Nutmeg State Half Iron Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Washington, Connecticut
United States
EndureItMultisports
65F / 18C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 34m 21s
Overall Rank = 16/168
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 3/27
Pre-race routine:

Got up at 4:20. Ate Clif bar, banana, drank Ensure. One last gear check and headed to the race venue. We were supposed to park in a grassy field away from the race site and walk our bikes in. It turned out to be a mile away! When I realized this I said, "Screw it" and drove to the race site to drop off my bike and gear.
Got everything set up in transition and headed to the swim start for body marking and get my timing chip.
Event warmup:

Walking a mile from the parking area to transition. I'm so glad I didn't "play by the rules" because it was scary to have bikes whizzing downhill past me in the dark. Didn't want to be one of them.
Got in a short swim and shivered, as the race start was postponed about 15 min.
The trepidation I harbored about this race must have been quite evident because, as I was wading into the water, a girl says to me, "You look so scared. Don't worry, you can do it." I was so ready for an aquathlon today.
Swim
  • 34m 17s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 37s / 100 yards
Comments:

Great swim for me. My best HIM swim, yet. Eagleman was ~32 min, but we got help from the tide. Starting out, my right goggle lense leaked something fierce. I had to stop 4-5 times to dump out the water. Fortunately, for some reason unknown to me, it stopped leaking. After that I really was in a good groove. Sighting and navigation was good - always seemed to be headed towards a buoy. Interestingly, there was very little bumping/contact. Because of that I was paranoid about veering off course, but I'd check to find myself in a pocket of clean water in the middle of the pack. Water temps were about ideal. Felt strong strong for the entire swim. I was able to change speeds and swim around people when needed. Very psyched about this effort. Of course, I think I was just glad not to be grinding up a mountainside on the bike yet.
My time out of the water was 33:50, as I took my wetsuit off on the beach before I crossed the timing mat. So 27 sec to strip and run up the starirs and around the Wash. Depot Swim Club building. Not bad.
What would you do differently?:

Choose a pair of goggles that didn't leak. 92/168 isn't great, but 20 places higher was only one minute faster, and 40 places higher was 2:50 faster. So my placement was a bit misleading in that I wasn't that far off the top 25%. Very happy with this effort.
Transition 1
  • 02m 46s
Comments:

The swim start/finish was about a quarter mile from the TA. A gravel road led from one to the other, but there was carpet laid along the road. Unfortunately, there were some big gaps in the carpet sections where I had to tread gingerly. Then gravel between TA and the mount line.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. Considering the circumstances, a pretty decent transition. I didn't loose any real time to my competition
Bike
  • 3h 18m 29s
  • 57.29 miles
  • 17.32 mile/hr
Comments:

What a brutal bike course! We started uphill and the first major climb was within the first 5 miles. When my first split came up, I was averaging 15mph. I knew I was in for a long day. There was one section of rollers that I actually enjoyed - I could let it rip downhill because I knew there was an uphill to follow and I could maintain some momentum to the crest of the next hill. But mostly, the hills just seemed relentless. I don't think I've ever used my 39x23 combo before, but today I spent more time in that gearing than in any other. If I had a 25 or 27 I would have used them. There were four major (steep) climbs where I chose to "tack" up the hill to reduce the angle of the grade. On the first climb, I had my doubts that I would get up the hill until I adopted that strategy. Miles 10-15 illustrated the opposite effect of the hills, where I averaged almost 26mph. But, for me, the downhills were not reward for agony of the uphills. They were white knuckle rides down bumpy roads, where I was often scrubbing my speed to at least feel like I was in control. Oftentimes there was a turn at the bottom of a hill. The steepest descent (on both loops) had a turn > 90 degrees, which, of course, then went uphill. Knowing this turn was ahead, I was squeezing my brakes for all they were worth.
Not a lot of passing one way or another. Small race and the riders seeded themselves pretty quickly. I did get passed by a guy in my AG around mile 15. He blew by me going uphill. I caught him after we crested the hill and commented that this long downhill stretch was why I brought my disc. "See you at the next hill", I said. About a minute later he whizzes by me again. Gulp. That was a big piece of humble pie.
The hills were obviously a physical challenge - max HR was greater on the bike than the run, and my back was aching starting around mile 20. But the mental challenge was every bit as great. Going downhill at close to 40mph, how much faith do I have in my ability and my equipment? How much should I fear the unforseen (chestnuts, wet leaves, cars, etc...)? The constant climbing brought in many doubts. At one point I actually thought of giving up, just going in (I've got the t-shirt), but then I thought about the disappointment there would be in the Z5 fan club (which in all likelihood would be disbanded). Honor prevailed. But, how hard do I push? I stopped caring about my time. "Just get done" "Save your legs for the run". Several times I'd be on a (relatively) flat section where I'd just keep spinning in 39x21 instead of bumping up the gearing to gain speed. I found out what a "false" uphill or downhill was. There were many times that I'd finish a climb, then couldn't generate any speed and it still felt difficult in the 39 ring. Still headed uphill. At some point on the back half of the course, I summoned up a little bit of pride. "If all I want to do is 'just survive' than I can't expect to achieve anything better". So, I started pushing harder on the rollers, deciding between 39x23 or 39x21 - every little bit counts. It was so difficult to tell how I was doing because it seemed like I was going sooo slow and I often lost sight of other riders. It was truly a time trial. This also made it hard to keep pushing and to maintain focus.
We finished up with a big downhill and I was so looking forward to running a half marathon. It seemed like such a relatively easy task at this point.
What would you do differently?:

