This past Sunday I competed in what is likely to be my final race of the season, the Metroman Triathlon in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Below is my race report.
Pre-Race
Going into the race I was feeling fairly confident. My training had been consistent all year long and I was really pleased with my performance at the Queens Biathlon in May. The day before the race I spent extra time getting all of my gear organized and packed, as I had to wake up at an ungodly hour (3:30 A.M.) to make sure I made it to packet pickup in time. The drive down to Asbury Park was quicker than I thought it would be, leaving me with ample time to pick up my race packet, set up my transition area, use the bathroom a few times, and even warm up in the ocean a bit.
Swim (750 meters)
The swim was in the Atlantic Ocean, my first ever ocean swim in a race. It was also a run-in start, which I have always been a big fan of (it just somehow seems more "authentic" to me). After diving underneath a few breaking waves I was able to get into a decent swim rhythm. Given the choppiness of the water (and my general rustiness) I decided to abandon my usual bilateral breathing and took a breath on every other stroke, as well as sighting every few strokes. It seemed like I hit the first buoy very quickly, and soon after was passing people from the prior wave (which is always a great feeling). Before I knew it I was heading back to shore--usually I feel like I am in the water forever, but in this race it felt like I barely got wet! When I hit the shore my watch said 14:3~, but my official time included a good 150 meter or so run to the transition area.
Transition 1
My first transition was fairly uneventful. Unfortunately the way the transition area was set up I had a really long run to my bike, but once I got there I felt like I was organized and efficient.
Bike (10.5 miles)
The bike course winded through the roads of Asbury Park, including several fairly sharp turns. I focused on staying down in the aero position as much as possible, while being aggressive (but safe) on the myriad turns. From the second I got on my bike I was passing people constantly--I had forgotten how much I love wave starts! I must have passed 50+ people over the course of the bike leg, and was passed by only three. The one mistake I made was not getting in enough fluids--between the turns and somewhat uneven asphalt, I just did not feel like I had enough time to pull my water bottle out of the cage, open it, take a drink, and return it to the cage (man, do I miss my Profile Design Aerodrink). I am fairly certain the bike course was long--even the fastest splits of the day were in the 21-22 MPH range, and given the strength of the field (more on that later) and the fact it was a fairly flat course, that just does not add up.
Transition 2
As always, I pulled off my "shoes in the clips, flying dismount," and sprinted back to my transition area. I racked my bike, slipped my racing flats on, and was off. At one point an official yelled that I had to wear my race number (I forgot to put on my race belt), and after hesitating for a second decided I would risk the penalty rather than head back to retrieve it.
Run (3.1 miles)
The run was a double out-and-back along the boardwalk. My legs felt great and I started off extremely strong, but within the first mile I knew that I was in trouble--there was little shade throughout the course, and the sun was beating down mercilessly. The fact I simply have not spent any time running outdoors this summer in these conditions certainly did not help. I ended up pulling off my tri top and heart rate monitor band, but nothing seemed to help--I was simply overheated (not drinking enough fluids during the bike probably caught up with me as well). I ended up taking 3-4 short walk breaks, but given my quick start and overall run fitness it did not kill my time too much (although I was passed by ten competitors or so). I crossed the finish line sweating like a whore in church and happy to be done!
Post-Race
Despite my walk breaks, I received a nice surprise when I saw the race results--I finished second in my age group! The other surprising thing was that I was only 42nd overall--which puzzled me until I realized this race was the official USAT Mid Atlantic Short Course and Youth Championship (which explains the eight competitors under the age of 20 who beat me, including a 15-year old girl who finished 8th). I guess I should have known something was up before the race when I saw the three kids wearing matching USA Triathlon singlets with their names on them...
All in all I have to say I was really pleased with my performance, especially finishing second in my age group. This is now three straight races in which I have been on or near the podium, so I guess that as I am getting older, I am getting better (or alternatively, everyone else is getting worse). As far as racing is concerned, this is it for a while--I am probably going to take 2011 off given the new arrival in the Chukumba family scheduled for late September. I will try and post every now and then, but I cannot promise anything! As always, thanks for reading!
