Friday, September 17, 2010
It is official - Ironman Wisonsin 9/11/2011
Well I have done it. I have signed up for my second Ironman triathlon. This time I am heading west to Wisconsin. This is going to be a great time. The first time IM jitters will be gone. My triathlon club (Annapolis Triathlon Club or ATC) has 20 members signed up for the race. I have a year to prepare and unlike last year when training for IM Florida, I will have plenty of training partners.
Monday, September 13, 2010
2010 Nations Triathlon - You have to love the rain!
Well after 21 days with no rain, Mother nature decided she would let the rain come down on Sunday September 12th. The weather reports called for light rain and when I woke up at 4am and it was pouring, I was a bit surprised.
I was driving down to the race with Gus Curtin and we got downtown about 5:30am and had no trouble finding parking. We walked over to transition and started to hear the announcer telling everyone to expect more rain. About 6am the rain started. It poured for about 1/2 hour and made the transition area a muddy mess. As we stood there waiting for the rain to stop it was fun to meet several racers from other parts of the country. I was also thinking to myself that I must be crazy standing here in the rain at 6am waiting to punish my body for the next 3 hours. It would have been easy to not race, especially since my training has been very spotty this summer. I have been pretty busy with work and the training has suffered. But I was there and I was going to race!
The Swim
The swim was pretty uneventful. The staging area for the swim was better organized this year with signs marking the wave times and swim cap colors. The race was delayed by 25 minutes because of the rain, so my wave started about 8:25am. Since the water temp. was 75 degrees it was a wetsuit legal race.
I entered the water and started to tread water waiting for the start. I was a bit concerned because my wrist was still sore from my fall on the bike last week. As I was treading water my wrist was starting to hurt and I thought I was in for a long day. The horn blew and we were off. I took a few strokes and tried to find a clear path to swim. As many triathletes know, sometimes the swim is like a boxing match. I was determined to find a clear path and keep away from elbows and fists. At about 100 meters my goggles started to fill with water. Not a lot of water but enough to slosh around my eyes. I decided not to stop and just kept moving forward.
The swim course had the best markers I have ever seen in a race. The course was marked every 100 meters and the markers must have been 5 feet off the water. It was great to know exactly how much further you had to go. As I made the turn at the 600 meter mark the swim course got much more crowded. I just stayed to the outside and kept a nice calm pace. My wrist was doing ok and my breathing was in check. I was actually feeling pretty good!
I made the last turn with 100 meters to go to the finish and now it was an all out slug fest. People were punching and pulling at my legs and just flat out banging. It made for an interesting finish.
I exited the water and checked my watch and I was about a minute faster than last year and felt pretty good. I then started on the loooong run to transition. It had to be 200 yds of running on the street, wet grass and then the slippery mud. I saw Tucker Hite and Jeff Jacobsen as I exited the swim and their wave hadn't even started yet. I also saw Ashley Halsey standing in a prime spot for picture taking. All in all I was pleased with my swim.
The Bike
With the rain and the warnings about standing water on the bike course, I made the decision to be a bit more conservative out on the bike. I do have to work and provide for my family and the last thing I need is to get injured. I am a big guy and when big guys fall, we fall hard. Heck, I almost broke my wrist falling in a parking lot! After all we do this for fun right?
I actually had to carry my bike out of my row because of the mud and standing water. I made the run to the bike exit and onto the bike course and I was off.
The bike course was different this year with more slow turns. The pouring rain didn't make it any easier. I do not like riding in the rain and I wasn't really paying attention to my speed. I was watching my cadence and trying to watch the road ahead. I was wearing clear lenses in my riding glasses and the water was just dripping off. I was trying to ride on the right and avoid any standing water and potholes. At about 3 miles I saw the first of probably a dozen people with flat tires. I don't know why but there were a bunch of flat tires.
The rain was coming down pretty hard for the first 15 miles. It was also pretty breezy. The worst part of riding in the rain is the spray from the other bikes around you. I just kept my head up trying to clear my glasses every few minutes. The new bike course seemed to spread the riders out more. With the weather conditions as they were, the other riders were pretty considerate. This was not my fastest bike ride but I was pleased I finished without a flat and up on two wheels. My avg. speed came to 19.2 mph. Not as fast as some of the crazy ATC crabs (Glenn, Jeff & Lise), but fast enough for me.
The Run
I am not going to write much about the run. The run for me is more like a jog. I tried to keep a nice even pace and not worry about everyone passing me (I am used to that now). The run course was also different this year and I really liked it. We ran the first two miles on the street and right around the Washington Monument. We then entered West Potomac Park for the last 4 miles. It was a pretty flat run and nicely supported.
I was wearing the new ATC bike jersey and I had more people yelling support than at any race I have done. I heard "Go Maryland" and "Go Terps" at least 20 times on the run. I didn't mind as I am a proud Terp. I think the new look was very well received.
I have been trying not to focus so much on my time in races this year and just enjoy the race. Even though my time was slower this year I enjoyed the run. Lise flew past me and so did Susan near the finish, but I was glad to see them doing so well and looking strong. As I approached the finish I saw Ashley again with his camera and I tried to smile for a picture. The crowd was great and again heard the "Go Maryland" loud and clear. I had a nice strong push to the finish.
