Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Austin

It's a little unusual to write about the of my season at the end of October but in hindsight, I'm glad I had the opportunity to get one more race in.

This was my third time racing in the road but unlike the last two, I had free bike transport compliments of my brother who drove to race here.

As a result, my wife and I got to fly in Friday morning without the hassle that airlines have created around transporting a bike. Both they and the bike transport companies should get a clue that when you jack your prices up you actually discourage business.

In any case we arrived in Texas without incident and soon made our way to the town of Lakeway which lies more or less to the west of Austin proper.

Our lodging at the Lakeway Resort and Spa could not be better.

Friday was a relaxing and uneventful day for resting. Saturday saw my brother and I heading over to set up our transitions (yes plural) and check in our bikes.


Unlike my previous events, this one has T1 and T2 in two different locations. But first things first. Before any set up could occur, we first had to go to the expo and pick up our packets.

Most of the staging happens at the Travis County Expo center which in addition to several acres of grounds has a buildings we'll-suited for events like ours.

This exposition was pretty much like any other I've been to with the notable exception of being inside. Due to the multiple transition nature of the race, our packets also included bags for various stages of the race. More on that later.

Since T2 was located within the grounds of the Exposition we decided to go ahead and set up there. It also gave us the opportunity to view some of the run course.

Setting up meant getting items out of the Tri bag and putting them into my "run gear" bag. We used Ted's car as our staging area:

The red bag you see I the  foreground is for run gear. Into it I put my shoes, socks, visor and race belt. Then it gets tied up and hung from the crappy saw horse-style racks.

With all of that done, it was off to nearby Walter E. Long lake which was site of the swim and T1.

Here we checked in our bikes and tied our bike gear bags to the rack:

All that was left was to do a quick perusal of the swim course. After the sighting problems I had at TriRock  it was nice to see a course so well-marked:

Then it was back to Lakeway for dinner at the Hill Country Pasta House and then off to bed for an early rise.

Despite getting  an early start and making good time, We still got stuck in traffic as several hundred racers converged on the course at the same time. It was definitive proof that we made the right decision in setting up our transitions ahead of time. 

Once parked at the expo center, we boarded a school bus which shuttled us out to the lake. We arrived to an announcement that transition was closing in four minutes. While we were mostly set up we both still needed to put our water and nutrition bottles on the bike. Despite threats to cut off our wrist bands  and kick us out, we did get set up. So did several other people who were still arriving.

That drama was complete then it was time for pre race business at the porta-potties and then time to dawn the wetsuits and wait for our swim wave to start.

The Swim

There were no arrangements nor enough time for a swim warm up but at the least there was an in-water start. It was not chilly, but I still prefer to get my suit fully immersed and adjusted before the race starts. 

The wait to start felt short and soon I was working my way outside the buoy line doing my beys to avoid the group grope. That's only sustainable for so long  and in time I was bumping into folks as well as catching people in the waves that preceded my own. I went by one guy who was elementary back-stroking (no kidding) as well as a young woman who was just floating on her back, presumable due to some duress. 

I felt really good during the swim never getting too winded and it went by quickly. I clocked myself at a little over 37 minutes as I left the water which was also where my official time ended up.

 
Hey Garmin, why are you always losing reception in the middle of my swim?!

Transition was a little slow due to a long  run up from the beach as well as the time it took to open my bag, get my bike shoes and helmet and then put my wetsuit away. The transition area was also lousy with burs so everyone, me included, was carrying their bike out until reaching pavement.

The Bike

I got going and was soon cruising north out of the area over some minor hills. The road was  wet from over night rain so I took it easy on the downhills. I don't have. Lot of experience with riding in the rain and this didn't seem like a good time to learn.

The hills of the initial section were steep but short and I felt pretty good as I made my way past mile 11 and on to the first sustained climb. I thought I was making good time but I would later find that I was behind my goal pace.

A right turn onto Lettig Road showed me just how far out int the country we were. But the scenery was pretty and lots of folks who lived along the course came out to wave and cheer everyone on. Say what you will about Texans but they are the friendliest folks I've come across.

By the time the course was heading south I was still making okay time, but I was also feeling kind of bonky despite having taken in over 300 calories of nutrition. I was not hot (the sky was overcast and a cool breeze was out) and not winded but I was tired. My legs were sore and I just could not find my energy levels. I kept at it but it did not get any easier. 

Webberville Road is the last sustained section and I guess just to make things fun, the race organizers decided to cram two way traffic and all of the cyclists into a narrow stretch of road. Their brilliant means of accomplishing this was to set up a line if cones with cars to the left and bikes to the right. As we all know, cones never move once you set them up....right?

I navigated this without too much trouble and did my best to stay to the right and out of the way of faster cyclists. A number of them, I suspect, we're folks I had seen fixing flat tires. Nearly all do them were clinchers which will make me wary of any future such set up on my own bike.

The right turn off of Weberville Road was soon upon me and then I was down to the final few miles of the bike. This also meant climbing a couple of short but steep hills before turning back into the expo ground and into T2.

I got myself to my spot which was fairly close to the bike in and had my shoes changed and on my way I what I thought was fairly short order. During the last few miles of the bike I started to feel like my pre-race business was not enough. Given the long run that still waited for me, I decided to hit the porta-potties on my way out of T2 even though that meant waiting in line. 

Maybe it was the fact that I was in a pink (yes pink) porta-john, maybe adrenaline or maybe just getting out of aero position. Whatever the reason, all I managed to do was relieve the fluids I had taken in during the bike. 

Out the door I went and was starting the first of three run loops.

The Run

My goal was to control my pace and not go out too fast. I had really planned on going at no more than a 10:00 pace. However, as easy as I took it, my first three miles were all closer to 9:45. Since I felt okay, I didn't worry about it.

