I didn’t take First, but I still Won
I had no goals for finishing first or even taking podium at the Key West Triathlon, but I did end up 3rd in the age group, 11th Overall. Yeah, I know the stats say 13th but two were relays and I can’t justify their overall placement. There was a small laundry list of people I focused on beating during this race and to my pleasant surprise, I not only beat them but I even ran down a couple of elites en route to killing my best Olympic distance time by over 12 minutes! How can I not be thrilled? By the way I LOVE Saturday races and the margarita glass awards were a nice touch.
Race Highlights:
- Broke through 2:15 in an Olympic distance triathlon
- Crushed recently broken record by 12 minutes en route to beating a couple of elites
- I’m closing in on Isabel Olivas
| 2012-12-01 Key West, Florida United States Multirace.com 70F / 21C – Windy E 17 MPH |
Triathlon – Olympic Total Time = 2h 12m 00s Overall Rank = 11/319 Age Group = M 35-39 Age Group Rank = 3/31 |
Pre-race Routine
Let’s face it, since this was a destination race, which was also on a Saturday, nothing was routine. Two friends and myself drove down on Friday evening and arrived 30 minutes before packet pick-up closed. After checking in at the hotel, we hit up CVS for some Nutella, granola bars, and bananas for the morning. I brought a bunch of Gatorade G-Series PRO to keep hydrated throughout Friday and of course for Saturday’s race. We grabbed dinner at an outdoor restaurant on Duval Street (chicken penne pasta with broccoli) then back to the hotel room for race preparation which took forever because I had to clean the bike, install the race brakes and replace the bar tape. Finally got to bed shortly after midnight. Five hours of sleep.
Event warm-up
Our hotel was maybe ½ mile from the race start so we loaded up and headed down to the race start where I loaded my bike on the last spot on the rack – though it was only one deep and allowed me to have a little extra space to myself. Fortunately I had the granola bar, Nutella and banana because I foolishly forgot my Gatorade 01-Prepare drink at the room but I did have enough chews that would get me through the race. Another pit stop then timing chip and over to the race start for five minutes of dynamic stretching in the hard-packed sand. With race start about 10 minutes to go I jumped in the water to get a feel for the temperature and to loosen up a little.
SWIM
Because there were only a little over 300 Olympic distance racers, my wave was first. I started at the front of the pack with a few other strong swimmers – as planned. My stroke felt comfortable though we had a bit of a chop especially after we got out about 200 yards into the open water. Sighting was difficult because there were only six buoys throughout the course; and with the choppiness of the ocean I was fortunate there were four of us in a pack so that we could work off each other. This allowed me to preserve some energy for the bike where I was expecting 15-20 mph head winds. The swim finish was a little odd though in that we had to swim under a low concrete pier before swimming into shore. I remember seeing some people overhead taking pictures and was hoping they might take some cool shots (unfortunately I didn’t see anything afterwards).
Swim Statistics
00:21:48 | 1500 meters | 01m 27s / 100 meters
Age Group: 2nd
Overall: 15th
Performance: Apparently faster than MiamiMan though it felt rather rough
Suit: 2XU sleeveless wetsuit
Course: reverse U-shape starting at one end of beach and ending at other end (after swimming under a pier)
Start type: Wade / Waves
Water Temp: 72F / 22C
Current: Choppy
Breathing: Good
Drafting: Good
Navigation: Okay – tough with few buys
Rounding: Good
T1
I heard people yelling about asking for assistance but I didn’t actually see who the volunteer strippers were, so I kept running into transition and was able to remove the wetsuit pretty easily myself. I’ve used strippers before but I tend to wonder if it’s faster to do it myself. I got the bike, helmet, chews in mouth and was off.
T1 Statistics
Time: 1:03
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
I think I had one of my best bike performances to date, though I only finished 9th in the age group. The important thing to remember is that it’s not a bike race; it’s a triathlon. This was my third race in a row that would include significant head winds which I have come to relish of sorts. This experience, coupled with the head winds taken on during training rides has given me a good confidence going into this race. We departed Key West along Roosevelt past the airport taking on some slight head winds. We spent most of our time on the next key which is Naval Air Base. I’ve mentioned before that I never see anything along the course (which I noted because I see many race promotions describing how beautiful the course is, but I never see it), but I did see the six or so fighter jets that are stationed there. These planes serve several purposes, including escort service of any planes that may have departed Cuba (en route to the USA). The course had many turns but was flat as can be. I think the total incline was less than 50 feet, but the winds made up for it. Because of the many turns, I was able to ride past many people which was cool for me because I was able spot a few fellow racers/friends. The ride back to Key West was quite fast – with the tail wind and all – where I was riding in upwards of 27-29 mph. Tail wind or not, it’s fun riding at that speed!