After the finish I started looking for the ATC tent. I found the tent and saw Glenn, Gus, Kate and Steve. I immediately signed up for a massage and went to look for some food. (Unfortunately I was not able to get a massage since Glenn took so long) :)
This was my second Nations triathlon and I thought this years race was better organized even with the rain and the delay. But this is a BIG race with a lot of people. I am going to skip the race next year, but I will be back to do it again.
I was driving down to the race with Gus Curtin and we got downtown about 5:30am and had no trouble finding parking. We walked over to transition and started to hear the announcer telling everyone to expect more rain. About 6am the rain started. It poured for about 1/2 hour and made the transition area a muddy mess. As we stood there waiting for the rain to stop it was fun to meet several racers from other parts of the country. I was also thinking to myself that I must be crazy standing here in the rain at 6am waiting to punish my body for the next 3 hours. It would have been easy to not race, especially since my training has been very spotty this summer. I have been pretty busy with work and the training has suffered. But I was there and I was going to race!
The Swim
The swim was pretty uneventful. The staging area for the swim was better organized this year with signs marking the wave times and swim cap colors. The race was delayed by 25 minutes because of the rain, so my wave started about 8:25am. Since the water temp. was 75 degrees it was a wetsuit legal race.
I entered the water and started to tread water waiting for the start. I was a bit concerned because my wrist was still sore from my fall on the bike last week. As I was treading water my wrist was starting to hurt and I thought I was in for a long day. The horn blew and we were off. I took a few strokes and tried to find a clear path to swim. As many triathletes know, sometimes the swim is like a boxing match. I was determined to find a clear path and keep away from elbows and fists. At about 100 meters my goggles started to fill with water. Not a lot of water but enough to slosh around my eyes. I decided not to stop and just kept moving forward.
The swim course had the best markers I have ever seen in a race. The course was marked every 100 meters and the markers must have been 5 feet off the water. It was great to know exactly how much further you had to go. As I made the turn at the 600 meter mark the swim course got much more crowded. I just stayed to the outside and kept a nice calm pace. My wrist was doing ok and my breathing was in check. I was actually feeling pretty good!
I made the last turn with 100 meters to go to the finish and now it was an all out slug fest. People were punching and pulling at my legs and just flat out banging. It made for an interesting finish.
I exited the water and checked my watch and I was about a minute faster than last year and felt pretty good. I then started on the loooong run to transition. It had to be 200 yds of running on the street, wet grass and then the slippery mud. I saw Tucker Hite and Jeff Jacobsen as I exited the swim and their wave hadn't even started yet. I also saw Ashley Halsey standing in a prime spot for picture taking. All in all I was pleased with my swim.
The Bike
With the rain and the warnings about standing water on the bike course, I made the decision to be a bit more conservative out on the bike. I do have to work and provide for my family and the last thing I need is to get injured. I am a big guy and when big guys fall, we fall hard. Heck, I almost broke my wrist falling in a parking lot! After all we do this for fun right?
I actually had to carry my bike out of my row because of the mud and standing water. I made the run to the bike exit and onto the bike course and I was off.
The bike course was different this year with more slow turns. The pouring rain didn't make it any easier. I do not like riding in the rain and I wasn't really paying attention to my speed. I was watching my cadence and trying to watch the road ahead. I was wearing clear lenses in my riding glasses and the water was just dripping off. I was trying to ride on the right and avoid any standing water and potholes. At about 3 miles I saw the first of probably a dozen people with flat tires. I don't know why but there were a bunch of flat tires.
The rain was coming down pretty hard for the first 15 miles. It was also pretty breezy. The worst part of riding in the rain is the spray from the other bikes around you. I just kept my head up trying to clear my glasses every few minutes. The new bike course seemed to spread the riders out more. With the weather conditions as they were, the other riders were pretty considerate. This was not my fastest bike ride but I was pleased I finished without a flat and up on two wheels. My avg. speed came to 19.2 mph. Not as fast as some of the crazy ATC crabs (Glenn, Jeff & Lise), but fast enough for me.
The Run
I am not going to write much about the run. The run for me is more like a jog. I tried to keep a nice even pace and not worry about everyone passing me (I am used to that now). The run course was also different this year and I really liked it. We ran the first two miles on the street and right around the Washington Monument. We then entered West Potomac Park for the last 4 miles. It was a pretty flat run and nicely supported.
I was wearing the new ATC bike jersey and I had more people yelling support than at any race I have done. I heard "Go Maryland" and "Go Terps" at least 20 times on the run. I didn't mind as I am a proud Terp. I think the new look was very well received.
I have been trying not to focus so much on my time in races this year and just enjoy the race. Even though my time was slower this year I enjoyed the run. Lise flew past me and so did Susan near the finish, but I was glad to see them doing so well and looking strong. As I approached the finish I saw Ashley again with his camera and I tried to smile for a picture. The crowd was great and again heard the "Go Maryland" loud and clear. I had a nice strong push to the finish.
After the finish I started looking for the ATC tent. I found the tent and saw Glenn, Gus, Kate and Steve. I immediately signed up for a massage and went to look for some food. (Unfortunately I was not able to get a massage since Glenn took so long) :)
This was my second Nations triathlon and I thought this years race was better organized even with the rain and the delay. But this is a BIG race with a lot of people. I am going to skip the race next year, but I will be back to do it again.
