Pacific Crest Olympic Tri Race Report: Part 3 Detailed Review

Below is my detailed review of the Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon 2011. The black text is the race plan, and then I added my post-race comments in red text to match reality to the goal.

This is the type of detailed planning I like to do to get rid of the nerves and wondering if I'm ready in the last week. By writing all this out, I have a good idea of where I want to be and if I'm truly capable of doing that.

You might notice this looks alot like a military SMEAC order (Situation, Mission, Execution, Admin/Logistics, Command/Signal). You are correct, sir! This is my adaptation of a Marine Corps order format to my own planning process for triathlon.

Finally, I should note that this is part of a bigger picture thing. I have an overall triathlon philosophy and goals plan, an annual training plan, a race plan, and then they all go back to make the next year's training and race plan. It's the standard project management cycle, really, applied to triathlon.

Anyway, enough of me talking. Here's the detailed review.

Questions and comments are encouraged! Does anyone else put together something like this?

Race Plan

Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon

Sun River, Oregon

June 26, 2011

Situation

I’m excited about this race! It is a family weekend trip in a great venue. Unfortunately, it’s the first race of the year, and I haven’t done any open water swims. Then there is the driving factor, hopefully only ten hours of driving on Thursday. I hope that Paul will do the little kiddies’ triathlon on Friday night.

Venue/Course: This race is an Olympic Distance race in the mountains of Oregon. Elevation of the swim in the lake is about 4700ft, with a 28-mile bike course starting at 4700ft, rolling up over one hill that has 400ft of climb in 2-3 miles beginning at approx mile 12, and then down into Sun River at an elevation of 4200ft.

            Course Advantages For Me

·         The swim is in an alpine lake, which is what I normally swim in, and others from Oregon, specifically Portland, may not be used to that kind of swim.  Seems correct. Swim went well.

·         The run is at 4200ft elevation, which is the elevation that I live and train at in Pocatello. The elevation won’t be a problem for me. Elevation wasn't a problem. Didn't confirm that it was an advantage other than seeing myself pass people on the bike for the first time ever.

            Course Disadvantages For Me

·         The longer bike course is definitely a disadvantage for me because my bike leg sucks. Not sure how to think about the bike. It was fast, but it killed my run.

·         Originally, I thought the weather was going to be a disadvantage because reports say it can get hot on the run. With no hot days yet in Pocatello this year, any type of heat will be a disadvantage for me because I’m not used to any heat. Current weather reports of highs in the mid-70’s are favorable for me, although that is still on the warm side for what I’ve trained in so far. Swim went well, so this was probably "just nerves."

·          

Overall Training: I’m not happy with how the months of April and May training went. With the trainer breaking and so much travel, I lost consistency and it felt like I was restarting a training cycle nearly every Monday morning. Yet again  this year, I lost the ability to get up in the morning beginning with the time change in March, and that threw plans off. Noah came in March, and he has been less of an impact than expected (and he’s so cool!). Winter months went great, but spring months fell apart with bad weather and a broken trainer.

Swim: Swim training was sporadic at best. I didn’t get in any open water swim yet, and I don’t see that happening until I maybe get one in at the race venue. Pool temps at Reed Gym are way too hot to get any good volume at good intensity. I haven’t put my wetsuit on yet this year! This swim is going to be tough!

Bike: Trainer broke, and then I lost all consistency. With the time change in March, I lost the ability to get up in the morning for early morning workouts (although I did great January, February and early March!). I haven’t had nearly enough time on the roads as I want, but I have done several 28 mile road rides to the ski-hill turn, and I think those will pay huge dividends during the race when I start struggling mentally; having done the full 28 miles, I’ll have that confidence that it is really only ten minutes longer than the regular ride.

Run: I ran great all winter, with great consistency, and into spring for the most part. In May and early June, I lost some consistency, but my lunch-10k time kept coming down, so I guess I was doing something right. I haven’t done a full race brick at a hard pace, so I don’t know how the bike will affect my run during the race; I suspect I’ll be hurting at the end of race, which is how it should be anyway. Earlier this year, I ran a lifetime PR of 17:40 3-mile on my PFT, so I’m certainly a better runner than last year. I ran a 10 minute 1.5 mile off a 110% effort on a 10k bike ride, and that included a tough first .75 miles and a negative split of 20 seconds on just a .75 mile out/back…so I should definitely look at getting faster from miles 1 to 4 or 5 and then just hanging on and pushing every possible bit for mile 6 in the race.

