The adventures and musings of a married middle aged father of 2 boys who discovered the wonderful world of triathlons and has been living the dream ever since.
Go Team Trakkers!!
In 2012, I've been to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, Maryland, Virgina, North Carolina, Tennesse, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island,Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Ohio, Illiniois, Indiana, Iowa, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Texas, Delaware and D.C.
I raced in Pennsylvania (3), Tennesse, Connecticut(2), Wisconsin, Maine, Maryland, South Carolina. And all of my triathlons were out of state road trips.
I did one 5K, one 5 miler, one 10K, 5 Olympic distance Triathlons and 2 HIMs. At age 42, I defended an age group title, set PRs for 5 miles, 10K, Olympic Tri and HIM and had my best finishes AG and OA and improved my USAT score.
But that doesn't quite tell the story.
Highlights:
1) The Revolutionary Run at Valley Forge National Park. I set a PR finally breaking 36 min on this hilly challenging and fun course, but the highlight was getting to race with and against my son Adrian for the first time. It was a cold wet and ugly day but getting to see him cross the finish line and hearing the announcer announce his name and see his face was priceless.
2) The Revolution 3 Half Full Tri.
I signed up for this race at the last minute and had very low expectations going in. I just wanted to support Charlie at Rev3 and Brian at the Ulman Cancer Fund for having the guts to invite Lance Armstrong to race and then having to drop USAT certification for the HIM to permit it. It was a tough call for Rev3 but some races are about more than the race itself. Say whatever you want about Lance, but he is a cancer survivor and has done more to support and provide hope for millions of other cancer survivors and their families than anyone else. So I was there to support Ulman, Team Fight, and Rev3 for making the right choice. The day was cold, windy, and raining. The course was hilly and tough. My fingers and toes were numb and I was so cold going down the hills I was considering not doing the second loop. But I couldn't quit given the cancer survivors who had to battle so much more difficult cicumstances, so I pushed on and was rewarded with the best HIM run of my life 1:48:28 and a HIM PR by close to 2 min in my 18th HIM. 25thOA and 7th in my AG and met the USAT Halfmax Qualifying standard (Although it didn't count since the HIM race was not longer USAT scanctioned, but I still will be racing at USAT Halfmax this year at Rev3 South Carolina since you don't have to qualify this year.) Never felt so wiped out or totally satisfied with a race in my life.
3) The Revolution 3 Maine Olympic Triathlon. This was the first year in Maine for Rev3 and it was a spectacular race. Old Orchard Beach threw out the welcome mat, were great hosts, the beach was awesome, and the race was great too. Met Conrad Stolz, Xtra ledgen, had my fastest bike split ever in an Olympic really coming to life in the second half of the race, and then finished it off with a really great run. Ran from 9th in my AG to 5th and took over 4th in the last mile but didn't close the deal. Still 5th place in my AG was a personal best, and the lobster bake post race made everything great. Plus the medals were super cool too.
4) The Revolution 3 South Carolina Olympic Triathlon. The was the season ending triathlon for me. Stayed on campus at Clemson University got to go to dinner with my awesome teammates at Tomatoe Joes and again we followed the Ironman World Championships via twitter and facebook during dinner. Love this race, very nice feel to it. The SEC Collegate Championships were cool and gave me a target as they were in the wave before us. Rode down to the swim race morning next to Jaqui Gordon and another pro and listened to their prerace conversations. Had a really good race with my second best bike and a PR Olympic tri run of 46:04 and finished 30th OA and 6th in my AG. For a short moment, I saw a preliminary results sheet which had me in 3rd place for my AG and 26th OA, which would have been my first triathlon podium ever, but 3 of the missing 4 results were in my age group :( Still was a great finish to my season and since the swim ended up long since the collegates took everyone around the second set of HIM bouys, it would have likely been a PR too.
5) The Revolution 3 Knoxville Olympic Triathlon: First Triathlon of the season. Got things going right with a PR (at the time) by 30 seconds and got to put the demons from my 2010 bike wreck to rest. .
6) The Revolution at Quassy. (Olympic Sat, HIM Sun).
What an adventure that was! Alarm clock failure, mad dash to the race site just getting in before the road closed, torential downpours, mud, stinging raindrops flying downhill at 40 mph for the Olympic, which ended up being my best USAT race score for the year (although Half Full wasn't scored), and a course PR the next day in the HIM. Raced next to Cam Neely, Boston Bruin Hall of Fame Defenseman. Overall PR for the Revolution by over 12 min but missed getting my award as the rains returned as I was putting my bike back on Sunday! Would have been my first trip on stage.
7) Burn off the Bird 5K. Really cold and windy day. Defended my 40-49 age group title from 2 years ago (no race last year). Went 50 sec faster than 2010 and just held off 2nd and 3rd who were less than 10 secs behind me. Only hardware for me this year!
All in all a very sucessful year at the races and a good year professionally as well as I got to do some important inspections at Susquehanna, Ginna, and Fort Calhoun, walked around in the bottom of the tourus at Peach Bottom, rode out a Hurricane at Limerick, and got featured in a TV interview for Susquehanna's Annual Assessment Meeting and 95002 exit meeting.
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Excepts From:
Beta-Alanine: Push High-Intensity Training Limits and Improve Athletic Performance
By: Christopher D. Jensen, PhD, MPH, RD
Nutrition & Epidemiology Researcher
"Figuring Out Fatigue
Fatigue during exercise has many causes, and it varies by sport or event. For endurance athletes such as marathon runners and triathletes, who primarily rely on aerobic metabolism, fatigue can occur an hour or two into a competition or workout, when muscle and liver glycogen stores run dry and blood glucose begins to drop.
High-acid environments and high performance don't make for a good mix. Not only does too much lactic acid produce that all-too-familiar burning sensation in your muscles, it also impairs muscle contraction. The end result is that you're not able to continue to generate the force needed to maintain your speed or lift that weight. And that's when you get passed just a few strides from the finish or can't muster the extra push to get to where you need to be.
Now, imagine that you had a metabolic weapon that could help neutralize the lactic acid buildup. It would enable you to train harder and longer and to reap the performance benefits that come from pushing the limits of your high-intensity training. Your very own muscles do have this weapon at their disposal. And believe it or not, new research says that the strength of that arsenal is something that you can control.
Fighting on Your Side
Your ability to sustain high-intensity exercise and hold fatigue at bay is in part determined by the amount of a natural biochemical, called carnosine, in your muscles.
Carnosine's presence in muscle tissue has been known for over 100 years, but scientists are just now beginning to appreciate its range of functions — and fighting off fatigue is high on the list. Exactly how carnosine helps you resist fatigue is not completely understood, but buffering or neutralizing lactic acid buildup in muscle is believed to be its primary mechanism.
Decreasing oxidative stress is another probable route to performance benefit. High-intensity exercise leads to oxidative stress and to the production of highly reactive biochemicals called free radicals that compromise muscle function. Carnosine acts as a natural antioxidant and neutralizes these exercise-induced free radicals.
By buffering lactic acid buildup and decreasing oxidative stress, carnosine helps to delay the impaired muscle contractions that inevitably occur during high-intensity exercise. With an adequate supply of carnosine in your muscle tissue, you're able to generate the force needed to maintain your top speed a little longer, lift that extra measure of weight, or dig deep for an all-out charge to the finish.
Fighting Fatigue
Carnosine is made up of two amino acid building blocks — histidine and beta-alanine. Histidine is a common amino acid found in many of the proteins that exist throughout your body; you have lots of it around. So when researchers gave their study subjects extra histidine, muscle carnosine levels were not affected. But providing extra beta-alanine proved to be another story altogether. Beta-alanine is a unique amino acid that is not really used to make proteins, so we have much less of it available in our bodies. When researchers gave beta-alanine supplements to their study subjects, muscle carnosine concentrations soared! In fact, levels rose by as much as 80% in a matter of weeks.
Boosting Performance
Boosting muscle carnosine concentration is one thing, but does more carnosine have an impact on exercise performance?
•In a study where men were asked to cycle at 110% of their average power output during the final stretch of intermittent interval training, time to exhaustion was increased by 12% after 4 weeks of supplementing with beta-alanine.
•In men and women engaged in endurance exercise, daily beta-alanine supplementation for a month produced a 13–16% increase in physical working capacity."
So how does High Intensity work for a typical AGer?
