Showing posts with label Olympic distance triathlon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Olympic distance triathlon. Show all posts
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Portage Lakes Olympic Triathlon - 4th overall
Pushed it hard from start to finish and never felt "bad". I did get just a couple of hints of hammy cramps during the last 2 miles. Been a couple of years since I've done the race, and the bike course and run course (2-3 miles of pure trail running) were both new to me. I was 4th overall (3rd amateur if you exclude Pro Ryan Bates who crushed us all). All in all, it was a good effort and a good day!
Swim:
I pushed it from the gun and was 2nd to the first turn buoy. Gassed, I backed off a bit and got into a nice rhythm. First race in while where I wasn't getting the shit kicked out of me constantly. It helped me focus on form, turnover and power. Occasionally, I chased some feet, but they were either slow or terrible at sighting. One guy was doing the backstroke - seriously - he was fast (passed me) but then veered way off course and I let him go. No one else passed me that I saw to grab.
Out of the water around 26:00 by my watch... saw my time, shrugged, and ran up the hill to transition. (Last year and all prior years, seeing a time that slow would have upset me, likewise seeing a 21 would get me excited, but I've learned that swim courses are rarely accurate and to stop getting a feeling one way or the other. After the race, everyone said they thought it was a long swim.
Pretty good transition, except I still get my wetsuit stuck on my left ankle/foot... lost a little time there... took a gel in transition and headed out.
That's about the time that the HR monitor (that was working all day yesterday and during warm-up today) decided to stop working and display "lost signal" again... brand new battery. I couldn't get my Garmin before tomorrow... so I shrugged again... nothing I can do now, but I hate to lose the data! Tried a few more times during the first lap to get it to work. No dice. Gave up on it.
BIKE:
Pushed the bike, but not as hard as I usually start because of your advice and race plan. I bounded up the hills (sure I spiked my HR each time) but passed so many people each time. Felt good, so I kept it going. Plowed through all of the sprint people left on the course in the first loop, had to make a couple of borderline dangerous passes to not kill my momentum thanks to some slower people riding 2 abreast and such.
Second lap I pushed harder effort, but honestly wasn't much faster in all likelihood... the good thing was it was only Olympic people now and I was eating up spots. My split showed about 1:09 - and since I've never ridden the course before, I have no benchmark until I see the other splits posted. My speedometer showed 25.5 miles...It was an undulating course, almost never flat. A couple sections were very recently chip-sealed and were covered in loose stone... I stayed in the saddle for all of those climbs to avoid any mishap. I was generally happy with my gear selection throughout. A few times, I was in the small ring for some climbs. Again - nothing was flat. I used every single gear combination at least twice during the bike.
Saw a couple guys from wave before who were riding well and mixed it up with them a bit toward the end of the second lap, which helped us each work harder I'm sure... but some of the second lap was solo / no-man's land... no one to work off of and keep my pace honest.
T2 was uneventful, except a little trouble getting my cold, numb feet into my runners. I followed Mike Schaffer (SSSMT) into T2 and was worried about that. He's 41 also (but I didn't know until after the race he started with elite wave 2 waves in front).
RUN:
I chased Mike up the 1 mile long hill and passed him about 1/2 way up, and put in a kick to make sure he didn't get any ideas about trying to stick with me. Mile 1 was 6:40 by my watch... and was all uphill. At about mile 1.5, the run course took a most interesting route through the woods on a mountain bike path for the next 1.25-1.5 miles. It was a bit slippery/muddy and was riddled with big roots. it was a non-stop tripping hazard to navigate. Mile 2 sign I'm sure was misplaced, because I was about 8:10 for that mile, and about 6:05 for mile 3... so I'm calling both miles about a 7:07, which given the terrain, I was happy with. Only one guy passed me on the run... a BAFF guy I've never seen before. No age or anything on his leg, so no clue which wave or AG.
Started the second lap and was starting to feel the fatigue of the effort, and also was without anyone to chase or keep in front of me. My mile splits were comperable to +0:10/mile. They only had 1-3 miles marked, so mile "4" included the extra .25 (those with Garmins calculated 6.5 for the course)... mile 4 was 8:13 (including the extra distance), Mile 5 (long mile) was 8:15 (vs 8:10 last lap) and Mile 6 was 6:16 (vs 6:05 last lap) and then into the finish chute.
Will get official splits later to see their times and if they mark the distances differently.
Weather: approximately 52F at start. Light wind. Lake was calm. "warmed up" to about 65F by end of race. Wind stayed light and not noticeable.
NUTRITION: breakfast about 3 hours before.
Bottle of sports drink in the car on the way down, as well as a cup of coffee and a bottle of beet juice (about 100 minutes before start of race was scheduled). Sipped on some sports drink before the race, and took 1 caffinated gel 15min before scheduled start per plan.
Nothing during the swim, except the occasional, accidental lake water sip. :)
T1 - took a caffeinated powerbar gel.
Bike - consumed 24oz EFS during the ride. Took second gel start of 2nd lap (about 35 min into bike) per plan.
T2 - Roctane gel (hated the consistency.. won't do that again during a race)
Run:
I consumed 1 gel during the run, about halfway through, and nearly all of 2 x 8oz bottles of EFS on my fuel belt, with a couple of sips of water at 1,4 mile aid station.
Recovery drink, banana, pretzels and water post-race... and a coke on the way home (guilty pleasure).
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Battle at West Branch - Olympic Tri - 3rd overall
My first triathlon of the year (and also my first open water swim of the year... yikes). Although, I only did this only as a training race after a hard week of training (including 50 miles on the bike the day before), I ended up taking 3rd overall!! All of the distances were long (per their website and my Garmin both) so my splits were "longer" than usual... swim was >1500m, Bike 26.2mi, run 6.5mi.The swim started well and I settled into a good rhythm. I found some feet that I thought would be good to follow, and pace-wise, they were... however, the guy couldn't navigate to save his life, and I had to go it alone half-way into the first loop until the end. That cost me being with the lead group. I had no idea if I was swimming well or not, and when I got out of the water and saw 28:XX - I thought it was a bad swim, but quickly reminded myself that I've had shorter times and placed worse - that each swim is unique, and it is only time relative to the rest of the field that matters in the race when you are fighting for the podium. Turned out I was about 20% in the swim (which for me is higher- I'm usually 30-35%). I did let this affect me in transition, though... feeling a little frustrated thinking it was a bad swim and losing a little drive for a fast transition.
On to the bike. Legs were definitely feeling tired from the get-go. I just focused on getting into a good rhythm and pushing it. The course did have one out and back section where I could see who was a few minutes in front and behind me. I could see a couple in front for sure, and a bunch behind. Better than the other way around, I suppose. Kept pushing it, but just wasn't feeling super-fast. Some of that was the rolling bike course - didn't "feel" as fast as just hammering along a flat road. I averaged about 23mph (which turned out on this rolling course to be 3rd fastest bike split). As tired as my legs felt, I started worrying about having nothing left on the run, but like always on the bike - I wanted to get all I could on the bike and let what happens next just happen...
Coming into transition, I started to get more excited about my placement, seeing only a few bikes on the rack (5 I think) before me... I was in reach of a podium spot if I had a good run!
Heading out on the run, it was kind of a crazy serpentine through the parking lots, then uphill. I got my legs going under me and the turn-over felt pretty good. Surprisingly good. I caught a couple people and one guy I followed out of transition was pulling away from me (he ended up 2nd overall). First mile split (uphill) was 6:50... good start. But could I hold that for the next 5.5 miles?
All winter and spring, my run has dogged me. 3 months of inactivity after Rev3 Full last fall, followed by starting to quickly and getting plantar fasciitis, then 2 months of hot/cold training with a new coach, my run fitness and confidence was suffering coming into the season. One big problem, was my mental fight and will was nowhere to be found... in training I would stop, rest or walk way too often... and my only race experience this year was the Cleveland Marathon debacle... I was very pessimistic about my ability to fight on - but wanted to find out.
