The weather in CO has been crazy lately with 100* plus days where you have to escape into the mountains or end up fried. Then the fires started all over the state putting a haze in the air and particulates that irritate your lungs when doing outdoor activities. I feel so bad for the people that lost their homes in CO springs, Flag Staff and Fort Collins area. That being said I had an intense 2 week training block to get ready for the Boulder Peak Olympic Tri (my third time doing it). As a part of the 5150 series and HyVee qualifier this was my last Chance to place within the top 15 in my age group and get into the national championships in Iowa. I added 2 extra days to my taper and made sure that any training I did do wasnt going to be too fast paced to recover from quickly.
I was able to pick up my packet just before the skies opened up and flooded out the event site, we are talking deep 6" trenches the water left on the beach. The forcast called for much of the same but come race day the rains stopped when transition opened at 6am.
No longer a nuub, I used some smart thinking and avoided potentially 20+mins of lines both in the car and at the bathroom. My transition spot was 3 racks away from the swim in entrance which is where I like to be. Running in the wetsuit and barefoot is a lot slower than in sneakers. Transition closed at 7am and I was in the last AG wave at 8:10. The clouds were starting to break up to show a little sun and the dense fog up on Old Stage started to dicipate. It reminded me of when I did the Syracuse 70.3, rainy, wet and foggy. Then I wore sunglasses, today I was prepared to wear clear lenses, but just before I left transition I switched them out as the day became a bit brighter and promising.
I must have went to the bathroom 3 times before my wave, but at least I had time to do so. With about 10 mins to go I threw on the wetsuit and headed out on the beach at the Boulder Res. I waded out into the water to a front position on the bouy side (the squeeze side as I call it), where I put on the goggles that had leaked on me 2 races ago (brand new 35$ goggles). I put my face in the water to check them out and they were fine, then waited for the horn.
Swim:
I started off with good start pace, and was surprised not to be trampled right away. I did have a few knocks, one where the guy next to me locked arms on the stroke and a few times just bumping around trying to create space. One of the guys I was battling with was Eric from the Kompetitive Edge team (one of our tri store sponsors for Rocky Mountain Tri Club), who I've gone on a few training rides with. I dont know what did it but all of a sudden im choked up and about to have a panic attack. I have never felt this in a race, only in practice where I just simply stop swimming and bob there for a bit. Since this was a race, that was not an option. I tried to settle my breathing and keep my face out of the water a little but it wasnt working, for 200M it was just getting worse. I then just closed my eyes and swam harder trying to get away from anyone near me and hit the open water alone. Within a few strokes this actually worked even though my goggles had started to fog up I got back into the game and was fine. I sighted all 7 bouys going out to the first turn, and even the next but after that it was hit and miss (my goggles cleared up a bit for some reason). However being the last wave, there were plenty of people to sight off of instead of having to lift my head. I swam next to one of Eric's teammates and behind this guy I knew I was faster than but couldnt seem to pass since he kept weaving all over the place. Regardless, I was out of the water around 25 (I never stopped the watch) (24:35- 16th/82 in my wave out of the water). Thats a min faster than the KC 5150 on 5/20.
T1 was uneventfull except the added step of placing a gel in my pocket (I should do this under my wetsuit next time, it will be fine they are sealed and water proof). During KC I had to come back for this.
Bike:
Even though I wasnt out of breath too much before now, I got on the bike, got my feet in and then was out of breath (the first hill coming out of the first turn doesnt help much). Right away 3 people passed me including a girl. I biked my own race though, knowing that I had to get under control before turning up Old Stage and the massive hill climb that includes some 15% incline. I made it to the hill about 2 mins later than I had in training and started hammering up while in the saddle for as long as I could. In training I could do it with some great cadence seated, but today it was slow, out of the saddle and lacking in either coordination or power. While I was out of breath, I wasnt gasping like previous years.
While on the climb there were a few interesting sightings to deter your focus.
-Old lady in front of her house in her bathrope with nothing on under neath. Confirmed, Eric saw the goods.
-The pick up that Ironman employee Jess had driven into a ditch that was teedering on 2 wheels. Pictures or it didnt happen!
Post summit you get a water station (aka, a sip of electrolite drink before you have to ditch it because you dont have a holder for it), and a nice 35mph speed limit the first mile even though you can easily get up over 45, I've been at 48 myself but that was on a dry, clear day with the road to myself. Anything over this limit and you get an automatic DQ, no questions. I was able to pass that girl back and leave her there. After the line though, I hammered except for one turn that just didnt look right to me. A guy behind me rolled up along side me and without saying anything we took the turn in parrallel and he commended me on my choice to slow down right there and not killing us both. We then played a little cat and mouse before he just took off on me as the hill leveled out close to Rt 36. You get about 8 miles of downhill for your earlier efforts, this is the fun part! I was passing stragglers but no one in my age group. People really have to learn to stay right, some dumb asses were riding right in the middle of our lane and its not even a closed course!
I was surprised how late in the ride I was still feeling strong and not like I just wanted to get off the bike. The first showing of my training efforts. I came into the second to last turn basically in a peleton boxed in, but when I saw an opening I reminded myself that it was a race and that a downhill was coming up so I agressivly passed them. Of course the last remaining hill, they got me back somehow (3 guys). I pulled into T2 7 mins later than I had wanted, again I didnt stop the watch to see what it was exactly. Its strange that the event I spent the most time and money on have yeilded the least results. I wouldnt change it though, my tri bike was a great purchase, fits great and is an absolutely amazing bike (maybe not set up the best gearing wise for Old Stage).
