LeadmanTri Marquee Epic 125 - Triathlon

What can I say? Since I live in fucking Ajo. There is one public pool that is available from Memorial day to Labor day. My last OWS swim was at SOMA and I had no pool time from Labor day last year till about 1 month ago when I figured out that there where stationary cords that I could buy and use to do stationary swimming in a friends hotel pool. My swimming practice consisted of nothing except dryland cords and stationary bullshit swimming.

I did a 32 minute swim at SOMA with a sleevelss wetsuit, and I didn't expect to come in at peak swim performance, but I had bought the full wetsuit about 1 month ago and had never used it before. I also preprogrammed my mind that this would be a 2.5km swim exactly and that I would be in the 39 to 40 minute range. I have decent swim form when rehearsed and can swim in a 50m LCM pool at cruise at 1:40/100, so I expected to be around 1:35/100 during this swim with the suit.

I got into lake with our wave, settled at the front line and waited for the gun... and that's where it got ugly. After just a few 100 meters I was gasping for air... the sensation of having a tight HR monitor around my chest and a tight, brand new Desoto trisuit and a tight, brand new suit; left me with the feeling that my chest couldn't expand to let in air. I had to stop and settle, but my nerves, and enxiety that my swim was fucked led to a little bit of panic... as I watched everyone going by. I got down to swimming again and the same thing... over and over for the first leg out. I would stop, doggy paddle side swim, back stroke... all in an effort to have air, but move forward.

Another thing that screwed up my senses was the wetsuit... I swim by feel, I feel the pressure in my hands or arms and legs, this fucking suit made me feel nothing, I was completely numb, like Pink Floyd, my mechanics were shot, my swim stroke pacing was shot... I struggled for the entire swim. There was a few moments on the back leg were maybe things were recovering, but that lasted about 50m each time, then struggling again... it was an aweful experience, and makes me question the value of a full suit... I may just stick with the sleevelss since I have feeling with my catch and pull.

So when I got done, I wasn't tired... just tired of struggling and just wanted to get on the bike and move on... I looked at my watch and thought that I was 7.5 minutes off of my goal time, of course not realizing that the swim was 230 meters longer.

This swim has made me question my fitness, put a bad taste in my mouth for full suits.

I can't do much at the moment until Memorial day, but it seems that I would need some time in the pool with a full suit to get comfortable in it, or just not use one at all. Otherwise, I know that I am a 30 to 32 min. HIM swimmer, and with more practice this summer, could work down to a sub 30 min... assuming a true 2km course.

After I had gotten out of the water... I ran up to the strippers, we struggled with the suit, it was glued to my skin, furthermore, I had to take off my watch and ankle thing, then she finally got it off, put my watch and ankle thing back on.

And, dang, this transition are is big and long... I finally got to my bike with a light jog, threw my suit on the fence, put on the helmet glasses, and put my cliff bars and gels in my pockets, wiped my feet of grass, put on my right shoe (as my left was on the pedals), and ran out to the mount area, got on and off I went.

Obviously, I took my time in the regard, but my time is different than event time sine I'm using the autosport on my watch and clicked to transition at the top of the stairs from the water.

Cycling performance is important for me, since it is my favorite of the three, followed by swimming, then running. So, to hit or be close to my goal time means a lot to me.

Well, I again preprogrammed in my mind just under a 68 mile course and planed to be somewhere about 2:55 to 3:00, as breaking 3 hours was important for me. I also wanted to stay about about 80% FTP (250-260w of 325w). I don't pay that much attention to HR, but use it as a backup to watts... I didn't want to spend too much time above 150bpm and no time above 160 bpm. My avg. was 149 bpm.

Lap 1: avg. speed 23.3 / 275w
Lap 2: avg. speed 23 / 256w
Lap 3: avg. speed 22.6 / 240w
Lap 4: avg. speed 22.3 / 235w

I may have went a little too hard on the first lap as I was trying to make up lost swim time, it may have cost me a little on the 4th lap.

