Gabe Peterson's Hansen Dam Olympic Tri Race Report
Race Report: Hansen Dam Olympic
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Target Time: 2:30 |
Time: 2:28:40.7 |
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Target TSS: 215 |
TSS: 218 |
Pre-Race
This was my first race in Endurance Nation. I wrote up a race plan (a first) and used the handy race checklist to prepare. I found this really took the stress and anxiety out of the preparation – I didn’t have that feeling that I forgot something.
I did Hansen Dam last year, when I just started getting into triathlons on my way to hitting my turning 40 goal of doing a HIM (which I did – SuperFrog).
I went through my plan for pre-race:
· Wake up at 4:30AM
· Eat cereal + coffee up
· Depart by 5:00AM
· Drink Gatorade on drive
· Arrive at 5:30AM
· Setup gear in transition
· Connect HRM
· Warm up swim – This was a first for me. It definitely made me more relaxed in the water.
· Pre-workout supplement 15 minutes before start. Blast of caffeine to get me pumped.
Swim
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Target time: 33min |
Time: 33:47 |
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Target pace: 2:00min/100yds |
Pace: 2:03/100yds |
The course is 1500m where you do three laps in a small lake. The water temperature was barely wetsuit legal – apparently they ran the filtration pumps like crazy to get the temperature down. However, last year I was so hot in my wetsuit that I almost barfed on the swim exit. This year I just wore my Roka Sim shorts over my PI Octane tri suit – basically like swimming with a pull buoy. Even that was warm.
The first lap I tried settling in by counting my strokes and went easy. I actually managed to draft off someone the entire lap, which I’ve never done with success. The dude made it easy because he was cranking so hard there was a wake of bubbles to follow. He tired out after the first lap and I passed him.
The second and third laps were uneventful, just pushed along at a steady pace. I never have it in me to run out of the swim. It take about a minute before I feel stable walking again. I walked up to transition and peeled off my Roka short, goggles, and cap.
I probably would have been 1-2 minutes faster wearing my sleeveless wetsuit, but think I would have lost the time on the bike as I would have been overheated. For my first race swim not wearing a full wetsuit, it went okay.
I finished about 5 minutes faster than last year. I went from bad to mediocre. J
http://www.strava.com/activities/181587611
T1
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Target time: 3min
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Time: 2:24 |
Everything went according to plan:
· Start bike computer (spin crank first to wakeup PM)
· Put on:
1. Shoes
2. Helmet
3. Sunglasses
· Start Garmin VIRB. Yes, I got super awesome footage of the race. J
· Exit T2. I got a little mixed up and a volunteer had to point me to the bike exit. Probably lost like 20 seconds on that.
Bike
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Target time: 55min |
Time: 57:56 |
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Target NP: 200W |
NP: 189 with VI = 1.03 |
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Target TSS: 75 |
TSS: 70 |
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Target Speed: 23MPH |
Speed: 22.8MPH |
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Target IF: 0.9 |
IF: 0.85 |
The course is 22 miles with two loops. It climbs and crosses Hansen Dam (hence the name). I rode my 2013 Cervelo P2 tri bike that I had fit by Jon Manton at the Velodrome. I am in a pretty aggressive position (he said I was more flexible than many of the pros he fits – thanks, yoga!). Jim really dialed in the fit, and I can stay aero all day long.
I followed my race plan and eased into the first 10 minutes. I kept the power in the 180-190W range. After that, I tried to push so every time I look at my PM numbers I saw at least 200W. However, I often found I was in 170s to 190s. I only rode my tri bike twice since St George in May. (I was OCD for St Goerge and did 90% of my training on my P2 and burned out on it). Both occasions I couldn’t hit the kind of numbers I usually get on my road bike. I should have done more training rides on the P2, but this was a B-race to start a series of upcoming races.
The first lap went pretty much as planned, with the exception of dropping my chain as I started climbing the dam. It is a downhill followed by a sharp turn and then climb. I did some crap gear work and dropped the chain. I jumped off the bike and got the chain back on in less than a minute. However, I had to start the climb from a dead stop. It went much faster the second lap.
