Mark Hickman IM FL 70.3 Race Report
I’ve been a bit derelict in writing my race report, so while the painters “fix” their paint job, seems like as good as time as any:o)
Short version: 5:07, 44th in AG
Without going too much into the whole prerace thing…this was an “A” race for me, with the goal of seeing what sticking to a solid race prep would produce. Last year, I fell off the workout bus about 2 months prior, and while I did set a 70.3 PR at the time, I struggled mightily.
I had a solid run durability prep beginning in November, consistent 2/3s of an EN Outseason beginning in December, and 8 weeks of 70.3 focused prep beginning in March. All in all, I was way ahead of last year, and eager to see what I could do in a race.
Arrived Thursday, staying with some friends; in and out registration on Friday, then team swim and lunch on Saturday. Up around 3:45 on Sunday, 45 min drive to race, and easy pace through transition set up, team photo, and staging for the swim start. Breakfast included 2 protein shakes, coffee, and a couple of bananas.
Swim: Projected 34-35. Actual 36:48.
I lined up at back of 30-33 min group, and while my watch said I averaged 1:39/100yd, tracker is closer to 1:44/100yd, so I swam some extra yardage, which is to be expected in murky and choppy water. Not super pleased about the combination of orange buoys and water safety officials in orange t-shirts, but nevertheless, it was a pretty straightforward swim; not a ton of contact, felt relaxed, decent catch, but hard to sight well in the chop. Only swam around 35k in prep over last few months, so it is what it is. Big thanks to teammate Rory Gumina for letting me borrow his DeSoto sleeveless top. Still digging the Desoto T1 wetsuit as it is super simple to get in and out of, no high neck line, etc.
Transition 1: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. 3:51
Not smoking quick, but not terribly slow either. Girl in rack next to me dumped her swim gear, and later bike gear, all over the rack lane (I was all the way at the back). My apologies for kicking all of your stuff out of the way in frustration…just kidding; not that sorry. Socks, shoes, helmet, I’m out.
Bike: Projected? Weather dependent…maybe 2:45ish? Actual: 2:34:54 (21.7MPH) (~7 minute 70.3 PR)
AP 213; NP 210; IF .82ish; HR wasn’t reading.
Work works! I am super happy with my bike! Though only the 3d time this year the tires have touched pavement, I’ve put in a lot more miles than normal…a lot. My plan was to start out conservative, but not too conservative as the front end of this course is fast, and then build and sustain effort over second half. I averaged 199w in first ½ hour, 200w in first full hour, 214w in the 2d hour through the hillier part of the course, and 222w in the last 35 minutes. All in all, I thought I executed the bike very well. As a bonus, there wasn’t a huge headwind on the hillier part, and didn’t really feel much wind until mile 50 or so on. In addition, the hills weren’t nearly as “hilly” as last year:o) Saying that, if you saw an EN kit standing on the hills, it was probably me. I used many of these hills as an opportunity to stand and stretch, but worked to keep the watts in reason. Didn’t see a course marshal all day…not one; though I did see a few packs of riders (in the same kits no less) taking advantage of pace lining the whole course. Oh well. I was surprised to see that I only made up 7 spots in my AG during the bike. Ate a gel every half hour, as well as a shot block layered in Base on the :15s in between, and 1.5 or so bottles of Gatorade per hour. Probably could have drank a bit more, but felt just fine coming of the bike, and pee break in T2 didn’t reveal any hydration issues.
T2: 3:29. Nothing special. In, out, go easy shooter.
Run: Projected 1:52ish if the weather was okay. Actual: 1:48:36 (8:17/mile) (~12 minute 70.3 PR)
The weather held; mostly. When the sun did break the clouds, it was freakin warm and the humidity really kicked it up a notch.
Tri settings on watch were going wonky, so reset Garmin to run mode, which helped pick up the HR for the run. Plan was to go easy through the hilly section on loop 1, run quick and easy pace through flats, and then reevaluate each loop. I’ve been practicing this pretty consistently in my neighborhood, as I have some nasty little hills I can target to pace while keeping HR in check. The additional loop added in the middle of the long climb was also a welcome break. I walked the hills a bunch last year, but not a step this year. Only walking was refilling handheld when needed.
Again, I’m pretty stoked about the execution of the run. Lap splits were approximately 35, 36, and 37, so that ain’t bad:o) I may have went out just a touch hot, but just a touch. HR started around 149, and always kept it below LTHR of 163 until around mile 10.5, where it steadily rose to 174 at the finish. Averaged 158, and considering the weather, I’m quite okay with that number. The last mile must’ve been measured wrong, because it sure felt like 5.
My finishing picture shows someone on the struggle bus, so I must’ve been doing something right in the last few miles. The sun was kicking over the last mile and was quickly looking for shade after finishing.
Brad, Cherie and the kids made it for the finish and was nice to see them there. When Cherie told me my time was 5:07, I was bit in shock as that was well under any thoughts of what my overall finishing time might be. I’m still pretty amazed that I was pulled a 5:0X number, and now it has me thinking of earning 4:XX handle:o)
That was just my race. It was also the NA Tri Club Championship, and it was awesome to meet some of my EN teammates and watch them execute throughout the day, and to see the one-person cheering squad Mariah Bridges staked out at the beginning of the bike and on every run lap. Thank you all for providing some fun conversations, course knowledge, and EN mojo. Oh yeah, and of course, Endurance Nation continues to reign as the NA Tri Club Div 1 Champions…plus there’s that whole 5 or 6 or 10 times global champion thing too:o) I think I might’ve even convinced a few finishers to look up the team to see if it’s right for them as well. I need to take cards with me!
As always, there’s a ton of folks to thank. My home-dog and BFF Emmy, for not being too mad at me for being on the bike when she’d rather be swimming or walking. Lane for is constant encouragement. Lane and Doug for motivating me to stay on the run durability bus. HuffNPuff ~ the other Dec OS EN’r. …and so many other folks I might fail to mention, and who don’t know they inspired, colluded, or otherwise to keep me focused on following through. Only 2 days til the next race; looking forward to rocking sprint tris for the next few months while continuing to build fitness, sell a house, move to the other side of the country, and every other thing that will come my way.
Swim: https://www.strava.com/activities/1497809362
Bike: https://www.strava.com/activities/1497808871
Run: https://www.strava.com/activities/1497814022
I'm sure I'm forgetting all kinds of cool tips, etc, like trislide is MOOOOONEY on the socks to avoid blisters, but hey, I'm old and can't remember everything:o)
Comments
It bothers me to hear groups of riders working together. What's to be gained? Lack of integrity.