Last weekend marked my last “real” race of 2013. It was a half ironman race in the Catskills of New York and was by far the hardest course I have raced all year, maybe ever. Overall the race went ok, which means I produced a good result but not the result I had in mind. I knew from looking at previous year’s results that the field size (100 or so athletes) would be small and that the winning time would be within reach of my abilities. Having my half iron pr sitting at 4:41 and with last year’s winner clocking a 4:46, it would be close but not out of reach. What I didn’t account for was what amounted to not only a tough course, but tough weather conditions and an overall lack of motivation. Saying I lacked motivation doesn’t mean I could have gone any faster or didn’t put it all out there. But let’s just say that had the race been cancelled due to any number of reasons I wouldn’t have cared much either way. The last few months have been a real grind in training and not going fast enough to get the world championship slot at Timberman still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Having the right mind set when you toe the line is key and this being a smaller event with no real reward for a stellar performance I just lacked the necessary fire.
With that aside I still went out there and did what I do, which is to say I am nothing if not predictable and consistent. I swam what I normally do for a 1.2 mile open water race, I rode the exact heart rate that produced 2:30ish bike splits at my other races this season, and I ran low 7 min/mile pace for a majority of the run. However with the course profile being hillier than any half iron distance I have done before (this was number 12) the overall times it produced would be slower.
Being a smaller race participant wise I had asked Amy to give me splits and positioning when she could. Normally in a large race with wave starts this isn’t really possible or even that practical. This was a mass start race for both the half and full ironman though so knowing where I stood allowed me to really race the distance. The swim was a two loop swim which for a half iron is kind of unusual. The water temp was also reported to be 62 degrees which anyone who does triathlons regularly knows that they always fluff that number to put people at ease. Regardless, it was cold so I went with double swim caps and luckily had worn my full sleeve wetsuit instead of my sleeveless.
The last time I did a two loop swim was at Lake Placid two years ago and that hadn’t gone so hot. The two loop format means that you come out of the water and have to run 50 yards or so along the beach before jumping back in. As I came out after the first loop I looked at my watch and saw 18 mins and change and Amy told me I was in 13th place. That was right about where I thought I would be both time and place wise. One more lap, pretty much swimming solo but staying dead on course and I was out of the water in just under 34 mins. I quickly looked around for Amy and she said I was now 18th out of the water. Considering I could see 5 or 6 people right around me and seeing a few more in transition I was happy with my position and time.
With the cold water temps, air temps in the low 50’s and a good stiff breeze I opted to throw on a long sleeve in T-1 to attempt to stay warm. Other than that transition went smoothly and I hopped on the bike and was off with relative ease. Just as we came out of transisiton is about where I realized this course was going to be as difficult as any I had previously done. The climb out of transition was a mix of standing up hammering the pedals and being in the lowest gear and trying to keep my cadence high. The climb was a good mile long but just as we exited the park it dropped off and became a nice fast downhill where all the lost time got made up. In races of this length you almost always have to deal with roads being open to traffic and this race was no different. Lucky for us being a Saturday in a fairly remote part of NY, and the roads having large shoulders this never really presented a problem. Not having done much research on the actual bike course elevation and the website touting a “athlete friendly” course I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The 28 mile ride out to the turn around was fast, and I kept a good cadence and was not affected by the occasional wind gusts.
I hit the turnaround averaging around 23 mph (1:10ish) and feeling good that a 2:30 would be the bike time on the day. There was a small bump out to hit the turn and then we headed back on to the main road and the climb back towards the park. This is when that 23 mph, comfortable cadence ride became a grind. The winds picked up and with every gust I regretted riding the rear disc wheel. Being aero wasn’t helping so sitting up and grinding it out became the norm for the entire return back. Overall the course ended up having about 700ft more elevation gain than Rev3 Quassy which many regard as the hardest half iron course anywhere. My final split came in at 2:41 which considering the amount of climbing was a solid ride. As I rode the fast descent back into the park, I knew I was 8th or 9th into T-2. Knowing 1st was well out of reach and having dead legs from a tough bike course I wasn’t really sure how the run was going to play out.
As I hurried through transition I noticed one of the guys I came in with was part of a relay so that took him off the board. As I crossed the timing mats and headed out I passed another guy who was not looking like he had good run legs so that gave me the confidence to pick up the pace and make the strong pass. One thing I have learned this season racing in the elite division and towards the pointy end of races is to play the mental game. If you are going to make a pass make it a strong one and no matter how you are feeling make the other guy think he can’t hold your pace. I’ve found this also is a subtle way of pumping your own tires and giving you the motivation to keep pushing. Now I was running in 7th place and with a two loop run course I knew I would have a chance to see those ahead of me. Within the first 3 miles I was able to overtake two other runners and now I was sitting solidly in 5th place. With the out and back course and doing the math in my head I pretty much knew a podium spot was not going to be in the cards. As I made the turn at the 6 mile mark I heard the foot steps of the 6th place male. Not wanting to look back I just tried to look strong and keep the mental game going. As he made the pass I encouraged him to hunt down 3rd and he gapped me by about 25 yards. I could tell he was a strong runner and had a good amount left in the tank and would eventually pull away. That didn’t mean I was going to go down with out a fight. I was able to keep him in my sights for the next 3 miles but just wasn’t able to bridge the gap. Eventually he put the hammer down and put me in his rear view. Meanwhile apparently we both had passed the 3rd place male as he was in the porta john.
When all was said and done I crossed the line in 5th place in a total time of 5:01 and the overall victory in my age group. I had emptied the tank and with a run course that again had more elevation gain than the notorious Quassy course my legs were spent. Initially I was a little disappointed with my overall time but looking back at how slow times were across the board I came to realize that my 5:01 was probably my standard 4:4x on a easier course. At the end of the day you swim, bike and run the same distance as the other competitors so overall times really don’t have much meaning. Having just missed my goal of a podium slot but having been aggressive throughout the race I was able to be happy with the performance.
Congratulations Coach. Great perspective!
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