Ironman- yeah that is just a cool race name. Iroman Lake Placid was my 3rd Ironman and I had very high goals for this race. It was my A race and I trained specifically to be ready to have a great race. Training for IMLP officially started on December 1, 2012 during the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge and included a 3 day on course training camp. Going into IMLP I was ready. Ready to break my PR, ready to break 11 Hrs and ready to see how close I could get to a Kona Slot.
But my day ended up not being a day of goals. Disappointed- sure. BUT FINISHING AN IRONMAN IS CRAZY HARD. Am I happy with hearing Mike Reilly call me across the finish line- hell yeah.
So on to the report.
I was really excited to have my wife and girls along with my mom, dad and super sherpa sister come to LP. Having fans is awesome, especially on a course like LP- 2 loop everything. So on Thursday morning the girls, Sue and I drove up to one of the greatest sports meccas in the entire world. Imagine finishing an Ironman in the Olympic Speed Skating Oval that Eric Heiden dominated in 1980 & right below the arena that we beat the Soviets and then Swedes to win the Gold in Hockey. Yeah Lake Placid! As you drive into town you pass the Bob Sled/ Luge courses and see the Ski Jumping hills. And the number of bikes on Subarus is crazy cool.
Once we got to town, we went right to athlete check in- really easy although parking was a bit of a pain. But the race swag was pretty sweet- a really cool backpack (I like backpacks) and free stickers. Well the stickers weren't supposed to be free, but they were printed with the wrong date. After getting my gear we went to our hotel- which was right on the bike and run course and had a great indoor pool. I then met up with a good Spinervals training/ racing buddy Ginny Angus and we swam one loop of the swim course. For those of you not familiar with Mirror lake- the swim has a white cable underwater which allows you to follow the course as if you were swimming in a pool. Fast!!! Ginny and I had a good swim and chat about the race. We both had high goals and had trained together a month earlier in the camp- we both felt good and ready to have great races. Ginny did for sure and more on mine soon.
The next few days were a bit of training, a bit of kid stuff and a bit of relaxing. If you go to LP with kids go to Santa's Village near Wilmington- you will have fun. And before long it was 10 PM on Saturday night- no I was not sleeping but felt great about toeing the line for IM #3.
Sunday morning Super Sherpa picked me up at 4 and we drove to the oval. The morning was cool, but not cold- definitely not like IMNYC which was crazy stupid hot. Transition set up for an IM is simple- hang your bags since you don't set up near your bike like most triathlons. As the sun came up I had the chance to run into Merle, Lola and George in Transition- so cool to have friends at the race.
Soon it was time to get my wetsuit on, drop off special needs and get ready for the swim. This year LP was trying a new approach to reduce swim anxiety- allow swim warmups and a rolling swim start instead a mass crazy charge into the water. While the mass start did not really bother me, the rolling start meant maybe cleaner water and less violence in the first few hundred meters. Yea maybe not...
After warm-up I got to my swim corral- the 1:11-1:20 group. I was feeling like a 1:10 - 1:12 swim was in the cards and figured the front of the 1:11 group made good sense. While waiting for the race to start I ran into Ginny- we chatted quick and wished each other luck. Then the cannon boomed and within a few minutes we were in the water. It was not crazy initially but soon I was swimming over all sorts of people. People who self seeded into a much faster group. During the entire 2.4 Miles I passed several hundred people - I was constantly swimming from one scrum to another. And I felt great, except for the ASSHOLE in the red wetsuit who thought breaststroking into the aussie exit was a good idea. Dude you Fucking Suck with your big frog leg kick. He kicked me in the throat as we were exiting the water for the second loop. There was no reason for breast stroke there. As I started the second loop my throat hurt a bit, but I still felt strong and soon I was rounding the dock for the exit.
Swim Time 1:09:36- nailed it.
But leaving the water I noticed that it was raining- and the bike has a long steep crappy descent that is not rain friendly. Oh well race the race you have.
Transition was quick- I was calm and knew what I needed to grab out of my bag. Shoes, no socks, helmet, glasses, no gloves (never ever), arm sleeves (went with coolers- good choice) and off to get my bike. The volunteers are supposed to grab your bike from the rack and bring it to you- well that did not happen for me, but I am cool with that and I was out of T1 in good time.
T1- 6:46. Now 6:46 is stupid slow. But at LP, you have a 300 yrd run to transition, have to grab your bag, get your gear on and put your swim gear in the bag, then get your bike. So 6:46 for an IM is good.
The bike was a two loop 56 mile per loop course. The first 15 miles is mostly climbing until you reach a long 7 mile screaming downhill- in the rain. But before I get to that fun stuff it is important to mention where my family was going to be. My parents were staying at the Mountain Brook - right by the Haselton out and back so we decided they would watch me there. My wife and kids were at the Econo Lodge on 73 so could see me twice on the bike and 4x on run. And super Sherpa well she would be everywhere. At the start of the bike, she was right below the high school and seeing her as I got started was perfect. Super Sherpa comes to my Ironmans- to make sure I am okay especially post race. So I saw her right away and felt good.
Now back to the bike- rain was spitting from the sky and ground and lots of standing water over the first 20 miles including the keene descent. When I was at the Spinervals camp in June, I hit over 50 mph on the keene descent. On lap 1- about 35. But soon I was passing the post office and on my way to the easy out and back. I kept repeating race your race and this is lap one. And I road pretty easy and felt great. And before long I was back in Jay climbing to Wilmington. Having trained on the course made me feel good that I knew what to expect and when to hammer vs. spin easy. As I descended into the Wilmington I could hear Super Sherpa's dog, AndyLab bark and then saw my parents- very cool to have family on the other side of the race course and AndyLab looked relaxed. The climb back into town was good and before long I was on Lap 2. I saw Super Sherpa right after the oval and then saw my kids at the econo lodge- WooHoo! Lots of family support in 1 hour. However as I got to the top of the Keene descent I realized something was wrong- I felt sick. I was struggling to get calories in and when I did I gagged and threw up. Fun times. But this is were training kicks in- you just keep going even when you feel like shit. And knowing the course meant I knew that if I could fight through the next 30 miles I would only have to climb back into town and then run a marathon. But it meant I had to face facts- today was not going to be a great day but I would see my parents, sherpa, wife and kids on the course. So head down and lousy stomach I pushed through. I felt crappy but miles kept moving and after passing my parents at Haselton it was time to climb back into town. Best two parts- doing a sweet wheelie at the campground and the bears. The bears are TdF style with fans (not grade...) but so worth it after 110 miles. And after riding down Mirror Lake drive I was back in Transition ready for a run. My stomach felt crappy, but I knew I only had 26.2 to go. The finish line was far but I would get there.
Bike 6:01:32- about 20 minutes slower than I wanted.
T2- 3:56. Happy with this especially since I took my time.
Run- Well I knew it would tough, but I also knew what to expect. The first 4 miles are easy and I figured maybe I could get some calories in and start running faster. I did learn that wearing a fuel belt is not gonna happen again- too much bouncing on a bloated stomach is not fun. Best part of the first out and back was seeing my daughter katherine and giving her a hug. My body did not feel better but my spirit did. As I shuffled my way along the course Ginny passed me- she reminded me that she was gonna chick me- and she was running great. I ended up doing mix of running/ walking and finished the first lap starting to feel a bit better. On the second lap, I ran more than I walked- still slow but I felt slightly better. My goal became to run under 5 hrs. Passing the Smith kids for the final time I really started to feel good and Felt that as long as I kept running a Sub 5 hr marathon was doable. The best part of the last 2 miles was seeing Alan MacDougall who was not racing, near the Boathouse. Alan was wearing his TdF polka dots (guy climbs like a mountain goat) and I yelled to him- he ran with me for about 50 yards then took (while running) a kick ass picture (now my profile pic). After that I passed the turn around point and had LESS than a mile to finish. Running back towards the Oval was awesome. Tears began to flow and as I turned into the last straight away I could see Mike Reilly in the tower. I pointed to him and then the most magical words you can hear- David Smith from Sparta NJ YOU ARE AN IRONMAN. Never gets old.
Run-4:52:48
Total- 12:14:38
Not the day I planned for, but the day I got. I worked hard and earned the finish and that rocks And 2014 is already planned- IM Texas.
Ironman racing is hard- crazy hard. But so awesome. And at the end of the day it does not matter how fast you are- crossing that line is beyond special and to my friends who know what it is like well you know. And those who want to - train hard because it is Worth It!
Friday, August 2, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Quassy Race report. AKA it was hot and hilly. Did I mention it was hot. And hilly...
So it was hot and hilly. I hope you got that. If I had a month of hot weather training, it would have been hilly and I like, wait no I love hills. But coming off a cold spring, the 90+ temps and bright sunshine were a little bit more than this body was looking forward to. But hey it was race day- doesn't get much better than that.
My original race was going to be the Ironman Raleigh 70.3, but I decided to switch to Rev3 Quassy based on the good feedback that the race is a great tune-up for IMLP. And Everything this year is all about IMLP for me. And I was excited to finally race a Rev3 race (I was supposed to do the Oly at Quassy last year but my schedule fell apart).
