IM RI 70.3 Post Mortem...or Tri-age (Sorry Long RR)
I originally started this note as a post-mortem report of painful death I experienced at the hands of the Ironman RI 70.3 course....However having given some time to reflect on the event in the context of my goals and training I am less inclined to consider this a defeat and more inclined to consider it a valuable lesson on my way to Louisville.
To put the race in the proper context, and not the one that I had in my mind going into race day, is to understand that I had many conflicting issues/goals leading into the event. First was the fact that I had done this race last year and had a good outing setting a PR of 5:18 and finishing 10th in my AG. So I had signed up again earlier this year with the intent of using increased fitness and knowledge of the course to take a shot at 5Hrs and Top 3 AG. This was something that was obviously ingrained in the grey matter of my mind...and not easily set aside.
Since registering my training has progressed as hoped and expected until 3 weeks ago when I crashed my bike resulting in a concussion, stitches and a forced 7-9 days of zero training. After 9 days I was able to begin training again but the first few sessions were only inside on the trainer in order to confirm that the concussion had healed. My first ride outside again was 8 days prior to the race. Now it is a fact that the 7-9 day layoff would not have had a significant detraining impact...so I was not worried about losing overall fitness. But; I had lost significant time/volume training toward my IM Louisville training goals so I set about to address this issue.
In discussion with my coaches with a view toward Louisville I chose to do a 5 day Big Volume Bump/Push. This entailed primarily heavy/over the top bike volume with some running and swimming. The coached okayed me keeping the RI race in the schedule but to do it for fun only. My volume totaled roughly 300miles of biking between Saturday and the Wednesday prior to the race including 2 x100 milers on Sunday and Tuesday with a hard 13mile run sandwiched in between...I took Thursday off, ran a bit on Friday...Saturday off...and planned to race on Sunday.
Mentally I felt fresh...so I planned my pacing as if I had trained specifically for the race...I clearly was still fatigued physcially...as I would learn painfully as the race progressed. It didn't help that the temps soared into the low 90's on the highly unshaded run course....
So let me describe the race itself.
The Swim: Non Wet Suit...Generally a smooth ride; however I tended to swim this course erratically...sighting was difficult down a long stretch facing directly into the rising sun; a few occassions I found myself "drafting" slower swimmers for too long rather than passing aggressively...net result was a 42min. swim...about 1-2 min. slower than I expected but I felt fine....I was 23/65 in AG out of the water...T1 was smooth but slow as RI has gone to a "clean" transition policy...everything has to be in a bag, on your bike and not on the ground...and you have to put your swim stuff in the bag for pickup.
The Bike: This is a tough rolling, hilly course with about 4000 feet of elevation gaining...right from the start I just felt flat...lungs a-ok...but legs felt like dough..no snap...okay to ride steady...but not snappy...so I rode steady...I was going along pretty well until about mile 44 on the course...I wasn't paying enough attention...riders had strung out...and I saw "the next guy" up ahead of me about 50-75 yards...and I put my head down and was spinning along...I thought I noticed some red arrows on the road but I didn't see a turn or anyone standing at the turn...then about half mile down the road as I'm closing on the bike ahead...he turns off on a road with no arrows or anything...I slow down and look at him kinda like 'whadday doin?" and realize he's just some cyclist out for a ride...WTF...next a van pulls up and says.."you missed the turn!" ..what? how far back...oh less than a mile...great!...I turn and burn back up to the corner and get back onto the course FCK!. The next section is some nice down hills but all through chopped up raods and alot of 90 degree turns so you can't let the speed go...anyway...I finish off the bike into T2 in a disappointing time of 2:59 (19.1 avg. mph/VI 1.08/Pnorm 178/IF73.6 - acutally not too bad)...but am now 19/65 in AG..
I hop off the bike...and I actually feel pretty good (this is key to the post-mortem)....hot, thirsty, but okay....In retrospect I did not drink (or eat) enough on the bike....so the next mistake I made was zipping out of T2 too fast...My original goal was to avg. 7:30..which I should have adjusted down but did not...and at least my first mile should have been around 8:00 pace but I head out at 7:35 pace..
The Run: There is no water in the transition area so I zip out down the road hoping to get to the first water station as quick as possible...the first mile is quick downhill then flat....when I get to the first water stop I'm burnin up..so I committ to walk through and get water, ice, sponge...because I know there is a killer hill in mile 2....I reach the hill and struggle really struggle up the climb...legs are dead...I get to the top and walk through water station 2...but these are planned 30 step walk and hydration...not ideal for HIM but I haven't lost it yet...I struggle through the next mile and back down the hill were I am able to maintain a slower than planned but steady running through miles 4-5-6-7 (with water walks- I'm acutally running 7:45-7:57 when I'm running)...as I come back around to the hill again...and begin the ascent...I just implode...the ascent and and return (miles 7.5-9.5) are a "walking dead" scneario (11min/mi)...I am drinking everything at the aid stations, water, cola, perform, ice...and it takes 3 aid stations before my bod says I can run steadily again...I then finish off the run in a crushing 1:59 to cross the line in 5:45...not my worst ever HIM...but one of my worst race executions since starting triathlons...it was akin to hitting the wall at 21-22miles in the marathon...and essentially that is what happened...I was physically drained from the weeks heavy volume and I tried to execute the race as though I was fully rested and recovered and with no adjustment for the heat....I paid for arrogance and a lack of respect for the distance/effort...I also learned valuable lession(s) about rest, recovery, and hydration/nutrition. I definitely should have consumed twice the volume of fluids on the bike I consumed 3 bottles total and I should have consumed 2/hr (6) and 200-300 cal/hr of nutrition I took in 400 total.....
Fun? Always! Disappointing? Yes despite Coach P reminding me "you can't have your cake and eat it too" (ie. you can't do you big volume push and a big race effort at the same time) ...it's difficult to be in a "race" and not expect or want to do better than your previous times.
Additional Learnings: I don't think that I used my bike gears effectively...dropped into small chain ring only once...which probably was a reason my VI was close to 1.1...need to work on this smooth hill riding.
Generally I don't think this was a case of a "Good Bike" followed by a "Bad Run" due to overcooking the bike...I think my bike was Ok under the conditions/circumstance but just overall fatique going into the race, heat, and nutition/hydration led me into a brick wall on the run...
FYI Bike Data:
(30 min. intervals)
0-30 pnorm 185 VI 1.04 Speed 18.7
30-1hr pnorm 189 VI 1.07 Speed 19
1-1:30 pnorm 176 VI 1.06 Speed 19.2
1:30-2 pnorm 176 VI 1.10 Speed 19.2
2-2:30 pnorm 175 VI 1.09 Speed 18.5
2:30 -finish pnorm 168 VI 1.12 Speed 20.4 (net downhill)
(1 hour intevals)
0-1hr avg. power 178/pnorm 189 VI 1.06 speed 19
1-2 avg. power 162/pnorm 175 VI 1.09 speed 19.2
2-finish avg. power 156/pnorm 171 VI 1.10 speed 19.5
I know this was long...but hope it was worth reading...it certainly is important for me to write these down and reflect on the effort. Cheers and keep Working!
Comments
Heres hoping the extra work,a nd the race effort pay off in LVille