Pigman 70.3 Race Report
Night before: Not much happening the night before ate a small bag of mustard pretzels and 1 bagel and a powerbar then went to bed around 7:00 pm. Woke up a few times in the night but nothing I couldnt get back to sleep on again quickly.
Race Morning: Woke up at 3:30 am had 1 Bagel and a Powerbar and a Rooster energy drink and a water before the race. Got bike checked in at 6 am and did a practice swim which I really needed because my goggles malfunctioned during the practice swim but I got them fixed.
My wave took off around 8 am and it sure seemed like a long 1.2 miles but I felt good and felt like I was swimming faster than normal so I was very excited to hear my time. Got out of the water and my son yelled 41 minutes I was instantly pissed since I wanted and should of done a 35-36 min swim but for some reason I was all over the place inside outside etc but o well at least thats over now onto the bike. The swim was a PR by 5 minutes
I made sure I used glide on my bike socks since in Kansas this year I got a hell of a blister on my little toe and I thought this may help. Got all my equipment on and headed out on the bike. My goal was to race at 82%-84% of my FTP which was 235 so I was trying to stay around 197-200 watts avg
Headed on the bike which the first part is really fast and then on the back side seemed really hilly steady rollers for several miles. I was hitting right on my mark most of the race and was noticing some pain in my glutes which I have never had before but pushed through it and finished the bike ok. I did 2 bottle of gatorade with 1 1/2 packets of gatorlytes in each bottle and 2 waters. The course was using HEED and for those who have never drank this crap DONT!!! I would rather filter my pee as to drink that crap so I was stuck with water the rest of the way back. My bike was a PR @ 2:43 by 10 minutes
T2: Fairly easy slip my bike items off and on go the shoes and off to the races.
The Run: The hard part of this course is most of your first 3 miles of this race which we are suppose to add 30 seconds is majority downhill so it was very tough holding back but I did a little bit but still went over my pace for the first 3 miles. The next few miles I was maintaining my pace up to mile 10-11 when the big ole hill back to the finish came up, One important thing I forgot to mention is at mile 2 I noticed my little toe acting up as if the hot spot was back and sure enough it was all out blister again I could feel it I was saying now I have 11 miles of pure hell left running a a blistered right foot but did it before can do it again. Back to the hill since my quads were talking to me I decided if I could make it 3/4 up the hill to the 11 mile marker I would walk and shake out my quads to the corner which is another 1/8 of a mile or so then pick it up again and thats what I did. The last 2 miles I ran decent but at a higher pace than planned but ran it on in and finished with another PR of 1 minutes @ 2:02
Summary: I set a new PR for the 70.3 distance @ 5:32
Nutrition was good all day no issues
Need to figure out why I am blistering must be happening on the bike I think I may be curling my toes causing this before the run.
Great race venue and was put on excellent
Overall race review A since I didnt break the 2 hour run mark is why I cant give it a A+
Randy
Comments
Congrats on the PR! It was fun seeing you on the course. I hope you recover well and get back to ironman training.
That HEED really splits people! I've grown to think it's ok, but I hear you on the "different" taste of it.
The back half of Pigman is always the harder part. Terrain, wind, and temp. The run, as you point out is straightforward except when it's really hot...and then that totally exposed run is....really hot. :-)
Anyway, fantastic job!
Thanks you two, Sarah that was a planned food source since I ate a large breakfast and a later than normal subway lunch I just needed something to fill my stomach it actually worked out well. Was not planning on the mustard part but kind of liked it anyways. I am one of those people who only buys what they can eat because I will eat all of a bag so I buy small bags then when its gone its gone. I dont have portion control established.
I really appreciate the encourgement from both of you two awesome athletes I have seen you both in action and both of you rock it.
I on the other hand am a work in progress still but I have made some nice leaps this year on the bike and in swimming. My run is eh at best so so since I hold back due to my achilles issues in 2011 training for the DSM Marathon.
I was actually able finally to bike for 1.5 hours this morning @ around .72IF so I was happy about that. My legs are starting to feel better with all the swimming and whirlpool the last few days. The only questionable item right now is my groin strain and its feeling better but snarls at me once in awhile when I move wrong. I was going to try a 10 m/m easy run for about 30-40 min tomorrow to see how she reacts.
Big training day coming Saturday 6 hours Yikes!!! 1hr swim 4hr bike and 1 hr run should be interesting for sure.
Thanks
I raced at Chisago Half last year the weekend before the EN IMMoo camp and FELT ready to go when we drove out east to Madison. But when I actually got out on the road, I found that my actual and achievable numbers riding that century on Friday were really pathetic. Discouragingly so. At those camps, we ride two century days back to back, and I did too... my power numbers on the second day were even a few watts lower (no surprise), but riding the course smarter, I was a bit faster.
Anyway, if I remember, I was well over an hour slower for the race distance than I was on race day...and while the camp was great fun, I admit I was a little discouraged.
Don't let my discouragement happen to you. Go out on Sat for a long easy ride and totally DO NOT WORRY about what the power numbers are just put a piece of black tape across the computer and ride at what the comfortable power is for that day. You will probably be 80% recovered by then, but that's not the same as 100%. :-)
If you're lucky and still a spring chicken, then pleasantly surprise yourself with how well you do... but I'd go ahead and do the Big Day, but you'll be a lot happier if you know that it probably will still be sub-par statistically. No worries. That's just life for having done so well the weekend before and all will be good shortly!
Be careful with the groin! I was on and off groin injury for 2.5 years because I never fully let it heal. What is your next race? There probably isn't much more endurance you can gain from running, but you could make your issue MUCH worse. Better to go in slightly undertrained then injured!