Mile 2 was heading toward a marina, with some out-and-back... I saw a couple guys in front of me. Good sign perhaps. 6:45 mile... so I was holding pace... but not breaking any records. Mile 3 was the return of the out-and-back, but I didn't realize it. I saw like 10 more guys who I thought were in front of me (actually they were heading out while I was heading back)... that got in my head and I thought I was more like 13th place than 3rd place... Mile 3 was about 6:30. Coming back into the main lot, I asked Eric Gibb and Patty Banks (who were watching the race) what place they thought I was in and they said they couldn't tell either... kind of confusing course and all...
I just focused on keeping my run pace going, as I was finally running well... back uphill to do the 2nd lap and I was about 6:45. It was then that I had figured out the pack of guys I saw were behind me and I was truly in a top 3-5 position. That helped provide the drive to keep pushing the legs and not back off or give in to the pain of pushing it - which has been my mental problem all winter/spring.
The last 2 miles it was now clear that I was probably in a podium spot, and I lifted the pace even more... knowing the pain would be over in 12 minutes or so. Mile 5 was about a 6:30... mile 6 was a 6:10 (downhill)... I was flying into the finish! last 0.5 miles of flat, serpentine was also about 6:10 pace.
I finished strong, and after the final results were posted confirming my 3rd place overall - I was happy.
What I was most happy about was the fact that I started the run on tired legs, questioning what position I was in the race, and kept pushing the pace faster and faster on the run, and the mind finally cooperated!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
2012 Season in Review...
To sum my 2012 racing season up in a few words:
"Slow start - strong finish!" (I peaked in September vs June like usual)
"Media Whore" (my pic in 2 newspapers, on TV and in a national e-mail campaign)
"I'm a T'Roadie" (triathlete now racing as CAT4 road cyclist)
The highlights of the season were:
- Overall Winner - Tour of the Valley a three day bike stage race - (CATV - road racing)
- Rev3 Full Ironman Triathlon - 12th overall, 2nd in AG and a new personal best of 10:22...
- 3rd place overall finish at the HFP Vermilion Olympic Triathlon (my highest Olympic overall finish).
- Raced in China, USA and New Zealand
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| Racing in Shanghai, China |
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| Me and 30,000+ Chinese at the start of the Shanghai International Marathon |
My winter training months were mostly work-focused and honestly, my training was not very good.
That was until I started run training with a local professional triathlete. I was preparing for a spring marathon and he was preparing for an early season Ironman and we made for a great pair for run training. We did a 23 mile run together that seemed to only last 20 minutes... and were able to push ourselves rather hard on the track in speed workouts (where Jim would bury me...). The great thing was that it broke me out of my training rut and got me motivated for the season.
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| And... I'm SPENT!!! |
In June, I raced Deer Creek and Maumee Bay Olympic triathlons, which were only so-so for me. Definitely not as fast as the year before, but my plan was to peak a few months later. Patience. But it sucked feeling slow on courses where I know I have gone faster in the past...
While I am a very strong cyclist, and a "student of the sport"... My past Coach kept me from doing road races or crits because of the risk of crashes / injury (which I understand). This year, I was determined to race and see what I could do...
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| SnakeBite Racing - before TOV Road Race |
The 3 day Tour Of the Valley cycling race in July was the pinacle of the bike racing season for me...After a disappointing 3rd place in the Time Trial Friday evening, I took 3rd in the Road Race Saturday morning and then closed out the weekend with a 2nd in the Crit on Sunday. Those points combined together in the "General Classification" and I was the overall winner in CAT5! It was really exciting, and my SnakeBite Racing teammates were a huge help before and of course during the races! Plus, the 3 day race weekend was simply a lot of FUN with friends and teammates. (race report)
I was able to petition USA Cycling for an early upgrade to CAT 4 based on my results. I'm pleased to be racing at the next level in 2013 and can't wait to work with my SnakeBite Racing cycling teammates to find more success for the team!
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| 3rd place overall - Olympic Distance - Vermilion Triathlon |
During July and August, I was focused on preparing for the Ironman distance Rev3 Cedar Point in September. Another professional triathlete was in town for the summer and we did some great long training rides together. In addition to being pushed to grind it out for 120 miles, I learned a LOT about better ways to pace and train on the long rides to finish strong. It must've helped a lot, because I turned in a 5:02 bike split at Rev3, which was the 2nd fastest on the day!!A pleasant surprise was the HFP Vermilion Triathlon in August. It is one of the "local" races and I wanted to do it, even though my body was wrecked from the ironman training. Long story short, I had a solid bike and pushed the run to finish 3rd overall - which has been my highest overall finish in an Olympic distance Triathlon. This also served to qualify me for the 2013 National Championships! (race report)
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| Rev3 Cedar Point - Full Iron... Felt good to finally be done! |
After some more hard weeks of training, it was time for the Rev3 Full Iron triathlon at Cedar Point.
I ended up 2nd in my age group and 12th overall... and more importantly, took about 20 minutes of my prior best time to set my new best of 10 hours 22 minutes!
As you can read in my race report, I had a great day and my best ironman finish, despite having to slow my run down due to some significant "GI" issues during the marathon.
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| Christchurch, New Zealand - Half Marathon |
All-in-all, the "start slower, peak later" strategy paid off. It was just difficult to hit the early races not feeling my very best... but I had my best August and September - so it was so worth it!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Vermilion Olympic Triathlon - 3rd place overall
This was just supposed to be for fun and a last pre-Ironman race-day rehersal... Vermilion is a "home course" for us West-siders and SnakeBite Racing Team was planning to have a good turn-out. I'd been training like mad for long distance, with no speedwork and dead legs from all of the long rides and runs. My goal for the day was to bike pretty hard, and then run on tired legs to simulate Ironman racing.I had my typical mid-pack swim (30th out of the water) and then went after everyone on the bike. I posted the 3rd fastest split on the bike for the day... I was fine that I wasn't the fastest since my focus for the past month had been all endurance rides of 5-7 hours.
When I hopped off the bike, I expected my legs to be shot from all of the training miles and the effort of the day, and figured after a couple of quick miles (6:20/mi pace) that I'd start to feel the pain. I ran those fast miles, and realized there were only a couple of guys in front of me... Was I in 3rd place? Maybe 2nd (since one of the two ahead of me was in regular running clothes = relay team member)...
Wow - I've been as high as 5th overall in the HFP races, but never top 3. That gave some real motivation to push the run the whole way through and see where I could finish. I gritted my teeth and ran my 3rd mile at about 6:20/mi again... A little faster than I normally run Olympic Distance 10ks... (usually 6:45ish average)... at the 3.1 mile turnaround, I could see that I was defnitely the 3rd runner and while there were some coming behind me, nothing that looked a serious threat (at least in my wave).
The next two miles just sucked. My pace slipped to about 6:30/mi and my legs were SCREAMING! But knowing my position and the fact that another wave could have a faster person, I kept pushing the pace and gutting out the pain.
The last mile was easier mentally - knowing I had made it this far on my tired legs, held pace, and wasn't letting anyone get any closer (that I could see anyhow). The last mile was about 6:25/mi pace and I put together my best 10k pace!I burst across the finish line and finally let off the pressure... The Chronicle-Telegram was there and got a nice photo (which was later used in their story about the race...). At the time, it was beleived I was the 2nd overall (not counting the relay team)... but there was one guy in a later wave that managed to beat me too, which moved me to 3rd overall. Still - I was VERY happy with my performance that day personally (Course Record for me by a big margin) and my highest overall finish in an Olympic Triathlon.
