Treasure at the end of the Rainbow;Buffalo Springs 70.3, a race report

I took this photo driving home through west Texas from Buffalo Springs 70.3. Nothing is as beautiful as a rainbow and the lore that it signifies. Some triathletes came to the west Texas town of Lubbock and found their pot of gold in the form of Kona slots, top age group finishes, and great results on this epic course.

This was my third year in a row coming to Lubbock and each year the course gets easier and my times get faster. I have consistently dropped 6 minutes each year off my time since I first attempted this course and this distance in 2005. This year I actually felt like I was racing it and not just surviving it. I have to admit, the weather was ideal with lighter winds on the bike, and on the run the heat didn’t seem so oppressive.

On the morning of the race I awoke at 3:50 am and had my usual pre race meal consisting of 360 calories of Hammer perpetuem, 300 calories of Heed, and a banana with peanut butter. I mixed up my bike race bottle of 900 calories of Perpetuem, Heed, endurolytes, and anti-fatigue caps and then had a small cup of coffee.

I left for the race site at 4:45. Every year I leave for the race site at this time and never run into traffic problems and park the car without waiting. Well, this year there was traffic back up several hills back to get into the parking area. Apparently, the word got out you need to get here early to have enough time to park and get your stuff ready.

When I got to the transition area, I ended up having ample time to get things ready and make a stop at the porta potty. I took my 2 Race caps and 2 anti-fatigue caps about one hour prior to the start. At 6:30 the pro wave went off and I slipped my wetsuit on and headed down to warm up. It is really nice because the management allows you to get in the water and swim adjacent to the swim start area. I was able to swim around 500 yards and get in a few strong pick ups at race pace before I headed over to the beach start.

One thing that I noticed when watching the 30-34 men’s wave go off was that there was a sand bar that extended out 50-60 feet out into the lake. Some of those guys were getting a big head start by high stepping it out there on the sandbar while the others just lay down and started stroking. Hum.. I’m all over that.

My age group 45-49, was starting with the 25-29 year old guys. Nice.. I would have some fast feet to latch on to and conserve some precious energy while still distancing myself from the rest of my fellow competitors.

When the horn sounded I was all over that sandbar and hit the water in third place in the wave. The swim started harder than I usually take it out, but by the first turn I had settled in behind some big shouldered swimmer who gave me a monster draft. Navigation through the other heats of competitors is like swimming through a minefield of driftwood, occasionally you hit a few. I had to sight more frequently and I feel that makes the swim more difficult than just cruising on a clean lake surface with your head down. I let the big shouldered guy guide me through all that mess. It wasn’t long before we made the turn at the last buoy. There was a glare as we swam directly into the sun and all I could see was splashing ahead of me despite using smoke goggles. The pace quickened and before I knew it there was a helping hand reaching down to guide me up the boat ramp. Swim time; 26:10. Average HR 149. The HR was higher than I usually have on a swim like this. It might be due to the heat of the water accompanied by the use of the wetsuit.

I got my wetsuit off quickly and followed some of the guides left by some resourceful competitors to my bike. I am blind without my glasses so, I looked for the yellow bandana someone tied to the end of my bike rack line and the stack of tennis balls on a wire a few bikes away. My transition towel was bright orange so it was easy to spot. Wetsuit came off quickly and I was on my way up the steep hill out of T1 quickly.

I had several goals for the bike ride. One, was to ride conservatively enough to have a great run. Two, I wanted to make sure my nutrition went well and not experience any fade in my heart rate or power at the end of the ride. I had recently listened to an Ironman Talk pod cast featuring Gordo Byrn on estimating power guidelines for an Ironman bike ride. Gordo used watts and heart rate from a half iron man race which he had a good run to estimate his wattage caps for the ironman. I wanted to get some valuable data to use for Kona this year.

My ride was going well, very few people passed me. Lars Finanger went by pretty strong but he is an uber cyclist. He was easy to spot. His shorts had LARS printed on the rear. I was keeping my wattage in the 200 to 260 range on the flats and allowed spikes into the 300’s on the hills. I tried to keep the heart rate below 150.

On the way back from Yellow canyon I saw Tim Terwey coming. He had won my age group for the past two years so I knew he would be my main competition. When he passed me I looked at his effort level and felt that he was on a suicide mission. He appeared to be going too hard for my tastes so I just let him go. A lot of things could happen in the next 3hrs, and I had confidence in my running ability. I chose to be patient.

