IMNOLA 70.3 - Race Report - Gordon Polozola
NOLA 70.3 was my first half ironman. I've done one Olympic distance triathlon and one half-marathon - the rest were sprint races. So, my experience in any kind of long distance is certainly limited. Thank goodness for the EN training because, by far, this race was the hardest thing I've ever done. But, I pushed myself beyond where I thought I could go, which for me was a successful race. Despite the challenges, I achieved my sub-6 hour goal and almost achieved my secret goal of 5:45, finishing at 5:47:18.
Pre-race: Pre-race went as planned. I went to sleep at 8pm (2 Benadryl) woke up at 2am and ate at a banana, Quaker oatmeal, a PowerBar, and a Muscle Milk protein shake - all tried before (Total of ~ 700 calories) and went back to sleep. Woke up and had coffee and nibbled on a PowerBar and sipped on Gatorade until one hour before race time. Race was delayed 30 minutes due to traffic so I backed up my gel until 15' before the race. Bathroom break and wetsuit on.
Swim: I was extremely happy with my swim for several reasons. First, there was no panic, stopping, breaststroke, or swimming off course, which has happened in almost every other triathlon. The swim camp and workouts certainly helped me with my confidence. Second, while I never got into counting strokes, I remained focused on my catch, front quadrant balance, siting, swimming smooth and steady and catching the occasional draft. I did some bilateral breathing, which was my way of keeping my pace in check. My strokes/min was 62, up from 55 (which I had been working on). I only got hit or crossed in front of about 4 times; traversed the buoys without incident. I even hit the last set of wetsuit strippers as per EN race protocol and, of course, I had them all to myself. Race pace: 1:41/100yds; Training pace: 1:47/100yds (which I attribute to the wetsuit and just racing). The course was 175 meters short (according to my Garmin). But, my time of 31:47 came as a shock as I felt great coming out of the water. I figure adjusted for the shortened course, I still would have had a 34.40, beating the pants off my expected time. Heart rate coming out of the water was 169 (previous races was 174).
Swim to Bike Transition was acceptable. The run was quite long to get to the bikes and it took some time for socks and sunscreen (which I don't use in sprint races). Out in under 5 min. I rubberband my shoes on my bike and get into them after mounting. Worked great.
Bike: While I was happy with the time (2:57, which I did in my 56 mile RRs), this is where I think the day started going downhill. I accidentally pushed a button on my Garmin 920, wrecking the Triathlon mode. Not the biggest thing in the world, but I had to start over in Bike mode and my power meter would not register for a bit, I lost my IF, mileage, and total race time readings, etc. No biggie, I adjusted. But, once back into Bike mode, I could not get to the .75 IF for the first 20 minutes (possibly because of the tailwind we had going out). If I pushed to get to that number, I could really feel it (not the go-easy for the first 7 miles I knew I should do). So, I ended up at 68 to 70 IF in the beginning. I ate my half-power bar, took in some fluids and my amino acids. My first gatorade bottles had salt supplement in them as well. But, as I was approaching the first bottle exchange (15 miles) I had not quite finished my first bottle. I hurried and finished it and got another bottle. Two miles later, I needed the bathroom bad. For the life of me, there was no going on the bike no matter how much I tried and no downhills to help. The next port-a-potty was at mile 30. I was miserable. And while I tried to drink, I can't help but think this slowed my drinking. I took my gel at an hour as planned and worked up to .73 IF (still nowhere near the .80 I wanted to be near, but my perceived effort was there). I kept drinking and eating gels on the hour as planned. At mile 30, which I had been looking forward to since mile 17, there were only two port-a-potties and a line 5 deep for each. There was no freaking way I was waiting there 10 minutes so I continued. I did not have salt pills, but I supplemented my drinks with my salt drops like in rehearsal. I picked up my drinking toward the latter part of the ride and finally hit the port-a-potty back at mile 15 (lost 1 min 20 sec). But, I noticed my legs were really cramping when I straightened my legs or stood up on the pedals to stretch my back. For the last 15 miles, of course into a headwind, I could really notice cramping in my quads and even on the inside of my right leg, which I had never experienced. I stayed soft on the pedals, took in my last gel and had worked up to a 'lap' IF of .8, but never really felt as comfortable on the bike as I had in RR. The last part of the bike is up a bridge - it was pretty bad. I was discouraged mentally as I knew it was not a good sign to go into the half-marathon already cramping. Incredibly, I was still finishing right under 3 hours (19.1 mph just like in RR), but with a much lower IF. I'm thinking I need to add salt stick pills and leg anti-cramp pills to my RR.
