2013 MiamiMan Half Iron Race Report: AKA the one where Kryvicky turns into a race execution ninja.
This is my first season training with EN and I have to say that even with being injured from April to August, I was more prepared for my half iron race this year with just the JOS and then HIM training starting in late July with EN than I was ready for an Ironman with a year of training under a local to me "1-on-1" coach.
So on to MiamiMan! This is just a really great race and one of the most unique ones I have ever participated in.
Total time: 7:10:23 - 2nd place Athena division
While this was not a PR race for me on time (by a long shot) - it was a PR race for me in execution, in placement in my division, and most importantly how I felt out there the entire day. I was more than prepared for the day and I know that had the weather conditions been optimal - I would have had an amazing PR day in time as well! I cannot express how amazing EN has been in providing me with the tools and knowledge on how to execute properly. The race was not pretty out there and there were a lot of lost athletes out there with defeat on their faces. I chose to do the OPPOSITE and as such finished with nothing but pride!
The swim was perfect weather, the bike was super windy, and the run was soul crushing hot. Or as I like to call it - it was an adventure!
I feel that I executed this race the way I should have, but if anyone sees anything that I did to hinder myself, please let me know.
Pre-Race
Since I am coming from Michigan (cold) to Miami (near-record breaking heat) I decided to arrive a full week early to get my body acclimated. The week prior to the race was occasionally rainy, windy with gusts up to 30 MPH. I was able to get in 1 swim in the pool, a few easy rides to test out the bike in the winds, and no runs as I wanted to allow my hip time to stop hurting from the Detroit Half Marathon a few weeks ago.
I made my way down to the race venue on Saturday to register, rack my bike, and attend the pre-race clinic. When you check in they have you walk in an assembly line of sorts for your race swag and packet. Ummm... there is a lot. If you like swag, this is the race to do!
I then racked my bike and realized when I turned around that I was right in front of Macca's bike!
And one last pre-race picture... the swim caps for this race are sort of a cult thing around Florida. People do this race to obtain these super cool caps... fish with fins. So neat!
After the clinic I reviewed the ins and outs of the transition area and then headed out for dinner, last minute race prep and then hit bed early around 8:30/9pm. I woke up at 2am for breakfast and then went back to bed until 4am. I packed the car and headed out to the race site around 5am. It was pouring rain and the wind was very gusty.
By the time I was at the race site, the storm had passed and the wind had calmed down a little. I set up the rest of my transition, working off of my checklist to get in and get out of there as efficiently as possible as I sipped on perform until 1 hour to go until my gun time. I then headed down to the beach to get ready to start my race.
15 minutes before my start I took in my gel and then got ready to swim!
SWIM: 44:31 including wetsuit peeling and the long run up to the timing mats.
It stopped raining and was pretty cloudy for the swim. Temps were nice and the course is a 2-loop with a beach start and at the loop, you exit the water, run up rocks through the swim arch and then back down the other side of the arch into the water a 2nd time.
When the gun went off for my wave I felt like everyone took off ahead of me. When I got out of the water at the loop, I saw that there was only 1 green cap ahead of me and none coming up behind me so I realized that I was most likely in 2nd place in my division. On the 2nd loop I just kept swimming focusing on stroke count and form. All in all a comfy albeit slow swim.
When I got out of the water a 2nd time, I ran across the mat and then there was a wetsuit stripping area with people taking off your suits like in IM. I decided to let them help me. My actual swim time was closer to 42 minutes which is my exact HIM swim time at my last 2 HIM's. Not too bad considering that I have missed a lot of my swims.
T1: 2:07
I ran the entire length of the 2000 athlete transition area to my bike and was heading back out in lickety split time. I did not miss a beat and once I got to the rack I saw only 1 other bike in my division. I was in 2nd place!
Bike: 3:07
This bike was super flat! 13 miles out, 2 x 15 mile loops and then 13 miles back. Easy easy! Well... easy except for the relentless constantly chipping away at you wind, hence my time 
The short version of the ride is that I did the opposite of what everyone else did. I nailed my nutrition and just stayed on the plan.
