Pocono 70.3 (or 69.1 … or 67.1 … or something like that) RR
Pocono 70.3 - ish
October 2, 2011
Paul Takac
This certainly turned out to be an interesting and challenging race but I have to say that in the end it was very enjoyable. Not only did I do well, considering my previous results and inconsistent preparation, I also learned a lot.
I arrived in Stroudsburg Friday to find that, due to high water and strong currents, the swim was officially cancelled and we'd start time-trial fashion from T1. [When I saw the Delaware River for myself on Saturday I immediately understood why: they would have had to rig a net downstream to catch folks before they headed out to sea. Wow!]
Given no swim, I asked for advice and Coach P really came through. He suggested a 15-20 easy warmup run near T1 and a start at .75 IF for the first 20 min before dialing up to my original target watts. Then after about 30 miles I could adjust upward depending on how the day was going. The ultimate goal of course was to save enough to hit target pace of just under 7:50 min/mile for the run. [I'm not doing his advice justice here so I highly recommend checking them out in the Power and Pace forum before your next "unplanned duathlon" ]
So after listening to thunder and pounding rain all night long, I get to T1 Sunday morning, set up and do my easy 15 min warm up. Did I mention that it was 46 degrees? Despite the fears and pre-race whining of some folks over at ST, I thought the time trial start went very smoothly and briskly. Best of all, we got lucky and didn't get rained on during the race, although it poured both before and after.
The bike course was modified somewhat due to localized flooding and so ended up being a bit short (WTC claims 55 miles, my PT says 54). In any case, this was an extremely difficult course. I certainly don't have the same experience as many here on the EN team but to me this was seriously demanding, both physically and mentally. The climbs and downhills - not to mention the twists and turns - were continuous and came in all shapes and sizes. I doubt that I stayed in the same gear for more than 30 seconds the entire day; that is except for several steep climbs where I just locked onto my easiest gear and focused on keeping my watts as low as possible. On those sections, in order to simply keep moving forward and not fall over I had to push *much* higher watts than I wanted to. [I use a compact crank and 12-27 cassette and even that wasn't nearly enough.] I can't tell you the number of people I saw walking their bikes up the bigger hills, not to mention standing up and hammering away. Then you'd crest the hill and very quickly accelerate downhill before the next uphill a short distance away. My top speed was 38 mph and the WKO+ plots look like seismographs. It was a day of constant gear adjustments, maneuvering to avoid cracked, uneven pavement and debris (including some running water), and precautionary braking to keep from shooting off into trees or rocks or worse. Not to mention bunching as a result of the TT start. In short, it was fun but rather taxing and I found it difficult to maintain any kind of rhythm.
My original target was 200 watts (IF .81) and a TSS of about 180. That was based on my last reliable FTP test of 247 in early August, which in hindsight is probably a bit low. In race rehearsal this resulted in times between 2:45 and 2:50 on a route here in central PA that offers significant elevation change but much less topographic relief. The Poconos bike course pretty much blew up these plans as I could rarely bracket - much less dial in - my target watts. In fact it was difficult to even consistently look down at my LYC. Overall, I ended up finishing the 54 miles in 2:53 with an NP of 213, avg. cadence of 88, and (despite my best efforts) an abysmal VI of 1.15. The calculated IF was .86 and resulting TSS of 217. However, I believe my actual FTP is probably about 10 watts higher which yields an IF of .83 and TSS of 200. Given my run results I think the latter may be more accurate.
So I arrive in T2 happy to have A) remained vertical and 
not been beaned by a falling walnut … although there were close calls on both counts.
[Botanical side note: black walnut fruits, which resemble heavy green tennis balls, fall in abundance this time of year and strike pavement with a resounding and unsettling thud. However I believe it's like thunder and lightning: if you heard it, it already missed you.]
[Zoological side note: Magali Tisseyre, the women's winner, reportedly saw a bear on the bike course. I saw squirrels. Lots and lots of squirrels … one of which had a black walnut fruit in it's mouth.]
I started the run feeling good. Unfortunately my Garmin wasn't, so I had to rely on just RPE and the mile markers. Did I mention there were hills on the out-and-back run course too? Total net gain is about 165 feet but it's a steady, gradual uphill out of town (miles 1 to 4); the reverse slope back into town covers miles 9-12. In between are rolling hills with some steeper sections. My official measured splits were
1:02:49 for the first 6.55 miles (9:35 pace, which is a bit slower than my EP of 9:17) and
51:27 for the second half (7:51 pace, which is pretty close to my goal MP of 7:47).