Do more homework and avoid races where most of the road names have reference to elevation changes - Ore Hill Rd, Geer Mountain Rd, Kent Hollow Rd, for example. Maybe get a cassette with a 25 or... uh no, I'm just doing flatter races.
Spend some time riding the Himalayas.
Transition 2
  • 02m 12s
Comments:

Everything went well. 20yds between bike dismount and TA - 20yds of gravel road. Ouch.
What would you do differently?:

Can't think of anything. Didn't lose any ground here.
Run
  • 1h 36m 37s
  • 13.28 miles
  • 07m 17s  min/mile
Comments:

After the bike I felt like I had been whipped. I had been chewed up and spit out. But, there weren't a whole lot of bikes in TA. Hunh. How many 40's can there be in the 20 or so bikes that arrived before me?
Started off at an uncomfortable but manageable pace. Caught my 2nd split at 7:18. I'll take it. The quad cramps that usually have plagued me in my prior HIMs never showed up. I guessed that I didn't have enough muscle tissue left to cramp.
It was hard to keep my head in the game during the first few miles. The bike, at times, stopped feeling like a race, so the sense of urgency wasn't always there. I also committed a cardinal sin by thinking about how many miles I had left to run. The task at hand just seemed alot bigger. Just before the first loop in the cul-de-sac, I noticed the guy in the blue orca trisuit that passed me on the bike. He wasn't that far ahead, and I figured that he must be pretty close to the top of the 40's based on his bike split. At every turnaround I was getting closer. Coming up to the half way point, I heard footsteps and glanced over my shoulder. Uh oh, this guy doesn't look very young. Sure enough he was 43. We exchanged a (very) few words of encouragement. He sounded like Ernie Els, so I guessed he was South African. We ran side by side for quite a while and I was a step ahead at the halfway turn. Without thinking, I was motivating myself by waving my arm in a circle over my head "Half way home, let's roll!", but it ellicited cheers from the crowd. That got me pumped up and I ran a little bit stronger for a while. I slowed down to take a gel at an aid station and the South African guy pulled ahead. I tried to surge and catch up, but just couldn't muster the effort. He got about 50 yds ahead of me and looked pretty strong. Two 40's ahead of me that I know. No way was I placing now. I was passing some 40's but, by now it was confusing and impossible to tell if people were on their 1st or 2nd loop. Was I catching racers tailing off on the run or were they just starting out?
Funny thing on the run: I decided at the last minute to taek a gel at an aid station. So I've got a mouthful of GU and the vol holds out two cups, "Gatorade or water?" "Wuwu" He just looks at me. "Gatorade or water?" I couldn't tell which cup was which, so trying to enunciate a little more clearly, "Wuwu." Finally, I'm able to swallow the Gu and get my water. I smiled, "Can't you understand my accent?" The vols laughed.
At the next to last cul-de-sac turn the guy in the blue orca was right there. "I've got him." Caught him not far out of the cul-de-sac, cool. Got to the last far turnaround and the South African guy waves me on, like "Come and get me". I yelled back to him, "You're just going to have to slow down if you want me to catch up". But ... you know ... I think I'm getting closer. Maybe I was catching him, maybe I wasn't - hard to tell, but I kept pushing the pace. Only 3 miles to go. Last turn in the cul-de-sac, and I'm definitely making ground. Maybe I can out-sprint him at the finish. I surge to get in place for such a run, but instead of settling in on his heels I over-take him at mile 12. He looks over at me, "You go on, I've got nothing left." I said some encouragement to him and started pushing a little harder. I ran scared. I just knew he was back there and it was going to get ugly and painful at the end. But with a quarter mile to go, I look over my shoulder and he was way back. The wheels had come off his bus.
The TA was in sight and I start looking for the "Finish" banner. A volunteer along the side of the TA was yelling for me to run towards her. "All the way around transition, and down to the swim start." You have got to be kidding me!!! That was unwelcome news. Fortunately I was in a gap between runners so I kind of coasted in. Nobody to catch, nobody to catch me. A battle between a couple people could have gotten ugly with the limited space in that stretch. I was so happy to be finished.
After the finish, I looked around, and there weren't a whole lot of athletes mulling around. Maybe?

