2008 Chelanman Half Iron Triathlon July 19, 2008 By Adriane Bonaparte
What follows is an epically long account of my first 1/2 Iron at Lake Chelan this past weekend. For those lacking in attention skills, I do not recommend sitting though this. However, I found it amusing to recount my trial and if you so chose to read on I hope you do as well. Cheers.
In the hours and days following the completion of my first ½ Iron triathlon, I have been struggling to comprehend what I had done and why exactly?
Last night, after finishing a magazine article The Commute is the Thing: The Art of Travel Involved in Traveling by Sloan Schang, I had an epiphany. In the article the author described the hazards, triumphs, failures, and misadventures of getting around in impoverished third world locations such as Delhi India. The section that provided the epiphany read:
We do not yet understand the devastatingly difficult lives these drivers lead, their economy of extreme poverty. Many of them are in the city alone, having left families in rural areas to scrape by in the city to send a few dollars home each month. If they are lucky, they will be allowed to sleep in their taxi or rickshaw at night, for their salary does not allow the expense of a roof or electricity. They will hustle for 20 hours a day, competing against a legion of similar men for scarce fares and prized western tourists. As outsiders, we will always be overcharged for these rides, simply because we can pay. And because they must survive, they will always agree to take us where we want to go, even if they don't know where that place is.
What understanding could I possibly have gleaned from these facts and racing in Chelanman this past weekend? I think it has something to do with the basic human need for triumph, to succeed - perhaps, for some, to fail and get up and try again. These impoverished men in Delhi, working 20 hour days for what we in America spend on iced coffees, struggle to succeed on a 24 hour a day basis. They are in competition with one another. The goal is fundamentally the same isn't it? We all have dreams of winning, of coming out on top. But at the end of the day when we drag our weary bodies (perhaps closer to last place) to our final destination it is the effort we gave and the journey we helped create that define the experience and makes us who we are.
I am sure those Delhi rickshaw drivers know a thing or two about life and what they are made of. As triathletes we probably don't need to compete for a couple dollars a day to feed our families, in fact, we pay others for the opportunity to compete in events that leave us blistered and spent. Suffering is unhappy aspect of life. I am thinking humans need it though. Some seek in it, in fact; enable or employ others so they can suffer in order to gain the knowledge it provides at the end. Whether it is through life's drama, movies, rock climbing, childbirth, what have you, I think humans need the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to push themselves, to see what they are made of, and carve out their experience in life as uniquely their own.
So, in a round about way my first ½ iron was clearly a life-defining experience for me. No, I did not set any records with my finishing time but I finished all the same...
Lake Chelan is one of the more beautiful lakes I have ever visited. The visibility is fabulous and, as a native New Englander, I found the water temp to be perfect. Saturday morning of the race the lake was kicking up a chop that would have to be met head on by the ½ iron competitors. Most everyone was already in the water up to their chests before the race started. The coordinators had us come back to beach however, for a running entrance, which was way more fun. I found out I love the running start. There is nothing better than running into choppy water and diving in head first.
I knew I was supposed to pace myself so I let people swim over top of me and kick me to get ahead. It was great, maybe not being kicked, but the struggle to get ahead was thrilling to be in the middle of. I didn't have any troubles getting into a nice pace with my swim and low and behold the people who had strung the buoys out had did so along a white line that was about ten feet below the surface. I only had to sight a few times. Who said there is no line to follow at the bottom of the lake during an open water swim! Anyways, I could have swam forever, the choppy conditions were a blast, and at the turn around buoy the wind and chop helped push us along so it was just a matter of swimming in synch with the waves to ride back to the beach.
My transition was not bad. Putting on socks was more of an effort than I had anticipated so that took the most time. I didn't feel like the adjustment from swim to bike was that difficult but again, heeding the words of Daryl Smith I knew to pace myself for the first several miles.
The bike course was a 25 miles out and back along gentle rolling hills next to the lake - From driving the course the night before I knew there where going to be some big hills throughout miles 25-56 though. At mile 25 the course turns you onto Hwy 97A, which for me was all about staying as far over to the right and away from the 60 mph cars and trucks whizzing past. I also was weaving about trying to avoid the rock skree scattered along the shoulder. 97A was a steady uphill climb for what felt like an eternity, where at the summit it became a screaming downhill alongside a major highway at mach 10 speed. I was more than nervous but eased my tension but singing I Wish I had a Pencil-Thin Mustache, by Jimmy Buffet, at the top of lungs.
