Timberman - Half Iron - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I got a good position on the outside (left) at the front, and with the first 100m being real shallow I did dolphin dives (or whatever they're called) to get toward the front. However, the entire swim I kept drifting to the left, so after starting on the left I found myself alone for much of the race. I kept trying to move to the inside but for whatever reason just couldn't get into a good area to draft. Once we turned at the outermost bouy the chop became pretty sever and it was a bit disorienting for a while. I tried to keep myself calm and in a rythym but between the chop, trying to get to the right, and slower swimmers from the earlier waves acting as obstacles it was tough. I thought once we turned to go back to shore we'd get a decent current into the beach but it was actually a left-to-right push so the entire swim seemed like a battle against the water.

Also, my left shoulder was giving me some problems toward the end. After the crash a month ago it's hurt off and on and I haven't really been doing much straight distance swimming so 2K really seemed to bother it a bit. At some point in the near future I'm going to take a few weeks or a month off of swimming, hopefully that'll take care of it.

Get myself into better drafting position, especially early in the swim, and stay there. The effort level was perfect, but my general swim form stagnated after last season so I'll have to put in more of an effort to improve next year.

Good transition, the wetsuit strippers at Timberman are awesome and I saw the first of many cheering sections from my family coming out of the water. I haven't mastered the shoes-on-bike transition yet--that'll be a goal for next year--but I got everything done quickly and without rushing, so I was happy with the way this went.

Shoes on bike, once I figure that out and am comfortable with it.

First shock of the day: my power meter wasn't working! It went out a week ago so I changed the battery, and the only ride since it seemed to work fine but it's just not working any more. So knowing that I just had to go off feel--keep things easy on the uphills and push on the downhills. Having ridden the course a few times I knew what to expect from a pacing standpoint so I was able to monitor my effort that way and feel like I did a great job of not cooking myself at any point.

Because my wave started so late I found myself in the passing lane the entire ride, it actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be and it actually acted as a way to keep my in tune with everything going on around me the entire ride. As the ride went on there were 4-5 guys who yo-yo'd back and forth with me, it was a constant struggle to drop back from the draft zone then make a pass, only to see them re-passing a few minutes later. But as I said, my effort level never wavered and by the end of the ride just one of those guys was up with me and I can only think of three cyclists who outright passed me.

Two other things to mention: it started raining halfway through the ride, and got pretty hard/steady about 35 miles in. There's a BIG descent at about mile 45, and with cars on the road only doing 35, a narrow shoulder and other cyclists laying on the brakes I just had to keep it slow. It was VERY frustrating not being able to coast down the hill, I don't think I hit more than 41 mph on the descent and probably could have had a 22.4-.5 mph average had I just been able to go down the hill without touching the brakes.

Also, I got a penalty! Yellow card, NO idea what it was though. Coming down 11B--which leads onto rt. 11 back into Ellacoya, there are cones to keep cyclists on the right away from traffic. A line of riders formed and I tried to stay to the outside (but still inside the cones), then started passing as soon as the cones disappeared. Just a half mile down the road the race official pulled up and yelled to me that I got a yellow card, and to stop in the penalty tent. Now, that said I DID stop in the penalty tent but all they did was take my name and race number, and I was off after about 20 seconds...not a big holdup at all but I'd still like to know what the penalty was all about. It's frustrating seeing some drafting interspersed along the race course, and having to pull back on a number of occasions to avoid drafting, only to get a penalty in an area where it didn't seem like drafting was at all avoidable. Oh well...

Um...make sure the power meter is working pre-race? I don't think I had much control over that so I guess I wouldn't do anything different. Nutrition was good, pacing was good, I held back on the hills and felt strong the entire bike ride but didn't overcook myself.

I had to stop at the penalty tent (as I mentioned), then jogged to my rack and got moving. I tried drying my feet because they were soaked from the rain, but knew blisters were gonna be an issue no matter what I did. Socks and shoes on, hat on, and I got moving.