The couple of weeks prior to Quassy were a bit crazy with a lot of traveling for work and some decent long workouts- especially on the bike. And the Monday before I did a hard and fast 10K, so no Taper. But that was the plan- Quassy was a 100% effort training race. Meaning stress the body the same way I will at LP, but without the benefit of Taper to get a good gauge of where I am and what I need to work on over the next 6 weeks before Taper starts for real.
On Saturday morning, I packed the car and took the nice drive up to Middlebury CT. I took the Merritt Parkway which can be a nice drive, passed one of my company offices and eventually drove through some hills to arrive at Quassy Amusement Park in Middleburry. I parked and made my way to packet pickup and the expo. Rev3 has a rep for being super athlete friendly and awesome. And while everyone was nice finding the expo and getting my packet was a bit confusing- lack of signs and once I found the expo, it wasn't clear were to go. I ended up waiting in a couple of lines before I found the right spot. But hey- you gotta roll with it sometimes and relatively quickly I got everything I needed.
The swag was okay- a visor and some cool race numbers (love when your name is on the bib). The expo was pretty good. A nice mix of high end race kit, t-shirts, other visors (all headsweats) and a bunch of good race gear- bottle, hydration stuff and fuel belt products. I love fuelbelt. Just sayin. I ended up spending about $50 on another visor (quassy specific), a t shirt, a rev3 magnet and a new fuel belt aero bag for Thumper. Once I my gear, I got my bike out of the car, put the bike number on Thumper (and the new aero bag) and rolled the race steed to transition. Rev3 uses a ground mounted rack- and everyone has their own spot. A bit easier to pull from compared to a seat rack which is always good. After racking the bike it was time for the Pro meeting and athlete meeting.
My only real complaint besides the heat was the athlete meeting and pro session was held outside, with no cover and no water provided by the race. I did buy a couple of waters from the park and loaded them with Nuun Tablets, but it would have been cooler to have some tents for everyone to sit under and be out of the hot sun. During the pro session, I ended up hanging in the Normatec tent getting an air massage- kinda cool- even sorta hurt a bit, but they are on the to get list (eventually & after the disc wheel). So that was at least out of the sun. For the athlete meeting I ended up getting a spot under the finish tent so still crazy hot, but out of the sun. The athlete meeting was pretty fast, but nicely detailed. The pro session was very cool- especially since the pros then hung out for autographs and generally just being uber cool. Got to meet Bevan Docherty, HJ and Rinny. Sweet!
Now during the meeting while checking FB, one of my Spinervals teammates, Chrissy Brooks posted that her car had blown a tire on rte 84- I was ready to get in my car to get her, but luckily she got some help and made it in time. It is awesome to be part of the Spinervals team- best group of folks. And this was my 3rd this year with teammates- a total of 4 us toed the line.
After the meetings and racking and all that stuff, I decided to drive the bike course. During the meeting there were a couple of caution areas so I wanted to get some eyeballs on the course. The first 15 miles reminded me of riding at home- crappy roads and hills- short steep punchy hills with short nasty downhills. But hey- that is what I train on so I felt pretty good about what to expect. The drive was kinda cool- there must have been 15 or so of us driving at 20-25 miles an hour with cue sheets. But worth it since I bookmarked key areas- both to hammer and to sit up.
After driving the course, I got to my hotel, checked in, ate my usual beer, burger sweet potato dinner and settled in to watch the clock. Yeah I don't sleep much the night before a big race. And as usual I woke up before the alarm went off. After an easy hour in my room, it was time to drive back to quassy. The morning was warm. Not IM NYC warm, but hot enough to say this was gonna be a hot day.
One of the things I like about dropping my bike off the night before is how much easier race morning is. And since I use tubeless tires there is not much risk of tire deflation or explosion due to the heat- lower Tire Pressure is a good thing. Once my bottle were loaded, shoes on the bike and run gear laid out, it was time to slowly sip on a bottle and chat with the folks around me. I also got to see Chrissy, but missed Mark and Bernard. And I got watch the pro's prep. I left them alone since their day was a work day, but they do things the same way we do. And before long the transition area was closed and it was time to head to the beach. Hey its almost time for the race to start!
Rev3 changed their swim policy and allowed people to be in the water up until their wave start- which is a good thing. You can warm up without having to wait around for your start time. What I did was do a quick swim and then take my wetsuit down to my waist since my start wasn't until 35 minutes after the pro men. And I got right next to the start line to watch the pro men and women go off. Very cool to see people like joe gambles, richie cunnigham, bevan docherty, rinny, heather jackson and meredith kessler start right in front of you. These are some of the Triathlon rockstars and I am racing with them- very very cool.
Before long it was time for my wave to start. We got to the start line and did the clap. If you have raced a triathlon you know what the clap is. About 30 seconds before we go, a quick good luck guys followed by some clapping. It means a good day (hot and hilly good day). The horn sounded and I was in the water fast. The lake Quassapoug is clear so finding friendly feet was easy and while there was some early bumping, I found smooth water fast. My first set of feet however were a bit off course so after doing some quick sighting I found a good pair and followed for a while. The course was a triangle with right turns. The first third was fast and easy. However the 2nd third was right into the sun. By that time I had passed my initial draft and it took a while to get a sense of where we were going. I ended up swimming next to a guy for while which helped find the final 3rd turn buoy. The last third was also a bit crazy since we had to swim through the slower portion of some waves. I am a firm believer in wave starts, but I think we should be seeded via time and not age. This would allow for less swimming through/ or getting swum over and an all around smoother swim. In any case before long my knuckles hit sand and it was time to stand. My goal for the swim was sub 35. I came out of the water in 33 and change and hit the mat in a mid 34. Long run to the transition area (long but not crazy long and carpeted the whole way).
Official time was 34:12. My T1 was just okay- still having some issues getting the wetsuit off my feet. Actually sat to pull them. Will be doing some OWS/ T1 practice soon to correct this. T1 time was 2:04.
I did my usual flying mount for the bike and was quickly out on course. The scouting of the day earlier helped me set the right pace over the first 10 miles. Basically go up, go down, rinse and repeat. The only issues were I screwed up with my Garmin 310- paused for T1 instead of lap. And my 500 couldn't find the satellites. I spent the first 10 miles jiggering/ resetting until it finally found the GPS signal. Frustrating since I rely on the data to tell me how fast, far, steep and power. But I got it fixed and had an okay idea of where I was- glad for the recon on Saturday. The first 25 miles went by fast, especially after I got the 500 working. And I was passing people without burning matches. In fact the only guys who passed me was a relay guy wearing aero shoe covers and 3 20 something guys in a tight draft (cheating a holes). While the course was very hilly, there was one long climb-about 4 miles long. Gotta say I loved it! I train every day on hills so the quassy hills were pretty normal. The only pain was the last 5 miles- climbing back to T2. The hills were short, but steep and really sucked. The heat was definitely peaking. However before too long I was pulling my feet out of my shoes and getting ready for the run.
My time was 2:43- slower than I would have liked, but 3,900K of climbing will make you go a bit slower sometimes. T2 was 57 seconds. Pretty much nailed that one. And it was time for the run.
The run start was two miles in the sun- flat, but hot sun. I ran okay, but really felt like the temps were climbing fast. My only real complaint on the run was no sponges, only ice. Ice is great, but does not stay in place like an iced sponge. Sponges rock. But I tried to make due. I also pulled off my arm coolers- they felt hot and so I decided a sunburn was better than hot arms on the run. The first 4 miles of the run were okay and then we made a right turn and started climbing- for what felt like the rest of the race. The first mile was on dirt and shaded. However the next 2 were on pavement- rolling but almost no shade. At mile 8 I started to walk the aid stations and went to coke. The coke was flat and they had ice, except for mile 10- no coke. That sucked. But I ran, albeit slow, but on purpose. I decided that I would suffer, but not crush my body- this week is not a real recovery week so a bit easier effort was in the cards. I did my best to stay cool (didn't work) and ran relatively slow until the finish. Crossing the line was nice- basically because it meant I was done and could go lay in the lake- which I did. The finish line was pretty cool- iced towel, awesome finisher shirt and big medal. Time across the line- 5:19. Not my slowest, not my fastest. But a great prep for IMLP. Nutrition worked well. I need to figure out how to keep my run nutrition cold.
Overall I am happy- the swim and bike were very much in line with my goals. The run was just okay, well crappy, but an early season hot race day with hills can do that.
My original race was going to be the Ironman Raleigh 70.3, but I decided to switch to Rev3 Quassy based on the good feedback that the race is a great tune-up for IMLP. And Everything this year is all about IMLP for me. And I was excited to finally race a Rev3 race (I was supposed to do the Oly at Quassy last year but my schedule fell apart).
The couple of weeks prior to Quassy were a bit crazy with a lot of traveling for work and some decent long workouts- especially on the bike. And the Monday before I did a hard and fast 10K, so no Taper. But that was the plan- Quassy was a 100% effort training race. Meaning stress the body the same way I will at LP, but without the benefit of Taper to get a good gauge of where I am and what I need to work on over the next 6 weeks before Taper starts for real.
