made sure to put my timing chip way up on my leg so that it didn't get stuck on my wetsuit this time. I had a spot very close to the bike out, so this is a darn good T1 time for me. What would you do differently?: Handle my helmet and sunglasses better. I about dropped them both.  Bike
Comments: I've never been so glad to get off my bike as I was after this ride. By the time I got on the bike, the rain was starting to get a little more steady, and the wind seemed to pick up a bit. I was so cold for the first few miles, I was regretting not taking the (tons of) time to put a long sleeve shirt on in T1. I started to warm up a bit after a few miles, but it was still very chilly to be on a bike. And wet. And dirty from all the sand/mud being kicked up from the road. There were two hills that relegated me to the small chain ring, and the second time around, the shifing from large to small was not smooth at all. The bike was covered in grime at that point, so I'm sure that was the problem. Oh, and my bike pump came loose too. I had to pull off the course into a driveway and fix it, so I lost some time there. grrr The highlight of the bike was seeing Steve (hikergerb) on the bike course as a volunteer! Thanks for your encouragement Steve! :) All the volunteers on the bike course were great, I have to say. It couldn't have been much fun standing out there in the rain for so long, but they were all very encouraging. I passed a couple people, but not many. I just kept pedalling on as the rain fell harder. I had an Accelergel early in the ride, and then sipped Accelerade throughout. By the end of this ride, all my toes were numb, and my fingers were extremely uncooperative because they were so cold too. To put this in perspective for anyone who knows me, I was actually *anxious* to get to the run, because that meant I'd be done with the bike. What would you do differently?: I don't even know. Somehow dictate the weather? Transition 2
Comments: Another good transition for me, nearly getting under a minute! During the second loop of the bike, I was contemplating changing into dry socks in T2, but since I failed to cover my running shoes, I figured that my dry socks would just be soaked again withinthe first half mile, so I didn't bother. What would you do differently?: Nothing. This was a pretty good one.  Run
Comments: And then...the run. The dreaded 10k. Before this race, I could count my previous 10k runs on one finger. I was so glad to get off the bike, though, that I was pretty happy for the first loop around the lake. I was shooting for a 10:30 average, so I was pleased as punch when my first mile was 9:57. The second and third miles were ok too, and I even realized there was a fairly good chance I could finish in under 3 hours, which was an added bonus goal. It was tough at the end of the first lap when the finishers went off to the left, but those of us with another lap to go had to go to the right. There were tons and tons of people in the finish chute when I went by to start my second lap, and I soooo much wanted to take the left and head that way, but of course I didn't. Lap two was a pretty lonely affair... There weren't a whole lot of us left on the course at this point, and it was very, very quiet for much of this lap--just the sound of my footsteps and heavy breathing for the most part. It certainly makes it harder for me to push myself when there is no one else around. But I just kept on, slow but sure. Mile 5 was the hardest, and I was struggling by the time I came to the hill on the far side of the loop. Blech. And the IT band decided to start complaining too. I'd been feeling it twinge a bit all week and was afraid a 10k would be too much for it, and sure enough it reared it's ugly head for the first time in quite some time. But, I just kept looking at the watch and thinking that I would for sure come in under 3 hours if I just kept moving. The last mile or so was better since it was the home stretch. By the time I actually got the finish, there were very few people left any more, but a few hung around to cheer in us slower folk. :) The poor announcer girl tried valiantly to say my name right. :) What would you do differently?: Um, not sure. I need to keep working a lot on my running in general, but for this particular race, I think it went as well as could be expected. I wanted to average 10:30 or less, so I was happy with 10:22. I just need more experience at this distance. (114/117 overall on the run...impressive. LOL) Post race
Warm down: Walked over the to the water table and quickly drank a bottle. They only had trail mix left at that point, so I picked through that a little, and just finished off my Accelerade. A little stretching before going to get my stuff. What limited your ability to perform faster: Inexperience at this distance. Weight. Event comments: Overall this race was a success since the goal was to finish, and I did. I also finished in under 3 hours, which was nice. I was worried I'd be DFL, but I wasn't, although I was close in my AG. :) It's funny that last week I was thrilled to be 4th in my AG (out of 15), and this week 5th (out of 7) is kind of disappointing. But hey, I finished, and I'm glad for that! I really wish it had been a more pleasant day from a weather standpoint, but what can you do? At least it really kept me from overheating, right? There were 700+ people in this race, but only 117 did the long course. So most of the racers and spectators were long gone by the time some of us slower long course people finished, and that was a new experience for me. Not that anyone can blame people for leaving, especially given the weather, but I'm just not used to it being so deserted at the end of a race. Maybe I was just really noticing it because none of my family was there. :( Anyway, it was a pretty good race overall. It was a little more disorganized than your typical race, but this is a Randy Fulton event, so that's pretty much to be expected (and I mean that in a nice way). :) Last updated: 2007-01-02 12:00 AM
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 2007-08-20 8:49 AM |
Master  2346    Dayton, Minnesota Bronze member |  Subject: St. Paul Triathlon |
| 2007-08-20 9:07 AM in reply to: #931794 |
Elite 3687  | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Great job Kelly. I think when both long course and short course are offered your standings are always going to be much lower. Those people who you normally can beat or compete with are mostly doing the short course. Great job on the transitions. Those are smoking fast times. |
| 2007-08-20 9:11 AM in reply to: #931794 |