At the end of mile three/the start of mile four, I hit the biggest hill on the course. Truth be told, at the time, it did not seem so bad, but I stuck with my plan and walked until 3.5 miles which saw me back on the expo grounds. 

I did not expect the throngs of people or the carnival-like atmosphere around the arena, but folks were there I droves as if they were tail-gating for a Longhorns game. It was really kind of cool. That energy helped me around the loop right next to the area and then back out for lap 2. 

It was here that I began to feel the effect of the hills as well as a pretty serious bonk. I decided when I got to the base of the hill that lead back into Walter E. Long Park (the back half of the run circuit) that  I would walk the uphills. 

On the way back out of the park, one of the volunteers at the aid station had a package of chocolate chip cookies. They looked so much bigger and more satisfying than the little package  of Bonk Breakers that I opted for them and wolfed them down oven the next quarter mile or so. They were a bit heavy in my stomach, but that was so much better than the horrible empty feeling I had prior to that time.

I ran back down the hill and then walked when it became an uphill. When I got back to the throng of people near the arena I was running again. I was not making great time, but I was still doing much much better than any of then running I my prior 70.3 races. There's no question that I walked more on the third lap, but as the last stretch approached, I picked up the pace and went strong.

This race had the unique feature of finishing inside of the rodeo arena. I could hear the announcements as I ran into the tunnel and was soon on my way to completing my third 70.3 event.

My wife approached and I was glad to see her and anticipated seeing my brother and his family.

"How did Ted do?" I asked as we stepped away from the finish area.

"Ted's in the emergency room," she told me. He had crashed on Webberville Road during the gauntlet of cones. He had a broken collar bone but was otherwise alright. Of course, more than anything I was glad his injury was not more serious, but I also felt for him. All of that training only to have your race ended by a cone.

We got my things gathers up and I was able to get his bags (as well as my own) and then I drove his car to the hospital while my wife followed not far behind in our rental. En route, I spoke to Ted who told me of another guy in the same predicament. He crashed when a car bumped a cone into his path.

Unlike Ted, he did not have friends or family on site that day so we gave him a ride back to the expo center and I helped him load bus bike into his car. He and my brother made quite the pair:

The guy, Adam, is an active duty soldier currently attending Ranger school in Texas. I felt good about helping out a fellow triathlete, but helping a solider was even more reason to lend a hand.

Soon, Ted and I were on our way back downtown for a delicious post-race meal at Stubb's Barbecue. In the time since, I've enjoyed a couple of relaxing days here in Austin. This was my view for much of the Monday after the race:

Race Review

Next Time:

Cone Zone: While I can understand that the logistics of getting permits to close roads and/or alter traffic is no easy task, this needs to be re-thought. My brother and Adam were not the only two injuries and I suspect there were several others who may have had issues without needing the ER. Nothing, absolutely nothing, should come between the athletes and their safety. I am calling on the race organizers to give this issue some thought and come back with a better plan for next year.

Pre-Start Logistics: Despite having put this race on in years past, several people were late due to the mass of traffic that descended on the expo center in the early hours of Sunday morning. The facility has multiple entrances and quite a bit of parking that was not used. It may be time to make better use of such a large space.

Expo: I've come to expect the expo at most races to be a little weak. WTC could do more to at least reduce the time you spend in line to pick up your packet. They might also want to consider not charging through the nose for merchandise.

The Good

Venue: Although I was a little uncertain of the two transition zones, it worked out pretty well. Walter E. Long lake was a clean and completely acceptable swim site and the bike through the back country was great. I was there to race, but it would have been cool if I could have snapped a few pics along the way.

I'm not usually a fan if running loops, but this too worked out. Though sometime there were crowds, I never had issues getting around people when I needed to and I never felt like I was in the way.

Finish: The indoor finish had the twin benefits of giving spectators a comfortable place to wait for their athlete to complete their race and giving the athlete the benefit if a more dramatic finish. Although on a much smaller scale, it was a bit like finishing the BolderBoulder in Folsom stadium.

Support/Volunteers: I never lacked for anything on the course nor for anyone to provide it to me. It's got to be a little scary to hand off a water bottle to someone coming by at 15+ MPH but they all did and I stayed well hydrated as a result.

After more than five months and eight races, my 2013 season is over and I feel relieved. I still plan on training, but the pressure to be ready for a race is gone and I'm glad for that. I think the coming odd season will be a good time to try some new things with my diet and training.

Please note, because I have not yet returned home, my Garmin maps of the stages have not yet been uploaded from the device. I'll add those soon.

Thanks for reading!

Seeking Professional Help

Since my departure from competitive, organized sport more than 25 years ago (i.e.: when I finished high school) I have always been a self-supported athlete. Like any amateur age-grouper, I have sought advice from magazines, online forums and from friends with similar interests, but none of that has ever involved being coached in the interactive sense,

Roughly three years ago when I decided that I wanted to become a triathlete, I sifted through the oceans of data available from multiple sources, but again, did not actually seek coaching on any level. Not even a clinic.

After two seasons in the sport, my choice seemed to have been validated. I came out of 2012 in some of the best physical shape of my adult life. My final event of last season was the Rattlesnake Triathlon where I completed the entire Olympic distance in 2:46:00 including a run of 50:43 for just a fraction under 10K.

I followed that up with a half-marathon PR of 1:53:35, more than 10 minutes faster than my previous best. Even late in the season, I did a more casual half under two hours, something that seemed nearly impossible earlier that same year.

Indeed, the only real struggle I had in 2012 was on the run portion of the HITS half-iron distance triathlon. Multiple factors, most especially heat, had me doing a lot of walking in that race. However, it was only one blip on what was, for me anyway, a stellar season.

2013 turned out to be a year of struggles. Inuring my soleus muscle back in January kept me from doing any quality running for much of the late winter and early spring. Completing a full marathon in PR time in May was a pleasant surprise after that, but it also left my body feeling a little beat up.

