Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Rev3 Knoxville Race Report 2012


This is a very late race report, which I "wrote" (made notes) right after, but just have not had time to write about.

• Expo decent
• Volunteers super
• Very well organized and professional
• Long walk from T1 to start
• Transition in covered parking was nice, but crowded (row-to-row)
• Photos not done by external group, so many kinks to work out as they develop this process.  Like, two weeks + to post some of them, longer for the rest, and low quantity of photos available.  Quality was decent (the reason for bringing back in-house).  Never got promised finish line photo (months later received a link, but not searchable. I never found mine).
• Morning meal not planned well – bought oatmeal (dry) at Starbucks (in hotel) prior afternoon.  Simply didn’t think about meals.
• Neither the Starbucks in hotel, or any other nearby coffee shop location open early on race morning.  Hundreds of people who would get coffee, yet no place opened early for the event.  A coffee stand could have made a killing.
• Street fair night before.  Had to drink beer.
• Never enough portolets – got in line near start. Had to go in barefoot (yuk).  But it could have been way worse.  Later found lines all gone 10min prior to Oly start.

- Swim 32:21 .9mi (2:14/100)

• I was drowning for the first 200m
• Water was cold at first, but temp was perfect with Xterra farmer john
• Wetsuit was first real swim; I swam 500 in pool, but I found I had not pulled it up high enough in the race, which pulled my shoulders down making me bend in the water.  Back started to hurt.  And it is harder to breathe in the suit.
• Don’t know what I was thinking: I knew swim was 1500m/.9 mi, but somehow I estimated time for 900m…  Stupid
• Had suit been adjusted better, I could have comfortably maintained pace for 2.4mi.  Why this distance???  Hmmm.

- T1 6:20

• LONG run from swim finish to T1.  My guess is 500m.

- Ride 1:22:10 40k

• Hilly
• Highway portions interesting, especially with open traffic and merge lane

- T2 2:01

- Run 55:57 10k

• Hot, but shaded for a good portion of it
• Bagged water was really nice – could carry it and drink what I should, vs. ½ cups and dehydration
• 1st 3mi 7:51 pace, 2nd brutal; my brain was cooking.