As far as nutrition is concerned, I had one sleeve of energy chews stashed in my shorts and chowed them with about five miles left on the bike. Typically I might consider two sleeves during the bike (after the initial sleeve going into the bike) but because of my negligence, I only had one sleeve available to last through the finish so I needed to ration them. This turned out to be sufficient.
Bike Statistics
01:06:09 | 24.9 miles | 22.4 MPH
Age Group: 9th
Overall: 31st
Performance: Good
Bike: Cervelo P3 (Dura-Ace group, Quarq power meter, Easton wheelset)
Wind: E 17 MPH (Gusts 24 MPH)
Course: Out/back from Higgs Beach over Stock Island to NAS Key West
Road: Somewhat Smooth, Dry
Cadence: 81
Turns: Average
Cornering: Average
Gear Changes: Good
Hills: N/A
Race Pace: Lots of headwind going out; lots of tailwind coming back
Drinking: Good
T2
Honestly I can’t remember if I put my foot over the top tube but I dismounted quite easily and got the bike racked quickly while also getting my shoes on and out of T2 without any issue.
T2 Statistics
Time 0:46
Overall: Average
Riding with feet on shoes: Good
Jumping off bike: Good
Running with bike: Good
Racking bike: Good
Shoes & helmet removal: Good
RUN
The run was an out and back along Roosevelt past the airport and back. We had the ocean on one side and (eventually) the airport on the other. Going out we had the same head wind, with tail winds on the return. I felt pretty strong on the run despite getting passed by a fellow age grouper who would end up with the fastest run split in the age group and end up in 2nd place. I had a good lead on a few friends as I would see them coming in off the bike. The race became pivotal at the turn-around, where I began passing a few racers. The turn-around was my gauge to the finish and even though I had tailwind on the return, a negative split was in the making (as usual). I figured that I was about a half mile behind Isabel going into the turn-around, and I would make up some ground on her, though not enough. As I ran harder and faster the last 3.1 miles, I kept looking ahead to see if I could find her but I just couldn’t. Then with a mile and a half to go, we caught up with the sprinters so it became even more difficult to find her. She would finish 50 seconds ahead of me, maybe 300 meters, and once again be the only girl to “chick” me.
Run Statistics
00:42:14 | 6.2 miles | 06:48 min/mile
Age Group: 4th
Overall: 13th
Performance: Good (Negative split)
Shoes: Newton mv2
Course: Out/back from Higgs Beach to S. Roosevelt past the airport
Keeping cool: Good
Drinking: Good
Post Race
Warm down: Two waters and no massage. The finish area was a bit congested as I saw several friends and fellow athletes come in, so I spent some time hanging out to congratulate them and catch up. While we didn’t have a massage tent for this race, we did have a beer tent! Another “plus” for this race! A few of us hung out chilling on the seawall, just steps from the beer tap, where we enjoyed the sunny afternoon awaiting the awards ceremony.
What limited my ability to perform faster: Hard to identify. We had pretty decent chop throughout the swim and strong head winds throughout the bike and run, however the course was as flat as it will ever get. I also raced into a personal best by 12 minutes. I was slightly nervous that the amount of racing would begin to exhaust me (third race in five weeks), but with proper maintenance and training balance, this didn’t seem to be an issue for me. Since this was last race of the season, I’m pleased with the progress that I’ve made this year and have plans to spend more time on the bike increasing my FTP, and will also focus on my run speed, especially as I train for Boston.
Lessons Learned (and Repeated)
Wind
With the last three triathlons bringing so much wind, I’ve learned to strategize my bike leg a little more. I also feel less intimidated by wind, and I will continue to embrace it as my training progresses.
Adaptability
Because the race was out-of-town and we got hotel rooms without any microwave or stove, I had to be adaptable with my nutrition intake, especially the day before the race where all dining was at a restaurant. I went with the plan to stick to the basics and this worked in my advantage.
Have Fun
Relax, have fun. Enjoy the course and the race.
THANK YOU
Once again, Thank You Supporters and Sponsors!
First and foremost, my wife. Thank you for your encouragement and sacrifice to allow me doing what I love.
Thank you God, for giving me the ability to balance work and life and for the ability to enjoy living this healthy and fun life.
Thank you to Dr. Testa and Florida Chiropractic and Sports Rehab.
Sponsors:
Gatorade (Hydration and Thirst Quencher)
2XU (Compression)
Rudy Project (Eye and Noodle Shield)
Kinesys (Alcohol-free Sun Shield)
Beljum Budder (Friction Reducer)
triswimrob 