Monday, June 28, 2010
2010 Dragonfly Sprint - Chestertown, MD....Another hot one without a wetsuit!
Well another triathlon is finished. This was my 15th. The more sprint races I do the more I like them. Once again the conditions were HOT, HOT, HOT! Saw (and met) some ATC members pre and post race. Got to meet Tor's wife and hang out a bit after the race with him and his family. Also so Brie on her comeback tour, Lara and Natalie and a couple of others from Annapolis. Also met another racer from Edgewater that had been thinking of joining ATC but just a little nervous about coming to a group bike or T3 etc. For all you new members reading this, start coming to some of the ATC training rides, meetings and especially the group open water swims. The open water swims have done the most to help me over the past year. You will meet some great people and you will improve! On to the race.....
THE SWIM
The water temp. was over 80 degrees, so no wetsuit. There was some confusion about this with the Clydesdale division, but I decided from the beginning to not wear my wetsuit. I am getting better and better swimming in the open water WITHOUT a wetsuit. That crutch we all use (know as a wetsuit) is easier to get rid of the more and more I swim in the open water. This was a pretty fast, short swim. It was basically a swim to a buoy, a quick turn around and back to the swim exit. There was a bit of a current going out. Once again I started out a bit to fast and had to slow to get my HR down on the way out. I calmed down made the turn and then started moving to the swim finish with the current helping me along. I actually passed a bunch of people on the return leg, which for me is a bit unusual. I need to give a shout out to David Wendkos. During my last OWS he pointed out a flaw in my stroke and once I remembered to do what he told me, I actually felt much smoother in the water and was definitely moving quicker. I need to practice a bit more, but thanks Dave!! I finished in about 15 minutes, but cost myself at least a minute when I slowed down. I was still very happy with my time.
Leaving the water we had to a climb up a ladder out of the water and run 50yds run to transition. Since my feet are still recovering from the blisters I got doing Eagleman I had placed some Crocs near the swim exit for my run to transition. I'm glad I did! I got to transition and made a quick getaway on the bike. Without having to get out of a wetsuit, transition was a breeze.
THE BIKE
The bike was a fairly flat 8.1 miles out, turn around and come 8.1 miles back. There were a couple of small hills but nothing to worry about. The ride was much like Lums Pond. There was a headwind on the way out. That wind was at our back after the turn around and I really picked up some time on the return leg. At about 7.5 miles the first racer came past me on his return leg. I counted 26 other racers before I made the turn around. There were several groups of riders (I'm sure none were drafting) but I was alone. After I made the turn around I wanted to catch some of those guys (and girls). I was able to catch and pass (7) riders during the last eight miles. It felt great because I am usually the one being caught and passed. I don't know my "official" pace but I finished right about 50 minutes on the bike. I felt very good coming off the bike but now the fun was going to start.
THE RUN
So first the good news. I was able to run the entire race with no pain! No new blisters and no cramping. The bad news(at least for me) is I am still a terribly slow runner. I was watching my HR on the run since it was so hot. My heart rate kept getting up there and my watch was beeping like crazy. So I did have a couple of stretches that I slowed down to get my HR in check. It was a short run with no shade and a small hill at the turn around. As usual I had a bunch of people pass me on the run. I don't like it, but I have come to accept that my ancestors were not runners. I must have come from a flat footed tribe of slow pokes. For me finishing the run, actually running, is a victory. I finished the run in about 34 minutes which is slower than I wanted, but I was in fact running and not walking across the finish line. I did see Brie, Tor, Lara and Natalie (as she sprinted past me) on the run. And while we all were hot, non of us gave up.
My overall time goal was 1:45 and I finished in 1:43:36. I was hoping for a top 3 finish in my division since the big name Clydesdale (Glenn Atewell & Jeff Jacobson) would be absent. I was able to finish 2nd in the Clydesdale division, which may never happen again. My wife and daughter were able to come to the race but missed my finish. They are used to me pulling up the rear of the field and by the time they got to the finish line I was already done. They thought I had gotten injured or something when they didn't see me at the usually 2 hour mark.
This was a fun race. I had forgotten how much fun the sprint races can be. And not having to pre rack your bike or race against 1500 others was nice. This race will definitely be on my list for next year.
THE SWIM
The water temp. was over 80 degrees, so no wetsuit. There was some confusion about this with the Clydesdale division, but I decided from the beginning to not wear my wetsuit. I am getting better and better swimming in the open water WITHOUT a wetsuit. That crutch we all use (know as a wetsuit) is easier to get rid of the more and more I swim in the open water. This was a pretty fast, short swim. It was basically a swim to a buoy, a quick turn around and back to the swim exit. There was a bit of a current going out. Once again I started out a bit to fast and had to slow to get my HR down on the way out. I calmed down made the turn and then started moving to the swim finish with the current helping me along. I actually passed a bunch of people on the return leg, which for me is a bit unusual. I need to give a shout out to David Wendkos. During my last OWS he pointed out a flaw in my stroke and once I remembered to do what he told me, I actually felt much smoother in the water and was definitely moving quicker. I need to practice a bit more, but thanks Dave!! I finished in about 15 minutes, but cost myself at least a minute when I slowed down. I was still very happy with my time.
Leaving the water we had to a climb up a ladder out of the water and run 50yds run to transition. Since my feet are still recovering from the blisters I got doing Eagleman I had placed some Crocs near the swim exit for my run to transition. I'm glad I did! I got to transition and made a quick getaway on the bike. Without having to get out of a wetsuit, transition was a breeze.