On Saturday morning, I packed the car and took the nice drive up to Middlebury CT. I took the Merritt Parkway which can be a nice drive, passed one of my company offices and eventually drove through some hills to arrive at Quassy Amusement Park in Middleburry. I parked and made my way to packet pickup and the expo. Rev3 has a rep for being super athlete friendly and awesome. And while everyone was nice finding the expo and getting my packet was a bit confusing- lack of signs and once I found the expo, it wasn't clear were to go. I ended up waiting in a couple of lines before I found the right spot. But hey- you gotta roll with it sometimes and relatively quickly I got everything I needed.
The swag was okay- a visor and some cool race numbers (love when your name is on the bib). The expo was pretty good. A nice mix of high end race kit, t-shirts, other visors (all headsweats) and a bunch of good race gear- bottle, hydration stuff and fuel belt products. I love fuelbelt. Just sayin. I ended up spending about $50 on another visor (quassy specific), a t shirt, a rev3 magnet and a new fuel belt aero bag for Thumper. Once I my gear, I got my bike out of the car, put the bike number on Thumper (and the new aero bag) and rolled the race steed to transition. Rev3 uses a ground mounted rack- and everyone has their own spot. A bit easier to pull from compared to a seat rack which is always good. After racking the bike it was time for the Pro meeting and athlete meeting.
My only real complaint besides the heat was the athlete meeting and pro session was held outside, with no cover and no water provided by the race. I did buy a couple of waters from the park and loaded them with Nuun Tablets, but it would have been cooler to have some tents for everyone to sit under and be out of the hot sun. During the pro session, I ended up hanging in the Normatec tent getting an air massage- kinda cool- even sorta hurt a bit, but they are on the to get list (eventually & after the disc wheel). So that was at least out of the sun. For the athlete meeting I ended up getting a spot under the finish tent so still crazy hot, but out of the sun. The athlete meeting was pretty fast, but nicely detailed. The pro session was very cool- especially since the pros then hung out for autographs and generally just being uber cool. Got to meet Bevan Docherty, HJ and Rinny. Sweet!
Now during the meeting while checking FB, one of my Spinervals teammates, Chrissy Brooks posted that her car had blown a tire on rte 84- I was ready to get in my car to get her, but luckily she got some help and made it in time. It is awesome to be part of the Spinervals team- best group of folks. And this was my 3rd this year with teammates- a total of 4 us toed the line.
After the meetings and racking and all that stuff, I decided to drive the bike course. During the meeting there were a couple of caution areas so I wanted to get some eyeballs on the course. The first 15 miles reminded me of riding at home- crappy roads and hills- short steep punchy hills with short nasty downhills. But hey- that is what I train on so I felt pretty good about what to expect. The drive was kinda cool- there must have been 15 or so of us driving at 20-25 miles an hour with cue sheets. But worth it since I bookmarked key areas- both to hammer and to sit up.
After driving the course, I got to my hotel, checked in, ate my usual beer, burger sweet potato dinner and settled in to watch the clock. Yeah I don't sleep much the night before a big race. And as usual I woke up before the alarm went off. After an easy hour in my room, it was time to drive back to quassy. The morning was warm. Not IM NYC warm, but hot enough to say this was gonna be a hot day.
One of the things I like about dropping my bike off the night before is how much easier race morning is. And since I use tubeless tires there is not much risk of tire deflation or explosion due to the heat- lower Tire Pressure is a good thing. Once my bottle were loaded, shoes on the bike and run gear laid out, it was time to slowly sip on a bottle and chat with the folks around me. I also got to see Chrissy, but missed Mark and Bernard. And I got watch the pro's prep. I left them alone since their day was a work day, but they do things the same way we do. And before long the transition area was closed and it was time to head to the beach. Hey its almost time for the race to start!
Rev3 changed their swim policy and allowed people to be in the water up until their wave start- which is a good thing. You can warm up without having to wait around for your start time. What I did was do a quick swim and then take my wetsuit down to my waist since my start wasn't until 35 minutes after the pro men. And I got right next to the start line to watch the pro men and women go off. Very cool to see people like joe gambles, richie cunnigham, bevan docherty, rinny, heather jackson and meredith kessler start right in front of you. These are some of the Triathlon rockstars and I am racing with them- very very cool.
Before long it was time for my wave to start. We got to the start line and did the clap. If you have raced a triathlon you know what the clap is. About 30 seconds before we go, a quick good luck guys followed by some clapping. It means a good day (hot and hilly good day). The horn sounded and I was in the water fast. The lake Quassapoug is clear so finding friendly feet was easy and while there was some early bumping, I found smooth water fast. My first set of feet however were a bit off course so after doing some quick sighting I found a good pair and followed for a while. The course was a triangle with right turns. The first third was fast and easy. However the 2nd third was right into the sun. By that time I had passed my initial draft and it took a while to get a sense of where we were going. I ended up swimming next to a guy for while which helped find the final 3rd turn buoy. The last third was also a bit crazy since we had to swim through the slower portion of some waves. I am a firm believer in wave starts, but I think we should be seeded via time and not age. This would allow for less swimming through/ or getting swum over and an all around smoother swim. In any case before long my knuckles hit sand and it was time to stand. My goal for the swim was sub 35. I came out of the water in 33 and change and hit the mat in a mid 34. Long run to the transition area (long but not crazy long and carpeted the whole way).
Official time was 34:12. My T1 was just okay- still having some issues getting the wetsuit off my feet. Actually sat to pull them. Will be doing some OWS/ T1 practice soon to correct this. T1 time was 2:04.
I did my usual flying mount for the bike and was quickly out on course. The scouting of the day earlier helped me set the right pace over the first 10 miles. Basically go up, go down, rinse and repeat. The only issues were I screwed up with my Garmin 310- paused for T1 instead of lap. And my 500 couldn't find the satellites. I spent the first 10 miles jiggering/ resetting until it finally found the GPS signal. Frustrating since I rely on the data to tell me how fast, far, steep and power. But I got it fixed and had an okay idea of where I was- glad for the recon on Saturday. The first 25 miles went by fast, especially after I got the 500 working. And I was passing people without burning matches. In fact the only guys who passed me was a relay guy wearing aero shoe covers and 3 20 something guys in a tight draft (cheating a holes). While the course was very hilly, there was one long climb-about 4 miles long. Gotta say I loved it! I train every day on hills so the quassy hills were pretty normal. The only pain was the last 5 miles- climbing back to T2. The hills were short, but steep and really sucked. The heat was definitely peaking. However before too long I was pulling my feet out of my shoes and getting ready for the run.
My time was 2:43- slower than I would have liked, but 3,900K of climbing will make you go a bit slower sometimes. T2 was 57 seconds. Pretty much nailed that one. And it was time for the run.
The run start was two miles in the sun- flat, but hot sun. I ran okay, but really felt like the temps were climbing fast. My only real complaint on the run was no sponges, only ice. Ice is great, but does not stay in place like an iced sponge. Sponges rock. But I tried to make due. I also pulled off my arm coolers- they felt hot and so I decided a sunburn was better than hot arms on the run. The first 4 miles of the run were okay and then we made a right turn and started climbing- for what felt like the rest of the race. The first mile was on dirt and shaded. However the next 2 were on pavement- rolling but almost no shade. At mile 8 I started to walk the aid stations and went to coke. The coke was flat and they had ice, except for mile 10- no coke. That sucked. But I ran, albeit slow, but on purpose. I decided that I would suffer, but not crush my body- this week is not a real recovery week so a bit easier effort was in the cards. I did my best to stay cool (didn't work) and ran relatively slow until the finish. Crossing the line was nice- basically because it meant I was done and could go lay in the lake- which I did. The finish line was pretty cool- iced towel, awesome finisher shirt and big medal. Time across the line- 5:19. Not my slowest, not my fastest. But a great prep for IMLP. Nutrition worked well. I need to figure out how to keep my run nutrition cold.
Overall I am happy- the swim and bike were very much in line with my goals. The run was just okay, well crappy, but an early season hot race day with hills can do that.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Devilman Half Lite Race Report
My early season multisport season continued last Sunday with the Devilman Half Lite Triathlon in Cedarville, NJ. When I signed up for this race I did not realize how far Cedarville is from Sparta- it is about 170 miles- essentially as far away from my house and still in NJ. But I was excited about the race since it is a medium long distance tri- .8 mile swim, 40.3 mile bike and 8.8 mile run or 50 miles in total. In actuality it was closer to 51.3 miles but long is good any way you look at it. Given that I have raced a lot this year, this race my focus was on form, nutrition and pacing as I get about 12 weeks out from IMLP. As an added benefit one of my virtual teamates from the Spinervals group on facebook, Ginny Angus was also racing.