Extreme Veteran 506 Twin Cities, MN | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon I need to take some transitions lessons from you, my dear! It must have been pretty icky out there for you to be wishing for the bike to end & get to the run. I thought about you out there...way to hang tough! |
| 2007-08-20 9:33 AM in reply to: #931794 |
Pro 4675 Wisconsin near the Twin Cities metro | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Nice race. Glad the start time thing worked out. Congrats! |
| 2007-08-20 9:39 AM in reply to: #931794 |
Expert 1135 Delano, MN | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Nice race Kelly! yea the condtions were less than desirable (I can relate to the numb hands.) I thought you looked great when you went by me both times on the bike! You are right - Randy doesn't run a very tight ship. I went straight out to my assignment and was there at least an hour or maybe and hour and a half before any bikes. It gave me a chance to sweep the huge puddle away at the entrance of the parking lot turn around. I'm sorry I didn't go back in and cheer you on as you finished. I was cold, wet, and hdn't had any coffee yet. I'll keep in mind in the future how fast people clear out. Bieng a bop I like it when there are people there to cheer me on. Again. Great job overcoming the distance and the weather! |
| 2007-08-20 12:10 PM in reply to: #931794 |
Elite 2515 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Congrats on your first OLY and on breaking 3 hours! Not exactly ideal conditions but better than 90F and humid, right? Keep on training and keep that ITBS in check. Cheers! Tom |
| 2007-08-20 5:49 PM in reply to: #931794 |
| Regular 149 Minneapolis, Minnesota | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Great race! I didn't realize any BT people would be there either, or I would have looked for you. I remember we started in the same wave at the Best of the US last year too, I think. Congrats on breaking 3 - that's a nice bonus on that yucky cold day. |
| 2007-08-21 8:54 AM in reply to: #931794 |
Pro 4541 A farming town in MN | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Way to make it to the tri on time! What a story...one of those things I probably would have a nightmare about. Congrats on finishing your 1st Oly! Your race experiences are much different than mine...I always wonder when the swim will end, have a great time on the bike, and always wait to see what I have left for the run. Regardless of the 'shortened' swim course, I'd kill for swim times like that. Great 1st Oly...it's nice to get that event checked off our list... |
| 2007-08-21 10:28 AM in reply to: #931794 |
Extreme Veteran 454 Denver CO | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Hey Kelly, congrats on finishing your first Oly! you certainly didn't have a day in the park with the weather the way it was, but you still were able to finish- and come in under 3 hours!! I'd say this race was a smashing success. way to go girl! |
| 2007-08-21 10:28 AM in reply to: #931794 |
Extreme Veteran 454 Denver CO | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Hey Kelly, congrats on finishing your first Oly! you certainly didn't have a day in the park with the weather the way it was, but you still were able to finish- and come in under 3 hours!! I'd say this race was a smashing success. way to go girl! |
| 2007-08-21 11:06 AM in reply to: #931794 |
molto veloce mama 9311 | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon awesome job!!! i wish i had been there to cheer you on...or race too. you did a fantastic job for your first oly...especially considering the craptacular weather. feeling ready for burrito union???? |
| 2007-08-21 11:35 AM in reply to: #931794 |
Elite 3067 Cheesehead, WI | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Dontcha just hate that AAAH feeling when you realize the time was earlier than you'd thought! Great race considering the weather and way to go on AG times! Yeah, races with no family can be sort of blah at the end but then again they don't have a clue about this sport and I bore them with the gory details of the ups and downs of a race. |
| 2007-08-22 7:13 AM in reply to: #931794 |
Expert 1023 , | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon Wow! Your first Oly and you did it in under 3 hours. Excellent job on the swim and bike, very fast transitions, and you finished up with a really strong run and even beat your goal time for the run. Very impressive. Hope the ITB is feeling OK. Mndiver is absolutely right; when there is a sprint and an oly on the same day the oly will basically be all fast people so your standings will be a little lower. Good job getting a late start and not letting it bother you. Being late would be the one thing that would freak me out. First oly. Under 3 hours. Congratulations!! |
| 2007-08-22 1:03 PM in reply to: #935400 |
Champion 10018 , Minnesota Bronze member | Subject: RE: St. Paul Triathlon You did it! Good job. I was thinking about you the this weekend as I drove near Lake Phalen and it was raining. Yuck  But, like you said, it helps with the overheating. Your transition times are SUPER FAST and the rest of your race was great as well. Congrats. |
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United States
Vacation Sports
60F / 16C
Precipitation
Overall Rank = 98/117
Age Group = 30-34 F
Age Group Rank = 5/7
The whole day started off wrong when I discovered wrote down the wrong times for transition opening and race start in my planner. It's a good thing a little voice in my head was nagging me to get online and double check... Anyway it turns out that it was an hour earlier than I thought! Yikes! I got up thinking that the race start was at 8:30, when it was really 7:30. Not so great when I'm still standing in my kitchen at 6:15 (race site probably about 35-40 minutes away)!! Thankfully, my nervousness caused me to get every last thing ready the night before so that all I had to do in the morning was get up, get dressed, eat some toast, and leave. So that's what I did. I wasn't too terribly panicked as I drove to St. Paul because I knew this was a Vacation Sports event, which means it's not likely to start on time. :) (And it didn't.)
When I got to Phalen, there were still tons of people parking and walking to transition, so I certainly wasn't the only one left to get bodymarked and set up. That helped me calm down. And also, the fact that the buoys weren't in the water yet was a good sign that the 7:30 start time was going to go by the wayside.
Got body marked, set up my T area, and didn't have time for much else. It was just about time for the pre-race meeting at that point, so I listened to that, put on the wetsuit, and headed for the water. I swam maybe 200 yards or so before they called us out.
Oh, and the first 50 feet out from shore? Solid weeds. Gross!