2012 Beach 2 Battleship 70.3 race report

The day has finally come and after months of training and dreaming race day is here, I was excited and nervous but feeling very confident that it would be a good day.

2012, has been a great year in my young triathlon career, I have met a lot of great people, found a great training partner and friend and one hell of a coach and mentor.  As this season is coming to an end, I have been lucky to have meet many of the goals set for this year, getting stronger on the bike, become a better swimmer and placing in at least one race.

This race was already special as it was the first race my wife has been able to attend this year and the first time my parents will get to see me race.  Also, a few friends (two of which helped start me down the tri path) that I have not had a chance to race with would be there. 

Race morning, I was able to meet up with a few of those friends doing the half as a relay team, Alan, Melissa and Andrea.  Melissa was doing the swim portion and we took the trolley together down to the swim start.  It was great to have a friend to talk with and help take my mind off of the nerves.  While waiting for our waves to start, the Iron distance racers were passing by and I was amazed how fast they were moving with the current.  Thinking to myself, this is going to be a fast swim provided I can sight correctly.

This is a good time to mention the swim course, it takes place in a channel that is connected to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.  The race is planned to coincides with the incoming tide and in previous years, the current has provided some very fast times in both distances.

The time finally comes, the 35-39 group is in the water about to start and I started making my way to the beach.  As I walked into the water, I learned very quickly why people are so attached to swimming in wet suits.  I should mention I have not had a wet suit on in 10 years and that was to ride a jet ski.  Leading up to race day, I was worried about how the suit would feel and as I expect (hoped) the suit loosened up once wet and I could barely tell I was wearing it other than the fact I was so buoyant. 

Swim: 0:26:19

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!  We move out of the little cove and you can feel the current grab you.  Almost right away I get a mouth full of salt water, luckily I didn't swallow any of it but it left that taste in my mouth the rest of the way.   Just nasty!  The Malay that is the swim start was not too bad, I was able to move to the front of the pack and was off to a fast start, developing some space.  Sighting well and heading on course right for the big orange buoy.  After a few minutes, I caught up to a small group and some bumping occurred as I moved through them, knocking me off course a bit.  Able to recover quickly, I noticed I was already at the buoy.  Now it was mostly a straight shot, well almost, to the swim exit. 

I realized I need to pace myself a bit until the next buoy and was using the distance per stroke technique.  Basically slowing my arm cadence and gliding a few extra seconds with the front arm.  Once I hit the next buoy, I kicked in the next gear and pretended that the guy next to me, who seemed to have been pacing me the whole way, was my training partner Steve and decide to try to beat him to the wall.  Next thing I know I am in the middle of another group,  I find myself grabbing a foot and bumping into guys on both sides.  Not wanting any part of it, I picked up the pace again but this time I realized I had gone off course a bit.  I recognized quickly that the course change actually worked in my favor as I was on the right side of the last buoy and heading directly towards the swim exit.

I got to the ladder and out of the water with no problem but got held up for a minute or two at the wet suit strippers.  Once the suit was off and I ran through the warm showers there, finally, was the timing mat, now a nice 400 yard run to T1.

T1 went fairly smoothly, and next thing I know I was at the mount line.  Getting to see my wife and parents as I entered and left T1, gave me such a boost.

Exiting T1

Bike: 2:31:23

The bike course is mostly flat with a few bridges as the only elevation to deal with.  I started off well but slow, knowing I had a few turns and a bridge with a nasty grate to traverse before I got to some open road and I could get aero.  Once that happened, I kept reminding myself to "stick to the plan".  I was passing some riders but a few guys were passing me like I was standing still.  In earlier races this year, I had a tendency chase them down going all Gandalf: "You shall not pass!"   

After the first 10 miles, I was holding my targeted pace and feeling great, starting to realize I was catching one of the guys who passed me earlier, I remembered him as I think he was the guy who also was pacing me during the swim.  Playing tag a few times, when we hit a long stretch of road we started to chat,  watching out (of course)for the ref on the motorcycle so we didn't get a drafting penalty.  It really helped the next 5 miles fly by, we took turns leading than chasing the other down only to talk a few minutes and the leader would fall back and repeat.  After an aid station I was the up front, I looked back and noticed he was gone, no idea what happened but we were approaching the turn for the half distance racers and I need to get my mind back onto the race plan.

After the turn, it went from riders everywhere to riders nowhere.  At times I started to question whether I was still on the course.  Also the wind picked up, so I put my head down and concentrated on my effort instead of speed.  The goals was for the effort to feel as it had before the turn.  The next turn finally appeared and I was able to hit the aid station for some water (during the race was the first time I tried grabbing a full bottle while moving, not as easy as you think and thank you to the volunteers who just know there are about to get soaked) figured it was as good a time as any to step it up again. The next 5 miles as it turns out was just as desolate as the last but I was catching riders and a few I recognized had passed me earlier.  This pleased me, LOL!

Making a right turn back on to route 421 and I realized I was only about 15 miles to T2 and I am feeling great, legs started to get a little sore about mile 50, but I spun them out for a half mile and I was good to go.  Noticing a group of riders up ahead, I challenge myself to catch them, challenge accepted!  My speed was averaging 2 mph faster before the turn onto route 421 but my effort level felt less, keep it up Frager!  

