I’m slightly delayed with this report but I’ve been wracking my brain for the lessons learned from this race. Then I was at the bike shop today for some wheel issues and a tune-up and I was asked how the race went. My answer, “good, but…” Immediate reply, “It’s always ‘good, but…’ for all of us!”
If once is a coincidence, twice is a trend, I’m not liking this trend. This is not the first time this year that my race performance was faster than previous (with the exception of my poor run performance which I’ll get to later), yet my positioning was worse. Here I am trying to make podium and I’m getting further away. It feels as though while I have been getting better the competition is getting better plus one. When compared to last year’s race, I shaved off a respectable four and a half minutes and finally broke through the 2:25 barrier that’s nagged me for some time, but I went from 56th overall to 60th overall. As I continue my training over the next four weeks in preparation for the Rev3 half-iron triathlon, I will begin contemplating goals for next season as well as strategy. My quest for world triathlon dominance continues!
|
2012-09-23 |
Triathlon – Olympic Total Time = 2h 24m 06s Overall Rank = 60/986 Age Group = M 35-39 Age Group Rank = 13/133 |
|
Pre-Race
Due to the race organization and logistics, bike check-in was mandatory on Saturday and thus began pre-race routine. There was an open-water swim race in the morning in South Beach, but because I was particularly tired and there were good thunderstorms in the area, I figured it best to get some extra rest and finish getting things ready to drop off the bike Saturday. The Barracudas were prepared to set up a club tent and I offered to bring Gatorade to help fuel my fellow athletes on race day. I watched the weather throughout the morning and arrived to bike check-in when there was no rain/activity and early enough to get situated then return home to relax and prepare for race day. My planning worked quite well I must say, as it started sprinkling as I was leaving – and any South Floridian knows that it never just sprinkles. After driving through torrential downpours I finally arrived home, had some lunch and began “the process.” It’s amazing how long it takes to get myself ready for the next day, even if the bike is already racked. This, I have yet to master so I can spend more time relaxing. Perhaps I unconsciously relish in the quiet time to mentally prepare for the day even though I anxiously pace about the house getting everything in order? Well, Sunday was calling particularly early with a 3:45 wake up call so after dinner (salmon, roasted potatoes and broccoli), I was off to bed to relax with the Kindle until I passed out. That didn’t take long, thankfully.
Race Morning
After a decent night’s sleep, 3:45 still came early, but I was 95% ready to go and had the couple of “to-do” things taken care of before leaving the house by 4:05. Nikki drove me down to the race with plans to return at a normal hour to actually see the race. The one thing I don’t care for this race is how early I have to wake up so I can get in line and wait (for the ferry). But this race is worth it. I found a couple of friends in transition and we headed to the boat ride line where we waited for a bit longer th but I was amongst friends so no worries. We actually bumped into a few more friends along the way. Of course, it wouldn’t have made it particularly entertaining had I not bumped into my boss who was standing five feet away from me! He had just gotten back from China the day before, specifically so he could compete in this race! Finally, we made our way on to the boat for the 10 minute ride to “Escape Island” where we jumped off and swam to the shore before race start. I was able to stretch out on the boat and then some more while sitting in the water waist deep as we had a good 30 minutes before race start. I was also able to swim a couple hundred yards and test out the water and current. I also noticed that I was one of a few to have a speedsuit on (every bit helps).
Nutrition
After waking up I took in a CLIF bar and a glass of water. I packed a Gatorade PRO 01 pouch, two packs of 01 PRO chews, a bottle of water and a bottle of 02 PRO Endurance Formula. All would be consumed throughout the morning leading up to race start.
SWIM
Finally, the race started. There were only three waves for a good 1100 Olympic distance racers (though only 986 would finish), mine being the first which always makes my life better. Going first or close to the first wave helps me avoid bumper swimming and allows me to swim as smooth as possible, less the first 100 yards or so of chaos. I’m quite familiar to the current and you don’t realize its strength until you make the turn at the buoy and head back towards shore at an angle. Good sighting can save several minutes of swimming in this race, and it proved true once again. I made it to the turn-buoy in decent time and I have to admit that the return to shore swim didn’t feel as fast as my results indicated. One could also say that the swim distance was more than 1500 meters. It was. But it always is. This race, at least.
What would you do differently?
I swam three minutes faster than last year…all I can say what I’d do differently is more swimming. Sighting drills during practice can help, too. I think that I started well, swam consistent, and finished strong. I knew the course and the challenges and how to work through them. Pleased that I swam 3 minutes faster than last year, I still came in 48th overall…not overly impressive.
