IM RSA Race Report (1 of 2)

As I was nearing the end of my run I was thinking about the mistakes I made during the race.  This helped me push to the finish with a strong last couple kilometers.  So, below, is a list of top 10 mistakes people can make before/during an IM.  I've answered them to see how many I made, not as many as I thought, which is nice, but the ones I did make, made a difference.

1) OVERTRAINING 
 Didn’t make this mistake, as I was not looking forward to tapering and I was “low” on volume for this build.  

(2) POOR DIET 
50/50 here.  I have been much better since when I first arrived in the UAE, but it can always be better.  At least I am not eating fried foods anymore and more veg.

(3) IMPROPER FINAL WEEK PREPARATION 
This was good. I did fly in late, but there was only 2 time zone difference and that was favorable for me going -2 hours (East to West).

(4) IMPROPER PRE-RACE HYDRATION 
Good here too.  I carried my water bottle around, not drinking too much and keeping the pee clear.

(5)  IMPROPER RACE-EVE PREPARATION 
Got the swim/bike done early, bike check in was later due to the large cue.  However, while checking in my bike I picked up a thorn, flat rear tubular.  Very unhappy about this as it was getting dark and I needed to get food and get off my feet.  I took it to the bike guys, they fixed it while I went and bought the last tubie at the Expo.  Pretty stressful, because now I thought I needed and extra spare for special needs.  The bike guys said they would have some in the morning if I wanted to get another.  They didn’t, but would be on the course if I did need help.  I didn’t but I thought my front was leaking the whole time.  The roads are super rough here.  Like uneven chip seal, makes Wildflower chip seal feel like butter!  It was good that my tyres were slightly under inflated.  They recommend 23mm, my 19mm Contis might have made it rougher than need be.  In addition, it might have been wise to wear the compression socks during the bike leg to battle the jarring road and reduce leg fatigue. 

(6) POOR SWIM STRATEGY 
Two loop counterclockwise swim in a rectangular shape.  The sea was relatively flat compared to the days prior.  The swells were a bit large, but the sea was calm, if that makes sense.  With largish swells it made finding the giant triangle buoy 700m away difficult sometimes, requiring several sight attempts or head up swimming.  Not that big of a deal, but going out slightly too fast in the first 300m was.  First lap was a bit fast for what I thought I should be doing, so I settled down for the second. 

(7) MISTAKES IN TRANSITION 
No mistakes here and right around 2 minutes for each considering a longish route through T1/T2.  I did complimented on the best sunburn so far coming off the bike!  I’m not really burnt, as it doesn’t feel bad right now.

(8) GOING OUT WAAAAY TOO FAST ON THE BIKE 
Relax!! But, I didn’t…    I pretty much didn’t believe my PowerTap for the first lap…bad idea.  I reset it everyday before the race and again in the first lap.  However, it was right and I paid for it on the second lap.  It was just so easy, I mean disgusting easy for the watts, but it was the speed that was low, which is why I didn’t believe it.  No one was passing me really, but still.   Shortly before the first lap was over, my legs were hurting.  Knowing that is was in for a long day if that kept up I relaxed and went in and out drafting people.  They were really strict, so it was mostly legal.  It was hard to go fast on the really rough section, which was almost 30km long.  Enter the second lap, I was feeling better picking up speed, nutrition going well, but stomach ache every drink.  It took me until then to discover I had shorted myself 50cal/hour.  Each bottle contained 28oz water with 250cal, needed 300cal.  So, I drank a lot of water, never peed.  I had one gel and that made the pains go away and my new bottles much have been slightly more concentrated (special needs – 3 new bottles) because those were less painful to drink.  I was also drinking water every 20km at the aide stations…which I maybe I shouldn’t have, but I still didn’t pee, so I guess I needed the water.  

Question:  Comparing someone coming from cold to race in hot vs. going from hot to race in hot; given they both drink 28oz of water/hour during the bike...who is going to pee more?  Rather, why didn't I pee drinking that much water?  

(9) ABSOLUTELY NO RUN PLAN 
I planned to run 5min/km, which is a 3:30.  I really believed with my training this time around I could do this.  My heart rate was near 150 the whole bike, and stayed there for the run.  I slowed down after the first 4:30min km, felt really slow which gave me confidence.  I quickly lost it as my legs were not coming around after 10km.  Loops really suck when you aren’t in it mentally.  I was down on nutrition from the bike, but was keeping on target for the run.  Somewhere around 20km I wanted to quit, but Jen wouldn’t let me.  I was feeling very fatigued, but she said I looked fine.  I never did find a good excuse to quit, nor did I find a good one to keep going.  Again, I lost the mental battle.  Of course in hindsight, I could have been 5^th in AG if I would have walked less and maybe ran into 4^th… It's over and done with now.     

