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Ironman 70.3 Boulder (formerly 5430)
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Ironman 70.3 Boulder (formerly 5430) - Triathlon1/2 Ironman
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 Swim
Comments: Swim was mostly uneventful. I had some small navigation issues on the home stretch. I was sighting off what I thought was the swim finish chute but it was something else (a trailer or small building or something). When the buoys were getting further away, I was pretty sure they wouldn't have set them up wrong, so I corrected and just kept better sight of the buoys. The last leg also got really hot in the wet suit. Nothing I couldn't deal with, but I was just glad to get out of the water and get that thing off. What would you do differently?: I need to do some open water swims without a wet suit. In all my races, I've never had the water that warm. I'm sure there are many more to come.  Transition 1
Comments: I was hoping to be closer to a 2 Min T1, but for the most part everything went smooth and quick.  Bike
Comments: Based off of my Boise 70.3, I decided to carry no water or gels/food of any kind except for my SALTED BOILED POTATOES chunks (a discovery I made last year that has been magic for me). With 6 aid stations on a 56 mile course, I knew I would have ample opportunity to get what I needed, and that is exactly how it worked out. I generally enjoyed the bike. The steep decent at St Vrain on my second loop was a perfect spot to empty my bladder. Nutrition went as planned. Chunk of potato and sip of H2O every 5 minutes or so at the beginning, moving more to gu's and gatorade toward the end. I came in feeling good. There was little to no wind until I came in after my 2nd loop where it started to pick up, but thankfully I was finished. (Lap 1, 20.74MPH, Lap 2 21.56MPH). What would you do differently?: Well, being that I was 60th in my division, I can tell that this is my weak spot.... sooooooo, more quality time on the bike. Transition 2
Comments: I was hoping for both transitions to be about 3 minutes total, so I was thinking I could do T2 in around 1 minute, but again nothing went wrong... was smooth and fast, just not fast enough.  Run
Comments: As I began the run... my quest for the SUB 5 hr HALF was within reach. The plan was Water, Ice, Orange, then ad coke about 9. I hit the first aid station and there was no oranges. What? Plan change. I started taking coke at mile 2. I did take salt stick along the way as well. Nutrition was great in-spite of not having oranges. The wind that had started to pick up at the end of the bike was a welcome relief to the unshaded run (although I have heard that runners coming in later ended up with some real wind-issues). I figured I needed a 7:57MM to just eeeek in before the clock. I had to keep my ambition in check as several times I could tell I was just way to fast and was setting myself for a blow-up later on. I kept having to pull back. As it turned out heat and altitude was never an issue for me. I'm not sure if it was those hot/high days of training or just where we live is not a whole lot different than the race. My first lap ended up being an 8:06. The race to this point was going exactly to plan. As I started the 2nd loop, I figured that I needed a 7:50ish for the SUB 5. I felt great. No heat issues, no cramping, no sandal issues (even though I had driven the course Sat. I was still somewhat concerned about the canal rd stretch, because I didn't actually get to see that prior to race day and some guy told me it was crushed gravel - so I wasn't sure what to expect). But I picked up the pace and by mile 11 I was feeling great (My second lap ended up a 7:43 MM). My watch told me the Sub 5 was in the bag. As I hit the final 1/2 mile or so where it turns to pavement, it's a bit of decline, so I opened it up and pushed hard for the finish. I saw Andra and the kids yelling and screaming, right before the last 50 meters of the finish chute. The pain of the day had melted into an emotional high. As I turned into the chute I looked up and the clock read 10 seconds past the 5 hr mark..... Wow, really? I looked at my watch.... I still had more than a minute to spare. I must be seeing it wrong. As I crossed I looked more puzzled than glad to be done. I'm sure the spectators thought I was incoherent from the race. The high, the elation.... left me like a popped balloon. My eyes kept darting back from my watch to the official timer. I knew I had missed it, but I wanted to check the posted results anyway. Yep, they confirmed what I had feared. I was stuck with a 5:00:14. It was the perfect day for me. Everything went right, but that 14 seconds was a heart-breaker...... Andra just kept telling me that she was rounding down and she would tell everyone I did it in 5 hours..... that was sweet, but anyone who has been in this position knows why it just doesn't work that way. What would you do differently?: I'm still not sure why my watch was different, but for my next race, I'm going to plan on a 4:50 in hopes of breaking the 5:00. Maybe I neeed a new watch (Garmin 310XT). I don't know. Post race