I am a 42 year old MOP age grouper. I tried High Endurance starting in June of this year. For the first month you take 2 pills twice a day, then after the first month take 2 pills once a day. Per the bottle results are typically seen in about 4 weeks. My first three races of the year Rev 3 Olympic at Knoxville in May and the Revolution (Olympic and HIM back to back days) at Rev3 Quazzy in June, were two good perfromances. I PRed at Knoxville by about 33 seconds and PRed the Revolution by about 12 min. But in each of these races my run was a struggle. I ran a 48:02 at Knoxville but I faded in the second half (split 1 20:12 2.74 miles (7:22) Split 2 27:50 3.46 miles (8:03)). At Rev 3 Quazzy I ran a similar run 48:27 again fading and losing severage spots in my AG (13th)(First 2 miles in 15:11 (7:36) Flat Next 4.21 miles in 33:26 (7:58)). For the half my run also dropped off considerably again losing alot of positions in my AG (78th). (2:01:17-First 5.6 miles 47:27 (8:28) included the Kswis hill Next 5.2 miles 52:16 (10:03) included hill out and Olympic bike hill Last 2.3 miles 21:34 (9:22) included final hill).
After using High Intensity starting in the beginning of June. My run performance did appear to improve as I was able to maintain my pace for noticably longer. At Rev3 Wisconsin-The Dells in August, I ran a new Olympic run PR of 46:27, but most encouraging I ran a negative split on a rolling hilly course (First 3.18 miles 24:05 (7:34) Second 3.03 miles 22:23 (7:23)) ran the 4th faster split in my AG and ran up from 8th to 6th in my AG for a personal best. My next race Rev3 Maine-Old Orchard Beach at the end of August, I PRed by over 3 Min for the Olympic ran the 4th fastest SPlit in my AG again at 47:24 and again slightly negative splited (Out 23:43 (7:39) and back 23:40 (7:38)) running my way up from 9th to 5th (and for a few minutes 4th).
But the best was still to come. In October, I did the Half Full Tri HIM. On an absolutely nasty day weather wise on a hilly course, Lance didn't lap me and not only did I PR my HIM but over 2 min, I PRed my HIM run by over 4 min with a 1:48:28 on a hilly course with the 4th fastest split in my AG noticing a trend here. Ran a very steady half marathon running fastest in the middle (First 3.1 miles 25:32 (8:14/mile) Second 6.7 miles 54:30 (8:08/mile) Last 3.3 miles 28:27 (8:37/mile)). FInishing 25th OA (best for any race and 7th in my AG best in a HIM). The following weekend at Rev3 South Carolina-Anderson. I ran a strong race and finished it off with another Oly run PR of 46:04 and fairly even splits (First 3.4 miles 25:14 (7:25 min/mile) Last 2.8 miles 20:50 (7:26 min/mile)). The third fastest split in my AG and finished 6th in my AG and 30th OA.
Is that a scientific test, No. But do I think High Intensity works. Absolutely! Did my legs still tighten up yes but, it occurred later in the run and it became very clear in my results when you compared the first and second halves of my season.
Rev3 Anderson - Olympic Rev
2012-10-14
Anderson, South Carolina
United States
REVOLUTION3 Triathlon
70F / 21C
Sunny
Triathlon - Olympic
Total Time = 2h 34m 10s
Overall Rank = 30/184
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 6/17
Pre-race routine:
My last Triathlon of 2012! Drove down Friday after getting my State Inspection for my car done but the forgot to change the oil. Got on the road about 11am and it was a good 11 hour drive which became 12 when my GPS didn't tell me about a turn so I stayed left and ended up in downtown Greenville. FInally got to Clemson just about midnight and immediately crashed. Next morning I headed over to Andeson and the expo and picked up my packet and chip, then headed over to Darwin Walker Park to drop off my bike and do the practice swim. Missed my teammates for the tri slide pit but swam a nice relaxed loop of the HIM course. Had issues with my goggles fogging up so Foggled up after I got out. Dropped of the bike and headed back to the hotel. Went to dinner with a bunch of my teammates at the same restraunt as last year in old town Anderson and again we had a great time eating and following the Ironman World Championships (and some of our teammates) via Twitter and facebook. Rolled back to the hotel took a shower and put on my race numbers laid everything out and hit the sack, Woke up at 5am drove to the expo by 5:30 and set up T2 then got on the shuttle and drove over to Darwin Walker at T1. Ended up sitting next to Jaqui Gordon and another pro and listened to them talk about the race and what else they had planned for the year. Got into T1 early, pumped up my tires before the lines, loaded up my bottles and set up T1, then found a nice corner and laid down for about 30 min till it was time to get my wetsuit on and head out. Had Stu come by and wish me luck. We got ushered out of transition at 7am and I visited the potta potties and headed down to watch the pros and the HIM get under way.
Event warmup:
There was about 30 min between the HIM and the first Olympic wave while they repositioned the buoys so we got a chance to do a swim warm up. Swam out to the first buoy and back. Was a bit chilly at first but warmed up and felt good.
Swim
00:33:31 | 1640.42 yards | 02m 02s / 100yards
Age Group: 9/17
Overall: 62/184
Performance: Average
Suit: TYR Hurricane Cat 5 Full
Course:
Counter clock wise loop around the point then a loop on the other side. The moved the buoys on the starting side but left the two red one on the other side and I think the college kids started going around them so they had everyone follow suit thus making the swim long. How long I don't know but that makes sense with the time as my swim was quite that slow based on my place w/i my AGE and OA.
Start type:Run
Plus: Waves
Water temp: 67F / 19C
200M Perf: Good
Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average
Drafting: Below average
Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
Comments:
Started on the beach on the far right a few rows back. Strolled into the water and got going fairly event free. Heard Scott tell be to get going. Swam to the outside of the main group to the first buoy and then blended in going to the second. Got into a good steady rhythm and kept pace with the folks around me as we rounded the inlet, I drifted way outside on that leg and had to arc back in to get the buoy. At the candy corn buoy I thought we were supposed to head for home everyone was going straight towards the two red buoys and they had siad to round all the buoys that were still out on the course so I followed suit. Again I swung wide on this section and I definetely fell out of my rhythm. By the time I got it back we were pararrel with the shore and ready to get out.
What would you do differently?:
Swim more! And swim straighter! 9/17 AG and 62/184 OA
T1
Time:03:42
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average
Wetsuit stuck? Yes
Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below Average
Comments:
SHort run up the beach to the parking lot and T1. Had a small issue pulling my wetsuit off my feet, them took my time getting my glasses and ring, helmet and finally shoes and socks. Socks were tough to get on. Loaed my gel and then stuffed everything into my transition bag and tied it as it was a point to point.
What would you do differently?:
Little smoother gear change and not have such a fight with my swiftwicks and wetsuit. Fell to 10th in AG and 66th OA
Bike
01:09:47 | 24.85 miles | 21.37 mile/hr
Age Group: 6/17
Overall: 31/184
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course:
After riding out of the park and the speedbumps, took a right and hit the rolling hills out of town and around the country. No huge hills but steady rollers and about 750 ft of climbing, then back past the park into Anderson on some main roads with more rollers and back around to the convention center and T2.
Road: Smooth Dry
Turns: Average
Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good
Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard
Drinks: Just right
Comments:
Had some issues getting clipped in and lost a bit of ground then took it easy out to the road before finally dropping into aero and setting sail. Started passing people and found a good hard tempo. Started catching the collegate women and men 5 and 10 min ahead of my wave and it gave me something to shoot for. Passed a few people in my AG one with an aero helmit and IM tattoo on his calf, (love passing them) and hammered the hills and stayed in the big ring the whole time. On the second half I had 1 guy from the 30-35 AG pass me and ease away other than that I don't remember anyone passing me and staying in front of me (other than the 1 pro once the course came together. Had 1 guy in an aero helmit and trispoke wheel do a back a forth with me for 10 miles before I finally passed him for good on the main road in Anderson. Finished strong and felt good.
What would you do differently?:
Pretty well executed ride, maybe could have pushed the envelop a bit. Rode up to 6th in my AG and 31 OA plus passed a ton of collegate wave but need to ride stronger to place in my AG as I was 6th faster bike split as well.
T2
Time: 01:06
Overall: Good
Running with bike: Good
Racking bike: Below average
Shoe and helmet removal:Good
Comments:
Really good quick transition. My tri bag was in the way of my rack and it took a few extra seconds. But quickly out of my bike shoes into my running shoes grabbed my race belt and off. Got cheer from Alexander and Carole and off I went.
