Derry Prep 16-Miler
January 25, 2009

Fashion Report
Overdressed in polypro briefs, tights, long sleeve top, fleece vest and club wind jacket. Should have gone with two shirts in lieu of the vest. Hat, double gloves (reduced to single half way through), neck bandanna, and a pair of Adrenaline GTS 7’s.

Breakfast Report
Two packs of oatmeal, wheat bagel w/ margarine, and OJ. Medium DuDo's cup of coffee en route. Banana before the start.

Result Summary
16 miles in 2:20:31 – 8:47 avg.

In-race Nutrition
Couple ounces of Gatorade at 3, 6, 9, and 12.  One triberry Gu at 9. (You know it’s cold out when you have to chew your Gu.)

Evaluation against goals:
I had two goals: have fun and stay under 9s’.

Fun
Yah, this a great race.  All the regulars are there. I saw club friends, friends from other clubs, online friends, and homies. It was a blast! And out on the course, it was warmer, sunnier, and less windy than expected. I stayed in control the whole way, and enjoyed myself. 

Stay under 9’s
This race is a bit crazy 'cuz the course has got some huge hills. Particularly because I'd spent the previous day skiing, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold steady on those but that remained the goal.

Mile 1-4 were nice and steady.  The sun was out, there was a huge crowd, I was running steady playing with the HRM. I was staying in the low 130’s and still holding 8:45 or so on the gentle climbs.I thought I should slow down but things felt right and it was easy.  Figured maybe if I banked a bit, I'd make up for it on the hills.

The first real climb is at about 4.5 and I managed to stay steady and mostly run up it. Felt good. Ditto the climb at 6. I was good most of the way up and was enjoying the sun.

The real fun starts about 9.5. You make a left turn and… Hello hill!  I power-walked the steepest section and there was a guy running along side me who turns to me and says “WTF? You’re walking and gaining on me!” I used the same technique on the big hill at 11 – power walking the steepest parts. (My mantra was “we may all have to walk… but we don’t have to walk slow!)

Once over the big hill, I knew I had it in the bag.  I gained a number of positions late as others faded. My last three miles were the fastest of the day at (8:24, 8:13, 8:05) and I still had some in the tank so… Victory!

Summary

This is a great race every time. It's well run, a challenging course, and draws a fun crowd. I'll go back!

Timberman Triathlon Festival

August 17, 2008
1.2m/56m/13.1m

Fashion Report
Club tri-shorts and top, Promotion wetsuit in complimentary red.
A well-worn (and stinky from summer running) pair of Adrenaline GTS 8’s.
LIT visor.

Breakfast Report
Cup of coffee en route. Wheat bagel, OJ, and a cinnamon doughnut in Ellacoya parking lot. Banana and a ClifBar one hour prior to start.

Result Summary
1.2 mile Swim: 42:59 (35:50/mile, 2:02/100y, 869/1530)
T1 – 3:34
56 mile Bike: 2:53:18 (19.4 mph avg, 490/1530)
T2 – 2:47
13.1 mile Run: 2:22:40 (10:54 min/mil, 1091/1492)
Total: 6:05:16 (91/142 M45-49, 869/1530)

In-race Nutrition
T1 - Bit of Gatorade.
Bike - 3+ bottles of Gatorade, 3 salt tabs half hour prior to finish, 1 Clifbar, 1 Gu.
T2 - Bit of Gatorade.
Run - Alternated water, Gatorade, and cola at aid stations, Maybe 6 salt tabs.

Evaluation against previously posted goals:

I had six goals: have fun and beat my time from last year in each of the five segments.  

Fun

I most definitely had fun. The weather exceeded expectations; DW had a good race on Saturday; the boys enjoyed the Timberkids race; we even snuck in a nice meal or two and a bit of time relaxing on the beach! And I got to meet several of my imaginary friends!  Fun accomplished.

Swim

2007: 47:44 (39:47/mile, 1265/1492)
2008: 42:59 (35:50/mile, 869/1530)

I started in the next to last wave, followed only by the relay teams and Clydesdales, so there was a lot of standing around before the race. Spent most of that standing in the water and sharing nervous stories with friends. When it came time for our wave I chipped in and found a spot mid-pack. Some guy doing His best Mel Gibson/William Wallace imitation lit off on a great speech about how we were going to get through the swim and start picking off the waves in front of us. And as we did, we’d “harass” them! We’d remind them to drop back and give us 20 seconds! And we’d be proud! Good fun.

The horn sounds and we’re off.  I’m swum over a bit in the first 100 yards but then find a little space and a pair of feet to follow and find a rhythm. The course is out, across, and back and the waves aren’t too bad swimming into the wind on the out leg – though they increase as we near the first turn. Winnipesaukee has beautiful clear water and I’m in a rhythm and enjoying the scenery and just relaxing along. First turn and we’re now across the waves and, shortly, the first of the purple caps come by me. But they’re relay “specialists” and I’m catching a few of the blues from the wave in front of us as well and it’s all good. I work to the final corner and turn for the inbound leg with the apparently helping wind and I’m still feeling the rhythm and doing well. I took a few breaststrokes here and there to check position or clear some space but I felt comfortable and in my rhythm the whole way until…

When my hands hit sand I stood up and wham! Both calves cramp! OK, so I don’t kick a whole lot when swimming in a wetsuit – just try to keep my toes pointed. I guess they got tired of being pointed or something but I lost a good 45 seconds dancing around in two or three feet of water trying to get my calf cramps to stop!  Even with that, I took almost 5 minutes off my swim time from last year and I’m quite pleased. Call this one nailed!

T1

2007: 4:06
2008: 3:34

Finally out of the water and wetsuit unzipped. I try to pull cap and goggles through the sleeve and wind up doing a ridiculous little dance as everything balls up and gets stuck. But I get it loose just before arriving at the strippers and flop. Two kids pull but not hard enough and one leg is stuck and my calf is cramping again!  So I have to stand up, wetsuit on one ankle still, and hop around a bit to get that cleared. Suit’s finally off and the rest goes smooth. I apply socks, shoes, etc and make a good run out of the transition area. Even with the wetsuit debacle I cut 30 seconds off last year. Another goal bites the dust!

