This was my biggest race of my career. My second full 140.6 but first M-Dot. When it was announced over a year ago I was ready with 2 computers to sign up and was one of the lucky ones to complete registration in 6 minutes! I remember looking at the event website after sign up and seeing the countdown clock- 370 some odd days- seemed like the race was way way off into the distance and I had a big schedule ahead of me to get there.
Well that stuff is past and the HARDEST DAY OF MY LIFE is done. I am an IRONMAN. My friends those words are magically. They take the pain, suffering, mental doubt, heat, humidity, chaffing and exhaustion, not to mention months of training and make it ALL WORTH IT. More to come on the finish line, but let me share the entire experience.
Packet pickup- The village opened up at Pier 92 (NYC West Side) which is near the Intrepid museum and cruise ship terminals. The village was large and some great vendors. Pickup was smooth and was very convenient as it was open until 8. When I got there around 6 pm it was not crowded and I sailed right through. Swag for an Ironman is pretty good- an awesome backpack- will be my Transition bag going forward. After a quick stop through the IM store to pick up a few things I was on my way home.
Pre Race Friday- One of the advantages of doing a lot of triathlons including some M-Dot 70.3's is experience with a variety of transition set ups and locations. However IM USChamps was definitely a new one- a small rock outcropping in the Hudson that required a Ferry ride to get there- this was a cool experience and while slow was really cool. Of course when I dropped off my bike it was pouring rain. Once the bike and T1/T2 bags were dropped off it was time for a nice slow ride back to the ferry terminal to pick up my overnight bag and then take another ferry across the river to my hotel. The last thing I needed to do was pick up my IronSherpa at the train station. That worked great and having my sister with me was a great thing- she is a 10X marathon finisher and just gets endurance racing- especially pre and post race needs.
Race Morning- after not getting much sleep (who sleeps before an Ironman) I was up at 2:10 and began to eat and get ready- race morning was going well. My Sherpa and I left the hotel about 3:20 for the short walk down to the ferry terminal. The morning was warm- warmer than any other race morning that I remember but rain was in the forecast so I was expecting that things might cool off- they didn't- more on that later. Soon it was time to board the ferry - WOW that was cool. Much better than the usual bus ride, plus the ferry created a nice breeze. The ride was about 30 minutes and I had some great pre race conversations- IM racing is much different than other distances. The goal is not so much around time or place, but finishing and experiencing an amazing day.
Transition Set-up- Ironman set up is much different from other distances because all of your T1 and T2 gear is in bags that you grab as you finish your swim and bike. So the only thing you do for the Bike in the morning is make sure you are in an easy gear and have your nutrition loaded properly. Speaking of gear setting, the first mile of the bike was a long steep climb so I was in my 39-21 and was so glad for that! There were several folks who had to dismount and set their gears low and then remount on a hill- not a good way to start biking 112 miles.
Swin- 2.4 miles in the Hudson. There had a been a report about the Hudson river having a bad sewage leak, but according to testing done by the IM folks as well as the EPA & river keepers we were safe and the swim was on! And I am so glad it was- it was an awesome experience. We all got on ferries for the 2.4 trip to the swim start barge. Once we got to the barge area we waiting for the Pros to start and the energy was Awesome. Lots of spectator boats, a helicopter with a news style camera and some loud music. The pro cannon went off at 6:50 and the male pros hit the water and were off like a flash. The women pro athletes and PC (these folks are amazing!) were next and then our ferry docked and we slowly made our way on to the barge. It took me about 12 minutes from docking to hitting the water- the good news is the timing mat was located right before the jump in area so no time lost waiting to swim. I decided to pick the middle area of the barge to hit the water as it the first 100 meters looked light in terms of bodies compared to the buoy line which was very crowded. My logic was get in, start swimming at a good pace and then work my way to the buoy line- instead of jumping in to a swim scrum. The course was very well marked- a buoy ever 100 meters and sighting was a breeze- the GWB west tower was all we needed. So after about 500 meters of swimming I worked my way towards the buoy line and got picked up in the current- wow what an acceleration. The swim became very easy and I swam normal to easy knowing the bike and run would be hard so best to take advantage of the current. The hardest part of the swim was the last 100 meters since we all were funneled into the swim exit- the water was very murky and it was pretty rough- both water and bodies. But everyone was relaxed- so you got hit, but not hard and very soon I was being hauled out of the water. I looked down at my garmin- 51 minutes+ a new Swim PR (but I am not loosing sight of the fact this is due to the current and my steering- not swimming!). I used the wetsuit stripper- super fast and quickly grabbed my T1 bag. Instead of heading into the Changing tent, I just parked on the ground and quickly got my gear on- no socks, bike shoes, headsweat head band (mistake), helmet and sunglasses. I stopped to get sunscreen applied- they had volunteers wearing gloves just to smear the stuff on- great job and kept my hands from getting greasy. My goal for T1 was to be smooth, take my time, but not waste time. I got to my bike and felt great as I got to the mount line (plus I remembered to both start my bike garmin as well as properly lap my watch garmin to account for swim and T1).
