Race Report - 6/22/2014 - Ironman 70.3 Syracuse

Location: Syracuse NY

Race Type: Triathlon
Distance: 1900 meter swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run
Participants: 2316
Overall Place: 702
Age Group Place: 116 of 265
Time: 5:42:47. Swim: 43:50, T1: 5:03, Bike: 2:53:38, T2: 1:45, Run: 1:58:31

This race has been on my calendar for almost a year. I grew up in the Syracuse area and much of my family still remains. I saw this as a great opportunity to compete in my first Ironman event and spend time with my relatives. 

Myself, wife and three children flew out Friday morning from Phoenix and arrived in Syracuse around 7pm. Packet pickup was on Saturday and I wanted to make the 11:30 mandatory race briefing. This gave me a limited amount of time to try to switch to the east coast time zone (3 hours different) get my bike together, and take it on a tuning ride. 

I managed to get to sleep around 10:30 (7:30 Phoenix time) and woke up around 6. Not too bad. I'd started putting the bike together shortly after we arrived and finished up in the morning. Then I headed out for a 10 mile spin to adjust the derailleurs. After a few tweaks it was good to go.

After getting back to the house I was surprised to see that I'd logged around 200 feet of elevation change during that short ride. That'd be tough to do from my neighborhood back home... This got me thinking that I should probably revise my riding goals from 21 mph to 20 mph average, but after further consideration I figured I'd do what I could and not beat myself up over any speed. The bike and run courses were so different from my training that I couldn't set good targets. 

Packet Pickup

Packet pickup was held at the race site, Jamesville Reservoir. I remember coming here as a child for the local hot air balloon festival. It is a beautiful area with a nice little beach. 

There was also plenty of parking for Sunday's race.

The Ironman village was about a half mile from the parking area. I was happy to stroll through the grass and admire the scenery. I miss forest!

There was a short line for the obligatory Ironman entry photo but it was worth the wait.

The time was coming up on 10:30 and the registration line looked long so I headed straight there. Luckily I was able to hear most of the briefing while waiting so I figured I'd swing by at 11:30 for the few parts that I'd miss and then be able to make an early exit.

I signed the release forms and then picked up my shirt, timing chip, and race bags. Then it was down to the transition area to drop off my bike. Looks like I was early!

Back to the race briefing... Nothing new here.

Pre-Race 

I woke up at 4:00 with a plan to leave at 4:45. Driving to the race without traffic took 20 minutes the day before but I wasn't sure how much time traffic would add. Transition closed at 6:55 and I didn't want to feel rushed.

I finished packing my race bags, ate a banana, and drank a glass of water. I was ready to go.

The traffic ended up being almost non-existent so I arrived around 5:30. I set up my transition area but I certainly wasn't the first one there. 

I headed down to the water with my sister to chat and review the swim course while we waited for my start wave at 7:45.

One last stop at the transition area to turn on the GPS. It's full now.

And back down to the water to get my swim gear on.

The Swim





Percentile: 60th

The swim course was a single loop rectangle. It actually looked short because the long parts of the swim were straight out from shore. Of course, looks can be deceiving.

The water temperature was 68 degrees. Perfect. My wave started right on time and I headed out with ~125 of my fellow athletes. There was minimal contact with arms and legs for the entire swim. 

About 25 meters into the swim I realized that I hadn't started my watch. I paused for a second and hit the lap button. Later I realized that I should have hit the start button as I didn't end up recording the swim at all. Oops.

My goal as always was to keep a steady rhythm and get the swim over with. Other than a couple of times when I went slightly off course, this is what happened.

Based on my finishing time and overall position the course was probably a bit long but since we all had to swim it, no big deal. 

My sister hung around for the swim and caught a couple of photos of me coming out of the water. It's great to have family around to cheer me on! 

Transition 1

I had a bad cramp in my right side as soon as I got out of the water. The pictures above were the only part of the transition to my bike where I wasn't walking and stretching. By the time I had walked the 1/3rd mile to my bike I was almost pain free. 

I was fortunate to have a spot very close to the bike out/in. I tossed on my helmet, glasses, etc. and headed out for what would be the hilliest course I've ever done. 

The local newspaper caught this photo while everyone was out on their bikes.

The Bike

Percentile: 35th

I don't think that there were more than 2-3 miles of flat on the entire course. The first couple of miles were a slight down grade followed by a short climb that was steep enough to make some people walk. Over the next ten miles I would climb another 1000 feet.

