American Triple T Ohio Race Report - 4 Races 140.6 miles
First some background…American Triple T is a bit of a unique triathlon. Actually, a series of Triathlons. There are two different American Triple Ts. The Ohio event I participated in this weekend is in May and the North Carolina event is later in the fall. American Triple T is comprised of 4 races over 2.5 days that totals 140.6 miles…the same cumulative distance as a full Ironman.
I left home around noon on Friday. I was loaded down..just me in my car but it was packed to the gills. With a multi-stage race a couple hours away the Boy Scout in me wanted to make sure I had everything I needed. I had my Triathlon bike and my road bike (just in case). I had my bike toolbox, a separate box of spare parts, and the array of usual race equipment (wetsuit, goggles, shorts, socks, running shoes, visor, and sunglasses). All of the clothing items were brought in triplicate so I’d have fresh clothes for each race, with the exception of the race singlet which we were required to wear for each race. After four races in the heat/humidity along with 4 swims in the lake even a post race rinse in cold water couldn’t keep all the rank out. I made the trip in about 90 minutes. Lost cell coverage about 10 miles out and was off the grid the entire time. First impression….lots of hills around here! I checked into the lodge and unpacked my gear before heading down to the transition area to pick up my registration packet (the lodge is about 1 mile up a pretty steep hill from the transition area). Picked up my gear and went back to the room to prepare for the first race. At the lodge ran into Endurance Nation teammate Ann Frost who had traveled from Ontario for the race along with her friend Michele who came from New Jersey. I thought I packed too much stuff, but when I saw Ann wheeling her microwave down the hall in her luggage cart I didn’t feel nearly as bad! This race weekend draw people from all over..there was a group of 25 people from Washington DC, numerous people from WI, IL, IA, MI, etc. I even saw a FL license plate.
After getting everything unloaded in the lodge I loaded up my bag and hopped on the bike for the easy downhill ride to the transition area. I set up my transition area and soon ran into a couple swimming/tri pals Sean and Amanda who were racked next to me. We headed over to Turkey Creek Lake to get a first hand feel for the water temps. They were reporting 58 degrees. For only 450 meters, a wetsuit is a lot of hassle. I figured I’d try to tough out a few minutes in the cold water as a result. After jumping in quickly and having my lungs freeze up I quickly donned the wetsuit to warm up. 58 degrees sounds mild for air temperature but water temperature is downright cold. The participants continued to roll in and we had our pre-race brief at 4:30. We then lined up at the swim start a few minutes before 5 based on our seeding.
Race #1 – Super Sprint – Friday 5PM.
The first race was a Super Sprint comprising a 250 meter swim, 5 mile bike, and 1 mile run. Weather was excellent…mid/high seventies, slight breeze, bright sunny sky. We went off two at a time, with a few seconds between each group. I was #138 so it took a few minutes before I headed in. A race this short only takes about 25 minutes so there’s not much to gain by pushing too hard. I planned to have a nice pace, but not waste energy to save a minute or two. That could mean15-30 minutes or more come Sunday. When we got the signal I ran into the water which was best described as murky….about the color of coffee with cream. It was a short enough swim that the first wave was already finishing as I jumped in. Pretty uneventful swim…didn’t feel like the water was all that cold. I felt like I did a good job navigating and stayed right on course. As I got out of the water I pulled off my wetsuit arms and jogged to the transition area a few hundred yards away. Had a smooth transition, hopped on the bike for a quick 5 miles. The first 0.5 was downhill to the park entrance, then turnaround to climb about 2-2.5 miles to the top of a pretty good hill. Lots of guys and girls absolutely hammering it, but I stuck to my plan. After the turnaround it was all downhill…and fast. I quickly ran out of gears as I had my climbing setup with a compact crank set and 11/27 cassette. I spun out above 30MPH so just tucked into an aero position and let gravity do its thing. The course was pretty busy by now, with one lane for those still going up the hill and the remaining lane for those descending. I had to hit my brakes a couple times as those with more self preservation instinct were on the brakes hard. The last ¼ mile was even narrower as the run course had cones a few feet into the road so I backed off a lot and took the bike into transition. Slipped out of my bike helmet and shoes, slipped on my running shoes and was off for the short run. The run course took us back up the hill on the road for a half mile, just to the start of the trail that would be our main running course the rest of the weekend. Ran solid, but didn’t sprint…again, little to gain lots to lose. Had a post race dinner of PB&J and pasta while shooting the breeze with other athletes. Loaded up all my gear and huffed a mile up the hill on my bike back to the lodge. I had forgotten Peanut Butter for my bagels so drove 15 minutes into the town of Portsmouth to the local Kroger. It’s funny how the race participants stick out like a sore thumb in a run-down steel town. As I pulled into the parking lot there were a lot of 4WD pickup trucks and Camaros with the occasional station wagon or SUV with bikes attached that cost more than my first car. Inside it was the usual families shopping other than the 2-3 people with shopping carts full of peanut butter, pretzels, Gatorade, and beer. I saw a lot of tattoos, mostly dragons and crosses but a couple M Dots as well. Headed back to the lodge after stocking my missing items and took it easy from there…..was in bed by 10PM.