Swim time- 51:26
T1-5:23
Bike- As I mentioned the start of the bike had a mile long steep climb to get up and out of the palisades. Roughly 200 feet of elevation in the first 1/2 mile and then another 100 ft/el in the second 1/2 mile. But I was ready- I sat up and spun up easily- no sense in going hard in mile 1 with 111 more to go. The bike course was a two loop out and back on the completely closed palisades parkway (south bound lanes). The first 28 miles were easy- we had a tail wind and we did not have any hills until about mile 20. And during the first major descent I got up to about 48 miles an hour- WOW that was fast. My plan on the bike was to ride solid on the flats, sit up and spin on the climbs and take free speed on the descents- essentially get as much rest as possible when going down. And most of the downhills were at least 1-3 miles so getting 2-8 minutes of rest was a good idea. Around mile 40 I started to feel blah. The weather was getting warm and my stomach felt heavy- not quite bloated but heavy. I realized that I probably had too much fluid in my stomach and just needed to power through for the next hour or so until the balance was restored. But I was miserable until about mile 70. What got me through was a couple of things: 1) recognizing what was happening and knowing it would eventually get better, 2) grabbing some ice cold water at each aid station to pour on my body- that helped start to cool me down, 3) trying some Ironman perform sports drink- even though it was too sweet the extra salt (along with my Nuun mix with my carbopro) helped restore my salt balance, 4) I stopped to pee- I really did not have to pee, but felt like getting off the bike for 30 seconds or so would be a good idea- I took off my helmet and removed my headsweat head band- NEVER AGAIN WILL I WEAR IT. I felt so much better. I also removed the vent cover on my rudy helmet to allow for max air flow and water intake when spraying my face. By the time I got to mile 70 I was feeling much better and started playing mental distance games/goals. Eating up time and miles. And soon I was on the final loop with about 20 miles to go. The last 20 were very tough- hot and very humid with a strong cross headwind. It was a long slog and I was so happy to take the off ramp and start the descent back into transition. I sat up and coasted back to transition- no need to hammer- free speed and time to let the legs get their last bit of break time- I was feeling pretty good but knew I had 4-5 hours more to go (ended up even more) so any rest was good.
Before I cover T2 I want to share some thoughts on the bike- it was a straight course, but very dangerous. There were a lot of bad crashes- One took place behind me - I heard it as a guy slammed into the metal road divider- sounded like a shot gun blast. Another took place near the turn around point- a women crashed on the downhill into our lane- was knocked out. The med staff was there however very quickly. Later I passed a guy who had to ride aero- his right bull horn was shattered from a crash and the right side of his body was covered in road rash. I will say that the crashes seemed to be accidents and not a result of overly aggressive riding by others. There was a lot of courtesy and good riding habits- pointing out bottles, holes, bumps as well as on your left calls.
On to T2- I got to see my IronSherpa coming into T2 which was great- emotionally great. After 7 hours of racing seeing someone you love really makes a big difference in the way you feel (a bit more on that later too). I elected to slide my feet out of my bike shoes and leave them clipped in- after all I have done that on every other triathlon except 2 so why change- good idea as running in bike shoes stinks. After crossing the mount line and remembering the garmins, I handed the bike off and jogged to the change tent with my T2 bag. Again my plan for T2 was slow and smooth. I had my helmet off very quickly as well to vent my head. I sat down and got my socks and shoes on- definitely glad I ran with socks since my feet are in great shape- no blisters or bruised toes! I had some sunscreen which I pocketed, threw on my fuel belt (revenge 3 bottle) and got re lubbed with sunscreeen. I began a slow jog out of T2, hit my garmin and then paused for a quick picture from my Sherpa! Thank God she was there- and even better she was at the finish line.
Bike- 6:05:28
T2 4:39
A note on my two transitions- I am really happy with them. I am very good at fast transitions- usually 1 minute for T1 and 30-45 seconds for T2 in 70.3 and below races- obviously a 140.6 is much different and I did not rush- but did not waste time and in both cases felt refreshed and ready to go!
Run- or the deep journey inside my head and thank god for Dr. Pemberton!
The first 15 miles of the run took place inside the palisades park and were EXTREMELY hilly. We left T1 and climbed for about 3/4's of a mile then had a mile long downhill. The run was a two 3.5 mile out back loop before we made yet another climb up to the George Washington bridge- but lets get back to the run. I felt okay during the first 5 miles but as we got the long 1 mile climb up to the turn around point started to feel drained and very tired. I decided I needed to walk the hill to conserve some energy. And I decided it was time to hit the coke- early yeah but I needed caffeine and sugar bad. One complaint I do have about the race is the aid stations were varied in distance- some 1/2 mile other almost 2 miles apart. I would have preferred no more than a mile and even better smaller stations with water and coke every half with full stations every mile (ON THE MILE). So by the time I got to the top of the hill I knew I was in bad shape- I was starting to think was I gonna make the cut off- I was walking at a 17 minute a mile pace. But I decided I would push- let the coke work and go from there. At the aid station I took two cups of coke and added ice (which also was not at every aid station- nor were sponges) I mean 90 degrees and warm water, perform and coke- tough for athletes to take. Korff and WTC need to do a better job with that. The mile long descent was a bit more of inner hell- the coke had not yet kicked in and I was doubting a lot- how in the hell could I finish if I could hardly walk. But I said push to the next aid station- get more coke. And I reminded myself that I really wanted to get across the GWB- race across the iconic bridge that I commute over- yeah come on coke work your magic. Well Dr. Pemberton (coke inventor) your sugar and caffeine elixir worked for me in spades. By the time I got to the third aid station I felt so good that I started to run again- slow but wow did I feel great. I knew however that I needed to take coke at every aid station from here out and also be ready for the longer breaks and grab more when needed. I also decided that I would walk the long hill on the second lap. I also knew that I was now going to finish- it would take long time, but eventually I would cross that line. Finally I got out of the palisades park and began to climb again up to the GWB. On the walk I met up with a guy named Eugene Chen- He and I ended up running/ walking together on and off to the finish. We ultimately finished about 30 seconds apart and I know we each helped each other get through the last ten miles of hot hell. Running across the bridge was everything I thought it would be and more- it was and easy mile. I felt good and ran at a 10 minute pace but I ran the entire way and felt relaxed. I had crossed the icon and was now in NYC and only had 10 miles to go- 2 hours or so- easy.