I realized pretty quickly that I wouldn't even reach a 20 mph average. Oh well. My first plan was to get my heart rate under control. My heart was running around 180 bpm at the start and finally settled down to around 155 after 10 miles. Right where I wanted it. 

Every 15 miles or so I grabbed a water bottle at an aid station to supplement the Mike's Mix sports drink that I had in my own bottles. This worked well and I felt like my hydration was good. 

Miles 10-45 were fairly uneventful other than a crazy downhill followed by the opposite uphill where more people were walking. I think I averaged around 8 mph for that one. 

The last 20 miles were against the wind but more downhill than up. I didn't pick up enough speed due to the wind but I still managed to get above 19 mph for the course. Not what I had initially expected but I wasn't disappointed. 

Transition 2

I stripped off my helmet, sunglasses, shoes, etc. and put on my hat and race belt. I was feeling pretty good about the run but once I headed out of transition I realized that I had left my sunglasses. It wasn't worth going back for them but I was disappointed. 

The Run

Percentile: 30th

The run was hard! I knew going into it that there would be 1000 feet of climbing but my body wasn't ready for it. 

About two miles into the run I hit the first climb. I'm guessing the grade was 10% plus and most people were walking. I toughed it out but started to regret the choice when I got to the top and realized that I would have a short respite and then have to climb another hill from mile 2.75 to 3.5 with a 4-5% grade. 

I pushed through the second hill and on the way down got a bad cramp in my right side again. I was forced to walk and stretch for around 3 minutes and then I pressed on. My 8 min/mile goal pace had already slipped to 8:20.

I completed the first of the two out and backs but when I hit the 1st hill again I decided to walk. By this time my legs began to cramp on every uphill. I ended up walking the ups and running the downs and flats the rest of the way. 

I've never walked that much in a race other than my first marathon. It was disappointing. Having said that, I certainly wasn't the only person out there feeling this pain and the leg ended up being my best leg against my fellow competitors. Crazy.

Final Thoughts

This was the first half ironman distance that I have completed and it was tough. The swim and the bike went fine but I fell apart some on the run. I don't think that that would have been the case on a flatter course but I won't know until later in the year when I participate in the Lifetime Soma Half triathlon. 

I feel that my training had been sufficient for this length of event but I had not focused on hill training for either the bike or run because it is simply not realistic for me to do so in the Phoenix area. 

As far as Ironman goes, they do a great job. I'd heard that their events were well organized and I agree. There was ample food on the course, volunteers, drinks, etc. All of the things you would want to have during a race were there. 

I especially liked the finishers hat after going through the shoot. 

I'm going to miss the beauty of racing in Syracuse when I get back to Arizona. I'll just have to come out here again!

Week in Review - June 1st 2014: Training Continues for Ironman 70.3 Syracuse

I haven't written a weekly training review for a few weeks. While I'm sure that my devoted readers eagerly await every report I often only have enough ambition to write one post a week. 

The previous couple of weeks I wrote about the Tempe International Triathlon and the Arizona Road Racers Summer Series 5K. Both of these events were fun and it was great to walk away with two new personal records. 

This week I focused on getting back into a regular training schedule. My weekly goal until the week before the Ironman 70.3 Syracuse on June 22nd is to complete 6000 yards of swimming, 100 miles of biking, and 20 miles of running. 

Swimming

I swam on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. While I still can't say that I enjoy swimming, I am definitely getting faster. I hope that my continued swimming focus will enable me to achieve a 50% or better finish in Syracuse. To date, my best swim finish has been the 58th percentile during my last event. 

Total Distance: 6100 yards

Biking

I commuted again on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning with a few extra miles going home on Monday and Tuesday for a total of 60 miles. 

Friday morning I squeezed in a 45 mile ride with a 21.6 mph average. I kept my heart rate in the area that I'll target for Syracuse, so I'm pleased with this speed. My goal for the race is 21 mph due to terrain differences. 

Total Distance: 136 miles

Running

I ran on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. My legs were beat on Monday after racing the 5K on Saturday and biking 40 miles on Sunday so I did not enjoy slogging along for 7 miles.

On Thursday I stepped up the pace for a shorter 5 mile run and was feeling mostly recovered. 

Saturday was warm even though I started a little after 6 in the morning. I drove over to the canal and completed 10 miles as a 5 mile out and back. I kept the pace slow and steady. It was nice to relax and not focus on a pace goal for the day. With the temperature reaching 95 by the end of the run I had wanted to give my body time to acclimate to running in the heat again.

