Old College Tri Race Recap

The results are in for my Old College Tri triathlon and I couldn't be more pleased. I met or beat my goals for the race and had a wonderful experience. Here's what I wrote for my race report over at Beginner Triathlete. You can see the results broken down by age group here.

Run 3.11 miles Bike 12 miles Swim 300 meters

Total Time = 1h 14m 8s
Overall Rank = 140/400
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 13/28

Pre-race routine:
Breakfast of whole grain waffles with peanut butter and jelly.

Event warmup:
Dynamic warmups along with a few laps in the pool. Nothing much. Could probably benefit from more lower back and hip movements to warm them up.

Swim
Comments:
This was a solid but not spectacular swim. My goals were to swim 5:30 and focus on my breathing and form. The last race, I gulped and gasped during the swim and performed poorly. This time, my form was consistent, as was my speed. I didn't start out too quickly and maintained a steady pace. I passed five people, which surprised me, and wasn't passed. While not spectacular, I'm very pleased with this solid swim.

What would you do differently?:
For this race, not a thing. I would like a faster swim time, but this race was about technique, not speed.

T1
Comments:
Transition was fine. I'm sure I'll get more efficient in the future, but my time was basically the same as the last, so I'm happy. I took a shot of gel before getting on the bike this time for some extra fuel.

What would you do differently?:
Nothing.

Bike
Comments:
This was the area where I thought I could improve the most, and I was right. The additional time spent on the bike with the Carrollton Cycling Club increased my confidence and pace. The shifting could use some more work, but I have no complaints. I've been riding this bike for just over three months now. I took an additional gel shot a couple miles before transition and finished my water bottle as I planned. My back did hurt but not as much as the last race. However, because I was pushing hard, my power levels declined as the race leg progressed. I must continue to work on this area because the bike rides will get longer as the season progresses. If I want to maintain top speeds, my back has to be strong. Overall, I'm very pleased with this ride.

What would you do differently?:
Maybe more back specific warm ups prior to the race, but there's not much I can do while I'm on the bike.

T2
Comments:
Very smooth transition. No issues. Found that running on the my toes and not my heels made the run easier.

What would you do differently?:
Nothing.

Run
Comments:
The course was made for turning a fast time, but my legs were shot from the bike ride. However, that was expected because I have not been running much due to the achilles issues. I had not run the week leading up to the race and had not practiced any bricks since my last race in March. That said, the achilles behaved and I had no calf issues, although both felt a little tight. I began the race deliberately slow, waiting for my running legs to come. They never came, but my pace was steady. No kick, but my pace was steady. I usually only take one drink during a 5K, this time I took two. I had a brief sloshy episode but it quickly passed. Overall, I'm happy with the time.

What would you do differently?:
Nothing other than only taking one drink during the race leg.

Post race
Warm down:
No warm-down. Drank fluid, ate pancakes, visited with friends, and cheered on my girlfriend.

What limited your ability to perform faster:
My sore back may have slightly limited my bike performance. I felt my power leave me over the last couple of miles of the bike leg. For the run, the issue with my achilles is clearly slowing me down. I've running decent times for the races but I know that I can go faster.

Event comments:
Another great race by the Dallas Sports University. And the weather was stunning and perfect. As with the St. Patrick's Day tri, I was beaten by the 11-year old girl from The Woodlands. Although, I'm closing the gap.