Thus that downhill went by quickly and before I knew it I was turning onto Navarre Coulee Rd. (Aka: HWY 971 or, the road from hell, whichever you prefer). That road was about ten miles of hill that, at its steepest, was slightly less of an incline than Alabama in Bellingham. It was at this point that I began to whimper and then the whimpering turned into self loathing at my stupidity for volunteering for such torture. At my lowest point I began to scream "I hate this! I hate every minute of this, Never again!"
A man pedaled up behind me laughing. Startled and slightly embarrassed as I was sure I was not only last but all alone in the middle of nowhere, and the man assured me this was the last section of the hill. I was eternally grateful and able to regroup and push through to the top. I am a vision of grace and athleticism when going downhill let me tell you. That downhill run was the most exhilarating and second best part of the race after the swim.
The last six miles back to transition where decent, but my speed was frightfully slow and I was totally fatigued from the 90 degree broiling sun arching high into the cloudless sky over the desert that is Chelan Washington. I don't do well in heat.
A bike to run transition never felt so good. I was overjoyed to get off my bike and stretch my back and legs. My T2 time was under a minute as I couldn't wait to run away from the bike and I knew I was so far behind everyone else my ego would not allow to come in dead last.
The run felt great for the first eight miles. Doing a scan of my body at mile 6 I thought "my arms feel great right now!" Actually, mentally and cardiovascular-ly I was good but my body was zapped from the heat and the hell hill climb and would not go any faster as much as I willed it to.
Mile 10 of the half-marathon brought on the self-hatred again, and I wondered what was wrong with me for paying for such torture. Out of corner of my eye I saw a small chipmunk scurry onto a rock next to the guardrail along the road and stare at me in what looked like disbelief, ears pinned back. I snapped myself back into the moment and wondered in an amused state if such world class athletes as Lance Armstrong notice little chipmunks perched on rocks during their events, probably not.
I rejoiced as I crossed the finish line at 6:55 (whoo hoo) and after plunging my body into the lake again, I hobbled over to the aid tent and got help bandaging the multitude of blisters that covered my feet. My entire baby toe on the left foot was a giant water bubble and the wonderful nurse attending my sweaty blistered feet stared at me with the same expression as the chipmunk had back on the rock at mile 10. I shrugged and acted as if it was all in a days work stoking her awe of my accomplishments under such duress.
Will I do it again? If you asked me then I would have answered with a resounding "No way!" But now I say "sure". I have to admit there is no way I will ever do it again in the middle of the summer however. I am from here on out all about doing long courses in cooler conditions and less arid climates for sure. Places like Kodiak AK in February come to mind initially, but I will probably settle for late spring or early fall Western Washington locations for now.
2008 Mt Rainier Duathlon Race Report
April 27, 2008
By Daryl Smith
This was my 5th trip to Enumclaw in April to race the Mt Rainier Du, one of my favorite races of the year. However, this was my first time doing the short course distance. I am spending the year focusing on getting speed back in these legs again after the deadening effects of 3 years of Ironman training along with an 07 race season dampened by back issues. I decided that a race of the shorter duration would do a lot more for my speed than the long course would, so I was prepared to suffer at high intensity for about 1:15. I also wanted to finish up early so I could be a cheerleader for one of the athletes I am coaching this year, Warren Lawrence, a Canadian transplant who moved to Bellingham this winter.
The race format begins with a 1.6 mile run, then one lap on the bike of the 14.4 mile loop (long course does two, and subsequently has to climb the Mud Mtn Dam hill 2x, ouch), then 3.8 mile second run to close. I lined up near the front but was determined to not start too fast. I expected that the short first run would cause a lot of athletes to start at an overly ambitious pace and I wanted to pace for a 1 hour plus race rather than a 1.6 mile run race. My hunch was correct as my pace was 5:55 per mile and I was nowhere near the front as we entered transition. I felt great though and was excited about the bike ride.
This was my first race with my new powertap, and my plan was to race at 240 watts on the flats and cap the power at 300W on the big climb. I held my position the first 4 miles or so as we scooted across the flats with a tailwind, fast at about 24-25 mph, then we made the turn into the wind. It was hard not to push the wattage way up when the speed dropped to about 18mph with the headwind, but I tried to stay low in the aerobars and keep the watts at 240. My plan began to pay off, as the early flyers on the bike were working too hard into the wind and began to come back. By the time we reached the base of the Mud Mtn Dam climb I had moved into 3rd place feeling really smooth. The 2-3 athletes I passed prior to the hill had pretty much blown themselves up trying to maintain speed. The climb is about 4 miles long, average grade 8% with a few kicks that go as high as 15%. Riding at 300W up the hill I was able to stay seated and comfortably spin for the first time ever on this hill. I watched the two guys ahead of me duke it out on the steeps. When we reached the top I was able to get right back down in my aerobars and ride strong on the false flat rather than spend that mile trying to recover. THe next 3-4 miles are spent screaming downhill back into Enumclaw. I picked up some time here on the lead riders and came into T2 with the second place guy, with 1st place only about 1 minute ahead.