Swim Statistics
00:23:13 | 1500 meters | 01m 33s / 100 meters
Age Group: 11/133
Overall: 48/986
Performance: Good
Suit: TYR Torque Speedsuit
Course: Reverse V from Escape Island to Miami shoreline
Start type: Wade / Waves
Water Temp: 80F / 27C
Current: Slight from East
Breathing: Good
Drafting: Average
Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
I finally made my way to the swim exit (it always looks closer than it really is) and exited quite fast and was able to make a good run into the transition area. I’ve had moments before where a good swim didn’t mean much if I exited poorly and took too long in T1. Today wasn’t the case. The one issue I did have was that the swim entrance to T1 was also the bike exit. This is typically never the case and my bike rack was third from the other end. The annoyance in T1 also meant that I’d have an advantage during T2 (bike entrance and run exit were down by my end).
What would you do differently?
It’s hard to compare T1 to last year due to the change in logistics but if I must compare, I’d say that my T1 time improved from last year, all things considered.
T1 Statistics
Time: 2:15
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good
Helmet on / Suit off: Yes
Wetsuit stuck: No
Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
BIKE
After you depart T1, you still have to run with your bike a good 100 yards or so before you can mount. I STILL cannot mount well, in large part due to the fact that my shoes are never positioned where I want them to be. Additionally (as I’ll note in T2), I have to be careful stepping on the shoe as they twist off easily. I did get on the bike and got up to speed okay, but the roads were just a little damp at certain points, so I had to take turns a bit more carefully than I typically take them. I never settled into the ride. It seemed that I was constantly facing road condition issues or turns or causeway climbs. The roads were so bad that I thought I might be better off with a cyclo-cross bike!
As it turns out, I came in a minute faster than last year, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. My legs felt tired the whole time. They never felt fresh. I know it has been a rough month going into this race as far as ability to train is concerned, but I seriously thought I put in the time and recovery to not feel so heavy.
Nutrition
I was pretty well fueled coming out of the swim and I had two packs of 02 PRO chews in my tri shorts for the bike, as well as another pack of the chews in the helmet ready to break open before leaving T1. After chucking them in my mouth, I was off and on my way. After the first half of lap one, I consumed one pack of the chews, whereas I took in the second pack after the first half of lap two. Throughout the course I had one bottle of the Endurance Formula.
What would you do differently?
What was disappointing was that my bike time or rather, average speed, was less than my Florida 70.3 bike splits and there were just as many hills and ascents, if not more, then! Time In The Saddle.
Bike Statistics
01:10:29 | 24.9 miles | 21.2 mile/hr
Age Group: 37/133
Overall: 192/986
Performance: Flat
Bike: Cervelo P3 (Dura-Ace group, Quarq power meter, Easton wheelset)
Wind: Little
Course: Two laps – north from transition to Julia Tuttle to Miami Beach
Road: Rough, Wet
Cadence: 77
Turns: Average
Cornering: Average
Gear Changes: Good
Hills: Good
Race Pace: Slow
Drinking: Good
T2
Other than the shoe falling off the clip (again), I finally learned to dismount the bike fairly easily/quickly. The transition set-up was a little different from typical but allowed me to get in, rack the bike, get the shoes on, and get out, all of which I was able to do fairly quickly.
T2 Statistics
Time 0:45
Overall: Good
Riding with feet on shoes: Good
Jumping off bike: Better
Running with bike: Good
Racking bike: Good
Shoes & helmet removal: Good
RUN
The run hurt. I need to follow-up that comment and say that it hurt because of me, not because of the race course. The course itself is probably the most challenging 10k run in South Florida, one of the many reasons that this race is so fun, challenging and rewarding. But my poor performance in this race was not because of the course but because my legs have been in some slight pain for a few weeks now, since my trip to China in August. I wasn’t able to run when I was there (in China) so I came home and like a fool I immediately ramped up my training right where I left off, not considering that I should have probably taken a little more time to ramp back into the distances. What happens is classic…shin splints…too many miles too fast. I’ve been battling shin splints for a couple of weeks now and I know it wasn’t the shoes, it was me. I had shin splints the moment I left T2 to begin the run. They finally numbed out by the time I reached Star Island (half-way into the run). Thank God though, it was still a little overcast, otherwise it could have been miserable. My overall performance was still in the top 10% but it could have been a LOT better. One of my “battles” is running a sub-40:00 10k so suffice it to say coming in two minutes faster was far from encouraging. I understand that it will take time but this was not the direction that I’m capable of running.
