RR - World 70.3 Championship, 14 Nov 2009
Finally, after 5 Half IMs (plus 5 other tri's), my 2009 season is over! This was my first trip to the IM 70.3 Worlds ... a grueling 40 min commute from my house depending on traffic. 
All athlets got block numbers on their arms like the pro's so you did feel special. But they did not mark ages so you had no idea who your comp was...you just had to give it your best shot.
Swim - The weather was cool and windy through Friday, and they made a decision Friday morning to shift the swim from the Gulf (due to residual waves/current from Hurricane Ida) to the intracoastal harbor which had calm water but with a healthy taste of gas/diesel from all the boats. I was in fourth wave: pro-women, then pro-men, F45+, then M50+. The pro's had an in water start (standing about waist deep), but the AG groupers had to Time Trial about every 2 secs AKA Louisville. There just wasn't any spot wide enough for a mass wave. Since the start was shallow, you crossed a mat on the floating dock, got on your butt, jumped in and got going. So I had a clean uncluttered start. About 5 mins in the sun came up and we were heading straight for it...totally blind. I followed the majority of heads I could see. I got socked in the eye once
and had to reset my goggles then back to business. Final swim was 34:15, a new PR excluding swimming with the river like Augusta 70.3.
T1 - uneventful. You had to run up a steep ramp from the bay, and the wetsuit strippers weren't but 10 yards away. Then ran across the street into transition and grabbed my bag while being amazed by several athletes I saw who had run past their bags or taken the wrong one. Yes, they were in full panic mode. Hey, this is the worlds ... grabbing the right bag is critical to a clean transition.
Bike - The wind was very low, supposedly only about 3-6mph out of the north, and the course was mostly all flat except for the first climb at mile 1 (12% grade) over the Clearwater bridge. I took it easy over that, then ejected a water bottle over some RR tracks at about 2.5 miles which cost me about 1 minute to retrieve and get restarted. By 15 miles, the gross draft packs from the younger AGs started flying by. Decision time...you had no chance of placing in your AG w/o cheating and there was a lot of it going on with little enforcement! I let them go but picked up the legal draft enroute to a 2:21:14 bike split on my QR Lucero (23.79 mph).
T2 - Again, uneventful but watched with more amazement at frantic athletes messing up the bag grab. We did not have to rack our own bikes at this one. Hand it off, grab your bag, change in the tent, and a volunteer would put your bike stuff in your bag for you. Head out and hit the run.
Run - Challenging, with four climbs up the Clearwater bridge. Temps were up to mid-70s by now, but it was a dry day, and there were an estimated 10,000 spectators on the course, so lots of MoJo. I made it about 1/2 mile before I had my first hamstring cramp -- typical for me, but fairly mild, then the hammies loosened up and I could go. I averaged 7:24 for 0 - 3.5 miles, then 7:16 for the next 3. I thought I was picking it up, but my avg fell to 7:42 from 6.5 to 10, and to 7:54 from 10-13. I finished in 1:39:13 (7:34 avg).
Add in the transitions and I got a new PR of 4:41:20 which gave me 35th out of 70 finishers in the M50-54. My goal was to be in the top half of my AG so I barely made it...whew!
Now, it's R&R time until 1 Dec, then working in some quality as I prepare to join the Nov OS program. Here's a recap of my Half IMs this year:
Apr - Gator Half - 4:42 (short course...this was a "C" race)
May - IM 70.3 Florida - 5:05
Jun - IM 70.3 Boise - 5:01
Sep - IM 70.3 Augusta - 4:53
Nov - IM 70.3 Worlds - 4:41
All the IM 70.3s were "A" races. Note: much of the improvement was due to losing 10 pounds between 1 July and mid-Oct.
All athlets got block numbers on their arms like the pro's so you did feel special. But they did not mark ages so you had no idea who your comp was...you just had to give it your best shot. Swim - The weather was cool and windy through Friday, and they made a decision Friday morning to shift the swim from the Gulf (due to residual waves/current from Hurricane Ida) to the intracoastal harbor which had calm water but with a healthy taste of gas/diesel from all the boats. I was in fourth wave: pro-women, then pro-men, F45+, then M50+. The pro's had an in water start (standing about waist deep), but the AG groupers had to Time Trial about every 2 secs AKA Louisville. There just wasn't any spot wide enough for a mass wave. Since the start was shallow, you crossed a mat on the floating dock, got on your butt, jumped in and got going. So I had a clean uncluttered start. About 5 mins in the sun came up and we were heading straight for it...totally blind. I followed the majority of heads I could see. I got socked in the eye once
and had to reset my goggles then back to business. Final swim was 34:15, a new PR excluding swimming with the river like Augusta 70.3. T1 - uneventful. You had to run up a steep ramp from the bay, and the wetsuit strippers weren't but 10 yards away. Then ran across the street into transition and grabbed my bag while being amazed by several athletes I saw who had run past their bags or taken the wrong one. Yes, they were in full panic mode. Hey, this is the worlds ... grabbing the right bag is critical to a clean transition.
