Well, I guess it is a rite of passage to share the story of my first triathlon. Unlike most beginners, I started with a Half Ironman distance. At the outset I should say that I not only finished the race but also put up a 6:36 on a tough day at the Gulf Coast Triathlon. Prior to this race I had competed in exactly one 5K about a year earlier. It is fair to say that I may have a problem with overconfidence.
Anyway, I had been training with a team for this race for about five months (by the way, they did not know of my limited endurance sports history, they did not find out until after the race in the tent when I broke the news). Training with a team was essential for me and I don't think I could have finished without this support network.
A little more about me. 6'7", 230, so well into the clydesdale division. Okay in the water, comfortable on the bike and poor on the run (IT Band injury during the course of the training...wonder how that could of happened?). The week before the race I focused heavily on my diet and maintaining a low to moderate level of activity. I was really concerned about being too sedentary during my taper. Felt like all that went well.
We got down to the race and were faced with a very, very choppy ocean. The surf was so strong the first day that we just swam to the first buoy and back for a little practice. The second day it was about the same. Needless to say this got the butterflies going for me. We also took the opportunity to head out on the run course for a bit to see what we would be facing. All in all, that went well.
Race day!! Woke up with plenty of time, ate a whole wheat bagel, peanut butter, one Ensure and some fruit. Headed down and set up my transition. Everything was going well but I was having some difficulty with my Aerobottle. I secured it and made my way down to the beach. The next thirty minutes absolutely flew by. I got in the water for a bit to just get a feel for the water and get comfortable with all the bodies around me.
The gun went off and we were in the water. I headed to the outside to get myself some distance from the pack and to allow me to try and find my stroke. The first half of the swim went really well and I made my turn for home at 20 minutes flat. I cut the buoy a little tight and found myself in the pack for the leg in. This was a little frustrating but I still got out of the water in 40 flat, so I was happy. Especially since this was my first open water swim (other than getting in the days before)
T1 went well. I took a little extra time to ensure that I didn't forget anything. I knew everything was in it's place, but still a little nervous. Took my bike off the rack and my Aerobottle fell right off. I kicked it to the side and headed out of transition (only had my water, still had my other three bottles). We had a great tailwind taking us out on the first half. Twenty miles or so on a rough logging road that really beat me up pretty good. Tough headwind coming in but got through the ride without much trouble. Finished the bike around 2:49.
T2 was looking much better. Got everything on and headed out of the transition zone when I realized I forgot my salt tabs (it was 91). Headed all the way back to my bike and picked them up. Headed out again. The run was brutal. No other way to put it. With all of my 5K experience under my belt I headed out and just toughed it out as best I could. Came in with a disappointing 2:48 or so, could have done much better if I had been able to run during training. The IT Band injury was, and still is, the most sports related injury I have ever had.
Still, coming across that finish line was pretty amazing. I finished in the middle of the pack in my clydesdale division and a little higher in the overall field. Can't wait until next year. I have been bitten by the bug.
6'7" .... a sincere congrats
6'7" .... a sincere congrats on the first tri/70.3! but have you ever heard of basketball?
Congrats on your first race
Congrats on your first race and getting bit by the bug! Make sure you take care of whatever is causing your IT band problems before hitting the mileage again though.
djciii wrote:. . . put up a
[quote=djciii]. . . put up a 6:36 . . . that I may have a problem with overconfidence . . . 6'7" . . . the week before the race I focused heavily on my diet . . . my Aerobottle fell right off. I kicked it to the side and headed out of transition (only had my water, still had my other three bottles) . . . finished the bike around 2:49 . . . came in with a disappointing 2:48 [run] . . . the IT Band injury.[/quote]
Your post is full of gold. Not that you asked opinions/advice, but there's lots to comment on. A 6:36 for your first isn't bad at all, even if 'overconfidence' is code for 'overestimating ability' or 'undertrained.' 6'7"? I see a custom with a giant head tube in your future. Or present. What are you riding now? The week before the race you focussed on diet? The [i]week[/i] before?! :) Your bottle fell of and you didn't stop to pick it up. First, I've known people DQ for 'abandoning equipment' (seriously), so dropped bottles outside of a feed zone are a no-no. And you took [i]four[/i] bottles? Did you not know they have 'hand ups' on the bike where they give you bottles (I am assuming they did)? So unless you have some weird dietary restrictions, start with just one and get more in the feed zone 10 miles down the road. Don't lug around all that weight right from the start. And if your bike and run were nearly the same, obviously you need more run training (which you acknowledge) and/or don't go so hard on the bike. Top half OA is still pretty good though, even with an IT band injury.
I am riding a Felt S22 with
I am riding a Felt S22 with some serious adjustments to accomodate my un-tri like build. I am fortunate to have a great tri shop close to my house that has given me great access to a bank of knowledge.
I guess I was not real clear about my diet. My diet was an important part of my training all along. However, I paid extra attention to my intake the week of the race to ensure that I consumed sufficient carbs and sodium and reduce my fiber.
Yeah, the Aerobottle fell off right at my rack so there was no issue about abandoning gear. I just kicked it over onto my transition mat and moved out. Two of my bottles were Hammer Perpetuem and the last was Gatorade. I did realize that I had too much but it was supposed to get real hot and I didn't want any dehydration issues.
Also, my run is where I feel like I can really pick up the most improvement. My bike was not "fast" by any means, but the run was really too slow. I think the cost-benefit really works in favor of the run leg.
Thanks for your comments, I do appreciate your insight.
Congrats on finishing your
Congrats on finishing your first tri! Way to start out!
Nice job in the HIM. By the
Nice job in the HIM. By the way, I'm 6'4" and my father-in-law is (was - he's stooped a bit now) 6'9". He gave me a nice reply to the oft made comment: [quote=chekmarks]6'7" .... but have you ever heard of basketball?[/quote] to us tall people.
- Do you play minature golf?
djciii wrote:I am riding a
[quote=djciii]I am riding a Felt S22 with some serious adjustments to accomodate my un-tri like build.[/quote]
I imagine with that height, a 61 (typically the largest made frame size) isn't enough. Do they have you on an long 100mm+ stem (or riser stem) with a stack of spacers on the headset and with the seat post all the way out? If you stay with cycling/tri and if/when you are in the market for a new bike, at least look into custom. You can avoid all that retrofitting. I know Seven and Lynskey make custom ti tri frames, and Crumpton in Austin is the only place I know of that makes custom carbon frames (and if you know anything about frames, a custom carbon means they make one mold just for you. Cha. Ching.). I'm 6'4" and have ridden 59s and 61s and just had a custom ti frame made and there's nothing like a frame made for you. The bike fits to you, not you to the bike. Anyway, enough about frames. At 6'7", crank arm length is key too. I hope you are riding at least 175mm. How's your cadence at that length? Does it feel really high all the time? With your inseam you may get away with a 180mm (which is hard to find and I think only Shimano makes 'em that long). Oh boy, put it in the big chain ring/small cog and on 180s, aven a casual cadence would transfer a lot of power!
Bloody amazing well done
Bloody amazing well done clydesdale bloke....
Good job! You did a heck of
Good job! You did a heck of a lot better than I did in my first tri :)