Mike R's Steelhead Race Report
Pre-Race
By mid-May, I was 12 to 15 weeks into a bike-focused GF plan that had me over 4 w/kg and running and swimming pretty strong. But when a great job opportunity landed in my lap, I knew my tri plans for the latter half of 2016 would be impacted. I dropped out of two races I had signed up for, changed Steelhead to a C race and hoped that life would settle down in Charlotte after the move enough to allow me to put some focus on IM Florida in the fall. Decided to burn some excess vaca at the old job and took my boy to Europe for two weeks in June. Which was awesome. After that, I found that renovating, selling, buying and moving just killed my grand training plans. Plus, my stupid pool closed for reno in May. Net result: still got in shorter quality bike and run workouts, but CTL dropped from 101 to 56 in two+ months. Only 8 swims during that time. Steelhead would be a great way to gauge my fitness prior to my IMFL build and an opp to practice race execution.
Race Plan
Despite the lack of swimming and overall volume, I was still in very good Oly shape. I estimate my vDOT at 50 and FTP at 260. A little chunky at 152lbs, but Paris does that. Standard EN HIM strategy wouldn't work here. Planned to go easy tempo only on the swim, follow feet, try not to lose too much time. Make up time in the TAs. Instead of biking at 210-20NP, I decided to shoot for 195. This was basically IM pace+. With no run longer than 8 under my belt recently, I needed fresh legs for the final 13. For the run, I planned to eliminate the first 3 miles altogether by going crazy slow, then run steady tempo until the top of the hill at 10.75, gut it in from there. Overall goal was to overcome some fitness shortcomings with perfect execution and try to sneak in under 5 hours, top 20 in AG and top 100 OA. But there would be no margin for error or stupidity.
Race
Arrived Friday with no issues, then rested, salted and hydrated the day before. Ate 700 calories of Clif and apple sauce at 4am, got to TA way too early at 5:30. Turned on Garmins, all good. Until I hear the 910xt make a strange beep. Pick it up. It's dead. Tried to hard-reset several times. Dead. Asked official if I could bring my iPhone on the run to use the Strava app. Nope - that would = DQ. Asked a few people if they had an extra watch. Nope. I got it! Add a new page to my Garmin 800 with a single, giant HR field and carry that. After all, my run plan was largely based on HR. Problem solved.
SWIM
Goal: Don't hurt the bike, as close to :30 as possible
Actual: 33:31
The organizers (whom I know) decided to put the over-60 men, all the women and the relay teams before all the under-50 men. Wave 10 it is. Triangle out, go right, right again, come back. Went out moderately fast at the front/right, waiting for people to pass so I could draft. But it didn't happen. Instead, I had a nice, pleasant solo swim out along the first 6 buoys to the turn. Out there, though, Lake Michigan got pretty rough. When I turned I could instantly see hundreds of floaters from the prior waves dealing unsuccessfully with the swells and chop. Two guys passed, and I jumped on their feet and let them be my ice breakers. Worked for a few 100, but then it became too crowded and I lost them. Had to stop several times, go over/around dozens. Decided to move to the inside (shore side) of the buoys and hug that line. Worked all the way to the final turn. The way back to shore, however, it was once again too thick with humans. Just had to fight through it. Never pushed until the last 100. Did a few dolphin dives to shore, but then both calves cramped up. Great - cramping a half hour into the race. I knew it was a crap swim, but there was no clock at the finish to verify (I would later learn that it was slow for everyone in the latter AGs, with the top 4 in mine all going :37-39). Oh well ... on to the bike.
T1 - 2:35
Long swim exit through thick sand, into the far right end of the very long TA, turn left and jog all the way to the other end. Toss goggles, wetsuit to knees, kick the feet out while buckling helmet, grab bike and go. Probably gained real time on almost everyone.
BIKE
Goal: Build to 195NP, steady and aero, finish somewhere near 2:30
Actual: 195NP, 2:28:27.
