Jeremy's way too late Lake Placid Race Report
Wow…. This one caught me off guard….in a positive way. After Kona 2016 I didn’t plan to do a full IM for some time but after a year off including some personal issues I decided to throw my hat in the ring for IMLP. It was the 20th anniversary, a key race, and I needed something else to channel my energy toward. Despite suboptimal training (injury and time constraints) it turned out to be an amazingly, surprisingly successful day.
Short Story:
Swim, run, and overall IM PRs on a super challenging course. Per usual I had a solid (but not the top) performances across all disciplines. 8/252 AG Swim of 1:00:30. 3/252 AG Bike of 5:25:15, and 4/252 AG run of 3:16:28. In this case 8 + 3 + 4 = 1 as I won my AG for the first time ever in an IM with a total time of 9:47:59! Importantly, I won based on my performance in the 4th (or is it 5th??) discipline….transitions. I had the fastest T1 AND the fastest T2. There was a 2:52 difference between me and 2nd place overall and I spent 2:54 less time in transition than he did. Transitions literally made the difference between the top podium spot and 2nd place as he was 2 seconds faster than me on the Swim/Bike/Run.
The Long Story
Most of you know my first and only trip to Kona thus far went well and I had a great race. Coming away from Kona two years ago I didn’t have much interest in doing another IM. I’d gone all in for Kona and didn’t have a burning desire to put that same level of training and commitment in anytime soon. I raced Puerto Rico 70.3 in March, did Al camp in June, and Door County Triathlon (HIM) in July. Good performances on a much more manageable trainings schedule. Last summer, my wife and I decided after many years of ups and downs that it was time to go our separate ways. And with that things changed quite a bit. I thought another IM would be good therapy so I signed up for Lake Placid after hearing so many wonderful things about the race.
Out Season was typical, lots of good challenging work, but limited impact to my FTP. A decent amount of Zwift racing thrown in to keep things fun and interesting. Volume build started in late April. My training plan followed the EN IM Advanced plan with Al Camp in early June and IMLP camp in late June. The week prior to Al camp I was out for a long run and as I turned the corner half way into my 15 mile run I turned my ankle pretty bad. I worked it out for a minute or two and continued for another 7+ miles. It was very sore, but since I was able to run another hour I figured it wasn’t too bad. After I was done, however, it swelled up and became very sore. I was walking with a noticeable limp and any attempt to put pressure on the ‘push’ phase of my strike was met with pain. Being 10 weeks out from the race I was less worried about that as I was about the Ragnar Ultra (29 miles of trail running overnight) the following weekend. I continued to swim and bike with no/little discomfort but didn’t run at all before Al Camp.
Al camp was epic as always. 550+ miles including one day of Stupid Withrow Tricks where we did Snowmass to Vail the hard way…209 miles over Independence pass and around through Glenwood Springs. 444 TSS, 11K+ feet of climbing, 6 hours above 9K feet, and nearly 12 hours in the saddle. No running all week until the first Ragnar leg on Friday evening. I taped things up pretty good and while it wasn’t pain free it was manageable. I slogged through the entire race being careful not to injure it worse on a rock or uneven surface during the race. Post-race I had the same symptoms…very sore and tight in the morning but with some stretching it would work itself out to being only moderately uncomfortable.
The following week I was in London for a couple days and managed one very painful 11-mile run. Other than that, it was a very light week with 5 hours of biking that weekend. The next week after that was Lake Placid Camp. I hadn’t seen the course before so was very much looking forward to some reconnaissance. Friday morning one lap swim in Mirror lake followed by two laps of the bike course with Coach P and capped off with a short, but very quick brick run of 3 miles in my brand-new Nike Vaporfly 4% shoes. I ran a sub 7 pace pain free which seemed to be driven in part by the fact I rode for 6 hours prior which really loosens up my ankle. On Saturday, we did two more loops of the bike course in some pretty horrible cold and rainy conditions. Sunday, I got in 16 miles before heading out to catch my flight. At this point my volume was ramping up, but I didn’t have the ability to do the back-to-back long rides every week as I had my kids alternating weeks and my time with them is a priority. It was at this point that I realized my training load would not be close to what I had seen in the build for IMWI or Kona and I reached out to the team on THIS FORUM for input. Per usual, everyone else is smarter than I am and told me to chill out and I’d be fine.