Bike

2007: 3:00:24 (18.6 mph avg, 708/1492)
2008: 2:53:18 (19.4 mph avg, 490/1530)

Calm, non-flying mount and into the bike. Spun a bit up the first hill to get things calmed down and then began to settle in. I dueled with two or three other riders for the first half of the race as we’d swap leads on various terrains. One guy was a youngster with a carbon bike and fancy wheels – he’d outpace me on the flats but I could satisfyingly easily out-climb him (which struck me as odd) and, with additional ballast, got more out of the downhills. The mood was light and I was joking with several riders. I met The Muffin Queen on the biggest hill as we were both cursing and cranking away in the lowest gears we had. I passed several other club riders or saw them coming the other way and wished them well. Didn’t really feel like I was pushing too hard but… In retrospect… Maybe did not sufficiently weenie the bike?

I grabbed Gatorade at each aid station and refilled my aerobottle – tried to keep drinking the whole way. There was a bit of a headwind for the return trip – but not horrible so it was just try to keep a steady pace. Had a blast on the big downhills where I seemed braver than many and kept it full out. Felt like a solid effort throughout but not like I was pushing the limits so I was pleased. Upped the cadence coming into T2, did a “standard” dismount, and clocked in at 19.4 avg. Another goal nailed.

T1

2007: 3:32
2008: 2:47

Did my best to run through but was held in a bit of traffic. Quick shoe change, add the visor, and let’s go! High five the family on the exit. Nailed!

Run

2007: 1:59:23 (9:07 min/mil, 713/1492)
2008: 2:22:40 (10:54 min/mil, 1091/1530)

I seemed quickly into my run rhythm but my quads felt strangely tight. (Could it be that I’d had only one ride that reached 50 miles in training?) I plug on and try to settle into a 9:00-9:30 pace that I thought I could reasonably hold. There’s amazing support on the run course – at just about every mile there’s water, Gatorade, cola, salty food, Gu, salt tabs, bands and either ice or a shower or, in one case, a pile of snow harvested from the local hockey rink. So I take advantage of all of these and plug on.

But the quads are still tight and they don’t seem to loosen. I spot my buddy Thor at mile 3 just before the first turnaround and get some words of encouragement and harassment from him. Not long after that, around mile 4, the first knife to the muscle stabs. Left quad. Zing! I try walking but that seems worse. I try some stretches and get back into the run. But that’s the start of the end. Shortly thereafter I come upon a clubmate who’s having similar issues with a hamstring. We both agree it’s too early for this stuff and push each other on – we’d leapfrog each other the rest of the race. By the first passing of the finish area, I’m walking a lot. One quad or the other keeps cramping and I can’t get them loose. I take more salt tabs and pretzels hoping they might help but by maybe mile 8 I know my day is done. I see Thor again at around 10 and he’s his usual upbeat self and offers challenges and encouragement but… It’s not gonna help. By 11, my calves have joined the fun and my legs are just big cramps. You know the cycle here: run, cramp, walk, repeat. I repeat for the rest of the race. I’m a mess at the final shoot and can’t even muster a show for the crowd. With fifty yards to go, I finally break into a painful jog that’s a bit slower than my walk. Maybe thirty yards from the finish, DS2 jumps out from behind the fences and he and I manage to jog it in – nice thrilling climax to an otherwise disappointing run. Missed this goal by a mile.

Everybody said it was hot – but I never felt overheated, just couldn’t keep the legs working. I think I had enough salt – just think that the lack of long training rides and runs meant that I needed to go even easier on the bike to be able to have a good run.

Summary

Overall, I was ten minutes slower than last year after being thirteen ahead at the start of the run. At that level, I was disappointed. But, I nailed five out of six goals and, the biggest one, having fun, I blew away.

As last year, the organization at this race was excellent! The weekend’s atmosphere is unmatched in New England triathlons. What a great time!

Massachusetts State Triathlon

July 27, 2008

Equipment/Fashion Report

Club tri-shorts and belly-exposing top.
Complimentary red Promotion Wetsuit
Adrenaline GTS 8’s.
LIT visor.

2006 Felt S32.

Breakfast Report

Wheat bagel and a banana en route. Cookies ‘n Cream Clif Bar about an hour before race start.

Result Summary

0.9 mi Swim: 28:37 (31:48/mile, 1:48/100y, 83/166 Finishers + 3 DNF’s)
T1: 2:43
22.7m Bike: 1:06:42 (20.4 mph avg., 42/166)
T2: 2:20
6 Mile Run: 53:05 (8:51/mile, 116/166)
Total: 2:33:26 (78/166, 11/16 AG)

In-race Nutrition

Gatorade in T1 and T2, 1 bottle Gatorade on the bike, generic granola bar at about bike mile 10, water and Gatorade as available on the run.

Evaluation against previously posted goals:

I didn’t really have any goals. We’d returned from a week at Scout Camp the afternoon before the race and there may have been a beer or two consumed while floating in the pool and recovering later that day. I was racing mostly to get the participation points for TriFury in the USAT State Club Championship. The fact that it was the Championship made for a strong field that was further weeded out by the weather.

When I rolled over at 4:20 AM, ten minutes before the alarm was set to go off, there was a steady rain outside the window but I decided to press on. As I made the 60 mile drive to the event, flashes of lightening lit the sky and heavy downpours soaked the road causing my little car with bald tires to squirm and me to wonder what I was doing. But, as I approached the race venue, the rain begin to let up and had completely stopped by the time I got out of my car about 6:20. So… A dry race! (Well, except for puddles and wet roads.)

I got my race packet and set up in transition and then found myself with much time to kill. I chatted with clubmates and mostly stood around. A women near me announced to her friend “this guy is famous!” which, of course, caught my ear. Turns out she’s Kickrunners Multisport lurker and had seen my picture there! Fun. I chatted with her and others until it was time to head to the beach.

There were two races – the sprint and the “intermediate” – and the shorter race waves were going first. I chatted with a clubmate, Mary, as we waited for the waves to pass. Finally, it was Mary’s turn and she was off. The old men, in blue caps, were last and next.

