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ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo - Aquabike


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Cambridge, Maryland
United States
Columbia Triathlon Association
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 6h 49m 30s
Overall Rank = 9/54
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 1/6
Pre-race routine:

I drove from work on Friday afternoon with my bike and gear and stayed in Cambridge overnight. Got everything settled in with the race packet and bike racking and realised it was windy as hell - enough so that spray was hitting me from the waves (of the Choptank River mind you) crashing on the rocks. We're talking more than Eagleman from last year ..... joy. And I had a full disc on the back and deep section wheel on the front.
Event warmup:

Sat around after dropping my bike special needs and gear bags as needed at the high school and getting a ride over to the Hyatt. We started in the water there, swam to the bike transition, then got our special needs bag (if we needed it) and finished at the high school. Kind of weird having three different coordination spots.

I talked to a few people including the BT crew. Joked with Scott about the disc and that he would be crushing me in the water. After getting the suit on I saw that Shelly had a string on her suit at her ankle and since she was just doing the swim I told her I would be hanging on to that string so she could pull me through the swim (darn fish .... I can never keep up with them!
Swim
  • 1h 34m 13s
  • 4224 yards
  • 02m 14s / 100 yards
Comments:

Super windy, super choppy, tough swim. I think all the times were down. Only one person broke an hour I think for the entire field (a bit over 300 with the full irondistance people, the aqua velo and the swim only group.

I had what I thought was a decent swim at least through the first 2/3rds, then I started getting whoozy and stomach issues from constantly rocking up and down. Sighting is still an issue and I weaved more than I would like. I ended up breast stroking most towards the end because of gagging a few times. But I did the majority of it freestyle even with the serious conditions. Considering how disastrous my last swim was in the Choptank when it was rough, 100th place out of the guys out of about 152 male swimmers wasn't bad.
What would you do differently?:

Work on navigating the waves a bit better. Try to not drink the entire Choptank and get a stomach ache and gag/hurl a few times. I actually think I handled the swim pretty well overall even though it was slow. Knowing that this is my major weakness I think I did alright and didn't let things get out of control or overwhelm me.
Transition 1
  • 05m 9s
Comments:

We had a changing tent, which was a first for me. Someone helped unzip my suit which was nice since we didn't actually have strippers here (meaning wetsuit strippers of course ..... sick minded people ...). Got my bike gear bag, found a spot in the tent and got changed pretty quickly. Put my shoes on there since it was a relatively small transition and it would be a long day in the saddle. No gloves, no socks (they would have been soaked anyways since the pavement was puddled in the tent). Took a Gatorade swig and took off.
What would you do differently?:

Not much, this one went pretty smoothly and I was really in no hurry. This was a training race afterall. I just wanted to make sure I had everything I needed set right.
Bike
  • 5h 10m 9s
  • 112 miles
  • 21.67 mile/hr
Comments:

Bike was really windy, but I just tucked in and went. First 56 I was in the 2:28 range and throughout the whole thing I was never passed - at least on the ride portion. You see ....... because I suck in the water I was not up with the rest of the faster guys/gals and as I started my second lap I passed a few more people (they were in special needs and I didn't use that today). After that I didn't see another person for over a 1/2 hour ........ not a single rider. Finally caught someone and passed him. Then I passed someone who was still on their first loop (ouch!!), after that back to no man's land.

I pass this deputy helping to protect traffic and had seen on and off smoke from what looked like a fire. About 2 miles later I see 2 dudes with numbers riding the OTHER WAY and chatting. I'm like "wtf?" Then I catch another lapped guy and he said "They are saying we have to turn around." Huh??? So after about 3-1/2 miles or so from when we passed the deputy I see this bus stopped and the driver talking to the deputy at this station. He waves me around and says I have to go back and follow directions for the deputy back there. So I turn around and ride (back into a headwind) and ride the 3-1/2 back to the deputy. I'm starting to wonder how they will make up the mileage difference. Then I see the thing that totally pisses me off ........... the deputy is waving the people on the course to the road on the left .........

I just @&%#ing had to ride 7 miles more than everyone behind me!!!!!! I just lost close to 20 minutes!! Unreal ....... At that point I had an average on my computer of 22.7 mph and I just sat up and said that was it, I'm done. 20 minutes worth of people just passed me and at close to 100 miles into the ride it just isn't worth it on a training ride. So I small chainringed it and cruised on in the last 15 miles or so. Ended up that the detour shorted the course right around ...... 7 miles. So I did actually get to ride the whole distance (according to my computer - I got a magnet to work from Radio Shack on the disc). Ride time because of sitting up was in the 5:10 range. Not what I wanted, but I was on pace to be under 5 if the stupid huge brush-fire hadn't started!