The following week I had my kids for the full week (July 4th). We planned to spend a few days at my sister’s Indiana lake house and then a few days on a mini-vacation to Mammoth Cave National park. Visiting my sister offered great flexibility in that my kids get along really well with hers, I can get in OWS training out the back door, and with my mom visiting there is plenty of adult supervision if my bike ride/run extends past the kids’ waking hour. I committed to getting in as much training volume that week without limiting my family time. This included two full bike RRs, a couple hours of OWS, and 35 miles of running (including a 16 mile slog). These last couple 16 mile runs were the longest I did in my training and since I usually get in at least one 20-21 miler was a basis of concern for me. In retrospect that big week was a good confidence builder, particularly on the bike and officially set me up to enter my taper.
Race Week
Arrived Lake Placid Thursday afternoon. Flew into Lake Saranac….Lyft ride to Northwoods Hotel which wasn’t the nicest room but large and walkable to everything so no need for a rental car. Picked up bike from TBT, registered, and met team for dinner. Great turnout and met old and new friends alike. I think we had 48 racing that weekend.
Friday, I did a one lap swim in the morning, organized my gear bags, and got my bike set up. Went out for an hour shakeout ride on my bike after getting it all setup with disc cover etc. It felt great and so much faster than my training setup.
Saturday was a normal pre-race routine. Big breakfast of pancakes, sandwich for lunch, drop off bike and gear bags, and early pasta dinner. I was in bed by 9 and had no problem falling asleep.
Race Day
Woke up at 3AM and drank two Naked Juice smoothies…one with protein and one without. Went back to bed and half-slept for about an hour. Got up and checked the weather…the forecasted rain had been pushed back and was now expected to start around 7AM. I got to transition around 4:45, got my bike nutrition set up, shoes on pedals, power meter calibrated, and was out by 5:10. Went back to hotel for a few minutes to lay down, final bathroom break, etc. Walked to team picture at 6 then it was off to the swim start.
SWIM | 1:00:30 | 8/252 M40-44 | 1:33/100M | TP Swim File
Got in line around 6:15 and went to warm up a bit. It was very busy and got in maybe 150 yards and even that wasn’t steady. I decided there was more harm than good and ended that early to get back in line. Lake Placid is now a wave start and I seeded myself in the middle of the first wave (60 minutes and under). As the gun went off I tried to find some feet just left of the cable…close enough to see it but not right on top of it. First lap was pretty typical…lots of bumping and kicking for the first 500 meters, crowding around the turn buoys, and thinning out on the return leg. I remember at the halfway point feeling quite warm as the water temps were 74 so I had to let some water in my wetsuit a couple times to keep cool. I got into a nice groove and at the end of my first lap I saw I was right at 30 minutes which was exactly on plan. On the second lap I expected it to be a touch slower give the slower swimmers in front of me, but I found that wasn’t a major issue as it is much easier to pass someone that is swimming 20 seconds/100 slower than it is passing someone that is just a second or two slower than you so while I had more congestion the passes were much more efficient. Exited the water and saw 1:00 on my watch and knew I executed as planned.
T1 | 3:40 | 1/252 M40-44
I view transitions as a great challenge….there is no talent or strength required, just focus, organization, and execution. I’ve always looked to find every advantage here. My T1 was stupid simple. I had two things in my gear bag…my aero helmet and a clif bar. After the moderately long run from the swim exit I left my wetsuit on the chair next to me, put on my helmet, and ran out as I ate the clif bar on the run to my bike. It wasn’t too busy at this point so they yelled out my number as I left the tent and a volunteer had my bike ready and I was out of there in 3:40…the fastest T1 in my AG and only 6 seconds off the fastest of the day!
