Eagleman 2013 Race Report (John P)
John Peterson
Race: Eagleman 70.3, Cambridge, MD
Date: June 9, 2013
Age Group: M 35-39 (39 years old on race day)
Prelude: It is exactly 3 weeks since this race and I am just now writing a race report. I have not worked out once since this race (race number is still on my bike). Another disappointing finish has me searching for motivation. My 3rd child is due in December, and I had thought I would race one more half iron distance race before taking a "family hiatus", but I need to sort out the problems first.
Background:
- 7th Half Iron distance race
- Best Time to date: 5:09:48 at Monticelloman 2013 (This race was exactly 5 weeks prior to Eagleman)
- Eagleman was my A race of the season
- I have a history of cramping on the run so pacing and nutrition is all centered around that challenge.
- VDOT at Race Time: 47.2
- FTP at Race Time: 265
Race Day Stats:
Total Time: 5:01:29, 58/236 AG, 340/2100 OA
Swim: 32:52, 17 AG, 176 OA
T1: 2:35
Bike: 2:30:10, 44 AG, 229 OA
T2: 2:30
Run: 1:53:22, 58 AG, 340 OA
Race Day Goals:
Goal 1: Sub 5-hr total time. I missed this goal by 1:29 but that is not the whole story. To achieve this goal, I needed a run that matched the pacing from my training. But that didn't happen (see Goal #2). The course and conditions were ideal, so missing the Goal by 1:29 is actually a lot worse than it seems.
Goal 2: Run 1:43. Actual run time was 1:53:22. I think I lost this race during the swim, because I came out of the water with a very elevated heart rate. Cramping on the run has been my problem in the previous 6 half iron races, but I managed this fine, probably because I took it easy on the bike.
Swim:
Target Swim Time: 32:00 Actual Swim Time: 32:52
Weather/Conditions/Notes: Pre-race nutrition was exactly as I had done in previous races and race rehearsals. However, (TMI alert) I did not evacuate the bowels before the race- just didn't have the urge. I think this had an impact later in the race because I require a LOT of fluids to keep from de-hydration and after so many liquids on the bike, I felt bloated. Weather was perfect on race morning, after heavy rains the night before. The water was very calm with almost no current, but the water temp was just barely wetsuit legal.
Challenges: None. This was an easy swim with no issues at all. The only weird thing was that the river got really shallow about 100 yards from the beach, so you had to dolphin dive a long way- a little tiring but not that big of a deal.
T1:
Actual Time: 2:35
Notes: This was not too bad but could have been better. There was a guy about 5 bikes away from me with the EXACT same setup- same bike, same helmet, same water bottle setup. So I ran to his bike and starting putting his stuff on. Probably only cost me a few seconds but it was disconcerting. Then I had the same issue as always with getting the bike out from under the rack. Every race is the same- they pack you in right next to each other and then the racks are too low to get my seat out from under (I'm only 6'1" so not like my bike is unusually tall). You can't lean the bike sideways without knocking others over. Who came up with the rack heights at triathlons? Am I the only one with this problem? Last challenge was the ankle-deep mud pit to get out of T1. It was riduculous. I had to carry my bike about 50 yards - it was like cyclocross. But everyone had the same thing, so no big deal.
Bike:
Target Bike Time: 2:40 (215 watts NP) Actual Time: 2:30:10 (201 watts NP)
Weather/Conditions/Notes: FTP of 265 and goal NP of 215 watts. I had ridden this power in race rehearsals with no problem. Flattest, fastest bike course you could ask for. Temps were only about 80 but about 85% humidity. No wind. Nutrition: 2 Bottles Inifinit, 4 bottles Gatorade Endurance, 5 Saltstick caps.
Challenge: HR was unusually high (high 150's bpm). I usually ride around 140-145 bpm. HR was high from the moment I got on the bike and I couldn't get it down. I can only assume this was from getting overheated during the swim- I had a full wetsuit and the water temp was 73. I felt fine the whole bike ride but knew the high HR was going to catch up with me. I tried to take long breaks just coasting to get my HR down but coudn't do it. After about 40 miles, I just said screw it and rode my goal watts. My NP was clearly much lower than expected and I still rode really fast. It tells me that if I hadn't had the HR problem, I could have killed it. Only other issue was that my AG, which is typically one of the fastest, was the 8th wave. I had to do a LOT of weaving in and out of slower traffic. I understand the reason for this is to get slower people off the course faster, but for the size of entry fee, they can do better than this.