Yessirreee… an 11 minute negative split! That is if the timing mat distance was correctly placed.
After several resuscitation attempts, the Garmin finally kicked on for no logical reason at about mile 7. From there, I recorded the last 6 miles between 8:40 and 7:40 - with the fastest mile being my last. My goal was to leave nothing at all on the course and so I picked up the pace with about two miles to go. At a little over 1 km to go, I pulled alongside a guy who obviously did NOT want to be passed. So we ran side by side in silence (very hard!) and pushed each other right through the final turn and onto the Main Street straightaway to the finish line . We sprinted stride for stride for at least 100 meters with what seemed like deafening cheers on either side. [Whether or not "sprinting" and "deafening" as used here resemble in any way their common definitions remains an open question.]
With about 25 meters to go, we finally spoke and agreed to just go ahead and cross the finish line together. It ended up being very cool. We congratulated and thanked each other for that final push to really drain the tank. But I still had the presence of mind to flash the EN "gang sign" as I crossed… I hope the photos caught that.
I was spent.
I finished in 4:52:47 which was good for my best placing ever! #30 in the 45-49 AG (out of 132 starters) and 370 overall (out of 1885, although I'm not sure that many actually started). Top 25% baby! Even though I may have overcooked it a bit on the bike, I'm pretty happy with the outcome and was still able to negative split the run and hit my MP goal pace for the final half (again assuming accurate distances). My nutrition, gear, and clothing choices worked great. Best of all, despite missing a lot of workouts and not exactly executing Coach P's bike strategy, I successfully navigated a very challenging day and course. I feel like I learned a lot, gained some needed confidence, and am really looking forward to improvements in the OS and next year at IMLP.
I'm not sure I'd recommend the Pocono 70.3 if it continues to be held in October - the weather is just too unpredictable and cold. However if you want a challenging, technical bike course then this is the race for you. I'm certain that someone with better bike skills than I have could really showcase the EN ninja racing style here. I should also mention that there were some logistical issues with separate transition areas, neither of which were close to the "host" hotel. However, the volunteers were enthusiastic and helpful and the crowd support in town was terrific. Overall, it was a great way to end the 2011 season. I got to enjoy it with the family as well as a few EN teammates. We had a very enjoyable dinner with Christy Beal and her husband on Saturday night and met Scott Feder and Mike Kmiec in T1. It was great to see everyone on course and to cheer each other on.
Sorry for the length folks. I appreciate you reading through to the end and would welcome any and all comments.
See you in the OS!
Comments
It turns out that Magali was at the far end of the Pro bike rack in T1, right near the stage. I was standing nearby for about 15 minutes, waiting to meet some EN folks (I was Race Captain). Let's just say she was very popular and was asked several times to pose for photos. To her credit, she appeared to be totally gracious and friendly throughout. We also passed in the opposite directions on the run (her at about mile 12 and me about mile 2) and she was clearly going strong. It was very nice to see her take the win.
Paul,
Excellent race and result.
Do you put more weight on the negative spilt run on your slower pace due to RPE in the first half of the run? Or could there be a larger gap in your FTP? Perhaps your 9:35's allowed a little recovery from the higher IF and VI?
I just recall Dave Tallo's report from IMWI and his run on RPE guiding him and how he picked it up in the latter stages. I know it's hard to compare HIM to IM but just looking at the pacing strategy and the necessity to ensure your slow down early on in the run.
Your completion of this technical and difficult course will serve you well going in to Lake Placid next year. I know heading home from Wilmington on the 2nd loop you need to have that energy to keep the watts steady.
I'm just trying to get my knee fixed up for the November OS. Enjoy some down time before the pain comes.
Gordon
Great race report Paul, and very good meeting you. I can attest to all of those reading that Paul was indeed booking it those last two miles, as he passed me looking great and maintaining a solid pace.
Paul mentioned Magali Tisseyre, the female winner. I actually had to pleasure of sitting next to her on the bus ride from the host hotel out to T1 on race morning. Couldn't have been nicer and seemed to have a really good head on her shoulders. She noted that even if she thinks that she might win a race, she does not allow herself to think it during the race, and just listens to her body and executes her race plan. As she was telling me that, I had a hunch that she would be the winner.
Also, add to Paul's list of animals on the course a bulldog! it was running along side us bikers at about mile 40 of the bike course. no collar, and going FAST. I dont think I've ever seen a happier dog. I hope that he/she got a Kona slot
I'll post a race report soon. Still need to download my garmin data. It was my first 70.3 and I had a blast!
Your finish is what I always picture on my best of days - actually racing someone full force to the finish line w/a negative split. Congrats!