BIKE | 5:25:15 | 135 Avg HR?? | 3/252 M40-44 | 219NP | .73IF | 20.7MPH | TP Bike File
As I started the bike my hammies and adductors both felt a bit tight but since my focus was to keep my watts closer to 200 for the first 30 mins I hoped they would loosen up. It hadn’t started raining yet but the winds and clouds looked threatening. It started to drizzle as I got to the ski jump out-and-back. As I exited the out-and-back and began the climb the wind really started howling….so much so that the lake had whitecaps on it. It was strong and gusty..blowing me all over the place. Fortunately there weren’t many riders around me so I could still ride somewhat aggressively. At the Keene descent I had begun to pass a few people and could tell the wind was affecting them. I love to go fast and didn’t let the winds change that…I hammered down and passed a number of people that were going MUCH slower than me. I hit 51MPH and was the fastest on that segment all day. I love free speed. Coming up 9N the wind became a tailwind and enjoyed a nice, fast section of 25-27MPH. Focused on my nutrition (solid nutrition every 30 minutes and as much GE as I can drink) and keeping my goal watts of 220 for each 5 mile auto lap. I also grabbed bananas from aid stations. My HR started dropping out early on so I rode by RPE and watts. Normal cat and mouse for the first 30 miles as I pass guys on the flats and downhills and they pass me on the climbs. Around mile 45 it started to rain a bit harder. It was also around this point that I peed for the first time. A bit earlier than normal which I viewed as a good sign that I was properly hydrated. I kept drinking and peed pretty regularly every 60-75 minutes. First lap was pretty uneventful and I didn’t see any EN folks at the hot corner or in Lake Placid so had no information on my performance. On the second lap the rain was getting much worse. It was cool and coming down quite hard. I remember thinking on the climb out of Lake Placid about Velominati rule #9. I embrace bad weather…it’s an opportunity to differentiate your performance. The 2nd Keene descent was much harder…the rain was painful at nearly 50MPH and there were many slower riders out so when I passed them I was going 2x their speed. Not as fast as the first lap but still made up a lot of ground. By this point the cat-and-mouse guys were long in my rearview. The next 20 miles were very quiet. Around mile 85 a couple fast guys caught up with me but most were not in my AG so I paid little attention. By this point the rain was subsiding as forecast. The final Whiteface out-and-back was a bit more congested and on the descent I was passing someone while coasting and my chain popped off. I tried to get it back by shifting but it didn’t work. A quick hop off the bike and adjusting the chain/derailleur and I was back at it. The last 10 miles I made sure to get in enough calories and get my HR down to set myself up for the run.
T2 | 2:06 | 1/252 M4-044
Same story, different verse. Dropped bike with volunteer, grabbed gear bag, run into change tent. Only two things in my gear were my running shoes/socks and a ‘go bag’. Quickly put on my shoes and socks, grabbed my ‘go bag’ and ran out. On the run out I put on my hat and race belt (both of which were in the bag). Fastest transition in my AG again, but 22 seconds slower than the fastest overall time. I think I’d need integrated socks/shoes to get that fast.