What would you do differently?:
Set up my bag better. Maintained my position OA and in my AG and actually made up about 10 seconds on the leader.
Run
00:46:04 | 06.21 miles | 07m 25s min/mile
Age Group: 6/17
Overall: 30/184
Performance: Good
First 3.4 miles 25:14 (7:25 min/mile) Last 2.8 miles 20:50 (7:26 min/mile)
Course:
Out of transition, loop around the duck pond then out along the roads on the Expo center to the Park trails, across the street on some rolling hills and out to some more trails turn around and come back to the finiah line minus the second loop around the duck pond.
Keeping cool: Good
Drinking: Just right
Comments:
Quick transition and got rolling on the little hill out of transition. had one guy pass me there and one college kid pacing behind me. Got into a good free pace and felt good. Were still catching the college wave people but few else. The pros doing the HIM had a two loop course so I got to see Andrew Strokowitz, Torenzo, and Richie Cunningham. Got up to the 3 mile point and the college kid passed me, then stopped to tie his shoe as I passed back and then passed my as a pro I didn't know passed us both. Passed Charlie Patten the head guy at Rev3 and had him tell me i was too old to be racing so much. Hit the turn and tried to lengthen my stride and work for home. Had the same pro pass me again (HIM turn around was a bit further up the road) and saw the leader (Andrew S. was absolutelte crushing the field. Passed Terenzo who was lloking strong and then Richie and Jaqui Gordon who gave me a big smile when I cheered her one. Saw Carole (MB!) again at the mile 5 aid station and pushed hard to the end. Had the finish line pretty much to myself and posed a bit for the finishline photo.
What would you do differently?:
46:04 is my Oly run PR, and it really didn't feel like I was going that hard as it was a smooth fast run. 3rd fastest split in my AG (behind only 1st and 3rd place)so it was a good run. Lost focus for a stretch but got it back so very happy with the run. Ended up 6th in my AG and 30th OA which was a bit depressing that I only passed one person with a PR run but I had a 4 mins to make up on 5th and had a 2 min gap which I stretched to 4 min on 7th.
Post race
Warm down:
Got my medal and towel and some water and walked over to my friends at the NormaTec tent and sat in the boots. Then went over to the transition and found Laura, and Alexander. Laura's brother was injuried in Afganistan over the weekend but had made it back to Walter Reed in DE and is going to be OK, which was great news. Then found my dry clothes and T1 bags and got changed and then loaded up T2 and walked my stuff to my car. Came back and got some food (Southern BBQ!!) then went to chek the results. The computer lost internet so that failed but a preliminary results sheet was up and it showed me 26th OA and 3rd in my AG. Unfortunately once the computers came back I saw that the Prelim sheet missed about a min and a half of finishers and 3 of them were in my AG, so I ended up 6th. That sort of sucked as I have never placed in my AG before and thought I had. Stayed around for the awards ceremony and found the OA winner was in my AG so only missed the podium by 2 spots.
What limited your ability to perform faster:
Swimming and maybe being too conservative early on the bike and run. The swim was long by all accounts or I might have been close to 2:30 and certainly would have PRed, but I was very satisfied especially with the run PR and considering i was coming off a HIM PR last week. Satisfying race but left a bit of room to hunger for a bit more.
Event comments:
Cool race and concept having pros and the SEC collegate championships alongside the regular ag oly and HIm races. Point to point course was reasonable and not a logisitcal nightmare like IM 70.3 Providence was as the transitions were only about 2 miles apart. Really nice homey athmosphere and feel to the race. Was announced this race will be the USAT Long Course Championships next year so now I defintiely have to qualify.
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5]: 4
Physical exertion [1-5]: 5
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
Half Full REV - Half 70 Mile Distance
2012-10-07
Ellicott City, Maryland
United States
REVOLUTION3 Triathlon
48F / 9C
Precipitation
Triathlon- 1/2 Ironman
Total Time = 5h 24m 12s
Overall Rank = 25/221
Age Group = M 40-44
Age Group Rank = 7/33
Revolution3 and the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults Welcomes You to Howard County, Maryland!
Welcome triathletes, volunteers, spectators and families to the Rev3 Half Full Triathlon! We are in our third year with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults and the Half Full Triathlon and this is the first year that the Half Full is part of the Rev3 Series. We are more than excited to be working with the Ulman Cancer Fund and Half Full. You will see that the Half is not quite a 70.3 but is instead a 70.0 this is to represent the 70,000 young adults affected by cancer every year. 70,000 is the estimated number of young adults diagnosed with cancer each year. This is a statistic that needs people’s attention. The Half Full Triathlon will help make the young adult cancer issue a priority and together we can improve the 70,000 statistic. With every mile you race you’re helping support this population of young people battling cancer.
Thank you for choosing Revolution3 Half Full Triathlon.
Our goal at Rev3 is to maximize the enjoyment for everyone at the race, and this includes the spectators! So, whether you’re competing, volunteering, or spectating, we intend to make it a memorable experience. If we can do anything to help you, please let any staff member know and we will do our best to make your experience a better one. Be sure to read the enclosed Schedule of Events that includes course overviews, Expo details, fun kid’s activities, and ALL of the important race day details. On behalf of the Revolution3 Triathlon team enjoy being a part of Rev3 Half Full and thanks again for adding Revolution3 to your race calendar. Make Rev3 Half Full more than just a race. Make it an EXPERIENCE!
Respectfully,
The Revolution3 Team &
The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults
I decided to do this race very late in the game but after all the hub bub about Lance doing the race and it was the right thing to do the race and support Ulman so I got in at the end. Drove down at 2:00Pm on Saturday after doing a cycling class and mowing the lawn and packing. Got to the Expo and checked in around 4:45pm, and racked my bike. Got my front brakes adjusted since the mechanics were still there and there was no line. COnsidering the wet conditions forecast that was a very smart move. Headed to Lausby, found my hotel, got a pre race dinner of Chick-a Fila and watched some college football before calling home and hitting the hay early.
Got up at 4:30am. Had mixed my bottles the night before and only had my race stuff so other then brushing my teeth and getting dressed didn't have much to do. Drove back to Centennial Park, got bad directons from my phone (defaulted to Ellicott city instead of the park which it found yesterday, but still got to the park by 5:30 ish, got a spot to park, and brought my stuff to transition. Had a bottle of Restore in the car and drnk that for breakfast. Set up and then had an hour. Pumped up my tires before the crowds, layed my stuff out. Didn't want to get out of my sweats since it was pretty cold but eventually did so about 20 min before getting tossed out of transition. Had a Kona Punch Powerbar gel and washed it down with some Perform from my bike bottle. Then headed to the potta potties and down to the starting area.
Event warmup:
Since the HIM didn't start until 8:30 with Lance and the Pros, Collegates, and Olympic AGs went first, and it was a TT start there really was no warm up. Listened to Mr Ulman speak, the national anthem and then went to the stage to sit down and watch the start. Started raining right before Mr Ulman took the mic. Basically sat a shivered in my wetsuit then hit the potta potties for a second time, got my uniform caught in my wetsuit but was save by a nice lady who fixed it and zipped me up. Thanks. Finally they called for the HIM survivors wave and since we were the second wave I headed towards the start corral. Head a few words of wisdom from Lance (still didn't actually see him), then they were off and we were shuffled forward in groups of 2. down to the water.
Swim
00:29:37 | 1640.42 yards | 01m 49s / 100yards
Age Group:14/33
Overall:93/221
Performance:Average
Time Trial Start
Suit:Hurricane Cat 5 Full Wetsuit.
Course:
Loop of the lake starting at the far side of the lake out around a little island to the end and back to the boat ramp. Long run to Transition.
Water temp:67F / 19C
Comments:
Got off to a nice start, and the water wasn't too cold. Nice run into the water and got off to a nice quick tempo to get warmed up. With the water about 20 degrees warmer than the air it felt good. Unlike Wisconsim (my only other time trial start, I didn't feel like I was getting freight trained by everyone behind me. Kept a nice smooth stoke and nice position in the water. Navigated well on the way out but drifted inside on the down leg and had to cut the buoy very tight. Finally started seeing people from the other waves towards the end and then I swam at the multi collored buoys at the boat ramp which were there to keep you from going too far so had to make my way back left to the ramp. Not a terrible swim
What would you do differently?:
The end was a mess as I added a ton of extra time and distance with my poor navigation. With no warm up and little swimming this year it wasn't too bad. Got to where I wanted to be and didn't use too much energy.
