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SilverMan - Long Course World Championship - TriathlonLong Course


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Henderson, Nevada
United States
40F / 4C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 50m 53s
Overall Rank = 327/778
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 48/75
Swim
  • 00m
  • 4374 yards
  • / 100 yards
Comments:

Cancelled
Transition 1
  • 00m
Bike
  • 4h 10m 9s
  • 74.56 miles
  • 17.88 mile/hr
Comments:

Ugh.
Transition 2
  • 05m
Comments:

Time is guesstimated. I had no chip for the bike. I stupidly left it in my hotel room in the midst of the confusion of the cancelled swim. I announced my number and missing chip at each bike mat/turnaround and somehow that message got relayed back to T2 and they gave me a chip for the run. Kudos to the race organization for that move. Very impressive.
Run
  • 2h 35m 44s
  • 18.64 miles
  • 08m 21s  min/mile
Comments:

Double-ugh.
Post race
Event comments:

I've waited several days to type this 'report', such as it is, because I needed to gain some perspective on what was, in the end, a pretty disappointing performance. Plus, I was too busy winning money off of tourists at poker and then spending it in expensive restaurants. (Yes, I was a tourist too; I just happen to know how to play...)

So, the morning got off to a poor start when they cancelled the swim. Apparently, triathletes have to be protected from themselves because they are too stupid to wear warm clothes on the bike after a cold swim. Whatever.

So we did a time trial start, and I felt OK for about 45 minutes, though even then was getting passed pretty regularly. Things deteriorated quickly after that. I just did not have enough bike fitness to handle this very very difficult course. There was no hiding from this course. There was no taking it easy to save yourself for the run. You can't really take it 'easy' up 2-mile long 8% grade hills, not to mention the 15-20% grades of the three sisters, short as they may be. You had to have real, solid, bike fitness for this race. I did not. I actually felt like I was keeping my power reasonable, but I just did not have enough long rides in my legs to handle this course or to sustain even IM-type power for 4 hours.

I went off on the run without much confidence, but ran OK for the first 4-5 miles or so, clocking around 7:15/mile despite the long trudge uphill. (I had once hoped to run more like 7:00/mile in this race, but those happy, optimistic, days were a distant memory after that bike ride.) Then two USA guys passed me going just a tad quicker than I was and said 'come on Dickson, stay with us'. It was a nice thought, and maybe I even toyed with the idea of doing it, and maybe I flinched just a little, but regardless, my time to cramp was near and if anything I just hurried it along at that moment and pulled up with a horrendous cramp in my left hamstring, followed by my right calf. I was able to work them out and after a few false starts began running again, albeit much more slowly. I walked the next aid station and soon after I started running again I literally cramped from my neck down to my ankles. I thought my race was over at that point. I have never felt anything like that, like I had lost control of my body and someone was was grabbing my muscles and pulling them this way and that. I sat down by sort of collapsing onto the curb and just endured it until the cramps subsided. They were the sort of cramps where the muscle gets rock hard; I can recall having them in my calves, left hamstring, right quad, and the left side of my neck. I must have looked pretty contorted.

After what seemed like an eternity but was probably just around 90 seconds it all subsided and I tried to stand up and cramped again. I was able to stay standing though, and after another seeming eternity I was able to walk to the next aid station.

I've never tried Coke in a race, and I don't drink it as a rule, but at this point I was willing to try anything, so bring on the Coke. I drank some and (probably coincidentally) felt a bit better. I started running again (OK, I'm using the term 'run' loosely, but I was engaged in the running motion..). At the end of the second loop I saw Misty and told her I was cramping badly and would probably be walking it in, but in fact I was able to vaguely run the rest of the way.

It was really pretty depressing -- I have to admit -- to be finishing the race in this way, but I was very very thankful for the people that I knew were watching me, especially my family. Without them, I would have quit. I hate to admit that, but it's true. My only reason for finishing was not to let them down.

After the race, I tried to go to the food tent and eat, but I didn't really feel like eating, and so just sat down. When I stood up, the cramping returned in earnest. Misty went to get the car, and it must have taken me 30 minutes to walk (ever so gingerly...) to the nearest spot where she could pick me up. We went to the hotel, and I went to sleep.

I can fake my way through a lot of races on some measure of natural ability on the bike. Not this one.




Last updated: 2011-04-19 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:00:00 | 4374 yards | / 100yards
Age Group: 0/75
Overall: 0/778
Performance:
Suit:
Course:
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 00:00
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
04:10:09 | 74.56 miles | 17.88 mile/hr
Age Group: 56/75
Overall: 571/778
Performance:
Wind:
Course: Um, hilly.
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 05:00
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
02:35:44 | 18.64 miles | 08m 21s  min/mile
Age Group: 42/75
Overall: 301/778
Performance:
Course: Um, hilly.
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers?
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5]

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2011-11-09 10:14 PM

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Champion
7595
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Columbia, South Carolina
Subject: SilverMan - Long Course World Championship


2011-11-10 5:44 AM
in reply to: #3896699

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Master
3058
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South Alabama
Subject: RE: SilverMan - Long Course World Championship

Michael-tough day.  Way to stick it out.   Get some rest.

Randy

2011-11-10 8:01 AM
in reply to: #3896778

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Extreme Veteran
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In front of computer when typing this.
Subject: RE: SilverMan - Long Course World Championship
Oh man, that sounds like a pretty horrific day! The past month or so has been tough on you with your major sickness and I wonder if you were having some residual effects from that as well. Well, you finished. You stuck with it and did it through really tough conditions. Sorry the race didn't go as planned. Not to sound candid, but "there's always next time"! I know, no real solice in that. Anyway, great job gutting it out. You learn more from those than from races where things go well but it still sucks!
2011-11-11 12:46 PM
in reply to: #3896699

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Master
1411
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Lexington, KY
Subject: RE: SilverMan - Long Course World Championship
I agree with the previous poster.  You were probably far from recovered (let alone peaked) going into this thing.  Kudos for gutting it out in spite of the problems.
2011-11-12 10:18 AM
in reply to: #3896699

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Master
2563
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University Park, MD
Subject: RE: SilverMan - Long Course World Championship
I'm sorry to see that you had a bad day out there last week. I had worried that you had a DNF, as I had been trying the on-line race tracker, and was surprised that you didn't show up there -- the missing chip explains that. Hope that you can bounce back and reap the rewards of all that great run training that you were doing in recent months. 
2011-11-12 11:43 AM
in reply to: #3896699

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Expert
1394
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Wilmington, NC
Subject: RE: SilverMan - Long Course World Championship
Man. Sorry to hear that this was not your day. Hey you won money at poker and ate good food, so the trip was not in vein. You are tough, gutsy and strong so bring on IMoo and maybe that sub 80min half marathon before that.


2011-11-12 5:25 PM
in reply to: #3896699

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Master
2479
2000100100100100252525
Atlanta, Georgia
Gold member
Subject: RE: SilverMan - Long Course World Championship
I've had a couple of days when the only reason I didn't DNF was that my family was watching..

Way to muscle through it and on to the next one..
2011-11-12 7:59 PM
in reply to: #3896699

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Champion
19812
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MA
Subject: RE: SilverMan - Long Course World Championship

I suspect finishing is bittersweet. Your training before getting sick was amazing and  you were on track for a great race. Horrible timing on getting sick for so long.

Cramping sounds miserable...glad you were able to figure out how to continue.

Recover well!

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