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.

Ironman 70.3 New Orleans - Race Report

Overview

For the first time in my short triathlon career I didn't finish a race.  I've done a great deal of soul-searching, questioning and reviewing to determine what caused it.  What it comes down to is not preparing for the event with the same focus that I did for Ironman 70.3 Texas a week earlier, and also trying to do two Ironman 70.3 races on back to back weekends and not realizing the impact that this never-before-attempted amount of racing would have on my body.

Preparation

It's a long drive from Dallas to New Orleans.  I traveled on Friday - most of the day.  This time, my parents were accompanying my wife and I.  Friday evening we ventured into the French Quarter after packet pickup and enjoyed a fantastic meal (just water, no wine or beer).

Saturday is where I started to get it all wrong.  I ate the usual high carb breakfast of bagels, peanut butter, bananas.  Then we went to downtown New Orleans to enjoy the French Quarter Festival.  A whole day of entertainment with activities spread all across the French Quarter.  The weather was pleasantly warm and dry.  I tried to spend as much time as possible sitting.

In retrospect, between lunch and dinner I drank probably only a bottle and a half of water.  It was warm, sunny and windy.  Plus with the activities being all over the area I probably walked a few miles too.  So much for "resting all day".  Dinner (pasta) was slightly late after a hike back to the car and a round-trip to the remote bike transition area.

Race Day

Nothing unusual. Arrived in plenty of time. Followed my normal pre-race routine.  Felt good and ready to go.

Swim

Probably the easiest open water swim you will ever get at an Ironman 70.3.  The swim is inside a marina so we were protected from the elements and had plenty of landmarks/walls on both sides to navigate without much need to sight buoys.

Swim time: 41:46 (2:01 faster than previous PR)

T1

The run from swim exit to transition was not short.  Wetsuit strippers were a blessing again although far fewer than at Texas so I made sure they knew I was coming.

T1 time: 4:27 (22sec longer than Texas due to the longer run)

Bike

The aim on the bike was to go 10bpm harder than at Galveston, where I took the bike well within my (perceived) capability.  I'd got some water in my goggle right eye on the swim which had caused irritation to my right eye and this continued on the bike, especially with the cross-wind blowing from the right too.  At times it was hard to see from that eye.

For the first 28 miles on the bike I had no issues.  I was hitting my effort level (mid 150's bpm).   Nutrition (Gu every 20 mins, Saltstick every 30 min) all good.  My heart rate always jumps on the start of the bike and takes 15 minutes to settle down.  I don't eat anything during that period but do sip my drink.  In this case I had Skratch Hydration mix in my first two bottles.  I drained the two bottles by mile 27 (on schedule) but the expected drink station didn't appear?  It was supposed to be at Mile 28 according to the Athlete Guide.  I hadn't thought to make a mental note of where it was (or wasn't) on the outleg so had no idea if it was further up or just not there.  I only had flat Coke left on the bike and - possibly terminally for my race - decided not to drink it yet and just wait for the aid station.

Further and further it went.  Speed was still good and heart rate ok but my right eye irritation was evolving into a painful headache.  I wasn't sure why - can't be the irritation causing it?  I kept going.  I didn't really have a good mental picture of the mileage at the turns so when I passed the aid station (on the other side) it didn't register that it was Aid Station 2 at Mile 37 or 38.  I should have stopped and picked something up from them but I didn't and soldiered on.

Mile 36: 1:41:28 (21.3mph) and I knew I only had one more stretch of 6 miles into the wind and the rest was tail or cross wind.

At the Mile 36 turnaround, into the wind, suddenly dehydration really kicked in.  I had nothing left.  Headache, nausea starting, no energy.  I tried sipping the Coke but felt like I'd never keep it down.  At mile 38 I finally picked up Perform and water and tried to get it into me but by then it was too late.  I was really struggling and felt worse with every mile despite the fluids.

I struggled back to transition with a bike time of 2:58:32 and pulled out of the race at that point with a BP of 100/60 - no argument whether it was dehydration!

Extrapolating my data, without the dehydration I think I'd probably have done a bike split of around 2:39:00.  It seems crazy that all that extra effort only gained me about 3 minutes over my Galveston time - which I took at an easy pace.  That is until you consider that I wasn't anywhere near recovered from Galveston just 7 days earlier.  I need no more evidence than this to prove it.

Lessons

My lack of hydration and rest on Saturday caused my early exit of the race.  But insufficient recovery clearly impacted my performance level.  It seems unlikely that I'd have had good energy on the run so overall probably would have been on a par or slower than Galveston.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  Rest, rest, rest.

Don't plan big races so close together.  Build a plan and stick with it.  I changed my plan to accommodate my new team and my parents.  If I'm racing, the plan needs to be built around racing, not entertaining.  I have all the evidence I need to show myself the impact of not doing this.

I will come back to New Orleans at some point and exorcise this race failure.