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George R. Hess :: BikeStrong :: Triathlon |
August 2008 |
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2008 Race Schedule
Goals: middle third overall, top third on the bike. Finish on podium at Riverwood. |
| Date | Event | Location | Description | Notes |
| Apr 13 | Triangle Orthopaedic | Raleigh, NC | 750m lake swim, 20k bike, 5k run | |
| Aug 23 | Sportsplex Super Sprint | Hillsborough, NC | 500m pool swim, 26.4k bike, 5k run | |
| Oct 4 | Pinehurst | Pinehurst, NC | 1.5k lake swim, 40k bike, 10k run | |
| 2008 Performance |
| Sportsplex SuperSprint Hillsborough, NC Aug 23 |
400m swim | 0:09:05 | Swim rank ** in age group. |
| Transition | 0:02:17 | Long way to bike start. | |
| 18.84 bike | 0:36:58 | Bike rank **. | |
| Transition | 0:01:41 | Need improvement. | |
| 5k run | 0:26:26 | Stopped 3x to stretch right knee. Run rank **. | |
| Total | 1:16:27 | Heart rate 159 average / 182 max. | |
| Triangle Orthopaedic Apr 13 |
750m swim | 0:20:14 | Included quite a bit of running from lake to distant transition area |
| Transition | 0:02:40 | ||
| 20k bike | 0:35:41 | ||
| Transition | 0:01:44 | Need improvement. | |
| 5k run | 0:28:27 | Lost the race here again - knee issues. | |
| Total | 1:28:43 | 3/5 in age group; 74/122 for men overall. Well, I finally placed - but in a field of five! Kind of amusing | |
| 2007 Performance | |||
| Endurance Challenge Aug 25 |
500m swim | 0:10:54 | 5/16 in age group |
| Transition | 0:02:10 | ||
| 26.4k bike | 0:50:34 | 4/16 in age group - attaining goal of top third on bike. Hilly course, headwind on return. | |
| Transition | 0:01:36 | Need improvement. | |
| 5k run | 0:29:38 | 8/16 in age group. Consistently bad. Had to stop 3x to stretch right knee. | |
| Total | 1:34:52 | 6/14 in age group; 108/200 for men overall - attained goal of middle third overall. I seem to consistently wind up here. The top time this year was 1:24:48; third place was 1:28:47. I have a long way to go to get top third. I'm still mostly losing it in the run. | |
| Riverwood Apr 28 |
300yard swim | 0:05:42 | Includes some transition (actual swim about 5:40). Swim rank 6/19 in age group. |
| Transition | 0:01:53 | Long way to bike start, but much better transition than last year. Wore top into pool, so only had to put on sock, shoes, helmet. | |
| 20k bike | 0:38:16 | Bike rank 8/19. | |
| Transition | 0:01:35 | Need improvement. | |
| 5k run | 0:27:21 | Only had to stop once to stretch right knee. Run rank 9/19. | |
| Total | 1:14:45 | I continue to improve on this course ... but not enough. Finished 8/19 overall. Did not make top 3 as I wanted to. I shaved only 0:28 from the swim, 0:39 on the bike, 0:50 on the run, and 0:57 on transitions for a total reduction of 2:51 which was not enough. I was most disappointed in my lack of bike improvement - I expected much more there. | |
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2006 Performance
Goals: middle third overall, top third on the bike. Actual: Was middle third on bike in both races. Overall, I made middle third in Riverwood but bottom third in Triangle. I need improvement in all three areas and could definitely shave some time in transition without much effort. Hill work on the bike is definitely needed, and I really have to get my running back up. A few comments at season's end. I bailed on my last planned race - the Pinehurst International Distance Triathlon. The proximate cause was not wanting to pay the $65 race fee and $20 for gas - just didn't have it at the time - but I also felt unprepared for the run. Running has been the hardest thing for me to get back into since my bike accident last year and continuing plantaar fascitis issues. It's my least favorite part of the sport and I really have to push myself to do it. I've decided that my goal for the 2007 Riverwood Sprint Triathlon is to finish among the top three in my age group. In order to do this, I need to shave approximately 8 minutes from my time. My plan is to drop 0:40 on the swim, 2:30 on the bike, 3:30 on the run, and 1:30 in transition. I started triathlons as motivation for training - I'm one of those guys who race to train (as oppossed to training to race). During the past two years I've found that I no longer need that motivation to train. This is not to say that I'm quitting the sport - it's still a great sport and a great challange and I plan to do a few races each year to benchmark my progress and keep in touch with the wonderful people who participate. My goals for next year will be the same as for this: middle third overall, top third on the bike. I'll get there! |