T1
Time:06:24
Performance:Average
Comments:
Long run up the hill and then up to transition on the grass. Nice carpetted run was good. Got to my spot and took my time. Got my wetsuit off with no major issues. Put on my glasses and ring, arm warmers, then my bike jersey, load my gels and second bottle into my back pockets, got my number on, wool cap and then helmet, shoes and socks, and then grabbed my bike then stopped and pulled on my gloves.
Relatively slow time but actually made up ground. Up to 11th from 14th,
What would you do differently?:
SHould have brought something to cover my stuff. Was going to fold the towel over but didn't seem like it was going to rain before the start and of course it did. Did stack it so it wasn't as wet but suck to put on a wet bike jersey over an wet uniform from the swim. Plus it was muddy.
Bike
02:57:27 | 56 miles | 18.93 mile/hr
Age Group:8/33
Overall:29/221
Performance:Good
Wind:Some
Course:
Two loops through the Howard county country side. Very scenic course and lots of rolling hills. About 1600 feet of climbing in the half. No majorly steep climbs or very technical decents but the wet conditions made them alot more nervewracking.
Road:Rough Wet
Comments:
Started out and was already wet and cold. Took it easy at first pacing behind a Team fight person shifting through the gears and getting some heat in my legs as we climbed out of the park. Once I settled in I found a good gear and started moving forward. Reeling and passed my pacer and got going. Each downhill was really chilling as the wind and the wet just made me feel rotten. Had a Mid Maryland Tri Club guy pass me and we went back and forth throughout the ride. I was the better climber and he was flying on the decents, so we balenced out well. Was very temtative on the decents and turns breaking to a crawl, but accelerated out of them well. Have a few more folks join us in our back and forth including a team fight guy and a Foxy Racing guy. With the time trial start, after about 10 miles I really slowed down passing people except for some of the folks doing the Olympic we were catching. The spray from the bike in front of you kept you from getting or staying in the drafting zone which was good. Finally started to warm up by the end of the first loop and didn't decide to cut things short as I was seriously considering for the first 15 miles or so. The volunteers and aid station crews did a great job out in the cold and wet but they kept cheering us on and hooting and holoring. The second loop I started to work harder on the hills and started to dispatch my crew of back and forth people finally loosing the MMTC guy at around mile 40. Picked off a few people every so often during the second half and noone came up from behind over the last 20 miles. My back started bothering me during the second loop so I was sitting up alot. Nutrition wise I did a really bad job. Grabbed a gel at about 15 miles and a big drink after the first loop, but over the last few climbs my legs felt like I was going to cramp so I drank some more around mile 40-50 but got way behind.
What would you do differently?:
Due to the constant rolling hills and rain and cold, I hardly drank at all. I almost lost control getting my gel and putting the wrap back, and never used my second bottle. Felt like I did a good job pacing and going fairly consistantly and it paid off on the run.
Pre-race routine: T2
Time:02:15
Overall:Good
Comments:
Long trot from the road up to transition. Unloaded my bottle and gels, and changed my shoes grabbed my hat and went. Stopped at the transition porta potty and took care of that before heading out to the run. Picked up a bunch of spot up to 7th in AG and 25th overall.
What would you do differently?:
Not much
Run
01:48:28 | 13.1 miles | 08m 17s min/mile
Age Group:7/33
Overall:25/221
Performance:Good
First 3.1 miles 25:32 (8:14/mile) Second 6.7 miles 54:30 (8:08/mile) Last 3.3 miles 28:27 (8:37/mile)
Course:
Two loop course thru the park, with two hills, then onto the roads for some rolling hills, through anoth park/ nature area to the other side, then road pack to Centennial Park with 2 hills including a Cat 5 three tiered hard hill. Then through the park past the finish, then on the trail over to the boat dock to meet up with first loop.
Comments:
Started out feeling a bit rough for the first couple miles and felt like I had a rock in my shoe. Had three people go past me in the second mile, then a fourth right before the park. Despite getting passed, my legs started to come in and I was feeling better. Drank the gatorade on course each aid station. Going downhill on the back side I started reeling the forth guy back in. Gained alot of ground back up to him and was right on him as we completed lap one. He picked it up for a bit holding me off until after we passed the inspiration ridge and started up the first hill in the park on lap two. Went past him and didn't look back. Towards the end of the first loop we started catching people from the Olympic (felt bad for them 30+ min head start and 28 extra miles on the bike and I was still satching them). On the second lap I was lapping people on their first lap which felt good but was mentally hard since I wanted to ease up. Worked through it and actually ran a negative split up to the time line. Coming back I was pushing it, but started really tighting up and shortening my stride. Had two relays pass me on the way back on the second loop which was depressing but it was easy to spot who was 67 miles into a race and who was on a relay 4 miles in. Looks totally different. Could hear two people coming up behind me over the last two miles but I held them off over the big hill and past the 12 mile sign but they caught me right outside the park. It was the 5th place woman in a tema fight outfit and a 51 year old guy. He was coaching/encouraging her along and they obviously had been running together a while. She was hurting. I tried to match there pace but fell in behind them so where could make the turns. We caught a more Team Fight person they both seemed to know on the end of his first lap. Kept them both fairly close and let them open up some ground in the chute so I got a good photo. Head my spot from start to end 7th AG and 25th OA, so the people who passed me early were already ahead of me as I started in front of them, and I must have put enough time on the fourth guy over the last loop to offset the last two. Great run.
What would you do differently?:
Not much other that eat/ drink more on the bike to keep legs under me but after a hilly ride and hilly run I sort of expect to tighten up. PRed my HIM run by about 4 min and the mystery rock in my shoe disappeared after I stopped thinking about it.
Post race
Warm down:
Got my medal and water and tshirt. Hobbled over to the NormaTec tent and got in the boots for 20 min. After crashing in the chair for a while started to get cold in all my wet clothes. Changed out of my jersey and uniform and got a dry finisher's shirt on. Got done and passed on more time to get dry and some sweats on. Waddled up to transition and got changed and packed up. Took my stuff and bike to the car and loaded up then headed back for some food (chicken sausage) and looked at the results. Pumped up about the run and shocked at the PR, then bummed out that in addition to the PR I made a time better than the USAT Halfmax qualifying standard but since this isn't a USAT sanctioned race I didn't qualify. :(
What limited your ability to perform faster:
Lets see cold morning, raining, wet road, freezing cold on the bike, numb feet, terrible nutrition execution ( barely drank and only 1 gel on bike and only gatorade on run) and a very hilly course. And of course I PRed!!! Started cramping at the end of the bike but somehow pulled out a HIM PR run, don't know what clicked but whatever it was it sure did.
18th HIM and ended up PRing by close to 2 min on one of the hardest courses (Not as hard as Black Bear, but comparable to Quazzy). WOW!
Event comments:
Great event! Weather condtions made it very demading on SUnday but the day before it was 70 and sunny, so bad luck there but nothing within the control of the RD. Having Lance Armstrong there was really cool, but rest of the cancer survivors high fiving you going into the water and at the finish really drove home what this event was all about. Great job by the volunteers, Police, and Army hang out with us in the rain making sure we were safe!
Mental exertion [1-5]
4
Physical exertion [1-5]
5
Good race?
Yes
Course challenge
Had
Organized?
Yes
Events on-time?
Yes
Lots of volunteers?
Yes
Plenty of drinks?
Yes
Post race activities:
Average
Race evaluation [1-5]
5
Rev3 Wisconsin - Olympic Rev
2012-08-12
Dells, Wisconsin
United States
REVOLUTION3 Triathlon
78F / 26C
Overcast
Triathlon - Olympic
Total Time = 2h 37m 52s
Overall Rank = 42/174
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 6/18
Pre-race routine:
A long drive up from Royersford so I packed up and started drving on Thursday which was a good move. I was wave after wave of rain and thunderstorms both days right up until I hit Chicago where I got to listen to a Cubs game as the traffice just stopped. Finally got to The Dells About 8pm so I went for a run and ran to Tommy Bartlet's and then did the part of the bike course.