The drive down to Cedarville was early- I was up at 1:50 AM and got to the race site at 6, but I felt great. The drive was easy and relaxing & traffic free. Packet pick-up was straight forward. One touch I liked is the race numbers were event branded - no individual names, but had the event logo which will go nicely on my pain cave number wall. Getting my bike racked was also easy since every spot was pre numbered. I really like that since it helps to ensure everyone racks the opposite directions- of course there are some people who like to rack via handle bars instead of seats. But it allowed for easy gear layout. As I completed my layout, I noticed the wind started picking up a bit- not severe, but certainly windy & greater than the original forecast of 6mph winds. I also randomly ran into Ginny- which was great that we got a chance to chat pre race.
The Race Director did a good job keeping time and before long I was getting into my wetsuit. I made a tactical decision that was very smart- I wore my neoprene booties. The water temp was about 68- so definitely not too cold, however we had to stand around for 45 minutes due to the sprint folks going first and the wave start for my group so having the extra warmth helped my toes stay less numb (more on numb toes later.)
The swim was a two loop .8 mile lake swim. The loops were a box with left turns. I like left turns since I default breath on my left side. I have been working on bi lateral breathing this year and am pretty good at it, but when I Need to breathe- left is the side I go to. The start was in water- about 4 feet deep and a murky mucky bottom- the booties were nice here too. Quickly I settled into a nice groove although there was a fair amount of bumping - especially at the turn buoys. I started to pass a lot of the 39 and under wave on the second lap along with some of slower women who were on their first lap so the last two turns into the finish were washer machine time for sure. When I reached the ladder to climb out of the water I looked down at my Garmin- 21:30 for the .8 mile swim. I was very happy with the time since I swam at IM pace (everything leads to IMLP) so looking at this time and extrapolating out to the full 2.4 miles- about 1:05ish. Ideally I will swim about 1 HR at LP, but 1:05 works too. My official time was 23:10- there was a Long run to transition. Having the booties on was a win again.
Here I am just out of the water and working my wetsuit off- you can see the booties. I highly recommend them for any race that has very cold water & long runs to transition.
My T1 was pretty crappy again- 1:56. The downside of the booties is they are a bit of pain to get off especially with cold fingers. And I put on gloves. I was going to wear arm sleeves but they did not want to cooperate so I decided to skip them- was a good idea. The run out to the bike mount line was about 150 yards past the exit of the transition area- over a gravelly access road. I elected to go sockless and did a flying mount. Good call, but I had to run a bit longer since I stayed in the grass instead of the gravel. But mounting went fine and I was quickly out on the bike.
The bike course was a two 20 mile loop out and back course. So 10 miles turn around, and repeat. The course was flat with only some very minor elevation changes. However it was WINDY. The first out was a mix of right side cross and head winds. But I hammered and felt very strong. I stayed big ring 17-13 pretty much the entire 40 (well ended up 41 miles). Cadence was low 90's Avg power 254 and HR 152. So while I was hammering I was below FTP and AT- win!
Here is the strava file http://app.strava.com/activities/52582443#
The good news on the bike is there was not much drafting, except for two guys who I passed early on the outbound first loop and then saw them in draft as I passed them again on the inbound second loop. And as for the wind, the only time I got a bit of relief was on the inbound of the first loop, I picked up a tail wind for about 2 miles- AVG speed about 30 mph. However that tailwind did not materialize on the second loop (the head and crosswinds however did...)
Lastly on the bike, I raced for the first time with my custom Infinit blend- and really felt strong. The folks at Infinit create a custom nutrition blend you drink that has your carbs, protein, electrolytes and amino acids based on your distance, weight, BF%, sweat rate, flavor profile etc. So one race in and I am happy- I felt especially good at the finish line- where I have had issues in the past.
My bike split was 1:48.22 and this included the long run from the mount line to Transition on both the start and finish of the bike. However from the mount line to mount line, my time was 1:46:36 or 23.1 MPH. The run to transition counts in my final time and everyone had to run that, but actual riding time/distance - I hammered. And speaking of the trip back to the TA for T2 I did leave my bike shoes on since my feet were very numb from the cold and I knew the run was over the gravel road- it was a good call.
Rocking the bike- the lack of arm sleeves was not an issue. Having gloves was good.
T2 was a bit better- I did have to take off my bike shoes which is abnormal for me and I learned that putting on my running shoes with gloves still on is not as fast as naked fingers- the gloves got a bit stuck. I should have taken them off as I really didn't need them on the run. T2 time was 1:11. Lastly I did wear my fuel belt 2 bottle hydration belt. Normally for a run under 10 miles I wouldn't bring anything, but I wanted to test the Infinit run solution- which is a bit different compared to my bike and I will use the hydration belt at Rev3 Quassy and IMLP so it made sense. Good call as I felt great on the run.
As I started out of transition for the 8.9 mile run, my feet were numb bricks. My legs felt great but my feet were just heavy. However I knew that they would feel better soon so I concentrated on getting my stride set and running strong. The course was a 4.4 mile out and back- flat, but also very windy. I passed one guy at mile 1 and two more guys at mile 4.2. At the turn around I was in 13th place but figured I might finish higher since most of the guys were likely in the 39 and under AG. I was passed by one other guy on the run at mile 6.5 so I crossed the line in 14th overall. But because I started 5 minutes behind the younger guys, my place overall was 12th. As for the run itself- WOW I felt great and ran consistent between 6:30 and a 6:50 pace- Avg was a 6:40 which for a roughly 9 mile run following the bike was phenomenal for me. And I didn't fade or feel like I had nothing left at the finish line. I definitely could have kept this pace for a couple of miles further. Now this is not my IMLP run pace- that is going to be around 8:15-8:30 And the bike pace will be around 20.5-21 MPH. But given the conditions I executed to plan and felt great.
My finishing time was 3:14:12 based on a 59:31 8.8 mile official (closer to 9 on my garmin) run. 12th place overall and 1st in the 40-44 AG. Technically it was 2nd but the overall race winner was also in my AG.
Here I am about the cross the finish line- feeling very good about my day.
Here is the link the race results: http://www.piranha-sports.com/Results/EntryDetail.aspx?RegistrationID=68476
Post race I got to see Ginny finish- who finished 4th Overall for the women! Great job! I also ate a couple of sandwiches (which I have never been able to do immediately after a race- maybe the Infinit is going to be a hit for IMLP) and relaxed before the awards ceremony. The Pirana Sports folks had a guy playing some music on his guitar and it was very relaxed sitting finally in the warm sun! Ginny and I chatted a bit- we are both racing IMLP and doing the Spinervals LP camp which should be a lot of challenging fun.
Lastly this is a race I would highly recommend to a wide variety of triathletes. Newbies- the sprint distance is a great course- it is flat and on limited use roads with police protection at intersections. And for people looking to step up to the 70.3 distance- it is long enough across each discipline to give you an idea of what a 70.3 is like. And for me as a build towards IMLP- it was great to race for 3 hours to stress all of the systems and focus on pacing & nutrition. Even though it is in the middle of nowhere I will likely race it again in 2013.
And just a plug- spinervals works folks. Here is a link to find out more. www.spinervals.com
I am lighter, stronger & faster across all three disciplines this year and I know it is based on my training that started last December with the Spinervals 32 day challenge. My results so far are proving that Coach Troy and the Spinervals DVD's & training plans will make you a better racer. I have raced 12 times so far this year across a variety of distances and types of racing and have 7 podiums including 1 overall win and 4 AG wins. Yes I have put in the hard work, but the training philosophy is the back bone.
Finally next week is a free weekend (well not really but I am not racing) Saturday is my youngest daughter's first communion and Sunday is Mothers Day. So my next race is JerseyMan classic- the tri that started it all for me.
The drive down to Cedarville was early- I was up at 1:50 AM and got to the race site at 6, but I felt great. The drive was easy and relaxing & traffic free. Packet pick-up was straight forward. One touch I liked is the race numbers were event branded - no individual names, but had the event logo which will go nicely on my pain cave number wall. Getting my bike racked was also easy since every spot was pre numbered. I really like that since it helps to ensure everyone racks the opposite directions- of course there are some people who like to rack via handle bars instead of seats. But it allowed for easy gear layout. As I completed my layout, I noticed the wind started picking up a bit- not severe, but certainly windy & greater than the original forecast of 6mph winds. I also randomly ran into Ginny- which was great that we got a chance to chat pre race.
The Race Director did a good job keeping time and before long I was getting into my wetsuit. I made a tactical decision that was very smart- I wore my neoprene booties. The water temp was about 68- so definitely not too cold, however we had to stand around for 45 minutes due to the sprint folks going first and the wave start for my group so having the extra warmth helped my toes stay less numb (more on numb toes later.)
The swim was a two loop .8 mile lake swim. The loops were a box with left turns. I like left turns since I default breath on my left side. I have been working on bi lateral breathing this year and am pretty good at it, but when I Need to breathe- left is the side I go to. The start was in water- about 4 feet deep and a murky mucky bottom- the booties were nice here too. Quickly I settled into a nice groove although there was a fair amount of bumping - especially at the turn buoys. I started to pass a lot of the 39 and under wave on the second lap along with some of slower women who were on their first lap so the last two turns into the finish were washer machine time for sure. When I reached the ladder to climb out of the water I looked down at my Garmin- 21:30 for the .8 mile swim. I was very happy with the time since I swam at IM pace (everything leads to IMLP) so looking at this time and extrapolating out to the full 2.4 miles- about 1:05ish. Ideally I will swim about 1 HR at LP, but 1:05 works too. My official time was 23:10- there was a Long run to transition. Having the booties on was a win again.
