OBX Race Report(s)
don't know if this should just be attached to my last micro file(?)
RACE REPORT (2 for the price of one)
OBX Half+, Sept. 12, 2015
On Thursday, Coach Patrick asked me to send a race report on this half I was in rather than my scheduled Saturday swim, bike and run.
I got up at 0340 to eat raisin bran with blueberries, a packet of apple sauce, a banana, and my morning supplements with chocolate milk. I also make a small peanut butter and blueberry jelly sandwich to eat just before the swim. My tattoo numbers and bike numbers went on the night before. I load an 8 gallon plastic pool chlorine tablet tub with my transition area equipment. I also had a small cooler with frozen coke for the run and 2 frozen chocolate milks for before the bike and after the run, and another packet of cheese crackers with peanut butter. All worked well.
The weather was changing. Strong winds made for a rough swim. Dramamine or ginger might have helped. one of the volunteers told me my wave left at 0730 but as I watched the first wave set up, their caps were the same color as mine and on further investigation the 0700 wave was mine!
The course was one triangle from the beach at Manteo’s Old Swimming Hole. The leg out was the roughest. Many competitors walked about half way to the first turn. Some were using breast stroke and swimming past this was difficult. If this happens again I’d opt for getting to the front of the groups and racing til the crowd was not an issue. Wore compression calf sleeves. There were no floats between the 2 turns of the triangle. The sun was coming up and the floats into shore for the final leg were in front of the sun. Luckily there was a street light to the left of the beach and it was easier to use that than the usual orange floats. My time was approx. 44 min.
I had set up my transition so that I would not need to remove my garmin from the bike on the run. I had a 2nd garmin for the run. I had been testing new socks (belegas) to help with the pains from my left small toes while on the bike. Though only a half IM distance, I had little pain. Put on compression arm sleeves (2/3’s rolled up but due to terrible roads so could not roll them all the way up for 3-4 miles). I had a double profile design aquacell between my aero bars, frozen the day before with one cell of coke and one of FRS energy drink. I had two bottle holders on the frame; one with iced green tea and the other empty, so I could take a bottle from the aid stations. Nutrition was chocolate honey stinger wafers and chocolate and peanut butter powerbar waffles. Each out of there packets and in 2 ziplocks. One in my bento box and one, on the run, in a back pocket of my Desoto tri kit ( I like having 5 pockets to use).the bento box also had an open packet of reduced fat cheese crackers with peanut butter, some military gum with 500 mg off caffeine, gorungum with 100 mg of caffeine and vitamins, and ibuprofen. The last 3 were also found in another Ziploc and a canister of energy tablets just in case. I always start out chewing some sugared gum to keep my mouth moist. With no wetsuit to remove transition time was 6:56 which is good for me.
The bike was two loops. It started out on a road with many sharp holes. One was sooo bad the cover on my tube change equipment box behind my seat popped open. I stopped to see if anything fell out. The box had a small chip in case the bike was stolen I could find it with my smart phone…it had popped out. I looked for a awhile and figured I’d come back after the race and find it. I lost maybe 2 minutes. The route follows roads I use any time I bike more than 30 minutes ( which is almost always). So I knew where road problems are and what gear I should be in for the wind and road. At about mile 6 after crossing a 3 mile bridge with raised sections that always jar the bike I felt something hit my left foot as I was passing a biker. I looked down and the bottle bolted to the down tube had a loose top bolt and the top of the bottle was facing down. I had to stop my passing, pull over and reseat the top bolt. Meanwhile bikers and cars are passing me and asking if I’m OK. I answer and lose sight of the bolt and it rolls away. ..i unscrewed the bottom bolt and put the unit in the grass. More to come back for later; Lost about 5 minutes there.
For the first time ever, in a race, my garmin was working. I was able to keep an eye on my cadence & HR. HR zone was low!? And I looked and my cadence which in training is in the mid 80s to low 90s and I’m in the (60s!?). I know I have a run after this but that was too slow. I moved in up so I averaged 70 rpms and HR average of 2.5. I had to keep my eye on that or I’d notice I dropped down to the 50s or 60s again! I was aero about 80% of the time. At aid stations I used water to refill my FRS & coke, and some on my compression sleeves to keep me cool. I peed twice. Took 1 ibuprofen at about mile 45. I only finished 2.5 of my 3 bottles and only 6 wafers and 4 cheese peanut butter crackers. Bike time was 3:13:20
T2. I opened my bike shoes about 200 yds from dismount. Got my garmin and small frozen coke bottle. Forgot my chilled chocolate milk for some reason.
No real issues on the run. Started slow. I brought my own nutrition waffles, 2 cheese crackers, caffeine gum, and ibuprofen. Feet felt good. Walked aid stations. Got ice down suit, wet towel used under hat and down my neck. I’d put water on my arm sleeves & over hat & hanging towel. Ice at times went into the coke bottle. Used 1 ibuprofen around mile 9 & 1 at 12. Got a rash at top of my tri suit where the zipper was open(?) Time was 2:42:12. Race stopped about 20 min after I finished due to severe weather
Only one in my age group and the oldest triathlete. Not noted in the awards which is an issue for older finishers….
I felt good so I registered for the sprint tri the next day 
primarily to improve my transitions. Wind again strong on the first leg of triangle swim. Many walked to that turn(!?). seven men in my AG. I was first in the swim and bike (IM TRAINING REALLY HELPED!)…last in the transitions (T-1 me 3:59, friend 1:08) but I was practicing IM transitions, not sprints); but I still need to make adjustments for a lower time. Time of 1:39:59. 3rd in my AG. 3.5 min off 1st…(TRANSITIONS!)
i'll put my IMMD race plan in the IMMD forum.
Comments
Next time before your race just pick up your bike and bounce it a bit on the wheels...if anything is loose it'll rattle and you can fix it.
Did you ever find that chip?????!!!!!
bike bouncing helped...in 2016 IMLP as a bolt for my handlebars was loose and bike mechanic fixed that and other minor issues!