Race season recap (long)
jacksonpt
Posts: 10,413 Member
My race season ended yesterday (more or less). All my scheduled events are over, and while I may pick up another race or two before the weather turns, for all intents and purposes I'm done with the 2012 season.
I started in February with the Lake Effect Half Marathon - a cold, windy, snowy half marathon along a lake. When my glasses weren't covered with snow, it was a reasonably pretty run considering how gray it is at that time of the year in central NY. It was, far and away, the longest run I had ever done. I had a half ironman scheduled for later in the season, and figured this would give me a good feel for where my run was.
Despite the weather and the overall stupidity of the event (who the hell runs that far in that weather???), I actually had a great time. My first goal was to finish in under 2 hours. My second goal was to average a 10minute mile overall. I wasn't sure if 2 hours was a realistic goal for me, but I thought I had a shot at the 10miute mile goal. Despite not having any fluids or nutrition with me (mistake), I finished the race in 2:09:41. I missed my first goal, but managed to average a 9:54 mile. I was pretty happy, and may do the race again next year!
My next race was in May, a bit of an odd race. It was a memorial race for a local runner and biker who had done a lot for the community and inspired a lot of people to get into endurance sports. I didn't know the man, but it sounded like a good event for a good cause, so I was in. Technically, it was a reverse tri, though only in the loosest sense of the word "triathlon". It was a 10 mile trail run, 29 mile bike, and a 26yd swim. Yes, the swim was 26 yards.
The run proved to be brutal. I knew a few people in the race who were far better runners and/or triathletes than me, and they agreed. The bike was tough, but not bad. But the fact that it followed such a tough run made it that much harder. I had to stop 3 times due to cramping in my calves. It was at this point that I decided I needed to pay more attention to hydration, both leading up to AND during a race. I struggled through it, all but in tears by the end. I hobbled through transition waded out 13 yards into the water, then waded back before collapsing in the grass. Finishing time: 4 hours, 20 minutes. Ugh.
Some how it was different than the couple of times in the past when I've "bonked". I wasn't so much out of energy, I just couldn't keep my muscles from cramping, and the cramps were crippling. Needless to say, it wasn't one of my better performances, nor one of the more enjoyable events.
Up next was my big race for the season - The Musselman Half Ironman in July. It was also the start 4 races in 4 weeks stretch. I had trained pretty well for the race, but a back injury took me out of training for the 3 weeks leading up to the race, which left me really uncertain about how I would perform. I knew my times for each individual leg, but I had never done all 3 back to back to back. I estimated my times, added in a few minutes for transitions, then some more time because I figured I had to be slower doing all 3 than I was doing any 1 individually. My goal time ended up being 6 hours 41 minutes.
The first bad break came right away, when they announced 10 minutes before the race that wetsuits weren't going to be allowed. I'm a solid swimmer, though not fast because of my technique/body position. The buoyancy of a wetsuit REALLY helps with that and makes me noticeable faster, so I was less than thrilled with the announcement.
Never the less, I hit the water running, er paddling. The water was relatively calm all things considered, an I got into a good rhythm early. I used the swimmers in later waves as a gauge for how I was doing - if too many passed me then I was in trouble, if swimmers from only 1 or 2 waves passed me, I was probably fine. Swimmers from the second wave started passing me about half way through the course, and I say the first few from the second wave as I came into the last leg of the swim. I thought I was doing ok. A quarter of a mile later, I was out of the water - my watch read 52:17 - 8 minutes ahead of schedule, and that was without a wetsuit. I was pretty damn excited!
The bike was my strong leg, and aside from a bad thunderstorm rolling through, it went just as planned - nice stead effort, good speed, smooth and controlled, saving energy for the run. I finished the bike in 2:59:38, right about where I wanted to be.
Next came the run, which I knew had the chance to beat me. My plan was slow and steady - walk the bigger hills, manage a 10minute mile overall, and just survive the run. And that's exactly what I did. I executed my game plan to perfection, felt strong for all but the last 2 miles, and finished the run in 2:15:19.
Total race time was 6:14:04 - almost 30 minutes ahead of my goal time. It was a great race, excellent course, very well run/organized... had a great time!
Up next was my first Xterra race - a .5 mile swim, 10 mile mountain bike, 3.2 mile trail run. I had no idea what to expect from an Xterra race, but I'm a pretty good mountain biker and a decent trail runner, so I didn't think it would be too big of a deal. Wrong. The course was relentless. Hilly and technical and narrow. If I was the only one on the course I could have ridden most of it (there were 2 sections I had to walk), but the fact that it was almost impossible to pass during the bike made it that much harder. The run was only slightly better - relentless from the first step, but at least it was wider so people could pass.
