2017 IM Chattanooga 70.3 Race Report for Sabra Gonzalez
Race Date: Sunday, May 21, 2017
Race Day Stats:
Total Time / AG Place / Overall Place: 5:05:57 / 30 / 566
● Swim Time / AG / Gender / OA: 15:43 / 7 / 18 / 55 *swim .8 miles
● T1 Time: 3:40
● Bike Time / AG / Gender / OA: 2:50:16 / 40 / 178 / 793
● T2 Time / AG / Gender / OA: 3:06
● Run Time / AG / Gender / OA: 1:53:12 / 30 / 149 / 566
Race Day Goals:
Goal1: Swim: Maintain about the same time as last year which was 26:20.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1000152060
a Did you achieve it? The swim was shortened due to the strong current after watching the pros struggle in the upstream portion.
Goal1: Bike: Sub
3 Hour Time (Last year 3:05:40)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1000152088
https://www.strava.com/activities/1000157501
a Did you achieve it? Yes. Bike time of 2:50:16. I watched Coach Rich’s Chatt 70.3 video twice on tips for the course that’s in the wiki. I paid special attention to his analysis of the bike, making notes on the printed course map. Then using the notes from his video I drove the course. The first portion of the bike is described as being a Net increase in elevation with rollers that do not produce any payback in the downhill side of the rollers. I tried my best to keep it under control and in a high Z2/low Z3. (Side bar: I’m the worst at these bike computers. My head unit was reading 45 mph so I was using the head unit for the PM and my garmin for the speed. ) I was being passed by so many and I knew that was a good thing. I knew once I made that left turn onto Andrews Drive it was “on.” I rode that hill in text book EN style. I got in my lowest gear and just spun never leaving my saddle for that ride or the entire ride for that matter. I saw the classic rider out of his/her saddle hammering it up and then here I come, cresting the hill, downshifting and actually passed people! That never happened to me before on the bike. I’ll pass maybe one or two all day. Knowing that after Andrews and after the left onto Hog Jowl road, the course becomes net downhill. I started an ABP strategy trying not to spike it too hard. I would continually ask myself, can I run after I push like this? And that kept me under control.
b What helped or prevented you from achieving it? I believe I was able to achieve this goal because I had the knowledge I didn’t have in the prior year. Repeating “Can I run after this” kept me under control. Knowing the course strategy and knowing how to properly ride a hill in comparison to last year. Knowing that I had a better bike base gave me the tools I used to achieve this goal and to actually bike better and faster than I thought I could.
2 Goal2: Run a sub 2 hr half Last year (2:04:54)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1000158373
a Did you achieve it? Yes and NO. I was hoping to actually run about a 1:47/1:50 based on my Race Rehearsal runs. I knew that first mile is the dangerous, hilly mile, where adrenaline and crowd support can make you go way too fast. I kept it under control as best I could. Everything was going as good as it could until about mile 9.5 where I hit “the line.” I rolled my left ankle in the aid station and the GI distress was so unbearable I had to stop and use the PortaPotty. That took away about 2.5 minutes. I felt better but not great. I had to salvage what I could and just get through the last 3 miles, which I did. Crossed the finish line and was out of it. My friends got me to the aid station where I used their “nice” portapotty and got my ankle looked over by the PT. I hobbled back to the hotel and showered. Didn’t leave the room for a couple of hours for fear of being away from the bathroom.
b What helped or prevented you from achieving it? Looking back, I totally over compensated my nutrition on the bike. I think for the conditions, which were not has warm as I’m used to riding, coupled with an increase exertion rate, I overloaded my gels/bars. I was so afraid of repeating last year’s run I wanted to ensure I had enough nutrition and overkilled it. I knew as soon as I started that run, that feeling of stomach discomfort, and just how long could I go. I lasted pretty long and glad I stopped otherwise it would have been super embarrassing. The last 3 miles I just could not stomach the thought of drinking anything and crunched on ice and had a shot of coke. I know I can do better here, but this is what the day handed me. What was frustrating was that my legs felt great.
The Swim -- Race Day Evaluation
Target Swim Time: 25:00 (based on 1.2) Actual Swim Time: 15:43 (.8)
Weather / Conditions / Notes: Severe storms moved through the night before and there was even word of cancelling the swim, portions of the bike and/or portions of the run. The day turned out to be cloudy and much cooler. Swim was changed to .8 miles, after watching the pros struggle with the upstream portion against the strong current. Swam straight off the dock downstream.