The Chronicle-Telegram did a nice story on the race in the paper the next day, and gave a nice portion of the story to my interview: http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2012/08/20/vermilion-triathlon-avons-hagan-leads-local-pack/
SnakeBite Racing Team had a great showing on the day - lots of team members won or got a top 3 in thier age groups and everyone had a good time!! It is always great to race and see so many of your teammates out there giving it their all!
All-in-all, it was a pleasant surprise to have done so well, given the lack of specific training / preparation for the race. Sometimes the best races come when you least expect them!!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Stiff, Sore and Flat... not the race I wanted today... ;(
I did the Portage Lakes Olympic Triathlon as my last race of the season - and it sucked.
They can't all be great races... and I am OK with that (so I keep telling myself). To be honest, I'm embarrassed about my result today - but there is a reason I raced so badly today.
Just 16 hours before, I did the Alan's Elite Race - a "grand prix" style race set of 3 sprint triathlons back-to-back-to-back with just a few minutes' rest between. I did great on Saturday afternoon... and had nothing left for Sunday morning as a result.
The weather was on the chilly side (about 50F at the start), but brilliantly sunny. There were a lot of people I knew at the race. That was cool - except that I had this bad feeling I was going to race badly in front of them. Oh well - I do this for myself...
I knew right away in the swim that I was going to have a long day. I could just feel it. My warm-ups were OK, but I didn't do anything with high speed or intensity like I normally do, since I was sprinting all afternoon before. I settled into my swimming rhythm and did the best I could to keep going quickly. Never really found any good feet to follow in the swim, so I pretty much expended full energy without a draft. Bummer... but that's how it goes sometimes.
The bike course was brand new for this race - so I had no sense of my speeds / times / etc. It was a good course. Road conditions were good, lots of rolling hills and a few climbs that got you out of your saddle for power. Problem for me was I just wasn't feeling it. But I carried on.
Speaking of not feeling it... my feet were totally numb during the bike (and a good portion of the run). It was rather chilly that morning, and not being acclimated to cold weather yet, and choosing to leave the arm warmers in my transition bag - I lost my feet out there. It isn't that my bike was THAT bad... I did take pleasure in sprinting up the steep hills past people. but I just wasn't into it mentally, which made it hard to push.
I didn't realize how bad my numb feet were until I took them out of my bike shoes coming back into the park for a flying dismount into transition. I was shocked at the numb blocks hanging at the end of my legs. Not good - and I was really worried I'd fall flat on my face jumping off my bike. Luckily I didn't fall over... but running to my bike rack was not easy.
Pulling on my shoes was a real challenge too! I manged to finally get my shoes on, take a deep breath and head out.
My entire body was upset with me for racing so quickly after yesterday's effort. Legs felt depleted and dead like the final miles of an Ironman... and my head just wasn't in it today... My pace felt sluggish, but to my surprise, my first uphill mile was about 6:20... but after running 5:XX miles yesterday - it felt relatively slow anyway.
At mile 3, I was really feeling crappy, and contemplated walking - me walking! Man, I was just not into it today. I actually had to stop and pee along the 3rd mile as well. Ugh...
Then I saw teammates on the out and back and that gave me a lift to try to hang in there and do better... I pushed up the pace and tried to start reeling in more people in front of me.
The second loop I maintained a 7:00-ish pace... but knowing what I should be running... and how I felt, it just wasn't a good experience.
When it was all said and done, I came in a disappointing 16th overall. :( I'm used to being around 5th or 6th overall in the HFP Olympic race... but I did come in 6th overall in the combined 3 race set just 16 hours before...
So, the moral of the story is that my season actually peaked in July (5th at Caesar Creek Olympic and 2nd at Huntington Sprint)... then travel to India and China and family vacation got in the way... and the whole month of August was a training bust. I milked my fitness for USAT Nationals in August... and didn't train again until last week - too late to have a good race today! Oh well - lessons learned.
It was a great season for me overall... from a big PR in Boston Marathon, to my highest finishes in Sprint and Olympic triathlons, a new PR at Olympic triathlon and my first National Championships! Just kinda went out with a tired, flat fizzle.
Gonna use this for motivation to kick ass in 2012!
They can't all be great races... and I am OK with that (so I keep telling myself). To be honest, I'm embarrassed about my result today - but there is a reason I raced so badly today.
Just 16 hours before, I did the Alan's Elite Race - a "grand prix" style race set of 3 sprint triathlons back-to-back-to-back with just a few minutes' rest between. I did great on Saturday afternoon... and had nothing left for Sunday morning as a result.
The weather was on the chilly side (about 50F at the start), but brilliantly sunny. There were a lot of people I knew at the race. That was cool - except that I had this bad feeling I was going to race badly in front of them. Oh well - I do this for myself...
I knew right away in the swim that I was going to have a long day. I could just feel it. My warm-ups were OK, but I didn't do anything with high speed or intensity like I normally do, since I was sprinting all afternoon before. I settled into my swimming rhythm and did the best I could to keep going quickly. Never really found any good feet to follow in the swim, so I pretty much expended full energy without a draft. Bummer... but that's how it goes sometimes.
The bike course was brand new for this race - so I had no sense of my speeds / times / etc. It was a good course. Road conditions were good, lots of rolling hills and a few climbs that got you out of your saddle for power. Problem for me was I just wasn't feeling it. But I carried on.
Speaking of not feeling it... my feet were totally numb during the bike (and a good portion of the run). It was rather chilly that morning, and not being acclimated to cold weather yet, and choosing to leave the arm warmers in my transition bag - I lost my feet out there. It isn't that my bike was THAT bad... I did take pleasure in sprinting up the steep hills past people. but I just wasn't into it mentally, which made it hard to push.
I didn't realize how bad my numb feet were until I took them out of my bike shoes coming back into the park for a flying dismount into transition. I was shocked at the numb blocks hanging at the end of my legs. Not good - and I was really worried I'd fall flat on my face jumping off my bike. Luckily I didn't fall over... but running to my bike rack was not easy.
Pulling on my shoes was a real challenge too! I manged to finally get my shoes on, take a deep breath and head out.
My entire body was upset with me for racing so quickly after yesterday's effort. Legs felt depleted and dead like the final miles of an Ironman... and my head just wasn't in it today... My pace felt sluggish, but to my surprise, my first uphill mile was about 6:20... but after running 5:XX miles yesterday - it felt relatively slow anyway.
At mile 3, I was really feeling crappy, and contemplated walking - me walking! Man, I was just not into it today. I actually had to stop and pee along the 3rd mile as well. Ugh...
Then I saw teammates on the out and back and that gave me a lift to try to hang in there and do better... I pushed up the pace and tried to start reeling in more people in front of me.
The second loop I maintained a 7:00-ish pace... but knowing what I should be running... and how I felt, it just wasn't a good experience.
When it was all said and done, I came in a disappointing 16th overall. :( I'm used to being around 5th or 6th overall in the HFP Olympic race... but I did come in 6th overall in the combined 3 race set just 16 hours before...
So, the moral of the story is that my season actually peaked in July (5th at Caesar Creek Olympic and 2nd at Huntington Sprint)... then travel to India and China and family vacation got in the way... and the whole month of August was a training bust. I milked my fitness for USAT Nationals in August... and didn't train again until last week - too late to have a good race today! Oh well - lessons learned.
It was a great season for me overall... from a big PR in Boston Marathon, to my highest finishes in Sprint and Olympic triathlons, a new PR at Olympic triathlon and my first National Championships! Just kinda went out with a tired, flat fizzle.
Gonna use this for motivation to kick ass in 2012!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
"And Boom Goes the Dynamite" - Caesar Creek Triathlon Race Report
SUMMARY:
My highest Olympic Triathlon overall finish yet - 5th in a fast, deep field, and on a very hot and humid day. I had a killer run which sealed my high placing. I finally nailed my nutrition - something I've been working on for Olympic Distance races.