It was fairly well run, but I feel like they could have done a far better job putting the course together, especially given the wide range of abilities that participated in the race. I will not be doing this one again.
The 3rd race in the 4 races in 4 weeks run was another xterra, this one near Albany, NY. Considering the previous race, I was a little skeptical. This one was a .6 mile swim, 14 mile mountain bike, and a 3.2 mile trail run. I scouted a bit of the run course prior to the race, and heard from a friend that the bike course was fast and technical - very similar to the stuff I'm used to riding. That was encouraging.
The swim went off without any issue. The bike course was just as described, lots of really fast double track, but lots of rocky/technical riding to keep people from getting too relaxed. To excel on the course, you had to be a good rider, and you had to be a fast rider. Luckily I was, so I did well on the bike. The run course was really technical, but pretty flat, which suited me perfectly. I picked my way through the run, and finished the race in 2:12:17.
The race was reasonably well run and organized, nothing really good about it nor really bad. The course was awesome! This one will be on the list for next year!
Last was the Cayuga Lake sprint tri in the finger lakes area of central NY. It's only about an hour from my home, and I know the area pretty well, so I knew what I was in for. The swim was a choppy 750 yard out-and-back, The swim out was into the waves and was a bit of a struggle, but the swim back was significantly easier. After 17:56, I was trotting into transition. The bike course was a hilly out-and-back. All I ride is the hills, so while I'm not especially fast, I can spin through the hills forever. Despite 2 flat tires (first flats I've ever had during a race), I finished the bike in 54:25. Next up was a scenic out-and-back run up a gorge to a waterfall. I've walked this several times with my kids, so I knew just want I was in for. I kept a pretty good pace and surprised myself by averaging an 8:14 mile over the duration of the run (that's pretty fast for me for anything more than a mile or so). I crossed the finish line with the clock reading 1:42:51. I was hoping to be closer to 1:35, but the flats really slowed me down. I estimate I would have finished around 1:36 without the flats, so all in all I was pretty happy.
It was a nice course with good weather, and was REALLY well run. Might do the olympic distance of this race next year.
So all in all it was a really good season. My swim improved dramatically over the course of the year, and I was able to improve my run a bit too (though I still need a lot of work in longer distance runs). 4 races in 4 weeks was a lot. My body responded well, but my mind burned out... traveling for every race, hotels, being up at 5am, etc... it was just too much 4 weeks straight, but it sure was fun!
I started in February with the Lake Effect Half Marathon - a cold, windy, snowy half marathon along a lake. When my glasses weren't covered with snow, it was a reasonably pretty run considering how gray it is at that time of the year in central NY. It was, far and away, the longest run I had ever done. I had a half ironman scheduled for later in the season, and figured this would give me a good feel for where my run was.
Despite the weather and the overall stupidity of the event (who the hell runs that far in that weather???), I actually had a great time. My first goal was to finish in under 2 hours. My second goal was to average a 10minute mile overall. I wasn't sure if 2 hours was a realistic goal for me, but I thought I had a shot at the 10miute mile goal. Despite not having any fluids or nutrition with me (mistake), I finished the race in 2:09:41. I missed my first goal, but managed to average a 9:54 mile. I was pretty happy, and may do the race again next year!
My next race was in May, a bit of an odd race. It was a memorial race for a local runner and biker who had done a lot for the community and inspired a lot of people to get into endurance sports. I didn't know the man, but it sounded like a good event for a good cause, so I was in. Technically, it was a reverse tri, though only in the loosest sense of the word "triathlon". It was a 10 mile trail run, 29 mile bike, and a 26yd swim. Yes, the swim was 26 yards.
The run proved to be brutal. I knew a few people in the race who were far better runners and/or triathletes than me, and they agreed. The bike was tough, but not bad. But the fact that it followed such a tough run made it that much harder. I had to stop 3 times due to cramping in my calves. It was at this point that I decided I needed to pay more attention to hydration, both leading up to AND during a race. I struggled through it, all but in tears by the end. I hobbled through transition waded out 13 yards into the water, then waded back before collapsing in the grass. Finishing time: 4 hours, 20 minutes. Ugh.
Some how it was different than the couple of times in the past when I've "bonked". I wasn't so much out of energy, I just couldn't keep my muscles from cramping, and the cramps were crippling. Needless to say, it wasn't one of my better performances, nor one of the more enjoyable events.
Up next was my big race for the season - The Musselman Half Ironman in July. It was also the start 4 races in 4 weeks stretch. I had trained pretty well for the race, but a back injury took me out of training for the 3 weeks leading up to the race, which left me really uncertain about how I would perform. I knew my times for each individual leg, but I had never done all 3 back to back to back. I estimated my times, added in a few minutes for transitions, then some more time because I figured I had to be slower doing all 3 than I was doing any 1 individually. My goal time ended up being 6 hours 41 minutes.