The next day did the practice swim and met up with a bunch of my Rev3 teammates. Checked Facebook before I left and the report was the water temps were 77-78, so I left the wetsuit at home. Well all the rain I passed on the way up helped bring the temp back down to 71. Water was great and I swam the HIM course and felt good but I could swear there was a current in the lake. Hit the expo and checked in and got my race stuff and then got my Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puffs from Lauren! So I already had my trophy before the race (though I did resist eating them under after the race). Went out to dinner with some of my teammates at the Pizza Pub and then hit the sack.
Event warmup:
Decided to walk from the hotel to Tommy Bartlet's in the morning which served as a good warm up. Had to clear out of transition at 6:30 but the Olympic start wasn't until close to 8am so had alot of time to kill. Hit the bathroom then watched the pros and Half Rev get started. Went down to the staging area and then eventually shuffled off across the stage to the Time trial start.
Swim
00:33:32 | 1640.42 yards | 02m 02s / 100yards
Age Group: 15/18
Overall: 119/174
Course:
Time trial start from dock and then a square route in Lake Denton finishing on stage.
Comments:
First race ever doing a time trial start. Moved very quickly, started 2 people at a time sitting on dock to shallow water starting every 3 seconds. Start quickly to get wet and warm and charge to the turn, from there I settled into a rhythm and felt OK. But then I just started getting passed left and right. I knew not having a wetsuit was going to make a difference but not that much. Felt like any other swim, didn't have much contact, but I was only catching the person doing the backstroke. Was hitting the buoys dead on and only swung a bit far inside towards shore on the way back and got shepparded back out. Got to the stage and came out.
What would you do differently?:
Bring my wetsuit just in case the water temp drops and swim more.
T1
Time: 04:15
Comments:
Long run up a hill to transition, then a unhurried transition getting my swiftwick sock and bike shoes on, and was one of the last people from my rack which was depressing.
What would you do differently?:
Transition wasn't bad, but wasn't good to get depressed about the swim and go slower.
Bike
01:12:26 | 24.85 miles | 20.58 mile/hr
Age Group: 8/18
Overall: 55/174
Splits:
First 10.8 miles 29:56 (21.65 mph) Next 14.0 miles 42:30 (19.76 mph)
Course:
Fun ride starting with a loop around Lake Denton then heading out of town and doing a loop on some nice rolling country roads. About 840 feet of climbing with 1 catorogized climb at around mile 20.
Comments:
I got going a bit slowly winding through town, but as we headed out of town on the first long hill I finally started moving forward, I was crushing the hills today just moving past whole lines of people pounding in the big ring. Felt great. I had a short back and forth with a woman in long pink calf sleeves where I would catch and pass her on the hills and she would cruise past on the flats (ended up she was 5th place overall female). After she finally broke away I had a similar back and forth with a guy in my age group and a guy in the 50-54 ag wearing a team USA uniform. Again I would get them on the hill and they would get me on the flats. The 50-54 guy even said to me, "don't worry I'll see you on the next hill." He was right but it was fun.
Just before the last 6 miles (50 mile marker for the Half course) a motercycle or two came up and then here comes the first pro male and then I get a "GO REV3!! GO Andrew!" From my awesome pro teammate Richie Cunningham who was running second. A group of 6-7 passed us by and it was really cool but I did lose focus and just coasted a while. I snapped to as we started the Catorigized climb and as my 50-54 buddy predicted I passed him and my AG friend. "Knew you'd get me on this hill!" Fortunately for me it was a long hill and I built up a good lead on him but my AG rival was able to bridge back up to me in the downhill and ride back into town. The roller coming back around Lake Denton weren't long enough for me to reel him in but I caught him coming into transition and actually did cross the timing mat ahead of him as I got off my bike quicker. Good ride. 5th fastest split in my AG
What would you do differently?:
Think my tires were a bit soft so some fully pumped up tires may have bought my some more speed on the flats and downhills. Was happy with the ride as I move up from 16th (Coming out of T1) to 8th in my AG and 112th to 55th overall
T2
Time:01:11
Comments:
I was now racing my rival AGer and it gave me help getting a quick transition and the iso transition are some fast to get on and out. One of my best transitions and my rack was not extremely full so I felt good.
What would you do differently?:
Sunscreen
Run
00:46:27 | 06.21 miles | 07m 29s min/mile
Age Group: 6/18
Overall: 42/174
Splits:
First 3.18 miles 24:05 (7:34) Second 3.03 miles 22:23 (7:23)
Course:
Leave Tommy Bartlets and cross over to Noah's Arc park then down to the bike loop around the lake but then headed into town to the Highway 12/13 junction and turn around and back. Several good hills in mile 2,3,4, and 5.
Comments:
Got going and had a collegate guy in front of me and then shortly had another pass me but by the turn by Noah's Arc my legs came to me and I worked the downhill and got the guy who passed me back. From their I just got into a fast tempo and went after it. My legs felt great and I pushing it. Work the long uphill after mile 2 and catch my friend in the pink calf sleeves and kept working forward looking to take out anyone with a 40-44 on their calf. Hit the turn then right into the other big hill and I ran down another person in my AG. Pushed it hard on the way home. Saw the woman pros coming the other direction on my way back. In fact the only people who passed my and stayed in front of me were 2 pros doing the Half. The finish is the same easy downhill I got rolling on early, but of course it was now uphill and my progress moving forward stalled there as I was trying to catch the 2 guys in front of me. But I saw Laura and her purple hair at the turn for home and I cruised into Noah's Arc and to the finish. Great run!
What would you do differently?:
Not much! Would have drank more and never did take my gel to load in my jersey but it was a cool day and I didn't bonk but it might have helped. Was the 4th fastest run split in my AG and brought me from 8th to 6th in my AG and from 55th to 42nd overall. Finished strong and felt strong!
Post race
Warm down:
Visited the NormaTec tent and used the boot for 20 min and had Richie come in and win the pro race right behind where I was sitting. Then grabbed a gatorade and a Muscle Milk and walked back to transition to get my bag and then walked back to the hotel since I couldn't take my bike out of transition until afer noon. Walked back to the hotel took a shower packed up the car, checked out and then drove to Tommy Bartlet's and loaded up my bike and headed out to Omaha Nebraska and ate my cream puffs!
What limited your ability to perform faster:
My swim and T1 really put me in a hole. In the end it certainly cost me a Olympic distance PR, and at least one AG position, but I was very happy with the bike and estatic with the run. Plus my 6th place AG finish is my best ever and met one of my Short Term Goals for the year.
Event comments:
Once again Rev 3 did an outstanding job in its first year at The Dells. Great atmoshpere, fun staff, had the pros cheering me on, and a great location. The Dell is advertised as the waterpark capital of the world and it sure looked that way! Great event to do with the whole family!
Note: I'm in the background from 1:50-2:05 on the beach!
Rev3 Maine - Olympic Rev
2012-08-26
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
United States
REVOLUTION3 Triathlon
75F / 24C
Sunny
Triathlon - Olympic
Total Time = 2h 33m 10s
Overall Rank = 58/300
Age Group = M 40-44
Age Group Rank = 5/27
Pre-race routine:
Friday morning I got to get up early to bring Adrian to XC picture and then come back to watch their "scrimage." Was going to leave after that. Well the scrimmage turned out to be about 12 teams and over 200 in the boys race, then the team got to clean everything up after. Basically it was an Invitational without any medals. So I didn't get packed and loaded up until after 12:30, and then I forgot my computer and my dop kit.
The ride up was fine until I hit Mass and I290 which just stopped at mile marker 22. Crawled forward for next few miles as the sun went down. The highway was down to one lane for a chemical spill plus in the one lane was a broken down car. What a mess! 2.5 hours for 2.5 miles. Finally got past it and got to Portland aroung 10:30, got some McDonald's and then to the hotel and bed.
Got up headed to Old Orchard Beach and caught the tail end of the swim and gave out some TriSlide and Foggle. At least I had my wetsuit and the water was perfect with it. Swam out to the HIM buoy and back. Slight chop and waves at beach. Good swim. Then to the expo, checked in and then put the stickers on my bike and dropped it off in transition. Met up with a bunch of my Rev3 teammates and then heaed back to the hotel before a tem dinner at the Great Lost Bear Tavern. THen back to the hotel watched Bristol and used the NormaTec Boots for an hour and hit the sack.
Got up at 4:25, got dressed and headed to OOB. Set up transition and had to get out by 6:10. Walked out to the beach and talked to some folks about Rev3. Then sat on the beach and watched the half waves head out and then the Pros before being summonded to the start area.