THE BIKE
The bike was a fairly flat 8.1 miles out, turn around and come 8.1 miles back. There were a couple of small hills but nothing to worry about. The ride was much like Lums Pond. There was a headwind on the way out. That wind was at our back after the turn around and I really picked up some time on the return leg. At about 7.5 miles the first racer came past me on his return leg. I counted 26 other racers before I made the turn around. There were several groups of riders (I'm sure none were drafting) but I was alone. After I made the turn around I wanted to catch some of those guys (and girls). I was able to catch and pass (7) riders during the last eight miles. It felt great because I am usually the one being caught and passed. I don't know my "official" pace but I finished right about 50 minutes on the bike. I felt very good coming off the bike but now the fun was going to start.
THE RUN
So first the good news. I was able to run the entire race with no pain! No new blisters and no cramping. The bad news(at least for me) is I am still a terribly slow runner. I was watching my HR on the run since it was so hot. My heart rate kept getting up there and my watch was beeping like crazy. So I did have a couple of stretches that I slowed down to get my HR in check. It was a short run with no shade and a small hill at the turn around. As usual I had a bunch of people pass me on the run. I don't like it, but I have come to accept that my ancestors were not runners. I must have come from a flat footed tribe of slow pokes. For me finishing the run, actually running, is a victory. I finished the run in about 34 minutes which is slower than I wanted, but I was in fact running and not walking across the finish line. I did see Brie, Tor, Lara and Natalie (as she sprinted past me) on the run. And while we all were hot, non of us gave up.
My overall time goal was 1:45 and I finished in 1:43:36. I was hoping for a top 3 finish in my division since the big name Clydesdale (Glenn Atewell & Jeff Jacobson) would be absent. I was able to finish 2nd in the Clydesdale division, which may never happen again. My wife and daughter were able to come to the race but missed my finish. They are used to me pulling up the rear of the field and by the time they got to the finish line I was already done. They thought I had gotten injured or something when they didn't see me at the usually 2 hour mark.
This was a fun race. I had forgotten how much fun the sprint races can be. And not having to pre rack your bike or race against 1500 others was nice. This race will definitely be on my list for next year.
Monday, June 14, 2010
2010 Eagleman 70.3 race report...can you say tough!
Well I finished my first Eagleman 70.3. I was the last Clydesdale (over 200lbs) to finish. My unofficial time was 8:09:48. Of the approximate 2500 entrants, only 1558 finished. I don't know if all 2500 started the race, but over 900 people didn't finish! So, even though my time was nowhere near my personal goal, I am happy I finished. Of the 15 triathlons I have completed this was the toughest. Even tougher than Ironman Florida I completed in November.
Swim
Well the day started off with a big twist. No wetsuits allowed! For many people this caused great angst. For me my wetsuit is like my security blanket. I know I don't really need it, but I like to have it for the swims because I know if I run into a problem it will help me stay afloat. The swims are faster with a wetsuit, so I knew my swim time would be slower than I planned. I no longer fear swimming in open water. I still get a bit nervous but I have really learned to relax before the swims and not start out too fast. This race was no different.
We had to enter the water at a boat ramp and swim out about 50 yds in between two walls. Well let me tell you, that was worse than any swim start. The bumping and hitting each other was crazy in my swim wave. Once we cleared the boat ramp I found a nice clear spot near the back and just waited for the horn.
The horn blew and 248 swimmers in my wave were off. I was about 10 minutes into the swim when I realized I wasn't moving very fast. The current was strong. It was like swimming on a treadmill. I kept looking for the first yellow marker and thinking to myself "is the marker moving". Once I passed the first two yellow markers I started looking for the orange turn bouy at the approximate 1/2 mile mark. Well I would like to make a request to the race organizer. Please don't use a swim cap that is the same color as the turn buoy! My cap was orange so every time I looked I could see 100 orange things bobbing in the water. Eventually I could see the first turn buoy so I just kept swimming and breathing. I reached the 2nd turn buoy and finally thought I would have the current push me back to the finish. Didn't happen! I still kept swimming and breathing and staying calm and relaxed. At that 2nd turn I did see several people walking in the water. While I was going to keep swimming, I knew that if I needed to, I could stand. I finally could see the swim exit and the people cheering. I also started to have leg cramps. I guess without a wetsuit you use your legs more and when I stood up to exit, the muscles in my legs just tightened up. I am by no means an expert swimmer, far from it. If I could give anyone some advice about open water swimming it would be to stay calm and relaxed. Although my time wasn't great, I was pleased to have done my longest open water swim without a wetsuit.
Total swim time 53:06
T1 time 2:45 slow by some standards but good for me.
Bike
I had ridden the bike course a couple of weeks ago and had a nice 3hr ride. When I came out of transition I knew I needed to stay hydrated. My swim time had been about ten minutes slower than anticipated and I was already a bit dehydrated. What I realize now, that I didn't realize during the race, was that the effort to swim without the wetsuit took more out of me than I had imagined.
The first 30 miles of the ride were pretty uneventful except for the near collision with a squirrel at about 5 miles. I tell my clients all the time that if you are driving and an animal runs in front of you it is always better to hit the animal than to swerve off the road and crash and hit a tree. Well the same rule applies on a bike. When that squirrel ran in front of me I had a split second to swerve or hit the squirrel. I was not going to swerve. That fast little squirrel had some quick moves and and came about 4 inches from having his life ended by a 250lb Clydesdale on triathlon bike.