T2:
No I was too busy avoiding people stopped at the dismount line (no flying dismount this time, no room), and trying to find my area. For some reason I ran past it and couldnt find it, wasting at least 20 sec.
Run:
I got out on the run course relaxed and ready to gun down anyone within striking distance. In the first mile I passed 2 people from my age group, second mile repeated that again. By mile 3 at the turn around I had 6 people passed from my age group and spotted a guy that I marked for passing. There were stations just about every mile and while I didnt take in any cals I did dump water on my head at every one of them and take a alt (water/powerade) drink at all but 2 of them. Mile 4 my legs started locking up and every step was painful in the quads. My calves were burning. I felt like I had a collapsed right lung but somehow kept passing people. At mile 5 I took a quick look back, I was not about to be sniped today. Especially seeing how I didnt know what place I was in at all. Ill try to figure it out on a story board knowing that I left the water in 16th. I somehow managed a kick the last 600m, gasping for air like I was at the finish of the BB10k. The guy that I had marked to pass ended up being 40 so he wasnt even in my age group, but he was running with a guy that was. That made 6 or 7 on the run. The next guy ended up being 40 seconds ahead.
Mile splits:
7:02
I finished 25th out of 82 in my age group, no where near top 15 both in place and time. Even with my goal paces totaling a 2:26 finish I still would have only placed 19th. It is dissappointing but at the same time I had shown huge improvement both over last year and over the Kansas City race, and its hard to belittle a 7:48min course PR. Boulder is pretty competative and I placed 42nd last year. I got word that 5150 may not have enough people for HyVee and they may start doing a roll down from previous races. So there is a chance with my 18th place finish at KC, but its a small chance.
For now its a few days rest and then ramp up and start loging some major miles to get ready for the Boulder 70.3 Half Ironman 8/5/12 for some unfinished buisness and to take my DNF off the boards!
Results:
S: 24:35 pace 1:39/100m 203 OA/ 16 Div
T1: 2:04 (15th out of T1)
B: 1:20:45 speed 19.4 419 OA/42 Div (30th off the bike)
T2: 1:33 (31st out of T2)
R: 44:18 pace 7:09 240 OA/ 26 Div (Finished 25th)
2:33:15 25th out of 82
261 over all
225/724 men
Showing posts with label 5i50. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5i50. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Kansas City 5i50 Triathlon
Struggling through some relationship issues the week before, just getting to the start line of this race was truely the hardest test. I made the 9 hour drive across boring Kansas alone and tried to refocus my energy to the task at hand, qualifying for the Ironman 5i50 HyVee Championships. My mission was to place in the top 15 in my age group. Other than that, I was extremely excited for this race, my 3rd Olympic distance race and my first one at lower altitude (first 2 were Boulder Peak 5i50 2010,2011).
I broke up the drive from Denver with a stop in Salina, KS at a 60$ hotel. You definitely get what you pay for as far as hotels go, but sometimes you're so tired you can sleep anywhere. My morning run yeilded an increased pace of 1min/mile at the same percieved effort, so things were looking and feeling good going in.
I got to packet pick up just as they opened at the race site (Long Lake in Lee Summit, MO) 1pm, I guess a lot of other people just wanted to get it out of the way also, because a long line had quickly formed. The weather was unsettled, windy with a mix of rain and sunshine. There is always a fear that things arent going to be organized and to be honest I dont know how they put together any race of 1400 athletes with any amount of success. So when things didnt really run smoothly at packet pick up I became a little leary about race day, kind of like being all in on a pair of threes.
After pick up I drove back into Kansas City to get a tour of Boulevard Brewery and find a store that stocked beers from one of my favorites.. Vermonts own, Magic Hat Brewery. BLVD's tour didnt really compare well with CO front range breweries, I guess we get a little spoiled. To be honest it was the first brewery I have ever been to that didn't smell like barley and hops. Even a comparable (in the sense that its also soley a pack and deliver kind of brewery) place like Coors can be smelled for miles around Golden.
After my free samples of beer I headed back to Lee Summit where I stayed in the Fairfield Inn about 9 miles from the race site. This place was much nicer with an amazing breakfast (which I couldn't partake in due to it starting at 7am and me checking out at 5am). I did another check of my bike and equipment, added all the necessary stickers and went through my goody bag. It was then that I realized that I had no timing chip, apparently unlike most races they give them to you on race morning after body marking (Syracuse 70.3 did this also). They figure it would save you the 25$ replacement fee, but for me it was just one more thing to worry about on race morning. After all a nervous brain doesn't exactly make all the right decisions all the time.
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| Swim route on Longview Lake Kansas City, MO |
Crazy weekend, I hope to never have to drive KS again. I went to Boulevard Brewery, Race went off without a hitch though, weather was just about perfect. I didnt get the best swim starting position so it was a fight for the first 200m, then my goggles fogged up and I swam pretty much blind the rest of the way. It was a counter clockwise route instead of the usual clockwise so I was breathing on the wrong side to be able to see. My wave had some fast guys in it and we overtook not only the wave infront of us but some straglers in the one in front of that as well so it again was a battle the whole way. I ended up almost drowning a girl because my hand got stuck in her goggle strap. I got out of the water like 11th with a 3 min pr on that distance. Long run to transition and my bike for a 2 loop bike course of rolling hills and a little wind. I put up a good fight and got passed by 3 guys (dont know if they were in the same race or not though since the sprint race was on the same course 30 mins later and they only did one lap).
I took the run out pretty conservatively, my legs were burning and locking up and I didnt want to totally blow up. No one passed me on the run from my AG. I got 18th, wanted to be top 15 so I was about 2 mins away from that but still had a great race and couldnt see improving on the day more than one min. Maybe next time.
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