Dawn Cass's MT Race Report - 20 Min PR
Summary Results:
|
Swim: |
1:09 |
9th in AG |
|
T1 |
6:17 |
Cut 40s off last year |
|
Bike |
5:40 |
3rd in AG |
|
T2 |
2:43 |
Cut 2min 15 off last year |
|
Run |
4:22 |
15th in AG |
|
Overall |
11:21 |
7th in AG |
Background/Basic stats: 4th IM (2nd time at MT); Aged up this year to the 45-49 AG; FTP 215; Watts/kg = 3.7; vDot...didn't actually test this year...long runs paced at ~8:30-8:40.
After MT last year, I planned to increase my focus on my training in order to up my game this year. I started run durability in October when only a month later I tore my calf muscle. In the end, I took several months off a proper running plan to get things to recover. It did recover and continued with the training plan. Come the spring and summer and I saw some of the best paces and felt the strongest I have in a long time. Unfortunately 3 weeks before race day, after my 14 mile run, the calf starting hurting. I shut down running…no last 3 hour run…no running in fact for a week…and then it’s taper time. Going into the race, I didn’t actually know if I would be able to finish the run however was going to give it my best shot!
Body comp – focused a lot more seriously this year than previous years. I paid closer attention to nutritional content and added protein to my diet. I am a vegetarian and realized that this was seriously lacking. I was able to get down to race weight in the past however felt a healthier and fitter person this year. On race day I clocked in at 57.5 and felt fantastic. I was also able to drop weight earlier in the year as well which helped my training.
Short story: Finish time 11:21, 7th in AG, 20 minute PR. Super pleased with a PR however disappointed with the run. In the end lack of run durability hurt…however nutrition mistakes are what really got me in the end.
Longer story:
Morning of race: Tried for the first time the wake at 2am method and go back asleep. I make my own smoothies normally before a training ride but with the amount of calories in the ones I make, I had to consume 48oz at 2am for 515 calories. Back to sleep to wake at 3;45 to eat a banana and a little bit of porridge. I felt extremely full after all of this and still felt full at the team photo. I think it was to much volume….perhaps calories ok but my system couldn’t handle that volume. I don’t think this set me up very well for the day. Walked to transition to pump tires and headed back for team photo and line up for swim. Feeling pretty calm and ready for the day.
Swim: Desired: sub 1:06min for a PR….expected: 1:10…actual 1:09, 9th in AG.
This year my main focus was on increased volume of time in the water throughout training. I tweaked my form a bit this year however didn’t see my times change much. Going into next year I will spend more time here. I can consistently swim a 1:28/yd on 100yd sets which means my form isn’t terrible…I just cannot hold that for the 2.4mi distance. In the end, I feel swim volume was pretty good and would help my endurance on the day.
Lined up at the front of the 1:05-1:10 group. I was very nervous that I would hyperventilate as soon as I started however while standing on the beach, I took 20 deep, controlled breaths and thought about my calm training OWS at home. I never freak out on those…why should I here. My line was let in the water and off I went…smooth…no panic, no problems…I felt fantastic. Job done.
Swim was clear and very little body contact which was completely different to last year. I stuck close to the inside of the bouys and hugged them until the turns. Some chop and movement however felt I was moving ok. Kept chasing bubbles of those ahead of me to try to get some draft but not get to close to have to swim over others. From what I heard from others…the swim was tough however I actually found it was the most straightforward one in a while. It’s still not a PR for me and my goal is still to get the infamous 1 hour swim…technique work to be done this winter perhaps.
T1: 6:17…long transition at MT…cut time 40 seconds vs last year, probably a bit more room for more next time
Bike: Desired ~5:40, expected ~5:45, actual 5:40 3rd in AG off the bike. 8 min PR.
Bike stats: Avg power 149w, NP 155w, VI 1.04; TSS 293, IF .72, avg HR 136
Link to file for anyone who can help give me some input/thoughts on performance.
My FTP was down from 230 last year to 215 this year so didn’t feel my raw power was as strong. Over the out season I focused more on holding higher watts for longer periods of time which I think benefited me. In addition, I was determined to ride the course smarter and get some free speed. Expect still room for improvement however overall I am happy with how the ride played out.
The bike is my favorite part of the race. I was targeting 160ish for the day and proactively tried to ride the course more intelligently. I rode a 1.07 last year and this year at 1.04 so I am pleased. From the start, focused on getting my heart rate down and JRA pace. My heart rate didn’t drop as quickly as I would have liked however it was in an acceptable range as far as I could see. Julian was waiting for me a few miles into the ride which was a wonderful lift. I blew him a kiss and knew I had to get to work!
Nutrition wise kept to a pretty faithful schedule and ate gels every 30 minutes, cliff block at 1 hour and 4 hours and salt every hour. I mixed GE and water and made sure to continue to drink. Going forward I should pay more attention to how much liquid I am taking. I am pretty good at keeping hydrated and managed to pee 4-5 times on the bike which was a good indicator for me on the day. Not to much more to add on this one….overall rode the course like I wanted and had a blast doing so.
