Personal Race Report: Florida 70.3 (May 20, 2007)
My results:
-----------------------------------------------------
Bib Number: 578
Overall Place: 1346 (2048 starters, 1997 finishers)
Overall Time: 6:24:55
Division: M40-44
Division Place: 206 (284 starters, 271 finishers)
Swim Time: 42:56
Swim Overall Place: 971
Swim Division Place: 141
T1: 7:02
Bike Time: 3:05:26
Bike Overall Place: 1510
Bike Division Place: 235
T2: 5:44
Run Time: 2:23:49
Run Overall Place: 1247
Run Division Place: 188
------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Event
I must be getting desensitized. This was the first time that my alarm has wakened me for a tri - other times I've woken up on my own long before buzzer time. Feel good about that.
Before my swim wave start I did a little beach running to warm-up with Toronto peeps Rob and Victor (both in my wave) and Jason (wave not long after). I didn't know Victor before, but he's part of the extended group. Nice comraderie. BTW, Jason was top Clydesdale in his AG - hardcore!
Swim
The swim (one loop) is freshwater with poor visibility, but not as bad as IMAZ. Water temperature was in the 80s, so no wetsuits.
After feeling so low on the swim at IMAZ I had resolved to make this one a better experience. Even if wetsuits had been allowed (negligible chance of that anyhow) I wouldn't have worn mine. I dropped double or bilateral breathing and breathed almost every stroke cycle. I cranked the rotation to really register the lats tugging through the pull. Heart rate came down OK after the swim, so wasn't flailing. Never found a good set of feet for drafting, but I was probably happier doing my own thing anyhow.
A lot of us think the swim course was long. The 42:56 that it took me this year put me in position 971; last year that time would have been in position 1310. The differential is not explained by waves, current, temperature, or field of competitors. Last year position 971 corresponded to a time of 39:50, and that's what I'm using as my benchmark.
Bike
The bike (out and back) is pretty flat. The route changed this year, adding a few rollers. I dropped to my lowest gear for one of them (a reminder of work to be done for IMMoo). I was in an early swim wave (started at 6:34am), so I got some jump on the temperature, although not much on the winds; temperature was easier on us this year than the previous two.
Peletons not as evident this year, but still lots of drafting on a crowded course. Late on the ride there were a couple of times that cars were having issues getting around us (and vice versa, because a car slowed up by a cyclist would block faster cyclists).
Only real issue on the bike was mechanical. Around mile 42 I hit a bump, causing me to yank my right aerobar up and to the right. This was enough to pull the clip-on aerobar a little off the widest part of the handlebars, and from there it slipped loose. I tried tightening it back up and had some hope, but two subsequent slips within four miles had me giving up on that; remaining 10+ miles I was in the drops. I suspect that a couple of years of wear have rubbed surfaces smoother and rendered the aerobars more likely to slip. Need some mechanical work before IMMoo.
Zone 2 for the first half of the bike; mid-zone 3 for the second half.
Run
The run is three loops on Disney paths and some stretches of field. They dropped one aid station this year, and I think they lengthened those remaining; they seemed less congested and less swampy (wider distribution of spilled fluid). Nonetheless, the shoes do the talking.
As I considered this a long training day and a 'C' event, I planned to run the first half in zone 2 and consider running the second half in zone 3, walking the aid stations. As it turned out, by the last third I was clinging by my fingernails to the bottom of zone 2. Clearly need more muscular endurance work for my type IIa muscle fibers, and should take in gels on the run - I'm not downing enough Gatorade to run on that alone.
Close
Overall, happy with the day:
My thanks to the organizers, spectators, and volunteers!
-----------------------------------------------------
Bib Number: 578
Overall Place: 1346 (2048 starters, 1997 finishers)
Overall Time: 6:24:55
Division: M40-44
Division Place: 206 (284 starters, 271 finishers)
Swim Time: 42:56
Swim Overall Place: 971
Swim Division Place: 141
T1: 7:02
Bike Time: 3:05:26
Bike Overall Place: 1510
Bike Division Place: 235
T2: 5:44
Run Time: 2:23:49
Run Overall Place: 1247
Run Division Place: 188
------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Event
I must be getting desensitized. This was the first time that my alarm has wakened me for a tri - other times I've woken up on my own long before buzzer time. Feel good about that.