The swim/bike fasties (Joel included in that) had to ride THROUGH the fire zone and people were saying it was about 100 meters of thick smoke where they couldn't see anything at all and breathing was hot smoke in the lungs. Super dangerous, lucky no one got hurt!

The redeeming thing is that even after riding the extra mileage I still won my AG and I did the ride 20 minutes faster than the next person in the AG who DIDN'T have to ride as far as me ..... ;-P (Not counting the overall aquavelo winner who was in my AG, did the full 112 also and beat me by 15 minutes on the bike - closer to what I would have been if I hadn't cruised in).
What would you do differently?:

Drink more. I started out well with about two bottles an hour, but that really faded out at the end. total was only about 8 - 20 oz. bottles and should be more in the 10 - 12 range. I also really need to incorporate solid food. My legs weren't super wiped at the end, but my energy level was wayyyyyyy low. Not a great thing when I'll have a marathon to run afterwards in a month!
Post race
Warm down:

Got a massage, ate some food, chatted with Joel and some of the other competitors and packed up the stuff to go home.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My swim definitely. If I had come out of the water even remotely close to the front group I would have been the same pace or faster than most of them and may have moved up more. Oh well, shoulda coulda woulda, didn't.

Event comments:

Great race with this being the 4th Columbia Tri. Assoc. event I will have participated in. This was much more low key and relaxed compared to all the others, but just as well run and organized and supported. I think it gave me some good insight into what I can expect at Florida and really did instill some confidence in being able to swim the distance considering how tought this swim was!




Last updated: 2007-08-30 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:34:13 | 4224 yards | 02m 14s / 100yards
Age Group: 3/6
Overall: 100/54
Performance: Average
Checked my HRM later and it said I stayed in the 150's for HR, which seems to be pretty good considering the chop and ability level required of the swim.
Suit: Desoto T1 Black Pearl
Course: Point to point from Hyatt resort to Great Marsh Park
Start type: Wade Plus: Shot
Water temp: 74F / 23C Current: High
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Average
Breathing: Average Drafting: Below average
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 05:09
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
05:10:09 | 112 miles | 21.67 mile/hr
Age Group: 1/6
Overall: 6/54
Performance: Good
Stayed somewhere in the upper 150's for HR. Thought it would be higher with the effort of fighting the wind. But I was also getting over a tough cold so that could have kept the HR lower than normal.
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course: Out away from Cambridge, out and back along one road and then two approx. 48 mile loops ending at the High School.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence: 100
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2007-10-04 3:56 PM

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Cycling Guru
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Fulton, MD
Subject: ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo


2007-10-04 4:22 PM
in reply to: #992242

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Extreme Veteran
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Greenwood, SC
Subject: RE: ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo
What a great idea for an IM warm-up so to speak. I think this is an even better thing to do than a half-ironman really. Sounds like you did great! Your swim was solid, and you are just awesome on the bike. You are going to do well in Florida.
2007-10-04 4:35 PM
in reply to: #992242

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Pro
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Reston
Subject: RE: ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo

Nice work on Saturday.  It's tough luck about the bike (I guess that's the price you pay for being fast )  I'm glad you were around for me to sight off of during the swim.  It was, in fact, brutal out there. 

I have a feeling you are going to kill it at Florida. 

2007-10-05 12:53 PM
in reply to: #992242

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Melon Presser
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Subject: RE: ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo
Super job, Rick! I know you struggle with the swim, so actually the time's pretty impressive what with the conditions. What a freaky course rerouting with the fire! Anyhow--your bike win was very well deserved, and appreciate the comments/reflection/advice about drinking more, what to to differently, etc. Good luck in your last month of training!!!
2007-10-05 12:54 PM
in reply to: #992242

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Champion
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Fountain Hills, AZ
Subject: RE: ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo
Great job, Rick. A perfect tune up for IMFL!
2007-10-05 1:53 PM
in reply to: #992242

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Pro
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Vestavia Hills
Subject: RE: ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo

Even with the added mileage and spinning the final 15, you had a more than decent average - particularly with a disc on the back.

Nutrition is going to make or break the day in November.  Still trying to figure that part out.



2007-10-05 5:36 PM
in reply to: #992242

Subject: ...
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2007-10-05 7:46 PM
in reply to: #992242

Expert
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Springfield, MO
Subject: RE: ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo
Good Job! and nice RR.
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