For some reason this course didn’t feel as difficult for me as it has been in the past. I can remember finishing my first half here in 2005 and feeling absolutely trashed. I cramped severely on the run. I suppose my fitness level has come up since then, and experience has helped a lot too. This was my sixth half iron man.

Once I finished the spiral staircase, I saw that Tim had a 4 minute lead. I could deal with that. After that section, there is a gradual grade to take you back to the flats and a 10 mile stretch back on the chip seal roads and into the park. I suppose I lost concentration here because I felt like I wasn’t riding as aggressively as I should have at that point. Watts and heart rate faded a bit and I wasn’t passing very many people. When I got back to T2 I had, unknowingly, let Tim’s lead grow to over 8 minutes. His bike split was 2:25 and I went 2:36. My average HR was 147 and NP 220 for the ride.

T2 was slow. I had to put my socks on twice and that cost me 15 seconds or so. Dave Crow, an ASI photographer from the Tulsa area was there to capture the moment. I hit the run feeling pretty fresh. This was a good sign. I was running in a relatively new set of Newton running shoes.

The day before I left for Lubbock I ran 1.5 miles in the Newton’s and compared them to my usual New Balance racing flats. The Newton’s felt more comfortable and my time was 30 seconds faster over the distance with the same heart rate. The decision was made to use them in the race, but it wasn’t without some hesitation. I had yet to run longer than 4 miles in them.

The first three miles were 6:50’s and I was aerobic. Heart rate was 150. The Newton’s felt good. The first steep hill comes at 3 miles and I made it up at a 7:30 pace. At this point the fleet footed runners from the 40-44 age group came flying by. I’m glad I’m out of that age group now. The depth this year was just incredible.

The plan I had set for the run was to take it conservatively to the half way point then begin to build to 10 miles and let it rip on the last 3.1 miles to the finish. I wanted to negative split the run. At the turnaround, I saw that Tim had a 4 minute lead and he looked pretty uncomfortable. He would have to have a complete melt down for me to catch him but it still was possible.

Last year a friend of mine, Jennifer Johnson, won the overall amateur female in the last quarter mile of the run. I saw a photo of the pass and I pictured it in my mind as I pushed those final 3 miles. Those last miles go through a residential area with quite a few blind turns and trees. You are unable to see any runners ahead of you until you are right up on them. I looked at my watch and began to calculate that I could break 4:40. I would be real happy with that even if I didn’t catch Tim. So I went for it.

My last miles were low 6:50’s to 6:40’s and I was able to lift heart rate up into the 160’s. I crossed the finish line in 4:38:55. I later learned that I just missed catching Tim by 45 seconds. Oh well, I had a solid race and it was well paced. I had met all my goals with the exception of one. I was pretty pleased that I was able to significantly negative split the run. I ran the first half of the run at a 7:13 pace and the second half at a 6:56 pace for a final 1:32:53 split.

Looking back at the results, I had the fastest swim split by around 2 minutes, and run split by 7 minutes in the age group. Unfortunately, the second place run split was performed by Tim. At the awards dinner, Tim passed on his Kona slot to me and I was given the opportunity to pass it on to the next guy. It felt pretty good. I have always wanted to do that. I enjoyed seeing the expression on his face when he accepted the slot. It was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Aah….Just wait until he steps off the plane in Kona. That will be a real treat ;)

Tulsa Triathlon Slideshow

The Tulsa Triathlon: A Race Report

The Tulsa Triathlon is a difficult Olympic distance race held north of Tulsa at Skiatook Lake. Lance Armstrong won this race when he was 16 on a different course. The course today, consists of a two loop swim and a bike that has a nice mixture of hills and flats. The run course also has a mixture of hills and long grades but it also has its share of sections which are flat and downhill. My watch altimeter reported 2500 ft of total climbing. It is a pretty difficult course and, in the past, nobody has broken 2 hrs until guys like Greg Rouault and Chuck Sloan came along. They are a pair of local rock stars. Greg is the world amateur 25-29 world champion, and Chuck most likely will win USAT nationals this year. Greg and Chuck's Team Link

I entered this race and chose to train through it and treat it as a hard workout. Nothing can boost the fitness level more than a race. I can’t push myself this hard when I am training by myself. Buffalo Springs 70.3 is coming up in 2 weeks and this would be my last really hard workout before I started my taper. I was out to have fun and see how I could perform with still a little fatigue on board.

