RR - JerseyMan HIM 5/22/11
Summary:
Total Time: 5:33:36
Overall: 48 / 146
AG: 4 / 16 (M45-49)
Swim: 00:39:36 (full wetsuit) (62 degrees)
Bike: 02:56:03 (19.1)
Run: 01:51:03 (8:28)
T1: 4:24 (slow - weather was iffy - too much crap in T)
T2: 2:45 (slow - weather was iffy - too much crap in T)
Weather: 57 - 67 degrees / cloudy, misty, mild humidity
Nutrition:
Pre-Race: Bowl of cereal (normally its oatmeal or eggs) and 1 Hammer gel pre-swim.
Bike = 2 gels + 2 Perpetuem Tablets + 4-5 Cliff Shot Blocks + 1 hard candy sucker (for sore throat after swim) / 16ounces of Perpetuem + 16 ounces of Pete's Special Mix (Propel, endorolytes, Heed, lemon juice, + an ounce of ginger ale). Finished 3/4 of each bottle.
Run = carried 12 ounce bottle of Pete's Special Mix + some water at aid stations.
Lost 3 lbs on day - in past its been 5-8 - so this is better...
Details:
Swim: My swim times in a 2.4 mile swim race and in a sprint race both earlier this year as well as in practice have been slower than last year - but I don't feel nearly as tired when done. Don't know if that means I'm not working hard enough or I'm concentrating too much on my form & breathing. Either way - the best time I could've reasonably expected is around 36 min. So 3 min slower is not terrible and I still have time to improve for IMLP. Still need to work on swimming straighter and sighting better. It was foggy and they put a boat w/blinking seach light near first turn which was really helpful. Turned too much on 2nd turn and got waay too far inside the rectangle loop. Could've wore sleeveless, which I prefer. Did wear swim socks - helpful at sandy beach exit and long run to T1.
Bike: Haven't done an outdoor FTP test (will do this week) but was conservatively putting it at around 263ish (10 points higher than my indoor FTP). So looking to keep watts around 210 - 220. First time really putting EN practice to work in a race on bike. Early on I caught up to fellow EN'er JT Thompson doing the aqua/velo as a training day for IMCDA - we chatted for a moment and then he sent me off.
Its a rolling course with a flat 11 mile section at about the 15 mile mark. So really had to pay attention to my gearing and pedal pressure. Tried to make sure I didn't stay too high for too long on hills and too low on flats/descents. The real difference I felt was that there was very little "non-pedalling" time. I worked much harder then prior races on little and big descents - but also didn't feel need to rest on them either (so must be fitter this year even though I still weigh the same 200lbs). I was aero 95% of time which I've come to really prefer. Felt like I was always pushing but never pushing over my limits for any significant amount of time. Two mistakes probably cost me a minute or 2 - a wrong turn - RD changed course slightly - and no rider in front of me to follow at that point - and dropped bottle in covered bridge (which holds my flat tire tools). Other than that it was smooth sailing and maybe 5 bikers past me all day - including a lady that I tried to hang with for the last 10 miles but couldn't do it w/o pushing watts too high. Of course I was in the 3rd of 4 start waves so the fast guys were in front of me anyway 
. More bike stats:
2216 KJ
231 TSS
89% IF (based on 253 FTP)
225 NP (higher than I thought I'd do w/o over cooking it)
1.07 (better than I thought I would do)
210 AP
88 Ave Cadence
Based on above #s, looks like my outdoor FTP maybe higher than what I was projecting. But better safe than sorry. When I got done bike I wasn't sure if I had pushed it too hard or not. I felt good - but I've been here before.......
Run: Now I haved failed at the 13.1 run at all but 1 other HIM. So this was the "real test" for me. Best run in HIM before today was 1:54 - but that was off a much easier bike (where I had flats = rest) and in cool rainy weather. All other HIMs - it been a bust at 2:25.
So as usual, I couldn't slow myself down in first 3 miles. Fortunately I had to stop twice in first mile for gear issues (pebble in sock?!?). Garmin didn't connect until sometime in mile 2 - but I saw alot of 7:45s everytime I looked - and yes I should be able to maintain that pace - but past history says no. Saw fellow ENer Jocselyn Grizzeti tearing up the run course (3rd overall female !!). Managed to slow it down to 8:30s for middle miles. Took advantage of every down hill to increase pace and slowed on the uphills but never walked. Wanted to slow down around mile 10 but knew I had I had a shot to break 5:30 so try to hold pace. Passed alot of runners and only got passed by 4/5. Another guy forced me to sprint the finish to keep from getting passed - I succeeded barely.
Was happy about run - felt like I raced it - didn't just "suffer through it". My PR in a half mary is 1:43 so 8 minutes off - I can live w/that....
This was a confidence booster that I needed at the HIM distance. Felt like I executed the bike/run prettty well. Now just gotta keep improving.....working towards IMLP. Sorry no pics.....yet
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