ITU Long Course Triathlon World Championship - Penticton. Skunked again!
I haven't written a race report in awhile, but seeing Al's prompted me to submit this. Penticton was my 3rd ITU World Championship Long Course Race ... this one 3K, 120K, 30K. I qualified at MiamiMan HIM last November, basically by just showing up and finishing that race. In the older age groups, it is not a tough hurdle to make Team USA. But don't be fooled, there are some seriously good athletes that compete in this circuit. And racing in a triathlon were every single athlete is wearing their designated countries uniform is an experience that Ironman cannot match.
I finished the race in 7:51:09 for 15th M60-69 (49 registered and it looks like 45 starters). This was my best ever result at the LC Worlds. In 2015, I finished 22nd in the M55 at Motala, Sweden; and in 2008, I finished 31st in the M50 at Almere, Netherlands. At this rate, I might make the podium if I can keep it up until I'm in the M75-79 AG.
My race went fairly well considering that I had significant life stress the week before traveling to Penticton with my wife. I had considered bailing on the race altogether, and until race day, my mind wasn't even in the race. And I made more packing slips than I ever have for a destination race. I did use a checklist but still forgot:
- My Team USA hat (not critical)
- My Garmin 920 recharger (thanks to the Bike Barn for getting mine charged)
- Regular socks. I had race socks, cycling socks, run socks, compression socks, but no socks for my jeans!
- Base salt but I did bring salt pills although I ran short after giving some to a guy on Team Japan and another on Team Canada.
- A hat to wear around besides my race hat. Fortunately, TBT was giving out freebies when I picked up my bike.
- Back up bike supplies. I jumped out of bed in the middle of the night before the race thinking I hadn't even check to see if I brought the correct spare tubes with extenders for my race wheels. Whew...had 'em.
Race Day:
- Swim: 3K in 60 mins flat...nothing to write home about there. I brought both a full and sleeveless wetsuit and went with the sleeveless because I tend to heat up easily. A full is NOT faster if you are dying of the heat and the water was in the low 70s. My swim was almost contact free and the slow arcing turn was the best swim course design I've ever seen.
- T1: 3:45
- Bike: I had it just over 73 miles in 3:40 for 20 mph average. I didn't preview the bike course at all...just executed what I felt was the right effort and pushed the downhills with a top speed of 42 mph. Sadly, on the first descent, I saw a cat that had just been run over by one of the bikers at high speed. It was twitching on its side with either a broken leg or back. I thought about that all the way around the lake until we came back by, but this time it was another athlete who missed a hard left, crashed into the curb and over into the dirt and rocks. A volunteer was helping and I could see the pain in his face.
- T2: 3:03
- Run: 3hrs 3 mins. Yeah, I sucked. It was hot and getting hotter when I got off the bike, but I felt great and since it was a dry heat I thought I might get away with running hard since I've trained in Tampa's humidity. For the first 15K, I averaged 8:50 a mile, but for the entire 30K, I averaged only 10:02, so right there you know I blew up. My last lap I would just run until I felt my legs about to cramp then walk until they felt ready to go again.
In the end, it didn't matter. If I had run my goal pace, I would have only moved up to 12th place. The guys at the front end are just in another league, but I am motivated to keep chipping away at the gap.
Logistics:
We flew from Tampa to Spokane and drove the rest of the way up ... all in one day and in time for dinner at Penticton because of the 3 hour time change in our favor. On the reverse trip, we drove back to Spokane on Monday, but spent 4 hours at Grand Coulee to take pictures of the dam, walk the bridge, tour the visitors center and grab other photos around the area. Then we flew back from Spokane Tuesday. My taper included a day off for the travel up, about 30 mins each swim, run, and bike on Friday, a day off again on Saturday, then race Sunday. I felt good.
Penticton was a new destination for me and worth a visit, although I've checked that box now. If Ironman Canada ever returns I don't need to go back. For those that haven't been, there is a garden near the race start with engraved plaques on the ground with the winning man and woman for each of the 30 years that Ironman was there. My wife and I walked around that Sunday night after having my standard post race cheeseburger, fries and shake. The history was palpable and the city lost a lot when IM packed up. With IM having renewed its contract at Whistler, and ITU now over, Penticton is stuck with Challenge which has not delivered when it comes to turn-out. I heard again and again from some locals that the ITU event was like the old days with athletes all over the place. Go if you can.