My wife, Dana, and I got to the race course at around 6:45 or so for an 8:00 start. The weather looked pretty gloomy…. Clouds, strong winds, and rain. We had the local TV weather man there as a volunteer. He called the station and assured us that the storm was breaking up and would miss us. Within 30 minutes, the weather cleared the rain stopped, and the winds died down: the race was on. I filled my profile aero bottle with 300 calories of "Hammer Heed".

I popped a Hammer Anti fatigue and Race cap an hour before the start and went out to the lake and warmed up. I saw that Daniel Agnew was here. He is on the U23 Tri development team and, from looking at the state HS swimming results, is a pretty good swimmer. He would be my fast feet if I could hang on.

Just before the start the wind appeared to be taking the turn buoys out further into the lake. I was ok with that. The longer the swim course the better. “Keep going”

The swim started hard. I’m not used to going out this hard because I usually do longer course stuff. I was in Daniel’s wake and enjoying the ride. I looked back under my arm saw and it was just me and Danny. Then the guy starts doing the juke back and forth trying to shake me. “Aaw… come on dude. Don’t do that.” Someone has taught this boy how to open water swim. I knew when we got to the first buoy that he was going to accelerate hard off the turn. I was ready for it but he dropped me anyway. The hard pace had slowed and I still kept him in sight. I just kept the strokes long and strong and settled into a half ironman pace.

Some other guy bridged up to me and we swam along side then I tucked in behind him for a while. On the last buoy we caught some swimmers on their first loop. Apparently, Danny swam off course and missed the last buoy so I was back up to him on the home stretch to the finish. This race awarded cash primes for the fastest individual swim, bike and run. The thought entered my mind to sprint but that’s all it was: A thought. Swim time 20:25. The course was definitely long. This was in my favor.

My transition seemed slow, 48 seconds. When I got to the start of the bike Danny was off his bike throwing something that looked like a snake to the ground. He broke his chain. He was out. The other swimmer was a relay and I was now in the lead. Hey, this hasn’t happened in a while. I never thought when I was younger that at 45, I still would be able to lead a race. I thought those days were long gone. Sometimes when I’m out there racing I forget how old I am. I knew my little moment of glory wouldn’t last long. Chuck Sloan was coming and I knew it. I just stayed out there and enjoyed it as long as I could.

The hills are pretty violent at the start. This definitely hurts the weaker swimmer. I just kept the watts capped at fewer than 350 and stayed seated on the climbs as much as possible. By 3 or 4 miles I looked back and saw Chuck coming. He passed me on the last hill and after that I was able to keep him in sight up the road the entire ride. I looked back on the corners I saw no one. I thought “Hey, I might not have to run as hard to get second.” Nice.

On one of the corners, I took it pretty tight and my rear wheel fishtailed on the wet road. I managed to keep the bike upright and kept going without losing it. Whew…. That would have been embarrassing.

I hit T2 two minutes down. Bike time 1:05. I didn’t worry about catching Chuck because he would be in a different zip code at the end of the race. As I reached the top half mile hill out of the transition, the next group of cyclist were rolling in. Greg Rouault was at the top of the hill,as a spectator, and said I had second locked up. Look out for Greg on the pro circuit soon. He might very well make the French Olympic team too.

I treated the run as a tempo training run. I would run kind of hard when I saw the competitors coming in the opposite direction at the turn around just to give them the impression that I was running strong “don’t get any big ideas and try to run me down guys” I ended up going 41:00 for the run.

I sprinted down the last hill to the finish to see if I could break the 2:08 mark, but I just missed it by 30 seconds. Finish time 2:08.32. Anyway, I finished feeling pretty fresh. I ended up winning $200 for second place and missed the swim prime because Danny found a bike and went out and finished the course. He deserved it. He caught a bad break. Chuck went 1:56 and demolished me. He ran a phenomenal 32:11 on this course unchallenged …Wow!

Chuck now is part of the Train to Endure team coached by Dave LaTourette. Dana and I and Amanda Erwin are also coached by Dave. Look out for great things when Chuck decides to do an Ironman. He was asking me about doing Ironman following the race. I think Chuck has the potential to go sub 9 hrs the first time out.

