Rob's Augusta 70.3 Race Report
A (Very) Little History: I am new to triathlons this year. I ran two Olympics in June and decided I wanted to try IM 70.3. I have experience running marathons, half marathons and various other distances. I cam to EN because I suspected that I needed help in race strategy, and smart training.
Overall: This race was pretty difficult for me to wrap my head around (after finishing). The weather was tough, especially given my cushy summers in central Wisconsin. In the end I am incredibly proud of what I accomplished:
· I finished. Sometimes this isn’t as front-and-center for me in races. It’s a given. But as I spent a ton of time staring down the line in the run… this became even more important
· I executed. I had a plan. I stuck to the plan. I found discipline where I normally have been void. This was why I joined EN, and this will be the reason for my success moving forward.
· I swam. My first two tri’s, I had a very difficult time controlling my HR and ended up hyperventilating, losing many minutes while breast stroking or treading water. Not this time. Once I started, I never stopped. This perhaps is my biggest source of pride.
Weather: I knew this would be somewhat of a challenge coming into this race. But, there was limited availability for other (more northern) races by the time I made the decision to jump into 70.3. My Mom, Brother and Sister live in Atlanta, so I figured this was as good as any. Then the 10-day forecast came. Mid 90’s. That wasn’t what I was planning on. I knew that would be difficult for me to adjust to. Where I could, I started working out in extra clothing to help get my body temperature up. But that was a pretty feeble effort. Big Learning Here for future races. I’m not going to shun warm climate races. But, now I respect the amount of preparation and potential adjustments that need to be made in advance.
Injury: Three weeks before the race, I injured my back. I felt a pop. I freaked out. I had never had a back injury before. With Patrick and Matt’s guidance, I adjusted my training. I spent a lot of time icing, heating, Advil-ing, and stretching. I took it slow, but eventually got back into my workouts. I only mention this, because I consider it a distraction, and a little bit of adversity. In my opinion, I had little reason to feel this actually impacted my performance on race day. I’m sure in some way, my body wasn’t 100%, or my mind was partially distracted. But those seem like excuses that I want no part in.
Saturday: Slept in. Had breakfast. Ran some errands. Met up with EN superstar Mike Roberts for lunch. Aside from being a great guy and very generous with his time/experience, he might have had one of the largest impacts on my race. Mike’s candor about the forecasted conditions on Sunday helped me get in the right frame of mind. After that, I went back to the hotel, got comfortable, ate and drank. I never expected to get much sleep before the race. My hotel room had a pulsating vibration base sound in the walls that rhythmically distracted me all night. In the end, I got 4-5 hours. Good enough.
Race Day AM: Woke up at 3:30am. Immediately ate: Oatmeal, Banana, Orange Juice. Then started drinking water. Started the long trek to T1 (drive, shuttle, walk). Had tons of time to set up, and visit the port-a-potty’s (2X). Needless to say, I was cleaned out. Drank a liter of Coconut Water and sipped on some Maurten 160. Headed to Swim Start at 7am, pooped again (that’s 3). Then got in line and waited. For over an hour. I chewed on some Scratch gummies before starting.
Swim: I’m not a fast swimmer. I started swimming laps less than a year ago. I have work to do here, but my biggest concern was race-day execution. My plan was to ignore the blasting music, and all the people around me getting jacked up to race 70 miles. I needed to zen-out, keep my HR low, and try to remain calm. I chatted it up with several people around me. The hour+ time waiting actually ended up being pretty helpful. I started to forget about the race… perfect! As we approached the pier that led to the middle of the Savannah River, I rehearsed my plan: Slide into the water (don’t jump), go straight into LOOOOOONNNG, methodical strokes. Gorgeous Form. More Zen. Count my strokes. Exhale like a deflated balloon. Then, I did just that. The water felt refreshing. We were wetsuit optional, so I decided to go in my kit only. Did I mention this scared me a little – not having my Roka Security Blanket Wetsuit? My HR on the swim was a little elevated at the beginning (145) vs. my workouts (around 135-ish). But I settled in (see below). Note: I guess I didn’t officially stopped my swim workout until 10 minutes into my ride… chart below needs to be cropped. In the end, this was the best swim I have ever experienced. I have no idea how to account for the impact the current had on my swim, but even without that influence, this was a big win for me.