I was concerned in the hour before the race. When I rode my warm-up on the bike - my legs were dead and I was feeling pretty out of it. I was worried that doing this race was a mistake. My family was upset that I entered at the last minute, after having been traveling just before. I decided to get up at 2:45am to drive down to the race venue, so I could spend as much time at home with my family as possible. I then stupidly stayed up until almost 12:00 midnight watching the Tour after then went to bed. Ooops..
Prior to this race, I spent 2 weeks overseas - one in India, the other in Germany. Traveling takes it out of you, and I have very little time to train while I was gone. I ran 4 times in India - each time was a hot, sweaty mess - as you might expect... Germany was hot too (95-100F) and I was so busy and tired I could only muster a 5k run here and there... maybe my body used these two weeks to rebuild itself. Let's go with that...
I was still feeling flat when I went down to the water's edge. There were 650+ athletes buzzing around getting ready - and all of their support crew / family / friends. I just wasn't feeling it. I swam out for my last warm-up and to get some sighting landmarks... but still didn't feel my mojo. Maybe this was a huge mistake and waste of time today. Well - I'm here, I might as well make the best of it...
Count down to the Elite Men's start...
SWIM: (21st Overall - 22:49...)
I've been pushing the pace on the swim, and getting good results this season. My swim times are by no means "impressive" - but compared to my times last year - I've consistenly taken 3-4 minutes off my swim time vs 2010 - I'm so happy!
I pushed it hard from the shore, and was about the 3rd to the first turn buoy. Time to find some feet and a good fast pack, and see if I can hang with them. I quickly found some feet... then lost them... then found them... then lost them... then found them... then realized I was following someone who was having a difficult time holding a line and sighting. Not good. Problem was, when I went to find the rest of the lead pack - it was gone. I picked the wrong feet... and now I had to go it alone.
I was frustrated by this, but being inefficient and wasting energy wasn't going to make things better - so I quickly re-focused my mind on perfect form, and rapid turn-over. I did most of the first lap completely on my own. At the start of the second lap, I could see a group at a turn buoy - so I pushed it even harder to catch up to them. Eventually I did... and used the pack for a while - but then we got into the reminents of the sprint wave, and the pack broke up weaving in and out of them. I lost the pack again and finished the swim alone. Before I knew it, the swim was over, and I was scrambling onto my feet.
Running up the hill, I saw a friend and asked how many were ahead... I didn't like the number I heard... 15 or so... damn...
BIKE: (8th overall - 1:03:30)
The bike course was rolling and had a lot of twists and turns in it. Felt like I was never really in "steady-state", but rather always shifting or turning. I'd never been on this course before, and I'm better suited for the flat, steady-state courses, so I felt a disadvantage.
I pushed and pushed on the bike - trying to count how many I was passing that beat me in the swim. It just didn't seem like enough! The only good thing for me about this particular course, is that it had a long out-and-back section - where you get a chance to see who is in front of you, and by how much time... and also who is behind you. As I neared the turn-around, I realized that there weren't many people left in front of me- but the ones who were were a good few minutes ahead.
After the turn-around, I had one guy I could see to chase, and I caught him... after that, I was all alone... Sometimes that makes it difficult to keep pushing the pace when it hurts. That's why they have a "rabbit" at a lot of marathons... to keep the pack from getting complacent. I had no rabbit and no one to chase... My overall placement of 8th tells me I might have let off the gas a little in the last 5-7 miles. (I was 1st overall and 3rd overall fastest bike split in my two prior races this seaons).
I finally got my nutrition / hydration right on the bike! 2 races ago, I under did it and started to cramp the last 30 minutes of the race... this past race, I over did it and wanted to puke for an hour of racing... today - I nailed it! 20oz of HEED first, and then 20oz of a weak electrolyte only solution was just what I needed on this hot, steamy day.
Coming into transition, my legs felt pretty good... and my belly was very happy!
RUN: (5th overall - 42:47 - slow time, but this was a trail run and it was HOT)
I came out of transition with one other guy. I had never done this race, and was surprised to find it was a very uneven, rocky surface. In the first mile, I kept surging to drop this guy, but he kept hanging on. We came up to a gradual hill - and I decided that I was going to drop him on this hill - "because I was going to". I actually said that to myself... BOOM - I was off like a shot and ran full speed. I could hear his footsteps fading behind me, but didn't back off the pace because I wanted to break his spirit and not have him climb back on.
After the hill, I was flying and feeling strong. I saw my high school friend Darryl Miller finishing up the sprint race, and had a chance to say a quick "LOOKING GOOD DARRYL" and sneak a low-five as we passed each other. It was HOT and I was glad to have brought my fuel belt along with 2 bottles of electrolyte solution, and 2 bottles of plain water. Time for a drink. Most of the run was out in the exposed sun - and it was just hot. Did I mention it was hot?
I relized there were more targets in my sights ahead and kept the pace going hard. I could reel in and pass these guys one by one... each time, sneaking up on them quietly, pausing long enough to gather a little extra strength and then going full-speed to pass them and not have them try to stick with me.
At the 5k (half-way point of the run), I could see there were not many more in front of me... 3 or 4 tops. This was great! I just kept pushing it, and keeping the hydration coming. Last thing I wanted was to cramp up in this heat like so many others were. I kept fueling and dumping water on my head at the aid stations... and kept pushing. I only had one target to chase, and he was way in front of me (maybe 45 seconds at the last turn-around). I gave it everything I had... and closed 1/2 of the gap, but just couldn't catch him before the end of the race.
As I came to the finish chute - I heard them call my name and team (SnakeBite Racing)... then I saw my brother Steve, and his three kids waiting for me at the finish line. How very cool!
I felt exhausted, but really quite happy with how the day went for me. My strongest run placements for the season (relative to the field), and my highest overall placement in Olympic Distance - 5th and a time of 2:11:22. (I've won 1st overall duathlons and overall podiums in sprint triathlons... but this means more - the competition in Olympic Triathlon is so much stronger...)
Now, I have to focus my training on the 6 weeks between this race, and my "A" race - the USA Triathlon National Championships in Burlington, VT on August 20th.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Maumee Bay Olympic Triathlon Race Report - June 19, 2011
SUMMARY:
Maumee Bay yielded my highest overall finish so far in an Olympic Triathlon – 6th, against a challenging field and and a PR (2:09:57) on a very windy day. I “went for broke” in the swim and bike and held on in the run. I battled the wind and ended up with the fastest bike split overall in both the Olympic Triathlon and Duathlon! My swim improvement continues, with a 17th overall swim split (compared to 55th last year and 29th at Deer Creek). My run was a bit disappointing, a combination of upset stomach from over-hydration on the bike and fatigue from the bike. I was 1 minute slower than my consistent 40-41min 10k... But this has been the goal this season to date – race harder from the gun, earlier in the day and see what effect it has on my run and overall position.
Last season, I suspected I was holding back too much in the swim and bike. I'd feel (too) good during the run, and while finishing the run strong, I was wondering if I was leaving too much on the table. What I am learning so far this season is that I can push myself harder and earlier in the race, and have a better total race!
SWIM:
This was my second race in the Elite category, starting in the first wave with the fastest athletes. My strategy this year, was to go all-out in the first 5 minutes or so, to stay with the faster swimmers, and then find some feet for drafting/pacing (totally legal in triathlon). It worked pretty well in Deer Creek, so I tried it again this week. It is a physical bunch, really fighting for position. No one backs down. There is a LOT of contact (incidential and sometimes intentional) - so you really have to be aggressive and careful at the same time.
My disadvantage in years past continued to be my swim. I worked on that a lot this winter, and I'm happy to say that I have made a big improvement, with more work to do. So, I had confidence that I could sustain faster speeds, and pushing it so hard from the gun was to put me with the faster swimmers who would help set a faster pace. In the lake, with no "walls" to help you know your pace per 100m, you have to rely on the other swimmers as well as your perceived effort to gauge your speed.