| Riverwood Apr 29 |
300yard swim | 0:06:08 | Includes some transition (actual swim about 5:40). Swim rank 5/14 in age group. |
| Transition | 0:02:34 | Long way to bike start, but I can do better. | |
| 20k bike | 0:38:55 | Bike rank 5/14. | |
| Transition | 0:01:51 | Need improvement. | |
| 5k run | 0:28:11 | Not at all happy with my run. This is where I really lost out but, hey, I didn't train much for the run so I deserve it. Run rank 6/14. | |
| Total | 1:17:36 | Very nice course. Finished 5/14 overall, which is just about top third, right where I targeted. I'm targeting top three next year. | |
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2005 Performance
Goals: middle third overall, top third on the bike. Actual: Was middle third on bike in both races. Overall, I made middle third in Riverwood but bottom third in Triangle. I need improvement in all three areas and could definitely shave some time in transition without much effort. Hill work on the bike is definitely needed, and I really have to get my running back up. A few comments at season's end. I bailed on my last planned race - the Pinehurst International Distance Triathlon. The proximate cause was not wanting to pay the $65 race fee and $20 for gas - just didn't have it at the time - but I also felt unprepared for the run. Running has been the hardest thing for me to get back into since my bike accident last year and continuing plantaar fascitis issues. It's my least favorite part of the sport and I really have to push myself to do it. I started triathlons as motivation for training - I'm one of those guys who race to train (as oppossed to training to race). During the past two years I've found that I no longer need that motivation to train. This is not to say that I'm quitting the sport - it's still a great sport and a great challange and I plan to do a few races each year to benchmark my progress and keep in touch with the wonderful people who participate. My goals for next year will be the same as for this: middle third overall, top third on the bike. I'll get there! |
| Race | Stage | Time | Notes |
| Triangle Jul 10 |
750m swim | 0:18:05 | Constant pulling to the right led to lots of extra distance swam. Need to work on swimming straight with eyes closed. Swim rank 53/59. |
| Transition | 0:02:26 | Wasted time trying to pull shirt on over wet body. Get a shirt with a zipper or something I can wear into the water and not bother with. | |
| 21.7k bike | 0:43:56 | Not bad. Bike rank 36/59, which is barely in the middle third - not quite where I want to be. 30kph average speed. Lost about a minute to a mechanical - chain slipped off small chainring to inside when I did a double shift. Of course this happened at the bottom of a hill. It took quite a while to get my body back to speed. Need to work on some interval training to be able to sustain on hills. | |
| Transition | 0:02:03 | Long run from dismount to transition area. Pretty good transition. Mark shoe laces so that I know exactly how tight to lace them without having to think about it. | |
| 5k run | 0:27:14 | Not bad for me. Ranked 47/59, which is in bottom third. Went out a bit too hard, running an almost 8 min pace for the first mile. I forced myself to slow a bit after that for a final average pace of 8:47/mile. Legs felt good, with no cramping and just a touch of pain on the right ITB - had to stop briefly and stretch it about once per mile. Need to increase stretches and exercises designed to work on area around knees. | |
| Total | 1:33:42 | Blew away previous times for this race (See 2001 / 2000) in bike and run; swim about the same. Overall rank 47/59 is not where I want to be, but a good improvement. I could easily gain 3 minutes by improving transition and not having mechanical problems (as if I could control that completely). But to be in the middle of the pack, I need a time in the 1:22 range, which is a huge change. That's a total of 11 minutes, less the 3 minutes mentioned above leaves 8 minutes to find. If I could keep an 8 minute pace on the run, that would give back about 3 minutes. Then I need 5 minutes on the bike, which means riding at an average of 33-34kph. Can I do that for 20k?? | |