Equipment: Nothing significant is new this year. I replaced my cleats but haven’t actually put them on yet; not sure I want to at this point because then they are new gear on race day.  I didn’t get new goggles, so racing with the face mask again, which is probably a good thing.

Psychology: Confidence is hit and miss this year. I feel strong and confident on some days, and then I start thinking about the inconsistency of my bike riding and no hard race-distance bricks done yet,  and any confidence is quickly shattered.  Also, I know that the swim is going to be difficult and painful, so that is concerning to me and affects confidence. I’m surprised at how I am becoming a much better runner, so maybe that will kick in the confidence levels for the last mile or two push into the finish on race day.

Mission

On June 26, 2011, finish the Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon in under 2:30 while maintaining a weekend focus on having fun with Tera’s family and ensuring safety at all times.

Intent: This is a family trip combined with my “A” race for the year (and so far only race except the Bengal Tri). Stay safe. Have fun. Race my best, finishing in the top 15% of my age group and top 10% overall. If that means a podium in my age group, that’s awesome, but it’s not a big deal if I don’t place in my age group.

Mission accomplished except for the overall time goal. Family remained priority. We stayed safe. I raced my best, certainly didn't give up and things went pretty well overall (no flats, etc). About 18% in age group, so missed that just barely. Met 10% overall; no podium.

Objectives and Tasks

Goal Times (Perfect World / High Realistic / Average)

	Perfect	High Exp	Avg Exp	Actual
Swim	0:22:00	0:23:00	0:25:00	24:31
T1	0:01:45	0:02:15	0:03:00	3:30
Bike	1:18:00	1:23:00	1:27:00	1:21:46
T2	0:01:15	0:01:45	0:02:15	1:23
Run	0:43:30	0:45:00	0:47:00	49:30
Total	2:26:30	2:35:00	2:44:15	2:40:40

 

*61 40-44 males registered on June 20, 2011

Top 10% overall in 2011 was 2:37:23

Top 10% Males 40-44 in 2011 was 2:27:40

3^rd place in Males 40-44 in 2011 was 2:24:31

4^th place in Males 40-44 in 2011 was 2:27:40

Execution

Travel Safely

-          Vehicle PM before leaving. Yes

-          Rotate tires before leaving. Yes

-          Pack so I don’t have blind spots. Yes

-          Drive the speed limit. Mostly

-          Stop driving if I’m drowsy. Yes

Have Fun

-          Try to get Paul to do the kiddie triathlon. Yes but didn't do it. Not really ready.

-          Don’t be so serious about the race that I don’t have fun on Friday and Saturday. Yes

-          Go out and cheer others on. Spread the good vibes. Yes

-          Remember that family comes before the race on the overall priority list. Yes

Finish the Race in under 2:30

            Pre-Race

-          Eat healthy as possible but don’t starve myself. Maintain normal diet as much as possible. Yes

-          Setup T1 appropriately the night before. Things have to be neat and tidy and minimized, ready to be thrown in the bag quickly right before I leave with nothing left to chance being left laying around on the ground. Yes

-          Setup T2 appropriately. Minimize the area. Flag it if rules allow. Should be just shoes and gel with a shot of HEED available. Yes

-          Understand and practice the morning logistics of travel to the lake and not being able to go back up there easily. Yes

-          Try to get a short swim or two in the wetsuit in the lake on Friday or Saturday. Yes

-          Set bike gear correctly…big ring, two from top on the back. Yes

Swim

-          Goal Times: 22:00 – 23:00 – 25:00

-          Goal Average Heart Rate = 148 (kind of guessing on this; it seems high) 153

-          Get a good ten minute warm-up before the race begins, with a bit of water down in the suit to warm up. Yes

-          Don’t forget my defog gel! Or Earplugs, Or Goggles. Yes

-          Relax on the first 500 yards. Start with a MODERATE pace and BREATHE. Yes

-          Find someone to follow so I don’t have to site, drafting if possible. Yes

-          LONG and STRONG strokes.  Yes

-          Pick up the pace going 500 – 1300 meters, then cruise in for last 200 meters. Yes but had to pick my way through swimmers at the last 200 yards.