Coming off the bridge and stairs was easy- slow and steady and the fans on the base of the bridge were great. And it was a downhill so finally a break from climbing. I did have an incident with a jerk who decided to block the course and try to spit on me. The course in NY was not closed to the public and there were people on bikes, BBQing, running, smoking, drinking, walking dogs etc on the actually course- not a great job- CLOSE THE COURSE please. The aid stations were again more than a mile apart- closer to 1.5 so I was grabbing 2 cokes and some perform as well as water to dumb on my head. And slowly we ticked the miles off- sometimes running, sometimes walking. But along with Eugene, there were about 20 guys and girls that I was with. We all gave encouragement, light pats on the back, a couple of high fives and the refrain- see you at the finish line. We were not racing each other, we were surviving together. And before long we were at mile 22- 4 to go but we had to conquer a set of out and backs in riverside park- complete with a bunch of short steep hills- Damn these hills! But as I turned up the hill I saw my Mom and Dad- and had to yell Grandma before they saw me- but wow what an emotional rush of joy. So slowly, oh so slowly my cohort of Ironmen and Ironwomen slogged our way around 3.5 miles of pain before we exited out towards the finish. The only plus of the out and backs- some really great spectators- cheering, hi-fiving and really giving us encouragement. And soon Eugene and I along with another guy named Adrian passed mile 25. We agreed that we try to run together to the finish line- but create some separation as we got into the finishing chute- Mike Reilly was gonna announce each of us and time/ place etc was irrelevant. Finishing was all that mattered. We even created the order- Adrian, Eugene and then me. However Adrian dropped the pace- we were going about 10:30 ish and he said to us just go on. So Eugene and I ran towards the lights and sounds at the finish- Eugene said go- you are a bit stronger right now so with the finish line about .4 miles away I began the greatest run of my life. I zipped up my tri suit top and got about 15 meters behind the guy in front of me. I saw my mom right before the finisher barriers and gave her a big hi-five and then started down the line. All of sudden Mike was calling my name, I was on the carpet and saw the clock.
And the sweetest words a Triathlete can hear "David Smith, from Sparta NJ you are an IRONMAN"!
I crossed the line and and was speechless. My good friend Billy Lister from CAF was my body catcher- so awesome to have a friend there to help me through the first few minutes of the post race craziness. However all the coke I needed to take to complete the run meant that I needed some real help and within 5 minutes I knew I needed to go to the med tent- billy got me there and very soon the great staff had me drinking chicken broth, as well as a leg massage. Plus they let me sleep for 15 minutes- I was SOOOO tired. Being in the med tent is such an inspiring thing- being surrounded by my fellow athletes who also endured their own personal hell to get to the finish line helps to show the triumph of the human spirit. Once released from the med tent I found my Sherpa, my awesome sister Alison and we made our way to the hotel. The walk to catch a taxi was perfect since it forced blood through my recently massaged legs and I think has helped with the lack of soreness I feel today (they hurt- just not too bad).
Run- 5:14:55
Total-12:12:51
789 OA, 166 40-44AG
There were 2021 finishers out of 2146 starters.
Now during my race, it turns out there were some amazing people not just tracking my race, but sharing encouragement through out the day on facebook. My sherpa was posting for me with my phone and Len Entrabartolo, Rick Sobona & Keiko Flores who are my great spinervals buddies spent the ENTIRE DAY Tracking and posting. Sure Rick had to get an eye exam and Len got in 20 miles out on the bike (hot out there!) but they devoted their day to me. Guys- words can not express the gratitude. As I read the comments from everyone I was blown away. Hundreds of posts, likes and comments all for me.
And to the rest of Spinervals members community:
Nancy Hall
Michelle Young
Bobbie Williams
Derek Couse
Shaker Brock
Judy Somes
Karen Haldane
Susan Sobona
Susie Walsh
Holly Lavigne
Pat Morris
and of course Coach Troy!
Beer is on me at the members conference!
And my wife Sue who supports (not always liking what I am doing since it takes so much time, BUT ALWAYS Supports me) Thank You.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Ironman Rhode Island 70.3 Race Report
I did this race last year and was not sure I wanted to do it again. Not because of the distance- 70.3 is my favorite- but the course conditions especially on the bike were pretty hairy. Roads in the northeast are bad due to the extreme hot and cold every year causing potholes and cracks galore. However after I did not get into the NYC Olympic tri and knowing I needed a good race before IM NYC, the RI race made sense. Plus the race organizers promised the course would be in better shape. So I pulled the trigger and entered for Round 2- And glad I did.
PreRace/Packet Pickup- My company has summer friday hours so I was able to leave NYC by 1:30on Friday and make the drive to Providence. My hope was I would make it before 6 so I could pick up my packet, but if traffic was against me I would still be in the city early on Saturday so either way worked. As luck has it (and knowledge of multiple ways to get through Connecticut- read Merritt Parkway), I got to the RI convention center by 5:15 and breezed through packet pickup and the expo store. The swag bag was pretty nice- good KSWISS tech shirt, very good drawstring backpack- the good kind- not the ones that rip (IM Pocono Mtn 70.3 and Toughman this is addressed to you) as well as a bottle shaker from Vitacost. And the Spinervals brochure- folks if you don't use Spinervals DVD's you are doing something wrong. Buy them, Use them-YOU WILL BE FASTER. Once I left the expo, it was time to check in at my hotel-The Hampton Inn on Weybossett Street. If you need to travel to Providence I highly recommend this hotel-2nd year staying here and will do next year (yeah round 3 is on my agenda). I had a great dinner at a local restaurant and then got a good night sleep.
On Saturday it was time to drop off my run bag at T2 and my bike at T1- RI uses a 2 transition area setup. This is a bit of a pain, but actually is great practice for full IM distance races since you often have to bag your gear instead of setting everything up at Transition. And I knew what to expect since I did this race last year- definitely helped from a stress perspective. Once I got everything squared away it was time for Lunch and then Dinner as well as a lot of hydration- it was HOT.
Race Morning- I was up by 3 and managed to eat pretty well- coffee, bagel with pb, banana and oatmeal. And by 3:45 I was out the door to the race shuttle to get to T1 and the swim. I sat next to a guy from Montreal who was using the race as tune-up like me- his race was IM Mont Tremblant (which is a week after IM NYC). Once we got to Transition it was time to set up everything- no problems and the lines to the porta potties were not bad (nice!!!).
