Race Report - Dam Time Trial 2014

Dam Time Trial, Friday August 8th 2014

The Dam Time Trial is a special event. The race is an 8-mile, mostly flat, out and back USA Triathlon sanctioned bike time trial across Joe Pool Lake dam in Grand Prairie, TX.  Just to make it interesting, the race starts at 6pm at just about the hottest time of the day.  This year as we drove into Lynn Creek Park the car temperature reading was 107F.  Being on the dam there isn't a single yard of shade.  It's a test of what you can do in the heat as much as how fast you are on the bike.

Race numbers had been allocated based on speed with the fastest guys going first.  I got number 8.   I was a little surprised at the low start number but also enthused that I had a good chance in this race.  Racers started at 30 second intervals.   There was a no-show one place in front of me to I got a whole minute to stare up the start hill.  It was a proper time trial start with someone holding the bike, feet all clipped in, ready to hit the gas....

The first couple hundred yards is up a gentle hill to get up to the dam level so accelerating off the start and getting up to speed is already getting the heart rate going.  There wasn't much wind and it was mostly from the side.  My aim was to push as much as I could beyond my FTP of around 220W.  Somewhere closer to 250W if I could manage it.  This race gives a perfect measure of where my cycling conditioning is - right in the middle of race season, no distraction about having to save something for the run.

There isn't really much to say about the ride itself ... I got caught by one rider just before the half way point.  This actually helped as it gave me someone to chase.  There's no drafting in this race but having him 20 or 30 yards in front gave me something to focus on other than the feeling of my heart wanting to pound right out of my chest.  He still slowly increased the gap but I could see we were reeling in the guys in front of us.

I sat up a couple of times to get so air into my lungs.  I felt like I needed to throw up.  I knew I was pushing at my limit.  Once the downhill into the finish came into view I took a few deep breaths and stood up in my pedals to accelerate into the finish.  I had no idea of my time but I crossed the finish line doing about 30mph.  There's a nice long strip of road to scrub off the speed and start to get some breath back.

I stopped my watch and saw that I'd beaten last years time - but not by much. Being an early starter I had to wait for the rest to come in ... but since most of the fast guys were in the low start numbers I was confident I had one of the fastest times in my age group.  

All the racers had agreed at the start not to bother with awards on the night and the organizers promised engraved awards would be posted out - it was too hot to sit around waiting.  So no podium pic.

Time: 19:37.6 @ 24.5mph.

Average heart rate was 183bpm and peak was 190!  I'll be updating my TrainingPeaks training zones after this one.

Beat my personal record by 2.6 seconds but given that the temp was 7 degrees hotter it is really a greater margin than just what the time shows.  2nd place in age group and 11th place overall.  Last year I was 6th in age group and 24th overall.

Three races in August so far, three age-group podiums.

Dirty Rock Off Road Tri / Kiwanis Tri Rock Sprint Tri

A busy weekend ....

Well needed summer rains in Texas meant the Dirty Rock Off Road Tri was moved to the same weekend as the Kiwanis Tri Rock Sprint triathlon.  Both events are held in Rockwall, TX.  I've done the Tri Rock Sprint before, in 2012 when I was still a Clydesdale triathlete but this was my first time in the Dirty Rock.  As a Cat 2 mountain biker and triathlete it should be an event I excel in.

Saturday: Dirty Rock Off Road Tri

More rains meant that we couldn't race on the Squabble Creek trail so the organizers laid out an on-road/off-road circuit using nearby playing fields.  It was a cool dewy morning so the grass sections were wet and likely to get slippy as we were doing three laps of the short 2-mile circuit.  This was going to be a short, fast race.

I had a high start number for the short 150yd pool swim and was expecting some traffic which proved true. I was quickly upon other swimmers. I got an elbow in the face which partially flooded my goggles, but pushed my way through.

Swim: 2:37 (1:45/100yd pace - new PR pace for a swim)

I kept T1 nice and simple.  No socks today - I used waterproof tape around my ankles to inhibit any rubbing of my shoes. This worked great. No glasses either - which proved a good decision with the amount of water and mud kicked up, glasses would quickly have gotten covered.

T1: 46 seconds

With just 6 miles on the bike, I put the hammer down.  I quickly identified some faster lines on corners that others were missing.  Lots of overtaking kept me on my toes as there were a lot of slow riders wandering all over the course.  During one fast passing move I got to close to a thorny branch so I got back into transition with blood trickling down my arm.

Bike: 19:58 (2nd fastest overall)

T2 was going great until my bike slipped off the stand as I was putting my shoes on.  Few seconds wasted picking it up again.  My mtb seat doesn't lend itself to seat-mountain on a tri bike rack.  Shoes on, no socks, grab number and vizor and off ..

T2: 52 seconds

The start of the run was a short trail and uphill on wet grass.  My legs felt heavy - definitely different running after mountain bike rather than tri bike.  But with just a 2 mile run I had to push.  Finally onto the road I kept focused on keeping my pace up and trying to catch the runners in front.  I hauled in one guy towards the end of the run and the downhill grass into the finish line made for a fast finish.