Nutrition
I had a bottle of water that I iced the previous night. It was all melted by the time I got to T2 but still cold enough to quench the thirst. I don’t take in Gatorade EF during the run portion in the races for a couple of reasons. One-the end of the race is near so nutrients are not 100% vital. Not in an Olympic distance triathlon. A half, yes, but perhaps not EF but the chews. I also took two cups of water at every aid station (standard protocol, really). One cup goes over the head and one cup gets consumed. I did notice during the latter half of the run that I was getting hungry though I knew that it would be okay with only a 5k left to run.
What would you do differently?
I need to take greater consideration into my training. I’m not invincible and I’m not Mr. Speedy. More ice therapy is needed as well as compression. As far as nutrition is concerned, I might need to get some chews in my system with about 15 minutes left on the bike. That should help going into the run.
Run Statistics
00:47:27 | 6.2 miles | 07m 39s min/mile
Age Group: 13/133
Overall: 90/986
Performance: Poor
Shoes: Newton mv2
Course: Out & back from transition, past Miami Herald over the MacArthur Causeway to Star Island (and back).
Keeping cool: Good
Drinking: Good
Splits
Distance Time Pace
3.1 mi 00:23:28 7:34/mi
3.1 mi 00:23:59 7:44/mi
Post Race
Warm down: there wasn’t much to warm down except a lot of water and some walking. Getting in some protein was vitally important and my Gatorade PRO was in my transition bag so I had to wait on that. I need to figure out alternative ways to get the protein to me sooner.
What limited your ability to perform faster: Other than what I mentioned already, I felt like I had a bit of a respiratory issue since coming back from China. This impacted breathing over the few weeks going into the race. The race itself weakened my immune system enough such that the week after the race I spent a few days fighting a head cold. Fortunately all is gone and I can focus on upcoming Rev3 at month’s end.
Event comments: I love competing in this event. It’s the pinnacle Olympic distance event in South Florida, due to the challenge offered to the competitors. They’ve got to fix the parking issue though. Departing the one and only parking garage available was beyond a nightmare and beyond appropriate.
Lessons Learned (and Repeated)
The P’s
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance! From planning nutrition to knowing the bike and run course, planning is always paramount to a successful race.
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
I finally broke the 2:25 barrier that’s plagued me for some time now. I raced my fastest Escape ever by a solid four minutes (that’s a big chunk). I swam and rode faster than last year. So why so upset? I’ve gotten faster but not faster enough. As I learned from Meb Keflezighi’s book, its okay to be upset but only for one hour, then you need to regroup and move on. So I didn’t spend one hour after the race upset, but I wasn’t upset until I saw the official results and I wasn’t going to be upset at the race. I also knew it would take a little more thought to seek the lessons learned so I could apply those lessons to the next race. I pulled away some good points from this race but not every moment was great and that’s just the way things go sometimes. I need to accept that and focus on the big picture. The next few months will allow me and Nikki to consider my goals for 2013 and what it will take to achieve them (and then prioritize how to make it happen, if possible).
Sometimes A Good Kick In The Pants Is What The Doctor Ordered
Continuing on from my pity party above, I have observed that getting kicked is the medicine that helps me succeed that much greater down the road. I have Rev3, MiamiMan (international) and Tri Key West (Olympic) to round out 2012 so I have three more opportunities to prove my capabilities to myself.
It Could Always Be Worse
I know two people (who shall remain nameless) who bonked during the race. I know they’re faster than me but one bonked pretty badly while another had severe cramping. You never want to bonk or cramp but it happens to the best of us. It could have happened to me – except I have a stellar nutrition plan ;). I didn’t make podium but it could always be worse.
THANK YOU
Thank you volunteers! The race organizers are great but without you, the race would fail!
First and foremost, my wife. Thank you for your encouragement and sacrifice to allow me doing what I love.
Thank you to Dr. Testa and Florida Chiropractic and Sports Rehab
Thank you Sponsors:
@Gatorade (Nutrition and uniform)
@2XU_USA (Recovery/Compression)
Rudy Project (Shades and Helmet)
Kinesys (Protection from the sun)
Beljum Budder (Protection of the family jewels)
So where does this leave me as I begin the last quarter of 2012, with three races to go? My current ultimate goal: I’m not telling. I want to know I have it in me. The continuous pursuit of finding my greatness (thanks Nike). #FindGreatness.
triswimrob 