Before my swim wave start I did a little beach running to warm-up with Toronto peeps Rob and Victor (both in my wave) and Jason (wave not long after). I didn't know Victor before, but he's part of the extended group. Nice comraderie. BTW, Jason was top Clydesdale in his AG - hardcore!
Swim
The swim (one loop) is freshwater with poor visibility, but not as bad as IMAZ. Water temperature was in the 80s, so no wetsuits.
After feeling so low on the swim at IMAZ I had resolved to make this one a better experience. Even if wetsuits had been allowed (negligible chance of that anyhow) I wouldn't have worn mine. I dropped double or bilateral breathing and breathed almost every stroke cycle. I cranked the rotation to really register the lats tugging through the pull. Heart rate came down OK after the swim, so wasn't flailing. Never found a good set of feet for drafting, but I was probably happier doing my own thing anyhow.
A lot of us think the swim course was long. The 42:56 that it took me this year put me in position 971; last year that time would have been in position 1310. The differential is not explained by waves, current, temperature, or field of competitors. Last year position 971 corresponded to a time of 39:50, and that's what I'm using as my benchmark.
Bike
The bike (out and back) is pretty flat. The route changed this year, adding a few rollers. I dropped to my lowest gear for one of them (a reminder of work to be done for IMMoo). I was in an early swim wave (started at 6:34am), so I got some jump on the temperature, although not much on the winds; temperature was easier on us this year than the previous two.
Peletons not as evident this year, but still lots of drafting on a crowded course. Late on the ride there were a couple of times that cars were having issues getting around us (and vice versa, because a car slowed up by a cyclist would block faster cyclists).
Only real issue on the bike was mechanical. Around mile 42 I hit a bump, causing me to yank my right aerobar up and to the right. This was enough to pull the clip-on aerobar a little off the widest part of the handlebars, and from there it slipped loose. I tried tightening it back up and had some hope, but two subsequent slips within four miles had me giving up on that; remaining 10+ miles I was in the drops. I suspect that a couple of years of wear have rubbed surfaces smoother and rendered the aerobars more likely to slip. Need some mechanical work before IMMoo.
Zone 2 for the first half of the bike; mid-zone 3 for the second half.
Run
The run is three loops on Disney paths and some stretches of field. They dropped one aid station this year, and I think they lengthened those remaining; they seemed less congested and less swampy (wider distribution of spilled fluid). Nonetheless, the shoes do the talking.
As I considered this a long training day and a 'C' event, I planned to run the first half in zone 2 and consider running the second half in zone 3, walking the aid stations. As it turned out, by the last third I was clinging by my fingernails to the bottom of zone 2. Clearly need more muscular endurance work for my type IIa muscle fibers, and should take in gels on the run - I'm not downing enough Gatorade to run on that alone.
Close
Overall, happy with the day:
My thanks to the organizers, spectators, and volunteers!
posted by Brent Buckner at 5/27/2007 12:07:00 pm
11 Comments:
Good for you. And you look happy. A great training day working towards September!
But you're right -- 2:09/100m pace (according to prelim results page) on the swim seems slow if you were feeling good.
Great effort by Jason!
I'll take that 2:09/100m swim pace any day ;-)
We really lucked out with the cooler weather this year. Glad you didn't get injured when the aero bar loosened (how scary!).
Hope our paths might cross again at a future race!
Nice race and a great post. Congratulations - your training is definitely paying off.
Great pics! You look very happy. Congrats on a great race. :))
Great job! Orlando is always on the warm side but it seems like you had a strong race. Congrats!
nice job! You look strong! You must teach me about your swim-fu, I have trouble with that.
I'm very proud of you..way to go!!!
Very cool that you can look at this as a training day!
got lucky on all 4 pictures!
not sure i could do the swim without the wet suit!
huuummm 80 degree water
Congratulations!!
Great "C" race!
talk soon!
Great job Brent and thanks for posting your race on the blog: I'm just a virtual triathlete these days! Congrats on your performance! Anne Lichtenwalner
that's one race i didn't want to do again!
congrats on gettin' 'er done dude!
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