I had more trouble finding a good person to draft on... I bounced between a few sets of feet, and sometimes just had to swim in open water on my own to hold the correct line to the next turn. I wasn't sure if I was in a good position in this swim, because of the trouble to find other fast swimmers, so I kept pushing harder, thinking I started too slowly.
Bottom line, I came out of the water 17th - my highest swim rank ever in Olympic - compared to consstent 50th-60th places last year. BIG improvement in position and time. Good start to the day.
BIKE:
It was quite windy at the start of the race, and I expected it to get worse as the morning went on (and it did!). I was mentally prepared for the cross-winds, and the relentless headwinds - as Maumee is quite flat and open and there is nowhere to hide from the wind.
After being encouraged by a strong swim, I started hammering the bike from the start. I've learned how to ride in the wind, when to push it in the tailwind sections where other people take it easy, and how to push just enough into the headwinds to drive forward, without blowing my legs out. It was working and I was picking off cyclists one by one.
At one point, I passed two guys who were battling for position, and they told me they were the last ones, that I was in the lead. What? I didn't believe them fully... but used that thought to become the rabbit being chased by the hounds, and took the motivation to push the pace harder yet. Turns out they were wrong, and I came up on a couple more competitors during the bike course. Regardless, they added just another spark to drive me forward.
The second loop was noticably windier than the first. Could really feel it in the cross-winds - to know it wasn't just my legs getting tired. It was windy!
2 weeks prior, at Deer Creek, I didn't drink enough, and that hurt my run. This time, expecting the wind to add to dehydration problems, I drank extra on the bike. Plus, in a stupid move, I mixed my fluids stronger (still don't know why I thought that was OK to do... I know better)... and by mile 18 on the bike, my stomach was upset. Stupid!
I later learned that I had posted the FASTEST BIKE SPLIT on the day. That was a very cool feeling to know I did that, even though my bike time was 2 minutes slower than last year (which was the 3rd fastest time), knowing the effects of the wind on the time - seeing I had the fastest split was a new achievement for me and a testiment to how hard I pushed it into the wind.
RUN:
I came into transition ready to run. There was one guy in particular that I hadn't raced before, Brian Stern. I knew I was a faster swimmer and cyclist, and that he was a phenominal runner. I figured I needed a 6 minute buffer against him to have a chance to hold him off in the run. I would later determine from the splits posted, that I had a 6 minute gap on Brian...
My first 2 miles were strong, but my stomach was really sloshing... there was still wind, and it was changing the conditions from reasonable but strong headwind pushing us, or a tailwind that didn't slow us down with force, but took away the feeling of cooling - it got really hot.
Coming to mile 3 I was pushing through the discomfort (I just wanted to puke it out and feel better, but I was concerned that I would then dehydrate as a result, and decided not to take that option). Still posting good splits, and holding the gap on the guy in front of me - wasn't getting away but I wasn't closing in either. I wanted to hold that gap until after the turn-around, when he would see me. I didn't want to pass before then.
At the turn-around, you can see where everyone is and how far ahead/behind they are, and how they look. I was happy with my position, and how I felt compared to how some of the others looked. This was going well, and I knew I was in 5th.
I saw Brian, and knew he was coming... I also threw up in my mouth a few times, and knew things weren't going well in my gut. I needed some extra calories / rush from a gel, but the thought was literally making me puke. Ugh... My nutrition plan / execution sucked today, and cost me 2 minutes in the run, and hurt my chances in the showdown with Brian.
Just about mile 5, I passed the transition area and a number of teammates and friends cheering me along. I still felt OK, but sick inside, and I just wanted to hold off Brian. I could hear people cheering for him now... he was close, and made the pass right at mile 5. I tried to go with him, but something in my brain went "snap". I knew he had me, and the suffering wouldn't undo the pass. I had a goal of PRing at this race, but the windy conditions on the bike killed that. I had no one close chasing me. I hate to admit it, but his pass broke me. With my super-upset stomach... and at the moment, nothing to chase or chase me... I walked for about 30 seconds to try to settle things, regroup, refocus and get going again.
I knew some of my friends and teammates saw me stop and walk. I was embarrassed, but there was nothing left at the moment. The engine room was overheating, my gut was over-sloshed and my targets escaped me.
After the mental reset, I got pissed at myself, and started again. Pushing faster and faster for the last 1.2 miles. There was no one chasing me - but now it was to reclaim a little pride for my stoppage. My last full mile was a 6:12... I was pretty happy with that, despite the other problems. Little goals, little achievements sometimes...
When the final results were posted, I was proud to see that my hard-fought day earned my 6th overall - my highest overall placement in the field, and a new personal record (PR) of 2:09:57 at the Olympic Distance. I was quite proud of this.
The suffering was real, and some of the most intense I have experienced in Olympic distance racing - but that has been the goal this season - race as hard as I can from the start - find out what I am truly capable of - no questions about having something left in the tank at the finish. Mission accomplished - I was SHREDDED at mile 5, and struggled in. But it gave my best result yet - so it was another well learned lesson.
Had I not given myself the total gut-bomb of overcompensation for the Deer Creek dehydration, i'm sure I would have been one place higher, and given Brian a better run for his money at the end... but his jets would probably have held me off anyway. He's a total stud!
COMRADERIE: Friends, team mates and new faces:
Great to see my SnakeBite Racing team out in force - 15+ people there to race and/or cheer (injured taking pictures, etc). We had a great showing there, and a lot of fun, and good exposure for our sponsors.
My friend Darryl Miller from High School (Lakota '90) did his second sprint triathlon ever - and his 18 year old daughter Gabby did her first one. I'm so happy and excited for them - they are totally hooked on the multisport lifestyle!
My college buddy Steve Kauffman was there as well! Did his second sprint triathlon ever and had a fun day, depsite some knee trouble.
Others from the triathlon community were there as well - Maumee Bay is a fun triathlon becaue of all of the local people there!
The Monday right after the race, I departed for a 2 week trip to India and Germany. It was a great trip that I will write about later... and a good chance to rest and recover after Sunday's hard effort.
ANOTHER GREAT WEEKEND RACE!
Maumee Bay yielded my highest overall finish so far in an Olympic Triathlon – 6th, against a challenging field and and a PR (2:09:57) on a very windy day. I “went for broke” in the swim and bike and held on in the run. I battled the wind and ended up with the fastest bike split overall in both the Olympic Triathlon and Duathlon! My swim improvement continues, with a 17th overall swim split (compared to 55th last year and 29th at Deer Creek). My run was a bit disappointing, a combination of upset stomach from over-hydration on the bike and fatigue from the bike. I was 1 minute slower than my consistent 40-41min 10k... But this has been the goal this season to date – race harder from the gun, earlier in the day and see what effect it has on my run and overall position.
Last season, I suspected I was holding back too much in the swim and bike. I'd feel (too) good during the run, and while finishing the run strong, I was wondering if I was leaving too much on the table. What I am learning so far this season is that I can push myself harder and earlier in the race, and have a better total race!
SWIM:
This was my second race in the Elite category, starting in the first wave with the fastest athletes. My strategy this year, was to go all-out in the first 5 minutes or so, to stay with the faster swimmers, and then find some feet for drafting/pacing (totally legal in triathlon). It worked pretty well in Deer Creek, so I tried it again this week. It is a physical bunch, really fighting for position. No one backs down. There is a LOT of contact (incidential and sometimes intentional) - so you really have to be aggressive and careful at the same time.
My disadvantage in years past continued to be my swim. I worked on that a lot this winter, and I'm happy to say that I have made a big improvement, with more work to do. So, I had confidence that I could sustain faster speeds, and pushing it so hard from the gun was to put me with the faster swimmers who would help set a faster pace. In the lake, with no "walls" to help you know your pace per 100m, you have to rely on the other swimmers as well as your perceived effort to gauge your speed.