My legs came around quickly at the start of the run and I moved into second place by the 1/2 mile mark. I just tried to keep my cadence up and my effort level in check until the 1 mile mark, which is where I caught the lead runner. At that point I passed and put the hammer down, running scared for the next 2.8 miles. I had no idea how that runner was feeling and I was afraid to look back as a sign of weakness, so I just pressed on as hard as I could. When I reached the entrance back into the fairgrounds I was able to check my gap on 2nd place and saw that I had built about a 1 minute lead, which allowed me to enjoy the last 2 minutes as I ran to the finish. I was ecstactic at being able to run 6:05 miles to close out the race and get the first bigger race win of my career. It was also a great feeling to start on a good note after the back issues of last season.
Warren paced very well for his first time on the long course race. It is a brutal early season event and he finished with great form and a big smile. This will be an invaluable lesson on pacing as he approaches the Oliver HIM and then works towards IM Canada this year. This past weekend I was able to follow up with a 3rd at the WWU Tri, behind a very fit Damian Hill and the killer cycling leg of Luis Rojas. Things are on track for my first goal race of the year at Moses Lake on June 7th. Look forward to training and racing with the club this summer. See you all soon.
2007 Year in Review.
2007 was an exciting and very fulfilling year from an Advantage Multisport coaching standpoint.We had a great crew this year, all great people and athletes, and I personally felt a lot of pride and had a lot of fun watching them succeed.I was able to help out with some educational talks with the Bellingham Fit crew as well, and it was fun to watch them race at the inaugural Bellingham Marathon earlier this month.I also had a great time meeting and training with more of the Bellingham Tri club athletes this summer.Special thanks goes out to my training partners Sean and Brian for keeping me company on all those long training days in the spring and summer.
Alina had a great season, despite being very loaded up with a new promotion and MBA classes as well.Alina had a very busy year of racing.She grabbed a qualifying slot to the 2008 Vancouver World Championships next June, placed 3rd overall at Danskin, then capped off her year with a 5th place female at the Vancouver Half Iron race in September.
Damian started off the year with a second place to a pro triathlete at the Mt Rainier Du.He then also qualified for 2008 worlds at Nationals in June.Then to top it off, he won the Alaska State Olympic Distance Championships by over 6 minutes.Damian is now racing cross country for Whatcom CC and is ranked #1 in the region.Their regional race is this coming weekend at Padden, so everyone go out and cheer.Always fun to see the multisport guys go out and school the single sport specialists.
Foster Rose had a great marathon in Olympia in May, then was able to PR (by more than 25 minutes) his half Iron race at the Grand Columbian on a very hot day in September.What made this even more impressive is he spent half the summer recovering after a bike accident.Foster is now deep in preparation for the California International Marathon in Sacramento in December.Best of luck to Foster as he aims for a Boston qualifying spot.
Ryan Malarkey had a great buildup for his first half at Lake Stevens in July, but was unable to fulfill this goal of racing when he was called to duty in the Middle East in June.We are honored to have you serving our country Ryan, and we pray for your safe return to the NW.
I was able to advise a friend of mine, Michelle Wheeler, through her first season of running races.She really hit her stride with great times at several 5k to 10k races, and then ran a superb negative split race at the Vancouver half marathon in May.Unfortunately she was not able to run her goal marathon race this October after breaking a toe playing with kids in the lake.She is back up to the half marathon distance now though, and it will only be a matter of time before she is able to crack that 26.2 mile race.
Advantage Multisport welcomes aboard Mike Palmgren and Wes Furlong for 08.Mike will be doing his first half Iron in the 60-64 age group in June, and Wes will be competing at the Vancouver Worlds in June, as well as shooting for another worlds qualification at Nationals in September.
My own year was filled with some big ups and downs.I started out with a win in my first duathlon of the year in May, had a fun race at Mt Rainier in April, set a PR over a sprint course in May, and then ended a very good buildup for IM CDA with a back injury in mid June.It took most of the summer and fall to get back to the point where I felt ready to race again, but after a lot of core work and some help from our new friend Erik DeRoche, DC, I was able to come back and race strong at the Padden MTB Duathlon last weekend. It feels really good to be back at it again.