RUN | 3:16:28 | 4/252 M40-44 | 141 Avg HR | 286 watts | 7:29/mile | TP Run File
At this point there weren’t a lot of other runners. The rain had stopped and there were some clouds remaining. With temps in the 70s it was ideal running conditions. With my leg tightness worked out on the bike I felt good and wanted to start strong and take advantage of the net downhill for the first few miles. I saw Danielle just after the run exit and she told me I was 3rd off the bike. About a mile later I saw coach P who told me that #2 was only a few hundred yards ahead and #1 was further up but ‘looked like shit’ and that I’d catch them both. Shortly thereafter I saw #2 who I recognized as he passed me on the bike. As I caught him I gathered my composure a few steps behind him and passed him confidently and calmly, never looking back or giving him an indication I was anything but feeling good. I kept a solid pace from there along river road. The course was pretty light at this point as I was in the top 15 overall. I saw the top few women pros along with the top male AGers as they headed back after the turnaround which gave me a good indication of my relatively position. After the turnaround my pace had stabilized and I saw that I had a healthy gap on #3. As I approached the timing mat prior to the turn back into town I saw #1 struggling a few hundred meters ahead and he looked bad…a major hitch. As I approached him and passed him I had an image of Patrick Lange and his beautiful smooth stride passing Lionel Sanders in Kona last year. I don’t look anywhere near as smooth at Patrick but it was a fun analogy. From there I believed I was in first place and started to let that sink in. I realistically thought a podium was possible, but never would have imagined an AG win was a possibility. I still felt good, my ankle was holding up, so I just settled in and focused on my form, cadence, and consistent RPE. I saw Danielle again around Lisa G’s and she told me I was in first place which was as exciting to hear as it was for her to tell me! I jogged up the entire hill, slowly but steadily. I found it very similar to Palani hill in Kona and there’s a confidence boost for me to be able to ‘run’ vs. walk these inclines. Around the corner Patrick was waiting for me and jogged alongside for a few paces. He said I was pulling away from #2 and #3 and to keep my nutrition in check. 2 miles later I had made the turnaround and on the way back down Patrick told me that my last split was a 6:50 pace #2 was running 7:15. I knew that split was too fast vs. what I actually was running but the delta was most important. He also mentioned that #4 (eventual #2) was running faster but was too far back to worry about. The dark part came a bit sooner…around mile 17, which wasn’t a total surprise given my light run volume. At this point there were enough people on the course I could pick someone and use them as a goal to pass. At the turnaround I was keen to see where I was relative to the others. I knew I was racing at this point, however usually I’m racing to gain a spot and here I was racing to hold off those behind me. I didn’t see the two people I recognized behind me which gave me confidence that a KQ was likely, but I didn’t know who the fast runner behind me was or what he looked like. The run to the ski jumps was really hard…my legs were hurting, my form was slipping to the point that my knees were knocking on each step which was a first. I reached for my one thing at this point which was my good friend’s father who had recently entered hospice and ultimately lost his battle with lung cancer two days after the race. It’s a helpful reminder to know how fortunate we are to be able have the health, time, and resources to participate in this ‘fun’. As I turned back into Lake Placid I only had three miles and looked forward to the updates I knew I would get in the next mile or so. Sure enough Danielle told me I was 5 minutes up as I began the climb back into town. Shortly thereafter I saw Patrick and I relayed that I knew I had a good lead which was good so I could ‘let up a little bit’ and not lose the top spot. “That’s fine if all you want is an AG win, but what about a top 10 finish?”. He later said he didn’t know what to tell me but ultimately he knew exactly what to tell me for motivation on those last two miles. He told me to run to special needs and there I could take 10 steps before running it home. I said ok and continued up the hill. Less than 30 seconds later I experienced a fast and sharp cramp in my right hamstring. I stopped to work it out with my hand and was already doing the math on how much time I would lose by walking the final 2 miles. I started to run again slowly and could feel the tightness and knew I was on the verge of it getting worse, however as I crested the hill it improved a bit so I decided to maintain a steady (albeit slower) pace and not stop unless absolutely necessary. I made it to the turnaround which was less than a mile to the finish, keeping a close eye on who was behind me. There were a couple guys that were clearly gaining on me, neither of which I recognized. The both passed me about a quarter mile later and I noted both were in lower AGs. Ultimately it likely wouldn’t have mattered as I think that pushing any further would have aggravated my hamstring and potentially forced me to walk it in. The rest of the run was downhill and I gathered myself knowing what had just transpired. I zipped up my kit for the picture, smiled, and high-fived everyone as I made the lap around the track to the finish. I heard Mike Reilly say my name and as a crossed the line a volunteer was quickly there to grab my arm. During the race I didn’t feel it hurt any more than my last few IMs but it was after I was done that I realized how hard I had pushed. While I maintained my focus during the race my mind quickly went into a fog after crossing the line. It wasn’t that I couldn’t answer the questions or respond, but I had to think about response that normally would be instinctual. Per usual the volunteers were amazing and helpful beyond words. I spent a few minutes regaining my composure and was walked out of the finish chute. Shortly thereafter I saw Danielle waiting behind the fence smiling confirming I had finished first! I knew this was likely given the on-course updates I was getting but I was curious to see what my overall time was. I knew my run was in the 3:15-3:20 range but didn’t know where my bike and transitions came in and knew they’d put me close to my 9:52 PR from Wisconsin. When she said 9:47:XX I was shocked and excited at the same time. A 5 minute PR on a course as hard as IMLP surprised the heck out of me but somedays you are the bug and today I was the windshield!