My wife Dana, who just did Honu 70.3, last week, got third overall and picked up the primes for the fastest swim and the fastest bike. $250 total. The Chances cashed in at this race ;)

I have to thank the race director Renee, at Core Multisport, Dave Crow for all those amazing photos he took, Tulsa Area Triathletes, all the volunteers and sponsors for putting on this race and making the 25th anniversary a success.

It was fun and a good time was had by all. I feel pretty good about my chances (pun intended)now at Buffalo Springs. It’s Taper time ;)

Sunset On The Kohala Coast

This is a picture that my friend Mark VanAkkeren took of my wife, Dana, while she was in Hawaii recently at the Honu 70.3. He snapped it without her knowledge and forwarded it to me. Sunsets on the big island are exceptionally beautiful. Hawaii is one of our favorite places to visit, especially in October ;)

I didn’t get a straight answer when I asked her what she was thinking about at the time that shot was taken. I suppose she was just taking in the beauty of the moment and pondering her future. I was back in Tulsa working and couldn’t make the trip. I could tell by the telephone conversations we had that she was relaxed and I could sense less tension in her voice. That is something watching sunsets on the big island will do for you. On the horizon for Dana are Ironman Canada, and hopefully another Ironman Hawaii qualification.

She has already qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in November and we will be taking the kids there for a vacation/ race. Last year in that race, she went 4:48, and that was three weeks after the Hawaii Ironman and 7 weeks after Ironman Canada. She is pretty durable.

On another note, we received an email the other day from one of the producers of, “Wife Swap”, a reality show on ABC. They were looking for a family of triathletes to be on the show. Apparently, a friend of ours had nominated us. Dana would be an excellent example of a mother, wife, and athlete for the country to model after. She would be perfect for the show. I’m just afraid that a show like that would try to bring out the negative aspects of our lifestyle. I would hesitate to imagine what kind of family we would be matched up with. Most likely, it would be something at the opposite polar end of the spectrum. Our life is pretty hectic and Dana spends a lot of time keeping the house in order, shuttling the kids to their activities, and providing our family with fine nutritious meals. I could imagine what havoc it would cause to have a slug dropped in her place.

Dana works very hard and when she is gone there is definitely a difference in the family dynamics. However, it is nice once and a while that she gets a break from the home and fast paced lifestyle to occasionally take trips, without the kids, relax, and take in a few sunsets.

Dana ended up getting 7th in the women’s 35-39 age group at Honu and went 5:15. She was pleased with her race and felt she had a great run in very difficult conditions. My friend Mark, ended up 7th overall with a 4:16, and won his age group by 16 minutes.

Memorial Day 5K

On Memorial Day I ran with my 10 year old daughter, Payton, in the Maple Ridge 5K. This is a little race that takes place every year around our neighborhood. This was Payton’s third attempt at the distance and she was enthusiastic about taking part. Paige, her twin sister, and Braden, her brother, passed on the opportunity and instead elected to watch TV.

Payton doesn’t run much at all. However, she stays extremely fit as a level 7 gymnast. She trains for gymnastics typically 4 hrs a day. This training involves quite a bit of conditioning which helps give her the endurance to do this type of thing.

I chose to run with Payton and teach her the finer points of endurance racing. We went through a warm up routine and lined up in the middle of the pack. The gun went off and we enjoyed an easy pace: 5:30/kilometer. I just ran along side her offering her tips now and then.

The course is two loops and has some long grades and hills which can slow the pace significantly. Pacing early is important here, the late hills are killer. The winner just managed to barely break 17 minutes, so this is a tough course.

By the end of the first kilometer, we hit some hills and she began picking off the quick starters as they were slowed to a walk. On some of the downhill sections I instructed her to open up the stride up and relax and rest. I couldn’t get her to take water from the aid stations because she didn’t want to stop. I could see the determination in her eyes. She was focused. You can’t teach that.

On the second loop she continued to pass folks and I could tell she was beginning to feel some discomfort on the hills. She continued to keep a good pace and never walked. I thought to myself, could I have done this when I was 10? : Probably not. First of all, in 1972, Frank Shorter had yet to win the Olympic marathon and the running boom had yet to start. These types of races didn’t exist. However, I used to stage my own race and run home from school for 3 or 4 miles when I was 12 or 13. My motivation then was to beat the bus riders home. At 10 I think I would have been joining her siblings in front of the TV. Needless to say, I was very proud of her.

In the last half kilometer she was able to open the stride and run strong into the finish. She finished in 28:08 and earned 3rd place in the 9-12 age group, and a new personal record.