I am really looking forward to 2008.It should be a great season with both Nationals and Worlds here in the NW.I am also working with Erik to put on a running biomechanics clinic in November.Tentative date is Nov 10th.I will get the info out to you all as soon as things are confirmed, should be by the end of this week.
Have a great fall, and best of luck in 2008.
Ironman 70.3 World Championships November 11, 2006 Clearwater, FL By Damian Hill
Coach Daryl's Notes: Damian Hill raced to a 27th overall, 3rd age group, at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida. After a very long year, starting with a win way back in April at the Mount Rainier Duathlon, he peaked perfectly for this last race of the year through a combination of patience and dedication. Then he executed his race strategy to perfection, running through the field for the 19th fastest run of the day, including professionals. Damian also included some very nice words about our working together this year, and I thank him for that and allowing me to be part of his season.
So there I was, the last race of the season, after 11 months of training, the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater Florida. I entered the race very relaxed, knowing that everything that I had done leading up to the race was done right; my first real taper was done to perfection thanks to the expert coaching of Daryl Smith of Advantage Multisport. I was in the fourth wave (20 minutes after the pros). It was a beach start and I was the first into the water by about 20 feet or so, the water up to my waist was misleading and I dove in to start swimming. The water at the crest of the wave was at my waist but the water in the trough was about a foot deep, so I guess you could say that I was churning up mud as the entire field roared by me spitting me out the back. So regrouping right from the start I decided to take it easy on the swim. I was extra vigilant about not taking in salt water being the first time racing in the ocean so my swim time was fairly slow for me.
The bike went great although it was very hard to stay honest and not draft, there were too many people and too little road. If you tried to get in front of the pack you would eventually get sucked up and if you tried to hang out on the back the next pack of people behind you would suck you in, I think that the race marshals kind of gave up on dinging people for drafting because it couldn’t be avoided.
Anyways, off the bike and to the run, it felt great and I started picking people off. One man commented that they picked the hilliest course in Florida, due to the bridge that we had to climb four times, but by Pacific Northwest standards it was nothing, I have come to the conclusion that people will complain about hills even with the slightest change in elevation. I was able to pick it up for the last couple of miles and was bearing down on a person in front of me; Eventually I ran out of real estate and he finished ten seconds in front, turned out he was in my age group, if only they made the race a quarter mile longer. I was happy with my performance, placing 27th overall and 3rd in my age group (second place was a guy from Argentina 10 seconds in front of me).
I still have so many things to work on, I know that I can compete on the World level but I think that my mind has been stronger than my body. My body needs time to heal trying to keep up, I guess it will take time considering this is my first real year of being a triathlete, my first triathlon was in May of 2005. For the next month and a half I will heal, catch up on some homework, and regroup for next year. I have thought a lot about entering the elite level but I am now thinking twice about it, after all I am still not winning on the amateur level. I would like to turn this passion into a career and I have plenty of time for that, as long as I focus, stay healthy, and don’t burn out. Thank you all for reading my race reports, and motivating me with your words of encouragement. I would like to especially like to thank Hans of Allpak.com and Patrick of propertiesinalaska.com for sponsorship. Daryl Smith’s coaching services of AdvantageMultisport.com are amazing; He finds ways to get the proper workouts into your schedule, even if you have the busiest of lives. One word of advice with that, Daryl focuses on key workouts throughout the week, don’t go hard on the non-key workouts or you will not reap the benefits of his program. Relax and it will come. Jim Williams of Swim-Tek.com, who I have been working with for my swimming, has been priceless. Being able to see yourself swim on film while having a dedicated coach explaining fine tuning that needs to be done WILL make you faster and more efficient in the water.
Halfmax National Championships Sept 16, 2006 St. Louis, MO By Damian Hill
On the 16th of September I raced in the Halfmax National Triathlon Championship right outside of St. Louis, Missouri. I have raced with many different mentalities this year to see which one works the best during races. This time I tried to hammer it right from the start instead of pacing myself. The swim felt very good. It was the fastest swim for me in a race yet.
On the bike I moved up into 5th place for a while gunning for that #1 spot but towards the end of the bike it started to take it's toll. For most of the time on the bike I knew that I was going too fast, but I had to see where my limits were. By the time I had gotten off of the bike after 56 miles and over 3600 feet of climbing I had to kick it onto gear with the run. I had been in 1st place the entire time in my age group until right before the bike-run transition. It was a back and forth battle for first place for the first 3 miles but my body gave out, "hitting the wall" some people like to say. For the last 10 miles of the run I had to tell myself to keep running and not walk, a first for me. I would get a sudden burst of energy every mile or so from the sugar in oranges they gave us at aid stations, but the bursts of energy were short-lived.