| Riverwood Apr 16 |
300yard swim | 0:06:02 | Includes some transition (actual swim about 5:30) (Swim rank 21/27) |
| 20k bike | 0:44:46 | Includes some of a very poor transition (actual bike 40:56) (Bike rank 12/27, in top half but not top third -- poor transition really hurt.) | |
| 5k run | 0:30:09 | Includes some transition. Not at all happy with my run. (Run rank 9/27, which really surprises me given how bad it felt.) | |
| Total | 1:20:57 | Very nice course. Finished 13/27 overall, which is right in the middle third, right where I targeted. But frankly not a very good time for a course of this length. I can do better. | |
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My 2004 Race Schedule
I cancelled my race schedule for 2004, because my bike was hit by a car during a training ride in March. I was thrown from the bike and injured my back. It's going to take me a while to recover. This is a bit of a shame, because I completed swimming lessons in February that reduced my swim time almost 15%. I was also getting some run coaching after my bout with plantar fasciitis - I was in the process of completely rebuilding my stride after almost a year without running, and it looked very promising. So, instead, I'll be in physical therapy for back injury, and missing the best riding weather of the year (assuming I can ride again without having my heart in my mouth every time a car passes me). And so it goes. |
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My 2003 Race Schedule
I cancelled my race schedule for the year, because of a foot injury. I've had plantar fasciitis, which is an inflamation of the fascia on the bottom of the foot. |
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2002 Performance
I will not be ranked this year, because I didn't make three races. Between my travel schedule and getting capped out of a couple of races, it just didn't work out. I'll be signing up earlier next year. |
| Race | Stage | Time | Notes |
| Pinehurst Oct 12 |
1.5k swim | 0:38:24 | Includes some transition |
| 23.86mi bike | 1:35:48 | Includes some transition | |
| 10k run | 1:07:16 | Includes some transition. Had some knee trouble in second half and needed to stop every 1/2 mile to stretch out right knee. Still had plenty of lung capacity left. Arrggh!! | |
| Total | 3:21:27 | Fantastic course!! New PR for course of this length -- 7% improvement!! Swim and run improved! | |
| White Lake May 12 |
750m swim | 00:18:22 | |
| 13.7m bike | 00:48:48 | ||
| 5k run | 00:27:15 |
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| Total | 01:34:24 | Not comparable to previous White Lake - different bike course - BUT this is a new personal record for a course of this length - 10% improvement! | |
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2001 Performance
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| Race | Stage | Time | Notes |
| Azalea Festival Apr 8 |
300y swim | 00:05:59 | |
| 10.75m bike | 00:41:20 | Includes swim-bike transition | |
| 5k run | 00:27:15 | Includes bike-run transition | |
| Total | 01:14:23 | Another 5% improvement!! | |
| Triangle Triathlon Ju 15 |
0.5mi swim | 00:20:45 | |
| 13.61mi bike | 00:55:57 | ||
| 3.5mi run | 00:34:47 | Here's where I slipped from last year -- haven't been running as much this year -- it shows!! | |
| Total | 01:51:27 | ||
| Wrightsville Beach Triathlon Sep 16 |
1.5k swim | 00:31:02 | Includes part of swim/bike transition. |
| 11.77mi bike | 00:46:53 | Includes part of swim/bike transition. | |
| 5k run | 00:27:26 |
Includes bike/run transition. | |
| Total | 1:45:19 | 307/382 overall; 21/23 age group | |
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2000 Performance
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| Race | Stage | Time | Notes |
| White Lake May 13 |
0.5mi swim | 00:25:50 | Went way off course!! |
| 18.29mi bike | 01:11:49 | ||
| 5k run | 00:36:12 | Died in the heat! Bad, bad run. | |
| Total | 02:13:50 | Pitiful. Lack of training (my fault) and heat (not my fault). | |
| Triangle Triathlon Jul 16 |
0.5mi swim | 00:23:55 | |
| 13.61mi bike | 00:55:07 | ||
| 3.5mi run | 00:31:52 | ||