The first 10 miles I just hung out in my Z1 where I needed to be. Everyone was zipping past me and I knew that I would see them again. I just kept saying to myself "Hang right here Jenn. Z1 is where you need to be right now. It is NOT time yet." At mile 10 I kicked it up a notch to my HIM watt zone and hung in there. Tailwind or headwind my laser focus was on two things:
- RPM & Watts
- Nutrition
While flat, this ride was mentally a tough one because at times I felt like I was going nowhere. In those times I just focused on high RPM and minding my Watts. Since I saw time slipping away, I realized that I needed to lower my power targets slightly based on what I read in the wiki about the closer your bike time gets to 3:10+ it get closer to IM pacing.
The last 20 miles were all in some form of a headwind. I found myself passing every single person on the 2nd loop and return leg home. They were the people blowing past me at the start. I just whipped past them and they looked like they were struggling big time out there. One lady asked me how I could ride into the wind without effort, I just said all in execution.
I then made my way back to T2 and saw that I was bike #2 to rack in my division. Holding strong!
T2: 4:09
I wear injini toe socks to run in so this took some time. I sat down cleaned off, put on the socks and shoes, and made sure to lube up my arms as my tri top chafes my arms. I also applied a good layer of sunscreen since the sun decided to come out to play. This was a LONG transition time! :-(
Run: 3:12
So two words sum up the run. This sucked. However two other words sums up my overall run experience: Proper execution.
You know it is going to be a tough day when you start a run and everyone is already walking a slow death march due to the now blaring, soul draining sun. A quick run-down of the run for me went something like this:
Mile 1 - FOOK THIS, it is hot!
Mile 2- FOOK THIS, I am quitting at the loop.
Mile 3 - Hey, these arm chillers work better when wet.
Mile 4 - OMG Ice is a blessing!
Mile 6.55, the start of loop #2 - Hell yes, I am going to nail this.
Mile 10 - I feel great!
Mile 13.1 - BOOM.
So as I headed out of T2 my goal was MP + :30 for the first 3 miles, then MP for the next 7, then whatever I could manage the last 3. Yeah. No. Once I saw people stopping and sitting under shade trees, and many people dragging I realized that today's execution would require some quick triage. I felt STRONG to run a solid race, but the heat made me enact another strength outside of just speed - proper heat execution.
My self-revised plan was to pour water on my sun sleeves every mile, and hold ice in my hands/sleeves the entire run - taking in sports drink at every mile. This worked well for me. In the miles where there just was no break from the direct sun - where the sun was amplified by us running on un-shaded asphalt - I allowed myself to walk, but it had to be with purpose. Head held high, not sulking or walking in defeat. My walk was for finishing strong and happy - not out of failure.
When I was in a safe HR zone I ran until the HR said no no no, you need to walk to keep me in check.
I ran way more on loop #2 than I did loop #1 and I felt amazing crossing the finish line even if it was the slowest run on the history of triathlon. 
Post Race:
The whole day I kept telling myself to ignore time and just stay in my zones. Everyone else is in the same conditions, in the same race so time is a moot point. I felt so strong out there and just adjusted for the temperatures and conditions.
I think that I did the right thing out there employing a triage approach to my execution plan, but what say ye, the knowledge of the haus?
Comments
I have done the Miami Man twice and think its one of the best races. The organization is excellent and packet pick up feels like Christmas morning because of all the stuff you get. I still use my swim caps, have 2 sharks, and people in the pool who do not know where those came from look at me like I am ready for my first swim lesson. But great job sticking to your plan, the wind can be very tricky in this race and the run can be distracting because you run through the Miami zoo and have a lot of animals staring at you.
I loved how on the bike course local farmers gave out avocadoes and start fruit!
Thank you everyone for your awesome awesome support - and Tim, I am STILL smiling! :-)