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First Race Report IM Gulf Coast 70.3
Lots of Surprises for my first HIM as an EN team member. I entered the week with a lot of confidence from the results I've had in shorter races early in the season.
Went down to PC on Friday midday (only 85 miles) Checked in grabbed some lunch caught the 2:00 participant meeting checked out the expo and went to buy groceries. Notice no time for swimming biking or running. I don't know if this is that important, I've never trained on the day before a race. But next year I think I'll go down on the Thursday before. So on to the race
Awoke at 3:30 began consuming calories. Tried the apple sauce route don't think it was sufficiently calorie dense.
Had a couple of Kind Breakfast bars for 220 cal. A glass of whey protein for 150 cal. And about 250 cal. of applesauce For a grand total of about 620 cal. Drank a water bottle of GatoradeEndurance.
Did my morning bathroom requirements, drank a cup of coffee and headed to transition about 4:30. Enroute, met a couple of people coming the opposite direction who informed me the swim was cancelled, and that the bike would begin at 6:20 (All dressed up and no where to go). I returned to my room removed my wetsuit and other swim gear to lighten the clutter in transition and returned about 5:30.
The bike was started in time trial fashion sending a rider off every 4 seconds or so. Being number 1404 it was 7:43 when I started. I don't know if the huge wait in transition hurt, but I could have used the couple of hours of sleep anyway. But I made some new friends swapped some good stories and enjoyed the event.
Finally started the ride. My goal was 3.5 hours, to keep my hr under 135 and my cadence above 80. I could hear Patrick's voice chanting the mantra "Ride the race you should not the race you could" continually going out. Winds were apex 14 mph from the SSW on a course going North to Northeast out to a turn around and a headwind to cross wind on the return.
After the last turn for the leg at appx 6 miles, I began my pacing. Throughout my hr was 125 to 130 and my cadence was averaging 80 to 81. My speed was averaging over 18 which I knew wouldn't last on the turnaround. I reached the turn at the 28 mile mark at 1:30 averaging apps 18.2 I believe. I was drinking a bottle of gatorade endurance per hour and taking gels every 30 minutes. Because I'm a horrible mouth breather, I keep a shock block in my mouth to keep from drying out. And then the drama begins.
I made the turn felt the wind and stayed tucked accordingly. While my speed dropped, it wasn't a bad as I expect initially because of the trees providing a barrier. I stopped at the 35 mile aid station to pee patting myself on the back that I was doing everything as I was told and was having my best bike split ever. About a mile after the nature break, I was trying to open a packet. My hand slipped of the bag causing me to jerk my arms and thereby my bike since I was in the aerobars. Next thing I know I'm doing a Tour de France looking slide leaving significant parts of my skin on State Road 79. I just laid there for a minute trying to figure out what happened and realized I'm lying in the middle of a four lane highway that was open and full of cars that had been held up from their trip to the beach by a bunch of ass hole bikers. Before becoming road kill I climbed up grabbed my bike and began to inspect the damage on the side of the road. A good bit of blood was running down my leg, but other wise I didn't think I was going to die, although my leg hurt enough to be worthy of amputation. I straightened my seat adjusted my back break that was rubbing and climbed back on the horse. Only real damage to the bike was destruction to my bar tape and some necessary adjustment to my aerobottle.
I worked quite hard on not panicking and reminding myself that I had about 20 miles of bike a 13 miles of run to recover. But I must confess that the fall messed with my head a bit if only the release of adrenaline. So back on I go and am starting to recover nicely when about a mile later I have a flat on my from wheel (probably slowly leaking from the wreck) This time good fortune was on my side as the tech truck was about 100 yards behind me. Before I could get my spare tube from the rear cannister, the guy had the wheel off and the tire changed. It was amazing. So on I go. Still keeping my hr in check but my cadence seem to fall as my leg tightened. I made it back with a 3:34 official time and a 3:17 moving time so a pee a wreck and a flat costs 17 minutes. Not bad I guess to miss my goal only by 4 minutes. On to the run.
My goal was to be under 3 hours. My best 1/2 marathon time is 2:44 and a ran a very hilly 10k portion of an olympic 2 weeks ago in 1:30 so I felt that was doable. My goal was the first mile in 14:00 miles 2 & 3 in 13:30 miles 4-10 in 13:00 and then try to get below 13:00 for the last 5k. My first mile was 13:08 I backed it way down and was pretty much on track with a 13:30 per mile pace through 6 miles. Then the big suck set in and it just got worse and worse and worse. My knee began to hurt presumable from the fall has that side began to tighten up but I managed to forge ahead figuring I would be close to my time anyway, and then cramps set in. Every time I tried to push off my legs would cramp up at about the 10 mile mark. Starting at the 11 mile mark I was reduced to walking for over a mile until I figured out that I could run flat footed with no leg bend and kind of shuffle faster that I was walking.
I finished with 3:28.
I've never had much trouble with cramps. When the were coming on I switched to water and bananas but I knew if I pushed off hard just one time I would have had a cramp that would have ended my race. So I shuffled on looking every bit of my 64 years and pretty damn heroic with blood running down my leg. But I didn't want to look heroic, I wanted to look fast, and I looked anything but.
So after all of that I finished 19/25 in my division, and 1200 something out of 1600 total.
I was 10 minutes officially faster on the bike this year 27 minutes riding time faster. And still about 4 minutes faster on the run.
I had a hell of a time, but I've got to get this run under control before November. Now to try to heal my road rash in this transition week before I get back down to preparing for Augusta and IM Florida in November.
By the way. Regardless of how it sounds I had a hell of a good time. Capped off by a cute little 44 year old lady telling me I sure didn't look my triathlon age. Of course, now that I'm too old to be dangerous.