This summer Payton will continue with her gymnastic training and will start some swim stroke technique training at Swim Tulsa where her sister Paige swims on the team. She hasn’t ruled out any more 5k runs in the near future. Maybe she can motivate her other siblings to join her next time. I get more of a kick out of watching them race than racing myself.

St. Croix 70.3 Slideshow

St. Croix 70.3 Race Report

First of all, I want to make a disclaimer. This report is intended to share my experiences with my friends, fellow Tulsans, and the folks at Hammer Nutrition. It also intended to help me remember race details so I can go back and review them if I decide to return and do St. Croix again. Finally, it may help others develop their own race plan to tackle a long course event. It is by no means an ego trip for me. I publish it because I have read reports from other athletes which have helped me immensely in the past which I often review for reference.

My coach, Dave LaTourette, and I discussed potential races for me to qualify for Kona in 2007 back in August of 2006. We felt that the non wetsuit swim, brutal course, and heat and humidity of St. Croix suited my strengths. I entered St. Croix from my condo, online, while in Kona last year after I was certain that it was an IQ event. So I have been focusing on this race for quite some time.

On race morning, I awakened at 3:50 am before my alarm went off. My first order of business was to get in my 1000 calorie pre race meal. I like to eat light, nothing heavy or solid. I quickly made up a mix of 3 scoops of Perpetuem, 2 scoops of Heed, some Hammer gel, and a banana with 3 tbs of peanut butter. I wanted to get breakfast in my stomach 3 hrs prior to the race start to top off my glycogen stores and stabilize insulin levels.

I mixed up my race feeder bottle which I would carry on the bike: 5 scoops of Perpetueum, 3 scoops of Heed (900 calories) 7.5 scoops of Endurolyte powder, and 5 broken Anti- Fatigue caps. I finished packing my stuff, pumped up the bike tires to 125 psi, and checked the mechanics, making sure they were ready to go.

Dana and I then put on our backpacks and headlights and took the dark two mile ride from the Buccaneer resort to the transition area. It’s great to have a spouse who is into this sport. I am so lucky.

Body marking, bike racking, and transition set up was fast and efficient. The only thing that was lacking in the transition area was water to fill the bottles. After a through search of the transition area, I eventually had to go to a store by the King Christian Hotel to get some.

About an hour before the start, I popped a couple Hammer Anti- Fatigue and Race Caps Supreme. The announcer called for us to start getting into the water and begin our swim over to the beach to the Hotel on the Cay. I jumped in the water, loosened up, and took a few 30 second hard efforts to wake my body up. I felt pretty damn good. The 2XU Super Elite Trisuit that I recently ordered from Renee at Core Multisport felt comfortable and fast. I found it to be as fast as my Speedo Fast Skin,(5 seconds/100yrds faster than without one) but a lot more comfortable and easier to get out of.

There was plenty of water to drink over at the beach and Dana and I sat on some lawn chairs and chatted with some people from Texas. When it got closer to my wave start I got back in the water again and did a few more pickups. It was nice to have another warm up area on an adjacent beach. I stayed loose over there. It was kind of reminiscent of a swim meet. I put a couple Hammer Energy Surge caps under my tongue and let them soak in. I anticipated a 200 meter surge at the start.

It wasn’t long before my wave was ready to go. I lined up in the front row for the standing beach start. The horn sounded and there was a mad dash of 45-49 year old men flailing and splashing wildly. By the time we got to the first buoy we had already caught some of the 40-44 AG who left 2 minutes ahead. My race plan was to get to the first buoy and then make a surge to gap the group then continue to lengthen the lead. However, there was a guy with a Team USA kit on that was keeping a pretty good pace. I was comfortable hanging out right behind him, so I let him navigate and lead the way through the multitudes that were bobbing in front of us.

I later do some research on this guy and I find out it is Larry Black. He swam an 18:30 1500 at St. Anthony’s the week before, and is the reining World AG Aquathon Champion. He had the fastest AG swim split last year at worlds in Lausanne. I was in good company.

I don’t mind letting someone lead the way on the swim. I try to conserve energy anyway I can. He tried to make a few surges to drop me but I was able to answer easily. Whenever I draft someone, I always let them get out first. Hell, if I am going to suck feet, I might as well let them get the glory of getting the fastest swim split.