Run: 15:55 (7:58/mile pace - PR pace in a triathlon)

Race time: 0:40:10

That gave me 2nd in 45-49 Men age group, but more significantly, 5th fastest overall!  Everyone faster than me topped the podium for some category or other and quite a few that I beat topped their AG podiums.  One day I'll be that lucky ..... maybe.

Sunday: Kiwanis Tri Rock Sprint Tri

Woke to perfect cool temperatures and felt good to race again.  Same routine. Just 15 minutes earlier.

The Tri Rock is a bigger event with 145 racers.  The Rockwall Aquatic Center is a great location for a tri - plenty of parking and a great 50 meter pool.  A few familiar faces from the Saturday race too.  I planned to do the same and race without socks again.  I got there early and secured a great bike spot, mid-transition on an off-set rack so I had no-one opposite me.  Also I decided to go back to having my shoes already on the bike.  While this makes for a slightly slower few seconds on the ride to get my feet in and fastened, it gets me out of T1 super quick (in theory) - helmet, glasses, bike, GO.

The swim went well - deep pool, wide lanes.  At 300m it was too long to hammer so I just planned to keep it uneventful.

Swim: 6:33 (2:00/100yd pace)

T1 went super smooth as planned and I was in and out in 33 seconds - easily my fastest ever T1.

I probably tried to get my feet into my shoes too quick as the first 100 yds out of transition was slightly uphill.  Once on the road, though, I got quickly settled into my rhythm.  Next time I'll wait a little longer - the bike is more stable at speed which makes getting feet into the shoes less wobbly.

There wasn't much wind on the bike course which is unusual for this route.  Also the wind most often comes out of the south making the out leg from I-30 to 205 superfast.  But on this day it was a gentle NE wind.  On a positive note this would make the predominantly uphill return leg less of a grind.  It was such a great feeling to blast through the traffic signals and stop signs that normally interrupt my rides on John King Blvd.  Even though this was a sprint, I still had to leave a little in my legs for the run.  Brought back memories of one of my first races, slower riders struggling on the uphills while some fast guy steams past them at 25mph, except this time the fast one was me.  Two years training and 30lbs lost make a lot of difference.

Feet out of shoes and a fast approach to transition, nearly blew past the dismount line! Carbon wheels with carbon-specific brake pads don't have much stopping power.

Bike: 34:14 (22.4mph - fastest bike speed of the year)

No bike shoes to worry about - just hang the bike, slip the Zoot Ultra Race 4.0 shoes on, grab number and vizor and go.

T2: 37 seconds.  Beat that!

As ever after a short, fast bike leg, the legs are a little heavy.  But I knew the run was my weakest discipline and there were quick runners in the field.  If I was going to make the podium I had to push to lose a little time as possible.  The run was changed from last time - more compact, twists and turns and some short inclines.  Lots of runners were following the curves around the roads but I kept to my mentor's advice and ran cone-to-cone, no need for unneeded extra yards!

Mile 1: 8:22

In the second mile, I started to feel the two races.  Running was getting harder and it seemed a long way to the finish. Push, push.

Mile 2: 8:26

Finally with the last turns, the Aquatic Center was in sight.  I summoned everything I had left, lifted my feet and ran hard for the finish, my last 0.1 mile at around 7:00/mile pace.

Mile 3: 8:12

Run: 26:05 (official pace 8:22)

A couple minutes slower than my 5K PR recently, but ok for the second race in two days.

Total race time: 1:08:04. 13 minutes 12 seconds faster than my previous time on this course and a sprint tri PR.  I thought I might have been a couple minutes faster but I put it down to two races in two days just sapping me a little.

Despite concerns about being a couple of minutes slower than I expected, it was still good enough for 3rd place in 45-49M age group.  Second podium in two days.  A productive weekend and good preparation for two weeks time when I will be racing the Arkansas Double - Olympic distance on Saturday, Sprint distance on Sunday, personal wager on the line with friends.  The big takeaways from these races were the success of my simplified transitions, without socks or messing with Garmin watches, and if I'm going to challenge for top spot or Masters wins n sprints then I'm going to have to get faster on the run.  A little more swim speed wouldn't go amiss either.

Race Report - Playtri Festival International Distance triathlon, Irving, TX. June 1st, 2014

Introduction

My second Olympic distance tri of the year (or thereabouts) and my first time at this particular race.  I'd heard mixed reports going into the race, of it being a large competitive field but also a lot of first-timers and a crowded bike course.  Since my last tri about a month ago I've reduced training volume to around 8 hours per week and competed in a couple of mountain bike races - both of which I had significantly improved results and times.  I felt strong and well rested going into the race but a little voice in the back of my mind kept saying I'd lost race fitness.  We would see ...