I had more trouble finding a good person to draft on... I bounced between a few sets of feet, and sometimes just had to swim in open water on my own to hold the correct line to the next turn. I wasn't sure if I was in a good position in this swim, because of the trouble to find other fast swimmers, so I kept pushing harder, thinking I started too slowly.
Bottom line, I came out of the water 17th - my highest swim rank ever in Olympic - compared to consstent 50th-60th places last year. BIG improvement in position and time. Good start to the day.
BIKE:
It was quite windy at the start of the race, and I expected it to get worse as the morning went on (and it did!). I was mentally prepared for the cross-winds, and the relentless headwinds - as Maumee is quite flat and open and there is nowhere to hide from the wind.
After being encouraged by a strong swim, I started hammering the bike from the start. I've learned how to ride in the wind, when to push it in the tailwind sections where other people take it easy, and how to push just enough into the headwinds to drive forward, without blowing my legs out. It was working and I was picking off cyclists one by one.
At one point, I passed two guys who were battling for position, and they told me they were the last ones, that I was in the lead. What? I didn't believe them fully... but used that thought to become the rabbit being chased by the hounds, and took the motivation to push the pace harder yet. Turns out they were wrong, and I came up on a couple more competitors during the bike course. Regardless, they added just another spark to drive me forward.
The second loop was noticably windier than the first. Could really feel it in the cross-winds - to know it wasn't just my legs getting tired. It was windy!
2 weeks prior, at Deer Creek, I didn't drink enough, and that hurt my run. This time, expecting the wind to add to dehydration problems, I drank extra on the bike. Plus, in a stupid move, I mixed my fluids stronger (still don't know why I thought that was OK to do... I know better)... and by mile 18 on the bike, my stomach was upset. Stupid!
I later learned that I had posted the FASTEST BIKE SPLIT on the day. That was a very cool feeling to know I did that, even though my bike time was 2 minutes slower than last year (which was the 3rd fastest time), knowing the effects of the wind on the time - seeing I had the fastest split was a new achievement for me and a testiment to how hard I pushed it into the wind.
RUN:
I came into transition ready to run. There was one guy in particular that I hadn't raced before, Brian Stern. I knew I was a faster swimmer and cyclist, and that he was a phenominal runner. I figured I needed a 6 minute buffer against him to have a chance to hold him off in the run. I would later determine from the splits posted, that I had a 6 minute gap on Brian...
My first 2 miles were strong, but my stomach was really sloshing... there was still wind, and it was changing the conditions from reasonable but strong headwind pushing us, or a tailwind that didn't slow us down with force, but took away the feeling of cooling - it got really hot.
Coming to mile 3 I was pushing through the discomfort (I just wanted to puke it out and feel better, but I was concerned that I would then dehydrate as a result, and decided not to take that option). Still posting good splits, and holding the gap on the guy in front of me - wasn't getting away but I wasn't closing in either. I wanted to hold that gap until after the turn-around, when he would see me. I didn't want to pass before then.
At the turn-around, you can see where everyone is and how far ahead/behind they are, and how they look. I was happy with my position, and how I felt compared to how some of the others looked. This was going well, and I knew I was in 5th.
I saw Brian, and knew he was coming... I also threw up in my mouth a few times, and knew things weren't going well in my gut. I needed some extra calories / rush from a gel, but the thought was literally making me puke. Ugh... My nutrition plan / execution sucked today, and cost me 2 minutes in the run, and hurt my chances in the showdown with Brian.
Just about mile 5, I passed the transition area and a number of teammates and friends cheering me along. I still felt OK, but sick inside, and I just wanted to hold off Brian. I could hear people cheering for him now... he was close, and made the pass right at mile 5. I tried to go with him, but something in my brain went "snap". I knew he had me, and the suffering wouldn't undo the pass. I had a goal of PRing at this race, but the windy conditions on the bike killed that. I had no one close chasing me. I hate to admit it, but his pass broke me. With my super-upset stomach... and at the moment, nothing to chase or chase me... I walked for about 30 seconds to try to settle things, regroup, refocus and get going again.
I knew some of my friends and teammates saw me stop and walk. I was embarrassed, but there was nothing left at the moment. The engine room was overheating, my gut was over-sloshed and my targets escaped me.
After the mental reset, I got pissed at myself, and started again. Pushing faster and faster for the last 1.2 miles. There was no one chasing me - but now it was to reclaim a little pride for my stoppage. My last full mile was a 6:12... I was pretty happy with that, despite the other problems. Little goals, little achievements sometimes...
When the final results were posted, I was proud to see that my hard-fought day earned my 6th overall - my highest overall placement in the field, and a new personal record (PR) of 2:09:57 at the Olympic Distance. I was quite proud of this.
The suffering was real, and some of the most intense I have experienced in Olympic distance racing - but that has been the goal this season - race as hard as I can from the start - find out what I am truly capable of - no questions about having something left in the tank at the finish. Mission accomplished - I was SHREDDED at mile 5, and struggled in. But it gave my best result yet - so it was another well learned lesson.
Had I not given myself the total gut-bomb of overcompensation for the Deer Creek dehydration, i'm sure I would have been one place higher, and given Brian a better run for his money at the end... but his jets would probably have held me off anyway. He's a total stud!
COMRADERIE: Friends, team mates and new faces:
Great to see my SnakeBite Racing team out in force - 15+ people there to race and/or cheer (injured taking pictures, etc). We had a great showing there, and a lot of fun, and good exposure for our sponsors.
My friend Darryl Miller from High School (Lakota '90) did his second sprint triathlon ever - and his 18 year old daughter Gabby did her first one. I'm so happy and excited for them - they are totally hooked on the multisport lifestyle!
My college buddy Steve Kauffman was there as well! Did his second sprint triathlon ever and had a fun day, depsite some knee trouble.
Others from the triathlon community were there as well - Maumee Bay is a fun triathlon becaue of all of the local people there!
The Monday right after the race, I departed for a 2 week trip to India and Germany. It was a great trip that I will write about later... and a good chance to rest and recover after Sunday's hard effort.
ANOTHER GREAT WEEKEND RACE!
Monday, June 6, 2011
"D-DAY"... Deer Creek Olympic Triathlon Race Report
First triathlon of the season... my first time racing in the Elite Open category... and I'm thrilled to say it went really well! I took more than 5 minutes off my time from last year on that same course, took 3rd in the Elite Open category, and had my first top 10 overall finish. Even better, I was able to share the day with some old friends who came to race and to watch. One in particular who has made an amazing transformation in the past year - losing 180 pounds and doing his first triathlon Sunday. Truly inspirational!
GOAL: B race - shake off the rust from the winter and see how far I can push myself in the swim and bike to measure the effect on the run, in preparation my A races later this season.
Objectives:
1) Swim all out for the first 4-5 minutes to stay with the fast swimmers, find a group to draft with and settle in / hang on.
2) Bike as hard as possible and find out what impact it will have on the run.
2) Take at least 1:30 off last year's 2:15:33 on the same course
Swim: Goal: 25:00, Actual: 23:52 - 29th overall (I was 55th out of the water in 2010)
My first start in the Elite / U30 wave was a smack in the face, literally! I have swum in some aggressive groups in Ironman racing, but there the pace is less intense. This was a really physical swim, and I was pushing my pace all-out in the beginning to see what I could do, and to see if this strategy would lead me to a draft on a fast group. It did... after 4 or 5 minutes of sprinting, I thought my heart might explode and my arms fall to the bottom of the lake, but as I sighted around, I could see a nice pack of swimmers, and I fell into this pack and utilized the draft as much as possible. Drafting is funny in swimming when done correctly... after a while of hitting the guys feet in front of you, you start thinking it is time to pass him and find someone else, but as soon as you come out of his slipstream, you slow down, and he's 5 yards ahead of you, like that! So you scramble back onto his feet and swim another 4-5 minutes before you do the same thing!