I felt great on the swim. I just hate when it ends. I feel so comfortable in the water. I wished it was another 1.2 miles. Larry hit the ramp before me and we had our bikes racked right across from each other. Larry swam 26:40 and I did a 26:45. We both had top 5 amateur swim splits. I was 17th overall including the pros. (Not bad for a couple of old guys)

He mentioned to me” Hey, nice swim” I acknowledged his swim too. Then we were off on the bike. I choose to put my cycling shoes on in the transition area and run in them because you had to run through sand and gravel to get to the road. I didn’t want to have sand and gravel stuck to my feet and in my shoes bugging me for the 56 mile ride. Larry had the ITU rubber band shoe hook up. It was faster but I avoided the issue I was trying to.

Once I hit the bike, the heart rate was 160 and I immediately attempted to curb my effort and get it down to settle in the upper 140‘s. I took it easy keeping the watts at 220 to 250. There were guys going by me like I was a New Jersey snowbird on the Florida turnpike, but I stayed with the race plan and let them go. I still kept Larry in sight up the road.

People tend to loose sight that 56 miles is a long way, get caught up in the moment, and they go at it like a sprint. Payment for that effort comes back to haunt you somewhere on the bike or on the run. My plan was to get the heart rate to settle and ride nice and easy until I had gotten to the other side of “The Beast“. Once I made it to the other side of the island I planned on working several west to east headwind sections and resting on other predetermined sections.

My race was going as planned, I was following watts and heart rate coach Dave and I had gone over before the race. When I made the turn off road 75 to 80, the SRM stopped working. The roads were horrible; potholes, sand, and patched areas were everywhere. I was glad I kept the tire pressure lower. I was sure that some connections had loosened somewhere and I jiggled the plug while rode but I was unable to return it to function.

Well, I reasoned, I still had my wrist heart rate monitor functioning and perceived exertion and I will just have to go with that. I train with watts so I know intuitively where I am and it wasn’t that big a deal. I was just disappointed not to have the data to look back at after the race.

Two guys from my age group went by me on North Shore Rd. (80) before “The Beast“. I marked them; Mr. Blue and Mr. Red, based on the color jerseys they were wearing. I let them go; their pace was too strong for my liking. That climb up the beast is heinous. I needed to keep some reserve energy to light that match. So Black, Blue, and Red were up the road ahead of me.

When I choose the kit I wanted to race in today, I made a conscious decision to try to be as inconspicuous as possible. When Dana races she has a hard time finding me because I am wearing “the uniform”. “The uniform” is what 80 to 90 percent of the male racers wear, a white top, black shorts, white visor, and sunglasses. Not only is it generic, the white top absorbs less heat from the tropical sun. It is confusing to my competitors because I look just like everyone else.

When I made the left turn off North Shore Rd and onto 69, “The Beast” hit me like a wall. It was an 18 percent grade right off the bat. I quickly caught and passed Mr. Black and rode up to Mr. Red. I passed quite a few folks. One guy was riding power cranks. I commented on what a stud he was and I received no response, not even a grunt. I suppose he was pondering his decision making on that one.

My heart rate reached 177 on that climb. I never see that in training. Not only did I light a match, I lit a fire. No worries, the descent and flat section down to Melvin Evans Hwy was going to be easy and I would regroup there. Mr. Red got ahead of me on the decent and on the speed bump section of the road, Mr. Blue was up the road, and Mr. Black was dropped back on “The Beast”

After “The Beast” it seemed quiet. No cyclists passed me and I was alone. I could see Mr. Red’s group up the road. “The Beast” broke the race apart.

Once on the Melvin Evans Hwy, I started to motor. This is a long section of pretty smooth highway that runs west to east and typically has a headwind and grades. I had chosen this section as one the sections of the course that I wanted to work. I could see that I was catching the group ahead of me and pulling away from the lone cyclist about 50 to 100 yards behind. I never saw him again.

Once I got to 62, a north to south section, (mostly downhill and flat) I rested and let the heart rate settle. At this point, I felt like I was alone on a training ride doing intervals. When 62 turned west to east, I started pushing again. I fiddled with the SRM one more time and got it back functioning for a few moments, watts were 220 to 250, heart rate was 150. This is just where I wanted them to be.

I rested again and soft peddled on 624 until I made the turn to the west to east section of South Shore road. I pushed this section which included some nice scenic climbs and vistas. The plan was to push all the way past the Divi until I got to the east to west tailwind section heading back to Christiansted.

