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Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf
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A very well disciplined pre-race day in the Mary-Land of Dory. Good night's sleep last night, and a leisurely morning getting out of bed. After a bit of breakfast, I headed down to the race start/finish to go for a short run to loosen the legs (good god it's hot and humid - will be dangerous out there for many tomorrow), a quick bike to ensure there are no glitches (had some healthy headwind at times), and to take a brief dip in the river (perfect temp, but with a bit of a chop due to the wind). I've no lofty expectations tomorrow, this is just some training fun to learn and (hopefully) gain confidence. Obviously I will give it a decent effort in the swim and bike, but after that it's (as Kurt said) high fives to the finish line. Thanks for the well wishes and positivity - you all will be with me and in my thoughts as I roll through my day tomorrow. Good night, and I'll see you on the other side.
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Tuesday, June 16th, 2015
Run
Just 4 super-duper-slow laps around the field at high noon while enjoying some U2 tunes done Joshua Tree style. Best two back to back songs on the album: Tripping Through Your Wires (fave!) and One Tree Hill. What started out as a bit of a creaky trot ended up a little less of a creaky trot.
I awoke this morning to some soreness in muscles (and in strange places!) that hadn't been sore in eons.
:eek: I guess 24 to 48 hours after a race is about the right timing for the body to revolt, but overall I cannot complain. I have, however, been devouring anything and everything that resembles food and is not nailed down, with a particular focus on items containing chocolate, specifically Peanut M&Ms and Oreo cookies. Good god, at this rate I'll need a serious intervention by Friday. But this is what tends to happen to me after big-ish races...and I'm not sure if it's phycological or if it's physical. ?? What am I feeding - the mind or the body? Any way, I'll give myself another day or two, then I need to get my sh*t together and get back to healthy and disciplined eating. !!!
Actual run: 2.7 slow, slow, very s-l-o-w recovery field miles at noon
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Swim
Oh, what a lovely little swim this was. The body was feeling better than it was just 6 hours prior, but I kept this easy peasy lemon squeezy to ensure continued recovery. This was a mix of freestyle and breast stroke.
Actual swim: 2,000 yards of evening splashing0 -
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Eagleman 70.3
Cambridge, Maryland
Sunday, June 14th, 2015
Race morning
Up at the gawd-awful time of 3am to be out of the hotel and on my way by 4am to find a parking spot on the street near the race start/finish since there is no designated parking location provided by the organizers. They encourage you to use a shuttle bus that picks up the athletes and their families at a school in the area. The shuttle bus will take you to within a few blocks of the start, and it will pick you back up at the same location after the race (at designated intervals) that afternoon, however, you cannot transport your bike on the bus. So that means you then have to go back and find a spot on the street and retrieve your bike after you've taken the shuttle from the race to the school where your car is parked. And if that isn't idiotic enough, I stayed at the host hotel, and the host hotel offers its own complimentary shuttle to the start, but the shuttle is only one way. wtf??? Yep, that's right - one way. So I asked the poor bellman at the hotel how was I to return to the hotel after completing a 70.3 mile race? His response was that I could either take a cab (that won't accommodate my bike, so I'd still have to go back and find a spot on the street blah, blah, blah), or ride my bike back the hotel. Are you kidding me? The hotel wasn't exactly next door to the race, and I'd have to ride my bike on a busy, non-bike-friendly highway. Any way....up at 3, out of the hotel at 4, and parked 3 blocks from the start at 4:15. All good.
After that, the lead up to the swim start was simple - I got body marked...pumped up my tires...organized my gear to the right of my bike (bike stuff in front, run stuff in behind)...chatted with a few athletes, including a pro I recognized from my tri camp last summer...used the loo at least 6 times...then headed down to the start at 6:30. Pros were starting at 6:40, my wave was starting at 7:12. At 6:50 I took 3 shot bloks with some water. I was ready to go.
Swim
My wave was the 4th wave (after the male and female pros) to go. The waves were supposed to be released every 4 minutes, but someone dropped the ball and the first two waves were released 5 minutes apart. Ugh. The starter realized what had happened and then had to make up the time, so waves 3 and 4 were then scrunched together with only a minute in between....and you can easily guess what happened next - the faster swimmers (hello) in the later wave caught the earlier wave quickly, and while that earlier wave was deeply congested still. Ugh. Without belaboring the point - this swim was total chaos for me from the start. It was crowded, congested, and chaotic. I swam over people, locked arms with strangers, got kicked, got dunked, got dirty looks, and I hated every minute of it. And during periods when I had freed myself of the other swimmers, my sighting was horrendous. For some brilliant reason I decided to use my pool goggles for this swim instead of my usual open water goggles that provide me greater peripheral vision. ??? And the final icing on the swim cake was that with about 300 meters to go, the water became so shallow that most folks stood and walked in. I kept swimming until my hands started to hit the bottom, but there was still a fairly significant slog to go when I had hit that point. I was very glad to have this section of the day behind me. As I exited the water I figured I was either first or second in my division, but I knew I would not be happy with my time based on how long I felt this took me to complete.