-          If panic comes on, immediately begin backstroke to gather myself mentally. No panic!

-          Brush toes and keep knees close together to keep streamlined. Yes

            T1

-          Goal Times: 1:45 – 2:15 – 3:00 3:30. Slow but went ok, had to ensure everything was in the transition bag, and I needed to grab extra water.

-          Run to the bike area with suit on, start unzipping 20 yards away from bike. Yes

-          Use right hand to undo the neck, left hand to unzip. Yes Worked well. Faster than normal.

-          Rip that sucker off…don’t worry about tearing it. Yes. stuck on ankles again(!).

-          Socks or not? TBD morning of. Socks

-          Jam everything into the bag and then into the transport bag. Yes

-          Smooth is fast. Yes

-          Shot of gel before leaving T1. Yes

Bike

-          Goal Times: 1:18 – 1:23 – 1:27 for 28 mile course with a big hill and elevation. Very difficult to gauge my goal times on this course until I see it. If I average 22mph over a flat course, it should take about 1:17. This course has a big uphill and then a long downhill, so I don’t know how to calculate expected speeds. 1:21:46 Got into the high expectations on this one. Felt good, was worried how it would affect my run, but it was going really well so I went with it.

-          Goal Average Heart Rate = 156 160 actual

-          Out of the gate: Get on and get going. Set cruise early on at heart rate of 156. No. HR was 160 the entire way with very little fluctuation. I came out of T1 at 148, and immediately went to 160.

-          Head down, choke up on the seat, stay low and narrow. Yes

-          Turn the circle, lift the knees. Yes

-          Gels at Miles 4, 14 – TA, 22, 26. Mostly.

-          HEED at Miles 6, 15, 24 No. No water bottle! Water at 6 and 12, then no other. Dehyrdration caught up with me at mile 4 on the run, combined with the heat.

-          If I flat, take a split and then fix it and move on. Don’t let it upset my day. “Start Over” with the new split. No Flat

-          Push hard on the uphill to take advantage of “speed percentages” it’s easier to be 10% faster on the uphill than on the downhill. Yes

-          Remember to keep pushing even on the downhill. Head down and go, just like the trainer. Yes, lots of fun.

-          Left Arm Notes: Gel: 4, TA, 22, 26. Bike TA=39  Push UP, Hard Cruise, AHR=156 No arm notes. I'm able to remember what I need during teh races now.

            T2

-          Goal Times: 1:15 / 1:45 / 2:15  1:23! Good job!

-          In and out. Yes

-          Shot of Gel and HEED before leaving. Yes

Run

-          Goal Times:  43:30 / 45:00 / 47:00 No. Died at mile 4. Very tired by mile 3. Dehydration and heat got me.

-          Goal Paces 1-7:30 2–7:20 (14:50) 3–7:10 (21:50) 4–7:00 (28:50) 5–6:40 (35:30) 6–6:40  (42:10) What a joke. Came out of the gate at 7:04 and the slower from there. Didn't get good splits after the first mile because I wasn't tracking the correct mile marker signs.

-          Goal Average Heart Rate: 164  No, 168 actual. Fluctuated alot between 164 and 171 but 168 looks like average.

-          First half mile: get breathing under control and get the brain in run mode. Yes

-          Get into a good groove early and build from there. No. Never got the groove really, certainly didn't build.

-          Gels at 1, 2.5, 4 Yes

-          Right Arm Notes: Gels 1, 2.5, 5 Build to Strong Finish AHR=164 Run T/A=22 No. didn't put notes on arms.

-          Good strong finish such that I’m completely DUN at the end. No strong finish but I was definitely DUN at the end...DUN squared times ten is probably a better description.

-          Dump water on head at aid stations. Yes

-          Sips at stations, no big drinks. Yes

Equipment

-          Soak wetsuit prior to putting on. Yes

-          Test ride after race tires put on. Yes

-          Clean bike = fast bike Yes, Friday afternoon

-          Clean chain = smooth chain Yes, Friday afternoon

Psych

-          Have Fun! Yes

-          Enjoy the race. Encourage others. Yes

-          Thank volunteers. Yes

-          Don’t get pissy about the results. This is a family fun weekend.  Yes, except for first hour right after race when I was hurting really bad.