Event warmup:
No warm up other than the long walk to the beach. As some as I got to the beach they were pulling everyone out of the water. Could have gone well down the beach to swim but would have missed the start of the Half and my teammates.
Big wave of 101 people all M&W 35-44. Started in back and right side. Waded at the start past the first breakers. Got some space right off the bat and was a fairly clean and courtous start. No contact and drifted outside to get more space. Felt good and quick and it seemed like I was at least holding my own but I was adding some distance zig zagging my way to the turn buoy and across the bay. Diamonded the crossing leg which got me well away from everyone but at least I stopped zig zagging. Had a few folks from the wave behind be try and swim over me. The last leg back I finally started to see more folks as i stayed in the main traffic lane siting on the Ferris wheel. Felt like a good swim but again was fairly slow. Was faster than Wisconson though.
What would you do differently?:
Need to swim more and work on swim during off season. 15/27 in AG and 133/300 OA.
T1
Time: 05:40
Comments:
Long run up the beach to the road and up a block then down to and around the transtion and the in and all the way down to my rack. About 1500 feet or 500 yards or jogging barefoot. Transition itself wasn't bad. SUit stuck a bit on left heel but came out fairly easy standing. Noticed I didn't set out my gels,Oh well wasn't going to dig for it. Grabbed my helmit and bike and clomped off to the mount line on the beach side of Transition.
What would you do differently?:
Set up transition better. Left my gels in my bag as well as my Hat which was in a pocket and forgot it. Could have gone quicker but overall was OK
Bike
01:08:49 | 24.85 miles | 21.67 mile/hr
Age Group:9/27
Overall: 73/300
Splits: 35:55 for first segment and 32:55 for second seemed like each segment was about 12.42 miles since was on the top loop. I believe the negative split as it was more downhill on way in and I was pushing harder on way in.
Comments:
Started out a bit slow clipping in and getting up to speed with the hill out of OOB. Got myself right and started to get into a good tempo and started moving forward. Was doing well on the hills and got into a good pace on the flats. Did a set of three back and forths with one of my Rev 3 teammates (Beth) and passed Kristen. Saw Josha and Mike coming out of the turn loop. Passed Beth the last time coming out of the turn loop and put my head down and went to work on the way back. Rode past a number of folks and caught a 27 year old on a road bike and we leapfrogged each other all the way to the Transition pushing each other to catch a bunch of riders ahead of us. Good ride.
What would you do differently?:
Took a while to get into a steady hard tempo and felt I wasn't in race mode the first half. Beth helped snap me into race mode passing me back several times but was a PR for the Olympic Bike and the 5th fastest split in my AG and went from 15th to 9th in my AG and 138th to 73rd OA on bike.
T2
Time:01:27
Comments:
Had some isses dismounting especially compared to my riding buddy with a flying dismount. Little trouble to rack due to the bike next to me turned to my side blocking me. Quick shoe change and off I went. Good transition thanks to the PI Isotransitions.
What would you do differently?:
Not much I could control after the dismount which wasn't very coordinated.
Run
00:47:24 | 06.21 miles | 07m 38s min/mile
Age Group: 5/27
Overall: 58/300
Spilts: Out 23:43 (7:39) and back 23:40 (7:38)
Comments:
Took off at a good pace and #405 passed me. Let my legs come in which took about a mile and then start pushing the tempo as we climbed the first long hill. Started to keep pace with #405 about 30 yards ahead of me but I was passing folks inclng 2 in my agegroup. Then down hill and to the trail and then down to the turn around. Tried to up the pace. Caught another guy in my AG at mile 4 and the saw another on the hill up to mile 5. Caught him right at the top of the hill and went past him to 4th but he made it to the downhill and lactch on to me. Tried to drop him but he hung on loudly. Coming home a 27 yr old guy passed us both on the road to downtown and he went with him. At this point my hamstrings started to tighten and I didn't have an answer or a sprint. So I stayed steady to the end. Good finish. Beat the 4th guy by over 3 min on run split but helped him to a big last mile and a huge negative split all due to the last mile. He thanked me for coming along at the right time.
What would you do differently?:
Very disapponted I wasn't stronger and pushed up and pat him earlier on the hill and broke him, wasn't able to shake him and finsihed a bit weak. Should have drank more Perform on the bike to better hold off that cramp. Still great run 4th fastest split in AG (1,2, and 20th places better and from 70 to 58 OA. Good run
Note: I'm up on the big screen as well in my finisher's photo. :) Post race
Warm down:
Walked around to porta potties, then got some Muscle milk and visited the NormaTec tent for some boot time. Then got my bike and stuff loaded up and loaded my car and got changed. Then came back for the lobster bake! Awesome! Stuck around for the PRO and Olympic awards and saw Tim and Jordan finish the half both in 4:38s.
What limited your ability to perform faster:
Should have drank more on the bike and really need to work on my swimming this winter.
Guess 5th place in my AG is better just missing a podium spot and a USAT Nationals berth finsihing 4th but i had 4th in the bag and didn't close the deal which also hurt. Some pick your poison. Overall the lobster eased any pain and so did the 3:12 PR so felt good about my perfromance. Really felt good about it before looking at the results.
Event comments:
Great first year event. Old Orchard Beach is such a cool place and the town loved having us as much as we enjoyed being there. Great event with She Jams Women's race with a race and the Pros were great especially Xterra legend Conrad Stolz making a road tri appearance. Very cool people hanging out with the AGers. ANd the Lobster bake was awesome 2 lobster, potatoe salad, corn on the cobb, and a egg. Best post race meal ever!!!
Well here we go! The Revolution. Hills, rain, alarm clock errors, mud, and one heck of a good time Day 1 Olympic Rev
Rev3 Quassy - Olympic Rev
2012-06-02
Middlebury, Connecticut
United States
REVOLUTION3 Triathlon
58F / 14C
Precipitation
Triathlon - Olympic
Total Time = 2h 45m 1s
Overall Rank = 127/656
Age Group = M 40-44
Age Group Rank = 21/84
Pre-race routine:
Quazzy! The 4th Quazzy weekend and my 3rd time doing the Revolution. Was feeling pretty good about my preps and then Monday afternoon my left knee just starts hurting out of nowhere in thw afternoon, kept hurting all the next day but faded until my run and then it was gone on Tuesday night. The whole thing just managed to total freak me out! Packed up Thursday night and then headed out Friday morning after letting the traffic clear from the morning rush. Survived to major traffic jams at the 87/287/17 split and on 84 for no good reason to just make it to the Park at 3:00pm when my stint in the Powerbar tent was scheduled to start. Fortunately, things were set up yet so I wasn't late. Manned the tent from 3-6pm handed out gel Blasts, Protein Bars, and Harvest Bars, talked to Tim Deboom and several other pros who came by the tent and then got my self checked in check in for the race. Was also able to swap out my PI Iso Transitions for the right size at the expo which was very cool. CHeck my bike in and then headed off meet up with my Teammated for dinner. Had a great Seafood Pizza and caught up with Sam, Jammie, Anthony, Ryan, Ryan, and Jordan, and finally Elane. After dinner, found the hotel, watched the Celtic-Heat game and called home as it started raining. Put on my tats and pack up my stuff for the race. Set the alarms (or so I thought) and went to bed. THe hotel clock radio sound was off and my Iphone was set to 4:50PM vice AM.
Ever have one of those dreams, where you wake up late and your race is starting, well it true suck when it comes true. My streak nearly came to an end when I woke up to light coming through the shades. 6:20!! AHHHHH Event warmup:
Steady rain when I got outside, Warm up was race to the car, drive 80-85 mph from Meridian to Quazzy, just get in before they closed the park entrance at 6:53 am and raced to transition to drop off my stuff. The wetsuit in hand with goggles to the beach. Got in my wetsuit then found I was give a reprive since they delayed the start due to PA issues thanks to the weather. So I got to visit the Porta potties and then get back in my wetsuit with the help of the Team Fight coordinator who zipped me up. 4th wave. Plenty of time.
Swim:
Comments:
Rained picked up but no lighting and water was the place to be. Started middle and about 6 rows back so right in the middle of the washing machine. Wadded in and got wet and proceeded to try and find a little space to swim in. Not a ton of contact but no where to go for a bit. Finally things spread out and I got some open water as I drifted inside. Took the first guide buoy on the left (which was legal)then go back to the right. Got in a nice easy rhythm and had plenty of hats to guide off and each time I looked up I was right on the buoys. Good steady swim. Not the fastest but didn't see too many from the wave behind blowing past me.
