IMCDA Race Report_McCulloch
Big picture
Race went well. I finished within in the timeframe I planned. I was well prepared physically, mentally, and I had good coaching. Family and friends were great. Race morning went right as planned.
I should have drank a bit more before the swim and that might have helped my leg cramps after the first lap. I should have drank more early on the bike and that would have helped fuel my run a bit better. I should have prepared a touch more mentally for hitting the wall at mile 23 of the run.
Coaching
My coaches were spot on with their advice. I lined up a little faster than my projected time for the swim and got swam over, but that was better than having to swim over others.
On the bike they said to start slow and I did, but in retrospect it was not slow enough. This was hard to judge and I would have liked to talk with them more about it. I think my downfall was going a little too hard up the hills on lap one. Down and through was an excellent tip as well as gearing down when coming around the corner coming up to English Point.
On the run I cramped almost immediately, which I was not prepared for. I started slow according to race guidance, but it was a 60 seconds/mile slower than I planned. Mile 18 did not cause me too much grief, but mile 23 was a killer. The coaches predicted between mile 22 and 24 would also be a tough spot. It was great to get a slap in the rear from Rich at mile 15, that gave me a boost.
Rich was at the finish to recap at congratulate me. The coaches really knew the course and the execution of the race well. I am very pleased with their work.
Pre-Race
I slept from about 10 pm to 3 am on race night. I got up at 3:45 after I realized I would not sleep any longer and started hydrating. I ate at 4:30 and then we headed downtown at 4:45. I took two pit stops while getting last minute things on my bike and in my transition bag. I got my wetsuit on and headed to swim start about 6:35. At 6:45 I ate a gel and drank 12 oz of water. I felt prepared and ready to go.
Swim 1:27:45 2:19/100M 101/216 30-34 AG 1563 OA
I lined up about three deep and about 50 feet to the right of the bouy line. At the start I jumped in and started swimming hard using my legs a lot to help generate heat. I got swam over some, but was generally happy with my start. Getting around the first bouy turn was tough, but I am comfortable in the water so I just pushed through. Coming out of the water at the first lap I was right at the 40 minute mark which was my goal. Once I jumped back in the water both my legs cramped which was completely unexpected. I think it was related to cold and dehydration. I flipped on my back and tried to get rid of the cramps. It helped a little, but I decided I was going to have to do the second lap with just arms. The second lap went a little slower, but I made it without too much fatigue. The tough part for me was the cold.
T1 13:06
Going into transition cold slowed me down because it was hard to hang on to things while shivering. I re-hydrated right away with a carb/protein drink. Once I was dressed I started warming up. I stopped by for some quick sunscreen and then hit the bike.
Bike 6:01:53 18.6mph 109/216 30-34 AG 745 OA
I started easy on the bike. When I reached for some gel after leaving transition I nearly crashed. That scared me so I passed on the gel for the moment, which was not good. I did start drinking, but my mixture seemed a little too thick so I waited until the first aid station to really start to put away fluids. This took its toll by the end, but was a relatively minor mistake. I stayed easy the entire first lap, but by the end of the hills I could tell I needed to back off even more to protect my run. Again small mistake, but all the little ones do add up. If I had it to do over I would take the first set of hills even easier. My second lap went well and I tried to take in plenty of fluids without getting so much that I had to pee. I ended up peeing three times and only spending three minutes of time off the bike, which was a vast improvement from my race rehearsals. My calories on the bike were 1500, which is what I targeted and the only thing I would have done different with that is to have some more fluids.
T2 4:54
Transition two went smooth. I changed socks and jersey. I put on my running shoes and took off.
Run 4:19:38 9:55/min 73/216 AG 493 OA
About a half mile into the run both legs cramped up hard and forced me to stop. This was completely unexpected. I massaged them for about 60 seconds and then forced myself to start moving again. After about a half mile more the cramps left and I went along pretty well for a long time. My mile splits were slower than training indicated, but I was making decent progress. My Vdot suggested a LRP of 8:24. At mile 15 I got a slap in the rear from coach rich which helped push me through the mid marathon blues. At mile 18 I put my head down and just cranked out tempo. That worked until mile 23 when I started to fall apart. I simply did not want to run anymore and I had to start giving myself more walk breaks. At mile 25 I picked it up again and when I saw the finish I started running strides. I finished very strong and was able to keep walking after crossing the finish line.
Conclusion
In short, I made several small mistakes that cost me my 12 hour goal, but I am happy with what I accomplished given my family situation and the budget I was working with. It would have been great to have a power meter and a bike fit, but it did not happen. I did well and I need to own that.
Comments
I think you did very well considering no PM; you were very mindful of the ups/downs of the course and came pretty close to getting it all right. I look forward to a big improvement once you get the gear to match your mindset! Well done and thanks for sharing!
P
Hey Greg,
Great race report and good talking to you after the event in the finishers area!