The 5 words or less version: humbled?, queasy, #$%%! hot, good.
The plain vanilla short version:
Place: 11/102 Age group. 75/745 overall
Swim 2k: 29:12
Bike: 55k: 1:30:02
Run: 15k: 1:11:23
Time: 3:13:00
The extended version:
I'll try not to get too long winded for this race report. However, there are few things I'll have to get off my chest.
First and foremost, a GREAT race put on by the folks at Subaru and the town of Huntsville is fantastic - the people and the businesses really get into it. Overall, as a venue, I give the Muskoka Triathlon top marks.
Secondly, the chase format makes for a really exciting race. The pro women were given an 18 minute head start of the pro men. Then it's up to the men to to chase them down. Whoever crosses the finish line first receives 10 grand! Of the 26 pros at the race, there some big names: Simon Whitfield and Lisa Bentley were amongst the field. As a lowly age grouper, it's cool to compete against an Olympic Gold medalist and a 10(!) time IronWoman Champion. Very cool indeed.
The nitty gritty:
I went into this race with a 9 day taper, so I was expecting a strong, solid performance. I'm stronger than I was last year and more fit, so I wanted to use this race as an opportunity to test myself. Let's see how it worked out:
My latest pre race routine involves getting up at least 3 hrs before the start and consuming 2 cans of Boost. When racing, it's possible I'll experience stomach issues (nausea), so I'm trying an all liquid breakfast.
2k swim: My swim was merely OK. About the biggest thing that happened in the swim occured at the 500m mark. I was actually grabbed and pulled back. That's never happened to me before and I was quite shocked. My initial thought was to punch the guy in the head. But that's way bad karma, so I just motored passed him and let it slide. At the 1200m mark I said to myself, 'hmm.. I don't feel like I'm swimming well.' My pace was off, the water was very murky, I was sighting way too much and just I just felt off. The numbers: 29:12 or a 1:28/100m pace. I was looking for a sub 1:28, so in the end it wasn't too bad. Just not quite as fast as I wanted.
55k bike: T1 was smooth. I hop on The Spirit of Koo and settle in to a good spin. I can feel some mild nausea at this point, but it's not a big deal. It's feels like the Boost I had 4 hours ago is still sitting in my gut. I take the first 20 minutes at a moderate effort just trying to settle the gut down and to some extent I'm successful. My main problem with fighting nausea while racing is what the the hell do I do with my hydration requirments? Drinking liquids while nauseous can have disasterous results. But not drinking is equally as bad or worse. It's a catch-22.
I fight with the mild nausea throughout the bike and in the end I'm able to consume just over half of litre of InfiniT (sports drink).
The bike portion itself was rather nice, plenty of rollers and a couple of decent climbs through scenic roads. The time on the saddle was 1:30:07 at an average speed of 36.7 kph. Again, on the low end on what I was aiming for.
15k run: Think quick cadence. Make the run flow. Relax. Get in the groove. I think these when I run. It didn't help. Within the first 2k I knew I was in trouble and thought I was going to be sick. Damnit, I have to walk to try settle my tummy. I end up running the majority of the route at a slow, steady pace and managed to not barf. I ran the route in 1:11:23 for a 4:46/k pace. Ok, I'll be honest, that split ticks me off. Five weeks ago, I ran a decent half marathon with a 3 day taper. I train more/harder and get additonal rest and can only manage 1:11 for a 15k run. Damnit, my Sunday morning 30k jaunts are that fast.
Sorry, I promised I wasn't going to whine, but I did have to vent a bit there.
Synopsis
Ok, was the race as bad as I think? No it wasn't. For two reasons: 1) May have been over zealous about my run goal? Possibly. 2) I have to realize heat just kills me and perhaps this is the culprit of my nausea?? (Anyone feel free to chime in here, I'm really starting to grasp at straws.)
The good:
I don't mind being humbled. If analyzed, it can provide an opportunity to learn about yourself. I'm still trying to figure what I learnt from this race. I do have another nutrition strategy I'm going to try and if it works, I'll have this race to thank for it. Hmm... what else was good? Oh yea, I qualified for Ironman Canada and secured my spot. That's pretty cool too.
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2 comments:
I take it you've used the Boost before? On a race day? If you drink it 3 hours before race start, it should be digested and through you, unless you are a slow digester, in which case you should set alarm for earlier, get up, drink it, and then try to go back to sleep.
Did you use electrolyte tabs? For me, they are critical, more so in heat. 2 Succeed per hour, one the night before, and one in the morning before I begin the race.
Do you know how much you were drinking and how many calories/hour you were ingesting, and is this an amount you've tested in training?
For me, having my calorie intake dialed in precisely is important; then if other things go wrong (as they did at Brazil), at least my gut is OK.
Hi Sheila,
Thanks for dropping by and the tips - much appreciated.
Yes, I've used Boost or the equivalent in training and before my half marathon - no problems.
The prospect of being a slow digester is new to me and perhaps that's the culprit. I'm thinking my next strategy may go something like this:
18 hrs before race: last solid food, low glycemic stuff.
10 to 12 hrs before race: a smoothie or Boost about 800 to 1000 cals.
4 hrs before race: wake up and go for a brisk walk to 'jump start' the metabolism. Only consume 300 to 400 cals of sports drink and maybe a gel.
For the race. (I'm thinking IM here)
-consume 1 bottle of InfiniT/hr starting 30 minutes into the bike. Estimated usage: 5 bottles at 240 cals each.
-carry a powerbar and IF I'm having no issues - eat during first half of bike
-for the run, use concentrated InfiniT and squirt a shot into a water cup at the aid stations then consume.
Comments?
As for electrolyte tabs. The Infinit stuff is a custom formula that's dialed in to my personal needs. However, perhaps on the really hot days, I should supplement it further.
During training, my stomach doesn't seem to bother me at all. However, it's not too often it's 100 degrees out- it's only that temp when I race. :)
I have to go the pool - if you can think of anything else, drop me an email. Cheers.
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