The thought in my head before the race was that the mid-west was flat. The hills are very small but when you put a lot of them in a race it really puts a toll on your body. Up and down, Up and down doesn't enable you to get into a rhythm. There was roughly 2000 feet of climbing in the run. I eventually came in 2nd in my age-group, and 12th overall. I also qualified for Team USA to travel to a race in Australia, but turned down the offer due to it's very large price tag. It seems more like a scheme to take money from you just to parade around with other people in matching outfits. After a week of rest I am now back on a training schedule, this time working on speed drills instead of mileage for the first time this year. I am humbly confident in preparing for my next race, the Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championships on November 11th in Clearwater, Florida. I have logged a lot of quality miles this years in preparation for this race and I know that this will be my best performance this year.
September 16, 2006 Grand Coulee, WA By Daryl Smith
2006 was designated a build year for me.My overall goal was to improve my strength and endurance, especially on the bike, for my second assault on the Ironman distance at IM CDA in 2007.I decided to use the ITU long course distance (4k swim, 120k bike, 30k run) as a good pace session to give me some ideas of how I will approach Ironman next year, with the option of hammering the last 10k of the run if I felt really good.This race proved to be much more than a long workout, especially with a spectacular bonk at the finale.
Morning dawned sunny and calm.The prior day we witnessed everything from sun to thunder storms to sizeable waves on the lake.In fact, at 4am on raceday, the waves were still crashing the shores of Banks Lake, but by 6am, our wake up, the lake was near glassy conditions, and the temperatures were gradually warming.Thanks to fellow Bellingham Tri Club member Judy Pratt, I got to sleep within a couple hundred yards of the start line in a nice big room with a kitchenette rather than camping in the rain at the nearby school.This made race morning nearly stress-free, as we were able to watch the Iron distance athletes start at 7, then wander back to the room to warm up before our 9 AM race start.
There were only about 30 athletes in the ITU race, not counting the elite wave that would start 30 minutes in front of us.This made for a very easy start to the swim, but also left minimal opportunity to draft.The speediest of swimmers shot out from the gun, and I was left in no man’s land to swim the 4,000 meters by myself.I put my head down and just focused on keeping my stroke long and relaxed.The swim passed by quite slowly, so I was actually both surprised and excited to hear that my swim time was about the same as my Iron swim time of 2005, on this longer course.I guess all the concentration on form improvement this year really paid off.Out of the water in 1:01:57 with average heart rate at 130.Gives me hopes for a strong sub-1 hour swim next year.May be different swimming with 2,000+ athletes though.
A quick transition then on to the bike.This course starts the same as the Iron distance course, so after only ½ mile of flat, we turned right and began the 2 mile climb that contains several 15%+ pitches.My goal with this climb was to relax and just ride as efficiently as possible.Even with this game plan, I saw my heart rate hit threshold levels several times.Once I capped the top, I got down in my aero bars and let the heart rate settle so I could begin fueling for the day.The next 20 miles were continuous big rollers with minimal opportunity to get much speed down the backside before the next climb began.I kept my heart rate at goal Ironman levels, <135 for flats and capped at 145 for climbs.The wind was blowing in gusts from the west as we headed south down the mesa, but we were protected fairly well with all of the rolling hills.My hopes were that the wind would not get too angry so that when I hit the 20 mile flat westbound section at the southern tip of the bike course, I would be able to make up some time.
My hopes were squashed when at mile 30 we turned west and were immediately hit with a very strong, steady headwind.I stayed as low as possible and was able to maintain my position through this section, though at about 14-15 miles per hour due to the winds.Although difficult, I maintained heart rate at <135 here, even though many times I was tempted to go harder to try to fight the wind.I wanted to have a strong run however, so I stuck to my game plan, knowing that my bike split would be a whole lot slower than I had hoped.Once we turned North onto Hwy 155 along Banks Lake and began the 30 mile journey towards T2 at Grand Coulee the wind became much more inconsistent allowing for some faster speeds.It would hit us from the front, slowing us to sub 15 mph speeds, then would blow from the left, trying to force us off the road, then would hit us from behind, offering some ego boosting minutes at 24+ mph on the flats, then back in our faces again to slow us.