I’ve had a lot of questions about this race and specifically how I performed so well. For those that listen to the podcast with Coach P this will be somewhat repetitive.
1 – I think I underestimated (significantly) the value/benefit of having a solid base of racing experience over the past ten years. Somewhat from a fitness standpoint, but more on the execution front. You just get smarter and more efficient as you race and know when/where you can push and where not to.
2 – Training ROI. This was the original reason I joined EN in 2010. As things progress and goals rise that is often accompanied by increased volume and this was certainly the case in my two prior IMs. Other constraints limited me this year and my total volume/TSS were down materially, but I did get some good key doses of volume in the built going back to Al camp and finishing with a final push the week of July 4th.
3 – It’s gotta be the shoes! I took the plunge and bought the ridiculously expensive Nike Vaporfly 4% shoes a couple months ago due to all of the hype. It’s impossible to say for sure, but I have to think they played some role in a 6 minute run PR on a ‘less than 100%’ ankle on very challenging course. They are back in a vault now and will next see action in Kona!
4 – Know the course. I had the opportunity to visit the course for camp week which I believe is a huge advantage…particularly on the bike. Knowing how long a climb will take, where the turns are, which descents you can bomb down vs. brake gives you not only confidence but also precious time on race day.
5 - Know how to suffer...mentally. We all learn to suffer in training, race rehearsals, and prior races. My success at longer distance races, I believe, is both physical and mental. I've done a few things that have pushed my limits on the mental side that I think played a role in the same perceived level of physical effort despite empirical data that would suggest a much higher level of effort. Specifically there were two grueling activities in which I participated during Al Camp week in June. First, @John Withrow and I did a 209 mile ride from Snowmass to Vail via Independence pass (12k'+) and Leadville (10k'+) and then back via the I-70 corridor through Glenwood Springs and Carbondale. It included 14K feet of climbing and a good 5+ hours above 9k feet so was physically demanding but what I didn't fully appreciate was how those final 20 miles of slogging back to Al's house prepared me mentally to suffer through the finish when physically depleted. Similarly, four days later I raced in the Ultra Snowmass Ragnar which involved 29 miles of running in 3-7 mile increments over 22 hours. The last few legs of this, done in the middle of the night in 40 degree temps, require mental fortitude to get out of the tent let alone run for an hour. Both of these experiences, I believe, paid dividends in the last ten miles of my race.
I’m sure there are a host of other things…happy to address anything in the comments but since it’s almost the end of the day and three weeks post-race I need to wrap this up so I no longer have an excuse to be ‘recovering’ and start my Kona training! Thanks to all of you who lent your advice, support, mojo, and camaraderie....it was a team effort!
Comments
Now get yourself organized and attack that island! Many many congrats buddy!
When one has a "perfect" race, there's little to say except, "Yowza!", and shake my head in awed appreciation.
A few random thoughts (what else do I have)...Next year, I'll make sure to order up a downpour late evening for you on the Ragnar red course. That'll sharpen your mental six-pack...Your description of the run is textbook discussion of racing - you played it all in your head, kept it up until you couldn't anymore. There are only so many of those we have in us, it's so hard to go there and sustain it all the way to the end.
I call this a "gun to the head" race. If someone had come up to you after the finish, put a gun to your head, and said, "Run" --- you couldn't have, right?
Enjoyed reading this. Loved how you got training in with family. During the race when you were hurting you went outside yourself and thought of your good friends father is special.
Thanks for sharing all the inner talk and leading the way! and of course, congrats on the KQ!
Looking forward to seeing you again in 8 weeks!!