Bike - The wind was very low, supposedly only about 3-6mph out of the north, and the course was mostly all flat except for the first climb at mile 1 (12% grade) over the Clearwater bridge. I took it easy over that, then ejected a water bottle over some RR tracks at about 2.5 miles which cost me about 1 minute to retrieve and get restarted. By 15 miles, the gross draft packs from the younger AGs started flying by. Decision time...you had no chance of placing in your AG w/o cheating and there was a lot of it going on with little enforcement! I let them go but picked up the legal draft enroute to a 2:21:14 bike split on my QR Lucero (23.79 mph).
T2 - Again, uneventful but watched with more amazement at frantic athletes messing up the bag grab. We did not have to rack our own bikes at this one. Hand it off, grab your bag, change in the tent, and a volunteer would put your bike stuff in your bag for you. Head out and hit the run.
Run - Challenging, with four climbs up the Clearwater bridge. Temps were up to mid-70s by now, but it was a dry day, and there were an estimated 10,000 spectators on the course, so lots of MoJo. I made it about 1/2 mile before I had my first hamstring cramp -- typical for me, but fairly mild, then the hammies loosened up and I could go. I averaged 7:24 for 0 - 3.5 miles, then 7:16 for the next 3. I thought I was picking it up, but my avg fell to 7:42 from 6.5 to 10, and to 7:54 from 10-13. I finished in 1:39:13 (7:34 avg).
Add in the transitions and I got a new PR of 4:41:20 which gave me 35th out of 70 finishers in the M50-54. My goal was to be in the top half of my AG so I barely made it...whew!
Now, it's R&R time until 1 Dec, then working in some quality as I prepare to join the Nov OS program. Here's a recap of my Half IMs this year: Apr - Gator Half - 4:42 (short course...this was a "C" race)
May - IM 70.3 Florida - 5:05
Jun - IM 70.3 Boise - 5:01
Sep - IM 70.3 Augusta - 4:53
Nov - IM 70.3 Worlds - 4:41
All the IM 70.3s were "A" races. Note: much of the improvement was due to losing 10 pounds between 1 July and mid-Oct.
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Comments
Super nice work man! Very impressed and if I could add my two cents, I'd have you hold off a bit longer on the OS until Jan 1...them's a lot of racing!!!
P
Helluva year! Congrats. Great race. World Championships. Nuff said.
Dave
Terrific season Paul and great Worlds. Take in the rest now and enjoy.
Vince
What a great way to wrap up an outstanding season! Big congrats, Paul!
I can't believe 4:41 is only good enough for 35/70! There are some fast 50-54 year olds out there!!
Apparently a lot of cheaters out there too- so sad. I'm very impressed with how all of our ENers handled themselves given the reports we've been hearing about the draft packs. The integrity of this team is just tops!! Thanks to all of you who played fair and represented our team so well.
I wish I would have know you were racing, as Jim Hansen and I met up on Friday and also before and after the race.
You should be very proud of your time and that you raced fair and followed the rules as it was actually challenge not to draft at this race.
Paul,
Great race and it must have been nice to only have to drive to the race. Nice job on top half 4:41 is a smoking time to me.
Gordon
Congratulations on a phenomenal capstone on an already solid season! Enjoy your very well deserved down time!
Rich Miller
Paul,
What a season! A fantastic progression of race times and all in my very own AG, you fast bastard!
Well done.
Paul,
I know this is an old report, but I could not find anything on Boise for race reports and it looks like you did the race a couple of years ago. Can you give me some race color as I am doing it on June 11 this year. Much apppreciated!
Thanks,
JN
Swim - in a reservoir about 7 miles or so out of town. Water was 63...might be cooler for you because it's a week or two sooner this year. In water start in the afternoon so you get to sleep in race morning! One big clockwise swim loop and you run up a boat dock, a little more uphill, then swing downhill into T1. Astroturf or similar was on the asphalt until you got to the bike corral. In 2009 they had a clean transition meaning the only thing allowed to touch the ground was your front wheel. All else on the bike. Had a bag on the bike with helmet, shoes clipped on. Wetsuit, google, cap in the bag and left at T1. They return the bag to the finish for you.
Rolling course, but downright mountainous for me. Bike across the dam...then long steep downhill for a couple miles before you climb out of the canyon. I remember coming up that hill, rain falling on me, and wind in my face; and thinking..."Well, at least I'm not hot!"
Run- two loops up and down both sides of the river. Very flat, then finish right into downtown one block before street is permanently closed for pedestrians.
Stayed at the Hotel 43 while in Boise...a boutigue hotel less than 2 blocks from the finish. Very nice. After the race we traveled across Southern Idaho to take in a number of sights. My wife has wanted to move to Boise ever since. If you have specific questions, let me know.
Paul,
Appreciated. Seems like virtually no one is doing this one. Even outside EN. Its open. I hear you on the gearing - I did Oecenaside with that hill with an 11-25 but a 165 crank. I need a 28.
Thansk,
JN