T1: I know I can transition faster than this 00:05:28. But today is about steady, mistake-free, solid execution. Next time, I will be faster.
Bike: All those rolling hills in Sheboygan, WI did me a great service here. People around me looked miserable, but I felt at home. It was a pretty great ride. Again, my heart rate was a little elevated (145) vs. my typical workout (137-140), but I was comfortable, and managed my wattage well. My race plan was to be between 155-165 watts, but after looking at the weather, I opted to lower this to 145 and keep an eye on my HR. I think that proved to be a smart adjustment. Nutrition was 48oz of Maurten 360, 48oz GE, 2X Maurten 100 Gel, and a couple cups of water in-between. I also supplemented with 3 licks of Base Electrolyte Salt, just for giggles. My goal was to have a consistent effort, with minimal spikes/dips, and to pay close attention to my HR, Fluids and overall condition. In the end, the ride felt exactly like I had hoped. I felt like I was holding back a little, and I felt well hydrated and well fed. After the race looking at my bike computer data, I only then started to realize the temperatures I was facing (see below)
Ambient temperature averaged 101 degrees, but steadily increased to about 110+ on the road. Here’s another learning for me. I didn’t feel like it was 100 degrees+. While I kept splashing water on my face and back, I need to be more prepared for the compounded impact this heat has on my body.
T2: Again, I know I can do better than this, but today is not about transition speed. I didn’t want to forget anything, or jack my HR up any higher than I needed to.
Run: At the time, I felt like a million dollars. But my HR was more elevated than I ever anticipated (160+). I needed to be at 150-155. I slowed down quickly, but my HR didn’t respond. I started to walk occasionally to try and recover. Once I started up again, it would go straight back up. My pace was slow for me (my expectations were to start at 9:00 pace and settle in to an 8:30 pace, then finish below 8 minutes. But, the frequency of walks required started to pile up, and my pace suffered. I spent a ton of time at “the Line”. A lot of self-reflection. A lot of small goals to achieve. A lot of pep talks. I describe this run as a “Death March.” Everyone around me was alternating jog / walks to get through. It was painfully slow. Every aid station I drank 1-2 GE + 1 Water. I had 3 Base Salt Licks. And I splashed water on me everywhere I could. I just couldn’t cool off, and it zapped me of all ability to run my race.
Takeaways: Here’s what I learned
· This is an amazing sport. Despite my tough run, I loved it! I was proud, and energized. And I am looking forward to my next race
· It’s exciting to know you have things to learn. I have some things I can work on and things to learn for my next race. I don’t think my overall time is nearly reflective of what I am capable of (even today, let alone in the future).
· I made smart decisions. People were dropping like flies in the heat. I saw numerous ambulances and people sitting on the side of the road laid out. My race didn’t end up like I thought it would, but I didn’t end up in the hospital, and I finished the race. The stories I heard on the bus to transition started to add some more context to my experience. I heard people talking about their friends blacking out, and pulling out of the race. This could have been bad. You have to respect the environment, and adjust your plans.
Questions for my EN teammates:
1. How do you keep your internal body temperature down while in these conditions? I’ve heard of carrying a small bag/pouch to fill with ice. What other things do you do, and when do you start???
2. How do you get your body ready for extreme Kona-Like conditions such as this (during training)… especially when you live “North of The Wall,” like I do? I’m an ex-wrestler, so I am no stranger to garbage bags and layers of clothing to cut weight.
3. How do you adjust your race plan, based on environmental conditions? For instance, I dropped my wattage plan for the bike. It seemed like this was a good idea based on my HR being in the zone. What other things do you do?
Comments
@Rob Tune - congratulations. you did amazing. I am sure that some of our WSMs are going to read this and comment so, so I will just leave it here. So proud of you.
@Rob Tune Congratulations on Augusta 70.3! Great job in your first HIM in extremely difficult conditions. You executed like a seasoned veteran which has to give you a lot of confidence rolling into the outseason -- what are your goals for 2020?
I am by no means a WSM, but I'll give you my perspective on the questions.
Congratulations again Rob!
@Rob Tune Check out Coach Patrick's lesson on racing in the heat here:
^^^When you look at the link above. To the right of the page is a recommended sauna protocol that might help. Sauna (like nutrition) seems to be a personal thing. But, this is a good starting point for developing some adaptations. There are also two studies to read - https://extremephysiolmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2046-7648-4-S1-A109
For the bike, with a race with the high heat & humidity combination, you almost need to dedicate a bottle for body coolling. So, maybe add another cage so you can carry your hydration and cooling bottles. Plus, staying wet becomes part of your execution schedule just like nutrition and hydration.
