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Toughman 70.3 - Richmond, Indiana

stacey34stacey34
in Races & Places 🏁⛺

With IMLOU as my A race, I wanted an early season half. I contemplated going to IM Kansas 70.3 but decided to risk doing a new race close to home rather than traveling from Ohio to Kansas to do an M-dot branded race. Turned out to be the right decision as the new race was very well organized!

Pre-race: Rode Assault on Mt Mitchell two weekends before, rode the (very hilly) Horsey Hundred the weekend before. My left knee was angry by the end of Mt Mitchell (wished I would have had more gears than my 34:27). So I should have bagged the Horsey but I didn't and I am trying to earn the Kentucky Century Challenge jersey - oh the things that motivate us.... By mile 60 of the 100 mile Horsey, I was in damage control mode, going as easily and slowly as possible to make it to the top of the never ending hills. I have to learn to "just say no"!

Took the week mostly off prior to Toughman. The Friday mandatory bike check was cancelled due to T-storms forecast overnight. Packet pick up was at CFW (local bike shop) and was smooth and easy. They didn't even ask for any ID. Home is about an hour from Richmond so we just stayed there that night to avoid a really ridiculously early morning. Of course the hotel breakfast was not available at 4:30 AM so we hit a grocery store the night before and bought some cereal, milk, and eggs. Need to plan pre-race nutrition better next time. Learned that eggs microwave fairly well in the water cups provided in hotel rooms. Only some slight "exploding" sounds

Race morning up at 3:45, shower, microwaved eggs, apply sunscreen, drive 10 minutes to the race start. As we were getting off the interstate, the sky lit up in a bright flash of lightning. The radar was mixed green and yellow. We really thought there was no way we were going to get a swim in that morning. Set up transition without incident. As the sun was starting to illuminate the sky, you could see dark clouds building. Got back to the car just in time for a 15-minute downpour that finished just before the pre-race briefing! And somehow, the rest of the rain storms dissipated and we had nice weather for the race!

Swim start was a time trial. Jumped into the line fairly close to the front, as I know I'm a slow swimmer and didn't want the negative mental pressure of being the last one out of the water. Water temp was perfect! Almost no contact with other swimmers. Slighting was easy inspite of not many buoys. Swam 44:42.

T1 was uneventful. Grabbed a cup of water coming up the boat ramp (no beach at this lake). Put on my socks, shoes, headband, helmet, clear glasses. Grabbed my bike and headed out. 4:48

First 1 to 1.5 miles are up hill, then a sharp down and up again before heading out into the countryside for a slightly rolling 2-loop lollipop course. They advertised it as being super hilly - well, it's not. Tons of volunteers at every intersection and I think they had recruited every emergency vehicle in a 10 county area to sit at intersections with their lights flashing. Was helpful to be able to see up the road and know where the turns were. Settled into 145 to 165 watts going easy on the up hills. Kept the 39:27 and was glad to have that 27 back there. Around mile 20, I thought I had a flat so I stopped to check - nothing, whew! I was riding along very easily and passing quite a few people. No one passed me! But the power meter gave me the confidence to know that it was OK to pass these folks. Otherwise, I probably would have backed off. There was one aid station on the course and you passed it 4 times. On the second time past I thought about stopping at the bathroom but decided against it. I held out thinking there had to be one at the turnaround. Well, there wasn't! So now I was stuck with either waiting or peeing on the bike. This was a hard decision but in the end, I waited! I guess I'm not that hard-core yet The main problem was that I needed to be eating and drinking and I certainly couldn't do that without the bathroom stop first. Got to the aid station and tossed an empty bottle (24 oz HEED consumed thus far) at a volunteer and asked them to fill it for me. And it was ready and waiting when I got back to my bike (a million thanks!!). Now I have to eat! I had a gel right out of T1, some Endurolytes along the way. Packed some Tums but didn't eat them. Ate a Cliff Bar (sitting up, inhaling it, mostly w/o chewing it...bleh) somewhere around mile 40. Drank one bottle of HEED and one bottle of water. I had several more gels that I originally planned to eat but didn't. Last 15 miles to the finish were into an increasingly strong head wind. Of course, it was about there that my left knee reminded me that I had ridden too many hard miles in the 2 weeks preceeding this race and I backed the power down about 20 watts (to 130). Was hard to watch the speed drop so sharply with the wind and the knee limiting me. But I knew I just needed to get back to town and I could accomplish that, even slowly. Bike 3:03  http://app.strava.com/activities/57570389

T2 - bike dismount line was on a slight downhill asphalt section. So I came to a slow stop and dismounted. I was surprisingly stiff and it was a bit hard to swing my leg back over the bike. Racked my bike, changed socks (I'm picky), turned on my Garmin, grabbed my Nathan hand-held water bottle, grabbed a couple gels, headed out. 3:46

The 2-loop run course goes back up the 1.5 mile hill where the bike course starts. My goal was to get to the top of that hill on the second loop! I thought that hill would help keep my pace down in the first few miles but I kept looking at my Garmin and it was in the 8:15 / mile range. Yikes, way too fast. And by now, the sun was coming out and it was HOT. Had a gel at mile 3, sipped water from my hand-held. It should be noted that this was my "super gel" - Island Nectars GU that I had gotten while in Kona watching friends race. And I saved it for this special day, it had to give me some positive mojo!! Saw my husband around mile 4 when he was on his second loop and at mile 10. Still clicking off 8:30 miles. Wow, if only that would last. Couple little steep hills on the back side of the course. Ran them slowly. Last mile before starting the second loop was sheltered from the wind and HOT. Re-filled my hand-held. Back up the hill for the second time and watched the pace drop below 9:00. Had another gel around mile 9. Took Enduralytes throughout the run, probably 6 total. Tried to smile at the volunteers but was really tired! Walked the little hills the second time around. Refilled my hand-held again, prayed that my legs wouldn't cramp. I had leg cramps haunt me in a failed half marathon PR attempt in April. Thankfully, they held on, tired but not cramping. Super long finish. Run 1:53 Total 5:50. http://app.strava.com/activities/57571073

Very happy with this race! As my first HIM, I went in without much expectations, as I had no idea what I could do with this distance. I've been resting now for about a week. Icing the left knee a LOT. Quads were really shot after the race so no running yet either. Anxious to get along into my official Ironman training but know I best wait until everything is recovered from the 70.3. I would highly recommend this race. Everything was well organized and adequate. My result was posted before I even left the finish area (within 15 minutes of finishing?). My only (superficial) complaint: it seems they cut corners on the medals and AG prizes. Attendance was fairly low so I ended up winning my AG. They gave a water glass on which they had placed a sticker with the race logo. The medals were somewhat cheap but looked nice enough. Again, minor complaints and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the race to someone looking for an early half.

What I learned - it's really hard to eat and drink while riding a TT bike. I've been riding a road bike quite a lot over the past 3 years. So I'm thinking I need to get some sort of drinking system set up on my bike before IMLOU. I need to order some Bonk Breakers to practice with them before the race and get them on the course during the race. And I'm wondering if I need to change my electrolyte strategy. Thinking Infinit or Salt Stick. But I better be deciding soon so I have enough time to practice. And that sunscreen I applied at 4 AM - was long gone by the time the sun came out on the run and I got a mild sunburn across my shoulders. Find the sunscreen next time!!!

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