My T1 was pretty crappy again- 1:56. The downside of the booties is they are a bit of pain to get off especially with cold fingers. And I put on gloves. I was going to wear arm sleeves but they did not want to cooperate so I decided to skip them- was a good idea. The run out to the bike mount line was about 150 yards past the exit of the transition area- over a gravelly access road. I elected to go sockless and did a flying mount. Good call, but I had to run a bit longer since I stayed in the grass instead of the gravel. But mounting went fine and I was quickly out on the bike.
The bike course was a two 20 mile loop out and back course. So 10 miles turn around, and repeat. The course was flat with only some very minor elevation changes. However it was WINDY. The first out was a mix of right side cross and head winds. But I hammered and felt very strong. I stayed big ring 17-13 pretty much the entire 40 (well ended up 41 miles). Cadence was low 90's Avg power 254 and HR 152. So while I was hammering I was below FTP and AT- win!
Here is the strava file http://app.strava.com/activities/52582443#
The good news on the bike is there was not much drafting, except for two guys who I passed early on the outbound first loop and then saw them in draft as I passed them again on the inbound second loop. And as for the wind, the only time I got a bit of relief was on the inbound of the first loop, I picked up a tail wind for about 2 miles- AVG speed about 30 mph. However that tailwind did not materialize on the second loop (the head and crosswinds however did...)
Lastly on the bike, I raced for the first time with my custom Infinit blend- and really felt strong. The folks at Infinit create a custom nutrition blend you drink that has your carbs, protein, electrolytes and amino acids based on your distance, weight, BF%, sweat rate, flavor profile etc. So one race in and I am happy- I felt especially good at the finish line- where I have had issues in the past.
My bike split was 1:48.22 and this included the long run from the mount line to Transition on both the start and finish of the bike. However from the mount line to mount line, my time was 1:46:36 or 23.1 MPH. The run to transition counts in my final time and everyone had to run that, but actual riding time/distance - I hammered. And speaking of the trip back to the TA for T2 I did leave my bike shoes on since my feet were very numb from the cold and I knew the run was over the gravel road- it was a good call.
T2 was a bit better- I did have to take off my bike shoes which is abnormal for me and I learned that putting on my running shoes with gloves still on is not as fast as naked fingers- the gloves got a bit stuck. I should have taken them off as I really didn't need them on the run. T2 time was 1:11. Lastly I did wear my fuel belt 2 bottle hydration belt. Normally for a run under 10 miles I wouldn't bring anything, but I wanted to test the Infinit run solution- which is a bit different compared to my bike and I will use the hydration belt at Rev3 Quassy and IMLP so it made sense. Good call as I felt great on the run.
As I started out of transition for the 8.9 mile run, my feet were numb bricks. My legs felt great but my feet were just heavy. However I knew that they would feel better soon so I concentrated on getting my stride set and running strong. The course was a 4.4 mile out and back- flat, but also very windy. I passed one guy at mile 1 and two more guys at mile 4.2. At the turn around I was in 13th place but figured I might finish higher since most of the guys were likely in the 39 and under AG. I was passed by one other guy on the run at mile 6.5 so I crossed the line in 14th overall. But because I started 5 minutes behind the younger guys, my place overall was 12th. As for the run itself- WOW I felt great and ran consistent between 6:30 and a 6:50 pace- Avg was a 6:40 which for a roughly 9 mile run following the bike was phenomenal for me. And I didn't fade or feel like I had nothing left at the finish line. I definitely could have kept this pace for a couple of miles further. Now this is not my IMLP run pace- that is going to be around 8:15-8:30 And the bike pace will be around 20.5-21 MPH. But given the conditions I executed to plan and felt great.
My finishing time was 3:14:12 based on a 59:31 8.8 mile official (closer to 9 on my garmin) run. 12th place overall and 1st in the 40-44 AG. Technically it was 2nd but the overall race winner was also in my AG.
Here is the link the race results: http://www.piranha-sports.com/Results/EntryDetail.aspx?RegistrationID=68476
Post race I got to see Ginny finish- who finished 4th Overall for the women! Great job! I also ate a couple of sandwiches (which I have never been able to do immediately after a race- maybe the Infinit is going to be a hit for IMLP) and relaxed before the awards ceremony. The Pirana Sports folks had a guy playing some music on his guitar and it was very relaxed sitting finally in the warm sun! Ginny and I chatted a bit- we are both racing IMLP and doing the Spinervals LP camp which should be a lot of challenging fun.
Lastly this is a race I would highly recommend to a wide variety of triathletes. Newbies- the sprint distance is a great course- it is flat and on limited use roads with police protection at intersections. And for people looking to step up to the 70.3 distance- it is long enough across each discipline to give you an idea of what a 70.3 is like. And for me as a build towards IMLP- it was great to race for 3 hours to stress all of the systems and focus on pacing & nutrition. Even though it is in the middle of nowhere I will likely race it again in 2013.
And just a plug- spinervals works folks. Here is a link to find out more. www.spinervals.com
I am lighter, stronger & faster across all three disciplines this year and I know it is based on my training that started last December with the Spinervals 32 day challenge. My results so far are proving that Coach Troy and the Spinervals DVD's & training plans will make you a better racer. I have raced 12 times so far this year across a variety of distances and types of racing and have 7 podiums including 1 overall win and 4 AG wins. Yes I have put in the hard work, but the training philosophy is the back bone.
Finally next week is a free weekend (well not really but I am not racing) Saturday is my youngest daughter's first communion and Sunday is Mothers Day. So my next race is JerseyMan classic- the tri that started it all for me.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Xterra Jersey Devil Race Report
Racing Xterra is a crazy fun experience. Last year I raced my first off road Tri at the Jersey Devil and had a great experience. So when registration opened up I absolutely knew I wanted to race again. I also was supposed to race on Saturday doing the High Point Hill Climb TT. However Friday night, I ended up coming down with a fever. Unfortunately that meant that Saturday's race was off. But I felt well enough to race on Sunday.
This year I decided I wanted to camp at the race- both because it was free & it meant I could pre ride the bike course - which had some changes on Saturday. This was my second time camping for a race-last year I camped before HITS and I loved the experience. The weather forecast for Saturday Night was relatively nice- about 40 degrees and no rain. So after spending the morning with the Smith Kids, I packed up my gear and drove down to the Jersey Shore to the race.
Once I arrived I picked up my packet and set up my tent. The weather was gorgeous - about 70 degrees and sunny. Perfect for a couple of laps of the bike course. The course is pretty flat, but very sandy and has a couple of technical sections that are very narrow. So after a first easy lap, I opened up a bit and rode at 90% of race pace for the second lap. I wanted to get a sense of challenge spots at speed and bookmark them in my mind as to what line would work best. The plus side is the course was free of rock gardens. Now I like rock gardens, but for a 2 loop race they can be a nightmare since they often serve as choke points and crashes.
After riding two laps I decided to shut it down and get some food. The camp we raced and stayed out is a Boys Scout camp and has rudimentary facilities including showers. However they were cold water showers. So after riding I took a very cold shower and then drove into town for dinner. I ended up finding a burger bar and had my usual- plain burger with sweet potatoes and a beer. The food was okay, but they had Curious Traveler Shandy on Tap. Pretty cool summer beer. If I wasn't racing I might have stayed for a while...
Once I got back to the camp, the race organizer had set up a dvd player and we watched the 2012 Xterra World Championships from Maui. One of the guys racing with us had raced there a couple of years ago so it was really cool to chat with him about the experience. I definitely want to race in Maui someday- perhaps do a Hawaii Double- Kona & Maui...
As it got dark I went to my Tent and very quickly fell asleep. I woke up a couple of time- once I was sweating, but given that this was a pre race sleep I was pretty happy. I got a good night sleep and felt great compared to Friday. My plan was to wake by 6 and rack my bike then prep for the day. As usual I woke up early and ended up having my bike racked by 5:50. I did not lay out my gear- just racked the bike and decided to pack up my tent. Why wait for post race. As camping goes this was a great success- easy setup & tear down, good warm sleep and relaxed & ready for race day.
As the sun came up, the air temp really warmed- I think by race start it was 60+, which race start was 9 AM. For a lot of road Tri's, 9 AM is the start of Awards so Xterra is definitely more relaxed! I got my gear set- I decided to wear my Sparta Tri One Piece tri suit, no socks but I did decide to wear gloves. Not sure if I needed the gloves or not, but I felt great on the ride and run in just the tri suit.
About 8:30 I got into my wetsuit. I am definitely leaner this year- my weight is about 168 vs 175 last year and putting on my wetsuit I noticed that it was a bit easier to zip down. I use a Blue Seventy Helix which zips from the neck down to the back (most wetsuits zip up). And it can be a pain to get the zipper aligned at your neck and zip down. Being a few pounds lighter meant it was a bit easier to zip down. I am right in the weight range for my suit- 165-180 so it was definitely not loose, but sure did feel good. Once I was suited up, I walked the 1/4 to the water and did a quick warm up swim. While the water was cold- about 60 degrees, it was much warmer than last year. Plus the lake was full- last year the lake was only half full meaning we walked most of the swim and the water temp was below 50...