| Total | 01:50:53 | Worse than last year overall. Swim worse, bike & run better. | |
| Tucker Lake Triathlon Sep 9 |
1.5k swim | 00:43:29 | |
| 24.5mi bike | 01:31:13 | ||
| 10k run | 01:15:05 | ||
| Total | 03:37:09 | Compared to last year: Swim worse, bike better (helps not to get a flat); run about same. | |
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1999 Performance
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| Race | Stage | Time | Notes |
| Azalea Festival Apr 11 |
300y swim | 00:06:06 | |
| 11.01m bike | 00:43:12 | Includes swim-bike transition | |
| 5k run | 00:28:45 | Includes bike-run transition | |
| Total | 01:18:12 | Almost a 5% improvement over last year!! | |
| Tucker Lake May 23 |
1500m swim | 00:39:13 | |
| 40k bike | 02:09:06 | Flat #$%@% tire!!! Ran 1.5 miles with bike before a kind stranger gave me a tire and tube!! | |
| 10k run | 01:05:05 | ||
| Total | 04:01:27 | ||
| Triangle Triathlon Jul 18 |
1/2mi swim | 00:18:02 | |
| 13.6 mi bike | 00:54:56 | ||
| 3.5 mi run | 00:33:15 | ||
| Total | 01:46:13 | ||
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Why do I do this? (June 1999)
Aside from the (obvious?) health benefits, it's really the people. During the Tucker Lake Triathlon in 1999, I blew out a tire just past the half-way mark of the bike ride. Worst possible place to do that -- 12 miles forward, or 12 miles back. No spare, no tools, no chance. I got off and started jogging with my bike. I didn't know what I was going to do -- jogging 18 miles was not a realistic possibility. But I was too annoyed to just quit. A number of folks slowed down long enough to make sure I was OK. One guy stopped to offer me a tube. After rooting through his bag for a minute, he realized to his horror that he was also spareless!! I'm sure he sweated out the rest of the ride hoping to aviod my fate. At about 1.5 miles into my bike-ladden jog, a guy came running from his house with an air pump held high over his head.
"Need a pump?" he shouted. So it came to pass that Jason from Bike Line in Garner saved my sorry butt and got me back on the road. After that kind of generosity, I just had to finish. And I did. Dead last. With thumbs up and encouragement from people still hanging out along the way, and those who were in their cars heading home. And to the cheers of everyone at the finish line. It was a great feeling. It's why I do this.
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| 1998 Performance |
| Race | Stage | Time | Notes |
| Bi-the-River Apr 11 |
3.1m run | 00:29:05 | |
| 15m bike | 00:58:?? | Fat street tires; approx 5 min transition | |
| Total | 01:27:?? | ||
| Azalea Festival Apr5 |
300y swim | 00:05:50 | |
| 11.13m bike | 00:44:58 | Fat street tires; includes all transition times | |
| 3m run | 00:31:18 | ||
| Total | 01:22:06 | ||
| Charleston Series Jun 21 |
0.3m swim | 00:14:19 | |
| 12.4m bike | 00:50:54 | Fat street tires; includes all transition times | |
| 5k run | 00:34:40 | Man, was it hot!! | |
| Total | 01:39:53 | ||
| White Lake Sep 12 |
750m swim | 00:15:04 | (0.46 mile) |
| 13.63m bike | 00:53:05 | Fat street tires; includes swim-bike transition time | |
| 5k run | 00:32:37 | Includes bike-run transition time | |
| Total | 01:41:23 | ||
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How'd I get into this anyway? (July 1997)
OK, so I'm pretty new at this jock stuff. I've never entered a race in my life (let's skip the part about the watermelon eating race), but I needed some kind of goal to motivate some physical exercise -- exercise that I decided was necessary for my health and my sanity. I'd been swimming for about half a year when I saw an article in the Raleigh News & Observer in June 1997 about the Triangle Triathlon -- 1/2 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 3.5 mile run. "I can do that," I thought. "Well, except maybe the running part." So, I set myself some goals and I'm now "in training" for the Triangle Triathlon. Who'd 'a thought? You can see I won't be breaking any speed records. Truth be told, my real goal is just to finish the darned thing -- even if I have to walk the last part. 13 March 1998: Discovered that the Triangle Triathlon has been reschedule and I'll be out of town on the new date. So I've set my sights on other races. |
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