The first bad break came right away, when they announced 10 minutes before the race that wetsuits weren't going to be allowed. I'm a solid swimmer, though not fast because of my technique/body position. The buoyancy of a wetsuit REALLY helps with that and makes me noticeable faster, so I was less than thrilled with the announcement.
Never the less, I hit the water running, er paddling. The water was relatively calm all things considered, an I got into a good rhythm early. I used the swimmers in later waves as a gauge for how I was doing - if too many passed me then I was in trouble, if swimmers from only 1 or 2 waves passed me, I was probably fine. Swimmers from the second wave started passing me about half way through the course, and I say the first few from the second wave as I came into the last leg of the swim. I thought I was doing ok. A quarter of a mile later, I was out of the water - my watch read 52:17 - 8 minutes ahead of schedule, and that was without a wetsuit. I was pretty damn excited!
The bike was my strong leg, and aside from a bad thunderstorm rolling through, it went just as planned - nice stead effort, good speed, smooth and controlled, saving energy for the run. I finished the bike in 2:59:38, right about where I wanted to be.
Next came the run, which I knew had the chance to beat me. My plan was slow and steady - walk the bigger hills, manage a 10minute mile overall, and just survive the run. And that's exactly what I did. I executed my game plan to perfection, felt strong for all but the last 2 miles, and finished the run in 2:15:19.
Total race time was 6:14:04 - almost 30 minutes ahead of my goal time. It was a great race, excellent course, very well run/organized... had a great time!
Up next was my first Xterra race - a .5 mile swim, 10 mile mountain bike, 3.2 mile trail run. I had no idea what to expect from an Xterra race, but I'm a pretty good mountain biker and a decent trail runner, so I didn't think it would be too big of a deal. Wrong. The course was relentless. Hilly and technical and narrow. If I was the only one on the course I could have ridden most of it (there were 2 sections I had to walk), but the fact that it was almost impossible to pass during the bike made it that much harder. The run was only slightly better - relentless from the first step, but at least it was wider so people could pass.
It was fairly well run, but I feel like they could have done a far better job putting the course together, especially given the wide range of abilities that participated in the race. I will not be doing this one again.
The 3rd race in the 4 races in 4 weeks run was another xterra, this one near Albany, NY. Considering the previous race, I was a little skeptical. This one was a .6 mile swim, 14 mile mountain bike, and a 3.2 mile trail run. I scouted a bit of the run course prior to the race, and heard from a friend that the bike course was fast and technical - very similar to the stuff I'm used to riding. That was encouraging.
The swim went off without any issue. The bike course was just as described, lots of really fast double track, but lots of rocky/technical riding to keep people from getting too relaxed. To excel on the course, you had to be a good rider, and you had to be a fast rider. Luckily I was, so I did well on the bike. The run course was really technical, but pretty flat, which suited me perfectly. I picked my way through the run, and finished the race in 2:12:17.
The race was reasonably well run and organized, nothing really good about it nor really bad. The course was awesome! This one will be on the list for next year!
Last was the Cayuga Lake sprint tri in the finger lakes area of central NY. It's only about an hour from my home, and I know the area pretty well, so I knew what I was in for. The swim was a choppy 750 yard out-and-back, The swim out was into the waves and was a bit of a struggle, but the swim back was significantly easier. After 17:56, I was trotting into transition. The bike course was a hilly out-and-back. All I ride is the hills, so while I'm not especially fast, I can spin through the hills forever. Despite 2 flat tires (first flats I've ever had during a race), I finished the bike in 54:25. Next up was a scenic out-and-back run up a gorge to a waterfall. I've walked this several times with my kids, so I knew just want I was in for. I kept a pretty good pace and surprised myself by averaging an 8:14 mile over the duration of the run (that's pretty fast for me for anything more than a mile or so). I crossed the finish line with the clock reading 1:42:51. I was hoping to be closer to 1:35, but the flats really slowed me down. I estimate I would have finished around 1:36 without the flats, so all in all I was pretty happy.
It was a nice course with good weather, and was REALLY well run. Might do the olympic distance of this race next year.
So all in all it was a really good season. My swim improved dramatically over the course of the year, and I was able to improve my run a bit too (though I still need a lot of work in longer distance runs). 4 races in 4 weeks was a lot. My body responded well, but my mind burned out... traveling for every race, hotels, being up at 5am, etc... it was just too much 4 weeks straight, but it sure was fun!
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Replies
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Awesome race reports, sounds like a great season0
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Sounds like a great season! You should be proud of your improvements over the course of this season! It also sounds like you learned a lot for next year. Congrats on a season well done!0