What would you do differently?:
Started to the far inside and stay out of the mess at the start, and swim faster, never felt I was pushing it. Probably was because I was still not in the race mindset after my near miss.
T1:
Comments:
Lost a few spots in my AG 37th to 40th but gain a spot OA to 234th. Had a easy to find rack and my new shoes and swiftwick sock slide on. Easy time with my wetsuit despite no trislide only stuck on my heels a bit as the rain actually helped in this case.
What would you do differently?:
Good transition for me.
Bike:
Comments:
Did I mention it was still raining and quite hard. This is a tough enough course when conditions are dry but with the wet road and steady rain, I decided it was a day to dial it back a bit. Right off the bat I got hit with another issue, mounting my pedal get caught on something and it is my front bottle holder one screw missing and roted down, so me and a spectator had to figure out what to do so we pulled the holder off the other screw and he took it back to transition for me so I wasn't abandoning any gear.
Great what else could go wrong. Down to one bottle holder, which was OK for today, so I put it out of my head and rode. Started off nice and steady going up and around the lake. Started moving forward steady and got the feel of the wet pavement. Don't know why but everyone seemed to be riding the yellow line. This got really squirrly when you are flying downhill and can't make ant sudden movements. Got forced over the line a couple times but I wasn't hitting my brakes in this weather coasting downhill. Climbed really well. Dropped to the small ring on the back country hill after the turn and the steep hill up to route 48?. Rest of the time was in the big gear and just grinding away. Took the turns vey cautiously and basically coasted downhill if there were any turns to navigate. Had my glasses fog up on the route 48 hill and again on the big time hill on the way back. I hit 45 mph and it started raining hard at that point so the raindrops stungs, I couldn't see and I was gaining on the person in front of me fast. Man than was scarry, but I stuck with it and then sucessfully braked for the hard left at the bottom on the second tier of that hill. About half way through I passed a guy with a 57 on his leg saying you know I used to love playing in the rain as a kid but my mom never let me, this is a blast!. Loved that attitide and I stopped worrying about the things that had gone wrong this morning and focused on the fun and adventure of playing in the rain like a kid. So soaked to the bone I showed up in T2 with a big grin on my face and picked up 20 spots in my AG and 109 spots overall. Not a bad ride!
What would you do differently?:
Not have my bottle holder issue at the start which cost me a minute before I even mounted, but given the conditions I was a good ride.
T2:
Comments:
Good quick transition unlike Knoxville maintained my spot in AG and only lost 2 spots over all. Left the hat behind as it was soaked, but the Iso transistion were awesome, self draining.
What would you do differently?:
Not much.
Run:
Comments:
Started out smooth right out of transition and wearing my new PI IsoTransistions right out of the box, but they felt great. Being in a late wave you got the opportunity to pass alot of people so it was hard to tell how I was doing. Got up to 19th and 121 by mile 2 turnaround, and was feeling good. The hills through the next two miles were tough and slowed me down but I still felt good. Was still raining but I hardly noticed it at that point. Had a below the knee amputee pass me slapping loud thru the puddles at about mile 3, great job by him as he was in my wave. Got the pace back together on mile 5 and pushed the tempo to the big long hill after mile 5. Got to the topp of that hill and really seemed to relax as I had about 4-5 people pass me on that last flat to the corner and around to the finish. Good run but I ended up losing 1 spot in my AG and gaining 1 spot overall from beginning to end but gave back all the spots I gained by mile 2.
What would you do differently?:
Lost focus and could have gone harder from miles 2-4.5. Still best run on this course by over 90 secs for me.
Post race:
Warm down:
Got my towel, space blanket, and medal. Held onto my chips for tomorrow and got my finisher's shirt. Grabed a water and Muscule Mike and then visited the Norma Tek tent for 20 min in the boots.
What limited your ability to perform faster:
Rain, slop, wet roads, and bad alarm clocks.
Event comments:
COuldn't do anything about the rain which turned the finish line and expo into a muddy mess, but great volunteers toughing it out in the rain and the rain tapered off once we finished.
Swimming
00:28:38 | 1640.42 yards | 01m 45s / 100yards
Age Group: 37/84
Overall: 235/656
Performance: Average
Suit: TYR Hurrican Cat 5 Full
Course: Basically a inverted triangle in Lake Quazzy with the nose chopped off as we finished about 50 yards up the beach from where we started. The cross leg was straight into the sun.
Start type: Wade
Plus: Waves
Water temp: 72F / 22C
Current/chop: Medium
200M Perf: Below average
Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average
Drafting: Average
Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 03:24
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Average
Helmet on/Suit off: No
Wetsuit stuck? No
Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Poor
Biking
01:22:46 | 25.68 miles | 18.62 mile/hr
Age Group: 20/84
Overall: 126/656
Performance: Good
Wind: Cross-winds with gusts
Course: Sort of a ballon shaped course with an out and back to and from a loop. Lots of rolling hills and 2 or 3 steep climbs, but mostly constant hills although on the back of the loop there was one monster decent where I hit 45 mph. 1059 ft of climbing and officially 2 Cat 5s
Road: Rough Wet
Turns: Average
Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average
Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard
T2
Time: 01:36
Overall: Good
Running with bike: Average
Racking bike: Average
Shoe and helmet removal: Good
Running
00:48:37 | 06.21 miles | 07m 50s min/mile
Age Group: 21/84
Overall: 127/656
Performance: Average
First 2 miles in 15:11 (7:36) Flat Next 4.21 miles in 33:26 (7:58) Two big long hills at miles 3.5 and 5.
Course: Out of the park and across into the neighborhood streets. Started off mostly downhill and shaded for the first 1.25 miles or so thne a flat mile to the turn around. Then the course turned to the left and went up for a over a mile, then another long hill most of the next mile. Mile 5 was a nice reprevive downhill but the final mile contained another .6 mile hile back up to the park then flat to the line. Very tough course
Keeping cool: Not a problem today!
Post race
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5]: 4
Physical exertion [1-5]: 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge: Just right. Hilly bike and run throw in the rain and it was tough!
Organized?: Yes
Events on-time?: Slight delay due to weather causing a few equipment problems but that was perfectly Ok with me today. Got to catch my breath.
Lots of volunteers?:Yes
Plenty of drinks?: Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5]: 5
DAY Two Half Rev the real tough course!
Rev3 Quassy - Half Rev
2012-06-03
Middlebury, Connecticut
United States
Revolution 3
74F / 23C
Sunny
Triathlon - 1/2 Ironman
Total Time = 5h 50m 10s
Overall Rank = 401/1066
Age Group = M 40-44
Age Group Rank = 78/181
Pre-race routine:
The Revolution part 2:
After the Olympic I headed back to the hotel took a long hot shower and took a quick nap, befire getting up an heading back to the Expo for my 3-6 pm shift at the Powerbar tent. Elane and Chirs came by to keep me company but the crowds faded pretty weel after the pros got done with their open house. Got to talk with Jaqui Gordon and a few other pros and did my best to sell our products. Got cut loose early by Randy as the expo was drying up (figuratively and literally as the sun actually came out. So headed to the restraunt for the team dinner. Got to sit with Kelly and Kelly, Tim and his entourage (3 boys and 1 girl) and Jen. After dinner went back packed up and went to bed early after triple checking my alarms and Iphone.
Event warmup:
Got up at 4:55. Grabbed a power bar smores bar for breakfast and some IM Perform and then grabed another for the road. Got plenty of time to set up but stilll had to park in the alternate lot across the road from the park. Got transition set up, took my bike to the mechanics to pump up my tires and lube my chain (which had been sitting in the rain for a day and a half now. Then got to meet Cam Neely Boston Bruin Hall of Fame Deffenseman and his wife a few spot down from me. lubed and sunscreend up then headed to the porta pottie line and then the beach. Was in wave #9 so had plenty of time to sit down and relax.
Swim:
Comments:
Starting in the 9th wave again was forced to start in the middle 4-5 rows back. Really got beat up the first 200 yards, smacked, kicked, grabbed and for the most part it was the 40-45 women who were dishing it out. Finally, I found some open water and got into a rhythm and got going. But by then my goggles really started fogging up so I could see anything and had to stop periodically to wipe them out and find the buoys. I ended up zig zagging quite a bit and went well inside on the 2nd legs and had a 270 degree turn around the red buoy to head for home. Then it was into the sun. Stayed in good alignment with the buoys but zig zagged from one side to the other adding alot of time. Finally made it to shore and was done after 1 failed attempt to stand a few feet from shore to find the water was still way deep. Swam 3 more strokes and it was waist deep.