T1
Off with the speed suit, on with bike gear...and away I went. I am not known for my transition speed, but for me, this wasn't horrible.
Bike
The first several miles of the bike course were through twisty-turny suburbia, but eventually it led out to the open road where I could relax onto my bars and get into a rhythm. I couldn't for the life of me remember if I was supposed to start drinking right away on the bike, or if I was to wait 15 or so minutes to let the heart rate settle then start drinking. ?? I decided I'd wait, then start sipping. I had my Garmin set to beep every 5 miles, and because I estimated I could comfortably average close to 20 mph on this flat course (unless there was significant wind, then 20 mph was out the window!), my plan was to sip water every time it beeped, and to eat every other time it beeped. Or, in other words, drink every 15 minutes, and eat every 30. For my fluids, I had three bottles with me - one bottle with Tri Berry nuun mixed with a Plus nuun (extra carbs/electrolytes), and two bottles with Wild Berry nuun (w/caffeine) mixed with Plus nuun. And for my food, I had 4 homemade energy bars, 3 units of Clif shot bloks, and three Clif energy gels with me. I sipped as planned (maybe even a bit more frequently due to the heat), and ate pretty much to plan but snuck one extra feeding in. My food went like this: homemade energy bar (good god they are yummy and agree with me!), Clif shot blok, homemade energy bar, Clif shot blok, homemade energy bar, Clif chocolate gel, Clif shot blok. (So, 3 homemade energy bars, 3 units shot bloks, 1 gel) I also grabbed a bottle of cold water at each of the three water stops and took a big sip, poured some on my head and neck, took another big sip, then tossed it away before I exited the litter zone. Even though I didn't feel particularly hot on the bike, I knew the temps were rising and the sun was getting stronger so I had to keep ahead of the heat and keep my body cool.
I felt good on the bike and knew (for me) I was doing a decent job with pacing and effort. I did not wear a heart rate monitor and I did not worry about power or speed (however I did glance at speed from time to time to see if I was near my personal goal of 20mph), but rather this was all about even, sustainable effort for the distance I was going. I was only passed by a handful of women, and I was only passed by one woman in my age group who was moving like a freight train, so that also told me I was putting in a respectable performance. The wind seemed to play ball until the second half of my ride, at which time it made an appearance in the form of a slight head wind, but honestly I can't really complain because the wind in Cambridge has the potential to be so much worse.
As I neared the 56 mile mark, I knew my day was basically done. It was getting ungodly hot, and to be honest with you all, the thought of having to drag myself around the run course for 2 to 3 hours was not quite as appealing as it had been a few hours prior. When I got to the dismount line, I hopped off my bike and jogged it to the rack. I knew I was currently either 2nd or 3rd place in my division, and I had a decision to make - do I stay or do I go?
T2
I sat down and took off my helmet and shoes. There were virtually no bikes around me - most of my age group was still out on the bike course. I sat for a moment to decide what to do. It was hot - really hot - so I was not overjoyed at the conditions I was facing.....but I also knew if I didn't try to complete the race then I'd feel less than what I think I am made of. I had to give it a try. So on with the shoes, on with the belt, on with the sunscreen, on with the hat, and on with the run I went. I glanced at my watch and saw what time it was for the first time since I started the race - 10:40.
Run
Within the first mile of the run I was miserable. I was so damn hot and my legs were not amused that I was asking them to carry me forward. I hated the first mile. But I hate every first mile of a triathlon run. The second mile wasn't much better, but the second mile had something the first mile didn't have - a water/food/ice station. Thank the good lord above! Ice! Water! Ice cold water! And ice cold water soaked sponges!! I think I grabbed a half dozen sponges and tucked them everywhere I could tuck them. And I drank cold water...and cold Gatorade....and ate two orange slices. I lovelovelove orange slices in a race. I walked my way through this aid station, then started trotting again as soon as I passed the last water table and trash can.
That first aid station was definitely a positive for me, and I decided then to start using the aid stations to break up these 13.1 miles into manageable pieces. Worked like a charm! I'd jog along fairly happily in the heat, staying very relaxed and with an even cadence, and then walk through each station (all 10 of them!) eating, drinking, pouring, stuffing sponges, high fiving, and saying "thank you, darlin'" to all the volunteers. I was honestly in a good place. But others were not so lucky. The carnage along the run course was shocking and eye opening. People were vomiting and collapsing before me (literally! nearly got hit with puke splatter as I passed!)....and ambulances were carrying the stricken away with flashing lights to announce the urgency of the situation. It was honestly very hard for me to understand how or why someone could take it to that extreme knowing the conditions of the day. Translation: it was hot - respect the heat and act accordingly. But it was easy for me to say that since I was keeping my run as low stress as possible for my own reasons.