As we raced through Electric City, a few miles from the end of the bike, we began a fun descent at an aero 30+ mph, crossed the Grand Coulee Dam, then a nice opportunity to stretch as we coasted into T2.Bike time was 4:09 on this 76 mile course (longer than stated according to my and many others' bike computers) for an average speed in the mid 18s at 135 average heart rate.
I came off the bike feeling strong and set to work on running with my heart rate below 140 for the initial 3 miles.Pace was in the low to mid 8s.I then ran for about 3 miles with Mark Becker from Spokane at sub 145 heart rate, but had to let him go when I felt my blood sugar beginning to wane.Drinking 1 cup of Gatorade and 1 cup of water at each aid station proved to be insufficient for my caloric needs, as the cups were only about 3-4 oz worth.At the 15k point, I walked through the aid station and drank 2 cups of Gatorade and slammed a gel, knowing full well that I was either going to snap out of this blood sugar low, or get very ill from all of the sugar.Within 2k, I felt great, and was able to lift pace to effortless 8 minute miles.
About this time (17k mark), along comes John Lakness cruising at mid 7s.I watched him go by and the competitive juices started flowing.I lifted my pace slightly and his lead stabilized.I then dropped my pace to about 7:15s (according to my Polar footpod) and he came right back.I think he was surprised to see me on his shoulder, because he began pushing the pace.The race was on!!!At the final turnaround at 23k, I passed him and pushed for home.I ran 2k at 6:54 to 7:00 miles in hopes of dropping him, then let my pace drift back towards 7:30s.I felt strong and smooth, so I just tried to maintain that effort over the last 6k, but when I checked my HR monitor I was at threshold heart rate.I slowed pace back to 7:45s and my heart rate came back in line with my goal effort, but just then John came by again.
Rather than stick to my game plan, I pushed and we went back and forth several times from 25k to 28k, but nearing the final aid station, I could feel my legs locking up.I slowed to get in some Gatorade with 1.2 miles to go, and unfortunately hit the wall in a brilliant fashion.I had burned through all my sugar with all the near threshold effort, and all I could do was to hang on for dear life at 10-15 minute pace as we climbed the steep grade back up to the finish line.I crossed the finish near the collapse point with a run time of 2:38, AHR of 145, average pace of 8:30.My 15k run splits were 8:31 pace and 8:29 pace, a whole lot of work for a 2 second negative split pace.Final time was 7:53:02, good for 10th and 3rd in my age group.
After my stomach settled down, I partook of the wonderful Mexican food feast available at the finish line.What a treat!!!This race is just an incredible event, with unending community support in a beautiful setting.The course is definitely tough, but is so rewarding.Jon and Lynne Hoskins have a great race going here, and as Judy put it, could be a Wildflower-type destination event, especially with the growth of the Half Iron distance.
Overall, I am happy and proud of my effort.I was a little disappointed at first in my bike split, as I have felt so much stronger in my short races this year, but considering the conditions, and that I was disciplined enough to stick to my heart rate schedule, I feel better now.The run was just darned fun.I have not really raced anyone in several years, as I generally have my own race plan and ignore everyone else on the course, so this was a blast.Even though the end result run split was much slower than it could have been had I held steady 8 minute pace, I definitely found a new level of pain tolerance and motivation that I didn’t know I possessed. It was great to see that I could bounce back from a near bonk at the half way point by slowing and concentrating on getting in the nutrition. I also placed 1st in my T2 time (laughs), something I would have never realized had Sharon Sheremeta not pointed that out.Gotta win something. I am very motivated for Ironman CDA next year, as I feel confident that with another 8 months of training I will be that much stronger. I will definitely be adhering to my race plan on that day. Now I will hang up the bike and enjoy 2-3 weeks off before embarking on the road to CDA 07.
Special thanks to Sean, Brian, and Jeff for the company on the long rides starting at 5am on Saturday mornings.It was a solid year of training and I really made some great friends.
Lk Stevens 70.3 July 23rd Lk Stevens, WA by Damian Hill
Yesterday I competed in the Lake Stevens Ironman 70.3 race. It consisted of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. In my age group (20-24) the top four spots qualified for the Ironman 70.3 world Championships in Clearwater, Florida. I tried to keep a cool head before the race and not stress, but it was a little difficult knowing that this was my highest priority race to date and I had been training for over 7 months for it.
The swim was an out and back loop in 77-degree water. I was in the 4th wave that started nine minutes after the first wave, so I was swimming over, under and around people for almost a half hour. I was first out of the water in my age-group. My transition from the swim to the bike went smoothly and I started to pick more people off on the first lap of the bike. The second lap I realized I was alone and I was no longer passing small groups of people. I knew that I was in the front of the race somewhere but knew that I was not in first because I remember seeing a carbon fiber bike with an Australian sticker fly by me earlier in the race (professional Luke Bell).