Next up, one last bridge then about a half mile to T2, the bridge was grated and a mat was in place to make the crossing safer.  They really could not have picked a worse design to use for the mat and the bike was all over the place, I really don't know how I didn't fall.  Once I survived that, I pulled my feet out of the shoes and started to get my Garmin ready to remove once I dismounted.

Ready to dismount and head into T2

T2 felt like a cluster, I got the Garmin off the bike no problem and got my bag quickly but as soon as I sat down, I started to fumble with my socks and fuel belt, water and gel bottle.  The socks, were rolled up went on weird, I had a rock stuck to my left foot and had to take the sock off.  Of course the rock was stuck to the sock and would not come off, WTF!!  To add to my mounting concern, my shoes laces would not tighten (I have spring loaded clips that go onto the laces).  Finally I said screw it, this could be fix this and a few other items on the run and headed out of the changing tent.

Run: 1:42:54

The run course is also flat running on a mixture of running paths and streets with one turn around.  Starting the run everything felt wrong, the only bright spot was seeing my wife right away, then my dad and shortly after my mom taking pictures.  

I noticed only after she was standing there or this would of been a great shot.

After that, my gel bottle fell off, I ran back to get it.  My shoes were loose, causing me to stop twice trying fix them but they never felt right, a few miles later I had to stop and adjust my left sock.  The damn seam was right under my toe and was driving me nuts, after the adjustment it didn't help so I just went with it.  While all this is going on, I am feeling like I am pacing myself around a 9 minute mile only to realize I was closer to 7:30.  Also, I started to get the same side stitch cramps I got in earlier races, so I skipped the next aid station and concentrated on my breathing.

Finally it went away, for at least a little while.  As with the bike, I decided that since the effort didn't feel more than it should,  to just go with it for a few miles.  Right after mile 4, I caught up to a guy wearing socks from the Jamestown race that was in July and we started to talk.  Learned his name was Rene and he was in the Army.   We ran together for a long time, pushing each other to keep going, this really helped get through the middle part of the run.   After the mile 8 aid station Rene started to fall behind, I slowed down and called back to see if he was good, he yelled back no worries, he will catch up soon.   A few minutes later my Garmin beeped as I crossed mile 9 and I realized my pace increased from 8:14 to 8:04, luckily it slowly kept dropping with each passing mile.  Then about mile 9.5 those freaking side stitch cramps came back but this time only for a short time, simply adjusting my breathing this time took care of it.

Coming up to mile 11, I came up to another runner who commented on me catching him, he happened to notice Rene and I running together and how far behind we were at the turn around.  We ran together talking and joking how we would re-create the Ironwar but he kept insisting I was going to pull ahead.  I was more worried I kicked in the burners to early and would start to fade.

A few feet from the finish line

We hit the next aid station, the last before the finish line.  This race, I decided to grab water and walk a few steps to drink, instead of trying to drink while running.  It was really working and I was feeling great.  My new running partner a few steps ahead noticed I was walking and started to cheer me on.  After my sip of water I caught right back up and was feeling like I woke up from a long nap. 

Next thing I know there was mile 12 sign, my energy level shot up, I didn't even realize my pace had increased but I knew the end was near.  There was the last turn and the brick pavement, almost there.  A minute later I started to see the gating that is the start of the finishing chute, after a small bend the finish line came into view.

I almost fell over when I saw the clocks on both sides of the finish line, the first number I saw was a 4, a 4, did I mention it was a 4!  My mind went nuts, I was under 5 hours.  I crossed the line seeing the 4:53:something and almost automatically did the math.  

As I walked to the end of the chute, my wife launched herself at me from the curb. We stood there for a few minutes, embraced in a hug that probably realigned my spine.  My parents were right there as well and I really can't remember the next 10 minutes, just the excitement, the joy and the feeling of accomplishment like no other.

After a few bottles of water, some orange slices and a half slice of pizza, I made my way to the massage tent.  This was a gift from heaven, after that I was walking and ready for more food.

When it is all said and done, I completed my first 70.3 in 4:48:13, 19th overall.  I set a personal record on the run by over 2 minutes, which is still a shock even as I write this.  (The run has been my weakness all season).  I also did something I had not done all season and that was place in the Masters division (an overall placing of men 40 and older), again still in shock.

Thinking back, I would not change anything about this race.  I could not of dreamed of a better day and I had thought a lot about this race.  If I had to come up with an area to improve, it would be staying calmer in transition.   Looking at the transition times, they really were not as bad as I perceived them to be.  

I really need to thank my wife for dealing with all this as I work to balance the time needed to train, work and family life.  It has not always worked as hoped but learning from all this will make next year better.  I owe a HUGH THANK YOU to my coach Adam Otstot, who has really helped me not just reach the next level but a level much higher than expected for this year and who has helped me work on finding that balance with this amazing sport and my family life.  Our Masters Swim coach Steve Hennessey, for helping me learn the art of swimming as well as some great advice.  Steve Smith my training partner, for pushing me through all those swims and bike rides as well as the encouragement to improve my run.  Thanks for all your great advice, friendly competition (which is always keeping me on my toes) and busting me chops when I am slacking. Mike Shipp at East Coast Bicycles for all your help and support as well as the staff at the Newport News Bike Beat for those times I couldn't drive down to Mike's shop in Norfolk.   I could not have achieved my goals this year without you all.

I cannot wait to do another half and I am even more determined than ever to do my first Ironman in 2013.

This is the race Steve and I have targeted for 2013.