Michelle's Race Report for Quassy Half 2018
Quassy Half 2018
June 3,2018
Sats
6:25:24 PB
AG 4/14 Gen 79th/207
Swim 40:45
Bike 3:25:05 (16.38mph)
Run 2:08:41
Quassy was freaking hard!
They changed the course for both the bike and run for 2018 I didn't think it was possible to get more hills in a race....I was wrong! Heck I think they even added hills into the swim!
However I felt really strong in all disciplines and ended up with a new PB for Quassy and only missed the podium by 4 min 3 of which were Transition times. Every moment counts, need to remember that! No porta potty for me next time! just going to let that pee run down my legs lol
The best part of racing Quassy was having Catherine and Brianna there to cheer me on! It is a lot of effort being a athlete supporter! I appreciate all the effort they put into making my race one to remember!
Quassy is a beautiful HILLY course!
The 1.2 swim in Lake Quassapaug was choppy. I got off course a couple of times as I was trying to avoid getting caught up in groups of swimmers. Seeing The Catherine and Brianna as I was coming out of the water was great! I needed to pee and was pleased to see washrooms on the way to Transition. In hindsight If I would have not done the pee breaks I just might had podiumed. But in the moment you have no idea and comfort was on my mind.
The Bike 54.5 +3,772 ft
The bike was a journey through the beautiful Connecticut countryside, venturing out onto the scenic rolling hills of historic Middlebury! We were faced with challenging climbs culminating in gorgeous hilltop views. Long winding descents which took us through pastoral vineyards and over the Thomaston dam. So many breathtaking views. I got up to 40mph on some of the descents, which I would only do in a race! Although the course was not closed to cars there were Police at all intersections and tons of volunteers assisting. When I jumped on my bike at the start of the bike ride, my power meter would not register so instead of spending too much time trying to get it going I just rode with heart rate to guide me.. My fueling was spot on! was happy about that.
The run 13.1 miles +895 ft
This run course was challenging! However it was two loops which gave plenty of opportunities to see Catherine and Brianna cheering me on! Seeing those two was like drinking a tall cold glass of water! So needed and encouraging! Also the volunteers were amazing! I had kids running beside me handing me the ice I had requested so I would not have to stop at the aid stations, WOW! and volunteers, cheering us on at the top of so many hills! And people outfront of their homes yelling and cheering us on!! I was very surprised at how good I felt heading out for the run. So much so I keep telling myself to keep things in check, keep to my plan. If I had more in the tank on the second loop I could speed things up. Running up those hills was more mental than physical especially on the second loop! The steep down hills were also very challenging! Also my Garmin gave me a low battery warning with about 2 miles left to run. When I knew I was close to that finish line I just gave it all I had. Grabbing Brianna to run into the shoot with me was such a treat! Catherine was waiting at the finish line with camera in hand ready to capture the moment. Both of the girls received participation metals which was another special treat and very appropriate for all their efforts in supporting me and all the other athletes!
Quassy is known as the Beast of the East for good reason!
3 things that went well
Keeping my cool during the swim
Keeping my cool when my devices were not working
My Fueling was right on target, perfect!
3 things that need work
Finding out how to get my electronic devices to work properly and for the length of time needed
Feet were ok but I could start to feel pain finishing up the bike. This is only going to get worse as miles start add up.
How to handle peeing on the go … maybe lol
Comments
That's a lot of gain on the bike and run! I would say that's the type of race that would sift out athletes built for climbing.
The whole pee on the bike thing takes practice and finding the right little down hill with no one behind you
If you're going to race every minute then you need to pee on the bike.
You definitely want to minimize stops if you are racing- peeing on the bike/on the run/and in your wetsuit may be a necessity...
Most Garmin watches should have enough battery for at least 10hrs of activity. Was yours fully charged? If needed you can increase battery life by turning off wifi and bluetooth as well as GLONASS in the gps settings, and adjusting your backlight etc.
I try to make sure my HR monitor and powermeter are on and paired to my watch while setting up transition before the race. What type of powermeter do you use?
Who said that?
Strong work across the board!
SS
Cheers,
Michelle