After two and a half hours of climbing up and down hills on my bike I transitioned to the run. By this time it was well over 80 degrees, the high of the day was 97 degrees. I dodged from one tree to another trying to stay in the shade; my fragile Alaskan skin doesn’t enjoy the sun too much. I started out the run too fast and felt my quads spasming and cramping so I had to slow down a bit and get some more fluids in me. Halfway through the run I started to feel better and picked it up again, picking off more people who had slowed down considerably from the bike to the run. I crossed the line in 7th place but I ended up in 5th place after the adjusted time (some people in earlier waves came in before me.) In my age group I placed second, qualifying for Worlds in November.
I was happy with the race because I didn’t use a heart rate monitor, and I took my bike computer off so I performed by the way I felt instead of some numbers. It was also after an extended break to Alaska, where training is sometimes hard to come by. There are still many things to work on and dial in before Worlds in four months. I missed a turn on the bike course, started to fast on the run, shifted wrong on the bike a few times which slowed me down on the hills, the list goes on. My next race will be the Alaska State Triathlon Championships on August 6th in Knik, Alaska, then down to Bend, Oregon for about 2 weeks of training in the heat and elevation. After that the Half-max Tri National Championships on September 16th in St. Louis, Missouri. The last race of the season will be the Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida on November 11th. Swim 27:31 T1 0:48 Bike 2:30:35 T2 0:34 Run 1:29:24 Total 4:28:48
Ski to Sea May 28, 2006 Bellingham, WA by Damian Hill
Starting to recover form this weekend's run, had this guy digging his elbow into my hammys/butt/calves/quads for the last 2 hours. We ended up taking 3rd overall out of 400 teams. We were all a little disappointed because we were looking to win it all. I felt pretty lousy for a while because I felt like I was the weak link in the team, placing 11th in the run whereas everyone else on the team placed 7th or above, but snapped out of it because it is suppose to be a fun event. After we recieved our awards and got off the podium I just started to think about how many people would love to be in my shoes right now. My worst showing at a race was 42nd and that was at nationals, many people work and train very hard to be a MOP (middle of the packer) and here I am pouting about an event that is suppose to be for fun, nothing at stake except bragging rights. I ran the 8 miles and 2000 foot elevation loss in 40 minutes 7 seconds, just a shade over 5 minutes a miles. One of my triathelete friends was overjoyed to hear that I beat a few of Western Wahington University's top runners. He has been catching flack from them for being a triathelete and not a purest (strickly runner). It was hard to get out of bed yesterday because of the soreness, you engage many different muscles running downhill, very little training is done downhill. Still feeling good though, I'll be back at it again full swing in a couple of days. Full results can be found at www.skitosea.com. Damian
Memorial Day Triathlon May 29, 2006 Elma, WA by Daryl Smith
Watching the squalls come through Sunday with frequent black clouds, wind, and rain on my trip to my brother- and sister-in-laws house in Olympia, I went to bed Sunday night resigned that my first triathlon of the season may be cold and wet. I was happy as can be Monday morning when I awoke to partly cloudy skies and zero wind.
This race is based out of a small man-made lake in Elma, with the flattest bike and run course I have competed on in a triathlon. I tend to do much better on hillier courses, but I have been very focused on my weaknesses of flat bike power and run strength this year during my base buildup for the summer. The race distances were 300 yd swim (actual was about 200 yards), 13 mile bike (actual 13.5 miles), and 5k run (accurate).
I seeded myself in the front row, knowing that I may get clobbered, but hoping for a pair of feet I could tuck in behind for this speedy swim. All of my training until now has been base work, very aerobic technique focused, so I didn't expect a lot of top end speed. At the start I went out hard and realized that how quick this short swim would be over, so I just kept my head down and swam as fast as I could without blowing up. Came out of the water in 2:20, in the top spot and had a great transition, but then unfortunately knocked my water from its holder as I mounted my bike. I turned and backtracked the 10 yards to grab it and was off.
The first 3-5 minutes of the ride I stayed moderate just to get my legs back, then got as low as I could and tried to make up time on the 2 riders in front of me who passed me during my water bottle mishap. I was surprised to find that my legs felt very strong and I was able to race past them before the 2 mile mark. This put me in the lead, a position I am really not used to, so now I raced scared. I kept my HR in check, under my 161 cap for the bike and just rode as strong as I could. At the halfway point I had a 25 second lead over the next 2 cyclists, and I was able to stretch that lead to 45 seconds by T2. Overall bike time was 35:30, a hair under 23mph, and a record average speed for me.