The only notable thing on the second lap was some dude doing the sprint version ran me off the course. He was swerving down the middle of the lane, taking a leisurely ride. I came up on him at about 27PH and shouted, “passing on your left.” He immediately veered left. I had to swerve around the traffic cones (lucky there was no car there!) while in aero. I unleashed some unsportman-like comments on him as I passed.
http://www.strava.com/activities/181587681
T2
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Target time: 3min
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Time: 2:09 |
T2 went pretty much to plan:
· Rack bike
· Turn off Garmin VIRB
· Remove helmet + sunglasses + bike shoes
· Put on:
1. Race belt
2. Socks + shoes
3. Visor with sunglasses
· Start Fenix 2 watch for run as exiting T2
Run
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Target time: 52min |
Time: 52:23 |
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Target pace: 8:05min/mi |
Pace: 8:05min/mi |
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Target TSS: 90 |
TSS: 88 |
The run course is mostly trails to winds through the park. It was about 85F and plenty dusty from the runner churning up the dirt on the trail. They made some changes to the course, and it was hillier than last year. Garmin says about 700ft of climbing.
I set my watch to autolap ever mile to break the run into chunks. That was a first for me, and I really liked it because it made me focus on hitting my target pace for that interval.
I came out a little hot. I thought my Garmin was off when it was telling me my pace was around 7:30min/mi the first mile. Not so much. Otherwise, I stuck to my plan. Dropped a Gu Salted Caramel gel as I came up on the aid station at mile 1, and then again at mile 4. I walked about 10 steps through each aid station to get water, and dumped water on my head the last couple.
Around mile 3.5 I came up on Antone, who I had met the week before at a Pasadena Tri Club ride. We chatted for a few seconds as I passed.
I passed three runners from the younger age groups, which felt good, especially considering they had a four minute head start on me by starting in the earlier wave. The last 2 miles were just me out there by myself, chugging along the trails, until I connected with the sprint runners for the last quarter mile. Per my plan, I left nothing in the tank after mile 5.5.
I crossed the finish line and was pretty sure I hit my goal of 2:30. It felt good to know I had executed well!
I ran into a former colleague from when I worked at Amgen who I hadn’t seen in several years. We caught up for a few minutes. Then I went and found my wife and kids waiting by transition – the best part of the race.
I finished 4th in my age group. About 6-7 minutes faster and I would have made the podium. That gives me something to shoot for next year!
http://www.strava.com/activities/181587699
Key Take Aways
· Endurance Nation rocks! Not only did I feel greater fitness than last year but I also had a plan for how to execute. The three races I did before EN, I always left feeling like I executed poorly. (Sorry for the infomercial).
· Ride my tri bike more so I get my power output closer to what I see on my road bike.
· My swim is still a work in progress, but it is definitely getting better. I had a swim coach over the summer, and it helped a lot.
Upcoming Races
· Malibu International (Olympic distance) on September 13.
· SuperFrog HIM on September 27. I was planning to do Silverman 70.3 but have a conflict, so I am going to my backup race. I did this last year. It’s a great race that is put on by the Navy SEALs, and it is supposed to be the original half ironman. There is a special wave start right after the pros for active duty SEALs. The race takes place in Coronado, and you run on the BUDS course and through the Naval Special Warfare base. I was in the Navy during the Persian Gulf War – not a SEAL, I worked on F/A-18 Hornets on an aircraft carrier. I still feel a connection to the Navy, so it is cool to do a race that supports the SEALs.
· Bonelli Olympic on October 11 with the Pasadena Tri Club.
Comments
Sorry, some of the formatting got messed up from my copy and paste job.
Regarding riding more on your tri bike in order to get power closer to what you produce on the road ... don't fret about that. It;s routine to have a lower power output in TT position than on road bike, due to the different angles of the hips, upper legs. That power loss is *more* more overcome by the aero advantage secured on a TT bike. The reason to ride more on the TT bike is to improve and lock in that aero position so you can hold it for 2.5 hours that you'll need in your HIM.
Kim, thanks for the encouragement!
http://www.strava.com/activities/181587681
There are usually about 100 athletes doing the Olympic. Probably 3-4 times that many doing the sprint.
From my experience, it's a well run little race. It's hard to beat a race that is a 30 minute drive from my home in Monrovia. You should check it out next year (as long as you aren't in my age group
Thanks!
Gabe