After a couple of safety briefs, we sang the National Anthem Boston Bruin style- acapella. I love the National Anthem and singing it is very cool to start a race. And then the 3,2,1 horn and we were off. The course was supposed to be an 800 meter swim, with 2 400 meter loops. It was definitely long- at least 1000 meters, likely a bit longer but we all had to swim on the same course so it was fine. The first loop was a washer machine for sure and the second was pretty close to the first. I felt very good in the water- swam easy and had no issues. I exited the water in the main pack. Garmin time out of the water was about 13:00
Official Swim Time was 14:31 including the 1/4 mile run to T1.
T1 Sucked. My hands were numb and I could not get the wetsuit over my feet- A guy in my bike row did a quick pull for me- which was very cool. I got my mtn bike shoes on- they are not T1/T2 friendly, glove glasses and helmet and got going. Total time 3:55- hello sucky. But I have to take it for what it was- slow, cold fingers & gear not designed for fast transitions.
On to the bike. I quickly passed a bunch of guys and settled in for the first couple of miles. There was only one technical section- a very narrow stretch with trees on either side of the trail, and while there were some sandy sections, staying on the edge of the trail meant fast riding. Very soon, I was at the first real technical section- a half mile storm cut filled with a mix of packed and loose sand. The cut was about 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide- so single file and slow as the first 200 yards were slightly uphill through loose sand. That was a leg sucker for sure, but spinning in a small gear made it passable. Once I cleared that section I passed a couple more guys and hit the second storm cut- this was much easier since it was muddy and slightly down hill. Having time on the course the day before really worked since I knew where I could hammer and where I needed a bit more control. I quickly finished the first lap and started on the second. There were fewer folks on the start of the second lap and I did pass a couple. There were a couple of times in the single file storm cuts where slower riders actually hopped of their bikes to let me pass- which again highlights the cool & relaxed vibe of Xterra racing. Before long I was back at transition having ridden a solid bike.
Bike time 57:40 (1 minute 25 seconds faster then last year). T2 was fast, although I am not used to taking shoes off. If this Xterra thing gets more serious I will be investing in better tri specific racing shoes. T2 time 0:49.
Heading out on the run is crazy- within the first 100 yards you are in the woods dodging obstacles. This is not a trail run, instead it is a run through woods, swamps, streams, sand and lots and lots of low hanging trees, stumps and other assorted debris. Up and down some short be steep ridges. I felt relaxed, got passed by one guy, but passed a couple of others. Before long I emerged from the woods and had a quick out and back loop to complete the race. I crossed the finish line in 1:42:20 in 25th place overall and 5th in my AG. The time and place is better than last year (1:44:00, 41st OA and 10 in my AG). And my run was faster too- 25:24 for the 3.5 miles of mud, sand and lots of scrapes on my arms & legs.
I am happy with the day- Xterra is just crazy fun. And I am racing another one in mid may...
This year I decided I wanted to camp at the race- both because it was free & it meant I could pre ride the bike course - which had some changes on Saturday. This was my second time camping for a race-last year I camped before HITS and I loved the experience. The weather forecast for Saturday Night was relatively nice- about 40 degrees and no rain. So after spending the morning with the Smith Kids, I packed up my gear and drove down to the Jersey Shore to the race.
Once I arrived I picked up my packet and set up my tent. The weather was gorgeous - about 70 degrees and sunny. Perfect for a couple of laps of the bike course. The course is pretty flat, but very sandy and has a couple of technical sections that are very narrow. So after a first easy lap, I opened up a bit and rode at 90% of race pace for the second lap. I wanted to get a sense of challenge spots at speed and bookmark them in my mind as to what line would work best. The plus side is the course was free of rock gardens. Now I like rock gardens, but for a 2 loop race they can be a nightmare since they often serve as choke points and crashes.
After riding two laps I decided to shut it down and get some food. The camp we raced and stayed out is a Boys Scout camp and has rudimentary facilities including showers. However they were cold water showers. So after riding I took a very cold shower and then drove into town for dinner. I ended up finding a burger bar and had my usual- plain burger with sweet potatoes and a beer. The food was okay, but they had Curious Traveler Shandy on Tap. Pretty cool summer beer. If I wasn't racing I might have stayed for a while...
Once I got back to the camp, the race organizer had set up a dvd player and we watched the 2012 Xterra World Championships from Maui. One of the guys racing with us had raced there a couple of years ago so it was really cool to chat with him about the experience. I definitely want to race in Maui someday- perhaps do a Hawaii Double- Kona & Maui...
As it got dark I went to my Tent and very quickly fell asleep. I woke up a couple of time- once I was sweating, but given that this was a pre race sleep I was pretty happy. I got a good night sleep and felt great compared to Friday. My plan was to wake by 6 and rack my bike then prep for the day. As usual I woke up early and ended up having my bike racked by 5:50. I did not lay out my gear- just racked the bike and decided to pack up my tent. Why wait for post race. As camping goes this was a great success- easy setup & tear down, good warm sleep and relaxed & ready for race day.
As the sun came up, the air temp really warmed- I think by race start it was 60+, which race start was 9 AM. For a lot of road Tri's, 9 AM is the start of Awards so Xterra is definitely more relaxed! I got my gear set- I decided to wear my Sparta Tri One Piece tri suit, no socks but I did decide to wear gloves. Not sure if I needed the gloves or not, but I felt great on the ride and run in just the tri suit.
About 8:30 I got into my wetsuit. I am definitely leaner this year- my weight is about 168 vs 175 last year and putting on my wetsuit I noticed that it was a bit easier to zip down. I use a Blue Seventy Helix which zips from the neck down to the back (most wetsuits zip up). And it can be a pain to get the zipper aligned at your neck and zip down. Being a few pounds lighter meant it was a bit easier to zip down. I am right in the weight range for my suit- 165-180 so it was definitely not loose, but sure did feel good. Once I was suited up, I walked the 1/4 to the water and did a quick warm up swim. While the water was cold- about 60 degrees, it was much warmer than last year. Plus the lake was full- last year the lake was only half full meaning we walked most of the swim and the water temp was below 50...
After a couple of safety briefs, we sang the National Anthem Boston Bruin style- acapella. I love the National Anthem and singing it is very cool to start a race. And then the 3,2,1 horn and we were off. The course was supposed to be an 800 meter swim, with 2 400 meter loops. It was definitely long- at least 1000 meters, likely a bit longer but we all had to swim on the same course so it was fine. The first loop was a washer machine for sure and the second was pretty close to the first. I felt very good in the water- swam easy and had no issues. I exited the water in the main pack. Garmin time out of the water was about 13:00
Official Swim Time was 14:31 including the 1/4 mile run to T1.
T1 Sucked. My hands were numb and I could not get the wetsuit over my feet- A guy in my bike row did a quick pull for me- which was very cool. I got my mtn bike shoes on- they are not T1/T2 friendly, glove glasses and helmet and got going. Total time 3:55- hello sucky. But I have to take it for what it was- slow, cold fingers & gear not designed for fast transitions.
On to the bike. I quickly passed a bunch of guys and settled in for the first couple of miles. There was only one technical section- a very narrow stretch with trees on either side of the trail, and while there were some sandy sections, staying on the edge of the trail meant fast riding. Very soon, I was at the first real technical section- a half mile storm cut filled with a mix of packed and loose sand. The cut was about 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide- so single file and slow as the first 200 yards were slightly uphill through loose sand. That was a leg sucker for sure, but spinning in a small gear made it passable. Once I cleared that section I passed a couple more guys and hit the second storm cut- this was much easier since it was muddy and slightly down hill. Having time on the course the day before really worked since I knew where I could hammer and where I needed a bit more control. I quickly finished the first lap and started on the second. There were fewer folks on the start of the second lap and I did pass a couple. There were a couple of times in the single file storm cuts where slower riders actually hopped of their bikes to let me pass- which again highlights the cool & relaxed vibe of Xterra racing. Before long I was back at transition having ridden a solid bike.
Bike time 57:40 (1 minute 25 seconds faster then last year). T2 was fast, although I am not used to taking shoes off. If this Xterra thing gets more serious I will be investing in better tri specific racing shoes. T2 time 0:49.
Heading out on the run is crazy- within the first 100 yards you are in the woods dodging obstacles. This is not a trail run, instead it is a run through woods, swamps, streams, sand and lots and lots of low hanging trees, stumps and other assorted debris. Up and down some short be steep ridges. I felt relaxed, got passed by one guy, but passed a couple of others. Before long I emerged from the woods and had a quick out and back loop to complete the race. I crossed the finish line in 1:42:20 in 25th place overall and 5th in my AG. The time and place is better than last year (1:44:00, 41st OA and 10 in my AG). And my run was faster too- 25:24 for the 3.5 miles of mud, sand and lots of scrapes on my arms & legs.
