In keeping with the length of this race, I will make this a relatively short report.
This was my second pro race ever, and my first short course pro race. Coming into this race, I had a several goals:
- Not be last out of the water;
- Not be the last male pro - ideally mid-pack;
- Beat all the ladies; and
- Have a solid intensity workout in preparation for IMC - four weeks away.
Most of the above goals depended on forces outside of my control and I knew that is a dangerous way to set goals. Still, that was the list.
Pre-Race
No taper for this one as it came at the end of my final build block for IMC, I did take two rest days this week in preparation and backed off a little during Friday's swim session. Sort of a "C" race, mini taper. I had an epic day on Wednesday, but felt recovered and ready to go.
Swim
The swim was relatively uneventful except for the fact that I was dropped BIG TIME!!! Ended up doing a 1500m solo time trial (TT). Some folks said that they thought the swim was long but frankly, based on my 21:45 - I would say that it was bang on. My time will appear longer on the results - this is the time to the beach, not the timing mat.
T1
I have a lot of work to do on my swim to bike transitions. Had the normal lightheadedness when I stood up out of the water, and my TNO pals were all lining the swim exit cheering me on (thanks everyone). Stopped for a wetsuit strip on the grass as the lightheadedness continued to build. Standard operating procedure. Jogged over to the entry to T1, across the mat, and over to my bike. Surprisingly, there were still a lot of bikes on the racks - that cheered me up significantly. (Goal #1, tick). Shoes on and head out on the bike.
Across the timing mat, clip in and head off...
Damn, I forgot my shades. Oh well, I can ride without them. Gee, it sure feels cool on this ride. SHIT! No helmet. Spin around, look over just as two officials are booking me. Well, I was in no danger of winning any prize money so I guess this is now officially a training race (as I write this I am neither penalized nor DQ'd, but give it a little time).
T1 was about 2:45! I assume that this will get better with practice. It can't get any worse, my IM transitions are shorter.
Bike
Bike felt very slow for the first five miles, and the impending DQ was a little depressing for me. Still, I settled and was able to get to work. Made my way towards Olde Stage Hill, passed a few ladies but no sign of any men, they were way gone. I had this great race strategy for Olde Stage - immediately chucked it straight out the window. Hit the hill with everything that I had straight off the bat. Too bad I was racing without my HRM because I am certain that I set a new max HR for the bike. For the first half of the hill, people were cheering... "you're storming, keep hammering, go for it" Around the middle they were saying, "hang in there, keep working". As I neared the top, quads gone, tongue hanging out, two duathletes blowing by - they were silent and left me alone with my suffering. The best part of Olde Stage Hill is that it is short, so even if you self-destruct, you are done fairly quickly. Before I knew it, I was flying down the backside.
Whoops! My calves have been simultaneously stabbed with two hot daggers. Man that hurt. Major cramping and I can't even turn the pedals over. Thank God I am spun out and able to stretch without any speed penalty. Less than 30 seconds I am able to spin again, by the bottom of Olde Stage I can crank again.
The next part of the course is fairly steady and uneventful. You recover and try to push as big a gear as you can manage. More ladies to pass, but still no sign of any guys. Hmmmmm.
On the far of the course a few duathletes catch me, but I am able to push and stay within striking distance. They were actually useful as they helped me keep my pace up. The pace felt hard, but pretty reasonable. It certainly didn't hurt a lot, but was not the most comfortable. I really need my HRM to give me a feel for pacing.
Roll into to transition and manage a very stylish dismount. Even received a few compliments from the crowd on it. Legs feel good.
I am guessing 1:09:31 - not a smoking split, but not a total disaster either.
T2
Now we're talking. Felt less than a minute. Say 00:59.
Run
Time to suffer. I feel like I am running about the same speed as Vineman (guess what, I was! Four seconds per mile faster). It hurts, but I run down most of the duathletes that passed me as well as the women's field.
The run is very flat and the surface is a bit loose in places. Not a fast surface but it's not too hot, and the conditions are kind.
Turns out the duathlon only runs 5K for the second run. Just before the turnaround, Ken Glah runs past me. I am stoked that while I am being destroyed by my competition, somehow I managed to hold him off to the run (did he have a flat?). My illusions are shattered when he turns at the 2.5K mark. Must be his brother! Back to suffering.
Between the two and three mile marks the fastest guys start coming back at me. They are moving well. Doesn't look like I will be reeling any of them in today.
Just before the turnaround, I see the women's leader. A Japanese lady who is in town training for the Olympics. She is flying, but not very far in front of me. Really pushing hard. Going to be tough to catch her!
Make the turnaround and pass the last few ladies, no guys to be seen anywhere (other than one behind me and thankfully he is suffering more than me). Run about a mile and can see the Japanese women's leader off in the distance. She is dropping me and I have no answer. Her run is very impressive. Must have been around 16 minutes for the last 5K.
Get within 2.5K of the finish and am running with duathletes again. Say a silent prayer that no triathletes pass me and push on in to the end.
Over the line, 37:30 run and 2:12:30. Second to last male pro (just squeaked that goal, missed the stretch mid pack dream). Sure of these two times as they were the ones that I cared the most about. Looking good for a solid run up north.
Post race
Get over the line, move outside of the finish area and lie down on the asphalt for a little while. A volunteer very gently takes my timing chip off my leg and I am shortly able to get moving. I didn't feel like a really pushed hard, but judging from the constant feeling of nausea for 45 minutes after I finished, I did manage a fairly vigorous effort. Kept having to sit down and chill. Chatted with a few friends and some of the other pros. Everybody seemed pretty happy with their races.
Tell Ken Glah about the lookalike issue and he says, "man, nobody looks like me". Turns out that his body double was in the rack behind him and I point him out. "Dude, that guy has a concave chest!". I laugh and say he was wearing a singlet when he smoked by me. He agrees that there is more than a passing resemblance.
A little food, more hanging out and then back home for a snack and a nap. Post race party this evening and hopefully, I will be ready to roll.
OVERALL
Well, I hope Paul (the race director, RD) will let me race Pro next year. He was murmuring something about a 2:05 qualifying time for the guys. With more training, I figure that I should be able to get myself down to 2:07/2:08. Short course racing is hard, but my legs feel pretty good so I guess it is an excellent way to get your speedwork. First to third went sub-2 hours. That is a long way away for me right now. My training has been bang on. Keep working the swim and the bike. Three weeks without any significant running and I am still right where I need to be for Canada.
A nice way to spend the morning.
Cheers,
gordo - 30 July 2000