I started in the middle of our smallish wave – maybe 40 or so swimmers. Many took off but I seemed to hold my own near mid pack and avoided major collisions. The water was warm and I quickly found my rhythm and stroked on. Not a third of the way in I came on the first of the green-capped swimmers from the previous wave and would pass several of them through the rest of the swim. I may not have been that fast, but I was quite pleased that I stayed in my stroke the entire distance. I maybe took one breaststroke at the first turn buoy as I’d run over a woman from the green wave and paused to apologize and move away from her. I swam until my hands hit sand and then was up and out. I was quite surprised and excited to see only 28 minutes on my watch as I stepped out! I was quite pleased with my 50th percentile swim!

T1 was a bit weak. In my swim excitement, I’d unzipped but forgotten to begin pulling down my wetsuit and I struggled getting it off. I sat on my bucket for the application of socks and shoes and was finally off on the bike.

The bike course was two loops with this nasty hill at 5 and 15. It was this mile long grind that just wore people down – especially us heavier guys. The first time up, I was passed by one rider and quickly reeled him in just after the crest. The second time up, I was passed by two riders – and I took names - #428 and #290. I chased them both for the rest of the loop and caught 428 with less than a mile to go (though he killed me on the run!). 290 got away – rat bastard!! (Turns out he was a relay rider!) Other than that, I wasn’t passed and reeled in several from previous waves. I was actually surprised that my 20.4 mph average bike wasn’t better ranked – especially given that dang hill!!  I guess it just illustrates the strength of the field!

T2 seemed OK – just changed shoes, grabbed my LIT visor, and was off. Could have been faster but, I was winding down.

The run was a jog. The week layoff and lack of sleep was catching up and I just didn’t have much. I looked for a steady pace and just ran it out easy. The course was mostly flat – with a couple of squirrely turn-arounds where you could check out the competition. I passed a few but was certainly passed by more. I walked the water stops but ran (jogged) otherwise and managed a bit of a push for the last half mile or so before diving for the finish line to the applause of clubmates – thanks guys!!

So… I had fun. Max Performance puts on a good race. I finished respectably amongst a strong field (soundly MOP!) and, much to me surprise given that there were a lot of strong racers out there, I even got some age group points for the club!!  And our club successfully defended its title as USAT Division I State Champions!!! All in all, a good day. But now I’m tired.

Triathlon by the Sea

8th Annual Triathlon by the Sea, Marblehead, MA

May 11, 2008

Fashion Report
Club tri-shorts and belly-exposing top.
Well worn Adrenaline GTS’s.
LIT visor and club pull-over prior to race.

Breakfast Report
Dunkin’ Donuts bacon, egg, and cheese on multigrain bagel and coffee en route.

Result Summary
250y Pool Swim and Run Out: 6:08 (173/248)
T1, 10.5m Bike, and T2: 34:47 (18.2 avg, 31/248)
3.0 Mile Run: 22:46 (7:36 Pace, 9/248)
Total: 1:03:52 (45/248, 5/17 AG)

In-race Nutrition
Gatorade in T1 and T2.

Evaluation against previously posted goals:

1. Overall - Have fun. It's a C race. No real planning. Just gonna have fun.

Slam dunked!  Big club turnout. Gorgeous sunny day. Enjoyable family outing. All good.

2. Swim - This is the one part of the race I have a real goal for. Last year's time for 250y plus the run out of the building was 6:18. My goal for the 250y swim alone last year was 5:15. This year, I seeded myself at 5:00 and I swam a 4:45 this morning. I better come out sub 6, I think 5:45 is realistic - but I'm worried about traffic.

Was totally calm and relaxed, joking around, until about 45 seconds before my start time when I realized I had better get my goggles on. This is a staggered start pool swim with racers going in every 15 seconds - 5 laps of a 25y pool. My time came and I jumped in and was off. Down and turn and maybe half way back, I'm already touching toes. I see the racer in front of the racer in front of me coming back so I break for the right and make the pass at the 50y turn. Felt one toe touch as I came off the wall but then held a 10y lead for the next 200y, all the time expecting to be caught. Then someplace in the middle, some dolt decided he could pass about three wide while I'm coming the other way. We met arm to arm and there was no injury, but it pissed me off enough to stop and yell at him for a second and no doubt didn't help with my heart rate. I resumed swimming pretty quick and got through it but I was totally out of breath for the last few laps and wasn’t swimming well. I knew I wasn’t doing what I wanted to. So… 10 seconds better than last year but… Disappointing.

3. Bike - New bike course this year so can't compare with last time. Also, the way they had it set up last year, most of your T1 and T2 times ended up in your bike time. The course shouldn't be that hilly - but I haven't ridden it. I'd secretly like my bike computer to read 20+ for average - though I know the race results will show slower.

After a little rest on my bucket that passed for T1, took off down the hill on the long run-out. Love running in my bike shoes.

The traffic on this route was just stupid. The first stoplight I came to was red. There was no direction so I had to slow until I could see there was nothing coming. There was one intersection I hit twice that was total chaos – two lines of cars with cyclists on the right, down the middle, and then me circling them all on the left. Crazy.

I did not feel strong on the bike today. My computer showed 19.4 mph average including the runs out of and into transition – close, but not quite what I wanted. I was not passed on the bike and I passed a number of folks – so that was fun.

4. Run - Dunno. My volume this winter has been MUCH lower than last year and, again, it's a new run course. I think I'll be pleased with anything sub-8.

Pretty pleased here. I stalked a clubmate for the first mile, ran with him for a bit, and then dusted him. Always fun. Pleased with my third mile pace – though it took a while to get up to speed.

 Overall… fun “C” race. We had a great day!  Oh!!  And Gator Girl won a manicure in the raffle!!  Happy Mother's Day!!

Fashion Report
Club tri-shorts and top, Promotion wetsuit in complimentary red. A new pair of Adrenaline GTS’s and some nifty new coolmax socks.

Breakfast Report
Blueberry bagel & OJ in the hotel bathroom (so as not to wake sleeping family). Banana en route to start.

Result Summary
1.2 mile Swim: 47:44 (39:47/mile, 1265/1492)
T1 – 4:06
56 mile Bike: 3:00:24 (18.6 mph avg, 708/1492)
T2 – 3:32
13.1 mile Run: 1:59:23 (9:07 min/mil, 713/1492)
Total: 5:55:08 (78/142 M45-49, 816/1492)

Run Splits:
    1:   27:42   27:42
    2:   28:59   56:41
    3:   31:21 1:28:02
    4:   31:23 1:59:24

In-race Nutrition
T1 - Two salt tabs, bit of Gatorade.
Bike - 3+ bottles of Gatorade, 2 salt tabs at half way, 2 granola bars.
T2 - Two salt tabs, bit of Gatorade.
Run - Alternated water and Gatorade at aid stations, one Gu at about mile 6.