On the bike I was trying my best to keep drinking fluid and eating. Around 40 miles or so I started to feel the effects of the heat and the wind. The effects of the heat and wind didn't hit me all at once, but seemed to be a cumulative effect. I noticed my speed and cadence were slowing. It was at this point I was wishing I had my drafting buddy (Michael Marvin) in front of me to give me break. My legs were hurting and could start to see the sunburn on my arms (I did use sunscreen but not enough). This is the start of the next mental phase of my race. The wind was really in my face now and I just put my head down and kept grinding on the peddles. About this time I saw Jeff Jacobsen fly past me on the bike. He was going strong and it actually help me. I started to pick up my pace a bit. I wanted have strong finish to the bike. The last 5 miles were a blur. I was feeling a bit light headed and needed some cold water. I was also starting to have a blister form on the bottom of my left foot. This has been a problem for me and I really need to find a fix. My bike time was slower than I was hoping, but I finished.
Bike time 3:17:02
t2 9:59 really slow, but let me explain.
My t2 was a perfect example of what not to do. First of all, I was was not able to run my bike in transition. I just felt really light headed and hot. I had planned to take my time and make sure I had Vaseline on my feet and I wanted to put dry socks on. I have a blistering problem in the longer races and was hoping this would help. I was seeing sun burn so I reapplied my sun screen. I also needed to pee. I mean really bad. But I went the wrong direction to the port a potty and had to backtrack. Then after the port a potty I tried to wash my hands (why I don't know) and for some reason rubbed my eye. Well I don't know if it was sunscreen or soap but I couldn't see. I came stumbling out of the john and had to walk back to my transition area to get my towel to try and clear my eyes. The entire time there was a volunteer yelling at me that I was going the wrong way.
This is when I really thought about withdrawing from the race. I was right next to guy who had just done so. I was hot, queasy and had sunscreen burning in my eyes. It is the closest I have ever come to giving up. I actually sat down on the ground. In that moment, I thought about my daughter tracking me online. I was thinking that I could not let her see me give in. I at least had to start the run. If I could not finish the run that would be ok, at least I tried. So with that I was off to the run. All that happened in 9:59.
Run
I left transition to head out for the run and heard and saw Ashley and Ellen. Thanks guys! I was still pretty hot and not feeling that good. I ran about 1/2 mile and needed to walk to get me heart rate down and cool down. I run with a water bottle and I did pour the water on my head but it didn't help much. I started to run again but every time I started to run I would get queasy and and nauseous. When I hit the 2nd aid station they had crackers. I had four crackers and within 5 minutes started to feel a bit better. I was getting water and ice at every chance I could. The neighborhood around the race was incredible. Several parties were going on and the homeowners had their hoses out to spray and cool the racers down. When I got the first "hose down" it really helped. At about 2.5 miles you leave the neighborhood and enter what I would call "death valley". My dreaded blister had formed at this point and I was now walking more than running. I saw Glenn Atwell about this time heading back and asked him how far to the turn around. His response was "I don't know but it is pretty far". I knew I was in trouble.
It was HOT, HOT, HOT. I had to mentally shift from finish in under 7 hours, to just finishing. I knew I had 8:30 to finish the race and I figured even if I had to limp my way back to the finish, I would finish. I had no idea how much the heat can take out of you. I had at least one water bottle at every water stop and my legs were still cramping. I was starting to feel light headed again so I ended up eating some bananas and cookies at the aid stations. I made the 6.5 mile turn around and new I would finish under the cutoff. On the way back I saw Michael Marvin and Fletcher Bauman. We were all suffering the same fate. Heat and cramping. I kept my head down and just kept moving forward.
At mile 8 another problem crept up on me. The insole of my left shoe kept bunching up and pushing on the arch of my foot. I had to take my shoe off every 100yds to fix the insole. After the 10th time I finally just took the insole out and kept walking with an ill footing shoe. I don't know what is going on with my feet and shoes, but I need to get this worked out.
I had planned to try and run (or jog slowly) for the last three miles. Well that didn't work. Every time I started to pick up the pace, my entire lower body would cramp up. So I just kept walking as fast as I could. With about 1/2 mile to go Michael Marvin caught up to me. He was able to walk at a faster pace than me and he went ahead. Finally with about a 1/4 mile to go the blister on my left foot popped and I had a pain shoot up my foot that stopped me right on the spot. I though I might have to hop across the finish line. I was determined to run across the finish line! So I came into the chute to the finish line and I heard the announcer talking about a finisher right before me that had been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer one year earlier. Incredible. Well I managed to run across the line and as I hit the timing mat my legs cramped again and I was done.
Run time 3:45:58
I'm glad I did the race and glad I finished. But this a was tough, tough race. A heat index of 101 is hot. I was not prepared for the how the hot conditions would affect me. I treat every race as a learning experience. And this was no different. I should have eaten more and did a bit more run training. The racers that do this race in 4-5 hours are incredible! Not sure I will do this race next year but I am happy to be able to check the "finished" box on my "bucket" list.