T2: 2:43…really focused on getting in and out asap. Shoes on, go bag in hand and out…over 2 minutes off last year’s T2. Happy. I was only 30 seconds behind the fastest in my AG here.
Run: This is the painful part and already makes me mad to think about! Desired 4:00….expected ~4:15, actual 4:22, 15th in AG. Heart rate bracelet failed so no data. Run file below:
I spent a lot of time before the race planning my heart rate and how it would evolve over the race…I was ready and dialed in. I put the Mio heartrate bracelet on as I was exiting T2 however the light was red. I tried several times however it was dead! Dead? WTF…I charged it?! My whole plan for the day was out the door. Now to plan B….work off pace and perceived effort. Saw Julian within the first few miles and again, another wonderful pick me up! Seeing him several times on the run helped tremendously to push me on when things were tough….which happened to be the entire run!
My broken heart rate bracelet....desperately trying to get it to turn on (left)...took it completely off (right) and threw it at hubby in frustration:
I think there are three key factors that impacted my performance here. I was in 4th position after T2 and in the end, slipped to 7th after the run which still feels heartbreaking as I know I am stronger than the result indicates. I was only 5 minutes away from getting 5th place….and had the run gone to plan @4hrs, I would have taken 4th and got the rolldown slot to Kona. Damn damn damn…..
First issue…run durability. With the injury, I just wasn’t able to do the volume I wanted. That said, I don’t think it was the driver for the outcome and wouldn’t have killed the run. I really should have been able to complete a 4hour marathon with the fitness I had. See run volume over time.
Second issue… nutrition which was a killer. In hindsight, a few things come to mind:
Stopped eating 30 minutes before end of bike after taking last gel. Forgot to have a gel at the start of the run…I always have one to start a run in training and racing. First one at 45 minutes….that means a total of 1:15 without ANY nutrition to start the run. Only small sips of GE / water at aid stations..skipped first aid station on run completely. Had gels every 45 minutes/caffeinated. Salt at 1, 2, 3, and 3:45 hours. Sip of water and GE every mile. At around mile 14 I started to feel woozy and blacked out (slightly) twice within a short period of time. I felt incoherent and knew things were not right. I ate something and took some GE. I pushed through. On the second loop, I started to get foot cramps. Never happened to me before but my toe started to curl under. I was worried about this so took a salt tab immediately. Going into my next race, I need to think about how to address these situations better on the fly to ensure things are in check. I know now for cramps, look for a banana. I will also carry gatorlytes on me next time around for emergencies.
Third issue…falling out of my box. Towards the end of the race, mind focused more externaly than internally on me. I saw 2 ladies in my AG pass me and thought how strong and fresh they seemed….all at a time I was running through mud. In general, I am very good at staying in the box and doing what needs to be done. I think the first 2 issues, in addition to doubts over how my calf would hold out contributed to this. Easy low hanging fruit to change for next time.
In the end, I started at 10/min mile…and pretty much stayed there the rest of the run. The progression and the “attack” I planned for the second half of the race was just not there. Things hurt from mile 1…never got better…in fact got worse as detailed above…I didn’t feel like I could move any faster. Really got worried when things started to go black/get woozy. In training I was able to easily pace long runs at an average of 8:30-8:40 and whilst I didn’t expect that on an IM…fitness wise, I was capable of more than what I delivered on the day. Considering the above nutrition deficit, it now makes more sense.
I see some low hanging fruit above that I am determined to fix for next time. Keeping healthy is key for everyone so continue to push the line on stretching fitness but not to much to break it and see forced time off. Nutrition…stick to the basics…I have playing this Ironman game for a bit and I should have known better! Put plans in my head before race day on how to combat bad situations…ie, if woozy what should I eat/drink, if cramps..then banana….if x, then y. This will lead to a better prepared day/end result. Finally…stick to being good at driving myself and performance. I am capable to go faster/do better…stay in the box and just go make it happen!
So what does that mean for me now? Next I will focus on being the cheerleader in Chattanooga for Julian, my husband, who is the love of my life and is my biggest supporter through all this craziness. None of this would be possible without his encouragement. Secondly…seriously thinking to go for revenge….Louisville is good timing and considering I don’t have anything to do that October weekend (!!)….may pull the trigger and have a go!
Oh…nearly forgot….first priority was to actually get a new heart rate device! Enjoying my new Garmin 935 with integrated heart rate monitor. ;-)
Pics...First, coming down the final finisher shoot....pay attention to the right with Coach P making an appearance! Second below, post finish hugs from my biggest supporter Julian!
Thanks for reading and appreciate feedback!
Comments
sorry to hear how the race fell apart at the end, I was tracking you and rooting for you. While the end result wasn't what you wanted, you had huge nuggets of accomplishment here.
It's been said that to think about KQing you need to come off the bike in X position. You've got that, you had some issues on the run, and some nutrition items to work on.