Evaluation against previously posted goals:

1. Have fun. This is always paramount. It should be a high stress weekend with early mornings and the whole family focused on their own races (DW in Sprint, DS1 & DS2 in Timberkids). I hope to stay cool and enjoy the weekend.

I think I did pretty well here. DW had the windy day for the sprint. She left home at 3:30 AM to drive north. The boys and I slept in and left home at 5:30. We arrived in time to see her finish the swim. The waves were horrendous on Saturday – she came out of the water seasick. She had to stop 10 minutes into the bike to throw up. But, she got right back on and brought it home!! Way to go wife!

Boys both raced the Timberkids on Saturday afternoon.  DS1 had a great day and took club honors as fastest Timberkid.  DS2 was cold before the swim, colder out of the swim, and never warmed up. He finished with blue lips and a forced smile – a victory for pushing through!

I got to see lot of club and CR tri-peeps – including Julie B., who rocked her goal, and Iron Boy, who is a champ!!! My club had 35 in the sprint, 45 in the half, and 15 in the Timberkids - great to see them all!! It was all fun!! 1/1

2. Finish the HIM. Gotta remind myself that I’m doing this for my own well being and that most of the benefits come from the training. The race is the gravy. If I make it through, I’ll have done something to be proud of.

Stomped. It felt great to get ‘er done. I felt sufficiently prepared, despite my doubts, and raced with confidence. See the Summary for some more thoughts but check this one off!!! 2/2

3. Swim. I’ve been steady at about a 40 minute/mile pace in training. Add race adrenaline, subtract for crowd – say those even out – and I’ll be happy with 48:00 for the 1.2 miles.

The lake was pleasingly calm after a windy day the day before. We were next to last wave and stood around forever – of course. I had at least three clubmates in my wave - and we yucked it up moving to the line. Finally off with plenty of room at the start and BIG buoys for sighting. I made the mistake of wearing my wedding ring (wait, that sounds wrong!). But all through the race I was convinced it would slip off and pushed it snugly on a number of times – just in case. I swam my slow and steady pace with few incidents for most of the race. The water was warm (I heard 74) and beautifully clear – what a great Lake!! I tried to follow bubbles, stay on a straight course, and just keep it steady. A few caps from the next wave passed me - but I was please to catch a few from the previous as well. A few hundred yards from the finish though, I had a calf cramp up. I was able to stay calm, spend a minute or so stretching it out, and resume swimming - but it was hurting. Too much toe pointing I guess.

Came out of the water to find the family (who I’d left sleeping at the motel) waiting at the fence – pretty happy to see dry land!!! (And the family.) I was shocked that there were no trophies at this point - should have gotten something for surviving the swim!

I was thrilled to check my watch at the end. Though I felt steady, I didn’t feel fast – but I did what I planned. Official time: 47:44. Mark that one killed. 3/3

4. Bike. Hammer. Bad. Must weenie bike. Have gone too hard on the bike in recent races. My goal is to keep it under control while still making some gains on what I’ve lost in the swim. Something in the high 18’s or low 19’s is probably a good balanced target. Under three hours would be good.

As I racked my back on Saturday afternoon, I was feeling totally out-classed. Lots of fancy carbon bikes. Very intimidating. But being a slow swimmer in the next-to-last wave has its advantages: a target-rich environment. This is also bad ‘cuz I needed to take it easy. I kept repeating to myself – Must. Weenie. Bike. I kept the gears low and the cadence high and found a happy medium. Ii still got to pass a lot of people – though a few did pass me. I did hit one bump so hard I readjusted one aerobar but for the most part, it was pleasant, consistently quick, and comfortable.

And let me tell you... The only thing that feels better than passing one of them fancy carbon bikes... Is passing one of them fancy carbon bikes with a 29 year-old on it!! Wooohooo!!

This course was tough - there were some serious hills!!!! I knew it would be hard – but I was still surprised at just how much so. Several of the hills were long painful cranks in lowest gear that seemed to last forever. On one hill, I saw at least a couple of people get off and push. Coming back down that same hill, there was a bit of a traffic thing going on - three cars following a group of four bikes. I was outpacing them all and had a dilemma - I finally held my breath and passed the three cars!!! Yikes!!!

Final time – 3:00:24. 18.6 mph average. I’d say, on plan. 4/4

5. Run. Yah, run. That’s the goal – keep some sort of respectable pace for the distance. I used to be faster. Now, I’ll view something close to 8:30’s as a victory, anything below 9’s as acceptable. I'd like 1:55.

Well… Almost. I came out of the shoot at 8:45 for mile one. Miles 2 and 3 were 8:15-8:20. But it was all downhill from there. It was cool air – but hot sun. For the last three miles, I was in that interminable search for that optimal pace where it still feels like running but you’re avoiding the crippling calf and quad cramps. I had to stop several times to stretch. Those were a tough couple miles.

Also, this was the first race I've run where I've had my name on my bib. I kept hearing people say "Go John" or "Nice job John" - and I figured if they knew my name, I should know them!?!? I returned a lot of good wishes with a puzzled stare. Sorry folks.

Official time: 1:59:23. 9:07 pace. So… Missed this one. 4/5.

6. Overall. If the stars align… If the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise… I’d be thrilled to hit the above splits, keep the transitions reasonable, and come in under 6 hours.

There was sufficient star alignment that I could absorb my sub-par run and beat this one!! My wife and kids were working at the finish line – how great to be greeted by them! At the time, I wasn’t quite sure if our wave had gone off at the 40 or 45 minute mark and I'd stopped my watch on swim exit so total time there was off - so I figured I’d either blown this goal by 8 seconds (which I'd have counted as a win anyway!) or killed it by nearly 5 minutes. I killed it!!!!!!!!!!!! 5/6

Summary

Fantastic organization at this race! Great amenities – nice long sleeve tech shirt, a hat, great goodies, great expo, etc. The aid stations were almost overwhelming! They were every 10 miles or less on the bike, every three quarter mile or less on the run – and fully stocked with Gatorade, gu, food, sponges. VERY well run event!