Swim- One of the best things about RI is they let you stay in the water before your wave is called- so you can stay warm (the water temp was 80- Air temp at 6 was closer to 70). I was in wave 7 M 40-44 about 125 folks. The first 300 Meters were VIOLENT- one of the rougher starts I have experienced for 2 reasons- lot of guys pushing for position and some rough water due to the lifeguard boats with motors creating wakes. I swallowed a big gulp of water instead of air as I was getting swum over- but I was able to push through and before long found some clean water to swim- and the good news is I was on the Buoy line. Since the water was 80 degrees it was not a wetsuit swim- but I gotta say It seemed long (it did last year too). Even the pro times seemed a few minutes slower than normal. But everyone had to swim the same distance so even if it was closer to 1.4 miles (my guess) we all had to! Eventually I found my fingertips scraping sand and it was time to stand up- my time was about 41 minutes - slow for sure, but like I said the swim seemed long (at least in my mind). The swim for me is not fast, but not slow- I am not too concerned about the swim- I am faster on the bike, run and transitions.
T1- a long run from the beach to Transition meant for somewhat slow times- I was about 2:30 (about a minute slower than I like). But I also took time to put on arm sleeves to keep me cool and had to pack my bike bag with my swim gear (googles, cap and speed suit - not sure if it makes me faster But I look cool!) I did a great flying mount and was quickly off on the bike.
Bike- So I am a good cyclist, but I knew within a couple of miles today was not my day. My legs felt a bit tight and I could tell I was not 100%- I would say about 90%. So the first 15 miles was a lot of talking - push/ can't push, free speed, dammit I need to stand up, crap I suck, I am slow. But I told myself- push to what your limit is today and concentrate on what you are doing. Yeah you want a 23 MPH avg, but your body is giving you 20- make the best of it. It's a freakin IM 70.3- enjoy it dave. And I did (sorta) as only 56 miles in aero can. My only concern once I won the mental game is my mouth tasted like sour sugar- like you drank too much soda as a kid and have that rotten taste in your mouth. BUT I was able to keep getting nutrition in without feeling like I wanted to throw up or any GI issues. Now the roads were a bit bumpy, however they were much better than last year - I did get the bike up to about 45 MPH on a long descent- that was cool!
I rolled into T2 in 2:45- about 10-15 minutes slower than I wanted, but I was feeling pretty good and ready for the run.
T2- Just gonna say I don't like the bag- took at least 20 seconds to get my gear out and on. T2 is normally 30-45 seconds for me (no I don't wear socks and I am fast), but today I had to switch sunglasses as well as get my two bottle fuel belt out of the bag- it just did not want to come out. So my time was 1:30.
Run- The run is a two loop jaunt through Providence with two hills per loop- one hill is a short incline heading to the turn around/ finish- only about 300 meters long. Easy. The other hill Sucks. it is a slow steady 1.5 mile crusher. It Sucks. Wait did I mention it Sucks- especially when it is 90+ degrees out. Other than that it is great- in a Sucky way. But I knew what to expect and I actually felt very good- especially as I ran up that sucky hill twice & passed a lot of people from the bike and run- just sayin' -know your course! Since it was so hot cooling the body was key and the aid stations had some good hookups- icy sponges and ice chips. I love ice. At each aid station i would grab 4-5 sponges to at the front and put them down the front of my tri kit. Then grab two cups of water and cover my arms (still wearing the arm sleeves- which are awesome) with icy cold water. Then grab another cup of ice water and a sponge or two. The extra sponges went down my back & the cup of ice got carried to the next aid station. I emptied and refillled my fuel belt bottles twice (I use the revenge 20 with 2 bottles). It was so hot that getting cool liquid was so awesome. Overall I felt best on the run, although I was running about 20 seconds slower per mile than I normally do- BUT I knew I was gonna finish and was very happy with my mental strength. I even started to encourage other runners- when I do that I am feeling good. And the fan support especially near the finish chute was great. I also have to say thanks to the woman in the gardening hat on the hill- cheering for everyone up and down. Cheering is cool- It makes you feel great.
I crossed the line in 1:48 and and overall time of 5:19:41. I was slower compared to last year by 5 minutes but happy with the overall effort. I finished 23rd in my AG and 164th overall.
And the best part of the day was three fold- crossing the finish line, getting an awesome post race massage and having a big mac and two cheeseburgers from McDonalds. So bad but oh so good!
Would I recommend this race- yes and I will be back for round 3. However I would not recommend this to be your first 70.3. The combination of heat and hard run can add up to a hard day. But if you are looking for a great northeastern race in a great city- do the Ironman Rhode Island 70.3.
PreRace/Packet Pickup- My company has summer friday hours so I was able to leave NYC by 1:30on Friday and make the drive to Providence. My hope was I would make it before 6 so I could pick up my packet, but if traffic was against me I would still be in the city early on Saturday so either way worked. As luck has it (and knowledge of multiple ways to get through Connecticut- read Merritt Parkway), I got to the RI convention center by 5:15 and breezed through packet pickup and the expo store. The swag bag was pretty nice- good KSWISS tech shirt, very good drawstring backpack- the good kind- not the ones that rip (IM Pocono Mtn 70.3 and Toughman this is addressed to you) as well as a bottle shaker from Vitacost. And the Spinervals brochure- folks if you don't use Spinervals DVD's you are doing something wrong. Buy them, Use them-YOU WILL BE FASTER. Once I left the expo, it was time to check in at my hotel-The Hampton Inn on Weybossett Street. If you need to travel to Providence I highly recommend this hotel-2nd year staying here and will do next year (yeah round 3 is on my agenda). I had a great dinner at a local restaurant and then got a good night sleep.
On Saturday it was time to drop off my run bag at T2 and my bike at T1- RI uses a 2 transition area setup. This is a bit of a pain, but actually is great practice for full IM distance races since you often have to bag your gear instead of setting everything up at Transition. And I knew what to expect since I did this race last year- definitely helped from a stress perspective. Once I got everything squared away it was time for Lunch and then Dinner as well as a lot of hydration- it was HOT.