I wasn't passed by a ton of women, but I was passed by enough of them....and I knew I had been passed by at least two women in my division, thus knocking me down to 4th, 5th, or even lower. Since the start of the run, I had been trying to figure out my swim split - that swim really bothered me. My wave took off at 7:12....I knew my bike was a sub 2:50....and I knew I was in T2 at 10:40. I can figure this out, right?? How hard can this be?? Well, apparently it was nearly beyond my ability - I tried to figure it forwards, then backwards. I even tried to input my desired times to see if they were anywhere near the variables I knew. Ugh. I convinced myself my swim was 35 minutes...then I convinced myself it was 45 minutes. Then back to 35. Yeah, it was 35, I told myself. But I just wasn't sure. I just couldn't do it in my head in that heat. The good thing about this was it kept me pretty occupied for nearly the entire run (in between the water stations and collapsing, vomiting peeps).
With less than 2 miles to go, I could hear the crowd and see the finish across the water, and it gave me such a lift. With 1 mile to go, I decided it was safe to up the tempo a little bit and finish this race with a kick. I passed a few fellas on this last lap, and this last mile was actually my fastest of the day. I came into the finishing chute with a big grin on my face and with a huge amount of satisfaction and pride in the knowledge that only 17 weeks prior I had fractured my femur and was unable to run. I also knew as I crossed that finish line that I had a new PB - unbelievable and totally not expected by yours truly. And in my moment of quiet celebration as I flew over that finish line, I was surprised by a friend who grabbed me and gave me a big hug. I had no idea he would be there - he was in the area to attend a wedding so he decided to show up and volunteer at the finish line and surprise me. You gotta love friends like that, really. Best. Finish line. Ever.
Results
Swim - 35:03 (2nd in division/29th in gender/129th overall)
T1 - 2:58
Bike - 2:48:57 (3rd in division/70th in gender/449th overall)
T2 - 3:24
Run - 2:18:37 (5th in division/107th in gender/485th overall)
Quick thoughts
I was honestly shocked I had come in 5th in my division, which, in IronMan, means I podiumed and got a prize. My guess is the field was soft this year. I was also the only one in my age group to hang around for the prize ceremony to pick up the award...which means, if I had hung around another 15 to 30 minutes for the slot allocation for Worlds, I think I probably would have been the highest placed athlete in my division in attendance, and I'm guessing the slot might have been rolled down to me. Maybe. ?? Unfortunately, I didn't have my head screwed on and never gave the roll down a thought and I left too soon. I regret that. I wish I had stayed. Would I have taken that slot had it been offered to me? I guess we'll never know.
As far as what I learned on this day:
I learned that you can be a decent swimmer in the pool but a crap swimmer in OW. I had a look at the pro women's times post race to get some sort of baseline for acceptable non-wetsuit swim times and discovered that I would not have been the last one out of the water with them - second to last, but not last. Plus, they had fresh water to swim in while I had nothing that resembled that. This sort of made me feel better about my time, but then I was reminded by a friend that pros at middle and long distances are sometimes out split by age groupers, so back to feeling like my swim was as ugly as it felt at the time. Obviously I need to work on my OW swimming as it is a different beast than what I am used to.
I also learned that my bike is improving. Slowly, but it is improving. I have a long way to go to be competitive with the pointy end of my division on the bike, but I think I'm a little closer than I was a year ago, and that's progress.
And I learned that my patience and discipline during my months of recovery from the fractured femur has paid off as I was able to run 13.1 miles on asphalt after a 1.2 mile swim and a 56 mile bike with no negative repercussions. My run time was incredibly and deliberately slow, but that was one of the two options I had for this race regarding the run. The other option was a DNF after the bike, and that was hard for me to stomach.
