Saturday, June 21, 2014

Boulder 70.3

LG and I talked about doing this race last November. The race opened in December and was sure to sell out. I talked it over with my better half and we decided to make it a short family vacation.

I stopped riding the bike in early September and got back on in late March, so a little over 6 months with no cycling :-/  During that period, I maintained some fitness with 2-3 swims and 3-4 runs a week. I threw in a few run races (Turkey trot with stroller and 2 dogs, Santa 5k with stroller, Arizona Rock n Roll half, St Paddy 10k with stroller, and YMCA 10k with stroller).

It is tough to train for early summer races in the Northwest. You choose to go outside and get soaked or sit on the trainer. We were fortunate with several sunny days in April and May. My power numbers slowly started to come back in mid May. Everything was coming together until late May when I got a horrible cough and a stomach bug that lasted 2 weeks. I didn't swim for a week. I also cut back on the bike and running with short and easy workouts. I started to finally feel better the week before the race. 

During my final week, I did a few key workouts and it showed I might be able to still put together a decent race. Thursday morning while getting in one last bike ride my right aerobar extension seemed very loose. I thought no big deal. I got home that night to find 1 of 2 screws connecting the aerobar extension to the base broke in half. Another screw broke as I was trying to loosen up the aerobars. I was in complete panic mode. I call DC to help me out. He contacted JOYRIDE and they looked at it Friday morning. It was good news bad news. They were able to get the screws out, but the extension was so corroded that a screw would not work. Thankfully my wife uses the same aerobar set-up and Joyride had enough time to swap out pieces.

We flew out Friday evening. Flight was scheduled to depart at 7:25pm. Southwest delayed the flight 3 more times. We departed Sea-Tac at a little after 9. At Denver airport, the baggage claim carousel was malfunctioning, so we lost another 30 minutes. We walked into the hotel room a little after 2am. LA slept thru entire flight, carousel hold up, and drive to the hotel. He woke up as we were getting ready to unpack in the room.

Saturday morning we headed over to LG's house. I put my bike back together only to discover my seat clamps are cracked. There was nothing I could do, but cross my fingers. LG and I headed out to the race site to check-in and turn in our bikes.

Sunday morning we were up at 4am and out the door within 30 minutes. We picked up 2 more racers and headed to Boulder. We pulled into Boulder a little after 5:30. This gave us plenty of time to set-up a canopy for the families to hang out during/after the race and then our race area. I ended up forgetting my watch. I sprayed on sunscreen before putting on my sleeveless XTERRA VENDETTA.

Swim
Course: 1 loop clockwise with 2 right turns, okay visibility, water temp 67 degrees.
Plus: It was great to have a designated area to swim that did not interfere with the race, so I warmed-up 10-15 minutes.
Gear: XTERRA SLEEVELESS VENDETTA, OOMPH SPEEDSUIT, & Blue Seventy Nero Mirrored Goggles
Race action: I was in the 5th wave. They sent us off and I notice a few guys getting out quickly. I felt good during the swim and had mostly clear water through the first turn with a little traffic for the remainder. I exit just behind the guy who started in front of me.
Next time: Push the first 200-400 meters to stay with the faster guys.
Result: (28:52, 1:29 per 100m)

Bike
Course: 1 loop on decent roads. The first few miles are a gradual incline then its fast for the next 20-30 miles. The second half of the ride is slightly rolling.
Gear: LYNSKEY TI BIKE, OAKLEYS, Rudy Project aero helmet, Shimano custom shoes, and XLAB 400 torpedo.
Nutrition: INFINIT CUSTOM in 3 BOTTLES
Race action: I felt good throughout the entire bike ride. I made sure to drink frequently. Near the 50 mile mark, several guys in front of me turned right, so I followed. We ended up adding 0.6-0.7 miles to the ride. Luckily we got back on track with only a few miles left.
Next time: Get the bike checked out sooner. Know the course!!!
Result: (2:25.41 23.06mph)

Run
Course: 2 loops on 90%trails with a shorter hill and a longer hill within the first 2 miles then mostly flat.
Gear: NEWTON DISTANCE SHOES & VISOR and bottle of GU Brew Blueberry Pomegranate.
Race action: I had to control the effort at the beginning because quads were cramping and breathing was labored. Normally, I take a drink every mile but changed it up to approximately every half to try eliminate the cramping. I felt stronger after the 5k, so started grabbing coke at the aid stations. I saw my 2 favorite people just before going out on the second loop. I caught up to a 30 year old, who passed me around mile 5,  and encouraged him to keep running as we only had a 5k left. He ran with me for a little over a mile and then faded as I was trying to get er done. As I neared the finish, I saw my 2 favorite people again, so I stopped and gave them each a kiss before crossing the finish line.
Next time: More time to acclimatize to altitude.
Result: (1:36.38, 7:22 per mile)
Finish: 4:34.00 (9th in age group and 63rd out of 1544).
Overall: It was the first race in a few years that I really enjoyed.
Upcoming: Take the week to recover and decide if I want to try and do Nationals. Should I do the Olympic race Saturday and Sprint race Sunday?