Bike to Run Transition was acceptable. Re-applied sunscreen thank goodness because the sun was brutal. I grabbed my run baggie with the gels but I never used them.
Run: At this point, I was just trying to keep focused on running easy. Somehow I was not cramping and I'm thinking the change to the run was what I needed. I see if I can do my MP plus 30". I get to MP plus 50", which at this point seems like a win. The good: I manage to run fairly consistently for the first 10k, but could not speed up after the first 3 miles without triggering some cramping. The bad: my stomach will not accept any nutrition and I'm not drinking as I need at each aid station. I get a few sips in here and there, but it is all I can do to not have it come back up. I keep cool with the ice and sponges, and push through the first half. But, I never regain the ability to take any gels and am barely drinking. I'm in a downward spiral. At mile 8 the line hits. I have desperately tried to stay under 9-min/mile and literally can't take another running step. I walk 30 seconds and resume, feeling a little better. At aid stations, I walk and take a few sips of gatorade (one aid station had coke). I'm feeling a little light-headed and feeling much more intense cramping, and for the first time the reality of possibly not finishing this race hits me, which frankly pisses me off considering what it took to get here. All the time, all the training, all the sacrifice of myself and my family - I have got to finish this thing. At that point, staying in my box (what I can control) is running as far as I can and then walking until I can run again. I start walking up the bridges over the canals and waterways that seem to be all over this run course. Down the bridges gets me running again. With two miles to go, my feet and calfs are in a constant state of cramping. A fellow racer shares a salt pill but I have no water to even take it assuming it will help. I break it open and put some under my tongue. The last two miles include running up a large draw bridge. I'm too close to stop now. It is the home stretch. I tell myself to just start running at the top and don't stop. I run and walk the last mile. Seeing the chute, I simply can't believe the hell I just went through. The time says 6:29 and while I'm thinking I did not get sub-6, I'm pushing to get under 6:30 (little did I know this was the time from the start of the day, not my age group; so I actually finish in 5:47:18) But, I raised my arms in victory for the picture of my first HIM at the finish line. For a moment I feel no pain I as get my water and medal, then it was off to the medical tent for two IVs. I’m so dehydrated that the medical staff can’t find a vein for the IV. So this was definitely my problem. But, the staff was great. You got to love when a hospital sponsors the race; those people were Grade A.
I learned a lot. But there is more work to do. Until the next one . . .
Gordon Polozola - First Time Ironman NOLA 70.3 Finisher
Pre-race: Pre-race went as planned. I went to sleep at 8pm (2 Benadryl) woke up at 2am and ate at a banana, Quaker oatmeal, a PowerBar, and a Muscle Milk protein shake - all tried before (Total of ~ 700 calories) and went back to sleep. Woke up and had coffee and nibbled on a PowerBar and sipped on Gatorade until one hour before race time. Race was delayed 30 minutes due to traffic so I backed up my gel until 15' before the race. Bathroom break and wetsuit on.