In conclusion, this was a pretty good day for me. I learned a lot and I have a better idea of what I need to work on. There can be great value in racing, and this race was worth every penny I spent. Will I go back to Eagleman next year? That will depend on a few other options I'm considering, but I may be back at some point. 0 -
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That report is so well written. Thank you
Well done on the performance too, you are a tough hoochie
OW swims can be +/- minutes from your pool time. So many other variables. I can only imagine your glee at the first water/ice/succulent orange slice statation!0 -
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Congratulations Dory, that was some race and an unbelievable performance. I'm so glad that your patience and persistence in training paid off. Excellent race report too
Still in awe that you pulled that out of the bag 17 weeks after fracturing your femur, you sure are are the comeback kid I couldn't be happier for you 0 -
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Thank you all for your kind remarks and encouragement.Only question I'd have is carrying the 3 bottles on the bike? What were the aid stations giving out? in the only 70.3 I've done they handed out bottles of water so only needed one bottle and could keep topping up, probably mean carrying a few nuun tablets but might be easier to carry 2 bottles (1 water, 1 nuun). But don't take much notice of that, obviously what you done worked!
So funny you ask this question...and don't laugh, but I actually considered (very, very briefly considered) carrying 5 bottles on the bike since I have that many bottle cages.
I rationalized that the course was flat and the added weight was a non-issue. Plus, somewhere in the back of my pea-brain I swear I remember someone on here (was it Izoard?) arguing that added weight on a bike could make you faster on a flat course. (momentum?) But I knew I would not need 5 bottles (plus the cage holders behind the seat make me nervous to use (see below)), so I killed that silly idea quickly.
But to your question. The aid stations were giving out cold water and cold Gatorade, which would have been fine, but I really love my nuun, and I really think they agree with me. Gatorade tends to make me thirsty. Also, my bike is an XS, so the frame is quite small...and I can only use small water bottles in the cages on the frame - meaning, I can't stash the aid station provided drink in those cages....and I didn't really give enough thought to the idea of refilling my Speedfil bottle quickly before I exited the litter zone. I do, however, have two bottle cages behind my seat that would hold the bigger bottles, but too many times I've seen bottles pop out of them. I'll use them while training, but I try and avoid using them while racing. BUT, you raise a VERY good point as IM Louisville is a fairly hilly course, so weight will be a factor on the bike. I will have to give serious thought and planning, and I may have to proceed the way you subtly suggest above - meaning, only fill and refill my Speedfil with course provided water, and carry my various nuuns with me. Something I will have to practice. 0 -
Wednesday, June 17th, 2015
Rest day....so I wrote my race report.
Thursday, June 18th, 2015
Bike
20 minute warmup, including 5 minutes of single leg spinning
30 x (1 minute race effort, 1 minute easy)
10 minute cool down
My Garmin was dead so I used my pool clock to keep track of time for me. That was fun. And the race effort was to be strong but not all out.
Legs felt pretty good for this, but I could tell they still have a bit of the weekend in them as they didn't feel quite as strong as they should. And because I knew this was sort of a still-in-recovery-phase session, I did something I don't normally do on the bike - I read a book. I had one eye on the pages and one eye on the clock, and somehow I managed to do an extra 10 minutes of 1 min on/off intervals. Oh well. Better that than 10 minutes short! But goes to show you, you cannot multitask and expect to have proper focus. !!!
Actual bike: 100 minutes of I-can't-put-this-book-down spinning on the Cat0 -
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What was the book?
"The Girl on the Train"....finally.I assume this is last year's Tri an Mhí where you only needed one bottle. It might have worked there, but I wouldn't attempt it in the heat DD had to deal with in Maryland. I'm not sure what temperature was on race day, but according to Google it's to hit 31°C today (74°F to you Dory). You need a lot more fluids in conditions like this.
Well done on a great race Dory. Much like the temperature scale, if Americans started using worldwide measurements, it'd be easier appraise your performance, if the paces were given in metric units. But impressive bike time, there were plenty of men half your age who couldn't match it.
If you are asking what temp it was on race day for me, it was 94 degrees, but the weatherman said the real feel was 110. In Celsius, that's a 34 temp and a real feel of 43. Full sun. We were roasting out there. :eek:
(oh, and 31 C is actually 87 F)0 -
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great report, lots of detail, making me re-think my nutrition strategy for my own half- ah sure something to drink and 2/3 gels will be grand.. even allowing for big temperature and even bigger effort differences i may have been under doing it ..
as for the swimming, the pro's have clear open water in front of them ( pretty much ) you hadnt , i dont think you can accurately compare the times at all..
I tried to provide a bit of "useful" information in the report with the hope that someone might benefit from it, including myself with potential feedback from others, so I'm glad that maybe I've got you thinking about your own strategy.
But to expand just a bit more regarding my nutrition on the bike - if I was relying on gels and bloks alone for my nutrition, I probably would have consumed one gel or blok about every 20 minutes instead of taking something in every 30 minutes. The main difference (I believe) being my homemade energy bars - the Dory Bar - that are packed with a bigger punch than the gels and bloks. And FYI, I only consumed one gel on the run - with my slow speed and grabbing water/Gatorade/2 orange slices at every station, I never needed anything more. 0 -
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