I felt really strong in the swim finally. Confident from the focused work I did during the winter, and that confidence allowed me to keep pushing a pace that felt a bit uncomfortable. This was a "throw away" race... time to experiment and learn what I really can (and can't) do. So I kept the intensity up, didn't back down in the turns where it gets really physical, and ended up not only with a faster swim time (subject to course layout and conditions), but a much better overall rank (29th, vs my consistent 53-56th places in 2010).
When I came out of the water and started running up the long set of stairs toward transition, I peeked at my watch... 22:30... "Oh yeah" - off to a good start! Just then I heard "Let's Go Hagan" - and looked up to see Steve Kauffman (OSU Beta '95) cheering me on. Haven't seen the man in person in 14 years! Cool!!
T1: 0:55... no major issues. Wetsuit off, helmet and glasses on... out the door.
Bike: Goal: 1:05, Actual: 1:03:25 - 5th fastest bike split of the day (I did 1:06:33 in 2010)
After what I thought was finally a great swim split for me, it was on to my strength - the bike. Today, I committed to hammering all out for the full 25 miles, to see what effect that would have on my run. This was an experiment to find out how much I was losing by being afraid of blowing up. That was the real purpose of today's race.
I got going on the bike and took a couple of minutes to settle into a good gear selection and cadence. It was already quite hot and humid, with abundant sunshine. I could feel it pretty early into the bike leg. My one "mistake" for the day, the thing I would have done differently, was bring a second bottle of fluids onto the bike. In the past, I think I've gone overkill, hauling too many bottles only to waste energy to return full ones to T2... or drank too much on the bike and sloshed through the run. But today, was hot and humid and I misjudged that.
Toward the end of the first loop, we were moving through the sprint triathletes and duathletes. Time to keep my eyes open for my friends from high school. I saw Darryl Miller and was able to say "GOOD JOB DARRYL" as I went past. He's awesome. Even for those athletes I pass that I do not know... I always alert them to the pass on the left, and tell them "Good Job". It sounds corny, I know, but they are out there pushing themselves to their own limits and hurting just like we are... we just happen to be going a little faster. I'm especially conscious about being a good representative when I'm racing in my team uniform.
As I started the second loop, I looked at my split time, and knew I had a fast first lap... about 31:30 (1:03 pace vs 1:06:33 last year). How long could I keep it up, I wondered as I went for a drink. uh-oh... drink is all gone, and I still have another 12 miles on the bike in this heat. That was a mistake.
The second lap was more interesting - my legs were starting to feel the intensity of the first lap, and the heat of the day, and the lack of additional hydration... then I caught up to a couple of the faster swimmers. I needed the challenge and the pull to keep pushing myself as fast as I could go. I ate up another couple of positions by passing those who left me behind in the swim. Then, someone passed me. This almost never happens to me on the bike. Someone from team Cincy Express. I wasn't having that. Put on one more gear, and bear down to catch back up with him. He and I passed back and forth politely for the next few miles. This guy was a strong cyclist. Coming into transition, he had about 20 yards on me. I know I rode that last 10 miles faster because of him. Thanks!
T2: 0:46 - bike racked, shoes changed, wonder how the legs will feel!
Run: Goal: 41:00, Actual: 41:14 - 10th fastest run (I did 41:04 in 2010)
Well - I can feel two things as I start the run... the heat (and my lack of hydration) and the effort I put out on the bike. Legs are a little heavy. Let's drink up (I brought the Fuel belt because of the temperature) and get some salt tablets in right away. Legs feel like they are in cement, but I'm pulling an "OK" pace - 6:46 first mile.
Second mile - I'm cooking... so hot, humid and there is no shade from the sun. Really glad I brought the Fuel Belt. Only my second triathlon to carry it. At this point, I can feel the effects of the hard biking on my legs. 6:56 mile. Not good.
Third Mile - I saw my split for mile 2 and decided I'd better drink my fuel belt bottles and get all the hydration in I can now - in a couple miles, what goes in my mouth won't matter to the race anymore. I chugged what I had and took more salt tabs, and an Advil, just in case my Plantar Fasciitis wanted to show up. I started concentrating on catching people on this out-and-back section of the course. 6:49 mile
Fourth Mile - Now that the run is 1/2 over, I have only 3.1 miles to go - or about 21 minutes of pain left to endure. I was melting in the heat, and the lack of proper hydration on the bike was coming to roost. This was the first time I was losing my will to push hard. I was starting to worry that I would cramp up and that wasn't good. The Cincy Express jersey I was chasing wasn't getting any closer. Damn. I still wanted to push myself, but not recklessly and explode. I held a 6:50 pace for this mile as well.
Fifth Mile - Alarm, Alarm - the engine room is overheating! I can feel small cramps in both quads with each step. I don't get this often, but I know it can lead to sudden lock-you-up cramps that can bring you to a dead stop quickly. I took the last of my salt caps, all the fluids I could dump on my head at the last aid station, and held on for dear life. I kept the pace up, but wouldn't surge to try to catch anyone. I just need to not do anything stupid, and I'll finish about 2:10 and have had an incredible day! 6:55 mile
Sixth Mile - OK - 1.2 miles to go. I can handle about any pain for 8 minutes or so. time to hunker down, think about all those troops trying to storm Omaha Beach on D-Day... fighting through the fear, the exhaustion, the hopeless of being pinned on that horrible beach under fire for hours at a time... but finding a way to push on and win. That was my objective. The suffering I was feeling was nothing compared to that. It helped diminish my pain and realign my focus. Today was a great race, and I wanted to finish strong. 6:51 mile. I was holding my pace, despite every signal in my body telling me to slow down or stop.
As I came back into the park for the last little bit of distance - it hit me - I ran a 2:10 Olympic triathlon, on the same course where I did a 2:15 last year. Fantastic! Plus, I knew old friends of mine were waiting to cheer me into the finish. One last little spurt of speed... and then the pain is over!
And so, I completed my first triathlon of the season, and I was wildly exciting! I worked all winter on improving my swim -and it showed in the results - both in time and more importantly, in my overall ranking in the swim. Plus - I hammered the bike from the start to the finish, and while I was in some agony during the run, it really didn't affect my run split compared to last year on the same course.
So, I learned some things toady... I can have confidence in my swim now - but I need to keep focusing on improving it... and I can push the bike harder, and still have a good run. What I thought were my limits, were only "mental" limitations I had put on my racing in 2010 because of fearing a blow-up. This race was a great chance to take chances and see what is possible.
Two weeks until Maumee Bay - a target race for SnakeBite racing team, and the best chance for a new PR on a fast course, with great competition.
After the race, I had time to visit with friends I haven't seen in years! Steve Kauffman, who is doing his very first triathlon next weekend at Wendy's in Columbus, came down to see the race and to visit with me - very cool! Darryl Miller and Jen Johoski Ochsenhirt from my grade school and high school days both raced... and SnakeBite Racing teammates Jason Hendricks, Martha Brennan and Michelle Mead both had great races too and meadeled in their divisions! Brian Carruthers from Cleveland raced as well, and sacrificed his perfect day to help someone who crashed while on the bike - the true spirit of sportsmanship.
See you all in Maumee Bay, Ohio for the next stop on the HFP series!
GOAL: B race - shake off the rust from the winter and see how far I can push myself in the swim and bike to measure the effect on the run, in preparation my A races later this season.
Objectives:
1) Swim all out for the first 4-5 minutes to stay with the fast swimmers, find a group to draft with and settle in / hang on.
2) Bike as hard as possible and find out what impact it will have on the run.