Swim: I was extremely happy with my swim for several reasons. First, there was no panic, stopping, breaststroke, or swimming off course, which has happened in almost every other triathlon. The swim camp and workouts certainly helped me with my confidence. Second, while I never got into counting strokes, I remained focused on my catch, front quadrant balance, siting, swimming smooth and steady and catching the occasional draft. I did some bilateral breathing, which was my way of keeping my pace in check. My strokes/min was 62, up from 55 (which I had been working on). I only got hit or crossed in front of about 4 times; traversed the buoys without incident. I even hit the last set of wetsuit strippers as per EN race protocol and, of course, I had them all to myself. Race pace: 1:41/100yds; Training pace: 1:47/100yds (which I attribute to the wetsuit and just racing). The course was 175 meters short (according to my Garmin). But, my time of 31:47 came as a shock as I felt great coming out of the water. I figure adjusted for the shortened course, I still would have had a 34.40, beating the pants off my expected time. Heart rate coming out of the water was 169 (previous races was 174).
Swim to Bike Transition was acceptable. The run was quite long to get to the bikes and it took some time for socks and sunscreen (which I don't use in sprint races). Out in under 5 min. I rubberband my shoes on my bike and get into them after mounting. Worked great.
Bike: While I was happy with the time (2:57, which I did in my 56 mile RRs), this is where I think the day started going downhill. I accidentally pushed a button on my Garmin 920, wrecking the Triathlon mode. Not the biggest thing in the world, but I had to start over in Bike mode and my power meter would not register for a bit, I lost my IF, mileage, and total race time readings, etc. No biggie, I adjusted. But, once back into Bike mode, I could not get to the .75 IF for the first 20 minutes (possibly because of the tailwind we had going out). If I pushed to get to that number, I could really feel it (not the go-easy for the first 7 miles I knew I should do). So, I ended up at 68 to 70 IF in the beginning. I ate my half-power bar, took in some fluids and my amino acids. My first gatorade bottles had salt supplement in them as well. But, as I was approaching the first bottle exchange (15 miles) I had not quite finished my first bottle. I hurried and finished it and got another bottle. Two miles later, I needed the bathroom bad. For the life of me, there was no going on the bike no matter how much I tried and no downhills to help. The next port-a-potty was at mile 30. I was miserable. And while I tried to drink, I can't help but think this slowed my drinking. I took my gel at an hour as planned and worked up to .73 IF (still nowhere near the .80 I wanted to be near, but my perceived effort was there). I kept drinking and eating gels on the hour as planned. At mile 30, which I had been looking forward to since mile 17, there were only two port-a-potties and a line 5 deep for each. There was no freaking way I was waiting there 10 minutes so I continued. I did not have salt pills, but I supplemented my drinks with my salt drops like in rehearsal. I picked up my drinking toward the latter part of the ride and finally hit the port-a-potty back at mile 15 (lost 1 min 20 sec). But, I noticed my legs were really cramping when I straightened my legs or stood up on the pedals to stretch my back. For the last 15 miles, of course into a headwind, I could really notice cramping in my quads and even on the inside of my right leg, which I had never experienced. I stayed soft on the pedals, took in my last gel and had worked up to a 'lap' IF of .8, but never really felt as comfortable on the bike as I had in RR. The last part of the bike is up a bridge - it was pretty bad. I was discouraged mentally as I knew it was not a good sign to go into the half-marathon already cramping. Incredibly, I was still finishing right under 3 hours (19.1 mph just like in RR), but with a much lower IF. I'm thinking I need to add salt stick pills and leg anti-cramp pills to my RR.
Bike to Run Transition was acceptable. Re-applied sunscreen thank goodness because the sun was brutal. I grabbed my run baggie with the gels but I never used them.