            Post-Race

-          Relax. Yes

-          Review plan; compare plan to reality. Immediately write it down, along with corrective actions. Yes

-          Thank Tera. Yes

Admin / Logistics

Packing List: use standard gear list. Travel with everything for the race in one pack, and then split it into T1 and T2 packs on Friday. Transitions are separate locations.

On the bike

Need two flasks of gel. One for bike. One for run.

One bottle of HEED on the bike.

Repair kit on the bike, with hand pump taped under upper frame bar. 2xPitStop taped on, too.

Clothes

-          Wetsuit, Goggles, Ear Plugs, defogger

-          Tri shorts, green compression shirt, socks TBD – gels in pocket from T1

-          Sunglasses

-          Nike running shoes.

Timeline and Tasks

Event	Time / Day	Note
Depart Pocatello	0400, Thursday
Arrive Sunriver	1500, Thursday
Check-in for race Attend Expo View lake / drive bike course	0900, Friday
Setup bike and T1 bag	1400, Friday
Kiddies Triathlon	Preps @ 1500, Friday Race  @ 1600, Friday
Bike Transport	1000, Saturday
Setup T2	1500, Saturday
Race Day Reveille	0530, Sunday
Ride to lake	0630, Sunday
Arrive at lake	0700, Sunday
Recheck T1	0715, Sunday
Wetsuit on, warmup	0730 – 0800, Sunday	Have to get out for other races to start.
0910	Game-On!

Maps

Swim

Bike

Bike Elevation Profile

Run

Budget

Race Fee	$93
		$80	race fee
		$5	active.com fee
		$8	taxes
		$93	total race cost
Gas	$221
		$4	$/gal
		1200	RT miles
		19	avg mpg
		$221	total gas cost
Billeting	$500
		$125	nightly
		4	nights
		$500	total billeting
Food	$120
		$30	$/day
		4	days
		$120	total food
Misc	$200
		$50	$/day misc
		4	days
		$200	total misc
Total	$1,134

Command and Signal

Race Website: www.racecenter.com/pacificcrest

Race Bib Number:

Registration Confirmation:

Weight Training book available in hard copy on Amazon

The Weight Training Routine for Olympic and Sprint Triathlons is available in hard copy for those of you without an e-book reader of sort (iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc).

Next up on the Pacific Crest race report is a review of the detailed goals versus reality, available probably Friday. 

Below, the book on the left is the hard copy. The book on the right is Kindle. They have different covers but the same text. You can also go to Smashwords to get it for and iPad or other reader, and it is currently on sale on Smashwords.

   

I've set it up so that you'll be able to read portions of the inside, but it doesn't show up yet. Give it a couple of days or go to the Kindle version to see a portion of it to see if it's what you're really looking for. BTW, Kindle version allows returns, and it's very easy to do, so you can always return the book if you don't like or it's not what you thought it would be.

It's hot here in Pocatello! I ran yesterday in 90 degrees. I realized at mile 4 that I needed to slow down and cut it short by a mile (from 6 to 5) so I could ensure proper recovery. Well, I cut it short and then ended up walking alot of mile 5. And I'm quite sore today. It's incredible to know that I'm in pretty good shape right now but a simple workout like that can make me quite sore, as in walking funny even on a flat. Good thing I cut it short because it's very disappointing to be sore from a basic moderate effort run like that.

Pacific Crest Olympic Tri Race Report: Part 2 - Race Specifics & Thoughts During the Race

Here's part two of the Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon Race Report. This is a rundown of what happened during the day and what I was thinking. Part 3 will cover my reality compared to my goals in detail. It's a good review of what a detailed race plan can look like.

Pre-race: I wasn't as ready as I wanted to be because of some tough spring weather and my travel schedule, but all in all I felt good going in. The trip to Sunriver was a nice as could be with a 2 1/2 year old and 3 month old in the car. The 564 mile trip took 11.5 hours, including stopping for thirty minutes every two hours so my wife could feed the baby....such is life(!).  Driving across the desert is actually one of my favorite things to do, and I found that Burns, OR, is my kind of town.  It was also very interesting to drive through sage brush for 10 hours and then come up over a rise and magically the sagebrush turns to tall trees; such is the joy of watching changes in ecosystems.