It was screaming fast on the return tailwind section. Next, there is a last little loop that takes you up a climb called Lowery Hill. I passed a few more folks here including some pro women. Once over the top of Lowery hill I soft peddled back to the transition area. I finished the last portion of my Hammer bike concoction. When returned to T2 there were 2 bikes in the rack: Mr. Red’s and Mr. Blue’s. Bike time was 2:49, this included T1 and T2.

My transition was pretty slow. I had to get my socks on just right and my feet were wet. It seemed like it took forever. The plan Dave and I made for the run was to build it in sections. Miles 0-3 would be relatively easy with heart rate goal of 145 to 150, 3-6.5 build to 155, 6.5 to 10 155 to 160,and 10 to finish was supposed to be all guts. I felt that the weather (heat and humidity) elevated those rates so I started the run with heart rates in the 150’s. I felt great.

I carried Endurolytes and a flask of Hammer gel (450 calories) and started in on the nutrition right away. There were aid stations every kilometer, so there was no shortage of ice or water. At each station I would grab a cups of water to drink, pour another over my head, ice in the shorts and on my head and I would stuff cold sponges in the jersey. I attempted to do anything to keep the core temperature down.

I stopped and relived myself on a desolate section of the course in the golf course section loop. The pee looked clear, so I felt I was doing a good job of hydration. I ticked off a 7:08 even with the stop and felt great. The golf course section of this course is very humid and muggy. I like heat much better than cold so it was just to my liking.

At the four mile mark I passed Mr. Red. He was walking. I was tempted to say “nice ride” but I just kept my mouth shut and moved right along. I don’t think he noticed me anyway, I was stealth. The heart rates were around 160 now but I still felt good. I felt I was aerobic and I wasn’t breathing hard. I felt that the heat and humidity was driving the heart rate up, so again I ran on perceived exertion.

The aid station volunteers are staffed buy the locals. I went through my ritual of the ice bath and shower at one of the stations and a little island boy handed me a cup of ice then ran along beside me. “Aah, does it feel gooood mon?” ”You are runnin great mon” I loved it. He was so cute. It gave me a little lift.

I hit the turnaround for the second loop and there was Mr. Blue. I went by him fast so that he couldn’t see my number or age on the calf. I talked to him after the race. He had no clue where I passed him. It must have been the uniform. I kept the pressure on and continued to lift the heart rate as I progressed through the course. I didn’t want anyone coming up on me from behind.

When I hit the 10 mile mark, I felt pretty good. I started calculating when I thought I would finish. The watch said 4:31. Brian Keast’s best time in the age group a few years back was 4:51. If I could run a 20 minute 5k, I might be able to get close. It was time to spill the guts. I knew if I didn’t have a major meltdown and crash, the Kona slot and age group win would be mine. I finished my hammer gel and made the transition to coke here. I made sure to continue with the water because it seems, through past experience, I cramp after switching to coke. I have yet to discover a scientific reason for it, but I’m sure the good folks at Hammer will know.

I kept up a strong pace. I felt like I was in the zone. I saw Dana on my last mile push. She was having a great race and was psyched that she was in second place in her age group. I gave her a high five and moved on. I could hear the race announcer in the distance. I made the left turn uphill on Company Street to Prince, after that it was all downhill on King Street to the finish. I was able to lift the heart rate to 174 on this section and went after a younger guy who appeared to be struggling. I hit the finish line strong and raised the fists for my own private victory. The time was 4:53:41. I ran a 1:37.06(fastest split in the age group by 3 minutes) I had done what I had come here to do. I secured a slot to Kona, and won the age group. I won it buy over 7 minutes, Mr.Black rolled in at 5:00.50 for second.

Looking back at past results, my time was the same Kevin Moats had done in 2003 and close to Brian Keast’s 4:51 in 2005. These guys went on to do some great things in Kona. However, it’s difficult to compare past results because the conditions are always different. At any rate, my time compares with some good company.

Patrick High, a 44 year old, and also a Hammer Nutrition athlete, spanked me with a 4:42 and was 3rd in the 40-44 age group.I can’t get too excited about my performance; there is always someone, somewhere that can humble me even when I have had a great race. I will see a lot of those people in Kona in October. I’m just so happy that I get the opportunity to test myself against the world’s best over that epic course, and I intend to be ready for that challenge.