Callaway Gardens Print Triathlon

Callaway Gardens – Sprint Triathlon
Date of Race: June 20, 2010
Total Race Time = 1h 5m 00s
Overall Place = 445/1098
Age Group = Male 35-39
Age Group Place = 27/71
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Pre-race: I’ve gotten into a ritual the day before a race. I pack my tri bag, I go eat pasta (chicken penne pesto), I fill the truck up (if needed), I clean/lube the bike, I set the clock, I take a Motrin PM, and I drink a beer.

In the morning I shower (even though I’m about to jump into a lake), load the car up and head out. On the way out I will stop by Dunkin Donuts for a coffee and a bagel (I will also drink a mix 1 on the drive to the tri).

Warm-up: I am not much into warm-ups. I usually just mill about smartly.
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Swim: As a Clydesdale I was starting in the second to last wave. The course was laid out in a c shape along the shore line. We were informed that closer to the shore you can stand, and closer to the buoys you can’t.

Watching the other groups I noticed they seemed to be swimming in slow motion. When my wave took off I found out why they looked like they were swimming in slow motion. It was because everyone was swimming that way. This was by far the worst swim I have ever done. My ass and legs would not stay near the surface of the water no matter how hard I kicked or the position of my head. The whole swim felt like I was in that commercial were the swimmers are swimming in caramel.

Another problem I had was the buoys were on my right, and I don’t sight well on my right. This caused me to swim an extra 50 yards. By the end of the swim I was toast. I decided not to swim till I hit the ground with my arms, and walk out chest deep, but I must have been in the only area that was deep in the whole lake. I stood up and went right under. This caught me off guard, and I flailed a bit before getting back under control. By the time I exited the water, my HR was 170 (my max HR is 174).

This was the worst swim ever.

Swim Time: 10m:43s

T1: I walked to my transition area, trying to get my HR under control. I took my time because I was worn out. The actual change went quick; the time reflects all the walking.

T1 Time: 3m:56s

Bike: I did good on the bike. I stayed around FT the whole time, and all I did was pass people. My average speed was 20.9 mph. (Not to bad when you think that when I joined the group my average pace was 15 mph.)

Bike Time: 25m:51s

T2: Had a better T-2 than T-1, but still not great.

T2 Time: 2m:16s

Run: The run was a short 2 mile run, and I still suck at running. Everyone I passed on the bike passed me, but I had a good time. I smiled the whole time, and shouted encouragement to whomever I thought needed some. (In hindsight this might not have been a good idea. The people I encouraged would usually get a surge of energy, and pass me. If I kept my mouth shut I could have placed higher. But what is the real difference between 440 and 445? (Don’t say 5))

Run Time: 22m:17s

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Post Race: After the race I hung out with some friends of mine cheering their family.

Rate your overall experience with this race: I would give this race a 2.5. It needed more support in the lake (kayaks). It only had one boat, and it couldn’t get to a heart attack victim. Also, the bananas were warm and disgusting.

I probably won’t do this race again