I managed to eat well and stay away from wine (except one small glass!) for the two days before my race. I drove up to Wikiup Reservoir and looked at the swim venue on Friday and got my no-kidding first open water swim in for the year, 500 yards as more of a wet-suit op-check than anything else (too much flooding in southeast Idaho this spring, so no OWS). Then drove most of the bike course except for one wrong turn because the signage was up for the long-course and I was very unfamiliar with the area (I've never been there before). Friday night, I biked the run course on my mountain bike with Paul in the cruiser, again I took a few wrong turns because the signage was up for the long-course event.  Sunriver will definitely get you turned around when trying to navigate in the area!

Morning of the Race: I got up just fine.  I grabbed my shoes and drove over to set-up T2, about a five minute drive from our house. At that point, I realized the buses to the lake twenty miles away were leaving from T2 area instead of the village area, so I had to make a quick change of plans from walking to the buses because the buses were now twice as far away. Luckily, I got home and father-in-law was awake and drove me to the buses.  As I prepared to get out, he jokingly said "You got your bus pass?" Well, in fact, no I didn't have my bus pass, so back to the house....no sweat, still plenty of time. If that was the worst that was going to go wrong for the day, I was in pretty good shape.

Now on the bus and waiting to move, a girl in the seat in front of me says she wanted to go back to her car and get her other water bottle. At that point, I realized I didn't have a water bottle because it was sitting in the console of my vehicle that my father-in-law had just driven away in. I had no phone because I didn't want to risk losing it in a lost transition bag. At least I would be having 30 minutes to figure out how to get a bottle because the bus was leaving right then.

So, now I'm up to two things gone wrong already, and the bus hasn't moved. Bad things always happen in threes, right? And I always plan for the worst, right? "Do I even really have my bike up at the lake right now?" was the first question I had for myself. Anyway, a nice guy from Washington sitting next to me took my mind off things while we rode to the lake.  My bike was indeed there, thankfully!

But there were a couple of announcements for bikes. Could you imagine busing your bike up there and then not easily finding it the next morning? I would be a STRESS NUKE if that happened to me. Usually , the bikes were found within five minutes of the announcement, but still.....

I arrived at the transition area at 7:45, right on my schedule. I waited a bit, and sure enough an empty gatorade bottle was found in the cups trash. That might sound gross, but it really wasn't a trash with all kinds of nasty crap. It was a box full of empty water cups. I realize I really shouldn't go grabbing empty water bottles out of the trash to use them on my ride, so I at least got a hand full of hand sanitizer from the porta-johns and wiped the mouth seal and then rinsed it really well.  The bottle fit in my bike cage but not perfectly....good enough considering my moment's reality.

Now setting cruise control for race day, I put on my wetsuit and got in the water at about 8:15. Swam out 300 yards, and back 300 yards. Felt good. Water was warmer than all my other races. It was 60 degrees, which was colder than normal for this race but just right for me. This was my second open water swim! Done with warmup at 8:30, I now had 45 minutes until my wave started. I checked my transition area once more, then went and hung out on the boat ramp half way in the water. People were chatty and friendly. The sun was breaking over the mountains and trees. The water was nice, but not "crystal clear" like it says in the brochure (haha, I was thinking about no-kidding crystal clear like in the Sawtooths where you can see the bottom thirty feet down). This was the day I would find out if my nine months of workouts give me anything on race day. About 700 people lined up at 9:00am for the start.

Twenty elites started first. The announcer said something about elites being bib numbers 1-30 or so. What?!?! I was bib number 21, and I'm NOT elite. Did I sign up wrong? Uh-oh! I'm not ready to start in thirty seconds. Then they announced elites went to bib #20.

My wave went at 9:15. A smooth start with no feet or arms in my face, which is always nice. I wanted to start with a moderate effort and build. I hit the right pace from the start. I couldn't find anyone to draft off of, but there were about three hands on my feet, and I was right next to somebody for the first 300 yards who was breaking some choppy water for me. At the first buoy, right turn. Pick up the pace a bit. Now I'm running into the back of the pack from the wave before me but not much of a problem. Second buoy, now into the home stretch. I'm still feeling pretty good. Stretch those arms. Snap that hip. Life is good when my hands and feet aren't froze! I don't even have to site very often because I'm actually swimming in a straight line. Fourth and final bouy, time to really kick it. What's this? Where did all these people come from? The middle of the pack of the wave before me, and now I have to pick my way through all of them. This is getting hard.  Eyes on the prize...that big white rectangle on shore.

