From the E-mail Archives: Personal Race Report Florida Half-Ironman 2005
Okay folks, I'm digging back in my e-mail archives for this report from my first triathlon, Florida Half-Ironman 2005. Not sure how much is in there for current readers, but it is a bit of context for this weekend, and posting makes it linkable in future.
The primary goal of completing without permanent injury was achieved. For those who want more detail, read on; for the rest, just skip it!
My results (from www.floridahalfironman.com):
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Bib Number: 1134
Overall Place: 1317 (1744 starters, 1707 finishers)
Overall Time: 6:43:12
Division: M40-44
Division Place: 172/233 (223 starters, 226 finishers)
Swim Time: 37:17
Swim Overall Place: 548
Swim Division Place: 75
T1: 13:22
Bike Time: 3:25:08
Bike Overall Place: 1618
Bike Division Place: 220
T2: 14:35
Run Time: 2:12:52
Run Overall Place: 850
Run Division Place: 115
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I found the overall experience quite worthwhile and interesting. The event was very well organized. I note that for the participant there's a lot of logistics to handle (shipping a bike and managing gear).
The water temperature was 81 degrees Fahrenheit, so wetsuits were not used. The first wave of swimmers started at 6:40; my wave started at 7:50. I'm told the ambient air temperature got up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit; above the pavement it would have been warmer yet.
I took the swim leg a bit too fast; it was difficult to find somebody going the right pace to draft in his wake. The heart rate did come down reasonably well afterward, so the swim pace didn't cause much trouble.
I took the transitions extremely slowly and deliberately. I could have pressed a bit more on the bike, but stuck with the heart rate limits I had planned. I should get better at picking up Gatorade from the aid stations and getting it into my front water bottle. Between miles 25 and 30 on the bike the route entered an area with a high pollen count for an allergen; I rode most of the second half of the bike with my left eye closed and occasionally wiping my right eye. I went past one fallen cyclist being attended by an ambulance and one cyclist doing repair work on his chain.
After mile 2 on the run I decided that I wasn't going to pick up the pace; my legs were OK, but I was feeling the heat. Although I walked through the aid stations (as planned), my stomach wouldn't tolerate the amount of fluids I wanted to force down. I settled for trotting along between aid stations, drinking what I could, and putting ice in my cap.
A few minutes after finishing I decided to check myself into the medical tent; the nice people there treated me for heat exhaustion (ice packs and IV drip -- two bags) and then sent me on my way with no lasting ill effects. I see that I missed a spot below my right shoulder with sunscreen (not major -- could only have been missed on the T2 switch from bike to run). The aftermath on the legs was less than for a heavy training weekend.
The primary goal of completing without permanent injury was achieved. For those who want more detail, read on; for the rest, just skip it!
My results (from www.floridahalfironman.com):
-----------------------------------------------------
Bib Number: 1134
Overall Place: 1317 (1744 starters, 1707 finishers)
Overall Time: 6:43:12
Division: M40-44
Division Place: 172/233 (223 starters, 226 finishers)
Swim Time: 37:17
Swim Overall Place: 548
Swim Division Place: 75
T1: 13:22
Bike Time: 3:25:08
Bike Overall Place: 1618
Bike Division Place: 220
T2: 14:35
Run Time: 2:12:52
Run Overall Place: 850
Run Division Place: 115
-----------------------------------------------------
I found the overall experience quite worthwhile and interesting. The event was very well organized. I note that for the participant there's a lot of logistics to handle (shipping a bike and managing gear).
The water temperature was 81 degrees Fahrenheit, so wetsuits were not used. The first wave of swimmers started at 6:40; my wave started at 7:50. I'm told the ambient air temperature got up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit; above the pavement it would have been warmer yet.
I took the swim leg a bit too fast; it was difficult to find somebody going the right pace to draft in his wake. The heart rate did come down reasonably well afterward, so the swim pace didn't cause much trouble.
I took the transitions extremely slowly and deliberately. I could have pressed a bit more on the bike, but stuck with the heart rate limits I had planned. I should get better at picking up Gatorade from the aid stations and getting it into my front water bottle. Between miles 25 and 30 on the bike the route entered an area with a high pollen count for an allergen; I rode most of the second half of the bike with my left eye closed and occasionally wiping my right eye. I went past one fallen cyclist being attended by an ambulance and one cyclist doing repair work on his chain.
After mile 2 on the run I decided that I wasn't going to pick up the pace; my legs were OK, but I was feeling the heat. Although I walked through the aid stations (as planned), my stomach wouldn't tolerate the amount of fluids I wanted to force down. I settled for trotting along between aid stations, drinking what I could, and putting ice in my cap.
A few minutes after finishing I decided to check myself into the medical tent; the nice people there treated me for heat exhaustion (ice packs and IV drip -- two bags) and then sent me on my way with no lasting ill effects. I see that I missed a spot below my right shoulder with sunscreen (not major -- could only have been missed on the T2 switch from bike to run). The aftermath on the legs was less than for a heavy training weekend.
posted by Brent Buckner at 5/16/2007 10:32:00 am
4 Comments:
It will be interesting to compare and contrast!
Has it only been two years?
Brent..have a blast this weekend..that's all i can say.
Sucks to ride in the pollen.
As to picking up the bottle while riding..i rememeber vividly Gordo in 2006 IMCanada, he would point to the volunteer to signal he is getting the bottle and just grab it.
I re-enact the same scene everytime I go for bottle exchange...
And people thought I was crazy for doing a 1/2 IM as my second tri ;-)
See you soon!
Oh, how fun to read about this--I am just now delving into the world of tris, having first fallen in love with running & then stupidly got a stress fracture that made me turn with grim determination to swimming (though fortunately swimming is such a playful thing that this spirit evaporated fairly early on...). I have an irrationally strong conviction that the half-iron distance is going to be perfect for me so I am inspired by this post to think that really I could do one next summer, perhaps after one or two short ones just to practice, rather than waiting till the year after! Good stuff!
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