Race Morning- I was up by 3 and managed to eat pretty well- coffee, bagel with pb, banana and oatmeal. And by 3:45 I was out the door to the race shuttle to get to T1 and the swim. I sat next to a guy from Montreal who was using the race as tune-up like me- his race was IM Mont Tremblant (which is a week after IM NYC). Once we got to Transition it was time to set up everything- no problems and the lines to the porta potties were not bad (nice!!!).
Swim- One of the best things about RI is they let you stay in the water before your wave is called- so you can stay warm (the water temp was 80- Air temp at 6 was closer to 70). I was in wave 7 M 40-44 about 125 folks. The first 300 Meters were VIOLENT- one of the rougher starts I have experienced for 2 reasons- lot of guys pushing for position and some rough water due to the lifeguard boats with motors creating wakes. I swallowed a big gulp of water instead of air as I was getting swum over- but I was able to push through and before long found some clean water to swim- and the good news is I was on the Buoy line. Since the water was 80 degrees it was not a wetsuit swim- but I gotta say It seemed long (it did last year too). Even the pro times seemed a few minutes slower than normal. But everyone had to swim the same distance so even if it was closer to 1.4 miles (my guess) we all had to! Eventually I found my fingertips scraping sand and it was time to stand up- my time was about 41 minutes - slow for sure, but like I said the swim seemed long (at least in my mind). The swim for me is not fast, but not slow- I am not too concerned about the swim- I am faster on the bike, run and transitions.
T1- a long run from the beach to Transition meant for somewhat slow times- I was about 2:30 (about a minute slower than I like). But I also took time to put on arm sleeves to keep me cool and had to pack my bike bag with my swim gear (googles, cap and speed suit - not sure if it makes me faster But I look cool!) I did a great flying mount and was quickly off on the bike.
Bike- So I am a good cyclist, but I knew within a couple of miles today was not my day. My legs felt a bit tight and I could tell I was not 100%- I would say about 90%. So the first 15 miles was a lot of talking - push/ can't push, free speed, dammit I need to stand up, crap I suck, I am slow. But I told myself- push to what your limit is today and concentrate on what you are doing. Yeah you want a 23 MPH avg, but your body is giving you 20- make the best of it. It's a freakin IM 70.3- enjoy it dave. And I did (sorta) as only 56 miles in aero can. My only concern once I won the mental game is my mouth tasted like sour sugar- like you drank too much soda as a kid and have that rotten taste in your mouth. BUT I was able to keep getting nutrition in without feeling like I wanted to throw up or any GI issues. Now the roads were a bit bumpy, however they were much better than last year - I did get the bike up to about 45 MPH on a long descent- that was cool!
I rolled into T2 in 2:45- about 10-15 minutes slower than I wanted, but I was feeling pretty good and ready for the run.
T2- Just gonna say I don't like the bag- took at least 20 seconds to get my gear out and on. T2 is normally 30-45 seconds for me (no I don't wear socks and I am fast), but today I had to switch sunglasses as well as get my two bottle fuel belt out of the bag- it just did not want to come out. So my time was 1:30.
Run- The run is a two loop jaunt through Providence with two hills per loop- one hill is a short incline heading to the turn around/ finish- only about 300 meters long. Easy. The other hill Sucks. it is a slow steady 1.5 mile crusher. It Sucks. Wait did I mention it Sucks- especially when it is 90+ degrees out. Other than that it is great- in a Sucky way. But I knew what to expect and I actually felt very good- especially as I ran up that sucky hill twice & passed a lot of people from the bike and run- just sayin' -know your course! Since it was so hot cooling the body was key and the aid stations had some good hookups- icy sponges and ice chips. I love ice. At each aid station i would grab 4-5 sponges to at the front and put them down the front of my tri kit. Then grab two cups of water and cover my arms (still wearing the arm sleeves- which are awesome) with icy cold water. Then grab another cup of ice water and a sponge or two. The extra sponges went down my back & the cup of ice got carried to the next aid station. I emptied and refillled my fuel belt bottles twice (I use the revenge 20 with 2 bottles). It was so hot that getting cool liquid was so awesome. Overall I felt best on the run, although I was running about 20 seconds slower per mile than I normally do- BUT I knew I was gonna finish and was very happy with my mental strength. I even started to encourage other runners- when I do that I am feeling good. And the fan support especially near the finish chute was great. I also have to say thanks to the woman in the gardening hat on the hill- cheering for everyone up and down. Cheering is cool- It makes you feel great.
I crossed the line in 1:48 and and overall time of 5:19:41. I was slower compared to last year by 5 minutes but happy with the overall effort. I finished 23rd in my AG and 164th overall.
And the best part of the day was three fold- crossing the finish line, getting an awesome post race massage and having a big mac and two cheeseburgers from McDonalds. So bad but oh so good!
Would I recommend this race- yes and I will be back for round 3. However I would not recommend this to be your first 70.3. The combination of heat and hard run can add up to a hard day. But if you are looking for a great northeastern race in a great city- do the Ironman Rhode Island 70.3.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
HITS Hunter Mountain Race Report
I was very excited about racing this past weekend at the HITS Hunter Mtn series for a couple of reasons. My son was going to race in his first Tri, I was racing at my favorite distance- 70.3 and I wanted to experience the HITS Triathlon Series with the hope that it would be another set of 70.3 and 140.6 races.
All three of my reasons for being excited were definitely exceeded.
The venue for the race was near Hunter Mountain at the North South Campground in Haines Falls. Packet pickup took place right at the campground and near the finish line. It was easy and while the expo was small there were some good vendors providing a wide range of gear. In the race bag was your standard mix of product samples and a nice tech t-shirt. And your race number envelope. HITS provides a full sheet of numbers from Tri Tats including some extra numbers- just in case. Plus Tri Tats race number temporary tattoos and your timing chip.
What made this even better was the fact that my son who was competing in the Open distance got the same packet that I did. However the cost to race the Open distance was FREE- except for the one day USAT license. HITS treated the Open competitors identical to all other racers. Their race was just as important as the other four distances- perhaps even better since they were given VIP treatment. On to the races.