Hit the boat ramp at 24:20. Now run to bike (47 seconds), zip suit at bike. Jam all my trash into bag. Last minute decisions: Socks? Yes! Extra top layer? No! Recheck that all my trash is in the bag. Off onto the bike after a quick sip of water. Total T2 about 3:10 on my watch.

The sun is already up above the trees for the bike, and there is no wind. Gonna be a nice day. I'm passing people?!?!? I must be going too hard, but I feel good so keep it up. Mmmmm, I'm stuck behind this huge camper...is this illegal drafting? If there is a legal drafting, is this a legal drafting. Well, the guy in my age group I saw up here a minute ago passed this camper on the right so I'm going to, too. Here goes....damn I hate trucks with campers when I'm on a bike.

First turn, now I'm onto the section that I missed when I drove the course. Dang, this is all uphill already? The road is all chip seal. I'm still passing people?!?! Only three people have passed me into mile 6? This is going really well. More uphill followed by rollers. I grab some water out of "my" gatorade bottle, then fumble it trying to put it back in the cage. Duh! Yes, I'm going back after it after I was luck y enough to get it...it's only about 30 seconds total lost time I figure. This course is really kind of fun, and I'm killing it with a heart rate of 164. I hope that doesn't kill my run. Normally, many people pass me on the bike, but that's not the case today for some reason.

After the rollers, we turn right on Route 40, and now the big sustained uphill climb begins. It's not as bad as I've envisioned for the past six months on the trainer! I'm still passing people. Six people have passed me, four of them in my age group, so there went those thoughts of placing in my age group! Still, this climb is going so much better than expected. A drink of water is especially refreshing simply because I have it. The guy next to me on the bus two hours earlier said there's a false summit on this climb, and I see people. Is this the top or the false summit. It's the false summit, but I'm glad that guy told me that so I could be mentally ready. A couple of minutes later, more people on the side of the road, and they say that this is the summit! Woohooo! All downhill from here!

And I kick it into top gear, literally. No wind. Nice temps when I was expecting to be chilled. Not too much congestion of bikers. Very few cars to look out for. Life is good. And I'm pushing 162 bpm on the heart rate monitor, making sure I meet my goal of continuing to push on the downhill. The areas of smooth asphalt are a delight to cruise on.

I hit the turn into the business center at T2, and we get directed the long way around. Dang, I wasn't expecting this. How long is this? The not-knowing kills me at the end of this long, hard ride. It wasn't too much longer, and I finally get to the dismount area. I don't like it when people line the chute from dismount to the bike racks....it feels like the gauntlet when you are already beaten down. But they mean well.

T2. In and out, just like the burger joint in SoCal. Feels good. Must.Turn.Legs. Must. Turn.Legs.

Starting the run, I don't know the first mile of the course. I'm in complete oxygen debt and couldn't follow a rope right now, anyway. But it's well marked, so I get my bearings back at the first mile marker, and dang if I didn't run a 7:03 for the first mile versus a 7:40 goal or something like that. This is going well, but I can tell I need to back off a bit. Mile two = 8:04 if I took a split at the right marker. Dang all these different mile markers. Am I 10k or Oly tri? In my oxygen debt, I don't know!! My splits got all messed up, so I don't know my mile splits after this.

I know that at the halfway point, I decided I was hurting really bad and this was going to end badly even if it was mostly downhill from here. Mile 4 = OUCH! Heat is getting to me, and it's barely 70 degrees. A little bit of walking should get me back into the seven-minute-mile game, right?  Even in my stupor, I could read the big pink directional signs, unlike the guy who blew by me and then kept going instead of turning. Luckily he heard me yell "Runners turn left, dude!" But karma did not give me any energy for that. 

Mile 5 = Still hurting, but I can feel myself really wanting to finish strong. Next to me a guy looks me straight in the eye and says "Finish Strong!" And I knew he was a 40-44 age group before looking because that's just how it was going.

About 300 yards from the finish, another gauntlet started. I don't like gauntlets. And why do these kids want a hand-slap from some old man who's about to fall over in blithering pain and cry like his 2 1/2 year kid?

Somewhere, I find the energy to push the last 300 yards and look good doing it. Never mind that I just had the worst run in a race ever (and I 'm forgetting how great the swim and bike went).  I wanted to finish good.