You did all the right things. Remained steady. Relied on your gearing vs power to ride hills. You adjusted/dropped your target watts and didn't chase a number. @Jeff Phillips said it well.
@Jeremy Behler and @John Withrow Might be able to share what they have done to prepare for Kona - coming from WI and MN.
@Rob Tune Congratulations on an AWESOME first 70.3! I actually think you executed like a seasoned veteran. In conditions like that, making a lot of little conservative decisions all day throughout the race helps you to slow down less at the end. Had you not dialed back your effort on the bike for the conditions of the day, you likely would have been walking continuously the entire 2nd half of the run costing you en entire hour vs what you did. So seriously, smart racing...
I live near Minneapolis (and was also a wrestler), so I get your predicament. First of all, nothing can prepare you to have a perfect race without slowing you down in 100 degree temps... but there are some things we can do to become a bit more heat acclimated, and to execute smart.
I’m racing Kona this year, so we’ll learn in a week if anything I did this time around actually helped from a heat acclimation standpoint... but I bought an Infrared Sauna about 6 months ago. Partly because there are so many studies that say saunas are good for longevity and for help with seasonal depression disorder that my wife sometimes experiences during the long winters here. But I also bought it to see if it would help for Kona... You can google search Matt Dixon’s sauna protocol. I’m loosely following some version of that. Earlier in the year it was 2-3 times per week for ~20 mins. For the last couple of weeks it has been 1-2x per day for upwards of 30-40 mins. I almost always use it right after my morning workouts, then as time permits in the evenings as well... I also use cold thermogenesis... I take cold showers right after my sauna sessions and use an ice vest 2-3 times per week to stress my body, develop my brown fat, and burn calories. Cold stress and heat stress are like 2 different sides of a similar coin... I do a lot less of the other things like bundling up for workouts, but this last couple of weeks, I have gotten on my trainer and left the fan off and just watch the sweat pour off of me...
The people above already mentioned most of the race day execution stuff... but to reiterate:
1) accept slowing down (it is inevitable). Lowering your effort level intentionally and methodically prevents catastrophic failure like people who go too hard will certainay face
2) stay wet all day, especially on the bike
3) hydrate more and get more electrolytes in
4) let your HR rule as a governor to your power on the bike or pace on the run
5) I also use Coach P’s Race Saver bag to keep ice in and drink from between aid stations, etc.
Great work man! Can’t wait to see your improvement with another full Outseason and hopefully with less oppressive race conditions next time.
@Rob Tune this was a great first long-distance triathlon, even more so when you consider the conditions. I was not far away in Chattanooga watching the IM race and even as a spectator the conditions were brutal.
One of the things I love about triathlon is the complexity. You have the three core disciplines, transitions, nutrition, and of course weather and other external conditions. You have control/influence over all but the last but in my view the last are causes people to make many mistakes on the first five that give the advantage to smart execution which is where the EN approach really shines.
Regarding heat...if you ask 5 people you'll get five opinions. I'm personally of the opinion that there isn't much you can/should do as it relates to training. Admittedly there isn't any real science behind this but it's certainly my experience. I had two very good races in hot humid environments. The first was my first Kona in 2016 where I trained in a mild WI summer and the last month of training was mostly in the 60s and low humidity. I arrived Tuesday, so only a few days ahead of the race...did a couple trainng rides/runs, and ended up in the top 20% of my AG at the World Championships. The next was six months later at Puerto Rico 70.3 where I left WI in 25 degree temperatures and snow on Friday and raced to 3rd in my AG in 90+ degree temps and high humidity.
As far as race execution....tough conditions just increase the likelihood and cost of screwing up. Once your HR or core temp get too high it's incredibly hard to get them back down and once you do it is more likely they pop again. So what can you do? Ice....in your hands, in a race-saver bag that you can use to apply ice between aid stations, put ice in your hat, down your kit, in your shorts, etc. Stay ahead of hydration and sodium intake. I usually increase my sodium intake on the bike and only if I feel the effects (swollen fingers,etc) lay off and it usually subsides in 15-30 minutes. If you haven't peed in the first 40-50 miles you probably are under-hydrating. One big mistake people make is to drink more because of the heat but to not increase sodium intake. This dilutes your sodium levels in the bloodstream and leads to hyponatremia. This has a number of impacts including kidney function that impact not only your race performance but can have a hangover effect post race (and in extreme cases can be fatal).