2) Take at least 1:30 off last year's 2:15:33 on the same course
Swim: Goal: 25:00, Actual: 23:52 - 29th overall (I was 55th out of the water in 2010)
My first start in the Elite / U30 wave was a smack in the face, literally! I have swum in some aggressive groups in Ironman racing, but there the pace is less intense. This was a really physical swim, and I was pushing my pace all-out in the beginning to see what I could do, and to see if this strategy would lead me to a draft on a fast group. It did... after 4 or 5 minutes of sprinting, I thought my heart might explode and my arms fall to the bottom of the lake, but as I sighted around, I could see a nice pack of swimmers, and I fell into this pack and utilized the draft as much as possible. Drafting is funny in swimming when done correctly... after a while of hitting the guys feet in front of you, you start thinking it is time to pass him and find someone else, but as soon as you come out of his slipstream, you slow down, and he's 5 yards ahead of you, like that! So you scramble back onto his feet and swim another 4-5 minutes before you do the same thing!
I felt really strong in the swim finally. Confident from the focused work I did during the winter, and that confidence allowed me to keep pushing a pace that felt a bit uncomfortable. This was a "throw away" race... time to experiment and learn what I really can (and can't) do. So I kept the intensity up, didn't back down in the turns where it gets really physical, and ended up not only with a faster swim time (subject to course layout and conditions), but a much better overall rank (29th, vs my consistent 53-56th places in 2010).
When I came out of the water and started running up the long set of stairs toward transition, I peeked at my watch... 22:30... "Oh yeah" - off to a good start! Just then I heard "Let's Go Hagan" - and looked up to see Steve Kauffman (OSU Beta '95) cheering me on. Haven't seen the man in person in 14 years! Cool!!
T1: 0:55... no major issues. Wetsuit off, helmet and glasses on... out the door.
Bike: Goal: 1:05, Actual: 1:03:25 - 5th fastest bike split of the day (I did 1:06:33 in 2010)
After what I thought was finally a great swim split for me, it was on to my strength - the bike. Today, I committed to hammering all out for the full 25 miles, to see what effect that would have on my run. This was an experiment to find out how much I was losing by being afraid of blowing up. That was the real purpose of today's race.
I got going on the bike and took a couple of minutes to settle into a good gear selection and cadence. It was already quite hot and humid, with abundant sunshine. I could feel it pretty early into the bike leg. My one "mistake" for the day, the thing I would have done differently, was bring a second bottle of fluids onto the bike. In the past, I think I've gone overkill, hauling too many bottles only to waste energy to return full ones to T2... or drank too much on the bike and sloshed through the run. But today, was hot and humid and I misjudged that. Toward the end of the first loop, we were moving through the sprint triathletes and duathletes. Time to keep my eyes open for my friends from high school. I saw Darryl Miller and was able to say "GOOD JOB DARRYL" as I went past. He's awesome. Even for those athletes I pass that I do not know... I always alert them to the pass on the left, and tell them "Good Job". It sounds corny, I know, but they are out there pushing themselves to their own limits and hurting just like we are... we just happen to be going a little faster. I'm especially conscious about being a good representative when I'm racing in my team uniform.
As I started the second loop, I looked at my split time, and knew I had a fast first lap... about 31:30 (1:03 pace vs 1:06:33 last year). How long could I keep it up, I wondered as I went for a drink. uh-oh... drink is all gone, and I still have another 12 miles on the bike in this heat. That was a mistake.
The second lap was more interesting - my legs were starting to feel the intensity of the first lap, and the heat of the day, and the lack of additional hydration... then I caught up to a couple of the faster swimmers. I needed the challenge and the pull to keep pushing myself as fast as I could go. I ate up another couple of positions by passing those who left me behind in the swim. Then, someone passed me. This almost never happens to me on the bike. Someone from team Cincy Express. I wasn't having that. Put on one more gear, and bear down to catch back up with him. He and I passed back and forth politely for the next few miles. This guy was a strong cyclist. Coming into transition, he had about 20 yards on me. I know I rode that last 10 miles faster because of him. Thanks!
T2: 0:46 - bike racked, shoes changed, wonder how the legs will feel!
Run: Goal: 41:00, Actual: 41:14 - 10th fastest run (I did 41:04 in 2010)
Well - I can feel two things as I start the run... the heat (and my lack of hydration) and the effort I put out on the bike. Legs are a little heavy. Let's drink up (I brought the Fuel belt because of the temperature) and get some salt tablets in right away. Legs feel like they are in cement, but I'm pulling an "OK" pace - 6:46 first mile.
Second mile - I'm cooking... so hot, humid and there is no shade from the sun. Really glad I brought the Fuel Belt. Only my second triathlon to carry it. At this point, I can feel the effects of the hard biking on my legs. 6:56 mile. Not good.
Third Mile - I saw my split for mile 2 and decided I'd better drink my fuel belt bottles and get all the hydration in I can now - in a couple miles, what goes in my mouth won't matter to the race anymore. I chugged what I had and took more salt tabs, and an Advil, just in case my Plantar Fasciitis wanted to show up. I started concentrating on catching people on this out-and-back section of the course. 6:49 mile
Fourth Mile - Now that the run is 1/2 over, I have only 3.1 miles to go - or about 21 minutes of pain left to endure. I was melting in the heat, and the lack of proper hydration on the bike was coming to roost. This was the first time I was losing my will to push hard. I was starting to worry that I would cramp up and that wasn't good. The Cincy Express jersey I was chasing wasn't getting any closer. Damn. I still wanted to push myself, but not recklessly and explode. I held a 6:50 pace for this mile as well.
Fifth Mile - Alarm, Alarm - the engine room is overheating! I can feel small cramps in both quads with each step. I don't get this often, but I know it can lead to sudden lock-you-up cramps that can bring you to a dead stop quickly. I took the last of my salt caps, all the fluids I could dump on my head at the last aid station, and held on for dear life. I kept the pace up, but wouldn't surge to try to catch anyone. I just need to not do anything stupid, and I'll finish about 2:10 and have had an incredible day! 6:55 mile
Sixth Mile - OK - 1.2 miles to go. I can handle about any pain for 8 minutes or so. time to hunker down, think about all those troops trying to storm Omaha Beach on D-Day... fighting through the fear, the exhaustion, the hopeless of being pinned on that horrible beach under fire for hours at a time... but finding a way to push on and win. That was my objective. The suffering I was feeling was nothing compared to that. It helped diminish my pain and realign my focus. Today was a great race, and I wanted to finish strong. 6:51 mile. I was holding my pace, despite every signal in my body telling me to slow down or stop.
As I came back into the park for the last little bit of distance - it hit me - I ran a 2:10 Olympic triathlon, on the same course where I did a 2:15 last year. Fantastic! Plus, I knew old friends of mine were waiting to cheer me into the finish. One last little spurt of speed... and then the pain is over!
And so, I completed my first triathlon of the season, and I was wildly exciting! I worked all winter on improving my swim -and it showed in the results - both in time and more importantly, in my overall ranking in the swim. Plus - I hammered the bike from the start to the finish, and while I was in some agony during the run, it really didn't affect my run split compared to last year on the same course.
So, I learned some things toady... I can have confidence in my swim now - but I need to keep focusing on improving it... and I can push the bike harder, and still have a good run. What I thought were my limits, were only "mental" limitations I had put on my racing in 2010 because of fearing a blow-up. This race was a great chance to take chances and see what is possible.
Two weeks until Maumee Bay - a target race for SnakeBite racing team, and the best chance for a new PR on a fast course, with great competition.
After the race, I had time to visit with friends I haven't seen in years! Steve Kauffman, who is doing his very first triathlon next weekend at Wendy's in Columbus, came down to see the race and to visit with me - very cool! Darryl Miller and Jen Johoski Ochsenhirt from my grade school and high school days both raced... and SnakeBite Racing teammates Jason Hendricks, Martha Brennan and Michelle Mead both had great races too and meadeled in their divisions! Brian Carruthers from Cleveland raced as well, and sacrificed his perfect day to help someone who crashed while on the bike - the true spirit of sportsmanship.
See you all in Maumee Bay, Ohio for the next stop on the HFP series!
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