I transitioned in about 15 seconds and ran the first 1/2 mile in just over 3 minutes, then spent the remainder of the run trying to lift my pace. I don't think I actually was able to speed up, by my splits were under 6 minute-mile pace for the 5k run, improving my lead to just over 2 minutes. It was fun running into the finish for the overall win, the first of my triathlon career.
Overall I am very pleased with my win, but even more pleased with the performance and the validation of the consistent training I have put in this winter. My goal this season was to develop a huge base through consistency (I am not a high-mileage athlete, so I really focus on solid training week after week after week), and hope that my aerobic speed would improve significantly. So far so good, now 3 more weeks of solid training, then I will race the Padden Triathlon for my first race in my new hometown. See you at the races.
Daryl
MT. RAINIER DUATHLON (R8.5k, B50k, R6k), April 23rd, 2006 Enumclaw, WA by Daryl Smith
This was my first race less than half-iron distance in 3 years. I competed in this race in 2003, and enjoyed the early season challenge and strong competition that was there at the time. Watching the results over the past 2 years displayed that the competition had become even more fierce, with many of the NW fastest triathletes coming out to play. Rory, race director, is a friend of mine and does a great job putting on his races. I highly recommend any on the www.buduracing.com calender.
I had three goals for this race, none of which were time or place oriented. This kept the pressure off for my first short course race and made for a very fun day. Goal #1 was to dedicate this race to my good friend Paul who was recovering at Harborview Hospital from a nasty bike vs. truck accident (unfortunately he was the one on the bike). He is doing well by the way and is now home. Goal #2 was to test my early season fitness and assess my key workouts training protocol. Goal #3 was excellent race execution in order for me to finish with my fastest running of the day. I tend to go a bit too hard early in shorter races leading to a late race slowdown and a lot of pain.
Race morning was clear and cool, sub-32 temps when I arrived at 6:45 for the 8am start. The sun soon came out and temps became very comfortable. I intentionally seeded myself about halfway back in the pack to guard against an overly enthusiastic start. The first 8.5k run was all flat except for one long, steep hill. I paced very conservatively, HR in the mid 150s (about half iron effort), knowing that I still had 2 hours of racing and to stay in line with goal #3 above. Felt great the entire way which really surprised me, since I have not raised my HR above 141 for the past several weeks of base training. My legs felt lively and my breathing very comfortable. Came in at 36:54, a hair under 7 minute pace, average heart rate 155.
My transition was a bit slower than should be (note to work on those short course transitions again) and I was soon onto the bike. My goal for the bike was to maintain HR in the 140s (again half iron effort) except on the long hill, where I would focus on just keeping a smooth fast tempo going up and over. The bike course is a 2 loop ride including a 2+ mile hill with 8% grade and several sections up to 16%+, a tough course for April. On the first loop my legs felt a little flat, but by the beginning of the second loop I felt much stronger and was able to push higher speeds at the same HRs. Up and over the second hill then down a long fast descent with significant cross winds and a few fast semi trucks to get the nerves kicking in a few times. Off the bike in 1:28:50, including transition times (actual ride time 1:27, 20+mph average, with average HR at 148).
I was surprised and a bit excited to find my legs running quick (relative to what I have done in the past 2 years) and my turnover smooth. I have only had a few races in my career where my legs just felt like they wanted to speed up the entire time, and this was one of them, so I took the HR up to 160, knowing that I only had 6k to run. I passed a couple runners, and there was a group of 4 out in front of me for 2 miles that were slowly coming back, but I ran out of real estate before I could catch them. Completed goal # 3 with flying colors, as my last mile of the day was my fastest, strongest, and saw the highest HR of the day at 171. Run time was 24:54, 6:42 pace, and average HR 162. Total time 2:30:39.
Overall I was very pleased with my performance. I stuck to my race plan and was very happy to see the fitness I have built through my base period key workouts. I would not rank my overall competitive performance very high right now (16th overall), but knowing that I am only about halfway to where I want to be in terms of key workout volume, I am excited to see how my primary races will go in July and August. I am pretty confident that I will see PRs across the board come July.
Hope to see more of you out there next year for this race. Weather was amazing for April, high 60s and clear, great views of Mt. Rainier, and lots of nice people. See you on the roads and trails.
Train safe,
Daryl Smith
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