Race #1 by the numbers:
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|
Distance |
Time |
Pace |
Comments |
|
Swim |
250 meters |
4:32 |
1:20/100m |
|
|
T1 (Swim to Bike) |
- |
1:00 |
|
|
|
Bike |
5 miles |
12:23 |
MPH |
Max speed 43.8MPH 350 ft of climbing |
|
T2 (Bike to Run) |
|
0:42 |
|
|
|
Run |
1 mile |
6:26 |
6:26/mile |
|
|
Total |
6.2 miles |
25:06 |
|
90th out of 350 |
Race #2 – Olympic Distance – Saturday 7:30AM.
I woke up at 6 AM, had a bagel and peanut butter, got my transition bag ready to go and coasted down the hill at 6:30. By 6:45 my transition area was set up, I had picked up my race chip, and was ready to go. A lot of folks that didn’t have a spot at the lodge were trickling in right up to race time. I made this mistake once and vowed I’d always allow ample time to set up transition. You are bound to forget something if you are in a rush to get to the swim start. The weather Saturday morning was great…..sky was clear, and the sun was still below the horizon (the lake is in a valley so the sun doesn’t hit the lake as early). Swim start was exactly the same as Friday so I hit the water a few minutes after 7:30 AM. The 1500 meter swim was comprised of two laps. After the first lap we had to get out of the water, run through the starting flags, then back into the water. With two laps, it started getting crowded about half way through lap 2 when I was catching up with the slower swimmers that started later. Given the poor visibility I took a few feet to the face, mostly glancing blows. You literally couldn’t see your hand more than 12 inches in front of your face. Despite my lack of open water swimming this year, was very happy with my navigation as I stayed right along the buoys the entire race. Typical transition hopped on the bike and was out on the roads. The morning bike course was a monster - one lap with 3 climbs. The route took us out of the park and onto Highway 125 for a short while before turning off onto a paved fire road. We crossed a wooden bridge after turning off the fire road and my rear water bottle proceeded to launch out of my ‘launch proof’ seat mounted bottle rack. With the bottle went my CO2 cartridge and my spare tire also got loose, and was dragging. I had an aero bottle with water as well, so knew I had enough hydration for the 25 mile ride. I reached around and stuffed the dangling tire in the now empty bottle rack and continued on. At mile 6 we hit the biggest climb up Thompson Hill Rd that has sections of 18% grade over the 1.5-2 mile ascent. This climb starts after a sharp 140 degree turn, so any momentum you have leading up to it is lost. A rider directly in front of me wasn’t prepared and in too tall of a gear so he bit it. I was very focused on not spiking my power during the ride to save my legs for the later stages, and most importantly the half marathon on Sunday. I shifted into my easiest gear and motored up and consistently as I could. The climb was steep enough my wattage spiked well above my target climbing pace of 225 watts. I swallowed my pride as I watch guys hammering past me out of the saddle with the confidence I’d pass them eventually once they hit the wall as the weekend progresses. Around mile 15 I came up on my friend Sean. He had lost his bottle at the bridge as well, but it was his only bottle. I offered him some water from my aero bottle but he refused and just said he was going to take it easy for this short race. It turns out that bridge had quite a toll as they came back with boxes full of the water bottles they recovered. At mile 20 we turn back onto Highway 125 and have another climb of two miles. The pavement was recently paved which was nice, but again I had to swallow my pride as I allowed many folks to pass me knowing full well I could take them. The top of the hill provided a nice break as it was followed by 2.5 miles of descent where gravity did most of the work. I managed to catch many of the folks that passed my on the climb by soft pedaling and tucking nice and aero on the descent. I came into transition, slipped off my helmet and bike shoes, then slipped on my visor and Pearl Izumi Triathlon running shoes. These shoes have an built in sock liner so you don’t have to waste time in transition putting on socks and shoes separately…more to come on that in a moment. The first half mile was the same as Friday afternoon’s course with a slight uphill taking us to the trailhead. I focused on keeping my pace down around 7:30 as I have a tendency to run to fast off the bike and risk burning out. Once I got to the trail things got interesting. The trail is a fire road that would only be passable via 4WD or ATV. Lots of loose gravel, some bigger rocks, and a bit of washout from the heavy spring rains. The trail is essentially uphill for the first 2.5 miles, at times with steep hills with a total elevation gain of 300 feet. The last mile is all downhill, dropping 150 feet to the turnaround at mile 3.25. There were aid stations after mile 1, 2, and at the turnaround. I took water at each, taking a quick swig and dumping the rest on my head to stay cool. Around mile 3 I could feel small pebbles and sand in my shoe. There are drainage holes on the soles, so they had worked themselves into the shoes and were staring to irritate my big toe on my left foot. It wasn’t painful so I kept running as I normally would. After the turnaround we had to climb up the hill again for about a mile and then the rest of the run was mostly downhill. You’d have to try hard not to negative split this course. I was already seeing some walking on the course, especially the big hills. I knew things would get ugly in the next two races. I stuck to my plan and ended up running a 7:18 pace for the 6.55 miles. After the race I grabbed some food, took a soak in the 55 degree waters of the creek to rest my legs and keep them ready for the afternoon. Chatted it up with others in the creek for a while before packing up and riding up to the lodge. Got back around noon and laid in bed for 90 minutes or so relaxing and staying off my feet.