Swim
Well the day started off with a big twist. No wetsuits allowed! For many people this caused great angst. For me my wetsuit is like my security blanket. I know I don't really need it, but I like to have it for the swims because I know if I run into a problem it will help me stay afloat. The swims are faster with a wetsuit, so I knew my swim time would be slower than I planned. I no longer fear swimming in open water. I still get a bit nervous but I have really learned to relax before the swims and not start out too fast. This race was no different.
We had to enter the water at a boat ramp and swim out about 50 yds in between two walls. Well let me tell you, that was worse than any swim start. The bumping and hitting each other was crazy in my swim wave. Once we cleared the boat ramp I found a nice clear spot near the back and just waited for the horn.
The horn blew and 248 swimmers in my wave were off. I was about 10 minutes into the swim when I realized I wasn't moving very fast. The current was strong. It was like swimming on a treadmill. I kept looking for the first yellow marker and thinking to myself "is the marker moving". Once I passed the first two yellow markers I started looking for the orange turn bouy at the approximate 1/2 mile mark. Well I would like to make a request to the race organizer. Please don't use a swim cap that is the same color as the turn buoy! My cap was orange so every time I looked I could see 100 orange things bobbing in the water. Eventually I could see the first turn buoy so I just kept swimming and breathing. I reached the 2nd turn buoy and finally thought I would have the current push me back to the finish. Didn't happen! I still kept swimming and breathing and staying calm and relaxed. At that 2nd turn I did see several people walking in the water. While I was going to keep swimming, I knew that if I needed to, I could stand. I finally could see the swim exit and the people cheering. I also started to have leg cramps. I guess without a wetsuit you use your legs more and when I stood up to exit, the muscles in my legs just tightened up. I am by no means an expert swimmer, far from it. If I could give anyone some advice about open water swimming it would be to stay calm and relaxed. Although my time wasn't great, I was pleased to have done my longest open water swim without a wetsuit.
Total swim time 53:06
T1 time 2:45 slow by some standards but good for me.
Bike
I had ridden the bike course a couple of weeks ago and had a nice 3hr ride. When I came out of transition I knew I needed to stay hydrated. My swim time had been about ten minutes slower than anticipated and I was already a bit dehydrated. What I realize now, that I didn't realize during the race, was that the effort to swim without the wetsuit took more out of me than I had imagined.
The first 30 miles of the ride were pretty uneventful except for the near collision with a squirrel at about 5 miles. I tell my clients all the time that if you are driving and an animal runs in front of you it is always better to hit the animal than to swerve off the road and crash and hit a tree. Well the same rule applies on a bike. When that squirrel ran in front of me I had a split second to swerve or hit the squirrel. I was not going to swerve. That fast little squirrel had some quick moves and and came about 4 inches from having his life ended by a 250lb Clydesdale on triathlon bike.
On the bike I was trying my best to keep drinking fluid and eating. Around 40 miles or so I started to feel the effects of the heat and the wind. The effects of the heat and wind didn't hit me all at once, but seemed to be a cumulative effect. I noticed my speed and cadence were slowing. It was at this point I was wishing I had my drafting buddy (Michael Marvin) in front of me to give me break. My legs were hurting and could start to see the sunburn on my arms (I did use sunscreen but not enough). This is the start of the next mental phase of my race. The wind was really in my face now and I just put my head down and kept grinding on the peddles. About this time I saw Jeff Jacobsen fly past me on the bike. He was going strong and it actually help me. I started to pick up my pace a bit. I wanted have strong finish to the bike. The last 5 miles were a blur. I was feeling a bit light headed and needed some cold water. I was also starting to have a blister form on the bottom of my left foot. This has been a problem for me and I really need to find a fix. My bike time was slower than I was hoping, but I finished.
Bike time 3:17:02
t2 9:59 really slow, but let me explain.
My t2 was a perfect example of what not to do. First of all, I was was not able to run my bike in transition. I just felt really light headed and hot. I had planned to take my time and make sure I had Vaseline on my feet and I wanted to put dry socks on. I have a blistering problem in the longer races and was hoping this would help. I was seeing sun burn so I reapplied my sun screen. I also needed to pee. I mean really bad. But I went the wrong direction to the port a potty and had to backtrack. Then after the port a potty I tried to wash my hands (why I don't know) and for some reason rubbed my eye. Well I don't know if it was sunscreen or soap but I couldn't see. I came stumbling out of the john and had to walk back to my transition area to get my towel to try and clear my eyes. The entire time there was a volunteer yelling at me that I was going the wrong way.
This is when I really thought about withdrawing from the race. I was right next to guy who had just done so. I was hot, queasy and had sunscreen burning in my eyes. It is the closest I have ever come to giving up. I actually sat down on the ground. In that moment, I thought about my daughter tracking me online. I was thinking that I could not let her see me give in. I at least had to start the run. If I could not finish the run that would be ok, at least I tried. So with that I was off to the run. All that happened in 9:59.
Run
I left transition to head out for the run and heard and saw Ashley and Ellen. Thanks guys! I was still pretty hot and not feeling that good. I ran about 1/2 mile and needed to walk to get me heart rate down and cool down. I run with a water bottle and I did pour the water on my head but it didn't help much. I started to run again but every time I started to run I would get queasy and and nauseous. When I hit the 2nd aid station they had crackers. I had four crackers and within 5 minutes started to feel a bit better. I was getting water and ice at every chance I could. The neighborhood around the race was incredible. Several parties were going on and the homeowners had their hoses out to spray and cool the racers down. When I got the first "hose down" it really helped. At about 2.5 miles you leave the neighborhood and enter what I would call "death valley". My dreaded blister had formed at this point and I was now walking more than running. I saw Glenn Atwell about this time heading back and asked him how far to the turn around. His response was "I don't know but it is pretty far". I knew I was in trouble.