Total Distance: 22 miles

Training Details

Monday: 7 mile run, 11 mile ride to work, 1600 yard swim and lunch, 15 mile ride home
Tuesday: 10 mile ride to work, 1500 yard swim, 15 mile ride home
Wednesday: 10 mile ride to work
Thursday: 5 mile run, 1500 yard swim
Friday: 45 mile bike
Saturday: 10 mile run
Sunday: 20 mile bike before work, 1500 yard swim, 10 mile ride home

Race Report - 05/24/2014 - Arizona Road Racers Summer Series #1 5K

Location: Gilbert, AZ
Race Type: Run
Participants: 596
Overall Place: 51st
Age Group Place: 5th of 28
Time: 19:27 (PR)
Pace: 6:16/mile

This was the first race in a series of five 5K events put on by a local running shop and organization, Arizona Road Racers. They probably have the most races in the Phoenix area throughout the year and attract some really fast runners. The prices are cheap at 13-18$ for each 5K. They also support the local high schools by giving them free entry. Of course this results in a field of runners that I have no chance to beat!

I competed in three of their races last year, two 5K's and one half marathon. All of them were well run. This race was no different. 

Pre Race
The event was held in Gilbert at the Riparian Preserve. This venue was a change from previous years when the race was held outside the Phoenix Zoo. The course started in the grass and then wound through 1/3 mile of shaded trail followed by ~2 miles of paved canal and finishing off with more shaded trail. The course was flat other than a small bump around mile 2.9 (of course I could have done without the bump at that point). 

The temperature this morning was a pleasant 77 degrees. Good for a short run but I wouldn't want to be out there too long as it should reach ~100 degrees today. 

Participant turnout was good, around 650 people. The next races in the series should have ~800 people each as they will be held in their traditional locations. Personally, the only other race I will do is #5 at South Mountain Park as the other venues are too far to drive. 

And here is a pre-race pic...

The Race
The race start was broken down into 1 minute race intervals with those that planned to run sub 6 minute miles as the 1st group to start followed every 30 seconds by the later groups. 

I meandered to the sub 7 minute group and hung out near the back. Probably not the wisest move since I ended up having to dodge a number of people at the beginning that were on the slower end of the 7 minute pace. 

The initial part of the run was on a dirt path that was a bit narrow. I was often forced to slow my pace because I couldn't get around people and I didn't feel like yelling for them to get out of the way. 

Around the half mile mark we had to run over a small bridge, do a 180 degree turn and run back toward the slower runners while on the same path. This was also a bit frustrating but we only had to do this for about 100 feet. 

After that we ran onto the paved canal and everyone was able to spread out. I locked into a good pace and slowly passed a number of people. I was feeling pretty good but by the time I hit the two mile mark I was mentally battling to keep the pace going. 

The last half mile or so was on trail and I managed to pick off a few more runners. I was starting to feel sluggish and it showed by my 3rd mile pace of 6:30/mile where the first two miles had been a 6:15 pace. 

I finished strong going into the finishers shoot and was excited to see that I had achieved another PR.

Post Race
I struggled to catch my breath for a minute and then grabbed a bottle of water and a watermelon slice. I was 5th for my age group so I didn't hang around for awards. 

On the way to the car I chatted with a couple of other runners and snapped off a finishing pic.

Race Recap
As always, the Arizona Road Runners put on a great race in a great location. I know that whenever I do their events I have almost no chance of leaving with a medal but it is good to get out there with a large number of really good athletes. 

The next 5K event I run with this group probably won't be a PR due to the number of hills but I look forward to doing it all the same. 

Race Report - 5/18/2014 - Tempe International Triathlon

Location: Tempe, AZ

Race Type: Triathlon
Distance: 1500 meter swim, 24.8 mile bike, 6.2 mile run
Participants: 261
Overall Place: 73rd
Age Group Place: 8th of 24
Time: 2:30:09. Swim: 29:31, T1: 1:31, Bike: 1:10:54, T2: 1:03, Run: 47:07

I went into this race with four weeks of solid training that focused on my swim. I was feeling pretty good and was excited to test out my fitness. 

During the Marquee Triathlon in April my olympic distance triathlon swim time was my worst ever at 39:30 and I aimed to improve. 

I had completed this same race as my first "big" triathlon last year and was excited to do it again. I didn't set a time goal but felt that I could probably come close to two and a half hours. 