Warm down: I went to the res. with Andra and the girls and just sat in the water.... now it was feeling refreshingly cool....... and thought about the whole day. It was over. I was glad, but I already missed not having that goal out there... All sorts of feeling and emotions running through my head..... and oh, I missed it by 14 seconds :) Last updated: 2010-12-23 12:00 AM
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{postbutton}
 2011-08-11 7:21 PM |
Regular  112  Logan, Utah |  Subject: Ironman 70.3 Boulder (formerly 5430) |
| 2011-08-12 8:47 AM in reply to: #3640179 |
Veteran 165 Parker, CO | Subject: RE: Ironman 70.3 Boulder (formerly 5430) Nice Race! Was that you running in the Huarache sandals? You were moving! I think I spoke with you a bit after the race. I thought I went under 5, but completely forgot that I turned my Garmin off and on to reset the HR sensor...DOH! |
| 2011-08-12 4:06 PM in reply to: #3640179 |
Veteran 290 | Subject: RE: Ironman 70.3 Boulder (formerly 5430) really great race. nothing like reading someone's account of beating my 13.1pr after a 2k swim and a 56 mile bike ride. It is funny missing a goal, even by seconds is universal. Even if my HIM goal is 630 and your is 4:59. thx for sharing. i wonder, if i read enough race reports, will i get faster? |
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United States
85F / 29C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 184/1315
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 35/172
The goal.... SUB 5 hr. I'd heard it's HOT and High (elevation). I've spent the last 2 months since Boise 70.3 training under the hot afternoon sun. I went up to Bear Lake to get some altitude training. I can't decide if it helped or not, as I spent several days after those hard days with a broken down body.
My TAPER plan went to hell because of some work-related issues and so my last day of training was Tuesday... 4 days leading up to the race with not so much as a brisk walk. Not that I wanted anything hard, but it would have been nice to spin the wheels abit.
We rolled into Denver Friday (8hr drive), where my home-base would be a friends condo in downtown. I did get a hotel in Boulder, about 4 miles from the venue, for Saturday night, so Andra wouldn't have to get up at some ungodly hour Sunday morning to take me to Boulder.
I spent most of the day Saturday at the reservoir. Just kinda drinkin in the whole atmoshere. And speaking of drinking, I was hydrating heavy, as Saturday at check-in was hot and windy. I had really been quite relaxed up until that point. I kept telling myself, "this is a late afternoon wind and heat, and I'll be done by this time tomorrow (a prediction that I nailed on the head by the way)".
Andra took the kids back to the hotel and I went and drove the course. Some rollers but nothing I don't see everyday training in N. Utah. I did want to check out the run course, as I read it was a gravel road with a about a 2 mile canal road. Since I converted to running in sandals last year I have done many trail runs, but never in a race. Once I was able to check it out I realized it would be no problem... maybe even a relief from the asphalt.
Getting the hotel we did, turned out even better than I had hoped. Sunday morning, after a 2 bagels w/pb, some chocolate milk and granola bars, I was able to coast down on my bike almost the entire four miles to the transition (although that same hill would be part of the climb-out as we started our 56 mile bike). In the process I passed a line of cars waiting to get into the park, many of whom ended up with only minutes to get parked, get in, get marked, get set up and out to the water.
Once I got into transition I was very calm, going about my business of set up. I've gotten transition down to just two or three steps.
Now the decision..... Wet suit or no wet suit. The water was around 76 and we were told the cut-off was 76.1..... wet-suits would be legal. Ultimately I decided to wear it, only because, I've been told not to do anything new on race-day.
I went out into the water about 20 min before my heat start. I was putting in my earplugs and one dropped into the murky Boulder Reservoir and was gone forever. I panicked.... I swam a sprint once without earplugs and I ended up coming out of the water dizzy, and with a head-ache from hell..... I ran back to the transition for another one but it was closed - The official told me no one was allowed back in. I begged and pleaded with him... he grabbed a volunteer and sent her to escort me to my bike and back. Whew.... catastophe averted. I was able to get back to the swim area and swim around a bit and generally just get my nerves back in check.