Went down to PC on Friday midday (only 85 miles) Checked in grabbed some lunch caught the 2:00 participant meeting checked out the expo and went to buy groceries. Notice no time for swimming biking or running. I don't know if this is that important, I've never trained on the day before a race. But next year I think I'll go down on the Thursday before. So on to the race
Awoke at 3:30 began consuming calories. Tried the apple sauce route don't think it was sufficiently calorie dense.
Had a couple of Kind Breakfast bars for 220 cal. A glass of whey protein for 150 cal. And about 250 cal. of applesauce For a grand total of about 620 cal. Drank a water bottle of GatoradeEndurance.
Did my morning bathroom requirements, drank a cup of coffee and headed to transition about 4:30. Enroute, met a couple of people coming the opposite direction who informed me the swim was cancelled, and that the bike would begin at 6:20 (All dressed up and no where to go). I returned to my room removed my wetsuit and other swim gear to lighten the clutter in transition and returned about 5:30.
The bike was started in time trial fashion sending a rider off every 4 seconds or so. Being number 1404 it was 7:43 when I started. I don't know if the huge wait in transition hurt, but I could have used the couple of hours of sleep anyway. But I made some new friends swapped some good stories and enjoyed the event.
Finally started the ride. My goal was 3.5 hours, to keep my hr under 135 and my cadence above 80. I could hear Patrick's voice chanting the mantra "Ride the race you should not the race you could" continually going out. Winds were apex 14 mph from the SSW on a course going North to Northeast out to a turn around and a headwind to cross wind on the return.
After the last turn for the leg at appx 6 miles, I began my pacing. Throughout my hr was 125 to 130 and my cadence was averaging 80 to 81. My speed was averaging over 18 which I knew wouldn't last on the turnaround. I reached the turn at the 28 mile mark at 1:30 averaging apps 18.2 I believe. I was drinking a bottle of gatorade endurance per hour and taking gels every 30 minutes. Because I'm a horrible mouth breather, I keep a shock block in my mouth to keep from drying out. And then the drama begins.
I made the turn felt the wind and stayed tucked accordingly. While my speed dropped, it wasn't a bad as I expect initially because of the trees providing a barrier. I stopped at the 35 mile aid station to pee patting myself on the back that I was doing everything as I was told and was having my best bike split ever. About a mile after the nature break, I was trying to open a packet. My hand slipped of the bag causing me to jerk my arms and thereby my bike since I was in the aerobars. Next thing I know I'm doing a Tour de France looking slide leaving significant parts of my skin on State Road 79. I just laid there for a minute trying to figure out what happened and realized I'm lying in the middle of a four lane highway that was open and full of cars that had been held up from their trip to the beach by a bunch of ass hole bikers. Before becoming road kill I climbed up grabbed my bike and began to inspect the damage on the side of the road. A good bit of blood was running down my leg, but other wise I didn't think I was going to die, although my leg hurt enough to be worthy of amputation. I straightened my seat adjusted my back break that was rubbing and climbed back on the horse. Only real damage to the bike was destruction to my bar tape and some necessary adjustment to my aerobottle.
I worked quite hard on not panicking and reminding myself that I had about 20 miles of bike a 13 miles of run to recover. But I must confess that the fall messed with my head a bit if only the release of adrenaline. So back on I go and am starting to recover nicely when about a mile later I have a flat on my from wheel (probably slowly leaking from the wreck) This time good fortune was on my side as the tech truck was about 100 yards behind me. Before I could get my spare tube from the rear cannister, the guy had the wheel off and the tire changed. It was amazing. So on I go. Still keeping my hr in check but my cadence seem to fall as my leg tightened. I made it back with a 3:34 official time and a 3:17 moving time so a pee a wreck and a flat costs 17 minutes. Not bad I guess to miss my goal only by 4 minutes. On to the run.
My goal was to be under 3 hours. My best 1/2 marathon time is 2:44 and a ran a very hilly 10k portion of an olympic 2 weeks ago in 1:30 so I felt that was doable. My goal was the first mile in 14:00 miles 2 & 3 in 13:30 miles 4-10 in 13:00 and then try to get below 13:00 for the last 5k. My first mile was 13:08 I backed it way down and was pretty much on track with a 13:30 per mile pace through 6 miles. Then the big suck set in and it just got worse and worse and worse. My knee began to hurt presumable from the fall has that side began to tighten up but I managed to forge ahead figuring I would be close to my time anyway, and then cramps set in. Every time I tried to push off my legs would cramp up at about the 10 mile mark. Starting at the 11 mile mark I was reduced to walking for over a mile until I figured out that I could run flat footed with no leg bend and kind of shuffle faster that I was walking.
I finished with 3:28.
I've never had much trouble with cramps. When the were coming on I switched to water and bananas but I knew if I pushed off hard just one time I would have had a cramp that would have ended my race. So I shuffled on looking every bit of my 64 years and pretty damn heroic with blood running down my leg. But I didn't want to look heroic, I wanted to look fast, and I looked anything but.
So after all of that I finished 19/25 in my division, and 1200 something out of 1600 total.
I was 10 minutes officially faster on the bike this year 27 minutes riding time faster. And still about 4 minutes faster on the run.
I had a hell of a time, but I've got to get this run under control before November. Now to try to heal my road rash in this transition week before I get back down to preparing for Augusta and IM Florida in November.
By the way. Regardless of how it sounds I had a hell of a good time. Capped off by a cute little 44 year old lady telling me I sure didn't look my triathlon age. Of course, now that I'm too old to be dangerous.
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