I am happy with the day- Xterra is just crazy fun. And I am racing another one in mid may...
Sunday, April 21, 2013
A week I don't think I will ever forget.
Much has been written, shared, filmed and posted about the terrorist attacks on the Boston Marathon and the subsequent capture of the remaining scum who did this. This post might be a bit of that, but more about what it means to me, what I and my friends have done and will continue to do.
First I have never run Boston. I am a triathlete so Kona is my nirvana and I will qualify sooner rather than later to finish on Ali'i drive. But I understand what Boston is to runners- heck I want to race at Boston just because I love running too. And more importantly my Mom is a multi Boston finisher & Super Sherpa and my Step Dad have spectated multiple times RIGHT AT THE Place the bombs went off. So while they weren't there this year (glad mom needed surgery for a meniscus tear), it hits home, close. Furthermore I had 4 friends running- One who absolutely Crushed the course, PR'd by 8 minutes and ran a 3:24. She and two others are fellow RtB wimps, plus she is a Van Won wimp so that makes it even cooler. I am proud of her accomplishment and feel so bad at the same time- an 8 Minute PR at the most Iconic Marathon in the world coupled with a terrible senseless attack. How dare those terrorists ruin what she worked so hard for. Instead of celebrating, we grieve for the loss of life and life changing injuries.
I also had another RtBer who had a bit of different day. She is a great running- put her on a road and she can run forever. 50 miles in 20 degree temps- no problem. She is a multiple Boston finisher and this year was one where she was a nursing an injury but it is "the race" so she toed the line. Like many, I was tracking my runners as they hit the timing mats along the storied course. And one by one they crossed the line. And my last runner was just about there. All of sudden I got an alert on my phone via my Eurosport app (which gives great cycling coverage) that there was a bomb explosion at the Boston Marathon. Immediately I turned on the TV, checked FB and Twitter and started getting updates. Quickly my first 3 runners were able to post they were safe, but Runner number 4 was MIA. What followed was a 20 minute stretch of fear and concern that she could have been in the maelstrom. Thankfully there were some posts on FB reporting that she was okay- in fact she ended up in a stranger's apartment (well after what happened, strangers became lifesavers) in dry clothes drinking a beer. Time to do a quick happy dance.
Later in the day, Super Sherpa and I had a good phone call. Simply chatting about the day made me feel better & I hope she as well. Having her with me on my greatest days is nothing short of special. Seeing your family on course as you race is such an uplifting experience, and my sherpa does it so well (BTW she is a 10 time marathon finisher and my RtB Captain so she has some Serious running chops). Last Monday cut way to close for us- she has been there and there are big races on the 2013 schedule.
Okay enough of Monday- what did I do following the attacks? Well there was a huge Facebook groundswell that Tuesday was wear a race shirt to work to show solidarity and support to our fellow runners and spectators who had been attacked. What I chose was my Super Sunday 4 Miler shirt from Super Hero Events. My logic was those brave folks who ran towards the bombs to help are superheros.
What I also did was use the Charity Miles app to give back as much as I could based on runs, rides and walks for the Achilles Foundation and Wounded Warrior. Both groups focus on helping people who have been injured, especially amputees, lead normal lives and compete. If you don't have charity miles and your walk, ride or run please download it now. It is free and effortless to use.
Here is the link http://www.charitymiles.org/ Please do it now. It is worth it.
Lastly the best way to beat terrorism is head on- terrorist attack to create fear. So to fight back, I raced on Saturday- well I race almost every weekend, but this saturday was a bit more special- an FU to those who use fear and violence instead of brains. I ran in my local 10k- a race I have done for the last 3 years. The course is definitely not my favorite- lots of turns and a long one mile climb at mile 5. The race director is my least favorite RD. But when the gun fires (took him 3 times to get it right...) it is go time. The first 2 miles are slightly downhill and I let it hang out. I ended up doing an 11:25 for the first 2 and then averaged a 6:18 a mile pace. While the last mile sucked- uphill into a head wind, I felt strong and finished in a 39:06- 7th OA and 1st in my AG (my 6th podium of the year and 3rd AG Win- THANK YOU Spinervals). And crossing another finish line means we win. Terrorists lose. And I am racing next weekend too- Saturday and Sunday. So We win again. Not just USA, but everyone around the world who values freedom.
First I have never run Boston. I am a triathlete so Kona is my nirvana and I will qualify sooner rather than later to finish on Ali'i drive. But I understand what Boston is to runners- heck I want to race at Boston just because I love running too. And more importantly my Mom is a multi Boston finisher & Super Sherpa and my Step Dad have spectated multiple times RIGHT AT THE Place the bombs went off. So while they weren't there this year (glad mom needed surgery for a meniscus tear), it hits home, close. Furthermore I had 4 friends running- One who absolutely Crushed the course, PR'd by 8 minutes and ran a 3:24. She and two others are fellow RtB wimps, plus she is a Van Won wimp so that makes it even cooler. I am proud of her accomplishment and feel so bad at the same time- an 8 Minute PR at the most Iconic Marathon in the world coupled with a terrible senseless attack. How dare those terrorists ruin what she worked so hard for. Instead of celebrating, we grieve for the loss of life and life changing injuries.
I also had another RtBer who had a bit of different day. She is a great running- put her on a road and she can run forever. 50 miles in 20 degree temps- no problem. She is a multiple Boston finisher and this year was one where she was a nursing an injury but it is "the race" so she toed the line. Like many, I was tracking my runners as they hit the timing mats along the storied course. And one by one they crossed the line. And my last runner was just about there. All of sudden I got an alert on my phone via my Eurosport app (which gives great cycling coverage) that there was a bomb explosion at the Boston Marathon. Immediately I turned on the TV, checked FB and Twitter and started getting updates. Quickly my first 3 runners were able to post they were safe, but Runner number 4 was MIA. What followed was a 20 minute stretch of fear and concern that she could have been in the maelstrom. Thankfully there were some posts on FB reporting that she was okay- in fact she ended up in a stranger's apartment (well after what happened, strangers became lifesavers) in dry clothes drinking a beer. Time to do a quick happy dance.
Later in the day, Super Sherpa and I had a good phone call. Simply chatting about the day made me feel better & I hope she as well. Having her with me on my greatest days is nothing short of special. Seeing your family on course as you race is such an uplifting experience, and my sherpa does it so well (BTW she is a 10 time marathon finisher and my RtB Captain so she has some Serious running chops). Last Monday cut way to close for us- she has been there and there are big races on the 2013 schedule.
Okay enough of Monday- what did I do following the attacks? Well there was a huge Facebook groundswell that Tuesday was wear a race shirt to work to show solidarity and support to our fellow runners and spectators who had been attacked. What I chose was my Super Sunday 4 Miler shirt from Super Hero Events. My logic was those brave folks who ran towards the bombs to help are superheros.
Here is the link http://www.charitymiles.org/ Please do it now. It is worth it.
Lastly the best way to beat terrorism is head on- terrorist attack to create fear. So to fight back, I raced on Saturday- well I race almost every weekend, but this saturday was a bit more special- an FU to those who use fear and violence instead of brains. I ran in my local 10k- a race I have done for the last 3 years. The course is definitely not my favorite- lots of turns and a long one mile climb at mile 5. The race director is my least favorite RD. But when the gun fires (took him 3 times to get it right...) it is go time. The first 2 miles are slightly downhill and I let it hang out. I ended up doing an 11:25 for the first 2 and then averaged a 6:18 a mile pace. While the last mile sucked- uphill into a head wind, I felt strong and finished in a 39:06- 7th OA and 1st in my AG (my 6th podium of the year and 3rd AG Win- THANK YOU Spinervals). And crossing another finish line means we win. Terrorists lose. And I am racing next weekend too- Saturday and Sunday. So We win again. Not just USA, but everyone around the world who values freedom.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
A great training weekend (plus a race...) & Paris Roubaix
Originally I had two races on the schedule this weekend. Saturday was a Sprint Duathlon and Sunday was a 15K hard running race. Early last week following L'Enfer D'Hunterdon I decided that two max effort days back to back would likely not be great for me so I decided that Saturday would be a training ride and Sunday would be the race. There were a couple of factors in making this decision:
1) I have raced two Duathlons this year- so I will get a ranking in the annual USAT ranking system for Du.
2) Sunday was a chance to race with my mom, dad and super awesome Iron Sherpa sister. We have all raced together in the past- but never all 4 of us so this was a race I did not want to miss. Plus my mom is recovering from a Meniscus repair and this was her first race back.
3) Giving up the race on Saturday meant I could do a training ride with one of my Spinervals team members- although it also meant giving up racing with another Spinervals team member.
So Saturday became the training ride and sunday the 100% effort race (all of my races leading to IMLP are part of my training).
