Race Report: Oktoberfest Sprint Tri 9/25/11

Weather only goes two ways at this time of year, perfect or snow. Today was a perfect Indian summer day. Great for a race a mere two miles from my house. My “home” lake and run route (bike not so much, it loops through a neighborhood).

Water is perfect with very little breeze. Will make for a fast bike, but a hot run. I put in a 14:46 swim. Definitely MOP, but hey, there’s a lot of CU/CSU college kids out there today. Maybe the hill in the run will slow them down? (It doesn’t).

The bike takes three laps through a residential area and one side a straight shot down a arterial. Dead flat and quick with no wind. A little excitement as I turn off the loop back toward the lake to transition. I come in fast to the 90 degree left, unconcerned, but a marshal is waving his arms and yelling “slow down”. Well, after the corner they have the road divided by a few pylons with police tape between them, and you make the left and stay on the left side of the road back to T2. It was a lot narrower than I thought, given my speed, so I overcook it and go between two pylons. The tape goes across my arms (I’m in the drops) and stretches out and out, finally popping and letting me free and pulling down a few of the pylons. It didn’t really slow me down, since I didn’t hit the brakes once I realized I was just going to go through it. I just sort of look behind me and accelerate. Good thing my wave started near last and all the rider traffic in the other lane was complete.

The run heads out a flat dirt road for a bit, hugging the lake for a half mile, before turning away and heading up a decent sized hill. I run out here all the time so I knew what to expect, but I saw some suffering when that uphill kills your speed. On the back side you get a very mild down hill to the turnaround where you can recover.  Then you can focus on just getting back to the peak of the hill, because at the top you have less than a mile and great momentum to take you in to the finish. Not a fast run, but I always like a race with a nice fast finishing stretch. Just miss the podium for my AG, gotta get that swim down to 14.

1:08:38, 45 OV, 4AG
S: 14:46 (107th)
B: 31:03 (42th)
R: 20:09 (31th)

Race Report: Loveland Sprint Tri 7/23/11

I’d done this race last year, and after my performance at the Peak two weeks earlier, what I was really focused on was getting in a solid, comfortable swim. Last year this was my first OWS in a race, and I got through it 17:31. “Got through it” pretty much summed it up. So I just wanted to ease into it for the start and be consistent the whole way. And it worked out well, coming out in 14:28 and pretty fresh.

The bike was pretty straight forward on a rolling rectangle course. Only passed by one rider in the final mile. Perhaps the only excitement was when I bunny hopped the speed bump in the parking lot into transition, and lost my spare tire kit. I’ve gotten rid of that bag since then!

The out and back run was solid as well. Caught by one runner in the last mile, I then relaxed and sat behind him and we came up on another into the finish. I put in whatever surge I had left and nearly caught him.

The prior year I went 1:12:27 for my second tri ever. I was happy to improve to 1:08:57, nearly all of it coming from the swim. My bike and run times were within seconds.

1:08:57, 11th OV, 2nd AG
S:14:28 (36th)
B:32:55 (14th)
R:19:32 (7th)

Race Report: Boulder Peak Tri 5150 7/10/11

I decided to step up and do something a little longer for this year since I have a few tri’s of experience.

Mainly, I’m mostly concerned about the swim. I had swum the distance in the pool a few times so I knew to expect around 30 minutes (yeah, this is not my strong leg). I wanted to get in some “experience” by doing one of the Stroke & Stride races held at the Rez, but the one I went to ended up having the swim cancelled due to lightning. The did have the 5K run and I put in a nice 19:10. (But it’s probably just as dangerous to run out there when there is thunder). One thing that always is a nice surprise is that when running an actual 5K race, I feel very controlled in my breathing for the first 2 miles. I almost feel like I could have a normal conversation. Amazing what adrenaline can do, a feeling I always love.

So on to race day. I get there with plenty of time, as there is very little traffic coming from the north towards Boulder. I can see a line of cars coming the other way to turn to the Rez. Get my things set up and then sit around and wait. They don’t allow them to use loudspeakers at that hour, so I don’t even see the first wave go off. Make a few trips to the porto-potties (I like to be empty), but the line is incredibly long because half of the potties are in the transition area and they won’t let anybody in. Finally, someone comes to their senses and realizes that it’s unlikely that the racers on course will storm the 30 or so potties in transition all at once, and they let some of us into transition use them.

I warm up a bit with some easy swimming and get in the start. The initial start is uneventful, but I am not having a good swim. Basically, I’m flailing and the thought goes through my head, “What am I thinking trying to swim this distance?”. And I always feel when I sight, that I’m not really making progress to the next buoy. I feel like I finally make it to the turn and then start to regain some composure and remember how to swim. It just feels like I’m out there forever, and come in at 29:25, for a rank of 528th.

At least now I’m on the bike, on roads that I’ve ridden 1000’s of times for 1000’s of miles. So I may be a hell of a lot older, but there’s nothing unexpected on this route up the hill on Olde Stage and then looping back to the Rez. When my family moved to Boulder back in 1985, my first bike race here was 3 laps over Olde Stage, down Lefthand and then back along the foothills highway. There were a lot more road races back then, and as a junior we raced mixed with the Cat 3’s a lot of the time. I don’t remember how I did back on that day, but I was probably breathing plenty hard in my first weak at altitude.