My son raced in the Open which was a 100M swim, 3 Mile Bike and 1 Mile run. Sure the distance is short, but it was all about the experience. There were 3 waves- Men, Women and Family&U17. Each wave had a ten minute break in between- more than enough time but allowed for major separation and avoided a lot of bunching up on course. What was really cool is Mark Wilson the race director took the time to learn each racers name before the start. As they excited the water he greeted them by name- Really cool!
So my son was in the 3rd wave- definitely had his share of pre-race nerves but was excited for the race to start. When the horn sounded he looked like a motor boat for the first 50 meter or so. I am not sure if he paused to breathe- just swam as hard as he could. When he hit the Turnaround, he seemed to tire a bit but finished the swim well. I got to run with him up to T1 and then get some pictures of him getting ready for the bike. HITS does a great job in transition- everyone has a personal rack and stool. And my boy used the stool. While his T1 was not blazing fast, he did everything correctly and was soon running his bike out to the mount line. The bike course was a 3 mile out an back- the road was a bit bumpy and definitely not flat. He has a good ride, especially considering he had a chain issue. Coming back into T2 he looked tired, but excited. His bike to Run transition was very good- he did not sit nor waste time. He did take a big swig of water- which was a good call since the 1 mile run did not have (nor need) an Aid Station. Once he took off I ran up to the Finish line to wait for him. And soon I saw his white visor turning the corner to the 200 Meter uphill finish line. And when he hit that stretch he turned on the gas a bit- he ran hard to the finish line! He ended up finishing 1st in his Age Year (HITS reports AG to USAT, but awards based on Age Year). So in addition to getting his race packet, tshirt & finisher medal, he got a plaque, second tshirt and swim cap. And he was Happy!
Following his race and awards ceremony, it was time for me to rack my Bike and have the Half and Full athlete meeting. The meeting was pretty cool- outside with all of us gathered around Mark Wilson to share some key thoughts about each of the courses. What impressed me is he covered the tight turns and key "gotcha" sections of the bike both by mileage as well as landmarks. So as we were riding it became very easy to make sure you were ready for those hard turns and quick climbs that can jump out at you. Once the meeting was done, it was time to set up our campsite- first time camping before a Tri. I will do it again!
One of great things about being in a small town like Hunter is the local food scene. For dinner T-Dog and I went to a place that served artisan cheese, sold antiques, had 300 different types of beer and some awesome burgers. Yeah cool place.
Race Morning- The day could not have been better- about 60 degrees, very light wind and an overcast sky. Since I camped close to transition, it was a very easy morning and I quickly set up my transition area and had some great conversations with the folks around me. I think pretty much all of us wanted to see the race be successful so HITS becomes another long course option. I am a big fan of Ironman branded full and 70.3 races but hope HITS can gain enough traction to give us more choices. More long races is a good thing.
Swim- The swim was a single loop with left turns (most of my races have right turns, but I like breathing more on the left so this was pretty cool). The water was cool- about 65 degrees- perfect wetsuit water. And the lake was pretty clear so finding friendly feet to draft was rather easy. There was only one wave for the half and full (the full did two laps) so we had a pretty nice scrum at the start. I did have to flip on my back twice to clear my left goggle, but within 200 meters settled in to a nice steady stroke. I felt pretty strong and consistent through out the entire swim. The only real challenge was when we turned at the final swim buoy, we were swimming into the sun rise so sighting was a bit hard. But since I was in a pretty good pack, I stayed on course and was quickly out of the water. I usually swim about 37-38 minutes for the 1.2 miles. This race I was out of the water in 34:45 and hit the transition mat at 35:35ish. I was pretty happy about that, although I knew it was likely the swim would be the only fast leg- after all we were racing on a Mountain.
T1- I am pretty good at T1 and T2. I do a good job of getting my gear set up and come into the Transition area with a clear plan of what I need to do and in what order. What was pretty cool is the AV crew was taking video of me as I got ready to head out on the bike- I will share the link if I can get it. Time was about 1:15.
Bike- The first 35 miles were flat to a slight downhill and I hammered Hard. While I had not ridden the course, HITS is working with Map My Tri to showcase route details including elevation, so my pre race strategy was to ride hard during the first 35 miles and then sit up during climb or the last 21 miles- at an average grade of 5%. I executed well- first 35 miles in about 1:25. Next 26 in about 1:27. Total time 2:52. Which is about 15 minutes slower than what I usually do, but I knew the course was very hard so I was happy with my effort. And coming into T2 I felt very good- legs were loose, stomach was fine and I was looking forward to 13.1 of up and down- yeah the run was a lot like the bike.
T2- nailed it- 46 seconds. My T1 time was the fastest and T2 was second so practice and consistency works.
Run- An out and back with minimal turning laterally, but lots of up and downs! The first 4 miles were pretty much downhill outside of two short but very steep hills. Then the next 5 miles were rolling hills. I felt pretty good- although I did have two blister form and pop- one on each heel. Once they popped I did not feel any pain (but knew I would later). Since the first 4 miles were downhill, the last four miles were uphill. I ran slower than I would have liked, but never once felt like I needed to walk or even slow down (my body did that on its own). Normally I run a 1:40-1:45 for the run- but I ran a 1:58. Given the heavy climbing and the fact that I was recovering from a minor knee injury I was very pleased.
Total time- 5:28:53. 18th place overall and 4th in my AG (40-44). In the last two years I have been pretty consistent finishing in the top 10-15% in most races and my performance was on track.
Post race- plenty of food- bagels, pretzels, HEED recovery drinks, lemonade, coke, ice tea and fruit.
Without a doubt this was the hardest 70.3 I have done (number 6 so far). But also very satisfying. I nailed the swim, nutrition, transitions and executed my pre race strategy. I will definitely do another HITS race and recommend it very much to everyone else. And bring one of your non triathlete friends to do the open- soon they will be one of your triathlete friends!