So… Was it as emotional as my first marathon? No. That one had a lifestyle change involved. Was it a satisfying accomplishment? You bet. I hit most of my goals, I had fun throughout the event (minus the cramping moments), and I accomplished it all while balancing family obligations. I’m proud to be half an Ironman!

Ashland Lions International Triathlon
June 17, 2007
1m/26m/6m

Fashion Report
Club tri-shorts and top, Promotion wetsuit in complimentary red.

Breakfast Report
Homemade egg & cheese bagel sandwich.

Result Summary
1 mile Swim: 30:31 (30:31/mile, 27/32, 267/330)
26 mile Bike: 1:25:55 (19.5 mph avg, 15/32, 135/330)
6.3 mile Run: 57:04 (9:03 min/mil, 22/32, 175/330)
Total: 2:53:31 (19/32, 174/330)

Evaluation against previously posted goals:

1. Have fun. This is always the primary target.

Gator Girl came back from Canada on Thursday with a killer cough and cold. By ths morning, she was throwing up. Once before leaving home, again in the car on the way to the race. She decided that unleashing the technicolor yawn during the swim was a significant possibility – and one worth avoiding – so took the DNS and watched. Bummer for her.

The family was up and out of the house by 5:45. Kudos to my boys for once again sucking it up so mom and dad can go play.

Dunked. I was comfortable on the swim. I thoroughly enjoyed the bike. And even though parts of the run sucked, I still managed to joke with the volunteers and have some fun. I’d do this again! [1/1]

2. Swim: So much depends on the course, traffic, etc. but, assuming nominal conditions, I'll be reasonably happy under 45, thrilled with 40.

Triangular course in warm water on a nice lake. Apparently I’m in the competitive age group as we’re the LAST wave to go. I’m very calm leading up to the start – chatting with friends, getting plans ready – it’s all good.

Unlike the last sprint I did where I flailed the whole 400 yards, I found my stroke pretty quickly today. I was relaxed and confident throughout. I bumped a few people here and there but it didn’t phase me; I was able to site regularly; I could see people behind me; and it was all good. Strangely, I think this was my favorite event today!

So… Either there was a favorable current or my wetsuit makes more difference than I expected or the course was short. Though I favor the latter, I’ll take it. Killed this goal. [2/2]

3. Bike: Again, a course that's unknown to me. Two laps on a 13 mile loop that doesn't look too hilly. I'll be happy if I can average 19mph+ and thrilled over 20.

The math up above says 18.1 mph – but the time includes T1. Coming out of the water there was a killer run through the woods and up to the transition area. Must be a half mile and it’s up hill through woods. Everyone brought shoes to the swim exit – so I brought my Keen trail sandals down and they worked out fine. I kept it at a jog but it was at least a five minute run up the hill.

Got through the transition and out on the bike. The course was much hillier than I expected. I pushed where I thought I could, tried to keep the cadence high, and had fun. It was a two loop course and at one point I was pushing up a hill and feeling pretty good about myself as I was passing slower riders. All of a sudden, one of the Elites on his second loop blows by me like I’m standing still! Very humbling.

I felt strong throughout the ride. I hit 42 mph at one point – that could likely be the fastest I’ve ever gone on a bike! Shortly after that, a guy I’d blown buy on the down came cranking past me on the up. “It pays to weigh 140!” he says. “F%$ Y&2!!” I say! (I saw him in the food line later and we had a good laugh!) Excpet for the Elites flying by – I don’t think I was passed more than a few times. I passed scores.

As I dismounted my bike, the bike computer said I averaged 19.5 mph. Goal accomplished. Even with the hills. [3/3]

4. Run: This being my longest tri to date, I'm curious how much I'll have left. I think I'll be happy under 8's, thrilled under 7:45's.

Though promoted and scored as a 6 mile run, this course is marked as 6.3. Go figure.

By the time we hit the run, it was pushing 80 under a cloudless sky – not my favorite running conditions. My legs felt reasonably strong but I was hot and out of breath. The hills kept coming and I resorted to walking several of them as did many around me. All the time I was watching my total time and figuring I could still get goal five – as long as I stayed steady.

I passed many more people than passed me – but I was very disappointed. I had several 9+ miles and the math says 9:03 overall for the 6.3 mile 6 mile course. I can do better at this. I will. [3/4]

Edited to add: 24 hours later I've realized that T2 was in the run time. That must have been at least a minute or so. So maybe I ran closer to 8:50's. Still sucked.

5. Allowing something for transitions... I think it would be neat to break 3 hours overall.

Bringing the swim home 14 minutes faster than expected was a big help. Bike was right where I expected, run sucked. T1 took forever with the run but T2 was reasonable. In total, nailed. With a little better run, I can do even better. [4/5]

Summary
It was fun. I leaned a lot. Like I gotta push a little less on the bike if I’m gonna run a half marathon afterwards. Like I gotta figure out how to carry more fluids on the bike. Like I gotta practice running with a lot of fatigue in hot weather. Like I can have more confidence in my swim. Like the field is much more competitive in an Oly than in a sprint - not a lot of laggards out there today. Like I shouldn't underestimate the hills on the map - this course was tough.

Oh and… I had a chance to chat with TheProFromDover. He was bribing his way into the geezer wave at the swim start. He’s smooth.

Thanks family for letting me play! Thanks club for the support! Thanks Thor for making the trip to cheer!

9/12 10:30 AM – Just got our race leg assignments. Looks like I’m the slow guy this year – I’m estimated at 7:30 pace. Most everyone else is at 7:15 or better. Hope I can hold 7:30’s. I’ve got two “easy” and one “moderate” legs totaling 18.2 miles. I predict I’ll run at 7 PM, 3 AM, and 11 AM.

9/13 10:00 PM – Gotta pack. Weather’s not looking great. Rainy. 50’s. Hitting motivational low. I’m committed though – so I need to pull it off. Better go pull clothes together.

9/14 3:00 AM – Must remember towel. Watch. Extra socks…

9/14 10:00 AM – Working final logistics. Email to project teams at work – a few “Good Luck” responses. A few “are you fookin’ nutz?” responses. Things are changing around picking up vans and departure times and we’re down a runner or up a runner or… Did I pack those extra socks?