The weather planned for Saturday morning was supposed to be warmish (at least for spring)- north of 50. Yeah weatherman suck. When we started the temps were about 35 & when we finished about 2 hours later they were around 40. I however was dressed for closer to 50. My team member, Chrissy Brooks lives on Long Island so not much for hills. She said she wanted to get some practice on hills since we are both racing the 70.3 at Rev3 Quassy and IMLP. Both courses are know to be hilly so I was happy to join her at Harriman State Park north of NYC. If you have ever driven north along the Palisades you will know near Bear Mountain things get very bumpy with lots of ridges and steep climbs. Chrissy and I certainly climbed our share- roughly 1660 ft. Good day to work on spinning up the ramps. Here is a link to my Strava ride profile for the day:
http://app.strava.com/activities/47531552
Sunday dawned a bit windy although slightly warmer for race day. After an easy drive to the Atlantic Highlands, I got to the race site and did the packet pickup. This race is a 700 point race so it attracts folks chasing points in the USATF-NJ long distance running campaign since it counts more. Plus the team I run for- Clifton Road Runners competes in the team portion so definitely a day you want to run hard. However IndianTrails is not flat or easy. The run a couple of hills that make you question why you rolled out of bed- but hills on the bike for Saturday and hills on the run for Sunday- perfect for IMLP. And channeling last week's epic ride- there were several dirt & gravel sections. The gravel sections were heavy gravel- similar to running in sand. During the climbs I reminded myself to bank this for the sucky parts of LP. IM racing is physical and mental. Overall I ran well- the first 5K in 19:56 (which only had one climb) the second 5K was slower - about 21:13- but some significant ramps and loose gravel. The third 5 K was about 20:01- total time was 1:01:12. 4th in my AG and about 610 points for my USATF-NJ LDR campaign.
http://my-finish.com/results.php?timer_id=6&race_id=226201301&bib_number=3297#.UWHO6BmbXzU
As I mentioned my mom, stepdad and sister were also racing. My Sister and stepdad finished within seconds of each other (IM Sherpa has just started her 2013 training for Reach the Beach). And my mom finish 1st in her AG in her first race back from minor knee surgery. And I got to run my mom in from about .3 miles out- very cool.
Lastly I am relaxing on the couch watching Paris Roubaix. I so wish cycling was on TV more than fishing or auto racing or basketball or hockey (and I like hockey) or infomercials or 90% of the news magazines that take up channel space. But the Hell of the North is epic so nice to enjoy a beer or two watching the greatest single day bike race.
1) I have raced two Duathlons this year- so I will get a ranking in the annual USAT ranking system for Du.
2) Sunday was a chance to race with my mom, dad and super awesome Iron Sherpa sister. We have all raced together in the past- but never all 4 of us so this was a race I did not want to miss. Plus my mom is recovering from a Meniscus repair and this was her first race back.
3) Giving up the race on Saturday meant I could do a training ride with one of my Spinervals team members- although it also meant giving up racing with another Spinervals team member.
So Saturday became the training ride and sunday the 100% effort race (all of my races leading to IMLP are part of my training).
The weather planned for Saturday morning was supposed to be warmish (at least for spring)- north of 50. Yeah weatherman suck. When we started the temps were about 35 & when we finished about 2 hours later they were around 40. I however was dressed for closer to 50. My team member, Chrissy Brooks lives on Long Island so not much for hills. She said she wanted to get some practice on hills since we are both racing the 70.3 at Rev3 Quassy and IMLP. Both courses are know to be hilly so I was happy to join her at Harriman State Park north of NYC. If you have ever driven north along the Palisades you will know near Bear Mountain things get very bumpy with lots of ridges and steep climbs. Chrissy and I certainly climbed our share- roughly 1660 ft. Good day to work on spinning up the ramps. Here is a link to my Strava ride profile for the day:
http://app.strava.com/activities/47531552
Sunday dawned a bit windy although slightly warmer for race day. After an easy drive to the Atlantic Highlands, I got to the race site and did the packet pickup. This race is a 700 point race so it attracts folks chasing points in the USATF-NJ long distance running campaign since it counts more. Plus the team I run for- Clifton Road Runners competes in the team portion so definitely a day you want to run hard. However IndianTrails is not flat or easy. The run a couple of hills that make you question why you rolled out of bed- but hills on the bike for Saturday and hills on the run for Sunday- perfect for IMLP. And channeling last week's epic ride- there were several dirt & gravel sections. The gravel sections were heavy gravel- similar to running in sand. During the climbs I reminded myself to bank this for the sucky parts of LP. IM racing is physical and mental. Overall I ran well- the first 5K in 19:56 (which only had one climb) the second 5K was slower - about 21:13- but some significant ramps and loose gravel. The third 5 K was about 20:01- total time was 1:01:12. 4th in my AG and about 610 points for my USATF-NJ LDR campaign.
http://my-finish.com/results.php?timer_id=6&race_id=226201301&bib_number=3297#.UWHO6BmbXzU
As I mentioned my mom, stepdad and sister were also racing. My Sister and stepdad finished within seconds of each other (IM Sherpa has just started her 2013 training for Reach the Beach). And my mom finish 1st in her AG in her first race back from minor knee surgery. And I got to run my mom in from about .3 miles out- very cool.
Lastly I am relaxing on the couch watching Paris Roubaix. I so wish cycling was on TV more than fishing or auto racing or basketball or hockey (and I like hockey) or infomercials or 90% of the news magazines that take up channel space. But the Hell of the North is epic so nice to enjoy a beer or two watching the greatest single day bike race.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Why I use Spinervals - Beside the fact they work.
So for you folks that read my Blog, I thought giving a bit of how I got into the sport and more importantly the reason I use Spinervals.
I have been racing Triathlons for 4 years and have completed all of the major distances- Sprint to Ironman. I did my first race at the Jerseyman Sprint and immediately was hooked- as many of us are after we cross that first finish line. In my first year I ended up racing a total of 9 races- 7 sprint, 1 Olympic and 1 70.3 and based on that experience I decided to train for my first Ironman in 2011 at Beach2Battleship. As part of my training build for B2B, I started using Spinervals to support my Winter training. I distinctly remember the first time the video called for a standing 39/15 rep- you know time to run on the pedals. The thought running through my mind was this is crazy hard. But soon I grew to love my Spinervals DVD's and the value they provided in improving my bike split. At B2B I road a 5:35 for the 112 miles- thanks in no small part to spinervals (and a tail wind the last 30 miles). My experience with Spinervals took a great turn with the introduction of the 2011 32Day Challenge and the creation of the Spinervals Cyclist page on Facebook. Now we had a focused training block and a group of likeminded crazy folks to share our training success, challenges and perspective. The 2012 season for me was a great success- I finished my second Ironman- this time IM NYC. My Spinervals FB friends tracked and posted my race day performance- it was such an amazing experience for me to read through after that race to know my training buddies were so invested in the race with me!
Now heading in the race season for 2013 my training has been going great. Coach Troy offered a bigger 32 Day challenge program which has directly translated into results for me. My FTP is up 30 watts, I have PR'd in a Half Marathon, Won my AG in on Duathlon, and finished 3rd in another. And have plans to race with a bunch of the Spinervals team at various different places this year. My goal race this year is Ironman Lake Placid. I will be doing the Spinervals LP training camp as a way to get some great experience on the course before race day. And I am using Coach Troy's 16 week IM plan to ensure I am in the absolute peak performance on race day.
My favorite spinervals workouts are 33- pain cave, OTR Lake Placid, 39 ABB at 10K & my first #6 the Zoot Challenge.
I have been racing Triathlons for 4 years and have completed all of the major distances- Sprint to Ironman. I did my first race at the Jerseyman Sprint and immediately was hooked- as many of us are after we cross that first finish line. In my first year I ended up racing a total of 9 races- 7 sprint, 1 Olympic and 1 70.3 and based on that experience I decided to train for my first Ironman in 2011 at Beach2Battleship. As part of my training build for B2B, I started using Spinervals to support my Winter training. I distinctly remember the first time the video called for a standing 39/15 rep- you know time to run on the pedals. The thought running through my mind was this is crazy hard. But soon I grew to love my Spinervals DVD's and the value they provided in improving my bike split. At B2B I road a 5:35 for the 112 miles- thanks in no small part to spinervals (and a tail wind the last 30 miles). My experience with Spinervals took a great turn with the introduction of the 2011 32Day Challenge and the creation of the Spinervals Cyclist page on Facebook. Now we had a focused training block and a group of likeminded crazy folks to share our training success, challenges and perspective. The 2012 season for me was a great success- I finished my second Ironman- this time IM NYC. My Spinervals FB friends tracked and posted my race day performance- it was such an amazing experience for me to read through after that race to know my training buddies were so invested in the race with me!
Now heading in the race season for 2013 my training has been going great. Coach Troy offered a bigger 32 Day challenge program which has directly translated into results for me. My FTP is up 30 watts, I have PR'd in a Half Marathon, Won my AG in on Duathlon, and finished 3rd in another. And have plans to race with a bunch of the Spinervals team at various different places this year. My goal race this year is Ironman Lake Placid. I will be doing the Spinervals LP training camp as a way to get some great experience on the course before race day. And I am using Coach Troy's 16 week IM plan to ensure I am in the absolute peak performance on race day.
My favorite spinervals workouts are 33- pain cave, OTR Lake Placid, 39 ABB at 10K & my first #6 the Zoot Challenge.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)