By the time I had taken a two week vacation as well as allowed my sore legs to heal up, I was way behind the ball when it came to being ready. Unfortunately, I did not fully realize or accept this fact at the time.

Things seemed to be going pretty well at the Loveland Lake to Lake Olympic triathlon in late June. It was a longer swim, but I felt strong as left the water. The bike presented some fairly tough hills, but on the final stretch I was dropping a lot of younger people ahead of me. Then I started running and found myself walking after four miles. I figured it was mostly the heat of the day coming on.

Unfortunately, things were no better three weeks later when I returned to the Boulder Peak Triathlon. A good swim, respectable bike and smooth transitions preceded a run that was again characterized by walking around the 2/3 mark. It was hot again and I was just fried.

Another three weeks saw me back in Boulder at the Ironman 70.3 event and I was pleased to have completed the bike in just over three hours, faster than the year before with HITS. It was hot but not as hot as I headed out on the back road, two loop course that comprise the final 13.1 miles of that event. Again, heat got the best of me and I suspect I walked more than I ran. Thanks to the fast bike however, I still hit a PR and improved more than six and half minutes over my first half iron.

I had higher hopes as I ran the 2013 Rattlesnake. While I had no illusions about being as fast as the previous year, I hoped this would be the one where I got all the way through the run. No such luck. Once again, around four miles and change, I was exhausted. My heart rate was way into my top zone. I was hot and feeling weak. It ended up being my worst running performance yet at the Olympic distance.

Now, I knew there was a problem.

All season long I had trusted my self-written training plan based on the fact that I had done so well the year before. The problem was, I made some significant changes based on assumptions that I now believe were wrong.

First, despite getting faster as a result in 2012 from incorporating interval training into both my bike and run workouts, intervals were not present in my 2013 plan. The reason for this was that they had not been especially helpful at HITS and the 70.3 distance was going to be my focus in the coming year.

Second, I did not have enough long runs in my plan. It’s hard to say what happened here. Perhaps I thought that I would have established such a base from the marathon training that I would be ready. Perhaps I planned to update the schedule a little bit. Perhaps I skipped too many runs.

Looking back at what I scheduled and what I did, I not only ran less in 2013, I planned to run less. The notion that I had a good handle on how to adequately train for a season has proven to be false.

As 2013 winds down, I have taken a few steps to remediate those mistakes, mostly by upping the run mileage. Intervals would, no doubt, do some good, but I’m worried about getting injured. Nevertheless, running for longer distances and periods of time has undoubtedly improved my stamina. I've also been making sure I keep the bike mileage up so that the better performance in that area can be sustained.

The end of one season naturally has me looking forward to the next. One thing is certain even this far in advance: I don’t want to have a repeat. I also have a rough idea of my goals.

I would like to see my Olympic Distance time (using the 1.5K Swim, 40K Bike and 10K run as the basis) to about 1:36:00. That would be a 10 minute improvement. For the half iron distance, I’d like to see that drop dramatically to 5:50:00. Most of that gain would have to be on the run. I have a few ideas about how to do this, but the truth of the matter is I may very well need the help and feedback of a professional.

That I may hire a coach is by no means set in stone. However, it is a distinct possibility. Previously, I had thought that I would only go down this road if I committed to a full Ironman. That is not the case—yet—but my desire to improve is strong.

My health seems to be full restored with the soleus muscle not having bothered me for months now. I also don’t seem to be feeling any particular pain in other areas as well, all of which suggests that my strength is definitely returning.

Two upcoming races have rekindled my desire to go out and perform well and this has translated to better training and a better diet. Indeed, I've lost five pounds since the Rattlesnake.

Nevertheless, I do think that hitting these ambitious goals (especially the 70.3 time) is going to require someone who has helped other athletes make similar improvements. With that in mind, I’ll be researching a few local services and probably making a decision early in the off-season.

As I got through the process, I’ll share as much as I can on these pages. Hiring a coach is another “first time.” It will be interesting to see how it proceeds.

Thanks for reading!

Race Report: 2013 Colorado Marathon

Setting low expectations is, in general, not a particularly good idea. I’m a firm believer that stretch goals push one to closer to reaching their full potential and that as much as possible, a goal should be near the edge of what one thinks one can accomplish.

My plans for this year’s Colorado Marathon, however, were a notable exception to this philosophy. Had I not injured myself back in January, and had that injury not lingered for several weeks to follow, I might be writing a much different report today.

But those things did happen and I had to adjust my expectations accordingly. In 2006 as I prepared for the Rock-N-Roll San Diego Marathon, I had racked up about 430 running miles of training. This year, going back to October, I had only hit 297 miles and there was a large gap the covered around four and half weeks with absolutely no running at all.

With that as my backdrop, I was actually considering dropping out of the race or perhaps changing my distance to the half marathon. This somewhat pessimistic post more or less conceded that I would not be doing 26.2. But, as I have documented extensively since, I had an epiphany of sorts when I determined that I could still walk a great deal of the race and finish with a reasonable time.

All of this lead me to hope for a time of around 5:03 which would be only a tad slower than my 2006 time.

The rest of this story begins at 3:00 am on Sunday morning. Yes, you did read that correctly: I said 3:00 am. I had to be up that early because busses taking racers from downtown Fort Collins to the starting line in the Poudre Canyon started leaving at 4:00. Given the time I needed to dress, eat something and then drive from my parents’ home in Greeley, 3:00 was about the latest I could get up. Ending the day with a DNF because I could not finish the race is one thing; having a DNS because I MISSED THE BUS was completely unacceptable.

Despite the early hour, I felt reasonably well-rested. I had forced myself out of bed at 6:00am on Saturday just to make sure that getting to sleep that evening would be easier and it worked. I was asleep by 9:00 that night. Six hours is not a lot, but it was enough.