9/14 9:15 PM – Settling into the couch of a gorgeous condo across the street from Bretton Woods. Been a long day, but we’re here.

Left work a little after noon and met up with a few others at the Lawrence U-Save Auto Rental. Picked up two 15-Passenger vans and headed for the beach. We’ve got three teams working together – 36 runners – meeting at the finish line. Two more vans coming from Manchester, NH and two more from Lowell. First six runners are here so we take one van and head north. A quick stop at the Hannaford’s grocery to stock up on bananas and bagels, a nice pub feed in North Conway, and we arrive at Bretton Woods around 7 PM. We check in to our three condos and then head to the base lodge for beer or two at the pasta feed. We retire early so the next arrivals will find someone home. It was a fun ride up!

9/15 7:00 AM – Up and ready to go!!! Let’s run!!! Oh… We don’t start until 1:30 PM. OK… Hurry up and wait. There will be a lot of this.

9/15 2:00 PM – Finally underway. Our first runner has lit out at a blistering pace up the Bretton Woods ski trails, turned, and come flying down on a dirt and gravel access road. We see him approach the bottom trying to hold on to the lead, arms and legs flailing and contorted, skin as white as ash, holding out the baton. “Are you OK?” “No.” Team members rush for support. The handoff is made but Runner 1, an Ironman triathlete and perhaps our strongest, is down and we’re all worried. I rush Runner 3 ahead to the next transition while the remaining teammates find EMT, blanket, support. Turns out, all the heal pounding coming down the mountain has ripped the entire heel callous from the bottom of our runner’s foot. His attempt to run through the pain has left him shutdown and hurting. A few anxcious moments, a few bandages, a few percocets, and a many hours later, he’ll be limping and disappointed, but OK.

9/15 8:30 PM – I finally get to run! The fog is starting to roll in challenging visibility but the weather, except for a few sprinkles, is great. I start at the Brass Heart Inn on a downhill dirt driveway. The only other runner I see for the entire segment is one from the previous leg coming in as I go out. There’s a good climb for the first mile but I’m fresh. Mile 2 is downhill and I’m feeling pretty good about my 7:15 pace rolling down. Team van at mile 2 for a drink and to make sure I make the turn. I veer left and… Where’s the road? Just a black wall! A little pointing and yelling and I realize the wall is the road heading uphill. I drop my legs to granny gear and short-stride up the hill. So much for feeling good about the pace – I can’t hold 9’s on this! I recover after the hill but this is the darkest damn road! No lights anywhere; no white line for guidance; and the thickening fog is starting to play tricks with the headlamp. I run on hoping there are no potholes. I survive. My Garmin measures the 5.5 mile leg at 6.04 miles and gives me an average 7:35 pace. Close enough.

9/15 10:00 PM - We finish our six legs at T12. There’s supposed to be lasagna but since we started so late, we’ve missed it. They’re closing down. We decide to pull ahead to where we next have to run and rest there. We pass our team’s runner from the other van on the road with many cheers and continue on. We pull into T16 to rest and wait for the other team. The Girl Scouts are selling chili. This can’t be a good idea for 6 guys in a van but it’s hot, homemade, and hits the spot.

9/16 3:00 AM – We get about two hours of fitful sleep in various confined positions in the van until the phone rings. The other van’s last runner has just started and we’ll need to run in 45 minutes or so.

I wake and groggily peruse the maps. Now wait… We had 12 in the first round and they ran five… That’s 17… We gotta be at T17!! We realize we’re in the wrong place and quickly start to get ready to scoot ahead one more leg. As we pull from our parking spot – we spot Van 1 just a few slots over. They giggle at us as we move ahead. We pass our runner not far out – we’ll have plenty of time.

T17 is an eerie site. Totally enshrouded in fog. Lights make a glow rather than a beam. Everyone is spooked about running.

9/16 5:00 AM – Time for my second leg. I get dressed and ready to run. We get to the transition only a few moments before the runner – just long enough to hit the porta potty and get to the handoff spot. I start out in pitch dark on a lineless road. I think I see a faded white line to follow only to realize it’s a granite curb along a sidewalk. I recover from the stumble and plug on. I’m soon on a more major road with a white line to follow and the first bits of twilight begining to appear. After relative isolation early on, we’ve begun to catch slower teams. Finally there are targets on the road. People to set your sights on. I see a blinky light not far ahead and begin to stalk. More rolling hills and I’m working.

About half way through, I felt the blinky on the back of my vest fall off. I take a moment to go back and look for it but, not finding it, I run on. No steep hills but plenty of rollers – I’m definitely working harder than the last leg. By the end, twilight is just cheating its way out into the sky. I picked off two runners on this leg – no one passed me. 5.5 miles at 7:39 pace. Half of my van mates are asleep as I arrive.

9/16 8:00 AM – Our second shift finished, we scoot ahead a few transitions to the Sandown Town Hall. What a great place! A huge feed in the town hall basement – soup, fruit, baked goods, coffee, juice, bagels, etc. Donations accepted. Awesome. We get an hour of sleep in the van before we wake and start getting ready – at least we’re in the right place this time.

9/16 11:00 AM – Road Warrior approaching!!! We’re on again. The weather’s gorgeous! Clear skies – but it’s heating up more than we expected. It’s gonna be warm on the roads.

9/16 1:30 PM – My final shift. With a runner down , we’ve all moved up and I get a shorter (4.1 mile) last leg. That’s good cuz’ my legs are tired. We get stuck in traffic going through Exeter so we arrive only moments before I gotta go – the porta potty stop will need to wait. I’m off and my legs are tight. They start to loosen and I’m holding a good pace for the first couple miles of flat. It’s a “target rich environment” and I’m gaining positions. I think I got 7 on this leg. I was holding 7:30’s for the first mile but when I hit the long climb up and over route 95, I’m slowing on the hill. I manage to keep chugging and bring it home at 7:45 pace – a bit below my target and slower than I felt – but OK.

From here to the finish we’re scrambling. Our deal with the rental company was we could keep the vans later if they had no rentals. They call us to say they need one back so we shuffle gear and drivers and one heads to the finish and on home. We see our next to last runner off and sprint to drop off the last then sprint to the finish for one runner who has to get home and then back to pick up the next to last runner and finally back to finish in time to see our captain and anchor runner coming to the finish.

