Austin 70.3 rr#2
My last race rehearsal before my last race of the year is in the bag. There were a couple of curve balls on the bike but I feel pretty good about nutrition and pace and I think that I know why my vi was so high (1.06) and sound be able to fix it.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/232877122
I had to be up at 4 so that I could be out the door by 5 because I had to be back by 9 to have my 6 year old to gymnastics by 10.
How is that for triathlon math?
Had a coffee and a power bar while I loaded up the bike with bottles, gels, lights, gate openers. You name it, I brought it.
At 5am I pushed start on my watch and hit the road. As I got t of my neighborhood I realized that this was my first 5am ride. It was dark dark dark. And my little light was not up to the task.
Then it started raining. Not pouring, just raining. The upshot of this was that for the first 90min I held back. Braked going down hills that I usually keep wats on. I kept hearing myself having to explain that i missed my "a" race because i ate it riding in the rain 2 weeks before the big day...
By the last hour it was getting light out and I was feeling more confident. I was able to up my effort without really thinking about it.
I drank 3.5 bottles of perform and had a power gel every 30min as per the plan that the core diet folks put together for me. Had to pee at 30min, 90min and in transition between bike and run.
I felt great coming off the bike. Best of any rr so far. On a dry day, my watts would have been a little higher in the first hour or so and my time might have been a minute or two faster. Given the situations his morning though I am going to give myself a pass on the vi and the low watts in the first 1/2.
Off the bike I did t2 in the garage. Drank a pickle juice, had my gel, peed AGAIN and trotted off down the street.
I targeted 150bpm with the thought that I would slow up a bit at 155 and lean in a bit below 150. Not much to report on the run. I really did t feel like I was coming off a 3 hr ride at all. Drank every mile or so. Had a gel 30 minutes I and put 6 mi together in 52:30.
This was a really really easy run.given that my last 2 him runs we're 2:11 and 2:14, I was about 1min per mile ahead in terms of pace
Comments
Here is the garmin of the run. I kept going a little after hitting mile 6. There is also a gap at mile 6 where I was asked by a neighbor to help him haul a gas grill out of the bed of his truck...
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/232877138
When it was over, I felt like I had another hour in me. I didn't feel wrecked at all.
I am very optimistic for the 28th. While I have put the work in, I have to say that the change in race nutrition has made a huge difference. My cal per hr are about 400 higher on the bike. It sounded silly when I read the plan but after having practiced it a few times there is no going back as far as I am concerned. I feel much much better. And as a guy with two little ones waiting for me when I get home I have noticed that my mood and ability to be a dad right off the bike has been significantly improved.