Saturday, November 2, 2013
Half Full Triathlon 2013- Team Fight
Ellicott City, Maryland
United States
REVOLUTION3 Triathlon
78F / 26C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 44m 57s
Overall Rank = 68/368
Age Group = M 40-44
Age Group Rank = 14/33
Pre-race routine:
Revolution3 and the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults Welcomes You to Howard County, Maryland!
Welcome triathletes, volunteers, spectators and families to the Rev3 Half Full Triathlon! We are in our third year with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults and the Half Full Triathlon and this is the first year that the Half Full is part of the Rev3 Series. We are more than excited to be working with the Ulman Cancer Fund and Half Full. You will see that the Half is not quite a 70.3 but is instead a 70.0 this is to represent the 70,000 young adults affected by cancer every year. 70,000 is the estimated number of young adults diagnosed with cancer each year. This is a statistic that needs people’s attention. The Half Full Triathlon will help make the young adult cancer issue a priority and together we can improve the 70,000 statistic. With every mile you race you’re helping support this population of young people battling cancer.
Thank you for choosing Half Full Triathlon.
This was supposed to be my first big race after IM Lake Placid back in July. I recovered well and was feeling really, really good going in to the week before the race. Then came the government shutdown and the stress associated with that and then the Wednesday before the race I am doing an easy mid day run and bang my calf clamps up hard. Had to walk and was barely able to hobble home. I had strained my calf before IM LP by stepping in a sewer grate and guess what came back with a vengeance. Had new shoes was tapering but I still pulled it on an easy run. Iced and COMPEXed it for the next few days and headed down Saturday afternoon. Hoped I could recover like I did for IMLP but I had 3 fewer days. Well this race was supposed to be about the Ulman Cancer Fund, beating cancer and fighting so I decided I would swim and bike and just take whatever the run dealt me.
Event warmup:
Got up at 5:00 am. Had a Powerbar Performance Energy Blend, and a Harvest Energy Bar for breakfast and headed to the race site. Could still feel a big knot in my leg so the enthusian was gone, Set up my transition area, got my wetsuit half on hit the potta potties and headed down early to the start. Observed the pre race speeches and ceremonies and shuffled to the sign for 40-44. The 6 waves of college kids, then the survivor's wave, and Team Fight wave, then we were up.
Swim
Time: 26m 16s
Distance: 1630 yards
Pace: 01m 37s / 100 yards
Comments:
Settled in to the back of the line since is was a time trial start, position didn't really matter. Was in the twosome in front of the CAF athlete with one leg and a great attitude which did rub off. I was going to do whatever my leg would allow. Got a big hug from our cancer survivor starters and off we went. Got a good clean start and got into a quick rhythm. Swim was a lot like Lake Placid, I just barely kicked but pulled my way forward to the next group and the next. Really felt good and felt like I was passing people the whole time. Got a bit far to the inside on the last leg (too far to middle) and had to be herded back left to the boat dock and ended on the non carpeted side.
What would you do differently?:
Really good swim for me. The last I try to kick the better my swims seem to be. Was 3:21 faster( 29:37 vs 26:16) than last year (Both races swim the same distance.) Other than swimming too far inside and adding distance on the last leg, I would change too much.
Transition 1
Time: 04m 12s
Comments:
Long run uphill to transition on concrete then grass. Could felt the knot in my calf didn't loosen up after the swim, so I ran slow. Took my time with my wetsuit and got a nice methodical transition. Then slowly walked/trotted my bike to the mount line.
What would you do differently?:
Not pull my calf 3.5 days before a race. Lost a bunch of spots 10th to 15th in my AG and 59th to 76th OA
Bike
Time: 1h 17m 6s
Distance: 25 miles
Pace: 19.46 mile/hr
Comments:
It was actually foggy for most of the bike which was good. Got clipped in and got going and had a 69 year old pass me right of the bat, but this was the same guy from Williamsburg and can really bike. I could feel my calf on the hills but if I stayed aero I could avoid putting too much pressure on it. Standing was out. Found a good tempo and steadily grinded out a good pace. Even though I couldn't stand or sit up I still was riding the hills pretty well, I was making go progress and it always felt good to pass the college kids who started a few waves in front of us.
What would you do differently?:
Was feeling out what my body could safely do for a good chunk of the early miles so even in my condition I could have hammered it a bit more but it was still a good ride considering. Went from 15th to 12th in my AG and 76th to 56th OA.
Transition 2
Time: 01m 33s
Comments:
It is always a good sign when the bike rack your age group is in is basically empty. But I turned in too early and when I got to my rack the idiot on the other side put his wetsuit on the rack where my tire goes. SO had to move that and balance my bike before racking. Other than than I put on sunscreen and got shoes changed and went.
What would you do differently?:
Can't do much about my rack mate and going down the wrong row was a brain fart and I had a good landmark (row E). Good transition.
12th to 13th AG and 56th to 57th OA
Run
Time: 55m 51s
Distance: 6.5 miles
Pace: 08m 35s min/mile
Comments:
Well right from the start this was clear it was going to be a struggle. The knot was getting bigger. Couldn't push off my right leg much at all so speed was out. I found a way to shuffle and minimize the strain on my leg and reminded myself this was about finishing and struggling and fighting to get to the finish just like those folks with the yellow bids. Got right to the point of clamping up on the hill out of the park but it held off and I shuffled on. Worked up and through the neighborhoods where I was having my best run ever last year. I passed a couple of people on the way out but every time I tried to pick up the tempo, my calf twinged and reminded me of the speed limit. The jog through the upper park went well and soon it was back towards Centenial. The two big hill on the way back in were rough but I kept shuffling and passed a few college kids and even someone in my A/G and another team fight person. Got back into the park and my calf really started to act up. but I was just a half mile to go so I modified my shuffle and slowly got around the lake and up to the finish chute. Wasn't pretty but I got it done.
What would you do differently?:
This race was about a lot more than times or winning and losing, it was about overcoming obsticles and fighting the good fight. Finshing this race is was very meaningful as I was racing in Honor of my Dad a cancer survivor for 5 years now and for Debby W. who lost her fight Sept 30th 2013. I really wanted to honor them with a great race and maybe a podium but I would be dammed if I was going to DNF, if nothing else I would honor them by seeing this race to its end. So that it what I did! 13th to 14th AG and 57th to 68th OA, so at least I limited the damage.
Post race
Warm down:
Got a picture and got some post race food and plopped on the ground near the Team Fight tent. After eating I checked out my results and saw I fished 14th in my AG and didn't even help my Rev3 AG series standings (have two 13th place finished at Knoxville and Quazzy). Packed up and loaded the car and headed home. Saw Susan on the bike making the turn towards the park.
What limited your ability to perform faster:
Pulled/strained calf just sunk a great swim and a decent bike. Should have been able to go about 10-15 min faster if I was right. But it wasn't meant to be. COMPEX did a great job to get me to the starting line and finish line.
Event comments:
Great race and a great cause and for once a great weather day.
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