9/16 4:00 PM – 26 hours, 30 minutes, 17 seconds. Thirty minutes faster than last year. Up from 34th to 26th overall. Not too shabby. We beat our second team “Road Warriors II” by a minute and a half. Our third team, the "Ridgerunners", was just ten more minutes back. 212 miles and three teams within 15 minutes. Wow.

Cold beer waiting at the finish line. A BBQ meal. One last chance to thank teammates and then we scatter again. We were tight for 26 and half hours. It was a blast. Even though my average pace was a bit slower than the overall pace of the team this year – it was OK. Thanks teammates!

Summary: My first Triathlon. Lost a wetsuit. Survived swim. Rode well except when falling off. Ran OK. Had fun.

Breakfast:: Wheat bagel with cream cheese, banana, OJ.

Statistics:

Swim: 1/3 mile
Time: 13:27
Pace: 40:45 min/mile
Rank: 774/949

T1: 3:14

Bike: 15 miles
Time: 47:51
Pace: 18.8 mph
Rank: 199/949

T2: 2:00

Run: 3 miles
Time: 21:30
Pace: 7:10 min/mile
Rank: 216/949

Overall:
Time: 1:28:00
Rank: 314/949

Commentary:

It was a family Triathlon weekend as we headed to the Timberman Triathlon Festival where my wife and I would partake in the Sprint event while my oldest son, 11, would tackle his first Timberkids event. DW would be working to overcome her DNF in last year’s event when the big lake got to her.

DW and I left our respective offices at noon, grabbed the kids at camp, and headed North. Quick stop at the Tilton Hilton (aka Super 8 Motel) to grab a room key and we arrived at the lake around 4:00 PM for a swim. Donned my wetsuit (scuba-specific shorty, but functional) and splashed for a while with DW and our two sons. Was a bit intimidated by the afternoon chop but, having trained mostly without my wetsuit, was eager to exploit the added buoyancy and add confidence for the swim. I can do this! I think.

Next it was off to Gunstock for Timberfest and packet pickup. I found my neighborhood running pal and she and I listened in to the First Timer’s seminar. It was given by a guy from Final Kick Sports (didn’t catch his name) who was a hoot. He was clearly knowledgeable and experienced but kept it light and fun for the no doubt nervous crowd. Best advice – if you’re gonna have to walk on the run, do it a mile out so you can sprint the final stretch and look good at the finish line. This guy was good.

Back to Ellacoya to rack bikes. Dinner at Applbee’s. A stop at the supermarket for Gatorade and breakfast food and then back to the Tilton Hilton. Unpack and… Uh oh. No wetsuit. Panic!! In retrospect, I think I set it on the roof of the family war wagon (e.g.: Dodge Caravan) before making a porta-potty stop after our practice swim. And there it stayed – at least until it blew off someplace. OK… So the swim will be without wetsuit. After a few moments of anger, I resolve to not let this stop me – but I’d spend much of the night thinking about it.

Lousy night’s sleep ended at 4:45AM and we were off. There’s a lot of “hurry up and wait” in this sport – and we did. Set up in transition and then walked around a lot waiting for race to start. Things were delayed about a half hour after a truck reportedly broke down on the bike course and had to be moved. We all stood around nervously on the beach, exchanging tips and jokes and trying to stay cool. Or warm.

Race day is perfect. Overcast. Warm enough but not too hot. And the lake is calm and a pleasant 73 degrees. Awesome.

First timer’s wave is last. I hang with my running club pal Ann who’s in her second Triathlon. So we stand there watching the other waves go off and getting more and more nervous until it’s our time to wade out to the in-water start. (I’ve decided that in-water starts are a great way to reduce porta-potty lines!!) Count down… And we’re off. 200 or so in our wave. I decide to start not far right (shortest course) and not far left (thinnest crowd) but in the middle. A few collisions but nothing major and I’m able to get a rhythm going pretty quick. Another tip given at the seminar was “one buoy at a time” and I start ticking them off. Right turn at buoy one and we’re swimming parallel to the beach. It was maybe 6-8 feet of water most of the way which means you could see the bottom for welcome feedback. Though I resorted to breaststroke here and there to get some space, check course, or catch a little breath, I managed freestyle most of the way, had no major panic attacks, didn’t drink too much lake, even took a breath or two on the “other” side, and soon enough had sand under my feet, a smile on my face, and a bead on the swim exit gateway! I was NOT last out of the water. (Check off goal one.) Wetsuit?? We don't need no stinkin' wetsuit!!

T1 was a celebration. I stopped to high-five my kids, congratulated adjacent first timers, added singlet and shoes, sucked down one Tri-berry GU, and was off.

As soon as I mounted my bike I seemed to be passing folks. (One advantage to starting in the last wave – lots of targets!) It seemed to me a lot of folks were casually peddling but I wasn’t here for a ride in the country - I was gonna hammer! For the next 15 miles, I was passing scores of bikers and having a blast!! It was a hilly course with lots of ups and downs and I seemed to both climb and descend faster than the folk around me. Bolstered by increased confidence, I pounded away until the biggest climb around mile 6. I’m spinning along picking them off when it comes time to move to the little chain ring and, as seems prone to happen on my borrowed bike, the chain goes too far left and is off! Having experienced this many times in training, I don’t panic and keep spinning while adjusting the derailleur. It’s on again! But… It’s off again! It’s on again! It’s off again! And.. Uh oh… I’m no longer moving up the hill! Not having clipped out, I make a slow motion fall to the right into the turtle position. More pissed off than hurt, I disengage myself from the bike and maybe six riders I’ve just passed chug on by – at least a couple asking if I’m OK. (Thanks!) I get the chain back on and resume the climb, quickly re-passing the six and more. I see DW coming back from the turn-around “peddling like a clown” as her seat post has fallen and she’s not taking time to fix it – but she’s gonna make it and I’m glad to see she’s overcome the swim demons. I crank the last miles picking off more bikers and having fun!

Into T2 for a quick shoe change. My friend Ann is leaving as I come in – she comes back a few seconds later for her number belt – Doh! I get it together and take off after her. As I leave, I hear tons of cheers from our triathlon club – they’ve been all over the course and tremendously supportive – what a boost!! They report DW just a bit ahead and I’m on a mission. I catch her about mile 1 (check off goal two!) and run a few hundred yards with her. Her knee is hurting a bit but she’s confident in finishing and I crank it back up.