Net...you should feel really good about your performance last week. Few people have good first races, particularly in those conditions. You have this foundation to now build and grow from.
@Rob Tune What a marvelous performance for being in triathlon such a short time, compounded by the extreme environmental challenge you faced.
Focusing on heat/humidity, others have given great observations/advice. I'll add a bit to that. First, with your running background, you are probably used to long distance runs starting early in the morning, so even if it is becoming a hot day, the difference between your training paces and race pace has probably not been nearly as dramatic as happens when (A) you swim and bike for several hours first and (B) run in the middle of the day, sun high in the sky, temps skyrocketing.
Some years ago, a former ENer did a Big Data Deep Dive correlating Ironman marathon times with the actual temp/humidity hour-by-hour. The bottom line: at least for an Ironman, the difference between Ideal Pace (@ say 60F) and Actual Pace when temps are north of 100 is probably close to 90-120 sec/mile slower.
Second, while acclimating to heat/humidity is probably a good idea in advance, to enhance the body's ability to sweat and generate stress hormones, no type or amount of training will overcome the inevitable slowdown brought on by those conditions. The key as you have noted, is once the core temp goes above about 102.4F, your internal safety systems will kick in and almost force you to start walking, to save your life. As John has pointed out, accepting this, and just running based on a couple of key metrics will help you achieve the pace you need to Just Keep Going. Maintaining a safe HR, and adding in Perceived Exertion (which you should have pretty well internally dialed in thanks to your running background) should guide your run.
As to cooling measure during the run: YES to the EN Race Saver bag (see Store in the Dashboard menu). Put ice in @ each aid station. Place over areas of heavy blood flow (neck, groin, or my favorite, over your heart). Pour water on your head. Drink more. Rinse (literally) and Repeat every mile.
Most races are not this brutal; keep training daily, monthly, yearly, and you will keep improving over a 5-10 year period, I promise. And, assuming simply normal heat next time around, you'll see a dramatic PR for sure.
And, yeah, triathlons are fun, complex, and rewarding!
@Rob Tune Congrats on a great first-time finish. It was so great meeting you. I knew this was gonna be a tough way to start your LC tri career, so I’m so glad you managed so well and finished upright. Which is more than I can say. I decided to ruin my race 15 seconds into the swim. But instead of being smart, I chose to be stubborn and competitive and postpone the inevitable. Which occurred 58 miles later with a refreshing medical golf cart ride to the tent. But part of the allure of this crazy sport is the fact that there are no guarantees and anything (good and bad) can happen.
As for heat, small, lean, fit athletes with high V02s tend to perform better in heat. Acclimation does help too. Our dew point at Augusta was just under 70, so that + 96F made it pretty brutal. When dew point goes above 70 (Kona seems to hit it every other year or so), I’ve been told your sweat won’t evaporate and cool you, so you have to cool yourself externally (water and ice).
And don’t forget race selection. You may choose races based on proximity, time of year or other characteristics that cater to your strengths or challenge your shortcomings. Wisconsin can be 45F or 97F. But Augusta is guaranteed every year to be an easy swim, 30 miles of long climbs, and a flat, exposed run on the surface of the sun.
Hope this is the first of many. Cheers.
Mike
@Rob Tune Great first race in tough conditions. Nothing to add on managing heat as the others have done a great job of this already.
Congrats Rob!
@Brenda Ross @Jeff Phillips @matt limbert @Jeremy Behler @Gordon Cherwoniak @Mike Roberts @Virginia Edmonds @Al Truscott @John Withrow
So unbelievably helpful to get everyone's thoughts and encouragement. Thanks to all! I know THIS is what being part of EN is all about, but I am still floored at this community and how it teaches, shares, and grows together.
On a separate note, I've had a couple of more days to think about my experience. I am already so pumped to do more. Looking forward to outseason in my own pain cave and getting ready for more 70.3 next year!
I agree @Rob Tune. It is just a small part of what makes this team so great. Outseason is very interactive and will blow your mind.