I stayed in my zones and the biking went alright, BUT where I had problems was with nutrition. I had two bottles of my calories on my xlab rear carrier, they got ejected at mill avenue during the first lap, so I didn't get in enough fluids off the bat.

I was cruising comfortably, grabbed a gatorade from the first aid station and took a few swigs, then hit another bump and lost my bottle again... then grabbed on college avenue, hit those fucking timing matts off papago hill (what the fuck are those doing there around a fast corner like that?), needless to say this was the pattern the whole way, I never got enough fluids.

I had 2 cliff bars, a gel shot and 3 salt tabs with me, well guess what. On the second lap, grabbing my a bar out of my back pocket and I hit a bump, the bar flew out of my hand, unbelievable!!! I went for the second bar, Then a little later, I went for the salt tabs in the little packet, they flew out of my hand too.

I had another SNAFU on the bike, at mile 43 on the 3rd lap... I hit a bump and then heard hissing, I thought, NOOOOO!!! not a blown tube... I stopped and got off the bike and felt the tires (full of air), looked at the bike, it was a gel wrapper caugth in between the frame and rear tire... PHEW!!! I lost a minute of time with this.

There was on the last lap about miles , that my HR dropped and I was struggling to keep it higher, further, I began to feel nauseous, slight headache, and fluids didn't settle well. I got up on the hoods for bit, to get "air", slowed down a little to get resettled... felt a little better, then went on, it happened again a little bit later. Dehydration was catching up on me...

Needless to say, I was way behind on hydration and nutrition and it probably bit my in the ass at the end of the 3rd lap and on the 4th... definately, bit me in the ass for the run. I was in total reactive mode instead of proactive for most of this race.

On a bike race that I'm suppose to consume about 80oz of fluids, I got probably about 1/2 that amount. I was in deficit.

Either, not bike on any of Redrock's courses, or buy those expensive Xlab cages, and/or figure out a new hydration/nutrition combo.

Despite these issues on the bike, at least, I stayed in the zone.

I was suprised that my back (usually it locks up), held up well... I got off the bike and was able to jog through the T area.

Again, I took my time, putting on socks, tossing my gear, putting on my number, taking in some fluids.

???

I started with a jog and worked down my pace along the concrete path, after the first mile I was going at my goal pace of 7:00 min/mi. Then, whammo... the mountain... it all fell apart... what I discovered was that I couldn't keep my HR up, or if I did, say above 150, I would feel nauseous and get headaces or feel like I was having a heart attack, tingling in my left arm... so everytime that it got a above that point, I walked to get in back down to the low 140's, the flats were ok, some walking on the canal, eventhough my legs were holding up, I just couldn't... I had thoughts of having a heart attack and not seeing my family again... so I struggled in run/walk... run for a quarter of a mile, walk... repeat... My only savior was the end as we went downhill and I got some speed again...

I was alright on the flats and concrete, but I have never, ever done trail running, esp. not after 68 miles of biking and dehydrated... it sucked.

See above above for cycling

I crossed the finish line, but there was no joy, I was cursing at myself... I grabbed some oranges, water, cookies, and walked around disappointed.


My nutrition / hydration plan went to crap.


The volunteers were great!!! let me say this first, THANK YOU!!!

OVerall, I have a bad taste in my mouth for the Leadman Tempe experience, the biking course was a complete failure, if this event continues at Tempe, they better change the course... I'm certainly not going to do it next year. The rest was fine.

There was a little bit of a cluster fuck on Saturday with the Collegate Nationals, but I'm not going to fault Redrock for that.

I had high expectations and goals for this event... I wanted to be around a 4:35 to 4:40, but anyways...

This event has demoralized me, I dropped it down my pants... and makes me question my ability to even go to St. George and vie for a Vegas slot. I know that I have it in me, but this has blown a big hole in my confidence.