Race Result

Racer:	Scott Baldwin
Race:	Timberman Half Ironman
Date:	Sunday, August 21, 2005
Location:	Guilford, NH
Race Type:	Triathlon - Half Ironman
Age Group:	Male 35 - 39
Time:	5:10:15
Overall Place:	179 / 1202
Age Group Place:	34 / 168
Comment:	it's all about the run..and I didn't have a good one today

Race Report:

I have given details of this race in previous years so just the quick summary this time.

swim went well (33:26). T1 (2:09) bike went well (2:37:37). not my fastest on this course but good enough. T2 (2:05). So I was on the run at 3:15:15 which is the fastest I have gotten there in the four years I have done this race. although, the other three times I have been 3:17:18+/-0:23. So I was better by 2 minutes this year.

the last five miles of the bike I felt some cramping in my hamstrings and quads and guess who forgot the salt tablets...(I hate when i do that.) Coming out of T2 I asked my wife to go grab my Endrolytes from the car just I case I still needed them by the second loop on the run. Well, I didn't make it more than 1.5 miles into the run and I was on the ground rolling around in a bit of pain trying to relax a big ball of muscle out. I managed to finally be able to stand up. I hobbled a bit and was able to slowly work the rest of the cramp out but by then i knew that nothing spectacular was going to happen on this day.

I walked/jog then rest of the run knocking out 8-10 minutes/mile. I managed to get some salt tablets at one of the aid stations and a good thing too becuase I wouldn't wanted to have gotten "outside assistance" and fear a 4-minute penalty for taking aid from my wife. She was a bit puzzled when I ran by her with her hand streched out when I came into the turn around for the second loop and refused to take the salt tabs.

I finished the race with my family all there going crazy for me which was probably the best part of the day. My run end up being 1:55:00 for a total of 5:10:15.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda:

It's hard for me to just look at my race results and be happy. I alway have to see where I could have finished if....

If I had ran like I did at last years Timberman (1:34:42) I would have finished with a time of 4:49:57. Which would have put me at 51st overall and 6th in my agegroup. However, looks like overall, times were slower this year than last. The race website and others feel that it was a very humid day and normally that would have killed my off. I felt the weather was great. A bit cool and overcast at the start and warm and sunny on the run. It may have something to do with the mid-day VA weather I have been training in this summer.

Overall, a good weekend. I saw my wife run here first tri in about 2 years. I watched my two boys compete in the Timberkids Tri with the 10 year old taking his age group and coming home with a sweet Zoot tri bag. I had a good race and I think I'm still on track of a good IMFLA in November which is only 10 weeks away...