Calves were a little crampy at first, so I really spun easy until I got my HR below 130. Miles 1-13 and 34-56 are on nice, smooth highway. Gently rolling to flat for most of it. Weather was perfect - 70s, overcast and light winds. Most of Miles 13-34, however, were on crap roads in horrible need of repair. The organizers announced before the race that 2 or 3 sections were quite bad, and they were right. Lots of orange spray paint. The big problem in these miles, however, was the congestion. I'm sure I passed more than 1,000, most of them at a 22/16 mph differential. Lots of people weaving left and right to avoid the potholes, which resulted in lots of crashes. I saw two occur, came across the aftermath of a third. Saw lots of road rash on the run. It was hard to drink during this section, even harder to take my eyes off the road to glance at watts. A handful of small climbs, all of which could be done in the big chainring at 23 or 25, total elevation gain of 1,542 feet. Gel at 5, 20 and 34. Drank orange GE until I despised it. Frankly, it was the easiest 70.3 ride ever, effort-wise. Never pushed it, like something between an IM and ABP effort. Would have been fun to see what 215NP could have created, other than 13 miles of walking. But I rode into T2 feeling fresh. Pavg: 192, Pnorm: 195, HRavg: 135. Each of my 5-mile auto lap splits:
Lap Pnorm MPH avg
1 174 20.5 (stoopid slow)
2 195 25.9
3 192 22.8
4 196 22.4
5 188 21.9 (apparently lost focus)
6 197 22.7
7 199 23.6
8 195 22.5
9 198 23.0
10 190 22.2 (eased off b/c overall NP was > 195)
11 190 23.8
T2 - 2:04
Run with bike for 100+ yards, rack it, helmet, pre-lubed socks, shoes, go-bag. Put visor and race belt on as I exited, carrying the 800 as my “watch.” Made up more time on the field.
RUN
Goal: don't blow up or walk, HR no higher than 155 until 11, anything under 1:45 = glorious.
Actual: 1:41:48, 152 avg HR
Feet and shins kinda hurt as I started running. Slowed to a shuffle. HR at 143. Tried to keep it there for first mile. Passed by dozens, including a female with a 59 on her calf. End of Mile 1 is straight uphill, so I really crawled up it. At the aid station during Mile 2, I jumped into a porto to pee, counting out loud to 10, then bolted whether ready or not. At Mile 3, my legs felt great, so I took off the restrictor plate and slowly allowed HR to move into the low 150s. Started passing people by the dozens. Legitimate climb at mile 5.5 on the first loop, again at 10.5 on the second. Kept it under 155 for both. After the crest near Mile 11, I moved to 5k effort, to hell with my HR. I caught a 6'5" guy in my AG on a slight downhill and surged past so he wouldn't be encouraged to stay with me. At the bottom of the little descent a few 100 yards later, a spectator said "good job" to me, then repeated it 2 seconds after. Oh crap. Yep, there he was, right on my tail. A few hundred yards before the Mile 12 sign, we had a right turn, then a slight uphill. Made my move at the turn and went to 95% sprint for about 100 yards. As I neared TA, I looked back with some anxious curiosity - he was gone. Whew. But as I turned into the long, final chute, I craned again and saw him in a full sprint 20 yards back. Shit. This is gonna hurt. Jumped to 100% sprint, wobbly jello legs all the way to the line, almost puked for the finish photo. Held him off by 15 seconds. Splits:
Mile HRavg Pace
1 140 9:31 (perhaps a little too stoopid, kinda embarrassing)
2 143 8:08
3 146 8:10
4 148 7:59
5 150 7:39
6 151 7:58 (hill)
7 152 7:34
8 153 7:18
9 154 7:31
10 155 7:39
11 154 7:59 (hill)
12 157 7:08
13 162 6:52
Up until the last 2 miles, this felt like a typical training run (my GRP is 7:45). No cramps, no huffing or puffing. Probably undercooked it a bit, but I'm happy with the plan I cobbled together and executed. Even though a 1:41 run is nothing to write home about, I'm psyched I was able to pull off an OA time of 4:48 with my current fitness, which clearly isn't as bad as my CTL and training log would suggest.
