Niels H Steelhead race report
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Niels Heemskerk - Race report Steelhead 70.3 –AG 60-64
This was my second HIM in three weeks, Racine and Steelhead, I liked the two taper weeks so close together, but I am not sure I will do that again.
Plan: The plan was to have a calm steady swim, stay on the outside, count strokes, don’t worry about drafting. Bike: use my newly found FTP of 245 and ride at 75% of that around 185 the first 10 miles then dial it up to roughly 200 the rest of the way. Transitions: one word smooth. Run: really try to go stupid slow at 10:30 per mile for the first 4 miles, then 10:00 until mile 11, and race the way in. Hoping for a sub 6 race.
Saturday:
Showed up at the race site, found my spot, a long way from bike in but nicely all the way on the right side. Got everything set up pretty quickly and met up with my colleagues that were in from Texas to do the race. Since this was my first Steelhead, I listened to the race talk which had some good information about the “big” hills on the run. Went for a nice early dinner at Bread+Bar a great place, set on the patio and looked at the boats going by on the river, the only mistake is that I ordered a small plate of Pasta with a cream sauce… so good, but so rich, the backlash of which came in T2. To bed early, slept pretty well.
Sunday: Temp: 60-70
Woke up at 4AM, ate my yoghurt with oatmeal and blueberries, one hardboiled egg and a piece of toast with a cup of coffee (normal meal before longer race). Used the shuttle to get to the transition, set up everything quickly. The port-a-pottys in transition were open, and there was no line. At 6 AM Mike Roberts from Charlotte and I walked to the bike/run-out to find other EN’ers, they must have been at the other end? Drank a bottle of Infinit, and went for a warm-up swim, I was in wave one start time 7 AM.
Swim: Plan to swim as close to 2:00/100 meters as possible
Actual: 44:17 - 2:17/100m
Lined up in front on the right side planning on swimming outside the pack, maybe a bit longer, but it was a great swim. The wind had shifted to the East which gave the lake a nice smooth finish, no waves to speak of. Since I was in the first wave there was no one to swim over, I did get caught by the fastest swimmers from the next wave. The plan was a 2:00 minute per 100 swim, I felt pretty good, but probably held back a bit too much and swam at 2:17, felt good coming out of the water, slogged through the long loose sand run to T1, then had almost the entire length of transition to get to my bike. Stripped my own suit (no strippers at this race) quickly rinsed my feet got into my bike shoes, helmet on, sunglasses were all fogged up so I put them in my pocket.
Bike:
Plan: build to 200 watts try for 20 mph average.
Actual: 2:44:00. Avg. speed: 20.4mph.
NP: 180 AP:174 (VI:1.03) IF:78.5
Avg. Cadence: 87
Off to the first 10 miles. Heart rate was quite low at 145, but I still followed my plan, dialed in around 170-180 power and watched the whole world fly by me, especially on the slight up hills where everyone hammered like it was a Sunday LBS ride. One guy actually came by after several hills and said, I’ll see you on the downhill, which I rode at 30+ miles an hour while he coasted. After 10 miles I gradually dialed in around 200 watts. Drank two 24 ounce bottles of Infinit and took 2 salt tablets with a little water. I use a Garmin 510 for the bike, 920 on my wrist in Triathlon mode, and in the middle of the bike I tried to turn the watch on my wrist, accidentally touched the lap button, so that file is now useless, had to restart in run mode at the run out. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/860274391
T2: smooth, but all of a sudden had stomach issues, had to take off my EN kit to lower my bib shorts, not sure I’ll wear those during a race again. That cost me some time.
Run:
Goal: 2:10:00
Actual: 2:24:46
Started out stupid slow according to plan, 10:30 average, did that for 4 miles, not sure if I eat the right amount of salt on the bike, got to work that out better. I had a sharp pain in my left quad from the start of the run, I figured it would go away, but it kept getting sharper, started traveling into my left calf to my ankle. Around mile 8 things started to get a bit out of hand, had to stop to rub out the left quad, I did struggle through it and finished not too far from where I have finished on the run before. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/862292653
Overall, 06:06:52, 17th AG, 1193 Overall.
I know I should have done a better job of body composition, I carry 193-197lbs on a 6-1 frame, I was 17th in my AG overall 1193I need to get that down. I would appreciate any comments/suggestions.
This was my second HIM in three weeks, Racine and Steelhead, I liked the two taper weeks so close together, but I am not sure I will do that again.
Plan: The plan was to have a calm steady swim, stay on the outside, count strokes, don’t worry about drafting. Bike: use my newly found FTP of 245 and ride at 75% of that around 185 the first 10 miles then dial it up to roughly 200 the rest of the way. Transitions: one word smooth. Run: really try to go stupid slow at 10:30 per mile for the first 4 miles, then 10:00 until mile 11, and race the way in. Hoping for a sub 6 race.