You can check out the rest of the HITS season of races here www.hitstriathlonseries.com
All three of my reasons for being excited were definitely exceeded.
The venue for the race was near Hunter Mountain at the North South Campground in Haines Falls. Packet pickup took place right at the campground and near the finish line. It was easy and while the expo was small there were some good vendors providing a wide range of gear. In the race bag was your standard mix of product samples and a nice tech t-shirt. And your race number envelope. HITS provides a full sheet of numbers from Tri Tats including some extra numbers- just in case. Plus Tri Tats race number temporary tattoos and your timing chip.
What made this even better was the fact that my son who was competing in the Open distance got the same packet that I did. However the cost to race the Open distance was FREE- except for the one day USAT license. HITS treated the Open competitors identical to all other racers. Their race was just as important as the other four distances- perhaps even better since they were given VIP treatment. On to the races.
My son raced in the Open which was a 100M swim, 3 Mile Bike and 1 Mile run. Sure the distance is short, but it was all about the experience. There were 3 waves- Men, Women and Family&U17. Each wave had a ten minute break in between- more than enough time but allowed for major separation and avoided a lot of bunching up on course. What was really cool is Mark Wilson the race director took the time to learn each racers name before the start. As they excited the water he greeted them by name- Really cool!
So my son was in the 3rd wave- definitely had his share of pre-race nerves but was excited for the race to start. When the horn sounded he looked like a motor boat for the first 50 meter or so. I am not sure if he paused to breathe- just swam as hard as he could. When he hit the Turnaround, he seemed to tire a bit but finished the swim well. I got to run with him up to T1 and then get some pictures of him getting ready for the bike. HITS does a great job in transition- everyone has a personal rack and stool. And my boy used the stool. While his T1 was not blazing fast, he did everything correctly and was soon running his bike out to the mount line. The bike course was a 3 mile out an back- the road was a bit bumpy and definitely not flat. He has a good ride, especially considering he had a chain issue. Coming back into T2 he looked tired, but excited. His bike to Run transition was very good- he did not sit nor waste time. He did take a big swig of water- which was a good call since the 1 mile run did not have (nor need) an Aid Station. Once he took off I ran up to the Finish line to wait for him. And soon I saw his white visor turning the corner to the 200 Meter uphill finish line. And when he hit that stretch he turned on the gas a bit- he ran hard to the finish line! He ended up finishing 1st in his Age Year (HITS reports AG to USAT, but awards based on Age Year). So in addition to getting his race packet, tshirt & finisher medal, he got a plaque, second tshirt and swim cap. And he was Happy!
Following his race and awards ceremony, it was time for me to rack my Bike and have the Half and Full athlete meeting. The meeting was pretty cool- outside with all of us gathered around Mark Wilson to share some key thoughts about each of the courses. What impressed me is he covered the tight turns and key "gotcha" sections of the bike both by mileage as well as landmarks. So as we were riding it became very easy to make sure you were ready for those hard turns and quick climbs that can jump out at you. Once the meeting was done, it was time to set up our campsite- first time camping before a Tri. I will do it again!
One of great things about being in a small town like Hunter is the local food scene. For dinner T-Dog and I went to a place that served artisan cheese, sold antiques, had 300 different types of beer and some awesome burgers. Yeah cool place.
Race Morning- The day could not have been better- about 60 degrees, very light wind and an overcast sky. Since I camped close to transition, it was a very easy morning and I quickly set up my transition area and had some great conversations with the folks around me. I think pretty much all of us wanted to see the race be successful so HITS becomes another long course option. I am a big fan of Ironman branded full and 70.3 races but hope HITS can gain enough traction to give us more choices. More long races is a good thing.
Swim- The swim was a single loop with left turns (most of my races have right turns, but I like breathing more on the left so this was pretty cool). The water was cool- about 65 degrees- perfect wetsuit water. And the lake was pretty clear so finding friendly feet to draft was rather easy. There was only one wave for the half and full (the full did two laps) so we had a pretty nice scrum at the start. I did have to flip on my back twice to clear my left goggle, but within 200 meters settled in to a nice steady stroke. I felt pretty strong and consistent through out the entire swim. The only real challenge was when we turned at the final swim buoy, we were swimming into the sun rise so sighting was a bit hard. But since I was in a pretty good pack, I stayed on course and was quickly out of the water. I usually swim about 37-38 minutes for the 1.2 miles. This race I was out of the water in 34:45 and hit the transition mat at 35:35ish. I was pretty happy about that, although I knew it was likely the swim would be the only fast leg- after all we were racing on a Mountain.
T1- I am pretty good at T1 and T2. I do a good job of getting my gear set up and come into the Transition area with a clear plan of what I need to do and in what order. What was pretty cool is the AV crew was taking video of me as I got ready to head out on the bike- I will share the link if I can get it. Time was about 1:15.
Bike- The first 35 miles were flat to a slight downhill and I hammered Hard. While I had not ridden the course, HITS is working with Map My Tri to showcase route details including elevation, so my pre race strategy was to ride hard during the first 35 miles and then sit up during climb or the last 21 miles- at an average grade of 5%. I executed well- first 35 miles in about 1:25. Next 26 in about 1:27. Total time 2:52. Which is about 15 minutes slower than what I usually do, but I knew the course was very hard so I was happy with my effort. And coming into T2 I felt very good- legs were loose, stomach was fine and I was looking forward to 13.1 of up and down- yeah the run was a lot like the bike.
T2- nailed it- 46 seconds. My T1 time was the fastest and T2 was second so practice and consistency works.
Run- An out and back with minimal turning laterally, but lots of up and downs! The first 4 miles were pretty much downhill outside of two short but very steep hills. Then the next 5 miles were rolling hills. I felt pretty good- although I did have two blister form and pop- one on each heel. Once they popped I did not feel any pain (but knew I would later). Since the first 4 miles were downhill, the last four miles were uphill. I ran slower than I would have liked, but never once felt like I needed to walk or even slow down (my body did that on its own). Normally I run a 1:40-1:45 for the run- but I ran a 1:58. Given the heavy climbing and the fact that I was recovering from a minor knee injury I was very pleased.