Upon arriving at the downtown city parking garage, I encountered more charter busses than I’ve ever seen in one spot. They were scattered about all over, on adjacent blocks, in front the main municipal building, you name the spot, and there was a bus. When I say charter, I do mean charter, not a fleet of school busses. These were the real deal, luxury coaches with soft seats and plenty of leg room. I ended up riding with a guy named Brian who was clearly in class well above mine. He discussed ambitions to Boston-Qualify and was planning to use this race as a recon in case he decides to commit to that goal. That makes sense because according to their own website, the Colorado Marathon has about 20% of its finishers reach the BQ standard.

Of course, I had no such ambitions, but I enjoyed our ride up the canyon and we had a good chat trading marathon war stories. Runners, I find, are generally a congenial group of people. If this had been cyclists…weeellll….

Getting to the bus departure early gave me peace of mind. But it also meant that I was dropped off at the Stevens Gulch picnic area at 5:00, a full ninety minutes before the start. And it was dark and cold. This shot is shortly after I arrived. That’s a crescent moon near the center. It was really that dark up there.

Another benefit of arriving early (I was on the third bus to arrive) was no line for the porta-potties. That turned out to be a huge benefit because as more and more busses arrived, the line got longer and longer. Typical of any race, there were people still there when the gun went off.

Of course, the sun did rise and with about 20 minutes to go until the start, I handed in my gear bag with the clothing and other items I did not plan to have with me on the run.

Given how cold it was and my desire to have a handy place for my phone and nutrition, I opted to keep my running jacket on. Besides, it was still cold (low 40* range I would guess) and I wanted to keep my upper body warm. A single UPS truck was assigned to the task. I would not have thought that would be enough (there were 1700 people registered for the full) but it was. A gear check is really essential in any long race, especially when the temperatures are low and you need to keep warm clothing with you as long as possible. Tasking a shipping company like UPS or FedEx with this task just makes sense.

I hate waiting around before a race as much as anyone, but even in the chilly air, this hour and a half seemed to go by fairly quickly. There was minimal fanfare at the start and before long, we were underway. This is what it looks like when 1700 people start a race in the Poudre Canyon:

I positioned myself between the 5:00 and 5:15 pace groups. I figured that was about where I belonged.

There was the usual slow moving pack as people got up to the line before they began running, but I did not mind. There were 26.2 miles ahead of me and a few seconds really were not going to matter.

This race used bib-based timing tags and I have to say it was a nice change from having to attach a chip to my shoe and worry about it falling off. I predict that more and more running races will continue to adopt this technology. Tri’s are another story. You really can’t swim with a bib on!

I was a little slower than I planned during my first couple of miles, but I attributed that mostly to being a in a pack. As it thinned out, I started running a little under 10:00 pace. The first aid station is at this iconic tunnel. We were about 2.5 miles in now:

These shots are a bit on the blurry side, but I was not yet at a walk break and I wanted to stay as true to my race plan as possible.

I grabbed a cup and kept on moving en route to my first walking stop after four miles. When I reached it, I thought about going on to five, but I decided I needed to stick with my plan. There were over 22 miles to go and my long runs from training informed me that I was going to be very sore and tired before this was all over.

So walk I did and I seemed to be about the only one. People passed me frequently but I gave it no thought. I was still moving.

When I reached the five mile mark, I was moving again and the next four miles were much like the first four. I felt a bit tired at this point, but basically pretty good. Going down hill but on a gentle grade is really nice. Your legs feel better and the cardio never really spikes. I stayed in my Z2 range during this entire time and even recovered into Z1 on the walk breaks.

Upon reaching the 10 mile mark it was time to run again and this was going to be my first real test. I had done a long run a couple of weeks earlier and struggled from the 10 mile mark onward. This was, in large part, due to the fact that I was running up hill. My home in Parker sits at over 6000 feet, higher than most of the town so I almost always end up running up hill to go home. Now I was going down and it was actually going well. While my plan called for a pace of about 10:30 through these miles, I ran under 10 on each of them.

The scenery, as it always is in the Poudre, was great. No industrial parks, Section 8 housing projects or blighted land on this course. Nope. Most of it looked like this:

Peaceful and serene. There were a few cars going up and down the canyon and a few cases where one lane of traffic had to yield to the other, but it actually was going smoothly and no one honked in anger, made obscene gestures or otherwise behaved like a jackass. The State Patrol was also running a couple of motorcycles up and down the highway and signaling runners to stay to the left of the cones that were placed at about halfway through the uphill lane.

The biggest problem I had through this stretch was the banked curvature. For any readers not familiar with canyon roads, they are built with a bank on steep curves. It’s not as dramatic as what you might find on a NASCAR track, but the same principal applies. It’s not the kind of thing you notice when driving, but you definitely feel yourself running at weird angles. Fortunately, as the curve begins to straighten out, the bank eases back to flat as well.

Shortly after the picture above, I reached the mouth of the canyon. It was now a couple of miles beyond the half way point. The final stages of the race were in sight and I was happy about this:

As you can see, I’m still wearing my jacket. It was still cool and now a breeze was blowing. Given that I was also walking some, it made sense to keep it on and stay warm.

The last section of the course that follows Colorado Highway 14 is a straight and mostly flat section that eventually intersects with US 287. I say mostly because there is a gradual hill on the last mile or so of 14. Along here, I did manage to see my dad who was volunteering for the race as one of the communication coordinators (he’s a Ham Radio operator). That was necessary because most of the canyon does not have cell phone service.

