Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Shepparton

Reader's Digest Version: Good day, 4:30 and change, 10th m25-29, 60th Overall (1400 competitors), 42nd Age-Grouper. No WC ticket :(

NB: In interest of keeping this race report succinct, I wrote separately about the lead-up to the race HERE.

NB #2: Not many pics at the moment, I'll update soon :)

Lead Up:
This week we had a couple of days of Professional Development at uni - which then I spent Thursday and Friday building my new bike (which was a bit stressful and took trips to no less than four bike shops!). Packed up Friday night, then headed out for a cold one to relax before hitting the hay. 

Saturday was spent on the road, mostly, arriving in Shepparton around 3pm for check-in. Bed early to catch some Z's.

4am alarm. Ugh. We stayed in Benalla, about 45-50 minutes away, and had to hit the road early to make it there on time. Got to transition by 5:30 and got my race morning 'needs' out of the way. Phil announced shortly thereafter there were some changes made to the wave starts, and athletes should be looking for update start times posted around the site. m25-29 were initially set to go at 7:02am - just after the PRO wave - but instead would now be the second-last wave at 7:31! Still don't understand how the waves were re-shuffled like that the night before a race which was sold out for 6 months. Disappointing. This would have a few implications, with the main one being 'traffic'.

Nevertheless, can't stress about things outside of our control - so roll with the punches. I said goodbye to my folks and set about walking over to the swim start. Got to see the first few waves take off. Clayton and Josh stretched out the pro's right from the get-go. On their way around past the start, the lead kayak lead them off course, then proceeded to tell them to backtrack around a can - what a joke - poor girl was mortified. They kept most of their advantage over the main pack, but Hodgy got back on their feet in the process.

Cool and glassy conditions on the lake race morning.

What was evident at this point, was the congestion in the lake, as the boys began navigating their way through large packs of lapped swimmers. It's not a big lake, and to get 1.9km out of it, the course loops around 1.5 times and has a pretty awkward shape, hugging all the lake's edges. 

So my day began there, in the turbid and cold water with 1400 pairs of thrashing arms.

SWIM - 1.9km: 32:01

As I've said, the water was really flaming turbid (that's muddy, for you non-geographers) and pretty chilly (18 degrees). I jumped in and did a quick warm up, but nothing huge. We took off and it was an absolute shit-fight from the horn.

Old-mate Lake. Pretty cramped with 1400 athletes spaced out over only 30 minutes.

A couple of guys lined up on the front row in front of me and after about 10m it was pretty evident they shouldn't have been there. I got stuck behind them for the first 100m or so as the pack took off. Anyway, we merged in to a bit of traffic and began working our way through a lot of slower swimmers from prior waves. This continued and throughout the whole swim it felt like there was always someone to navigate around. 

Anyway, was chuffed to get out, even though my split was a few minutes slower than I hoped for.

Getting out the water with folks.. look at that milkshake of a lake

T1: 2:18

Classic T1 for me - pass people on the run in, lose a bunch of time struggling with my wetsuit and fumbling with my helmet. Quick bike mount and we're off.

BIKE - 90km: 2:24:40

I was really happy with my ride, for once. Without a good prep, I was lucky that the course was very fast and flat (allowing undercooked people like me to get away with it, to a certain extent). 

Having been in the last wave, there was a LOT of traffic on the course. A lot. I passed a huge number of competitors on the first lap - and a lot of them were in packs. For the entire first lap I didn't see a single Technical Official. Just a bunch of wheel suckers. To be fair, there were a lot of folks where were just 'stuck' - not intending to draft, just stuck without anywhere to go. The road was very narrow in certain sections, making it often unsafe to pass.

I know, I know, aero weenies - no disc and not a very good 'turtle' 

I rode to my watts, but was often soft-pedaling to keep a good distance back from those in front, before passing or whatever. A dude on a Shiv Tri and I kept passing each other, taking turns to pace and guide us through the field. He fell off about 10kms into the second lap though. 

Final numbers were 187 AP, 188 NP (i.e. steady effort), IF=0.75, 1605kj of work, and two pisses. I wasn't quite in shape to push more watts, though it would have been nice to get a few extra minutes. Next time.

Oh yeah, new whip was a dream! 

My Garmin shut off (no idea why) for a minute or so, right where it looks like I cut a corner through the paddocks ;)

A few notes on the course: The roads were chip seal, not the quickest, but still in pretty good shape and very consistent.  Some sections were pretty darn narrow. 