Cracked top 20 in AG (16), was only 5+ minutes out of top 10, 12 minutes off the podium, and 19 minutes from the win. Didn't get top 100 (111) OA, but no worries there.
Thanks for reading. Always appreciate suggestions for improvement (other than “perhaps you should follow the training plan you're paying for"). Off to prepare for Florida . . . in a few days.
Comments
Btw, if the weather was anything like on the other side of the lake then the run might have been a bit humid but not terribly hot and with a nice overcast. If so, that would have been really nice because that run course can be really quite tough when in direct sun and high 80's.
My weight, power and HR targets aren't much different from what you posted for this race, but there is no chance that I could pull of a race executed like this one. This is a real testament to the skill and knowledge that you bring to a race, and is really encouraging to guys like me. Good work!
MR....great job. Great report. This sounds a lot like Austin 70.3. Terrible roads much of the time with potholes and too many people. I have not figured out how to get through this sort of thing and stay at my goal watts....even though it's much lower (and therefore slower) than your's. People will NOT stay to the right because they too are afraid of the giant potholes, so they ride down the middle....making any attempt for me to pass dangerous, lest I too fall into a chasm. Good point too about making it really hard to remember to eat and drink, when trying to dodge people, potholes, cracks, etc. How do you do this (without risking life/limb)? Do you feel like you have to take risks/chances (ie...sure hope there is not a pothole just ahead or that this dude doesn't weave left all of a sudden)?
When you actually train for a race, you are going to be the real deal!
MR, thanks for sharing the report. Looks very veteran when I see the swim time, the bike NP pacing and the SOLID run pacing bro.
Can't put a value on a trip to Europe spending that kind of time with your boy.
Always leading in many different ways!
Looking forward to chasing you during the IMFL build bro!
SS
Stellar execution, Don;t you just hate it when somebody makes you actually race?
My only advice: DO NOT forget the execution lesson this race drilled into you come November.
Thanks for all the kind words.
@JL, re the crowded bike on rough roads. Yes, there were definitely sections where people were weaving and I had to pass way left of yellow, with other times requiring me to be patient and wait for a safe opp to pass. Having raced two tris at which a competitor died and having entered an auto via the windshield from my bike, I'm a huge coward on two wheels and try not to take any risks. I also yell "on your left" well in advance. Some people yell it at the passee's back wheel, only to have the passee freak out and swerve (I saw one girl at this race panic just like that, swerve left into the passer's rear wheel, then right, then off the road - unlike a couple others, she landed pretty well and was fine). As for drinking on rough roads, the Garmin beeping every 5 miles is a great reminder when our focus is on passing and bunny-hopping potholes.
@Al, one of the true learning experiences from this race was running with HR only, completely blind to pace. This course only has 3 real hills, but it's pretty much slightly up or down the entire way, with very little flat. The results show that my actual pace was all over the place, with some miles being 30+ seconds faster or slower than the previous. Had I had a functioning 910xt on, I don't think I would have allowed that to happen. On a truly flat run like IMFL, I suspect HR and pace will be more in sync. Either way, this was the first time I really went out slow, then steady HR effort, leaving me with plenty of energy at the end to do the racing thing. I'm much more of a believer than I was a week ago.
Mike, congratulations on an excellent race! Your executions sounds like it was pure ninja level from start to finish and for sure there is something to be said about coming in loose and relaxed. Now just layer on some additional fitness for IMFL and I really like where you will be come November. Your busy summer may turn out to be the best thing that happened to you because it kept you fresh and kept you from peaking way too soon before IMFL.
Great report Mike, enjoyed meeting you!
Headline reads: Veteran hacks race with surgical execution!
When you bring your fitness back up for IMFL, and apply this same approach, your performance will be scary to watch!