The climb out of Highway 14 continued as I headed south on 287 before finally flattening out. It had been 3 miles since my last walk break, but I decided to take one here. The climbs as well as the overall distance were taking their toll. What’s more, the next 1.2 miles or saw would see the biggest hill on the course. Known as Bagel hill for a guy who used to hand them out to runner, this one is about a 2.5% grade for half a mile. It’s also at mile 19 near the traditional “wall” for marathoners. I saw no need to burn myself out running up this one so I walked it until I had clearly reached the crest and then enjoyed an easy run down the back side, headed toward the town of Laporte.

Now I did two more miles before the next walk break. Running was getting harder and harder. I tried not to look at the distance on my Garmin, but it sure did seem to take a long time to reach the mile markers. Right around the start of mile 22, you are off the road for the duration of the race and on the Poudre River Trail which is an extensive bike path.

A short while after joining the path, you are on the same stretch of path used by the Horsetooth Half Marathon. The last time I was on this stretch, I was suffering the results of the first 9 miles of that race. While I was certainly in even more pain now, my outlook was better. It was clear that I was within striking distance of my PR. The faster than expected times in the early miles plus my first two walk breaks being about 90 seconds ahead on each, put me in far better shape than I expected.

This bridge (the picture is only part of it) is another scenic icon of the race. However, it bounces so if your rhythm is not in sink with the bounce, you could end up coming down kind of hard. I walked it and was happier for it.

I ran mile 23 but that would be my last full mile of running. I reached mile 24 and walked for a half, then ran the second half. Then I ran from 25 to 25.5. Now I was within striking distance and I liked the time I was seeing on my watch. I knew I would hit the sub 5:00 mark and I didn’t much care how far below that I went. I also had about 0.35 miles of drift between my watch and the course markers. Around 25.8, I started running again. The path runs directly to Linden Street. Make a left and you end up at the New Belgium Brewery, makers of Fat Tire along with several other fine beers. Turn right and you’re headed toward Old Town Fort Collins which is their downtown, pedestrian mall area.

This last stretch was further than I thought it was going to be but off in the distance I could see the blue finish arch. This is the point in the race where the sore muscles and exhausted cardio-vascular system are overwhelmed by the momentum and the desire to finish. Along orange crowd-control fences were throngs of spectators (even at this late stage of the race) all cheering. I stepped over a timing sensor and moments later the MC was announcing my name and home town and encouraging everyone to cheer me on—which they did enthusiastically. Everyone deserves such an ovation after completing such a task. My time across the line was 4:55:48. That was a PR by more than 5 minutes!

My Highlights and Low Lights

With a finishing time that was a PR, I was delighted. Scarcely more than a month earlier, I had resigned myself to not doing this one, only to not only finish, but beat the time I ran seven years earlier. I also stayed true to my plan except when exceeding it. Better still, the injury that prohibited so much of my training was hardly noticed. I felt a little pain early on but most of what I feel today is the normal sore muscles and ligaments that follow running so far for so long. The only low light was the fact that had I been able to train the way I intended, I think I could have cracked 4:30. I’m not dwelling on that, however.

The Race Review:

Next Time

Start Area Wait. I hate to offer a criticism when I don’t have a clear solution, but the start is a little problematic. I love that you get to run down the Poudre and the Stevens Gulch area is more than able to accommodate everyone. However, it if had been wet or windy, a mere annoyance could have resulted in people suffering hypothermia before the race even started. Perhaps the organizers already have a contingency for this. Perhaps not. Either way, they should.

Porta-Potties. You really can never have enough. Though the start area had something on the order of 25-30 units, that number probably should be increased by 10 or so. Making people wait in the line for 30 minutes or more is never a good experience. I was spared, but only because I arrived so early.

Course Maps. Like other events, the organizers should make use of one of the various online mapping tools out there. The fairly crude and basic map that is on the website gets the general idea across, but there are so many other, more detailed options available.

The Good.

There’s a lot more right with this race than wrong. Like other events that have been going on for several years, the collective knowledge that follows makes the experience good for everyone.

Course. Fantastic. Beautiful scenery from start to finish. Every mile was marked with a big banner and there were no confusing turns or twists. Anyone who is doing their first marathon should think about this one because the course is so forgiving.

Support. This was really well done. Porting bags from the start to the finish was easily accomplished with a bib tear-tag and a zip tie. UPS knows how to move things from one place to another and I had no problem getting my bag after the finish. Aid stations were adequately stocked with water and Gu Brew (as well as Gu gel at a few) and volunteers were standing with multiple cups to hand off. I ran through all of the stations with no problem.

Volunteers. They are the backbone of any event and these were world-class. My dad (a multi-year volunteer himself) noted that the people who do this event are always excited to come back. Whenever you run a race, thank a volunteer. They’re awesome and we’d all be resigned to training runs without races were it not for them.

Results.  Timberline Timing handles this race and they just seem to keep getting better. The decision to use bib-based timing is a good one. In addition, the finish area had a tent with laptops available for folks to look up their times. They even put visors over the screens since some of them were facing the sun. A couple hours after finishing, I got an e-mail with my complete results. This is all really fantastic. Why more races can’t execute on this critical function is a mystery to me.

Finishers Medal. Since this is the Colorado marathon, it seems only fitting that the strap is a series of state flags. The medal itself is a big sucker, far more than some of tiny little spoon-sized hardware I’ve seen from other races.

Post Race. The Old Town area is a really good place for all of this. Soon after leaving the immediate finish line area, I arrived at a tent set up by Whole Foods where volunteers were serving steel-cut oatmeal garnished with almond milk, brown sugar and berries. It really hit the spot and was far more palatable than some post-race fare like burritos which are probably too much for a sensitive stomach. After enjoying my oatmeal, I headed into a beer garden area for another reward:

Back at my parents’ house, my dad asked if I would do this one again. At the time, moving much of any direction was causing me a lot of pain. It’s hard to think about next year when this year was so hard. However, if I can train without hurting myself, I’d like to go back and get that 4:30 time. To be sure, that is a stretch goal as well. In time, I’ll know if this is something I’m going to do again.

