Lake Stevens 70.3

Lake Stevens 70.3 – July 2007

This race came exactly 6 weeks after IM Brazil. I signed up for the race with expectations to qualify for the 70.3 Champs in Clearwater, FL. I made the decision to race here instead of racing the Desert Half in Osoyoos (slot for IM Canada) because I had weaseled my way into IM Louisville (the same day as Canada). Alright enough back story…needless to say I had high hopes and had no idea where my 70.3 racing fitness was…

Swim:
It would have been nice to have a sleeveless suit, since the water was mid 70s, but oh well. Wave start so there wasn’t too many people around and I started in the front. I saw three guys in front of me and I tried to latch on, but they were too fast, so I settled in. There an underwater rope marking the course, but didn’t help me, just made me swim with a cockeyed position. I don’t sight very often and swim pretty straight, so I kept doing that. I was all alone, again, swimming. I came in 5th place for my AG. A 28:53 swim, not that stellar, but whatever.

T1:
I have no idea how I only took 1:04 in T1! The mats must be placed funny or something, some of my swim time must be in T1…

Bike:
Rolling hills with a few punchy (my new favorite word to describe short steep climbs) climbs. A smart rested racer would go out easy on the first loop of two knowing that the rollers become mountains as you tire… I wasn’t smart, but I was rested! Great bike course, great mix of terrain and scenery. There were a couple super fast descents that made the punchy climbs worth it. I had a fast first lap, around 1:12/13, but I fell apart and my legs were jello already starting the second lap… Finished the bike in 2:32:46, I wanted sub 2:30, so I was happy considering my lack of consistency on the bike since Brazil.

T2:
Standard crap here. Put on socks and ran out in 1:13. I had less to do here, but took longer than T1, go figure!

Run:
The fun begins. Before the race I was telling folks that the second half of the run would be my Achilles heel. I knew I could keep pace to the mid-point. Something around 7/7:15 was my plan. Sure enough I got just past half way and the wheels started to fall off. Self-fulfilling prophecy? Maybe. What. Ever. Anyway, I passed a group of people running pretty close to my pace, several lifted theirs to follow me. I drifted off pace and latched onto them for a bit. Then somewhere past mile 7 I found a Headhunter girl that was running my 7:15ish pace and latched onto her. I told her I was going to be off her shoulder and if it annoyed her I can step back a bit, but she said it was fine and good to have someone with her. I kept with her, I wanted to quit so bad, until the little climb on the last out back where I lost pace. I caught back up to her just before she went left for the second lap and I went right for the finish. It was only then did I tell her that I was done…didn’t want to ruin her race, but I did tell her I’ll buy her a beer when she finished. I kept my promise and delivered her a beer. She was stoked and had a good race too. I ran a 1:35:13, PR by almost 10 minutes! I’m super happy with my run. It seems I can get into that uncomfortable pace for a Half and stay there…but not for an IM…I’ll need to work on that.

I finished 3rd AG which was good enough to get a spot to Clearwater out right, no roll down! Stoked. 4:39:07 was my final official time. I say official because I had 4:37:27 on my watch, which was ironically the exact time as the person in 2nd in my AG. I believe that since there was no chip “check” when we receive our chips that he got mine and I got his…our number were very similar… Oh well, I checked with the officials and everything checked out…

Time to relax a bit and then get prepared for Clearwater on November 19th, 2007!

Check out some photos…

http://www.brightroom.com/go.asp?21540103

The ones where I am laughing eating Endurolytes is when Puskas starts yelling at me to run up to Heather Fuhr and spank her ass as I pass her…