I'm going to get a pair of tri-specific shoes for next season so I don't have to worry about socks and have quick-tie laces. The Yankz! I have suck, I don't even use them because they don't work the way I'd like them to. Other than that I was controlled but fast.

The run...oh the run...I'm still not fast, that much is abundantly clear, but I'm getting better and all things considered I'm very happy with the way this went.

I hit a porta-potty just outside transition (30 seconds); fixed a sock 3 miles in (30 seconds); then had SEVERE cramping at mile 11 (1:30). Take that time away and I'd be right at my open half mary time, so this went real well for me.

The first loop I focused on getting in a comfortable rythym, not pushing things, and taking in fluids. I got to the turnaround and a cheering section of about 6 family members were there (AWESOME!!!), giving me a big boost. I felt absolutely fantastic the entire first half, and averaged 7:40's the whole way (minus the two quick stops). I had thoughts of a negative split but that went out the window when I started feeling some cramping around mile 9. After being injured for a few months and only having 7 weeks to work back into running form I don't think my legs were fully ready for the distance (long run of 11 miles before this race). My feet were burning and I could feel blisters popping up all over my feet but I had no problem pushing through all that, it was the cramping that held me back. I took in as much fluid as my body would let me, mixing gatorade, water and cola--sometimes one of each--at every aid station, but the cramps just got worse and worse. Finally at mile 11 my right hamstring completely seized up, brought me to a standstill and made me want to chop off the damn leg to keep going. I couldn't even walk for a short bit so massaged and stretched for a minute; then some real slow walking; then more massaging and I was able to start a slow jog the rest of the way. After that I could feel the cramp but it never took hold again. The last mile was torture but I could hear the announcer and the crowd so I pushed as hard as I could, then rounding the corner I could see the finishing chute. I kept an eye out for my family, saw them and gave 'em a smile and wave, then got the hands up crossing the line for the first HIM finish. The icing on the cake: Chrissie Wellington putting my finishers medal around my neck, I told her I had been looking forward to this moment all day and she gave me a big smile and congratulated me.

Hmmm, tough one. I guess it starts with staying healthy so I can get the proper base miles in for training, that would have made a big difference. I'll have to ask my coach if he thinks the cramping was from nutrition or a lack of run volume/fitness. But other than that I think my pacing was spot on.

I found my family and gave them all high fives (the only one who dared hug my disgusting, smelly, sweaty body was my mother), and sort of incoherently jabbered on about the race and Chrissie and various other non-sensical thoughts I had racing around in my brain--I'm guessing they could tell I was excited but needed some time to get myself together. I left them to stretch, get changed and get my stuff from transition.

Then food, lots of it, and a whole lot of race recapping. The entire family gets real into this type of thing so they were asking all kinds of questions about the race, the course, how I felt, the pros, etc, etc...and I was on such a high I think I did more talking than eating. We sat around for an hour talking about the day and the race, then some fatigue set in, the rain started up, and we all made our way home. I unfortunately didn't see any of the fellow BTers I had met to see how their races had gone (I hope they all went great!)


A few minor tactical issues and some volume issues on the run but outside of that it's just speed at this point. Lots of off-season work, I want to drop alot off this time next year.


I can't possibly say enough about this event. It's a 70.3 Ironman race now but it still feels like EndorFun and Keith and his crew put on a fantastic race. From the expo to the registration to the course itself, the hundreds of volunteers and the amazing pro field, this is without a doubt the best race I've ever been a part of. One gripe: the shuttles back to Gunstock are an absolute disaster, it's just a nightmare. Thankfully I didn't have to deal with that as my father gave me a lift after the race, but seeing how long that line was, people with bikes and gear, with small children, and with rain pouring down, I felt awful. they have to figure something out because it's the last thing that people remeber about the race and it's a HUGE drawback, standing in line for an hour just to get back to your car.

Other than that, this is an amazing race. They have volunteers that just stand on the big climbs and cheer and go nuts the entire way up, that's what they're there for...everything you can think of to make this a great race, they hvae it covered. I'm planning on doing this every year for as long as I do triathlons, just an amazing experience.