(10) ABSOLUTELY NO EATING-DRINKING PLAN FOR THE RUN 
I had a plan, it just didn’t involve being down calories on the bike…  The last 10km I tried to see how much coke was too much.  I drank coke every two kilometers, and was fine, so that’s good news.  I also think I could have run a much quicker marathon if I could get my head in the game.  I really didn’t want to finish injuring myself, as my Achilles bothered me off and on lately, for France. 

By the numbers:

SWIM                 56:54

BIKE                  5:12:24

RUN                  4:09:03

OVERALL           10:22:59

OV RANK           60^th

AG                    6^th

I am happy with my swim/bike (both PRs) and obviously dissapppoited with my run.  Guess what I will be working on fro France?  Although I have said that I am working on my run for 4 IMs now...  Thanks to Jen for not letting me quit.  I would have regretted it big time, she gently reminded me of that.  Thank you everyone from afar cheering, ringing cow bells and whatever else, it was much appreciated. 

IMAZ 2008 Race Report

I've read a few reports as I tempt to write mine. There are a whole lot of gusty people on my team, and I rarely feel like one of them. Seems like everyone pushed harder than I, but I guess that is mindset I have. However, I refused to let the last 10k be a "self fulfilling prophecy" of meltdown like EVERYONE always says will happen. My meltdown came earlier...more on that later. I am also making this as positive a report as possible and not complaining or adding caveats to my issues. It is what it is, everyone is in the same boat.

So, here's how it went down:

I woke up the earliest I have ever @ 3:50am to get to the Waffle House and eat. I had two pancakes (chocolate chips and pecan). I ordered two eggs, but they were late, so I didn't have time to eat them. Also had some coffee. Back to the hotel and showered, sunscreened, dressed and grabbed my special needs bags and water bottle. I arrived at the scene around 5am, dropped off my bike nutrition on my bike, then my special needs bike/run bags. Dropped off my visor in my T2 bag I wore the day before. Oh, SPF 45+ with zinc oxide on my buzzed head kept it from burning allday, other parts were unlucky... I had minor freakout as soon as I realized that my PowerTap computer (I removed from bike when I dropped it off so no one would steal it) was in my backpack, on Jen's back...but where was Jen? I ran out of transition and found her right away. I could have spent the next 30mins looking for, that would have not been good. Took some deep breaths and recovered. Rolled back into the bike corral to wetsuit up, applying Body Glide to the appropriate spots and dropping off my morning clothes. Saw Jen again as I was headed to the swim, one last kiss for good luck.

The swim confused me at the start. I didn't know right away where to enter the water and swim the 200m to the water start, but it was right by the bike corrals, so that was good. Once in the water, the nerves jacked up on me. I swam an easy 200m to the start and floated there as the pros went off and we waited another 15mins for our start. There were guys in front of me saying they were 50min swimmers, so I stayed behind them, since I had only planned on 55. The gun went off and what happened? I swam over those fuckers! Pissed and swimming with my head up, so not to get kicked for a bit, finally got open water and settled in. Never really found any feet to hang with. But, whatever, no worries. Finished in 58mins and change, 1:33/100m. Not where I wanted, and I know why...
1)Haven't used the wetsuit since July '07
2) Swim consistency was not there this prep period.

T1: Longer than usual run to bags made for a long transition

I love cyclocross! I jumped on my bike cross stylie and totally got cheers as I passed several people throwing a leg over at a time...silly triathletes! So, off and running, while biking into the a nice breeze for the next 5h30mins... Yes, it was blowing a little hard. I was prepared for it. Spent 4 hours in equally fierce headwinds in Lompoc. However, the difference was I wasn't racing then, so single digit speeds were acceptable.

Duration: 5:37:21 (20mph)
Work: 4221 kJ
TSS: 274.2 (intensity factor 0.699) --> IF should have been closer 75%
Norm Power: 217
VI: 1.04
Cadence: 75 --> Kind of low, even for me

My goal was 5 hours on a day with half the wind. I dialed it back early, I really wanted to run this race well. I was 8 watts from my goal average of 225. My last lap was supposed to be 235. I spent the vast majority of Beeline at 235 into the wind. The downhill, with tailwind I was conserving energy and went 200. I think this was a good plan, just not the fastest plan. I had tightness in the glutes I've never experienced on this bike before that was hampering my power in aero. Sitting up too much cost me time, but produced higher watts, not optimal. The best part f the bike was puking on myself just like the baby in the E*Trade commercials!!! Brilliant! I tried to cough and I puked on my shoulder. Good thing I had water and not malto mix to rinse off with. I was unable to get enough water at the start of each lap, as the aid stations were further apart and beginning lap 1 and 3 I had 2 bottles of malto and no room for extra water. I enjoy straying water on my thighs and back in hotter weather, its nice. No cramping issues on the bike, just couldn't get enough water, wind was drying my mouth out too much. Eyes got pretty dry, they should have had a Ben Stien and Clear Eyes aid station!!! I might have stopped...