What would you do differently?:
Have really been negilgent with my swimming this year. Need to swim more!
T1:
Comments:
Slow jog up from the beach but quick time getting out of my wetsuit and in my gear. Loaded up the gels and my 2nd bottle and sprayed the sunscreen. Lost 2 spot in my AG to 98th but gained 7 spots OA to 540th.
What would you do differently?:
Have the second bottle holder on my bike.
Bike:
Comments:
Got going and took my time getting into the ride. First mile is downhill then the hilss started. Did a good job just being smooth and steady and shifting early for the early hills. Lost my 2nd bottle in my uniform at about mile 4, so that really threw a wrench in my plans. Drank every 10 miles and had a Gel at 24 and 36 miles just before the bigest hills. Had just enough to get through but the last water station was at 36 and they did come across the road to the other side of the O&B as I had thought so never picked anything up. Got into a good rhythm and got going at a good pace once the Olympic and Half course merged up at mile 6 and I felt good and started moving forward. Went to the small ring on the steep hill to Rt 48 but had only of my teammates at the top to cheer me on plus we had a nice conversation about walking up this damm hill and falling over in our clump of folks working the slow grind up. After that section I got down and hammered along but my back started hurting, not a good sign 14 miles or so into the ride. So I started getting out of the staddle more often and stretched when I got the chance. The decent down to Black Rock Park and the town at the bottom was totally awesome as normal. Great scenerery and free spped flying down that stretch. Went thru town and grabbed my powergel before starting the 4 tiered 8 miles climb in the middle with a Cat3 thrown in for fun. Thanks to my back I climbed most of the way standing but stayed in the big ring the whole time. Climbing tends to be a matter of momentum, If you can maintain your momentum you climb fast and effectively and on this day I was having a great ride. Did a back and forth with a guy in the Mooseman Triathlon Jersey and just motored past people the whole time. Got to the top of that section got a qick break and rode the rollers to the out and back. Grabbed a Gel after the turn and before the downhill so I could fly downhill and the hit the flat to the turn. Then it was back up the hill. Again I caught up to the Mooseman Tri guy and we worked our way up together leapfrogging. Mile 40 is mid hill which is a boost. THen it was back through town and back to the Olympic course. Hit the 45 mph downhill and the Hard hill road hill and the hard left and then the sweeping right which I coulding hold my lane on (did yesterday in the rain but not today). The final 6 miles around the lake is tough when you hear the park then see the runners. The spot where the run and bike course come together is one hill that crushes me every year. YOu lose your momem=ntum on the intersection and the hill is steep so I almost stall out. Happened every year and again this year, but that is the last hard hill. THe final miles is uphill but not steep and I got out of the staddle to strtech and ride that stretch. Very fun ride and did pretty well about 5 min faster than my best on this course.
Rode from 98th to 73rd in my AG and from 540th to 378th OA.
What would you do differently?:
Fix the drink holder and not have to ration perform. Think I might have to adjust my bike setup a bit since my back doesn't seem to like me lately in the aero vs the road bike setup I go longer with no issues.
T2:
Comments:
Slow trot to the rack in the back of transition, Pulled out my used Gel packs and stuff my gel Blasts into my uniform. sprayed myself down with sunscreen grabbed my hat and went. Maintained my position in my AG and lost 3 spots OA.
What would you do differently?:
Went well.
Run:
Comments:
Hit the porta potties out of transition and then cruise the first mile downhill. Got my legs under me as we rounded the corner and got into a good smooth tempo and finally started passing people. Got a high 5 from Jordan on mile 3 and felt good. Then turned to the K swiss mile +. Grinded up the hill at a nice steady tempo and made alot of progress. The signs on the hill were pretty funny encouraging you and laughing at you. Got to the top and the the back side out and back loop. SOmewhere in this section I really slowed, Granted there are a few long hills but the pace dropped. After working my way to the top of the mile 7 hill my right hamstring started to tighten so I eased up the pace to manage it. Rest of the run was a dance of picking it up until my hammy twinged then slowing down and repeating. Never went to a cramp but it slowed me down alot. THe out and back seemed to go alot furhter than in previous years but I noticed I had made up alot of ground on two of my teammates, The last stretch I just plodded along to reach the finally mile 12 hill and then caught my two teamamtes there. Worked my way up the hill and around and joked about the guy saying we looked great. Note: at 69.8 miles and at the top of a .6 mile hill no one looks good. Tried to stretch it out over the last stretch and picked up the tempo a bit and held on to my position to the end. Heard them announce me home but the big screen was on the wrong side for us to see. Lost 5 spots in my AG and 20 spots OA but i'll take it!
What would you do differently?:
Not have my hammy tighten up but that had been bothering me off and on the last two week so it wasn't a shock.
Post race
Warm down:
Walked to the Norma Tec Tent, met the big boss and did the boot for 20 min, then got some food. Saw the rain coming in so decided to pack my stuff up and load the car and was heading out of the park to my car went it started downpouring and lightining, so I skipped out on the awards and headed home
What limited your ability to perform faster:
Back, hamstring, loss of drink/bottle/holder, and doing an Olympic then standing at the Powerbar tent for 3 hours. BUt was a 8 min+ course PR and about 12 min for the Revolution from last year!
Event comments:
Great race! Hard weather conditions this weekend but great volunteers, tech support, event staff, and spectators. Had a great time!
Swimming
00:40:17 | 2112 yards |1:53/ 100yards
Age Group: 96/181
Overall: 547/1066
Performance: Below average
Suit: TYR Hurricane Cat 5 Full
Course:
Inverted triangle course a bit further out and the cross leg was longer as a result and dead into the sun which was brutal. Then back to shore. Race was wetsuit legal.
Start type: Wade
Plus: Waves
Water temp: 72F / 22C
Current/chop: Low
200M Perf: Below average
Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average
Drafting: Average
Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 03:29
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good
Wetsuit stuck?: No
Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:02:50 | 56 miles | 18.38 mile/hr
Age Group: 73/181
Overall: 378/1066
Performance: Good
First 38.9 miles in 2:07:28 (18.31 mph ave) Last 17.1 miles in 55:22 (18.53 mph ave)
Wind: Some
Course:
Started of the other direction out of the park and right into the rolling hills plus a two extra big hills before meeting up with the Olympic cours for 15 miles and the steep hills, then a cool decent down to Black Rock park and town and then the long 6 mile multi tier climb back out. Then more rolling hills to the out and back/ down and back up section. Then back to the olympic course until the split and 6 miles back around to the park as we came out.
Road: Rough Dry
Turns: Average
Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average
Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard
Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:18
Overall: Good
Running with bike: Below average
Racking bike: Average
Shoe and helmet removal: Average
Running
02:01:17 | 13.1 miles | 09m 16s min/mile
Age Group: 78/181
Overall: 401/1066
Performance: Average
First 5.6 miles 47:27 (8:28) included the Kswis hill Next 5.2 miles 52:16 (10:03) included hill out and Olympic bike hill Last 2.3 miles 21:34 (9:22) included final hill.
Course:
Downhill first mile, shallow uphill to mile 2.5 or so and back down to 3.5. Then only the dirt road and a mile+ long uphill with lots of steep segments. To an out and back in the neighborhood down to the lake and then back out to the halfway point. Then another climb to mile 7 and then onto the Olympic bike and the last long hill and around to mile 8 and then to the front of the park. Then down to the start of the olympic course and a nice flat/downhill segment to mile 10. Then the gradual uphill to the turn around but straight back to mile 12 and then the same last miles with the long hill under the road, then around to the park and in the back entrance to the finish.
Keeping cool: Average
Drinking: Just right
Post race
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5]:3
Physical exertion [1-5]:4
Good race?: Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge: Just right. Very hilly ride 2500 ft climbing 6 Cat 5 and 1 Cat 3, then a very hilly run to follow it up. Great test!
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes Should have taken advantage more on the bike. 8to0 is cool stuff liked it alot today.
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5]:5
A PA triathlete training for the Rev3 series (Knoxville, Quassy revolution, Wisconson Dells, Maine, Half Full, and South Carolina)my two boys Adrian and Mathew, 2 chausies, 2 savannas, 2 hamsters, and one tough fish. An of course my lovely wife Tammy.
