I specifically picked this race because I knew the bike would be very challenging as it went DOWN and UP the road to Waterville two times. When training for Lake Placid, you need to "seek" out hills and work at it. Luckily, I do live in the White MOUNTAINS.
For some reason, it seems every time I do a race for the first time, it rains. Need proof, Timberman 70.3, Ironman Lake Placid, Mooseman Triathlon (at Waterville), Lake George Triathlon, Mooseman Triathlon (in Bristol), Mountainman Duathlon. Now, I can add the Black Bear Duathlon to the list! Yippeee.
Pre Race:
- Arrive at the race site and it is cold, windy and raining. I register and realize that maybe I should have brought a second pair of socks. I also feel that maybe I should have brought warmer clothes to race in, like gloves. I organize my transition area with about 30 minutes before the race begins. I put my gear in a garbage bag to keep it as dry as long as possible. I sit in my running car until about 10 minutes before the race is about to being. I look and feel completely under dressed in my GSTC uniform and arm warmers. This is not typical for me. Many of you know I hate to be cold, so you would have been shocked to see me in my skimpy outfit.
Run #1 (10K with a goal of 42:00)
- The run begins and I really try to run comfortably. My pace and heart rate feel good. I am pleasantly surprised at the running route. I actually really like it. It begins on pavement, relatively flat. It goes through a nice neighborhood and then takes an uphill onto a dirt road. I am finding that I am passing most people on the uphills and still feeling good. The dirt road goes back to the main road and then we take a left onto a trail through the woods, onto a beach, through a field to the transition area. We make this loop two times. Again, I am feeling pretty good, working hard but keeping my heart rate under control. I arrive back at T1 with a time of 40:28 (6:28/mile).
T1: 1:01
Bike (60K with a goal of 2:00)
- I knew the bike was going to be a challenge and I made an assumption that the ride was just down and up the road to Waterville. All of a sudden, I had to take a right hand turn onto Tripoli road which basically has you climbing for 10 minutes right out of the gate. Well, time to settle in and climb. The good news was I got to go down this hill. The initial ride down was fine, but wet. I really tried not to go all out, or push it, on the downs, because there was going to the same amount to go up. The entire ride was constant pedaling and constant work. The field was so small, that the only motivation was internal. The leader was so far ahead and the time gaps were such that I only passed one person. In addition, I was passed by one person with about a mile left on the bike. I wasn't too worried about him because I knew he was a cyclist and not a runner. My legs were tired and my feet were wet and cold. I finished the bike in 1:55:15 (19.4 mph).
T2: 0:44 (my goal was to get in and out of T2 fast to make up lost time on the bike)
Run #2: (7.5K with a goal of 32:00)
- I blasted out of T2 with the fastest time of the day and passed a person in the transition area. My feet were soaked, cold, and sloshing around in my sneakers. My legs were garbage and I felt like I was running in sand. My goal was to put as much time between myself and the guy behind me. I was running scared and felt like I was running in place. I wanted to be able to relax a little on the last bit of the run. Again, the second run was a surprise as they cut off a section. Mentally, this really helped me out. My legs started coming back and I felt like I was making progress. Finally, the finish line. Run #2 completed in 30:38 (6:35/mile).
Final Time: 3:07:47 - Good enough for 4th place overall and 1st in my age group.
All in all, the day was a success. I was able to gauge my fitness level and challenge myself. Best of all, they had COKE at the finish line!!
No comments:
Post a Comment