Aero helmet was not too hot, new shoes were good, Zipp 808s were fine as well as the tires. I should replace the rear before I race again in May. Gear choice of inner ring 44 was fine for AZ, it actually came in hand with the slight uphills in headwind. I was able to keep watts on target, yet not grind the 54 and still keep a decent speed than if I was using a 39. It would have been nice to have 55 for the downhill though.

T2: Off the bike, legs felt fine. I had my 4 Hammer gel Raspberry, coin purse with Thermolytes (150mg sodium per capsule), compression socks scrunched up in my shoes (with pull toggles). The volunteers out numbered athletes here, which is awesome and they are helpful, but the guy helping me uncoiled my sock, not costly, but annoying. In the photos you can see me fumbling with my coin purse and thermolytes as I ran out of T2. I ran a fast 7min mile and then slowed to 8ish... for a couple and my HR was still around 157, just into Z3. I wanted high Z2, which it finally came down to later.

The course was three big loops, which I broke into 6 smaller loops - a 3ish and a 5ish loop. The 5ish loop was not a fun loop. Lots of direction changes, curbs and surface changes made for difficult pacing. I made it two small loops and one 5ish loop before the wheels started to fall off. Nutrition was off a bit. I finished three hammer gels before half, missed one. The next 8ish miles were tough, I went up, I went down. Running from the eastern most bridge to the western most was good and fast with a tail wind and through the crowds, but after that it was tough. Lots of concrete and headwind. I ate three more hammer gels with caffeine an coke every once and awhile. Every aid station was sponges on shoulders, water, ice, water. The ice either went on the thigh under the shorts or in the back jerseys pocket on the left side (where the back ached a bit on the bike). I had a good plan for the heat in ice and water, worked well. Visor was fine, zinc oxide is my friend for a bald head. Thermolytes were every hour or when I felt cramping in my quad. When you reach mile 20-21-22-23 you still feel really far away from the finish and it was hard to pick it up because of that. You were still on the other side of the "lake" and is wasn't until 24 did you cross over and start to hit the crowds. Apparently I was running in 15th in my AG. Wish I would have known, maybe I could have pushed a bit harder to catch some folks. I ended up 18th, my best IM AG placing to date.


What would I do differently?
1) Remember to sunscreen my forearms better/more. The got pretty burnt.
2) Push the bike more, but that's has an unknown consequence. I saw what happen to those who did, I just think I had more on the bike. Increasing my cadence from 75 would help.
3) Use gel flask instead of gel packets for run
4) Run harder in the latter stage from 13-20...I didn't let myself fade late, I faded earlier...nutrition maybe.

All in all, it was a success, now that I have thought about it more. Best AG placing (18th), PR'd the marathon (3:46) for the fourth time in a row - helps when your first is 4:22... and all that in those conditions!

My hat is off every Ironhead who battled hard on that day...some lost, some won, some slept under a tree...but we are all better and stronger and hopefully more wise. Our collective better is better than "your" better!

Thanks to all of my family (Mom, Dad, brother and sister) and Jen for making the trip - the best cheerleaders with airhorns - love you guys! My brother Nick is 4 for 4 on my IM races... lets see if he gets over to Europe/Asia/Africa for my next one!

Photos can be seen here: http://www.asiorders.com/go.asp?31254420

Mid 30's and Raining...

Ain't life grand? Nothing like having the biggest bike week of your IM build to date and the weather wants nothing to do with it!!!

In other news, I ran the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon on sunday. Wasn't too bad, and I am not terribly sore. I started out too fast, with only 300 people and reviewing last years times, I knew I could start up front, so i did. I knew I had to let the fast guys go, but it was hard and my HR was in check. And of course my PE was fine at the start! After missing the first mile marker I got the split at 2, 12:20 something...whoops. My plan of 6:45 and then drop to 6:30 at some point wasn't working very well. The next few miles were settling in about 6:30/35 and HR was still in check ~165. Then comes mile 6-7-8, the hardest miles of a half, i think. PE was creeping up and legs were getting heavier. I missed mile 8 and hit my split at 9...14:20ish...crap I was running 7:10!!! I think my HR had dropped to 158 at that point (must have drifted off and lost concentration). Upon further review, mile 8-9 was long. So I picked it up as the 3rd place women passed me. Back to 6:45 were i stayed until 11 at which point I began to pick it up further. Mile 12 was 6:30 and mile 13 was 6:15 passing a current Ironhead and ex-Ironhead on my way to a 1:27:15 PR. The goal was 1:25, so i was close. I am pleased with the performance considering I am still not 100% with the adductors and low ab issues.