TriTime

Somehow a picture with me in it made it in the latest edition of the TriTime magazine. I am the fat bloke in the back row.

29 May 2011

Tristar 111 Germany Worms (1 / 100 / 10) 4:24:57 [Results]

Swim - 18:23
T1 - 4:59
Bike - 3:01:49
T2 - 1:47
Run - 57:57

M40: 82nd out of 138
Male: 411th out of 643
Overall: 451st out of 780

It all started with a big shock on Friday evening when I looked up the race web site: I wasn't registered! I simply forgot to register for the race months ago and there was no late entries. Friday evening was a very grumpy one. A team mate came to the rescue. He was registered, but couldn't race, because of lack of form. So, I raced incognito in the age group M25.

The swim start was really well organised. We took off in batches of 10 every 5 seconds or so. I felt really comfortable in the water and was out in an acceptable time. Then came a 400m run into T1 on the pavement - not very pleasant on your feet, but ok once you were on the carpet.

A bit of a struggle when I jumped on my bike as one of the rubbers I used to attach my shoes to the bike didn't snap. The first 15km were flat and very fast as the wind came from behind. Then, the real part of the bike course started. A couple of hills, nothing serious, but undulating all the way and very, very windy. This was probably the windiest conditions I have cycled in in a race. I was glad that I had changed the front wheel from the Zipp to the Easton. From approx. 70km onwards, both my upper legs started to cramp up. This wasn't too bad on the bike, but was horror on the run.

T2 was easy, but what followed wasn't. I had severe cramps in both upper legs from the very beginning. I was able to jog for a few hundred meters, before I had to stop, stretch and walk. The time says it all. 

I was glad when it was all over as the pain was everything, but pleasant. Very impressive post race food area, a good T-Shirt and a nice medal. If it fits in next year, definitely a race I am going to do again!

21 May 2011

Mannheim Half-marathon - 1:45:28 [Certificate] [Results]

km 
1: 4:55
km 2: 4:46
km 3: 4:47
km 4: 4:52
km 5: 4:57
km 6: 4:52
km 7: 4:55
km 8: 4:56
km 9: 4:57
km 10: 4:59 - 49:01
km 11: 4:54
km 12: 4:57
km 13: 5:02
km 14: 5:03
km 15: 5:00
km 16: 5:01
km 17: 5:15
km 18: 5:04
km 19: 5:06
km 20: 5:06
km 21.1: 5:25


M40: 84th out of 406
Male: 446th out of 2343
Overall: 481th out of 3233

Hm, this was not the race I was expecting. Woke up with a sore throat after very little sleep, but felt okish during the day. It was quite warm at the start, but cooled down a little bit during the race. I was aiming for a sub 1:40, but realised after 15 minutes that this is not going to happen. Just felt really weak throughout the entire race and even though I took on loads of fluids, my throat was dry througout. At 14k I was even taken over by the 3:30 marathon pacemaker...


Let's put this down as a bad day. If things don't improve next weekend, I will have to do a major re-think and maybe get a checkup done. Taper time.



Calw Sprint Triathlon (0.5 / 19 / 5) 1:15:00 [Results]

Swim - 9:54
T1 - ??
Bike - 39:33
T2 - ??
Run - 25:32

M40: 25th out of 37
Male: 120th out of 205
Overall: 135th out of 260

It was scheduled as a B race and a B race it was. I turned up quite late as I got lost on my way to Calw.

Great way to organise a swim in a pool: a competitor started every 20 seconds on the first lane. After finishing a lane, you changed over to the next lane until all 5 lanes were completed. My swim (no wet suite) was quite eventless and I was quite happy with my time.The bike course was quite tough. A long hill right at the start, followed by an equally long downhill. After a few more undulating km, a stinker of a climb towards the end with 18% ascents. I got into T2 with a pulse of 180...
... and out of it with an equally high heart rate. The run started with a hill! I wasn't the only one who had to walk parts of it - otherwise my pulse would have exploded. I got quite sick quite early in the run and never found a good rythm. There weren't really any flat parts on the course that explains the  pathetic time (which includes the transitions). Really tried to crack the 1:15, but had nothing left in my body and the heat didn't help either. Was rather sick after the race and couldn't eat for a couple of hours, but recovered quite quickly.
All in all a good event, but not the performance I had hoped for. Still loads to do before the important races take place.

Body Composition - May 2011

Weight85.4kg
Body Fat19.1% (LA 17.4 RA 14.7 RL 14.7 LL 15.8, B 22.0)
Total Body Water56.5%
Muscle Mass65.7kg (LA 3.8 RA 4.0 RL 11.1 LL 10.7, B 36.1, 5)
Physique Rating7
Basal Metabolic Rate2006 KJ
Metabolism Age30
Bone Mass3.4kg
Resting Heart Rate58

Weight moving in the right direction, but body fat far too high. 1kg (acceptable) and 3% (unacceptable) higher than a year ago. Also, resting heart rate a bit too high.

Compact Crankset

Given the upcoming races with ascent of up to 18%, I have decided to change to a compact crankset. And what a difference it makes. Rode the Römerman bike leg yesterday with no real problems. Great.


So, 50/34 on the front instead of 52/39 and a new chain to round things off.