I didn't finish strong, but I finished well. I guess if you walk enough during the race you should be able to finish "well," at a minimum. But I'm getting sarcastic now, considering I thought my run would be the highlight of the day after a difficult bike ride.

Sometimes the races go as planned. Sometimes they just go and surprise you. In the end, I was a minute off of where I thought I would finish, and my overall goal of top 10% was met, so I'm HAPPY WITH THAT!

Post-race, I had a lot of strawberry shortcake. I needed some time alone to sit and try not to cry from pain. This hurt like no other race. Normally, it's a pain that you can deal with without any drama. This was not the case today. I wanted to go hole-up for an hour or two, but that's hard to in crowded post-race area. The massage line was 30 minutes by the time I got there. I don't do lines, so that wasn't an option. 

I ate some more strawberry shortcake. Got grouchy at in-laws because they had the baby next to the loud speakers. Then I laid in the sun for 30 minutes and talked to nobody. An hour after the finish, I was good to go. Truly amazing how that works!

Pacific Crest Olympic Tri Race Report: Part 1 Summary and Notes if you are looking for venue info

This is going to be done in a few separate posts while I write because it's getting longer than expected.

Today's Points:
1. Summary.
2. Tips for people wanting information about the race.

** E-mail or comment for questions about the race. More than happy to answer them! **

Pacific Crest - Olympic Triathlon

June 25, 2011 in Sunriver, Oregon

I signed up for this one the first day it was available, as we had already locked-on our housing for the weekend after the rest of the family was in Sunriver, OR, for the festivities last year and invited us for this year. So, this has been a year in the works, and I was quite excited about it. It was a family trip with a triathlon and an add-on 5k for Tera.

This olympic distance race starts at an alpine lake in the Cascades south of Bend, then you bike through the mountains back to Sunriver, and then run a nice course through the town. I liked it, and I want to go back for another weekend, but Tera thinks it's a bit too long of a drive and we need to find something closer for a family weekend.

When I write a race report, I like to give a summary, some points for people to who are reading to find out about the race, and then review my written goals versus what happened. For that comparison of goal to reality, I put the notes about reality right next to the goal so that there is no question about what I am talking about the next year when I'm thinking about it. So, this report is broke down into a summary, a review of the location/venue , and then the comparison of reality to the goal. You'll also see what a detailed race plan can look like.

The Quick Read:

1. The race went well. The swim was as expected. The bike was faster than expected. The run hurt really bad!

2. I met my overall goal of top 10% overall by finishing 42 of 504. Ninth in age group was good for about top 18% in the age group, but I'm now in the 40-44 which is certainly the most competitive (ie fastest) age group. My time would have gotten me age-group third in 35-39, but getting old suck s and it is what it is.

3. The bike section was really great and fast on the downhill. The road rattled my teeth, as expected. I won't do this course again, but I'd absolutely love to do the long course with really smooth roads most of the way.

4. I found a new threshold of race intensity. I averaged 164 bpm on the bike and 170ish bpm on the run. The bike killed my run. And I now have a saying...if you bike like there's no run, you won't have a run.

5. I actually freakin' walked in the run. OUCH! I nearly cried from pain afterwards. I think my wife's family thinks this 40-year old cried because I didn't do what I wanted to. I didn't actually cry, but I wanted to, and it was from this new threshold of intensity. Wow! Felt good in a really strange way. An hour later, I was good to go, so no major problems other than trying to get back into training this week, which has taken a couple days longer than expected.

6. Swag includes a nice little bag and not much else. There was a lot of post-race food, but none of it looked good to me except the strawberry shortcake, which I had plenty of.

Comments to those reading this for information about the race and venue:

1. The roads on the bike are mostly rough chip-seal. You'll rattle a bit, but it's not that bad. The downhill cruise is worth it, with a nice portion on really smooth asphalt that will make you wish every ride was like that. Reminder: it's 29 miles on the bike, not 24.

2. Be ready for heat. We got lucky this year with 70's, but it's normally hotter. Not much you can do about it if you live in the mountains and summer doesn't get there til a week before the race.

3. There are two transition areas. Pay to have your bike bussed up there if you've already done the race once. If this is the first time, drive your bike up there on Saturday afternoon. Leave only your bike on Saturday, and take the rest of everything with you on Sunday morning on the bus.

