Here is my race report from the 101 race in Bradenton, FL on May 6th 2007:
Just over two weeks ago I got sick and was feeling the effects up until a few days before this race. I was worried that it was going to affect my performance at this race as it did collegiate nationals two weeks ago. My form started to come around on Tuesday and I started to become confident that I would race well in Florida . I got down to the race on Friday with a full day to check out the course, thanks to Scott at Premiere Sports travel.
I’ll cut to the chase. Race morning came later than usual because we were staying at the race hotel which served as the staging area for the whole race. This is the first time that I have had this convenience and really liked it. After getting all of my gear settled and my CSPC sticker checked in my helmet – the first time this has happened as this is my first pro race – I warmed up for about 10 minutes in the Manatee River. Everyone had to get out of the water and then reenter after a picture was taken. The start was fairly calm because of the varying swimming abilities of the few athletes present. The course was three triangular loops of 1000m. The race directors did a good job of setting up the course so that at no point were we swimming directly into the sun. I settled into a group that was swimming a little slower than I would have liked because there was a large gap ahead of this group. I didn’t get out of the water very quickly, but I also didn’t really expend any energy either. This was the first race that I used the 2XU super elite suit. I almost felt like I was swimming in a wetsuit. It doesn’t have the buoyancy but I felt like I was gliding through the water with decreased drag.
The transitions were set up like the Ironman with all of your gear staged in bags. I don’t particularly care for this type of transition because your gear is unorganized and you don’t really have your own space.
The bike course was changed up until the day before the race due to constraints placed by the city and the fact that this was a first time race. The course ended up being six 13+ mile loops. I had ridden the course a few days before and therefore new the course well on race day. As usual, my heart rate was a little high for the first few miles after transition. I settled into a good rhythm, stayed relaxed, and focused on my form. My HR came down as I expected. The only complaint that I can bring against the race organization is that in the race literature provided to the athletes and on the website we were told that there was to be an aid station at the start of each out-and-back loop and at the far turnaround. With no announcement from the race organization, there was no aid station at the turnaround. I had planned to carry only one bottle which would have been plenty for 6 miles. Luckily, my wife talked me into carrying my rear mounted cage and spare tire carrier. That second cage definitely came in handy! As the wind and heat picked up, my HR started to rise to maintain the same effort and speed. Instead of cutting back a little, I decided to take a risk and continue to ride hard in an effort to remain competitive in the race. I wasn’t at the front of the race, but I wasn’t losing too much time to the leaders.
I worked a lot on my run over the winter and expected to run well off of the bike. I came into transition after passing a couple other pros on the last lap. I was excited that I wasn’t the last place pro in my first race. The first mile went by really well – 6:45 nice and comfortable. Mile two was still smooth and comfortable at just under 7:00 pace. During mile three the wheels fell off. I think I ran over 8:00. I just reminded myself that there are always low points in a race and I will come out of it and feel well shortly. Ice and water weren’t keeping me cool and I wasn’t able to hold down any fluids or calories. I think that I should have taken in some more salt on the bike to keep things flowing through my stomach. The rest of the first of three loops was at a very uncomfortable jog. Salt tabs didn’t help my stomach absorb as they normally do when I get the stomach slosh in a long race. My pace kept deteriorating through the second lap. Just after starting the third lap, I was forced to walk. I couldn’t get my leg muscles to run. I walked, jogged, and stretched the third lap which included a little time of standing and talking with my family. They were very supportive but I was very disappointed. Luckily, I had a very long third lap to think the race through. During this lap, I met Mark from Brandon, FL. We ran together for a while and swapped stories to pass the time. By the end, I was glad to have finished my first pro race. I didn’t want to DNF even though that would have been the smartest thing to do physically because I have another race of this distance in 5 weeks. I have been told that once you quit a race, it becomes much easier to drop out of following races. I don’t want it to ever be an easy decision to drop out of a race.
My goal was to finish around 6:15 and I had been on pace through mile two of the run. I am happy with where my fitness is despite the bad result at this race. I ended up finishing just under an hour behind my goal time. Although I didn’t have the race that I wanted, I was still able to positively impact others. Mark’s wife wrote about our contact in her blog: http://clydesdalestriharder.blogspot.com/2007/05/stud-muffin-101.html
I’ve now got some time to rest, a few weeks to hit the training really hard, and then taper down for the 101 race in Clearlake, CA . This is a tough distance to race. I wasn’t sure if it would feel more like a half or full iron distance race – the two distances that in which I have experience. It feels right in the middle just as one would expect. I didn’t think that there was much room in terms of feeling, effort, and intensity between the two, but the 101 fits nicely for me.
Despite a few hitches, I was pleased with the race. The race was safe and fairly well organized. Had this been a bad experience or an unsafe day, I would not be planning to race the next race in the series. The aid stations were well stocked. The volunteers were great. The race organization was really interested in making the race a good experience and a fair competition.
Thanks to my family for their continuing support, 2XU and Inside-Out Sports for providing me with the best equipment, and Premiere Sports travel for arranging my travel schedule. I can’t continue to improve without your support.
I raced a time trial on the Orange County Speedway last night - May 16th. I've never done an event this short so I wasn't sure how to pace it. It was only 7.9 miles long. I got in a good warm up with some short high effort intervals to get my legs ready. Local cycling star, Derek Powers, started just a head of me. Since the track is only .375 miles long, I was worried about getting lapped by him. I started maybe a little too fast (to prevent Derek flying by) and faded a touch over the last couple of laps. I did get lapped twice by Derek, but ended up third overall. At 26 years old, out of the top 7 I was the youngest by 16 years.
I had a really great time because of the people at the event. Everyone was friendly and talkative. I met some folks that I hope to see again at races again. Jason Biggs and his crew did a great job with the event. If the other races that Finish Strong puts on fit into my schedule, I'll race in them. I get the feeling that everyone at their events is treated like a star.
I'd also like to commend Stacey Richardson, who accidentally finished one lap early. She told the race organization and had her result removed. Now, that's class!