Race #2 by the numbers:
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|
Distance |
Time |
Pace |
Comments |
|
Swim |
1500 meters |
20:11 |
1:21/100M |
|
|
T1 (Swim to Bike) |
- |
1:08 |
|
|
|
Bike |
40K / 24.9 miles |
1:21:35 |
18.3 MPH |
Max speed 44.5 MPH 1,500ft of climbing |
|
T2 (Bike to Run) |
- |
1:01 |
|
|
|
Run |
6.55 miles |
47:46 |
7:18/mile |
|
|
Total |
32.3 miles |
2:31:43 |
|
86th out of 347 |
Race #3 – Olympic Distance – Saturday 3:00PM.
I headed back to the transition area around 2 to prepare for the afternoon race. I had everything set up by 2:15 and socialized with the other racers until the pre race brief. By 2:30 it was downright hot….mid 80s with direct sunlight so I made sure to put on enough sunscreen. Race #3 is a bit unique as they switch the bike and swim legs, so the bike was first. All morning we heard about the importance of proper hydration as to not cramp up during the swim so I paid special attention to take in the right amounts of water and electrolytes. The bike start was a time trial start just like the previous swims, so we went off in groups of two. Getting bikes out is more logistically challenging than swim starts, so it took a bit longer but just a few minutes. The afternoon bike course was an out and back….12.5 miles west on Highway 125 then turn around. The first ~4 miles were the same as the last 4 miles from the morning course, but in reverse, so we had a slight climb followed by a nice long downhill. I’m certain I passed more people on that downhill than had passed me cumulative to that point. I could smell the burning carbon brake pads on the way down, but the adrenaline junkie in me couldn’t force myself to use the brakes unless there was a turn approaching. Going 45MPH on a bike with the drone of aero wheels is nothing short of exhilarating. There was another short climb at mile 5, but from mile 7-10 we lost 500 feet of elevation for a long, fast, and low power descent. During this ride I noticed tons of insects flying around. Given all the rainy Spring this was the first dry period for most of the hatch to emerge and it was apparent. In addition to Heed, Perpeteum, and Endurolytes I added butterfly and bee to my nutrition plan. I had to wing it as I wasn’t sure how many calories were in a Monarch butterfly. A 3 oz butterfly hitting a carbon aero helmet at 40 MPH sounds more like a 50MM gun firing and at times it sounded like I was under attack. I also got a bee down my jersey on one descent and didn’t realize it until I felt a stinging and realized it was a bee, fortunately I’m not allergic. Mile 10 to the turnaround was relatively flat and it just seemed like my speed was not bleeding off. I was maintaining a solid 25-27MPH while pushing only 205 watts. I suspected it was an illusion and we were actually on a slight decline as it didn’t add up. I was tucked in my aero position chugging along passing one rider after another. I made it to the turnaround and kept pushing around 205 watts, but noticed the speed wasn’t there. I then figured out it wasn’t the terrain helping me; rather it was a consistent breeze from the east that wasn’t noticeable in the valley. As I returned to the bottom of the first hill I again shifted down into my low gear and cranked up the hill as consistently as possible. Again, it wasn’t possible to climb at my target power given the grade but I managed to keep it as low as possible. Had to swallow my pride again and get passed (and chicked) a few times. Amanda passed me mid-hill and we chatted for a bit before she left me in her dust…she had her climbing legs with her for sure. The rest of the bike was the same…get passed on the climbs, make it up on the downhills. As I came into transition it was an interesting scene. For anyone that hasn’t worn a wetsuit before, it’s not the easiest thing to put on. Try to do it after sweating it out on a hot bike course and it’s even more difficult. There were volunteers helping out and I managed to get mine on relatively quickly. I saw Amanda still working with hers as I ran to the lake so I was able to get un-chicked. Running 200 yards in a full wetsuit when you are already hot from a bike isn’t a feeling I was used to so I looked forward to the lake which had warmed up to 59 degrees by then. As I dove in the water felt great…very refreshing. I was careful to stay hydrated on the and basically swam without any kicking to keep my legs safe from cramping. The swim course was the same as the morning, and went well. The sun was high enough in the sky that sighting buoys was easy. Since the bike leg was first everything was spread out enough that I barely made contact with anyone on the first lap. I rounded the final buoy and headed to the beach to start my second lap. As I felt my arms start to touch bottom I went to stand up and run out of the water