Saturday:
Showed up at the race site, found my spot, a long way from bike in but nicely all the way on the right side. Got everything set up pretty quickly and met up with my colleagues that were in from Texas to do the race. Since this was my first Steelhead, I listened to the race talk which had some good information about the “big” hills on the run. Went for a nice early dinner at Bread+Bar a great place, set on the patio and looked at the boats going by on the river, the only mistake is that I ordered a small plate of Pasta with a cream sauce… so good, but so rich, the backlash of which came in T2. To bed early, slept pretty well.
Sunday: Temp: 60-70
Woke up at 4AM, ate my yoghurt with oatmeal and blueberries, one hardboiled egg and a piece of toast with a cup of coffee (normal meal before longer race). Used the shuttle to get to the transition, set up everything quickly. The port-a-pottys in transition were open, and there was no line. At 6 AM Mike Roberts from Charlotte and I walked to the bike/run-out to find other EN’ers, they must have been at the other end? Drank a bottle of Infinit, and went for a warm-up swim, I was in wave one start time 7 AM.
Swim: Plan to swim as close to 2:00/100 meters as possible
Actual: 44:17 - 2:17/100m
Lined up in front on the right side planning on swimming outside the pack, maybe a bit longer, but it was a great swim. The wind had shifted to the East which gave the lake a nice smooth finish, no waves to speak of. Since I was in the first wave there was no one to swim over, I did get caught by the fastest swimmers from the next wave. The plan was a 2:00 minute per 100 swim, I felt pretty good, but probably held back a bit too much and swam at 2:17, felt good coming out of the water, slogged through the long loose sand run to T1, then had almost the entire length of transition to get to my bike. Stripped my own suit (no strippers at this race) quickly rinsed my feet got into my bike shoes, helmet on, sunglasses were all fogged up so I put them in my pocket.
Bike:
Plan: build to 200 watts try for 20 mph average.
Actual: 2:44:00. Avg. speed: 20.4mph.
NP: 180 AP:174 (VI:1.03) IF:78.5
Avg. Cadence: 87
Off to the first 10 miles. Heart rate was quite low at 145, but I still followed my plan, dialed in around 170-180 power and watched the whole world fly by me, especially on the slight up hills where everyone hammered like it was a Sunday LBS ride. One guy actually came by after several hills and said, I’ll see you on the downhill, which I rode at 30+ miles an hour while he coasted. After 10 miles I gradually dialed in around 200 watts. Drank two 24 ounce bottles of Infinit and took 2 salt tablets with a little water. I use a Garmin 510 for the bike, 920 on my wrist in Triathlon mode, and in the middle of the bike I tried to turn the watch on my wrist, accidentally touched the lap button, so that file is now useless, had to restart in run mode at the run out. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/860274391
T2: smooth, but all of a sudden had stomach issues, had to take off my EN kit to lower my bib shorts, not sure I’ll wear those during a race again. That cost me some time.
Run:
Goal: 2:10:00
Actual: 2:24:46
Started out stupid slow according to plan, 10:30 average, did that for 4 miles, not sure if I eat the right amount of salt on the bike, got to work that out better. I had a sharp pain in my left quad from the start of the run, I figured it would go away, but it kept getting sharper, started traveling into my left calf to my ankle. Around mile 8 things started to get a bit out of hand, had to stop to rub out the left quad, I did struggle through it and finished not too far from where I have finished on the run before. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/862292653
Overall, 06:06:52, 17th AG, 1193 Overall.
I know I should have done a better job of body composition, I carry 193-197lbs on a 6-1 frame, I was 17th in my AG overall 1193I need to get that down. I would appreciate any comments/suggestions.
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Comments
I drank 3 bottles on the bike and I'm not a very big sweater - is 2 bottles enough on the bike?
Niels, it was very nice to meet you. Great report on a great race. That's a good time and good placing in a really big race. The fact that you had stomach distress and cramping near the same time does suggest dehydration, at least to this non-nutritionist who has battled both maladies many, many times. I'm sure Infinit gave you more than enough calories for a HIM, but the 48 ounces of liquid and whatever sodium levels you used (did Infinit give you 1,000 mg per hour?) may have been a little light. I almost made it through four entire 24 oz bottles of GE (2,400 mg over 2.5 hours, so right at 1,000/hr), supplemented with a couple of gels and no salt (it was mid- to upper-60s). And I'm 40 pounds lighter and was on the course a few minutes less than you. Just food for thought, as you search for answers. Regardless, way to suffer through it and come out the other side victorious. Best of luck with the rest of 2015.