For now, the focus goes entirely back to triathlons. In less than two weeks, I kick off that season with the Summer Open Sprint. I've been neglecting the bike and the swim a little more than I would have preferred but hopefully they’ll come back in good form.

Three weeks from today is the BolderBoulder which ought to feel like a casual stroll with my dog after yesterday’s events. That said, I’ll be running harder and there will be no walk break after four miles. I doubt I’ll beat last year’s time, but then again, I didn't even think I would start the marathon.

Thanks for reading such a long report (hey it was a marathon after all) and have a great week ahead! 

Race Report: 2012 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

My anticipation for this year's Rock & Roll has been growing for a long time. One reason is the time that has passed since my last race. The Rattlesnake Tri was five weeks ago, though it feels like much longer. I've also had this one mentally circled as a "goal" race since early in the summer. With all of that time, today's race really could not get here soon enough for me.

My confidence in my ability to run the distance was bolstered after last year's race which I completed in 2:06:53, a PR. Considering I had done previously done the course twice before in my 30's, setting a new record at 42 felt pretty damn good!

Since then, however, I've struggled a little bit at the distance. Last December, I ran the Rock Canyon Half Marathon in Pueblo. I had no illusions about doing that one in PR time. It was a snowy windy day and a course I really didn't know. However, despite being on pace for a 2:07 goal for most of the race, I hit the wall in the last 2.5 or so. Truthfully, I was glad to finish.

Four and a half months later I was in Fort Collins for the Horsetooth Half Marathon. This time I thought I might PR. I had been training well all winter long and we were blessed with a nice running day. Indeed, I felt pretty good even after climbing the big hills at the front of that course, but alas, one last big hill, a stiff breeze and very sore muscles pushed me down below that goal as well.

When I did HITS in July, just completing that hot, exhausting and utterly difficult course was enough. I'm not a strong enough runner that I would ever hope to run the third stage of a 70.3 at record pace.

All of that brings me to today, the fifth time I've run 13.1 in the span of a year (last year's race was on October 9). Despite my struggles with the half mary, I've had a better year running. With that in mind, I aimed to complete the race in under 2:00.

As suggested by the race organizers, I picked up my packet at the expo on Thursday, leaving Friday for the out-of-towners. Apologies in advance for the camera work. I'm shooting with a new phone and am--obviously--still getting used to the camera.

Competitor Group is very proud of this series. And they reflect it in their pricing:

I registered early and saved a whopping $20 of that price. As I recall, when I did the Rock & Roll San Diego in 2006, the cost was about half of that $195. Ouch.

To their credit, they got us through packet pick-up with ease. Not that it should be hard, but I was through the pick-up section in something under five minutes and then out onto the expo floor.

I've been to so many of these things that I don't really find them all that interesting anymore. Maybe I'm just getting old, but getting a free granola bar just doesn't hold the same thrill it used to. What's more, most of the stuff there is for sale rather than for free. Sports Authority, the marquee sponsor of the Denver event actually sets up a store inside the expo. Here's a blurry (sorry) picture of that.

If actually R&R merchandise is more your thing, you can get that as well. You can even try on clothing in one of these "dressing rooms":

I really hope that they were never used for anything else prior to serving their purpose here.

I think I made it for a whole 15 minutes before hitting the road back home. Outside, I felt compelled to take a picture of the giant blue bear peeking in the window of the convention center. Why? It's a giant blue bear peeking in a window!

Then it was time to wait for race morning. For me that started at 5:30 this morning and it was pitch dark outside. It was also cool and would stay that way for the rest of the morning. Having done so much training on hot summer afternoons, I was especially appreciative of this fact.

No doubt, part of the cost of this event is the downtown venue. This includes the benefit of having the staging area, including the start and finish lines in Civic Center Park.

The gear check is still part of the deal as well so soon after arriving I checked my bag with post race clothing, etc. and was ready to kill some time before getting to my start corral.

It's a this point that I feel compelled to say something about starting in the right place. Though no doubt you, friendly reader, already know this. You don't help yourself and only mess with the race of fellow athletes by either signing up for the wrong time or just not starting with your assigned group. I spent much of the first mile dodging and weaving around people who were walking or were clearly not ready to run a race in the 2:05 time assigned to our group. That's right, my goal was 2:00 but I signed up for 5 minutes slower out of respect. If I catch you after mile 6, fine, you just weren't having the day. But you, the jerk walking right next to the corner I'm trying to tangent, you're a disrespectful, clueless idiot and you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Whew! I feel better now.

Running through downtown Denver is indeed a unique experience. It's part of what makes this race so special and part of why I'm willing to fork over my hard-earned cash for it. That doesn't mean it isn't without some hazards. Downtown streets are still covered with cracks, bumps, dips and other obstacles that make it easier to trip or twist an ankle. Still, it's a really cool experience.

I felt just the slightest twinge of fatigue early on. Hard to say why, but I managed to shake it off and just kept putting the miles behind me. It's always a great feeling to notice how fast each mile goes by. 4.75? Wow, it feels like I just passed the 4 mile mark! Cool!

There's something of an altitude gain between the LoDo section of the course and last section of downtown on Broadway, but it's subtle and you don't really notice it. That all changes at about 3.6 miles in. As you make the turn onto 17th Avenue you are faced with the steepest, biggest hill of the course. It's always amusing to notice how all of the little conversations stop in places like this. But soon enough the hill is behind you and then it's a cruise down 17th all the way to City Park.

Turning off of York Street and into the park itself, you're greeted with a group of cheerleaders. I don't know which high school they are from, but I'm guessing it's Denver East since that's nearest. I can't say why, but they're awesome! I guess they just have some energy in their routines or their voices or whatever, but it always gives me a lift.