Packet Pickup

Packet pickup was held in Tempe on Saturday at Road Runner Sports.

Registration and USAT membership confirmation were held outside.

After getting my race number I had to head inside to pick up my shirt, bib, bike decal, and stickers. 

Once I finished my circuit of the swag items and the the shop I headed back outside to look at the race maps.

 Later that night I started laying out my gear for the big event.

I'd have to get up at 4:30am the next morning so that I could make the 6:20 transition close time and my 6:55am start. Preparation is key.

Pre-Race 

So much for waking up at 4:30. I went to sleep around 9pm and was wide awake at 3:30. After fiddling around for a little bit I decided that I might as well head to the race and get a good spot on the bike rack. 

I believe that I left the house at 4:15. It's all a bit fuzzy at this point. 

Luckily I grabbed a nice car parking spot and a great place on the bike rack (I think that my bike ended up in the exact location as last year). 

The time was about 5am and there weren't too many souls out yet. 

Oh yeah, if you hadn't noticed, the transition area is underneath a bridge. The race company bills this event as the only fully covered transition area in the U.S. I'm not sure if I believe it but it is nice to be in the shade. On the down side, my GPS won't track here so I couldn't get my bike unit prepped. 

Another downside of the location (not that big of a deal) is that you must run down these steps to get to the beach and up the side of the hill when getting back to T1. 

Also, there are actually three or four times these steps. I only caught the top.

Once I'd received my timing chip and got my body markings I headed down to the beach for a look around.

 I'm trying to figure out how to use my watch as a remote for my new camera. Got it!

And I can't go to any race without a selfie.

Time for one more bathroom break and then it is time to mount the camera to my bike for the ride.

The Swim

I've been swimming a lot the last four weeks and I was hopeful that it would show during this race. 

I stood on a ledge in the water and waited for the start horn that went off at 6:55. I started near the back knowing that even if I had improved my times over the last month I was still slower than average.

After the first couple of minutes I was able to get into a rhythm and made my way to the first turn buoy. I felt like I was moving at an OK clip but was a bit disappointed with the freedom of my arms to really reach into my stroke. My reach was pretty awful for the last races that I've worn this wetsuit so it was less of a factor. 

Once I realized that I'd have to focus on extended my arms more than normal I was OK. 

I had a few sighting issue on the back half of the swim but nothing terrible. When I stepped out of the water and glanced at my watch I was pleasantly surprised that my time was 28:30. This was an 11 minute improvement over last month and two minutes faster than last year. Nice!

Stats: 155th of 281 participants

GPS data. I'm pretty sure I didn't finish in the water...

Transition 1

I ran up the hill, over the timing mat, stripped the wetsuit, etc. Nothing new or exciting here other than I also turned on the Garmin Virb so that I could record my ride. 

Here's a snapshot of me leaving the transition area. My heart rate was high and ended up staying in this range for most of the race.

The Bike

As I've said in the past, I'm not a fan of this bike course but it is what we have locally and I am coming to accept it. 

The course consisted of two 12.4 mile loops/laps/or something.

There are so many 90 degree turns and even four 180 degree turns in the width of a lane. It is tough to get into a rhythm and it shows by my average speed of 21mph (I go faster than this on comfortable training rides). 

The bike is my favorite part though and I did have a good time. I was pleased that I was further up in the pack and didn't have to pass so many people along the way but I was also passed more than I am used to. 

There were some good sights along the way.

and plenty of volunteers handing out water.

At times it was also a bit congested.

Stats: 70th of 281 participants

Transition 2

I swapped shoes, tossed on a hat and headed out. Nothing exciting. 

The Run

The run was two loops. Luckily the temperature was still not too hot; about 84 degrees. 

I felt pretty good on the run and maintained a 7:35 pace throughout even though I stopped at almost every water station along the route to drink a cup and dump one on my head. 

Being so late in the year this race provides ample stations every 3/4 mile or so.

I managed to pass around 20 people on this leg and got passed by a few really fast runners. 

The last half mile was pretty painful as pain lanced into the right side of my body. I struggled on knowing that the race was almost over and after crossing the finish line a few minutes later I felt better. 

Stats: 58th of 281 participants

Race Recap

The race went much better than last year. Mostly because it started on time. I believe that the temperature highs for the day were about the same each year but starting 45 minutes earlier made all the difference. 

I also have a year of experience under my belt and a really good month of training. 

This was a PR for me and I am excited to break 2:30 on my next olympic distance event.

Here's a couple post race pics to remember the event by: