What's been going on (Part 2 of 3)

Big Update (2 of 3)

August 

The month of a break. With the knee preventing me from racing in Ironman Lake Placid, it was time to just let it heal. The entire month of August was recovery. So it was time to really just relax and have some fun!

Luckily, the knee only gave me problems if I ran...meaning I could bike! The local tri club I'm a aprt of, Tri New England, takes part in a support ride for cancer. Essentially we ride along side participants and provide morale and technical support. When the event, Ride Round Rhody, was brought up I didn't think twice to help out. It's a 65 mile fundraising ride to help support those who need cancer treatment. 

Before I knew it, it was the little guys birthday! Can't believe he turned 3 this year! As usual, my wife was on top of things and ordered a pretty awesome cake.

 

September

After 6-8 weeks of recovering from the injury, it was time to start getting back into the swing of things. It had been over a year since I raced in a tri, so I decided to sign up for a local sprint. Plan was to use it to see where my fitness was. 

During this time, I also teamed up with D3 Multisport for my attempt to qualify for Kona at Ironman Lake Placid in 2015. It's been a very nice resource to take any of the thought process out of training and very personalized. Geared around my life and at the level I need. Definitely has helped elevate my training to the next level for my Kona qualifying attempt. 

So I've signed up for the tri, getting trained from D3 and healthy itching to race. It was the perfect mix for a great day! Here is the race report:

My last triathlon was IMWI last September. That race took a lot out of me in terms of putting it all out there and having it all fall apart on the run. Then leaving the Rockford area, moving to Rhode Island, new job, new house, new environment, getting injured and missing out of IMLP...let's just say I was chopping at the bit to get out there and race in a tri.

A sprint out here on the East Coast costs just as much, if not more, than an Olympic in the midwest. I was hesitant to sign up for this race due to that fact, but I did anyway. It was the Tri Club of New England's end of the year club race I'm also a part of. No one out here has seen me race so there was something to prove too. This race seemed to be at the perfect timing in my schedule to race. 

The race consisted of a 400m OWS (mass swim starts of 2 waves - all males, all females and relays), a 12 mile bike, and a 3.2 mile run. After the hour drive to the event, I felt like I was at home. I entered the park and immediately thought of Rock Cut. I saw the lake and it reminded me of Olson Lake. Transition was set up in the grass so I knew I could really push through transition. Once I got done with all the boring stuff (logistics) I found my spot in transition. Pretty much perfect. Right near the entrances/exits and near a corner. 

Everything is situated, its about 65-68 degrees out and perfect. I start looking around and see everyone in wetsuits. I started thinking to myself "is the water really that cold? It's really not cold out, I think its perfect! Am I missing something? Isn't the swim only 400m? This is a sprint triathlon right *check the event details*, yup it really is a sprint! These transition times are going to be SLOW! Take advantage!". As I walk to the beach, everyone is looking at me. "Did the wind make something grow? *looking down at my waistband*, nope that's not it" I notice I'm one of maybe 3 people without a wetsuit on! The TriNE club is giving me a hard time saying I'm going to freeze on the bike. I come back at them saying that this is normal weather in the Midwest!

After a tribute to the kids (the triathlon was created to help raise funds for a NICU) and the national anthem...we were ready to go. All the men gripping their feet into the wet sand, hands on their watches, and some swaying shoulder bumps...we were set. Just before the gun I love looking around. It's serene. Everyone out here puts in the work outside of the 40 - 60 hour work weeks, gets up before their kids, workouts after their kids go to bed. Lunch workouts, buying carbon bikes, aero helmets all for what? To push ourselves? How f**king awesome is this! The last deep breathes, last second spits, the slow motion of your competitors blinking. At this moment I knew I was ready. 

The gun goes off and we all sprint into the water, others dolphin diving as I chuckle and pass them. The water starts to hit waist level and I start to swim. Every stroke I feel neoprene, legs, feet, heads. I attempted to wear my HR monitor on my swim - terrible mistake. It starts to slip and all I can think of "I'm not going to lose $60!", so I quickly tuck it in my tri shorts and keep moving. Fighting for position I actually swim a straight line to the 1st turn. Trampling over some people I make the turn and see a ton of people ahead of me. I tell myself to stay calm and keep swimming - trust in your bike and run. The whole way I feel people all around me, slapping guys across their face as if they were a terrible prom date, smacking butts like I want to get a sexual assault suit going. But I keep pushing and get to shore. As I put my feet down all I feel are rocks. "what the heck is this?! am I that spoiled in the midwest to have atleast somewhat smooth landing surfaces for the swim?!". Nonetheless I keep going and tip toe through the beach, I hit the grass and look into transition. Everyone is doing the weird "I really need to pee" dance to get their wetsuits off. People are on their backs kicking in the air, stepping on their own feet and falling over. "Glad they're not on my bike rack!". After looking at the results, I'm in 49th right now.