The park seems like it would contain a lot of choke points, but it doesn't. The whole race was crowded, but I had plenty of room to move, pass and get passed without feeling like I was going to crash into someone. I also started making some good time through this section. Indeed, miles 6, 7 and 8 all of which are in or partially in the park were at 8:18, 8:30 and 8:22 respectively. I started to think I just might hit my goal, but then again, there were still several miles to go.

I figured I needed to do at least 75% of the course at under 9:00/mile pace if I wanted to finish in under two hours. If things got slower after that, well that probably wouldn't throw me off. But it didn't happen. Even though I was feeling tired, I also kept my pace pretty consistent.

As I entered Cheesman Park for the last section before heading back to the finish, I felt a pretty strong pain in my left knee. The left has given my trouble on and off over the years and now it felt, well worse than normal. I knew I had the cardio and strength to finish but damn, you can't really beat an injury. I hoped I could just run it off and not have to limp or drag my left leg behind me and miss my goal time as a result.

I didn't feel bad about not being one of the full marathoners turning south at this point. I still like the idea of doing that distance, but today was all about the goal and I was starting to feel every one of the 11.5 miles or so I had completed at that point.

Cheesman is home to the last real hill of the course. It doesn't look to bad as you approach it, but since it's late in the race, you definitely feel it. But then its over and down the hill you go, the finish line less than a mile away.

I sort of recall a euphoria doing that section last year. Probably because I had no goal and was just thrilled to be so far in front of where I expected to be. This year---eh, not as much. Being that it's a downhill run, I felt pretty good, but I also was ready to be done and my achy knee was continuing to make intermittent appearances. But then it was right onto Sherman Street and then left right away onto 14th Avenue and then down hill (more or less the same big hill at 3.6 miles) and into the finish. Despite feeling sore and I tired, I gave it a little kick.

And my time: 1:53:37! I never imagined I could do it that fast. For a while during my training through the late summer, I began to question whether or not I could even break 2:00.

This report is already getting pretty long so and I gave a full review last year so I'll abbreviate this one:

On the positive, the race is an event. It's large in scale and the production quality is world class. Bands on the course, tons of support and a great venue keep me coming back. They also learned from some of last year's mistakes such as not parking a semi-trailer in the area where folks line up to drop off their gear. As I mentioned before, Civic Center park is a great place for both the pre and post race activities. In some ways, it's Denver's version of the National Mall albeit much smaller.

This one is getting to the point that there's really only fine-tuning needed. I could complain about price, but if people are willing to pay it--and based on today's crowds they are--I can't fault the business model. I chose to participate. In fairness to everyone who is trying to run at a specific time, I think they should be a bit more strict on corral enforcement. No one gets to move up to start at a faster time. Period. Moreover, I think that anyone aiming a time of 2:10 or less in the half should be required to prove they can do it. Setting qualifying standards, as is done for the BolderBoulder might be worth consideration.

As I was heading back to my car, I was pleasantly surprised by a text from my brother who just happened to be in town with his family and were having breakfast nearby. I got to enjoy a little time with them before heading home for a much needed and dare I say, deserved nap!

I'm now on my annual week off where I'll do absolutely nothing until next Saturday when I think I'll do a 1 mile max heart rate test, just as I did last year. Then it's time to slow down and build up my base. I'm leaning toward going back to Rock Canyon, as long as I stay healthy but otherwise, it will be nice to just train with no goals, pressure or worries. I don't doubt I'll be champing at the bit to get back into tri season next spring, but for now, I'm going to enjoy the down time!

Thanks for reading!

Race Report: Rattlesnake Olympic Triathlon

My last race of the season brought on mixed emotions of relief that I was done with the rigorous training mixed with melancholy that this was my last race for 2012.

Nevertheless, I was happy to get up before the sun yesterday morning and drive to nearby Aurora Reservoir to race one more time. My last race had been the rewarding but particularly challenging HITS Sterling so it was nice to look forward to a distance with which I had experience and with which I could perform better.

Photos on this report are pretty light. The blog's chief photographer (aka my wife) was given the morning off after coming out for every other race I've done both this year and last year. I think she earned it!

Having done it four times already this year, I was able to set up my transition area with relative ease and even post this photo to my Facebook account:

While I had plenty of time to set things up and even swim a couple of warm-up laps, there was also decidedly less waiting around than I've had at other races. That was just fine with me. In short order, the national anthem was being played (by trumpet which was pretty cool ) and then it was time for the elites to start.

THE RACE BY STAGES:

The Swim:

Like the Greeley Triathlon, this one was a time trial start with racers going into the water about every 5 seconds.  Similar to open water swim events, it was also a multi-loop course that involved a few feet of beach running in-between loops. While I like the time trial start, I'm less enthused about having to interrupt my swim to run and jack up my heart rate. But it is what it is.

I found myself at the front of the swim queue in short order and then it was time for a few high steps into the water until I was ready to take a dive and proceed forward. It's a pretty big field but the crowding was still decidedly less than it is in a mass start. Since it involves two loops I found myself at the far buoy quickly and was soon on my way back. This race is interesting since swimmers on the first lap go back on a line that is parallel with the one they took out. A rope stretched between the buoys forms a barrier that prevents head-on collisions. I ran into a couple of times and was glad it was there.

After my run around the orange buoy and entrance back in the water, my heart rate recovered quickly enough and I was back out to the far buoy in short order. At this point, instead of flipping a U-turn like before, you make a right turn and go across a short distance before making another right turn. It's there that you head for the swim exit which is just down the beach from the start.

Despite what this map shows, I really did start my transition on land. Google Maps just took the photo when water levels at Aurora Reservoir were much higher. A note on the water: the lake has a much deserved reputation for being clear and cool. Water is pumped in from mountain sources and it makes for a nice swim experience. However, I don't really think it affected my times.