T2: 1:59

Fumbled with my socks a bit, but otherwise pretty standard.

RUN - 21.1km: 1:29:28

3 lap course around the lake and along the creek, plenty crowded. Bring it on.
I felt pretty ordinary from the get go. I drank plenty and got in 250g - 300g of carbs on my ride so I knew it wasn't that. Just fitness I think. I due to the stress fracture this year and lack of run prep, it was always going to be a battle. Jog on.

Dem crowds

Lap 1 was probably the toughest, mentally. Felt like it was going to be a long one. There were a lot of people on the course, and on the out-and-back section it was a constant battle getting around people. Most people stuck 'on-the-right', but it's certainly not a course where you can jog alongside your mate two abreast.

Was really cool seeing Terenzo, Bergs and Hodgy heading for home, then being passed by Matty White as he trucked it in for fourth.

Lap 2 hurt the most, physically. Gut was a bit bloated so getting in the coke was a little bit of a struggle. Suck it up. Was feeling the heat quite a bit, too, by this stage.

Lap 3 was the best. My legs felt great for the first half of it and I felt fit for a while, which was fun. I took on a bit of coke at the turn around, gritted my teeth, and headed for home.


 Didn't start my watch until a few minutes into the run. Dem satelites.

Crossing the line was really satisfying. Before the race I was a bit anxious with regards to how I
would actually go, but I was relieved to be able to run an OK half-marathon on crap preparation.

This felt good.

Post-Race:
Off to get some water, protein and a massage (AMAZING!) as soon as possible. Felt pretty good, certainly not too dehydrated like my two previous long-distance races. Mum showed me the tracker, which indicated I had finished 10th in my AG. 60th overall, but only 10th in my AG. So take out the pro field (18), and 10/42 top age-groupers were m25-29 and we only had one slot for the World Champs. Ugh.

I went to roll-down anyway, knowing miracles can happen. Unfortunately (for me), Gerard Wild (1st in m25-29) also showed up and grabbed the slot, leaving the other five guys in our AG a bit heartbroken. But, hope remained as there were 25 slots, and only 28 people who showed up to roll down, meaning only three people would go home empty-handed. After all initial slots were allocated, including two m35-39 slots to a couple of chuffed competitors who finished 69th and 120-something-ith in their age-group, there were four roll down slots. We got an extra one, but old-mate who finished fourth grabbed it. Spewing.

At the end of the day, I'm still very happy with the outcome: I came to lay down all my cards, and I'm confident I got the most out of my body today - I just didn't have the fitness to go to that next level.

Now I've got two-months to prepare for the Asia-Pacific Ironman 70.3 Championship in Auckland, NZ. There will be a lot more spots there, so I'm crossing my fingers I'll get a shot at competing next year in Mont-Tremblant.

Finally, I must acknowledge Shepparton Tri Club and the rest of the team including the fantastic volunteers, and the town of Shepparton and the amazing residents - this was, in terms of atmosphere and athlete experience, one of the best races I've ever been in.
Onwards!

Race Report: Mont-Tremblant 70.3

And so, the big dance - my first Half-Iron and my biggest race of the year - has come and gone. I signed up for this race late last year to be my first long-distance triathlon, and I am sure glad I did! It was an AMAZING day - the event was impeccibly run and the show Marc Roy, Dominique Piché and all the other organizers and volunteers were able to put together was simply outstanding - simply put, this event was world-class and will surely put Mont-Tremblant on the triathlon map in a big way. I am actually a little bit envious I won't be there August 19th for the Ironman, despite the inevitable suffering that would incur.  

Anyway, so here is the short version: 

And the long one:

After the drive up from Ottawa, on Friday afternoon we checked into our hotel and I checked in at race rego, picking up my race kit and swag, about 60m from our hotel room. Saturday was spent doing a quick jog, quick bike warm-up to make sure it was all working (after the Oly, I was a bit paranoid) and relaxing around the Station - including taking a trip up the Panoramic Gondola to check out the view. 

Steed is ready

Time for a quick spin

Pre-Race: Up at 4am. I rolled out of bed, already wide awake having slept pretty restlessly. I quickly went to the stove and turned on the element to heat up the steel cut oats I had soaked overnight. Race kit on, tracksuit on - it was a chilly morning! Ate my breakfast with some fresh Québec strawberries and a coffee. This warmed up my body enough to get through the most important pre-race ritual(s). Audrey and I literally walked out the door of our room and not 10m away were volunteers doing body marking - too awesome! I got into transition and began unpacking. 

