Yesterday I completed the Mooseman Half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run = 70.3 miles total) at Newfound Lake, NH. It was my first triathlon so it was definitely a learning experience. Temp was 95 (but hotter on the asphalt) + high humidity, not a cloud in the sky, not a bit of wind. All in all, I finished well under the maximum time limit and met my goal, which was basically just to finish it under the maximum time cut-off. My chip time was 7:45 overall. 6% of the entrants did not finish. Hot day! Here are my detailed results.
Place Bib# Name Age G Rank Swim Pace Tran1 Rank Bike Rate ===== ===== ====================== === = ==== ======= ===== ======= ==== ======= ==== 650 58 Joshua McWilliam 28 M 655 44:11 36:49 4:43 654 3:48:10 14.7
Tran2 Rank Run Pace Penalty Final Div Div Gen G ======= ==== ======= ===== ======= ======= === ======= === = 7:48 640 3:00:11 13:46 7:45:02 34 M25-29 446 M
Here is a link to all of the official results: http://www.lin-mark.com/MMHALF08.TXT
For the swim, I was physically prepared, however not mentally. Not sure if it was the wet suit or the cold, but I had a real hard time breathing. It was like I only had half my lung capacity, which led me to breathing on the same side after only two strokes, instead of the alternating breathing after 3 I am used to. This lead to me favoring one side, and zig-zagging all over the course. I had to stop a couple times for 10 – 15 seconds to breath as well. Eventually I tried real hard to calm down, go real slow, take deep long breaths each time, and force myself to hold my breath for 3 strokes. That straightened me out and that last half of the swim was much better than the first. All in all though, my time was better than I expected even with that. Not sure if it was the wet suit or the fact that you don’t have to waste time with turns like in the pool.
The bike course I think I was both physically and mentally prepared for. It went well. It was a tough course though. Lots of hills. The toughest thing though was the heat, especially on that back section of the course that is all open. It just bakes you. Definitely need to get better at hills though I think. That and lose weight. I was playing tag with a number of people. They would pass me on the up-hills, and I would then fly by them on the down-hills. If I could get up the hills faster I think it would make a big difference in my time.
My main goal was to finish the swim, and then the bike, under the cut-off time, so I would have 3 hours in which to do the run, and could run/walk if needed. The run is my least favorite part, and I didn’t really train for it. I would have to check the logs, but I don’t think I ran more than 50 miles in the last year. So, I got my goal with the bike, and good thing, because I needed it. I half ran/walked for the first 3 quarters of the run, and then had to walk most of the last quarter as my right calf started locking up. Tami, a friend/co-worker, wound up passing me with about a half mile to go.
Click on the image below to see some of the pics from the event::
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| 2008 Mooseman Half Triathlon (Public) |
