Rev3 Quassy - 2014: Larry's Race Report
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Pre-Race:
I have been following my training schedule and felt as if I was in the best shape I have ever been in. The weather looked as if it would be perfect for the race and I was ready to roll. I was so thankful that I had the opportunity to ride the course a few weeks ago and run the hardest part of the run course. Having this knowledge the course would not sneak up on me and I could let the race come to me. Quassy was my big race prior to Lake Placid and I was treating it as an A race, not just a dress rehearsal.
Swim:
The swim went well for me overall. The water was a perfect temperature, there was no wind, and the sky was bright. There were 91 swimmers in my wave and I started out a little aggressively. I would rather get swum over than swim over others. The field was a little crowded at the start and finish with a good deal of bumping. Fortunately within 5 minutes (guesstimate) I was by myself and had clear water and great sighting until the first turn. I had heard that this leg of the swim pointed you directly into the sun, and it did. I could not spot a buoy so I just followed the swimmers ahead of me. When I would get 20 or so feet from the buoys I would finally be able to spot them. I believe I stayed fairly on course during this section however I cannot tell for certain. Once I made the second turn I was able to site well again and I stayed on course. Throughout the swim I felt good and I kept to a steady pace. As I approached the finish the crowd thickened up a bit though it was still manageable. I looked at my watch and saw a time of 42 minutes. I was pleased with that. In my last Half distance event I finished in 46 minutes. Improvement!
Swim Result: 42:39 2:13/100 Division: 60 of 91 Gender: 352 of 547 Wave: 60 of 92 Race: 457 of 745
Transition 1:
While not my fastest transition I felt fairly smooth. I took a few extra minutes to apply chamois cream and to wipe/dry my feet to get the sand off them prior to putting on the socks. The extra minute or so was worth it to me.
T1 3:34
Bike:
I loved this bike course. The course was a rolling course with some steady climbs and long downhill’s. There were very few flat sections on this course. It was fairly technical with many turns. It was fun. My plan was to stick to 172 watts for the first 30 minutes then stay at 183 watts for the rest of the course. This was easier said than done due to the hills. During the climbs I would stay as close to my goal numbers as possible. I noticed that I passed a lot of people on the climbs however I passed even more on the downhill’s. I noticed that most riders would crest the hill and stop pedaling. I would keep pedaling trying to hit my power numbers. I would only stop pedaling when I got going so fast that my pedaling had no effect. (My top speed was 47). My energy levels felt fantastic throughout the ride. I had half a PowerBar as soon as I got on the bike and followed that up with a PowerGel 35 minutes in. At 1:15 I had another PowerGel and at 1:55 and 2:35 I had 3 Cliffbloks cubes, for a total of 6 bloks. I went with the Margarita flavor which has extra sodium. I started the ride with my aero bottle full of perform and I grabbed 3 more bottles at aid stations as I rode by. I drank at least a mouthful every 10 minutes and having to pee was not a problem at all. I had a giant smile the entire ride and received many fun Darth Helmet comments due to my giant helmet. I got into transition and saw that my speed was 17.6 mph (according to my Garmin) and my goal was 17 mph. Goal beat.
Bike Result: 3:10:41 17.62 mph Division: 40 of 91 Gender 265 of 547 Wave: 40 of 92 Race: 305 of 745
Transition 2:
This was a fairly quick transition for me. I was out of my shoes while still on the bike so I just had to grab a few items and head out. The only thing that slowed me down was the person behind me who had put their bike into my slot. I got that sorted and headed out.
T2 1:27
Run:
The Quassy run course, like the bike course, is known for its hills. Initially the course started out with a gentle downhill and for the most part stayed downhill until approximately mile 3.5 at which point the climbing began for the next couple of miles. After the big climbs the course was very rolling with a final hill that was ½ a mile long in the final mile of the race. My plan during the run portion was to start off fairly easy to give my legs a chance to get used to running after all the bike miles, then to find a comfortable pace through the middle section and finally to give everything I had left for the final three miles. For the most part I was able to stick with this plan. For the first 3.5 miles I had to work to keep my pace down, knowing the hills that were forthcoming. It was during this section that I took some salt tabs that were offered by volunteers and ran into a porta-potty for a quick bio break. I also had some Gatorade at the aide station. I stopped at 5 stations throughout the race and took in a PowerGel at one and more salt tabs during the final hour. I made sure that I walked through these stations so I could get the nutrients in and then started running again. Once the climbs started they were continuous for a couple of miles however the individual climbs were not too long and only one was steep. The steep climb only lasted for 100 yards. It was during this section that I first came across walkers. The further I went the more climbers I saw. I stuck to plan and ran throughout this section, and I kept going at the same steady pace. The big climb section ended with a rolling out and back and after that it continued the loop around the lake. There were some big rollers in this section, as well as some big houses. Just before mile nine the course had me end up in front of the Quassy amusement park (where the finish is) and I took a left to get to the final section of the course. This section had a very long downhill which was not too steep. I was able to gather speed without burning out my quads. At the end of the downhill there was an out and back section where I hit my final aide station. I had a good laugh with a volunteer as I made a slow motion grab for the Gatorade and then I continued on. Soon after the turnaround the 11 mile sign appeared and I knew that the race was basically over. I pushed hard to mile 12 and gave it all I had for the final climb and finished with a sprint to the finish.
Run Result: 1:50:56 8:28/mi Division: 33 of 91 Gender: 215 of 547 Wave: 33 of 92 Race: 250 of 745
Overall Thoughts:
I enjoy the Rev3 Race experience. They step up the game from your average race and you feel like you are part of ‘an event’. I got to spend time at this race with my training partners from Endurance Nation and that was fantastic. It is always nice to meet people in person that you interact with online. I spent time with my Tri Club, NorthEast MultiSport, and I am always impressed with the team’s enthusiasm and effort. I also got to represent my sponsor, Fit Werx in a big race and I hope I did them proud. If anyone is looking for top notch Triathlon and Road Cycling specialist you cannot do better than Fit Werx. Rev3 Quassy has a reputation as a hilly challenging course and it deserves that reputation. Fortunately I like hilly courses so I really enjoyed my experience. I had a big smile on my face the entire race. I had a plan (Thanks Coach P) going into the race and I stuck with it. The only thing I can really see that I need to improve upon prior to Ironman Lake Placid is getting my Salt Sticks into me on the bike. My body needs the salt and that could have come back to bite me if it had been just a little bit warmer. Overall I am pleased and feel that I am on the right path to complete my first Ironman.
Special thanks to Mike Dreyer, Sarah Crane and Cam Dreyer for your support at the race. Very special thanks to my wife Amy who shuttled kids to 3 soccer games over two day driving as much as 5 hours round trip for one game, and for allowing me the freedom to train and race.
Overall: 5:49:17
Bike Data: http://tpks.ws/CjCl
Comments
Great job Larry!! Way to execute the plan!! WOOHOO!!