Pre-Race

Arrived nice and early for the race, probably a little too early as I had been warned of parking issues.  Didn't turn out to be a problem at all.  I like to be early anyway. Settles my nerves and lets me get my mind ready. Got my transition set up done, had a walk around the race ins and outs.  Water looked calm and official temperature was 78F - perfect for a non-wetsuit swim.  After cramping exiting the swim in my last race I decided to use Sportlegs to help fight any cramping, four capsules 1hr before race start.  Also my customary Gu Energy gel (orange) 20 mins before wave start time.  

Nutrition and Hydration

I used my normal nutrition strategy of water, a Gu Energy Gel (Orange) pre-swim and two on the bike and two Saltstick tabs on the bike.  I also added four Sportlegs tabs an hour before the race to fight cramping.  I used my awesome Speedfil hydration system which takes 40oz of water and drank most of it during the hour on the bike.  On the run I sipped water and poured cups over my head to aid cooling and had one Gatorade at about half way.  All seemed to work fine in the increased heat and I could skip the final aid station.  Also, had to pee desperately when I finished so I was pretty well hydrated after all that.

Swim

I got into a decent position prior to the off, not the front line but somewhere I could settle into mid-pack.  I'm settled to the fact I'm not going to break any swim speed records this year - I'm very one-paced - so for me it's a matter of trying to find a draft and swimming a tight course without any unnecessary yards.  I managed that, hugging the wall around Lake Carolyn on the Y-shaped course. I lost my draft around one buoy so the last third I swam alone.

1500m swim time: 36:45 

Nearly two minutes slower than my last 1500m but without a wetsuit this time.  This is my first 1500m non-wetsuit swim so to get through it without problem or panics I was happy.

T1: 2:14

I still ride and run in socks so I sacrifice a little time in T1 to get them on, carefully so not to induce a calf cramp.  All worked ok.  I was a little confused at bike exit because the race organizers hadn't been clear on exactly where the bike mount-dismount line was.  Looks like it got sprayed on the floor after race start because I couldn't find it before.  I didn't want to get a DQ for mounting in the wrong place so I double checked I was OK as I got on the bike.  Few seconds wasted but not a huge issue.

Mental note: if I'm not clear on the mount/dismount line ... ASK before the race.

Bike

So .. I felt good.  No cramps.  Fast concrete course.  Not much wind.  So today was the day to let my bike legs loose and see what we could do.  It was a three-lap course so I planned to push my pace on the first two then make sure I backed off a little on the last lap so I could start the run well.

It all went well.  I remember to sit up on the hills, easy gear and a 100+ cadence.  Amazes me to see people struggling in aero up hill at 15mph as I zip past sat up.  As soon as I reach the top, it's back into aero with fresh legs to power me along.  Almost got caught out by an unmarked timing strip just before a corner on the first lap.  Organizers could have put up more of a warning of this as it was hard to spot with the low morning sun and shadows.

Loop 1 (7.2 miles): 18:59 @ 22.6mph

Loop 2: 18:57 @ 22.7mph

Second time over the timing strip, bunny-hopped it.  Lots of riders were being very slow in the many corners but the course was laid out great with wide space available in every corner on the course.  So I would yell at slow riders ahead that I was coming in fast and they got out of the way while I powered through the corners pedaling hard.  Also had the pleasure of whizzing past my family and supporters at full tilt (24mph) which was really exciting to show them my bike speed close up.  As planned I back off on the last half of the final loop.

Loop 3: 19:13 @ 22.3mph

22 mile bike time: 0:59:17 (22.3mph)

T2: 1:38

No problems in transition.  Small run to far end of transition to the run exit.

Run

I caught my Team Zoot team mate Kris just as we started the run.  He'd started in the wave ahead of mine which was supposed to be a four minute gap (apparently it was more like 7) but he's a faster swimmer than me and pretty quick on the bike, so to catch him there I knew I was on for a good time so far.  The run was four loops so I mentally said easy on the first loop, steady on the middle two and if there's any gas left, push it home for the last loop.  There was a very slight breeze but all that meant was on the out leg of each lap it felt like there was no wind at all, uphill.  It got hot fast.  

Loop 1: 12:35

Loop 2: 13:02

Loop 3: 13:34

Loop 4: 12:44

From the last turn down to the finish I upped my pace steadily from 9:00 to 7:30 and crossed the line strong.  Prior to that I'd be worried how the heat was affecting me.  In reality there was plenty of juice left in my legs.  I'm learning to trust my legs with every race 

10K run time: 0:53:49

Although this wasn't a PR, considering how hard I went on the bike and that I had some juice left at the end I was really pleased with it.

Official Race Time: 2:33:18

Place: 7th of 18 in 45-49M age group.

Although this race is a little shorter than a full Olympic, taking that distance into account this was a PR at Olympic/International distance for me.    This is clearly a fast course with a fast surface to ride on in particular.  The course was excellently marked throughout with plenty of well-organized traffic control by the local PD.   There were some issue with the online live race results but it was a creditable effort by RunFar to get results up as quickly as possible and I'm sure they'll iron out their issues. I think I'll seriously consider going back to this race next year.