400m OWS: 7:05

I get through T1 in :35 seconds. This probably compromised of about a 80m run into transition, another 10m to the bike and get the gear on and out. I was pleased. 

I hop on the bike and actually take it conservatively. The first 200m is all gravel/dirt. Once I get past that, I hit the engine. I start passing guys left and right. I borrowed a 310xt from a club member so I have no idea how fast I'm going. All it was set too was Power. I'm hitting 300-350w like Paula Dean uses lard in her baking. I was warned that the course was rolling with a good uphill at mile 8 or so. I don't care and keep pushing, it's only a sprint right? There are some worthy competitors that are drafting off of me so I push a little harder. At one point I hit 500+w, this just fuels the fire. I calm down and get into a groove and stay at about 300-320w for the uphills and 165-200w for the downhills. By mile 6 I don't have anyone around me. As I make a turn, a volunteer yells "you are in 2nd!" followed by muffles. Most likely telling me I was about :30 seconds behind first. I keep pushing and finally hit that famed hill the club was talking about. 1st place was bonking on it and I was thriving. Hitting 350-400w I kept pushing...then it happens. He looks back. I stands up and starts to attempt to go, but I follow. It was like he was the antelope attempting to get away and it wasn't happening. I catch up to him and he begins to draft me. Knowing I'm in the lead I pull back a little until mile 11 then go. I dropped him by about 20 seconds coming into T2. 

12 mile bike: 28:47, 281w average, 25mph, 4.02 w/kg

I enter into T2 knowing I have the lead, but don't want to lose it through transition. I quickly get through T2 in :26 seconds and add another 4 seconds to 2nd place. Now it's time to close it out.

Sometimes I don't know how the athletes near the back do it. It's always electrifying when all the spectators are there yelling and cheering for 1st. But once spectators loved ones have past them, they move on leaving only a few to cheer on the last place individual. As I run past the roaring cheers of the crowd, it quickly fades as I enter a rocky/dirt path uphill for the first 1/4 mile. 1/2 mile into the run is the first aid station and hear humanity again. I elect to continue to run past them in their disbelief. I hit mile 1 in 6:15. I do a quick peak behind me just to measure up to 2nd place and don't see him. I pick up the pace and dodge some cyclists who are coming in. The shocked looked on the cyclists faces that someone is on the run only motivates me more. The first 1.6 miles are uphill...this was painful! At the turn around I can see 2nd and 3rd. This is a closer race than it is for me. I stride out, run with "pride" and make sure they know I'm not suffering (though I've got a side cramp like nobody's business). I hit mile 2 at 6 minutes. Thank you downhill! Last 1.2 and I'm done. I can start seeing other competitors and hear the cheers and good jobs. My legs are finally under me and I can run. I look down at my watch and see my current pace of 5:10, 5:05, 5:25, hit a hill and 5:55. I cross mile 3 in 5:45 and give everything I have left. One last turn and I see the finish line. I see the time and can't believe it!

3.2 mile run: 19:11, 5:59 average (similar to Rock Cut roads).

I cross the line in 56:06 and see spectator disbelief. Member of the TriNE club rush over to me and congratulate me. I had set a new amateur course record by 20 seconds. The only person to have beat my time was a pro. 2nd place came in nearly 1:40 after me. The closest relay was 13 seconds behind me! 

Great weather, okay course (some pretty rough spots on the bike), and some good competition. Coming out 49th into T1 was no surprise, but the bike was!

Only 1 tri race this year and I sure made the most of it!

Next race is Tri-Mom's RI Duathlon Festival. But, not for another month. Spent the month getting acclimated to the new training that I've signed up for.

9/1 - 9/7
Total: 107.7 miles / 7 hours
Swim: 2050 yards / 1.2 miles / 35 minutes
Bike: 96.5 miles / 5 hours 10 minutes
Run: 10 miles / 1 hours 15 minutes
Core: 3 sessions

9/8 - 9/14
Total: 49.8 miles / 5 hours 30 minutes
Swim: 4400 yards / 2.8 miles / 1 hour 20 minutes
Bike: 40 miles / 2 hours 10 minutes
Run: 7 miles / 1 hours 00 minutes
Core: 3 sessions

9/15 - 9/21
Total: 132.8 miles / 10 hours 53 minutes
Swim: 7125 yards / 4.8 miles / 2 hours 5 minutes
Bike: 106 miles / 5 hours 48 minutes
Run: 22 miles / 3 hours 00 minutes
Core: 3 sessions

9/22 - 9/28
Total: 33.6 miles / 3 hours 56 minutes
Swim: 4634 yards / 2.1 miles / 1 hour 58 minutes
Bike: 28 miles / 1 hours 30 minutes
Run: 3.5 miles / 0 hours 27 minutes
Core: 3 sessions