4. Take the bus on Sunday morning. Have everything in your trash bag that they'll give you. Minimize your gear to fit into the bag, which is fairly large, but obviously don't leave stuff out that you would normally have with you. For example, take your maintenance kit and pump but make sure they fit in the bag before you go.

5. You don't have to stay in Sunriver if you're the only one doing the race. You could consider a less expensive area in La Pine or any of the campsites or resorts in the area.  However, if you have a big family get-together and many are doing various races, consider staying in Sunriver in a rental home.

6. The race is well organized and has a very friendly feel to it. Most folks in the Olympic distance seemed to be from Oregon, and I was treated really well being from out of state.

7. For fly-fishermen, take an opportunity to schedule a couple hours to fish the hatchery area on the Fall River because it is so peaceful and beautiful. The catching is tough, but the fishing is really cool for such a small little stream basically next to the road. There are also lots of other areas to fish.

8. Consider adding a couple of days to the trip if you're travelling to the area. The weekend went by really quickly for me, even with a 11-12 hour drive on both ends (Thursday and Monday). I wished we would have added at least a day maybe two to do some more family stuff. I could have fished more, and Mt Bachelor was calling me for some summer-time backcountry skiing (not sure how that would have worked yet, but I'm going to look into it for sure!). 

Next up....detailed review of the race, and then a comparison of written goals to reality followed by venue notes.

One of my favorite charities...tied directly to biking

The Idaho Foodbank has an OUTSTANDING program where they give backpacks full of food to school kids to take home on Friday so they have something to eat during the weekend. It's not the kids' fault that mom or dad don't buy the kids food for whatever reason(s). Every kid out there deserves an opportunity to eat, it's that simple, and you can help. The Foodbank says that every dollar you give turns into ten dollars when they use it, based on their purchase prices versus retail prices that you and I would pay.

Anyway, there is an event in August here in Pocatello called Biking For Backpacks. A short bike ride provides food for a schoolkid and the backpack to carry it home.

Take a look at www.bikingforbackpacks.org.

30% off weight training book...take a peek while I write a race report!

While I'm writing a race report for the Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon, take a peek at the Weight Training Routine for Olympic and Sprint Triathlon e-book at www.smashwords.com/books/view/26079.

Use Coupon Code WH58N to get it for $1.99 instead of $2.99 until July 27, 2011.

Quick summary of the race:

1. The extra bike miles went better than expected but hurt my run more than expected.
2. The heat got me on the last two miles (see also #1!).
3. The swim went really well.
4. Finished 41 of 504 total.
5. Finished 9th in 40-44 Males Age Group with a 2:40:40. That time would have got me 3d in th 35-39 age group....getting old sucks!  I just turned 40 last month.
6. Family trip went well and maintained the priority it needed. Tera even did the 5k, and her mom/aunts/sisters did half-marathon, 10k, and 5k races.  Kids had lots of fun.
7. Coming back was tough with the little guys tired of being in the car.

Full report in a couple of days.

Final Preps for Pacific Crest Olympic Tri

The day before the day is here! While others are doing the long course tri, marathon, or half marathon, I just finished my final preps for the olympic tri here in Sunriver, Oregon. The place is definitely beautiful, and I've seen the lake, bike course, and run course.

I did about 600 meters in the lake yesterday to op-check my wetsuit that hasn't been worn AT ALL yet this year. Yes, I'm going into this swim as the first OWS of the year other than 600 meters yesterday. We'll see how that goes. The water was 60 degrees, but it didn't feel cold at all. It felt significantly warmer than the Cache Valley Tri last year when my hands froze into a claw position. I'm not sure my feet won't be numb when I get out, but they should be ok.

The bike course looks great except the road is a bit rough. The long course road is a AWESOME smooth paved road. The oly course is chip-sealed and rough. I think I'll rattle my teeth out tomorrow! There are sections that are really smooth, but the majority is rough. I don't think there will be alot of wind because the course is lined by trees....very tall trees, the kind of tall trees that grow only in the Cascades. I think it will be cold on the bike, too.

I biked the run course last night. Three short but definitely-there hills. Otherwise mostly downhill somehow, at least the cruising on the bike felt like it was downhill. I'm excited about the run portion.

The weather is supposed to be really nice. Mid-seventies and sunny. Can't beat it.

Tomorrow is going to be great!

Good luck and be safe to everyone out on the course right now!