It was HOT, HOT, HOT. I had to mentally shift from finish in under 7 hours, to just finishing. I knew I had 8:30 to finish the race and I figured even if I had to limp my way back to the finish, I would finish. I had no idea how much the heat can take out of you. I had at least one water bottle at every water stop and my legs were still cramping. I was starting to feel light headed again so I ended up eating some bananas and cookies at the aid stations. I made the 6.5 mile turn around and new I would finish under the cutoff. On the way back I saw Michael Marvin and Fletcher Bauman. We were all suffering the same fate. Heat and cramping. I kept my head down and just kept moving forward.
At mile 8 another problem crept up on me. The insole of my left shoe kept bunching up and pushing on the arch of my foot. I had to take my shoe off every 100yds to fix the insole. After the 10th time I finally just took the insole out and kept walking with an ill footing shoe. I don't know what is going on with my feet and shoes, but I need to get this worked out.
I had planned to try and run (or jog slowly) for the last three miles. Well that didn't work. Every time I started to pick up the pace, my entire lower body would cramp up. So I just kept walking as fast as I could. With about 1/2 mile to go Michael Marvin caught up to me. He was able to walk at a faster pace than me and he went ahead. Finally with about a 1/4 mile to go the blister on my left foot popped and I had a pain shoot up my foot that stopped me right on the spot. I though I might have to hop across the finish line. I was determined to run across the finish line! So I came into the chute to the finish line and I heard the announcer talking about a finisher right before me that had been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer one year earlier. Incredible. Well I managed to run across the line and as I hit the timing mat my legs cramped again and I was done.
Run time 3:45:58
I'm glad I did the race and glad I finished. But this a was tough, tough race. A heat index of 101 is hot. I was not prepared for the how the hot conditions would affect me. I treat every race as a learning experience. And this was no different. I should have eaten more and did a bit more run training. The racers that do this race in 4-5 hours are incredible! Not sure I will do this race next year but I am happy to be able to check the "finished" box on my "bucket" list.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Nanticoke Sprint Triathlon May 2, 2010 Race report!
My 2010 race season started on Sunday May 2, 2010 with the Nanticoke Sprint Triathlon. I did this race 2 years ago and at the last minute decided to do it in 2010.
I arrived early for the race since this is the only race I have done that does not have assigned spaces to rack your bike. I wanted to get a good spot and I did. When I got there the wind was blowing, it was cold and the waves were huge.....
Ok, the weather and conditions were great, it just sounds tougher if the conditions are bad.
I eventually saw Gus Curtin. It is always nice to see a familiar face and have someone to talk with when you are by yourself at a race. I also met Brian (new crab), his brother and another friend. Wearing the ATC race jersey makes it easy to find some friends. Anyway onto the race.
Swim
The water and conditions were really pretty good. Nothing like it was two years ago when there were waves rolling in. Pretty flat water and about 65 degrees. I am a slower swimmer in a pool and it seems to always take me a while to get going at a decent pace. This race was no different and when you add 75 men in a narrow channel it can get physical. The swim out to the turn around would have seemed pretty straight forward but the channel is pretty narrow so on the way out we actually encountered the first wave coming back to the swim exit. So I had about 100 yds I had to swim with my head up to avoid a collision. Once I made the turn around I had the same problem with the wave after me heading towards me. So I again was swimming with my eyes ahead of me. Once I got to about 30o yds to go I was able to get into a nice groove and pass a bunch of other swimmers. I am sure I had a negative split on the 2nd half of the swim. Even with the oncoming swimmers it was still a decent swim and nothing like my swim the first time I did the race 2 years ago. Swim time 18:08
Bike
This is a flat fast course. I have grown to really like the bike leg of the races. I have also spent a bunch of time on the trainer this year hoping to improve my cycling. I felt great on the bike and after about a mile or so just put my head down, kept my cadence up and just peddled as fast as I could. There was a bit of wind on a couple of sections but nothing to bad. My goal was to try and complete the bike in under 45 minutes. I was close to that but I also got past the elusive 20mph barrier in a race. Bike time 45:07 @ 20.2mph
Run
Awe yes, the run. The fear of every big man. I have been working at getting faster on the run. I have very modest running goals, less than 10 minutes per mile. I came off the bike and was having some cramping in my calves and it took a few minutes to get loosened up. The run was pretty flat but there was no shade. As Gus mentioned in his report the sun was out. Yes you can get a sunburn in only 30 minutes of running. I have a red ring around the top of my head (were the visor didn't cover) to prove this. I saw Gus on his return loop of the run and he was moving! I normally get passed by a bunch of people during the run and this race was no different. But I did finish at a 9:55 pace. That is slow by many standards, but for this 41 yr old 250lb man it was a blistering pace. Run time 29:43
Total race time 1:37:03
Overall I am glad I did the race and I was pleased with my result. I took off over 25 minutes from my total time from two years ago and I felt much better after the race. For the first race of the year it felt great!