The run course is fun – gently uphill for the first half, nice down coming back. (I think it’s a bit shorter than its claimed three miles.) Once again, I’m passing a lot of people. A couple young bucks passed me, but for the most part I’m gaining ground, picking up speed as the legs loosen, and having fun. I came up on one guy walking about a half mile out and encouraged him - he’d get back in it and surge ahead. About the same time, I came up on another runner and the three of us were together for a while. The second runner I’d met turned on his kick and was gone but I got the first guy on the final turn and cranked it to the finish – arms in the air and happy!!

Doing the math after the finish to subtract the wave start time, I realized I’d even broken 1:30 – my secret inner goal! (Check off goal three!!) I waited for DW, found DS1 and DS2 and we all celebrated. It was great fun.

DS1 completed the weekend with a great showing in the Timberkids event and the ride home we were all snoozy smiles!

I was proud to have gotten through the swim adequately and have finished soundly mid-pack. Next year the Half!!!

Summary: Ran close to reduced plan, suffered a few cramps, and enjoyed the day.

Background: I pulled a hamstring February 15. I lost a couple of weeks to that and the ensuing calf problems from stride changes. I never got training totally back on track though managed most of the distance – just no speed.  I entered the race expecting to be a “Gapper” – starting at the back of Wave 1 and running slower than my qualifying pace. I therefore had nightmare visions of the bulk of Wave 1 pulling out in front of me, the divided sea of spectators closing in from both sides as I approached, kids and strollers and pedestrians all crossing in front of me as I ran in the no-man’s land between waves until the Wave 2 rabbits came through, probably at Heartbreak Hill, demoralizing me with their passing speed, and finally being swept up by the bulk of Wave 2 for the final miles. Nonetheless, the mantra was – keep it under four, have fun.

Details: Got up after a good nights sleep (strange!) and had my standard (non-morning run day) bowl of Raisin Bran and bananas. My wife drove my friend Paul and I to meet the MVS club busses in Methuen. We settled in with Liz and Sharon for the ride. We arrived at the Hopkinton High parking lot at 9:00 AM and the four of us took a walk into the Athlete’s Village and met up with a few more friends for a couple of pictures and good luck wishes. We then settled into the bus to stay warm and comfy for a while. What a great deal those club busses are!

We finally moseyed down to coral 10 – the last of Wave 1 – and found a spot near the back. I was doing math – last year I’d run on a 3:19 qualifier and been in coral 7; this year, 3:28 put me in 10: three minutes per coral. Awesome.

I hung with a couple of fast buddies before the start and ran with them to the line.  They were planning a “training” run and had come back coral 3 to 10 to hang with us mid-packers. Their reactions to the 10 minute delay to the start line were amusing. 

I figured I could run something between 8:45’s and 9’s and lit out to do 8:45’s. I was feeling really good early, however, and the gentle downhills sucked me in. The first five miles went by pretty smoothly (8:25, 8:29, 8:44, 8:22, 8:42). I tossed my overshirt and immediately regretted it – it was forecasted to be cold and windy at the end and if I slowed I was going to be cold.

It was eerily quiet at the back of Wave 1. Though it wasn’t quite as dramatic as I’d feared in my dreams, the bulk of the wave did pull away and a few of us, running gently, strung out behind it. A very different experience than previous years – instead of running in the huge Boston pack, it was much more like being at a smaller race someplace. Getting to water stops was a breeze and I got plenty of fluids – but I almost had to look for people to run with. I like company to make the miles go by and, although it took some effort, I was able to find folks. And again, the next five went smoothly (8:29, 8:26, 8:26, 8:33, 8:29).

At this point, I began telling myself I was probably running too fast and would pay for it later. But it still all felt good. The crowds were quieter than in past years – I thought maybe they were smaller because of the cooler weather but, in retrospect, I think they were just a bit more subdued as I came by with the strung out Gappers instead of the fifteen-across mass that I’m used to at Boston. I found myself missing that mass. Got to the high pitched fences of Wellesley and found an advantage to the smaller crowd – my choice of girls!! Took time to take advantage of that! Still running smooth through 15 (8:33, 8:31, 8:38, 8:31, 8:40).

I think it was around 16 that I noticed the first red numbered runners streaking by me. Though their numbers would steadily increase, I never felt "washed over" by Wave 2. There were a lot more folks than usual passing me in the last miles - but my slowing pace certainly contributed.

Cruised through 16 with some encouragement from friends and hit the firehouse turn and got a boost from some more friends on the side. Lowered the head and started up the hills. I think the first one is the worst. It’s short, but it’s the steepest and it just looms. I chugged along, not worrying about slowing a bit, and feeding off the crowd encouragement. Stopped to hug some close friends at 19 and cherished the few second stop before resuming my plodding. As I passed the sign for 20, I felt the first twinge in my calf. Yipes. I altered my stride a bit, still climbing, to try to stretch it out. I found the “Pro from Dover” shortly thereafter with a much welcome bottle of 50/50 Gatorade (8:32, 8:54, 8:59, 8:53, 9:38).

My family was at the 22 mark and I stopped a few seconds to hug my wife and kids and my father who’d come up from Florida. Told them I was cramping a bit but had no doubts I could make it the final four miles home. These five miles seemed the toughest – I was trying to find the sweet pace that was just below the cramp threshold – but I knew it was only a jog from here - and that stupid hill over the Mass Pike just before Kenmore felt HUGE as always! (9:23, 9:22, 9:19, 9:19, 9:43)

It was all over but the crying at this point – jogged my way through the new Mass Ave. underpass and spotted a friend at the turn onto Hereford. I enjoyed the sunny and warmer than expected weather in Boston (didn’t need that shirt after all!) and kept it steady to the finish logging 3:51:31 (8:50 pace) – not my worst Boston (that was the 2004 meltdown), but certainly not my best.

In summary, I didn’t like the wave start. I’m a mid-packer – I missed my mid-pack cradle of fellow runners. I ran close to the plan I had – though it wasn’t the plan I wanted. It probably would have been a bit prettier if I’d taken it out a bit slower. But I got it done.

Big thanks to all the friends who offered encouragement and support! You make it all worthwhile!