Race Splits
Swim: 15:50 (top 42%)
Transition 1: 1:25 (top 13%)
Bike: 32:21 (19.5 MPH, top 15%--I am 90% sure the course was long)
Transition 2: 0:55 (top 26%)
Run: 21:56 (7:05 pace, top 26%)
Overall: 1:12:27 (top 22% overall, 2nd M35-39)
Pre-Race
Going into the race I was feeling fairly confident. My training had been consistent all year long and I was really pleased with my performance at the Queens Biathlon in May. The day before the race I spent extra time getting all of my gear organized and packed, as I had to wake up at an ungodly hour (3:30 A.M.) to make sure I made it to packet pickup in time. The drive down to Asbury Park was quicker than I thought it would be, leaving me with ample time to pick up my race packet, set up my transition area, use the bathroom a few times, and even warm up in the ocean a bit.
Swim (750 meters)
The swim was in the Atlantic Ocean, my first ever ocean swim in a race. It was also a run-in start, which I have always been a big fan of (it just somehow seems more "authentic" to me). After diving underneath a few breaking waves I was able to get into a decent swim rhythm. Given the choppiness of the water (and my general rustiness) I decided to abandon my usual bilateral breathing and took a breath on every other stroke, as well as sighting every few strokes. It seemed like I hit the first buoy very quickly, and soon after was passing people from the prior wave (which is always a great feeling). Before I knew it I was heading back to shore--usually I feel like I am in the water forever, but in this race it felt like I barely got wet! When I hit the shore my watch said 14:3~, but my official time included a good 150 meter or so run to the transition area.
Transition 1
My first transition was fairly uneventful. Unfortunately the way the transition area was set up I had a really long run to my bike, but once I got there I felt like I was organized and efficient.
Bike (10.5 miles)
The bike course winded through the roads of Asbury Park, including several fairly sharp turns. I focused on staying down in the aero position as much as possible, while being aggressive (but safe) on the myriad turns. From the second I got on my bike I was passing people constantly--I had forgotten how much I love wave starts! I must have passed 50+ people over the course of the bike leg, and was passed by only three. The one mistake I made was not getting in enough fluids--between the turns and somewhat uneven asphalt, I just did not feel like I had enough time to pull my water bottle out of the cage, open it, take a drink, and return it to the cage (man, do I miss my Profile Design Aerodrink). I am fairly certain the bike course was long--even the fastest splits of the day were in the 21-22 MPH range, and given the strength of the field (more on that later) and the fact it was a fairly flat course, that just does not add up.
Transition 2
As always, I pulled off my "shoes in the clips, flying dismount," and sprinted back to my transition area. I racked my bike, slipped my racing flats on, and was off. At one point an official yelled that I had to wear my race number (I forgot to put on my race belt), and after hesitating for a second decided I would risk the penalty rather than head back to retrieve it.
Run (3.1 miles)
The run was a double out-and-back along the boardwalk. My legs felt great and I started off extremely strong, but within the first mile I knew that I was in trouble--there was little shade throughout the course, and the sun was beating down mercilessly. The fact I simply have not spent any time running outdoors this summer in these conditions certainly did not help. I ended up pulling off my tri top and heart rate monitor band, but nothing seemed to help--I was simply overheated (not drinking enough fluids during the bike probably caught up with me as well). I ended up taking 3-4 short walk breaks, but given my quick start and overall run fitness it did not kill my time too much (although I was passed by ten competitors or so). I crossed the finish line sweating like a whore in church and happy to be done!
Post-Race
Despite my walk breaks, I received a nice surprise when I saw the race results--I finished second in my age group! The other surprising thing was that I was only 42nd overall--which puzzled me until I realized this race was the official USAT Mid Atlantic Short Course and Youth Championship (which explains the eight competitors under the age of 20 who beat me, including a 15-year old girl who finished 8th). I guess I should have known something was up before the race when I saw the three kids wearing matching USA Triathlon singlets with their names on them...
All in all I have to say I was really pleased with my performance, especially finishing second in my age group. This is now three straight races in which I have been on or near the podium, so I guess that as I am getting older, I am getting better (or alternatively, everyone else is getting worse). As far as racing is concerned, this is it for a while--I am probably going to take 2011 off given the new arrival in the Chukumba family scheduled for late September. I will try and post every now and then, but I cannot promise anything! As always, thanks for reading!
Race Splits
Swim: 15:50 (top 42%)
Transition 1: 1:25 (top 13%)
Bike: 32:21 (19.5 MPH, top 15%--I am 90% sure the course was long)
Transition 2: 0:55 (top 26%)
Run: 21:56 (7:05 pace, top 26%)
Overall: 1:12:27 (top 22% overall, 2nd M35-39)