Total time- 5:28:53. 18th place overall and 4th in my AG (40-44). In the last two years I have been pretty consistent finishing in the top 10-15% in most races and my performance was on track.
Post race- plenty of food- bagels, pretzels, HEED recovery drinks, lemonade, coke, ice tea and fruit.
Without a doubt this was the hardest 70.3 I have done (number 6 so far). But also very satisfying. I nailed the swim, nutrition, transitions and executed my pre race strategy. I will definitely do another HITS race and recommend it very much to everyone else. And bring one of your non triathlete friends to do the open- soon they will be one of your triathlete friends!
You can check out the rest of the HITS season of races here www.hitstriathlonseries.com
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
January Blues- Sort of
So the last few weeks have been tough- lot of hours at work, bumpy home life and not enough time to train. But Things always have a way of working themselves out. Work is not better, but I am focused on the things I can control (as well as keeping my eyes open for shorter commute!). My bumpy home life is getting smoother- let's just say we are communicating better and seeing each other's perspective more clearly. And training- I would like 30 hrs a week- I get 10-15. So it is not like I am not doing good things- just not enough.
But what have I been up to? Spinervals Super6. As you may recall, I was a participant and finisher of the first Spinervals 32 Day challenge. An indoor bike focused training event during the month of December. Coach Troy Jacobson (www.spinervals.com & www.coachtroy.com) the genius behind the spinervals series of cycling training videops created the program. And it was great! So continuing on his successful program, he launched the Spinervals Super 6- six days a week for six weeks, but not just cycling- a lot running and weight training (there was a pretty good amount of weight's in the 32D challenge too).
The good news is my daily fitness is way up for this time of the year- the downside is I want more time!
Now you may also recall that I am on a search for the right running/ racing shoes to replace my beloved Saucony Kinvera 1's. The Kinerva 2's are sized wrong for my feet (have tried both the 9 and 9.5 and neither fit right). So I have embarked on a search for my new kicks.
Key requirements are light, minimalist and sockless friendly. In short I need to be able to pull them on during T2 super fast in order to keep my T2 times well be low 1 minute (for everything but full iron- I learned that taking my time on T2 for a 140.6 is worth it in spades!).
So my first attempt was the brooks connect pure- interesting shoe, light weird walking feel, but super smooth running feel. However not the insides are not barefoot friendly. A couple of seems and the tongue is hard to adjust quickly. Plus there are no loops to ease the shoe on my foot. Perhaps I will consider it for full irons, but definitely not for 70.3 and below.
2nd has been a couple of KSWISS shoes- the Ruuz 1.5, Blade Light Run and Blade Foot run. Ruuz had to be sent back since the sizing was off. The Blade Light Run is comfortable, and works with elastic laces & has toe/ heel loops. But it is not great barefoot and a bit heavier than I like. The blade foot run is a slimmed down version of the blade light. First Run with them was great, but I wore socks. This morning- sockless and miserable. Blisters on both heels and my left foot too. Really bummed as I was hoping KSWISS would be the right shoe. The Blade foot run is a strong contender for full irons, but alas likely out of the 70.3 and below option.
So the next shoes up are some from Zoot- I had stayed away from zoot based on some reviews of the TT 4 with the heel collar being too high. But the newest version is much lower and zoot does have a good reputation for sockless comfort and transition ease.
My new zoots will be here in about 2 weeks (shipping on 2/6) so look for my review soon after.
And I ordered from RoadRunner Sports which has a pretty cool vip program- check out the details here
But what have I been up to? Spinervals Super6. As you may recall, I was a participant and finisher of the first Spinervals 32 Day challenge. An indoor bike focused training event during the month of December. Coach Troy Jacobson (www.spinervals.com & www.coachtroy.com) the genius behind the spinervals series of cycling training videops created the program. And it was great! So continuing on his successful program, he launched the Spinervals Super 6- six days a week for six weeks, but not just cycling- a lot running and weight training (there was a pretty good amount of weight's in the 32D challenge too).
The good news is my daily fitness is way up for this time of the year- the downside is I want more time!
Now you may also recall that I am on a search for the right running/ racing shoes to replace my beloved Saucony Kinvera 1's. The Kinerva 2's are sized wrong for my feet (have tried both the 9 and 9.5 and neither fit right). So I have embarked on a search for my new kicks.
Key requirements are light, minimalist and sockless friendly. In short I need to be able to pull them on during T2 super fast in order to keep my T2 times well be low 1 minute (for everything but full iron- I learned that taking my time on T2 for a 140.6 is worth it in spades!).
So my first attempt was the brooks connect pure- interesting shoe, light weird walking feel, but super smooth running feel. However not the insides are not barefoot friendly. A couple of seems and the tongue is hard to adjust quickly. Plus there are no loops to ease the shoe on my foot. Perhaps I will consider it for full irons, but definitely not for 70.3 and below.
2nd has been a couple of KSWISS shoes- the Ruuz 1.5, Blade Light Run and Blade Foot run. Ruuz had to be sent back since the sizing was off. The Blade Light Run is comfortable, and works with elastic laces & has toe/ heel loops. But it is not great barefoot and a bit heavier than I like. The blade foot run is a slimmed down version of the blade light. First Run with them was great, but I wore socks. This morning- sockless and miserable. Blisters on both heels and my left foot too. Really bummed as I was hoping KSWISS would be the right shoe. The Blade foot run is a strong contender for full irons, but alas likely out of the 70.3 and below option.
So the next shoes up are some from Zoot- I had stayed away from zoot based on some reviews of the TT 4 with the heel collar being too high. But the newest version is much lower and zoot does have a good reputation for sockless comfort and transition ease.
My new zoots will be here in about 2 weeks (shipping on 2/6) so look for my review soon after.
And I ordered from RoadRunner Sports which has a pretty cool vip program- check out the details here
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