What would you do differently?:

Hard to say. Not a great run, timewise, but good placement. Not sure what to expect after a bike leg like that.
Post race
Warm down:

Ate a banana, drank some water. Chatted with some other athletes. Enjoyed the view of lake Waramaug on a gorgeous first day of fall. At this point I could appreciate it.
Walked the mile back uphill to my truck. Tried to run, but it wasn't happening. At my truck, I drank my Endurox - the elixir of life.


What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of training on hills and extra flab I had to haul over those mountains.

Event comments:

When results were posted I couldn't believe that I had placed so high. It was a small race, but there were some serious athletes participating. Lots of IM t-shirts in the crowd. Not many people looked like first timers to half iron distance. I was happy that I kept pushing the run and didn't sucumb to discomfort and complacency. I was 20 sec behind the #2 in my AG and closing. Goes to show that it is a start to finish effort.
Ten days before the race, I did a 60/17 brick. I'm sure, at the time, it raised a few eyebrows, but I firmly believe that to prepare your body to race for 5.5 hrs it needs to experience something close to it. I feel like the big bricks during this training cycle paid off as I ran the last mile in under 7:00. I hadn't been able to pull off a sub 7:00 in any of my races this year, Oly or HIM, and today I did it after racing over hilly terrain for almost 5.5hrs.

This race had the vibe of a local sprint. Registration was in a HS gym. TA was puny in comparison to the CTA races I've done this year. Volunteers were spread pretty thin. It would have been very easy to cheat by cutting between roads or ignoring the next to last turn out of the cul-de-sac on the run. I'd like to think everybody played by the rules.
This race needs to work out some kinks. Looking at the maps of the area, the steeper hills could have been avoided. It would still have been quite a challenge. One of the bike aid stations (hit it 2x) was right before a hill and one was on a turn!!! The bike course was 57.3mi - wouldn't have minded 1.3mi less climbing. The run course was 13.3mi. Not a big deal, but it wasn't explained where the finish actually was. No trophies, just more sponsor freebies.
The course and setting were beautiful. The trees had a hint of color to them. The freshwater marshes had more color. The vistas were awesome, looking at the mountains and down on the lakes. Very bucolic.
I'm not doing this race again. I'm not sure that I'm glad I did it this time. No offense to the race organizers, but this style of course was not fun. Perhaps it would have been better if it was a larger race, but that would also have made it more dangerous. Too many times I was by myself on the bike and grinding up a hill at <10mph doesn't feel like racing anymore. I'm probably as puzzled by the outcome as I am proud.




Last updated: 2007-07-30 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:34:17 | 2112 yards | 01m 37s / 100yards
Age Group: 14/27
Overall: 92/168
Performance: Good
Suit: ProMotion sleeveless
Course: Rectangle. Counter-clockwise.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 72F / 22C Current: Low
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:46
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
03:18:29 | 57.29 miles | 17.32 mile/hr
Age Group: 5/27
Overall: 29/168
Performance:
Five mile splits: Best-11:37 (25.8mph) Worst-22:02 (13.6mph) HR: 118-145
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: Two loop course. Big loop through the Berkshires. Smaller second loop on many of the same roads as the first. Very, very hilly.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Below average
Race pace: Too hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:12
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:36:37 | 13.28 miles | 07m 17s  min/mile
Age Group: 2/27
Overall: 11/168
Performance: Good
Miles 1-6: 7:18-7:37 HR=144-149. Miles 7-12: 7:12-7:37 HR=153-155. Mile 13: 6:57 HR=160! Negative split.
Course: Two loops with a cul-de-sac on the way out and back (4x). They said it was a flat course. Well, relatively speaking. These folks need to come down to the ES to find out what flat really looks like.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers?
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3