Run: At this point, I was just trying to keep focused on running easy. Somehow I was not cramping and I'm thinking the change to the run was what I needed. I see if I can do my MP plus 30". I get to MP plus 50", which at this point seems like a win. The good: I manage to run fairly consistently for the first 10k, but could not speed up after the first 3 miles without triggering some cramping. The bad: my stomach will not accept any nutrition and I'm not drinking as I need at each aid station. I get a few sips in here and there, but it is all I can do to not have it come back up. I keep cool with the ice and sponges, and push through the first half. But, I never regain the ability to take any gels and am barely drinking. I'm in a downward spiral. At mile 8 the line hits. I have desperately tried to stay under 9-min/mile and literally can't take another running step. I walk 30 seconds and resume, feeling a little better. At aid stations, I walk and take a few sips of gatorade (one aid station had coke). I'm feeling a little light-headed and feeling much more intense cramping, and for the first time the reality of possibly not finishing this race hits me, which frankly pisses me off considering what it took to get here. All the time, all the training, all the sacrifice of myself and my family - I have got to finish this thing. At that point, staying in my box (what I can control) is running as far as I can and then walking until I can run again. I start walking up the bridges over the canals and waterways that seem to be all over this run course. Down the bridges gets me running again. With two miles to go, my feet and calfs are in a constant state of cramping. A fellow racer shares a salt pill but I have no water to even take it assuming it will help. I break it open and put some under my tongue. The last two miles include running up a large draw bridge. I'm too close to stop now. It is the home stretch. I tell myself to just start running at the top and don't stop. I run and walk the last mile. Seeing the chute, I simply can't believe the hell I just went through. The time says 6:29 and while I'm thinking I did not get sub-6, I'm pushing to get under 6:30 (little did I know this was the time from the start of the day, not my age group; so I actually finish in 5:47:18) But, I raised my arms in victory for the picture of my first HIM at the finish line. For a moment I feel no pain I as get my water and medal, then it was off to the medical tent for two IVs. I’m so dehydrated that the medical staff can’t find a vein for the IV. So this was definitely my problem. But, the staff was great. You got to love when a hospital sponsors the race; those people were Grade A.
I learned a lot. But there is more work to do. Until the next one . . .
Gordon Polozola - First Time Ironman NOLA 70.3 Finisher
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Comments
Congrats on a great race. 5:47 on your first is a fantastic result. A lot of the cramping will ease as you build more fitness and hone your salt and hydration plans. I like eating solids the first hour or so on the bike in an IM, but not in a 70.3. I'm almost all liquid in a half, with maybe 2-3 gels on the bike, 1-2 on the run, with lots of salt if the relative temps are above mid-70s. I also don't like to take in anything but a little water the last 20-30 min on the bike, to set my stomach up for a calm start to the run. Peeing on the bike is not easy, especially on flat courses, so don't worry. At IMFL, there are some rollers on the backside, but they're not long. If I can't do it there, I'll just pull over when there's plenty of shoulder space and I'm no threat to other riders, stradlle my bike as if I'm trying to adjust my aerobar, and let it rip (no public nudity, though, as I'd likely get DQ'd and put on a predator list). Once started, I can get back on my bike and finish while lightly spinning. Spend 15-20 seconds instead of 2 min at a porto. At Mile 100, there's a decent bridge. The descent is a perfect place for Pee #2. On the run, as soon as I veer towards a porto, I start counting, enter, begin the process, leave at 10 seconds regardless of progress, finish up while running. Sometimes I'm 80% done when I leave, sometimes 15%. But it's only 10-15 seconds. Of course, that's just me. Some have it mastered, some would rather dnf than wet themselves.
Hope the rest of your summer race season goes well, then it's prep time for IMFL. Congrats again.
I religiously use Endurolytes by Hammer Nutrition for my electrolyte replacement. I use them on all of my long runs/rides. I take about 4/hr although that sometimes fluctuates depending on how I feel. As long as I am able to keep drinking liquids, I keep taking the pills. For my first HIM in 2009, I had major cramps in my calves on the run like you mention and actually got 2 IVs after the race, as well. We have a lot in common including our 5:47s this year. Also, I've never done any solids in races, but also have never done a full before. I'm experimenting with solids now.
Congrats and I know you will have this worked out in time for the Chattanooga 70.3 and will be all setup for IMFlorida later in the year. Good luck!!
The big question is what is your goal for Chattanooga now that you blew your goals up in New Orleans
See you at IMFL.