IM Canada Race Report (feat. custom stolen ASI collage)
Personal figures (caveat: rounding errors, device and timing differences, etc)
-Textbook execution, with "aggressive" race strategy on VDOT of ~52 and FTP of 270 / 4.0 watts/kg.
Time 10:11:05
S 1:03:48
T1 3:00
B 5:24:35
T2 2:57
R 3:36:47
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bTSS 296.8
bIF .744
bNP 201
miles 0 - 56 time 2:41:21
miles 0 - 56 TSS 143.4
miles 0 - 56 NP 197
miles 56 - 112 time 2:40:22
miles 56 - 112 TSS 153.1
miles 56 - 112 NP 204
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run 0 - 13.1 time 1:51:31
run 0 - 13.1 NGP 8:14
run 13.1 - 26.2 time 1:45:01
run 13.1 - 26.2 NGP 7:49
Difference in finish time between EN'er Chris Whyte* and I, IMAZ 2009: 00:01:13
Finish in finish time betweeen EN'er Chris Whyte and I, IMCAN 2010: 00:01:28
*Never met the guy, but he's fast, has a good Hawaii pedigree, and I figure the day I catch him will be the day I punch my ticket.
additional analysis, courtesy of
http://sites.google.com/site/garminpower/stats
PLACE AFTER SWIM 425
PLACE AFTER T1 363
PLACE AFTER BIKE 145
PLACE AFTER T2 139
PLACE AT END 127
# PASSED IN T1 62
# PASSED ON BIKE 218
# PASSED IN T2 6
# PASSED ON RUN 12
# PASSED SWIM TO END 298
T1+T2 0:05:57
T1+T2 PLACE125
Bike, with smoothing:
Run, with smoothing:
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A few thoughts and an overly-honest self-assessment:
1. Executed and Raced to the best of my capabilities. Like, ‘Cross finish line, lights out, legs buckle, catchers save me now or I’m kissing Penticton pavement’ finish, with few massively bad decisions through the day.
2. Although my time was slower than some of my more recent IMs, after taking the terrain and conditions into account, I would gauge this as the ‘normalized fastest’ race I’ve completed.
2.(a) It just happened that there were 22 speedier guys in M40-44 (apparently 16 in the AG went sub-10 in tough conditions - what's with that?), so no Golden Ticket. Simply put: faster guys than me showing up on race day. Beyond my control.
3. Based on past experience, stacking a quality IMC on top of another IM 4 weeks earlier should have been doable, but my approach was off, and –oh yeah – I’m 40 and don’t have the same elasticity I used to have. Hard to admit, but we all age. Still, I went into the experience with eyes wide open: I wanted to race IMC as a last-ditch attempt to nab a KQ, full stop. So, my goal-myopia was very different from the orthodox (and healthy) approach of embracing the day and enjoying the hard work that got me there … instead, I accepted that I might have to take some risks here and there in the intervening period, be a bit more aggressive where I could be, but do this with a higher chance of boogering my recovery, all in order to have a standout performance.
I gamed the system to have race-level fitness back to where it had been, and although this looked good on paper, the reality was a fatigue crater in mid August, and a cloud of exhaustion in weeks two and three. However, I pulled through, and by mid- race week, I was more or less physically there. But it was cutting it close and I left a trail of pissyiness whereever I went in August.
4. Mentally, this was different from any other race I’ve ever done. I showed up at this race with no other goal than to get a KQ. Add that tunnel vision to fatigue, and the day was absent of the normal joy or reward from the experience - it was a day in the office and all about the "win," which is not a good mental place to be. Anyhow, this brought out my ugly competitive alter-ego. Setting an ‘all or nothing’ performance goal for the day came with a massive amount of pressure. Result: I was grumpy, moody, distracted and ‘that guy’ who yells at drafters, has a sore jaw from clenching, and doesn't’t smile for five days.
Could I have had the same day with a process-oriented goal of “execute to the best of your ability?’ Reflecting on it further, I’m still torn … even if a byproduct of “kona or bust’ was grumpiness, was this nonetheless the mental focus that is necessary to make me push beyond my normal abilities? Seeing as my normal abilities are still having me come up short for my goal, is this the only avenue, if everything else is held constant? It didn’t result in any disastrous race day decisions, but it was a very different place than I’m normally put myself. Anyhow, much to chew on as I mull over the 2011 season.
5. Okay - I'm rereading this, and it's overly pessimistic and negative. I did have a good time. I'm lucky, happy and grateful I am able to do this. Proof that I can smile:
Comments
Dave - great race, superb execution; singularity of focus can have its rewards, as well as drawbacks.
The one question you seem to have is "Could I have gone any faster with another strategy?" I think not. Your TSS of 296 is about at the maximum possible to still have a satisfactory run. And, your run time is exactly what your VDOT of 52 would project to using EN ideal pacing numbers. The unfortunate truth is, race execution is not the limiter for you. Faster swim, higher w/kg, and faster 5k/HIM times are needed.
Any negative feelings in the past month and on race day are, I guess, simply a reflection of the difficulty you set for yourself with the turnaround time and and elevated level of your goal(s) for the race. With your work ethic and an ideal training schedule, on the right day, you'll get there.You're close enough, if you want to make the committment, it's worth the effort.
And, down the road, I'm interested in any observations you have on doing a 4-6 week turnaround one IM to another - if you were to do it again, what you'd keep, what you'd add, and what you'd drop.
Congrats!
P
Fantastic race out there Dave and thanks for taking the time to put together such a detailed report - very informative. Tough AG for sure - I'm really looking forward to aging up to it next year.
Then again, "alls you can do is alls you can do."
Your ability to analyze and self-assess is exceptional. I believe it's a direct reflection of your race execution which speaks for itself. I suspect your time will come where you'll catch me so thankfully we'll be in different AGs for a while. :-) I'm just really impressed with your ability to neg split the run the way you do (especially on that day with very tough winds coming home).
I didn't know you were doing IMC. Probably a bit of tunnel vision on my end too. I wish I had known because you, me and Craig could have all met up.
Unfortunately I won't have power data to share because my PT CPU flew off my bike in the first hundred or so yards coming out of T1. I do have pace data I'll be able to share in my report though.
Btw, it's always incredibly encouraging when I hear people say nice things about me. So, thank you.
Chris
Matt
You'll get to Hawaii.....Being a male from 30y/o to 50y/o is just freakin' tough....the doodes are getting faster and faster. Unbelievable that your time is not enough. If it was easy though it wouldn't make the goal worth it!
You are an inspiration to me in what you need to be to get there!