Swim: 30:45. I pushed this swim more than a few weeks ago. There were eight waves and I was in the second, leaving 5 minutes after the pro wave. As a result, we never encountered any problems with regards to drowning/trampling slower swimmers in front of us, and enjoyed clean and easily navigable water the entire way. I led a pack of 5 or 6 swimmers as I was unable to latch on to the group in front. I finished comfortably though found it a little hairy swimming in over the submerged rocks inches from the surface.

Snowbirds flying over for the Pro wave - too cool. 

A few minutes before our start

Coming in - that's me at the front with the white cap.

T1: 3:50. This included something like a 700m run. The awesome crowds lining the barricades on the way made this bearable, but a 3 minute run in your wetsuit is never too much fun. Admittedly, my transition needs a bit of refining. I threw on my race belt and watch, sunnies and lastly, my helmet before heading out. 

Man, this is a long transition run!

On the way out. 

Hammering up St-Jovite

Bike: 2:31:41. Pleased with this split. It wasn't an easy course in terms of topography however it was amazing to ride given the scenery, amazing surface and volunteer support. Not having a powermeter, I had to gauge my effort on feel, which I think I did well and avoiding any major spikes and keeping the effort consistent. I rode almost entirely alone having missed the studs of my AG who were riding a few minutes down the road. On Chemin Duplessis, however, the gun athletes from M30-34 who had started 5 minutes behind in the third swim wave caught up to me at the last turn around and we'd all caught up to the tail of the women's pro wave. As a result, we had an OK group riding down to the transition over the last 10 or so km's. 


Technical stuff: 
Bike: 51cm P3, 2011 vintage.
Wheels: Hed Jet 6/9
Tubes: Bonty Latex
Tyres: Conti Attack FR 21mm, Conti Force RR 24mm
Tyre Pressure: ~92psi
Hydration: Arundel aero bottle w/E-Load, Regular 21oz bottle on horizontal mount w/E-Load (replaced with Perform)
Storage: Dark Speed Works Bento holding tube, tyre levers and Co2 chuck, and 5 Powerbar gels

  


T2: 1:04. Better but I could still lose a few seconds here. 

Run: 1:34:41. I headed out in sub-1:30 pace hoping to nail a ~1:27 run (which I knew I had the fitness for). I was holding pace comfortably and had another gear for the first 5kms or so. After taking on some Ironman Perform at the first aid station, things went downhill. I headed onto the Petit train du Nord and shortly after my stomach felt as though somebody had shoved their hand into my guts and wrenched my stomach into a knot. I slowed down and tried to massage the cramps. No go. I had to stop and walk - twice - to get rid of them and was reduced to a meandering pace until the 10km turn-around where I grabbed some coke at the aid station. Things began to pick up slowly thereafter. I ran for a while with Erin Spitler who was also struggling a bit.  I dropped Erin after a few km's, gradually picking up the pace a little heading back into town, sinking coke the whole way. I'm not sure, but I think I lacked a few calories or electrolytes as I felt pretty lethargic. 

Check out my epic meltdown (FWIW it only says 20.88km given I didn't hit start until 100m or so after leaving transition):


My guess is, that whilst my guts were retaliating for those twenty minutes I didn't absorb much - or anything - at all. I managed to pass a few guys who had passed me during my bad spell, which made me happy. Coming down the finished chute was amazing - hi-fiving everyone and really soaking it up. 

Other stuff: I am pretty pleased with this, my first HIM. I learned a lot and still have a way to go. The most positive thing is knowing that I can drop minutes off my run should I nail nutrition. I think I can take minutes of the bike as well, particularly if I were to begin using a powermeter or at least nailing more consistent long rides. 

There is no way I could have done this without the support of family - a huge thanks to my parents, my parents-in-law and my beautiful wife Audrey - who puts up with me in a way which out endures any Ironman. 



Next up: Triathlon de Saguenay, where I hope to improve on 4th overall from last year. 

Race Report: Triathlon Olympique de Mont-Tremblant

Well, first tri of 2012 is in the bag! A gang of 8 of us drove up on Friday night - 7 racing and 1 supporter  (thanks Emily!) from Ottawa for le Triathlon de Mont-Tremblant. Emily was our token supporter and driver whilst the rest of us raced the Oly, except Eric who nailed the Sprint. 

Pre-Race: Fog lifting..

The course was tough, period. No easy time to be gained - you had to earn each and every minute. I'm actually suprised the Race Director couldn't find a way to make the swim uphill.