T2:
Actual Time: 2:30
Notes: Uneventful except the run through the mud pit. I had to put some muddy feet into my shoes, but this never made any difference. Also, drank my not-so-secret weapon to try to prevent cramps - 8 oz of pickle juice. Grabbed another 8 oz bottle to go on the run. Delish!
Run:
Target Run Time: 1:43 (HR <150 bpm) Actual Time: 1:53:22 (Avg HR = 157 bpm)</p>
Weather/Conditions/Notes: I started the run with an elevated HR of over 150 and never got it down below that. All of my training long runs were below 150 bpm. This caused a significant slowdown in the last 6 miles. I also started the run feeling very bloated- probably from starting the race with a full bladder and then ingesting 132 oz on the bike. But I still drank two cups of Gatorade Endurance at each aid station, trying to stave off the inevitable cramps. Drank my (now very warm) pickle juice at Mile 6. Also added two Powergels during the run. It was a little warm on the run, mid-80's with no shade, and about 85% humidity.
Lap Times: These tell the story of the race. I tried to keep the paces up during Miles 1-6 despite an elevated HR. I paid for it in the second half of the race, where I just had the definition of a BONK. My goal had been MP + 30" for first 3 miles (8:05) then drop down to 7:40 until Mile 10, then whatever I had left. Didn't quite happen that way...
8:05, 8:07, 8:07, 8:02, 7:45, 8:11, 9:38 (pee stop), 8:33, 8:52, 8:42, 8:54, 10:07, 9:30.
Conclusion:
Eagleman is a great race, a good Eastern Shore local vibe mixed with world-class pros. It was a lot of fun watching Andy Potts absolutely demolish the field in the swim. Not a huge amount of people on the course but they were very accommodating for what is probably a huge disturbance to this small fishing town. They said this was the lowest temps for this race in over a decade so it was tailor-made for PR's.
I had really high hopes for this race because I was in the best shape of my life and I thought I had solved the nutritional issues that seem to be holding me back. My goal was just to achieve the paces that I had done numerous times in training. Ultimately, it appears my undoing was the water temps. It is the only thing I can pinpoint to explain the high HR. It was definitely a humid day but not too hot. Of course, this has probably been the coldest spring ever leading up to the race, so minimal time spent acclimating to any heat. My ultimate total time was still a PR by about 8 minutes. But considering the conditions of the course, and since I finished 58th in my AG, I definitely left significant time out there.
On a personal note, this race was a very high priority because my tri career will probably take a break in December for kid #3 (my oldest is only 3, so I already have significant time constraints). I had thought a good result might entice me to sign up for a late 2013 full IM (first for me). But I don't think that is going to happen now. I am trying to determine if I even want to get back into training for another HIM now to see if I can finally put it all together before my hiatus. Still searching for motivation...
Comments
As for your performance, I found it interesting that your HR was jacked coming out of the swim but you gave very little detail in your report as to how you paced the swim. Did you push the swim too hard? If so, then yes, indeed that can really have downstream consequences on your race…although in my case I usually can work my HR down over the course of the first third of the bike and pull myself back together for the most part. If not, then I wonder if it just wasn't your day and there were some physiological things going on that sub-optimized you for the race. I also think that forcing yourself to down massive amounts of fluids when you're already bloated is a recipe for problems on the run. If you are challenged to stave off cramps try some other techniques (personally I do sodium loading…do a search in the forums for my post on that around July of last year). I suspect you did not "bonk" given the amount of carbohydrate-rich fluid you took in over the course of the race.
Best of luck with #3 and I'm for sure in favor of your effort to get in another race before the end of your season. Look at some late-er season races and if you want a good PB course see if you can get your motivation back to train for Steelhead in August…that is a FAST course.
Since this race, I have now discovered the incredible impact of high humidity. I realized that all of my training for the spring had been in cold, low humidity weather (craziest spring ever). Then on the weekend of Eagleman, it turned warm (80's) and very humid. Every workout I have done in the last couple weeks has been in high humidity and the impact is incredibly dramatic. I guess in past years, the switch in weather has been more incremental and not so sudden, so my body had time to adjust. I am actually going to post some other questions in the forum now about humidity.
At least I can point to a source for my disappointing results, now I just have to figure out a solution. Thanks again for your response
John
I do hope you find some mojo and perhaps one more race.
Good luck!