when it hit….massive cramps on the inside of both my thighs (which I later learned were my adductors). Not uncomfortable cramps, but fall to the ground cramps. I squatted in the water to try and work them out, getting enough relief to at least walk around the flags and begin my second lap. Once I got back into the water and got the weight off my legs it was more comfortable. I spent the second lap with the occasional breast stroke kick to try and work out the cramps. They were feeling better but I knew they weren’t right. As I came around the final buoy on the second lap I knew I’d have to spend some time on them in transition. I walked to transition to get ready for the run, hoping I wouldn’t have to walk the next 6.5 miles. After getting my wetsuit off I sat down and stretched my legs while putting on my regular running shoes with socks. With the irritation from the morning run I knew I’d need to have another layer of protection for my skin otherwise I’d be sure to get blisters. I started out the run gingerly and apparently the adductors aren’t used much in running, and I really didn’t feel the effect of the cramps at all. I was able to kick it in to my target pace by mile 2 and kept going. I’d take a cup of ice and a cup of water at each aid station. By this time it was hot, and the wooded trail did not allow much air movement. I’d take a sip of water dump the rest on my head, and put some ice in my jersey to stay cool. By this time, the carnage was starting to appear. I saw lots of walking on the course, both on the uphills and even the downhills. After the turnaround at mile 3.5 I passed Amanda going the other way…she was confused as she didn’t see me pass her in transition. She caught up with me around mile 4 and we ran together for about 1.5 miles before she pulled away. While my pace was a bit slower than morning race and my goal, I wasn’t too disappointed as I didn’t know if I’d even be able to run the course when the cramps hit. Three of the four races were complete, but we still were only 50% done by distance.
After the race I had the obligatory creek soak and got a massage on the adductors of which I was in dire need. I feel like I hydrated properly and took in plenty of electrolytes so the cramping may have been caused from never practicing a bike to swim brick workout and compounded by the shock of riding in hot weather then jumping into 59 degree water. I ran into my friend/co-worker/EN teammate Scott Liston after the race and met some of his race buddies as well. Grabbed some post race Sloppy Joe, packed up and headed up the hill to the lodge. After a shower I drove up to the cabins where some of the Cincy Express team was staying. Picked up Sean and his fiancée Molly and we drove into Portsmouth again for some Pizza. We went to a local pizza shop where we and the other athletes really stuck out. They asked us why we were wearing calf socks (compression socks) and why there were numbers painted on our arms. Very good pizza though, and good fuel for the final race tomorrow. Sean was still suffering the cramping effects from losing his hydration on race # 2 in the morning, so we got a big pitcher of water to wash down the pizza. Made it to bed around 10:30.
Race #3 by the numbers:
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Distance |
Time |
Pace |
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Comments
Great job Jeremy! Your statement "the carnage was really starting to appear" is so true. Most of the TTT people looked like they were in serious pain. I think IMAZ is going to be much easier, especially mentally. You just knock the whole thing out in one giant effort instead of having to break it up and wait around all weekend.
Most folks I personally know that have done the TTT did it as a team competition so I think the format (and stress) is a bit different. Although I've never done it, I don't know that there's any way to really compare it to an Ironman- just such a different animal. The recovery between each event is so critical- almost a 5th discipline you have to execute correctly and it sounds like you did just thate. I've done many double race weekends (Half on Sat/Oly on Sun), but 4 in 3 days with the Half being the final race- wow! What a great challenge!
Just curious- what training plan did you follow leading into this race?
Great race report.
Would love to try and do that some time and may try and do the NC one.
@Nemo - on your other question...Based on Rich's input I planned to follow the HIM Advanced plan and work in a couple 'double bike'Saturdays' to prepare. What I ended up doing was pretty much the standard HIM Advanced plan. The weather/rain here along with my kid's sports schedules didn't allow for any meaningful double up days on the bike. Frankly, I'm not sure it would have mattered much one way or the other.