The short version: 17th out of 399 (5th in AG) in a time of 2:18:27

And, the long stuff..

Swim: 26:09. The swim was a two-lap affair including an Ironman Lake Placid-style exit and re-entry on the gravel beach. A few guys by the results at the Sportstats van after the race who swam with their Garmin 910's thought it was ~2-300m long. I'm not sure about that, I'd take the accuracy with a grain of salt. I did swim, however, a minute slower than my last Oly race and I know I'm in much better swim shape than then. That said, it was only my 4th open water swim of the year and my goal on Saturday was to just chill out and swim well within myself - there was no way I was going to gas myself into some decent oxygen debt only to run 500m to T1 in my wetsuit then jump on my bike and nail 10km uphill to Lac Superieur! 

Finally underway after a long wait in the rubber.

T1: Holy crap, a 500m run to transition?! This was 10% extra running for the folks doing the Sprint race. Ironman folks won't notice this too much in August, though I can't see why they'd want to make a long day longer. Nothing really else to report for transition except it added 2.5 minutes to my time with that bloody run up.

Bike: 1:11:09. Meh. Getting on the bike and pedaling up Duplessis for the first 1km or so I thought "Shit, this'll be long". My legs felt flat. I didn't exactly taper into this race given I was still finishing a  solid training block prior to the 70.3 in two weeks including +400km of riding in the prior 10 days. We could say I tapered Friday, where I limited myself to a 25-minute recovery paced jog on the treadmill and my bike commute. Anyway, back to the race: legs are flat and I'm suffering. 6 minutes into the bike I realised my Garmin has stopped. WTF? I think after putting my race wheels on my cadence magnet wasn't aligned properly (or something of that nature) so the Garmin decided to 'auto pause'. What does that mean? No idea about race time, or my pace. Oh and no file to check out after. No big deal. I just tried to pace of the bike studs who were riding around me (and dropping me one by one like a sack of [insert your favourite manure synonym]). About half-way up Duplessis on the first lap of the bike my front derailleur shifter decided it wasn't going to play along, either. It's a friction-type shifter and the bolt had come loose enough to the point where it was useless. I literally had to hold the shifter up the entire time to keep it in the big chain ring. PITA. The end result was that I found it near impossible to hold a good (or any) rythym on such a punchy little course with lots of little hills where you want to get out of the seat and just hammer up in the big dog and keep going. Oh yeah, and my rear tire was rubbing on my seat stay. Awesome. I guess all this crap lost me a few minutes. Oh well. Lessons learned: mount your wheels earlier and make sure you do a good warm-up ride.

T2: Dismount, rack bike, check. Helmet off without penalty, check. Grab shoes and run, check.

Run: 38:47. Not too bad; it was the 7th fastest on a day where only two guys went sub-37. I ran without any electronics so I had no idea what my pace was like (not like having a timer would have helped as the flippin' KM markers were way off. i.e. KM2 to KM3 felt like 2km's and 4 to 5 felt like 800m). I just tried to repass a few of the guys who had passed my depressing ass on the bike. The course was rolling and the hills felt massive compared to when we ran it on fresh(er) legs in April. I tried to sink a bit of Gatorade at each of the aid stations to keep a bit of spark going as my legs had given up on laying down any kind of power. I always felt like I was running with a few extra gears, but without the power to use them. In other words, my legs gave up long before my engine. The last few up-hills were brutal, but the little down-hill through the pedestrian village to the finish chute was worth it even though I had no kick what-so-ever!

Other stuff: Start was delayed for over an hour and I wish I had of drank a bit more or had a few more calories before the race. Sank 300 calories on the bike, a rate which I think will suffice on the 70.3. Race swag was pretty decent for a local race: Bag, bottle, shirt, shitty medal and enough Oreo biscuits to sink a ship. That said, race organisers could have used a lot more volunteers to get things running better. 

Audrey did really well! She nailed her first Oly on 'panic training' and finished 19th in the womens (3rd in her AG!). She wasn't really inspired by the difficulty of the course, but I've promised her that her next race will be a million-times better, especially if she keeps up the hard work she's been doing in the last few weeks. Everyone from the UO Tri Club had a good weekend! A few noobs nailing their first races and learning some new tricks and some lessons! Proud of everyone! Thanks guys for a great weekend!

The UO Tri Club gang :)

The take-home: Happy with my day. The delta between myself and the Quebec studs is decreasing. Will need to do a quality taper for the 70.3.