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Sheila Leard Oceanside 70.3 - 2018

I've always wanted to do this race. It comes early which comes with it's own challenges. The weather and the ocean is unpredictable in the Spring. I wanted to use this race to see what kind of fitness Zwift training could bring to racing. I wanted to compare  open road data. Also, first time racing with a Stryd power meter. 

There were some comical errors and not so funny errors right from the start. I'm going right to it.
  • Checking in I was not on the Bib list. The kind and polite young Marines volunteering found my name in the Men's 60-64. 
  • Rack site, not with my AG women but on a rack all by myself. I didn't take it personally
  • Racked bike and by my own fault did not check PM and did think to calibrate it race morning. Started race and PM never turned on. No data to collect.
  • HR - was working fine the day before. When i startted the bike HR stayed at 250. No data to collect. 
  • First mile into bike my right arm CG aero pad flew off. Thankfully it was not on my broken elbow side. On my pre-ride it was just fine  - have no clue why it was so lose. Those things are hard to pry. Hard to stay in aero and when I did it created an imbalance in my back that I'm paying for today.
Swim - very glad they moved it back to the harbor. I love the TT start. Four at a time. What I did not anticipate was how long I was going to be in line before starting the swim. It took 25 minutes for my turn to come. I knew it was going to be cold. I wore my hood and race cap. I swam comfortably and didn't ever allow my HR to go up. It was too cold to take risks. 
44:39
12th AG

T1 - Oh my. Long pathway to bikes. I had to put on arm warmers since I was cold. Salt water is sticky and I fumbled around getting those things on. I usually use T1 to make up for a slow swim. Not this time.
10:25

Bike - @matt limbert had great tips and description. The course is on Camp Pendelton Marine Base. I have a Military ID so we got to drive it. Very glad I saw it. There are three good hills on the back half of the course. Hell Hill, Junior Hell Hill and Mini Hell Hill. Shocked to see people walking their bikes. I honestly felt like it was a climb no different than Zwift radio tower. I like to climb. Felt great. Just bummed that I couldn't see my watts on Hell Hill. Went by RPE.  The ride back into the wind beat me up. I was trying to stay low with one arm pad.
3:24
7th AG

T2 - 4:22

Run - My thoughts on why I NEVER found my legs. My normal mode in racing is come out of swim in the back, move up thru the bike  and steadily move up some more on the run. I was going on RPE which is fine. I watched my Stryd PM and knew what I could comfortably hold for an TRP effort. When I got to about mile six I felt really bad. My strides were no where near what I do in training. 162 vs 172.  I counted strides. I thought about my form. I drank and took calories from hits of gel.
2:32
13th AG
6:57

 In hindsight I believe the cold swim and waiting took more out of me than I realized. I probably was depleted from the get go. I took in as many calories as I could handle. I don't digest whole food when I'm racing, but I could have done more chews. 
Also, run volume was not where I wanted it. I got a head cold during my build so lack of fitness might be the bigger reason. 

As for bike fitness .. one ride outside. All training on Zwift. I'm going to start riding outside to dial in my hydration/fueling. It's the one thing that is hard to mimic indoors.

I know better than to let these early races be a determinant of the next race. I've got my check list. I've gone back to the wikki.

The race vibe was awesome. Tons of energy. Before the National Anthem the Commander from the Base was giving a pep talk. He said "Strength is weakness leaving the body" Thanks USMC. Truly an Epic event for the West Coast.

@scott schneider ... you are right there!!!  :D


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Comments

  • Nicely done, Sheila!

    Folsom, huh? I grew up in NorCal, my hometown is Paradise, and went to college in lovely historic Stockton!
  • Thanks @Scott Alexander I have a mantra that 'it's not always about the clock' ... easy to say - hard to do.

    I love Stingers! Do you have an affiliate discount code? Stockton is a great place to drive thru  :D
  • Congratulations @Sheila Leard.  While I'm sure you won't forget to check your PM again, you seemed to do well using RPE! I really enjoyed racing by RPE my last races. At least you got some data from the Stryd for the run. As to the bike, I don't really notice a difference in nutrition inside vs. outside but I am in the garage so the temps change throughout the year.  What I notice is the extra concentration required when riding outside. If you wanted, you could probably use BBS to find your average power for your ride.  Great racing, and remember to always try to have fun!
  • @Sheila Leard Ha! I was pretty far in the hurt locker at that point! I was also surprised by how many people were walking their bikes up the hills. Looks like you had a very similar race experience to mine. Congratulations on the strong finish - it is a tough race but the crowd support on the run is the best.
  • Thanks @Scott Alexander I have a mantra that 'it's not always about the clock' ... easy to say - hard to do.

    I love Stingers! Do you have an affiliate discount code? Stockton is a great place to drive thru  :D
    I get a friends & family discount occasionally for HS, but I think EN should pursue a team/club discount! They've got so much good stuff...their waffles are my fave!

    Ah, yes, Stockton...such an interesting place. I stayed on my little campus in the middle of town most of the time. Townies didn't appreciate us college students too much. Not to mention it was dangerous on many other levels.
    I also lived in Carmichael and still have friends in Folsom and all over Sacramento . One of my college friends is one of the owners of a brewery in Sacramento too, Bike Dog Brewing.
    I tell people if I were willing and able to move back to Cali, it'd be the Sacramento or San Diego areas. Nothing else would be much more appealing to me!
  • Great race Sheila!  I probably would have freaked out with all the things that went wrong, but you handled it with ease!  Very impressive race!  Congratulations!
  • Great race!  Too bad we didn't run into each other.  See you at Santa Rosa!
  • @Sheila Leard  I have that mini walking nightmare sometimes when I show up to packet pickup (having that feeling of oh no I did not register I just thought I did)... Glad you got that straightened out to race and way to handle all the "little" things thrown your way.  
    Cold Swim- taking it easy?  swimming harder will keep you warmer and get you out of there sooner?
    Bike- trainer work works, it will make you much stronger than riding outside, but when its race prep time its all about specificity.
    Run- Counting strides sounds like a great way to keep your mind occupied and body moving forward but I certainly wouldnt dwell on any number just because its not what your used to.  Just like HR/power/etc they are just metrics , sometimes they just are what they are and there is nothing you can do about it.  Way to just keep moving forward, eat, and get it done.

    SantaRosa = Smooth :-)
  • Wow!  Challenging day with all the hiccups!  Way to move through every obstacle!  Congrats on the day!  Heres to IMSR and less drama!!!
  • Yikes @Sheila Leard ... you had a few seasons worth of challenges with this race!  Good on ya for pushing through!  Agree the cold water, and the wait to get in, were energy "sinks" for your race.  Sounds like you have great perspective (and maybe extra motivation) for rest of your race season.  Congrats!
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