I arrived early for the race since this is the only race I have done that does not have assigned spaces to rack your bike. I wanted to get a good spot and I did. When I got there the wind was blowing, it was cold and the waves were huge.....
Ok, the weather and conditions were great, it just sounds tougher if the conditions are bad.
I eventually saw Gus Curtin. It is always nice to see a familiar face and have someone to talk with when you are by yourself at a race. I also met Brian (new crab), his brother and another friend. Wearing the ATC race jersey makes it easy to find some friends. Anyway onto the race.
Swim
The water and conditions were really pretty good. Nothing like it was two years ago when there were waves rolling in. Pretty flat water and about 65 degrees. I am a slower swimmer in a pool and it seems to always take me a while to get going at a decent pace. This race was no different and when you add 75 men in a narrow channel it can get physical. The swim out to the turn around would have seemed pretty straight forward but the channel is pretty narrow so on the way out we actually encountered the first wave coming back to the swim exit. So I had about 100 yds I had to swim with my head up to avoid a collision. Once I made the turn around I had the same problem with the wave after me heading towards me. So I again was swimming with my eyes ahead of me. Once I got to about 30o yds to go I was able to get into a nice groove and pass a bunch of other swimmers. I am sure I had a negative split on the 2nd half of the swim. Even with the oncoming swimmers it was still a decent swim and nothing like my swim the first time I did the race 2 years ago. Swim time 18:08
Bike
This is a flat fast course. I have grown to really like the bike leg of the races. I have also spent a bunch of time on the trainer this year hoping to improve my cycling. I felt great on the bike and after about a mile or so just put my head down, kept my cadence up and just peddled as fast as I could. There was a bit of wind on a couple of sections but nothing to bad. My goal was to try and complete the bike in under 45 minutes. I was close to that but I also got past the elusive 20mph barrier in a race. Bike time 45:07 @ 20.2mph
Run
Awe yes, the run. The fear of every big man. I have been working at getting faster on the run. I have very modest running goals, less than 10 minutes per mile. I came off the bike and was having some cramping in my calves and it took a few minutes to get loosened up. The run was pretty flat but there was no shade. As Gus mentioned in his report the sun was out. Yes you can get a sunburn in only 30 minutes of running. I have a red ring around the top of my head (were the visor didn't cover) to prove this. I saw Gus on his return loop of the run and he was moving! I normally get passed by a bunch of people during the run and this race was no different. But I did finish at a 9:55 pace. That is slow by many standards, but for this 41 yr old 250lb man it was a blistering pace. Run time 29:43
Total race time 1:37:03
Overall I am glad I did the race and I was pleased with my result. I took off over 25 minutes from my total time from two years ago and I felt much better after the race. For the first race of the year it felt great!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Let the season begin!!!
The long winter is over and the first race of the season is this weekend 5/2/10. This has been a tough winter and off season. I have trained much more this year than last. Hours in the pool, on the bike trainer and on the treadmill will hopefully get me off to a much better start to the race season this year.
I will be going back to the Nanticoke sprint triathlon. This was the very first race I ever attempted 2 years ago. It is also the the one and only race I ever considered quitting. When I look back on it now it seems like so long ago. But in 18 months I went from almost quitting my first race to completing an Ironman. It really is pretty amazing. The Nanticoke is a nice early season sprint. The swim almost did me in the first time. My swimming has improved tremendously since then. I am really looking forward to the race and putting in a strong effort.
I will be going back to the Nanticoke sprint triathlon. This was the very first race I ever attempted 2 years ago. It is also the the one and only race I ever considered quitting. When I look back on it now it seems like so long ago. But in 18 months I went from almost quitting my first race to completing an Ironman. It really is pretty amazing. The Nanticoke is a nice early season sprint. The swim almost did me in the first time. My swimming has improved tremendously since then. I am really looking forward to the race and putting in a strong effort.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
No Ironman for me in 2010
I have made the decision to not do the Ironman Louisville race in 2010. I hope to do it at some point and a number of friends form the Annapolis Triathlon Club (ATC) will be there so I am disappointed that I won't be there. Training for an Ironman distance race takes a lot of time. I have had some major changes in my business this year and training for sprint races has been difficult. I didn't want to commit to the race (and pay the entry fee) and then have to back out for lack of training. So the plan is for another Ironman in 2011, possibly Wisconsin. There are plenty of races closer to home that I can race in this summer.
My daughter is also getting excited about doing a few races this summer. There are four or five races we are looking at and she really wants to enter an Ironkids event. It should be a fun summer!!
My daughter is also getting excited about doing a few races this summer. There are four or five races we are looking at and she really wants to enter an Ironkids event. It should be a fun summer!!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Winter training blues and crappy weather!!
I used to wonder why when people retired, they always moved to Florida during the winter months. Well, as I have gotten older I like the cold winter weather less and less and I can now understand the draw to a warmer climate. To make matters worse, we have been experiencing a really brutal winter.
Those in the Northeast now what I am talking about. The winter training has been, swimming, bike trainer workouts and treadmill runs. If can get very boring especially on the bike trainer. I just keep telling myself that spring will be here soon and the first race of the season won't be far behind! That is when the fun starts.
Those in the Northeast now what I am talking about. The winter training has been, swimming, bike trainer workouts and treadmill runs. If can get very boring especially on the bike trainer. I just keep telling myself that spring will be here soon and the first race of the season won't be far behind! That is when the fun starts.
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