Boulder Peak Recap

Got to TA with about 20 mins before closing and wasted no time setting things up (this being my 3rd race this year I now have it down to a science) This isnt amateur hour. Once out of transition I had the time but the bathroom line was a little excessive, Ive never seen it encompass the parking lot like that. Eventually someone did get smart and re open just the second set of bathrooms in TA. I waited around for almost an hour since I was the very last wave to go off.

The water was warm almost wetsuit illegal at 73*, far different then my first race this year at the Boulder Res where it was 59*. I started the swim about second row and right center. I figured I would drift more to the right making it easier for me to see the buoy and keep it on my right side (the side I breath and sight on). There was some bumping and grinding at the start but I found a great channel. I could tell some guys were going out too hard and within the first 500m I was able to pass a good chunk of my wave before the first turn. Even though by this point I was swimming blind, goggles totally fogged up. Turning away from the sun in my face did help a little but by the second turn I started to overtake some of the weaker swimmers from the previous wave. Heading for home I would sight people instead of buoys but then be SOL a few strong strokes later when I passed them. I used my legs as little as possible but my stroke could have been faster. I got out of the water with a 2 min Olympic distance PR. I guess I must be doing something right because my swim is improving with leaps and bounds each race.



T1

Dropped my goggles on the way to TA and had to stop and grab them but still managed to get my wetsuit off with no trouble at all and run out with a few second T1 PR

Bike


The mount was fast but not the foot placement and in doing so I somehow managed to go off the road and into the grass before getting a few pedals in. I took it conservatively, concentrating on getting my breathing under control, and getting some water in me. I was passed by a few guys (of whom were admiring my bike) and I estimated myself to be in the top 30 at that point. One good thing about being last wave is that you get to see a lot more of your teammates and familiar faces on the bike and get to encourage each other. This course demands encouragement, its one of the hardest Olympic Distance in the country (many pros cut there teeth on this one and wear it as a badge of honor). Not only do you climb up a mountainous road but you are also at altitude and end up gasping for each breath. My legs recovered from the swim much better this time around and I made my way up Lee Hill Rd again passing some of the slower members of the previous wave (maybe a few waves away) Each wave was separated by @5 mins.

At the summit there was no time to celebrate. I shifted gears and grabbed a bottle of G2 from the aid station. I love how well the volunteers take care of us, they open the bottles and ensure that everything is set to just start drinking as soon as you get it. Of course this leaves room for spillage (but we will get to that at the next aid station). I took a few sips and having nowhere to put the bottle since my Felt (Cortez) only has one bottle holder (which was currently occupied by water), I had to almost immediately ditch the G2. I hate being so wasteful, and im not the only one in this situation, maybe I can convince Ironman's race director to get smaller bottles so riders have the option. Anyway, 2 points...I was able to get it in the can on my way back up hill for a half mile before the decent. The initial half mile of the decent has a strictly enforced 35 mph speed limit and the incline is no joke. Without braking you could easily get up to 40-45 mph even out of aero. I hammered on the breaks at only about 23 mph but at least I was safe (and to my surprise I later recieved word from my friends at Ironman in the med tent that no one had an accident today). The downhill relief went on for another 8 miles and I loved every minute of the speed. I got into a zone and began passing people, however none in my age group that I recall.

At mile 20 was the second aid station and my stratigy was much the same as the first however this time I grabbed the bottle at a much faster pace, squeezed it tightly and got G2 all over the volunteer. After that I royally missed the garbage can, again since I was traveling faster and the fact that I drank less out of this bottle so it had more weight. Also im left handed and on the bike im forced to throw with my right.

At mile 23 I passed a 15 year old who was kicking some major butt and told her great job. I finally passed 2 people in my age group (one all tatted up that I reconized as someone that always passes me on the bike in races) but both re-passed me within the last mile as I prepared to dismount and get ready to run.

T2

My dismount was epic! I saw a guy in front of me cut it too close and get a penalty for going over the mount line so when I came flying in I didnt take any chances. I dove off the bike, throwing caution to the wind even let go of the bike (like one of those out of bounds dives in basketball) If you're not touching the bike over the line apparently no penalty bc all I got were smiles and applaude. I was able to catch the bike once grounded before it too struck the ground. Its so light that I lifted it a little off the ground until it was rolling straight. I quickly racked it and got my shoes on (tied, but next time ill have quick laces) and was out of T2 before one of the guys in my AG that had passed me.

Run

I was on a high knowing that I had great splits thus far and had a very speedy T2, I started my watch an grabbed some water right away out of TA. Being that I was the last wave, many of my teammates had already finished and now lined the later parts of the run (out and back) it was great to have their encouragement before heading out and having something to look forward to on the return. Within the first mile I passed not only that tattooed biker in my AG but also another who I just couldnt hang with since half way up Lee Hill. In the back of my mind the whole run I worried that he would surge back but I still went out a conservative 7:18 pace. A bit off my Sprint distance opening mile goal pace of 6:35. At the time I felt that this pace was right where I needed to be in order to A) finish and B) have something left in the tank on the return 3 miles in case someone decided to make a go of it. Also in the first mile that 15yr old girl I passed on the bike came charging past at an envious pace. It was probably around 6:45 to 7:00 which is where I was hoping I would be and probably had it in me to go with her but was not about to make that decision and blow up that early in the run so I let her go.

After the first mile, I cruised, picking off more men with 42 on their calf than i'd ever seen. Is this some sort of mid life crisis year or something? I passed at least 50 people before the turn around. I saw some of my teammates along the way on their way back and it would have been nice to be able to catch up to them (and I would have been hugely motivated to do so had I seen John from my Cherry Creek and BB10K showdowns). I was starting to overheat so I poured 2 cups of water on my head (visors are good for keeping it up there and out of your eyes), drank 2 as well. Again at the mile 4 aid station same thing (no gels), but I did mix in some G2. After making my way up Certain Death path to the turn around I walked at that aid station and got in a lot of fluids before picking up the pace for the return. I got my first glance at the guys in my AG that I had passed and deemed them a now show for the finishing any time around me. On a side note I often look worse off then I really am in races, I've found that you can always go harder no matter what face you are making. Not sure if this has worked to my advantage yet but ill keep a look out for people I basically snipe at the finish. Wouldnt it be great if they had huge screens like they do on the track at meets where you can see if someone is gaining on you in the final stretch?

I held steady at this faster pace even up one of the last hills but just before the final hill there was a 5' dimond back snake on the path in the middle of the race that broke my focus just before having to take on a hill. After I muscled up, I got back to work and decided it was time to get this thing done. I was now in no mans land, no one to aim for and spark any type of kick. It wasnt until the final 600m which is downhill that I started a kick feeding off the massive crowd around the shoot. It was a PR day (6 of them)SBR, T1,T2 and overall time!





Amanda Stevens, Tim ODonell, Matty Reed (lifetime fitness)
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Boulder_Peak!_P3426613/



overall place: 380 out of 1292
division place: 41 out of 94
gender place: 267 out of 718
time: 2:41:02
pace: 7:43
swim: 28:05 (33rd out of the water out of 94)
t1: 1:58
bike: 1:21:51
t2: 1:13
run: 47:55


Click Here to read my review from 2010