Wetsuit strippers were on hand and I gladly took advantage of their services before heading back up to the parking lot transition area. All told, the total distance from shore back to my bike was about 0.2 mile so that lead for a bit longer in T1 than I would have liked, but it was not the worst thing either.

The Bike:

I was somewhat familiar with the bike course having done a few training rides in the area. There's no better way to describe it than rolling. For every up there was a down and vice-versa. It became apparent early on that the best way to handle the ups would be to spin in low gear and then recover on the down side. As a result, I stayed entirely out of the big ring. I suppose for 0.25 to 0.5 mile stretches I could have increased speed from 28 to 32 mph, but I doubt it would have made much of a difference on my time. I was also dropping a lot of folks on the uphills. I went back and forth with one guy a few times with him always passing me on the down while I went by him fairly quickly on the up. That told me I was doing the right strategy. I stayed ahead of him from about 1/3 of the way in and didn't see him again.

Wind was definitely a factor, but not a big one. A breeze that felt like it was gusting to about 15mph was coming out of the north. Fortunately, the bulk of the ride was on an East-West trajectory so while it was annoying to have a cross-wind, it didn't slow me up much. In fact on the way back as I climbed the hill back up to the reservoir, it was at my back.

The race organizers had a good police presence on the open-road course and that ensured that anyone driving by was nice and civil! The motorcycle deputy who went back and forth was no doubt helpful in that regard. All-in-all, I'd have to say the Arapahoe Sheriff's department did their organization proud. The last half mile or so was down hill to transition and that gave me a few minutes to try and soft pedal some of the lactic acid out of my legs in anticipation of the run.

The Run:

There's no question in my mind that the run is the most difficult part of any triathlon. It's the point of the race at which you've already expended considerable energy and pushed your body to great lengths, often for well over an hour. 

Still, compared to what I felt coming out of T2 last year, I felt not bad. I don't know if that is just being lighter and in better shape or if I have become used to the difficulty of coming off a bike and powering on nothing more than my own two feet. Whatever it is, I'm grateful for it.

This one started pretty well. I felt relaxed and thanks to the cool breeze that was going, I never felt especially warm. I drank all 20 ounces of my nutrition bottle and probably about 1.5 quarts of water on the bike portion so I felt pretty good from that perspective as well.

This race's run portion involves an out and back along a paved bike trail that runs on the south side of the lake. There are some rises but nothing that I would call a hill. I was especially happy to be on a surface that didn't slip when I stepped on it (looking at you HITS run course!). Through four miles I felt good but also could feel fatigue starting to set in. I decided to go just a little slower on mile five and try and bring my heart rate back down. 

Time seems to pass more slowly when you're trying to finish strong and with the snaking course (it is called the Rattlesnake Tri after all), there was also the frustration of being able to see the finish area but knowing I still had closer to two miles to go. There were also a couple of those rises at the end that I could feel in my quads. I managed to power through and finish on a good sprint. I didn't realize it at the time, but I also hit a modern-day PR for a 10: with 50:47. Woot!

THE RACE REVIEW:

I've done my reviews in the past with the The Good and The Bad, but I've never been comfortable calling something bad unless it was just terrible. So starting now, I'm going to refer to these sections as Next Time as in next time the race organizers ought to do such and such and The Good as in they did this very well.

Next Time:

I'm not understanding the need to do a multi-loop swim. I know there are boaters and such but it seems to me that asking them to delay the start of the day on the water for an hour just a few times out of the year would be a good choice. Longer races (specifically a 140.6) present their own challenges for doing a single loop, but not here.

There was a three hour window last Sunday to do a pre-race packet pick-up. That's better than nothing, but I think it still makes more sense to allow folks to come to the venue and pick up their material the day before they race. Being able to do a race-day pick-up is always a good thing and I'm glad they did that, but I'd rather save time and have all my material before hand. But it was not a big deal either.

The Good:

This year marked the tenth running of the Rattlesnake Tri and they clearly have learned from past experience.

Venue: Aurora Reservoir is a great place to do this. There's lots of parking for both transition as well as participants and spectators, a beautiful lake and great spots for both the bike and the run. I did not realize until just this year what a good spot it is.

Pre-Race Communication: Top notch and excellent use of their Facebook page. I knew all about the event in advance. Maps were posted early on giving anyone who was so-inclined the opportunity to preview the course. I was very happy with all of the information I received. I even managed to get my bib-number online before race day which allowed me to be body-marked before I picked up my packet.

Volunteers: No one will probably ever come as close as the folks in Sterling, but these people still did a great job. I got a water with no problem at the bike turn around and they even set up a kids soccer net to drop your bottle. Water and Gatorade were at the ready at each mile on the run course. I'm sure it's one of the most tedious volunteer assignments to stand out on the bike course and hold traffic or point the way, but it sure is nice to see someone making sure you don't go off-course. These folks were all great and I really appreciate all they do to make races a success.

Finishers Medal: Probably the most unique one I've seen. It's a little bit like a military dog tag and it is also part bottle opener:

The slogan on the medal is Swahili for "Running Strong As a Lion"

Post-Race Nosh: Bagel sandwiches. cookies, carrots, fruit and best of all, beer! I've seen some pretty impressive spreads after foot races where you burn far fewer calories. This was the best line-up I've ever seen at a Tri. 

Barring conflicts with my schedule or other races, I'd like to think that I'll be back for many more of these to come. I walked away with a PR and a good race experience. If you're looking for something in Colorado later in the season, this one is fantastic. What's better, if you don't want to do the Oly on Saturday, there's a Sprint on Sunday. If you're a glutton for punishment or maybe just a little crazy, you can also do the Back-To-Back option and run both!

Final Numbers:

Swim: 27:06
T1: 4:19
Bike: 1:22:21
T2: 1:23
Run: 50:47

Total: 2:45:56