Before you even said it, I thought that homemade smoothie was going to be big, i go with the naked shakes and buy the one with the most cals, (420 for a 12 oz bottle) does the trick!
hoping you are coming back to Al Camp next year to up your game further!
Great smile as always while persevering, the icing on the cake.. See you hopefully when I visit Cleveland in a few weeks!
If you can recover quickly, you should go for Louisville. That course suits your strengths. The nutrition and focus issues won't happen again, and although you can't do anything about the run durability, it's a flat run and that should help make for an excellent revenge race
You are a strong cyclist, I think your time off the run training was well invested into the bike, but I am pretty sure you would had put that time on the run.. but that was something out of your control!
Hope to see you take a revenge in 48 days ! - we are having a strong and motivated group going down there !
Much like Jenn, you've developed into a badass swim/biker. And, like she, you gotta focus on the limiter. Even if it means cutting the bike race intensity back to .70, address any form/technique issues and/or mixing things up in training (i.e., dropping much/all of the high-intensity and getting consistent 6-run weeks in). Because with your huge engine, there's nothing stopping you from developing into a sub-4 runner. And once that happens, your competition will only see your front side (on the out-and-back sections).
If you wanna do Louisville, go for it. I think you'll have another great swim and bike. Odds are slim that you'll be able to pull off a breakthrough run so soon after IMMT, but odds are regularly beaten.
MR
Thanks for the comments Scott. Agree with you as well....not going to do the 2am "drink an entire ocean" before a race again. Guess it's lessons learned.
@Paul Curtin
Thanks Paul...I am seriously considering it so stay tuned!
@Francis Picard
Thanks Francis and great to see you on race day this year again. Will keep you posted about October and perhaps see you again soon!
@Mike Roberts
Thanks Mike as always for the comments...and as well for you recommendation about deep breaths before the swim. It certainly helped to calm the nerves. You are absolutely right about focusing on my limiter. Key in my mind is staying healthy. The drive to be stronger on the run is there..it's the time off with injury that keeps me back. Perhaps I need to change the approach and perhaps build up even more slowly (thought I was doing this last year but perhaps not enough). Will be looking forward to following you in October!
@Tim Sullivan
Thanks Tim!
Strong work!
PS...love love love the photo with your honey! And how do you race that fast and look that good at the end!
Thanks for the comments....always super valuable to get your feedback. Agree with you about building up the tempo runs..know exactly what to do for next time!
@Ian Kurth
thanks Ian, appreciate the comments and it was great to meet in person as well! I think I will take a lot from you and the indoor training you do as well as an example of how to get things done...good stuff. The quote is fantastic...going to keep that one!
@Trish Marshall
Thanks for the message and excellent to hear from you. Will drop you a note if I am in Lou...would be great to see each other. I love the final pic as well....actually my favourite.
Where to find the time:
- Swim. If you can go 1:28/100 yds, you should do 1:05, or a touch better. Swim volume during your build was sufficient, how many non-stop OWS of 3800 meters did you have? One a week in the final 2-3 months might be the best way to use volume, as will a racer attitude during the race itself.
- Bike. With a VI of 1.04, a TSS of 293, and what appears to be a steady HR, it's hard to imagine squeezing significant minutes out of this ride. Which means, gotta work on raising that FTP this winter. Also, I see nothing about calories consumed during the bike. Having a plan (which I'm sure you did), and then confirming you took in all the fuel you intended, on the bike, is obviously important when run time comes.
- Run. I know you can run in the 4:05-4:15 range, simply with an uninterrupted year of smart training. For additional time, look to pacing during the run. Comparing your loop one splits to loop two, you did have some drop off in speed. I know it's hard, but working on an even IM marathon pace IS the fastest way to the line. It starts with a solid year or two of IM-specific run training, builds on a steady bike leg with properly timed nutrition, and then is achieved by strict attention to nutrition, hydration, HR, RPE, and pace mile by mile through the run. We can talk more about that last next year.
Overall, I'd say this was a hugely successful race for you, and you deserve to wear that smile I see in your finish photos.You're a monster! I didn't need to wait until IMMT to learn that. I was brought up to speed while chasing you for 6 days on the hills at Aspen! What a great race!
It was great seeing you out there on the run course during IMMT. You looked very strong and steady while passing me in the middle of my leg cramps.......I really appreciate the hive five and encouragement as you passed, a great sign of strength reaching out to a team mate while in the middle of executing during a hard long day!
I really think if you just keep doing what you're doing, you are one step/race away from that roll down!
Keep the fire burning!
SS
Thanks a lot for your comments...always super helpful. Agree with you on working FTP so I will soon have the winter months to put that on the calendar! Agree with you on OWS....I only did one as it was difficult to do. Will see how I can change that for next year as there are a lot of benefits. Additionally will look to add more threshold workouts in training which will help with speed.
@Jeff Kane
Thanks a lot!
@Shaughn Simmons
Thanks for the comments. It was an overall great race and always good to have so many EN people around. Look forward to hearing what you plan on tackling next!