Challenge 1: No issues here. I’m a former collegiate swimmer and my goal time was based on 1.2 miles. There were quite a few people that self seeded themselves much too early and I had to swim around them. IM needs to have better organization at the swim start and have signage placed for target swim times, but even then, people would still put themselves where they don’t belong.
The Bike -- Race Day Evaluation
Target Bike Time: Sub 3 Hrs (2:55ish) Actual Bike Time: 2:50:16
Weather / Conditions / Notes:
The weather gods listened and not a drop of rain. Conditions were cloudy and mid70s. Roads had dried except for a few puddles and some dampness in heavily tree lined roads. Four rail road crossings out and the same back into town. Those were brutal and saw lots of debris flying off the bike. Saw many people with flats. Last year IM laid out grey carpeting and this year black plastic mats. Overall, it's a beautiful course. I made sure I took a few looks every now and then.
Challenge 1:
As a strong swimmer, I get in the water early. Then here come the fast bikers. I literally get passed by pelotons. It’s become sort of funny. I felt like I was in a real Zwift session. I just try to stay out of their way and just keep peddling in my box. I finally got leveled out around mile 25/30. Not sure there’s anything I can do about this one. I’ve become used to it.
Challenge 2:
Nutrition. I ate what I practiced and still overdid it. I need to learn to know when to cutback. I should have known when I started burping it up at around mile 45 that was a problem, but I was so afraid of being under hydrated that I kept drinking. I should have skipped the powerbar and just did Infinit and clif gel.
Challenge 3:
Bike computer. I’m the absolute worst when it comes to technology. I’m not sure what happened. I looked down at my Garmin Edge 500 and I was going 45 mph. Great. What the heck. So I was able to look at the Watts on the Edge in combination with mph on my 920. Then I had to stop/start all over again. Ugh! I was sort of in the dark for my overall bike split but based on the time of day I got out of the water, I estimated I had to be somewhere between a 2:45 and 2:50 which was about right.
The Run -- Race Day Evaluation
Target Run Time: 1:50:00 Actual Run Time: 1:53:12
Weather / Conditions / Notes:
The weather was still cloudy, but the sun was beginning to break through and was getting warm. The humidity was high. The wet wooden bridge over the river smelled terrible. It's also hard to run on. The course also was narrow down by the river.
Challenge 1:
Getting through the first 3 miles without going too fast. I kept it together pretty well. It's so hard to not get pumped up with everyone cheering you on.
Challenge 2:
GI Distress. Every HIM run has consisted of some level of GI Distress on the run. This one topped the cake, however, I was still able to maintain a decent time. Mile 10 was my "line."
Next Time -- Overall Lessons Learned
I was the most "zen" (the word used by my friend and sherpa who's seen me at every race) at this race compared to any big race I’ve done in the past. I think the combination of getting to the race a day earlier allowed me to get all the “admin” things accomplished without being rushed. I had a hotel room that was very close to transition so I could walk back to the room. Of course, knowing what to expect on the course was helpful. I brought all my own food to eat and avoided the masses at restaurants. And most importantly, I had a plan to base my race around and that was comforting as well as the Four Keys. I was a much smarter racer compared to a year ago, and that would never have been accomplished without the tools EN gives you to use. I am so grateful to @Coach Patrick , @Coach Rich Rich, and to the entire EN community. I enjoyed meeting several EN teammates and the entire experience in Chattanooga has always been great. Overall, I’m happy with the outcome of the race. Compared to last year, I was 40 minutes faster and if the swim would have been the full course, I estimate I would have finished at 5:15 which is still 30 minutes over last year. I'm looking forward to the GF plan and on July 24th (also my birthday) I begin the EN Full, Intermediate plan to begin the road to my first Full, IM Lou.
Comments
You're going to like IM Lou: the swim will be easy for you; the bike course has similar terrain to Chattanooga; and the run is flat
Good report Sabra and Congrats on the PR. Glad I was able to meet you at the Athlete Briefing but hate I did not see you on race day. Looks like I will be seeing you again at IM LOU.