JW's NJ Devilman Half-Lite (50) - C Race

John Withrow

I totally wussed out.  Here is my long list of excuses before I get started in justifying my lame-o race that I just had...    I looked at this as like a C- race...   So I still did my long run on Thursday (here's my file if you don't believe me http://connect.garmin.com/activity/306584250).  And then I got a bunch of VO2 stuff and collected a whole bunch of KOMs on my short-ish Saturday ride http://app.strava.com/activities/52243836 then followed it with a short run.  

It was freezing on race day.  They made us wait in the water for at least 5 minutes before we started which chilled me to the bone.  My swim was uneventful and I finally started to get into a rhythm just before the finish.  It was 48 degrees when we got out of the water.  So I didn't even take my wetsuit down until I got to my bike.  

So I made the executive decision to not fly through T1 and instead, dried off, put shoes with neoprene booties on and then went over to the fence on the edge of transition with my bike, found my bag and dug through it to get my EN jacket and gloves before heading out.  Then it was SUPER windy.  Like the windiest bike course I have ever been on windy.  And I was literally riding all alone and for some reason just couldn't get my power up.  I only passed like 5 people and didn't get passed by a single rider on the whole first loop.  When I neared the end of it, I counted like 6 or 7 total people coming back, so I figure I was close to the top-10 overall.  Then I missed the turn for the 2nd loop.  Doh!  This is my 3rd yr doing this race and I kind-of knew where the turn was, but there were some cars in the road covering the painted race arrows, and there were people standing in front of the sign on the side of the road.   Then when I thought it was wrong, all of the Volunteers I asked at that point said to keep going that all bikers go this way or that way.  I kept going until I found myself at the mount/dis-mount line.  Doh!  I saw Dave McLaughlin there spectating who made fun of me for being a dope...  So I made a u-turn and headed back towards the course.  This cost me ~3mins or so of wasted time and energy.  Then I went out and fought the headwind out, and then the headwind back once again...  I didn't even know that was physically possible for the wind to do this. I had my disc on the rear and my FC808's on the front and really felt myself being blown around. In total, my bike leg was ~4 mins slower than last yr. Not bad considering the missed turn, all the wind and the fact that I was only able to hold ~69% of my current FTP for 219W NP for only 42 miles, boo...     

NJD bike http://connect.garmin.com/activity/308456924  or  http://app.strava.com/activities/52596993

 

Then I slogged through T2 taking off my jacket, gloves, and shoes with booties.  (in total, my T1+T2 time was 3:22 slower this yr).  Then onto the run.  I wore my metronome on my visor set at 92 spm.  I just dialed in my run and practically fell asleep...   My form was great and I was running strong, I just felt very slow.  Around the half-way point, I glanced at my HR and it was in the mid 140's. I run to pace, but just figured that was way too low for a 9 mile run and my legs didn't feel bad, so I tried to pick it up a bit.  It was hard because now I was running into the brutal headwind.  My slowest mile was mile 5 at 8:35, then I went: 8:26, 8:15, 8:00, 7:41.  Jess saw me on her way out when I was about 1.5miles from the finish.  She said afterwards that it's the first time she ever saw me in a race where I looked like a normal person.  I had color in my face, I was smiling, and I was upright with no limping or shuffling.  Frankly, I felt really strong. I even kicked it at the end and got to around 6:30 pace for the last quarter mile or so. Afterwards I was a bit mad at myself for not pushing myself harder during the whole run (or on the bike).  My average run pace was 8:18 vs 8:32 last yr and I tried to crush myself last yr...  

 

NJD Run http://connect.garmin.com/activity/308446641 or http://app.strava.com/activities/52597697

Here's a picture of my sprint down the finisher's chute, notice the metronome clipped on my EN visor.  Coach P and Dave Tallo might even notice how nice and high my arms are even at the end of my race at the ~6:30 pace I was running at this point, I guess all the form work is starting to pay dividends:

 

All-in-all, I was 41 seconds slower this yr than last yr.  At first I was upset with that...   But then I realized that I tapered last yr, and this yr I wasted over 3 mins in Transition, I wasted ~3mins missing the turn on my bike.  It was windy as heck on my bike and run and I massively underperformed my power capabilities on my bike and I also didn't really push myself enough on my bike or the run.  Wow, that is a lot of excuses...

 

When I got home, I went outside and hosed off my bike and our wetsuits.  Then I played with my kids and spent ~45 mins jumping on a trampoline with them and I had totally forgotten that I even did a race.  Today I feel no worse than any other random Monday and plan to hit it hard tomorrow.  I have zero soreness.  And I obviously didn't push myself hard enough.  So it basically felt like any other Sunday workout.  That would be totally lame if it was an important race for me, but I think I learned that my fitness is actually decent for this time of yr.

John Withrow

Weird, when I wrote the above and when I click in to edit it, the pictures are there... but when I view it in the forums, I can't see them.

Bruce Thompson

Sure sounds like you're pretty fit to me.   Basically same time, got lost, harder conditions, didn't push yourself, jess recognizes you as a normal human being, not sore the next day.  What do they say about "work works"?  Congrats.

MattAaronson

I'm with Bruce on that one. Good stuff!

Mark Cardinale

The important thing is you didn't let your "C" race impact your training for your "A" race and comparatively speaking i think your results clearly show you are more fit than you were last year.  Nice work, John!

Christy Beal

Nice meeting you and Jess! That was a crazy day for a race. I am glad I did not know that it was 48 degrees, I would have wussed out totally. Your report makes me feel a lot better about my race. What a crazy wind. I agree this was the windiest race I have ever done and I have done this particular one 5 times now. Saw you one the bike and run course and you looked really solid on both to me.

Nice job, that was quite a day for a C race.

Christy

Brenda Ross

I am now reading excuses. I am reading....explanations. Congrats on your first multisport race of the season.