I finished the race in 7:51:09 for 15th M60-69 (49 registered and it looks like 45 starters). This was my best ever result at the LC Worlds. In 2015, I finished 22nd in the M55 at Motala, Sweden; and in 2008, I finished 31st in the M50 at Almere, Netherlands. At this rate, I might make the podium if I can keep it up until I'm in the M75-79 AG.
My race went fairly well considering that I had significant life stress the week before traveling to Penticton with my wife. I had considered bailing on the race altogether, and until race day, my mind wasn't even in the race. And I made more packing slips than I ever have for a destination race. I did use a checklist but still forgot:
- My Team USA hat (not critical)
- My Garmin 920 recharger (thanks to the Bike Barn for getting mine charged)
- Regular socks. I had race socks, cycling socks, run socks, compression socks, but no socks for my jeans!
- Base salt but I did bring salt pills although I ran short after giving some to a guy on Team Japan and another on Team Canada.
- A hat to wear around besides my race hat. Fortunately, TBT was giving out freebies when I picked up my bike.
- Back up bike supplies. I jumped out of bed in the middle of the night before the race thinking I hadn't even check to see if I brought the correct spare tubes with extenders for my race wheels. Whew...had 'em.
Race Day:
- Swim: 3K in 60 mins flat...nothing to write home about there. I brought both a full and sleeveless wetsuit and went with the sleeveless because I tend to heat up easily. A full is NOT faster if you are dying of the heat and the water was in the low 70s. My swim was almost contact free and the slow arcing turn was the best swim course design I've ever seen.
- T1: 3:45
- Bike: I had it just over 73 miles in 3:40 for 20 mph average. I didn't preview the bike course at all...just executed what I felt was the right effort and pushed the downhills with a top speed of 42 mph. Sadly, on the first descent, I saw a cat that had just been run over by one of the bikers at high speed. It was twitching on its side with either a broken leg or back. I thought about that all the way around the lake until we came back by, but this time it was another athlete who missed a hard left, crashed into the curb and over into the dirt and rocks. A volunteer was helping and I could see the pain in his face.
- T2: 3:03
- Run: 3hrs 3 mins. Yeah, I sucked. It was hot and getting hotter when I got off the bike, but I felt great and since it was a dry heat I thought I might get away with running hard since I've trained in Tampa's humidity. For the first 15K, I averaged 8:50 a mile, but for the entire 30K, I averaged only 10:02, so right there you know I blew up. My last lap I would just run until I felt my legs about to cramp then walk until they felt ready to go again.
In the end, it didn't matter. If I had run my goal pace, I would have only moved up to 12th place. The guys at the front end are just in another league, but I am motivated to keep chipping away at the gap.
Logistics:
We flew from Tampa to Spokane and drove the rest of the way up ... all in one day and in time for dinner at Penticton because of the 3 hour time change in our favor. On the reverse trip, we drove back to Spokane on Monday, but spent 4 hours at Grand Coulee to take pictures of the dam, walk the bridge, tour the visitors center and grab other photos around the area. Then we flew back from Spokane Tuesday. My taper included a day off for the travel up, about 30 mins each swim, run, and bike on Friday, a day off again on Saturday, then race Sunday. I felt good.
Penticton was a new destination for me and worth a visit, although I've checked that box now. If Ironman Canada ever returns I don't need to go back. For those that haven't been, there is a garden near the race start with engraved plaques on the ground with the winning man and woman for each of the 30 years that Ironman was there. My wife and I walked around that Sunday night after having my standard post race cheeseburger, fries and shake. The history was palpable and the city lost a lot when IM packed up. With IM having renewed its contract at Whistler, and ITU now over, Penticton is stuck with Challenge which has not delivered when it comes to turn-out. I heard again and again from some locals that the ITU event was like the old days with athletes all over the place. Go if you can.
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Comments
Solid day for you from the sound of it, especially pulling out that run. Yeah, you go slower in the heat, but I gotta believe living in Tampa helps a *little* bit.
Congratulations on a world class performance, and great catching up with you two one more time.
They say the more you race the faster you get.......I think you are real proof of that Paul. "This was my best ever result at LC worlds."
Sometimes when I race, I have to remind myself, "It's a race" and just race.....I did some of that this year at IMMT, had a good bike, then paid for some of that on the back half of the run.......But I don't race as often as I would like to refine that a bit more...
Really enjoyed reading the race summary. Sincere congratulations!
SS