This year I’d ridden up the hill probably about 4 times prior, each time getting more comfortable. When I go up it today I’m under control, but more amazed by a number of people who have come to a stop and are walking part of the hill. Yes, it is rather steep, but this isn’t a small race and the hill is well know. There are some fast looking bikes being pushed. I ride a normal road bike with clip-ons, and I use easiest gear (42x24? I’ve only looked at it once, but it does have a 52x12 on the top end). A week before I went up the hill when the bottom half was dirt. So I think the lesson here is that if you are going to do this race, find a hill that will make you climb out of the saddle for a few minutes at about 65 rpm, so that this doesn’t come a complete surprise.

I’m good for the rest of the ride until the final few miles when I’m getting some stomach tightness. A gel and Cytomax aren’t settling to well. It’s basically a stupid mistake, as I don’t even like Cytomax but I had pack of it so I used it. 1:13:21 for 204th on the bike.

I try to set a decent pace for the start of the run but the side sticker is really keeping me from pushing it to any extent. The run is out and back, again over a section that I’ve run many times. If I have one criticism about this race is that this is not a fun run. Being out and back on a one lane dirt path, it’s crowded if you are passing and someone coming the opposite way is passing. It would be much better if it looped the Rez. And there is no shade, though there is a little cloud cover. I’ve had some really miserable runs out here on hot, cloudless days. Anyway, I’m not running great, but the people coming the opposite direction look terrible! I think at this point I decide to never to any longer than Oly distance. Everyone is looking at the ground, nobody looks like they willingly signed up to do this. I may not feel great and I’m slow, but at least passing people gives me some motivation. I come in a slow 43:27 for 164th on the run.

Finish in 2:30:12 for 215th overall, 34 AG. I thought beforehand I could do 2:30, but now I have 12 seconds to improve for next (2012) year.

Race Report: Colfax Half Marathon 5/15/11

(First of a review of last years events, that I’ve had written down for a while. Motivation for the upcoming season?).

A mild weather decided to give way to some crappy spring weather in April and May. Race day arrived with a temperature of 32 and light drizzle, with a few flakes for good measure. As I drove to the race, I wondered why did I sign up for a race with a 6:30am start in spring? At least there was no traffic, and I’d be home early. This start was too early for the family, so they slept in.

Actually, the sole reason for doing this race was to make it under the 1:30 limit that would get me an guaranteed entry into the NYC marathon as a master. The half course has a new layout that is slightly uphill going out and a hopefully helpful downstream return. Much better than when I did the race in it’s first edition, when the start was also in City Park but finished at the Colorado Mills shopping mall. A long, straight uphill grind on Colfax, that I vowed never to run again. But now the half goes out east on Colfax for about 5m, turns right for a few blocks, then returns down a nice residential street to the park. Two long stretches for even pacing. They also run a Marathon, but on a different route. I always wonder why a RD would do this, rather than running two laps of a half course? Seems like a whole lot more involved and I don’t see the benefit. As a supporter, you’d get to see your runner start, halfway and finish. And as a runner, any doubts about the unseen portion of the course is removed.

So it’s cold and damp for the start, but at least not just raining. I put a little icy hot and Vaseline on the hamstrings to make them feel better. I wasn’t too motivated and didn’t feel like I was going to get the time. An ongoing nerve impingement that I’ve had in my back for the last two years gives me off and on pain in my left hip, and it had been “on” recently. 

I start about 5 rows back, which looks pretty close to the front. Somehow I still have to dodge a lot of people for the first mile. How do all those with IPhones strapped two their arms get in front of me? How much time do they cost me every time? Once out on Colfax for the straight shot it thins out and I get in a nice group. Always nice to be in a pack and not have to make the mental effort to stay on pace. And I can see that I’m right on the 6:50/mile target. Not motivated or feeling great, but knowing that now I just have to keep going if I’m this close.

At the half point, still nearly exactly on 1:30 pace. The route makes a quick dodge through a fire station and then the return straightaway to the park. If it were warmer, this would be a really nice course for a good time as far as Colorado races go. The down hill is just enough to feel it helping you. Running on Colfax is interesting for a bit, but this road a few blocks north is nicer to run.

As I enter the park for the last two miles, I’m still right around 1:30 pace, but I know I have to push it to get under. Normally, that’s how I like to do any race, as a fast finish is far more enjoyable. I manage to pick up a few places with a surge over the last mile, but as I come into view of the finish clock around the final bend I see it just ticking to 1:30, and I finish in clock time of 1:30:15. The race photo service actually catches 3 shots of me in the finish and you can see my disappointment. (When I look at it later I nearly laugh.)
I go home, clean up and take a nap. Get up again at 10am, almost like starting a new day! I check back on the race site for the official results, and I see my chip time is 1:30:03. I don’t know what NC would accept, but I can only think of the IPhone blockers!

Really, I’m not that disappointed. I didn’t think I was going to be close to the time going into it. So I commit to running the 1/2 at the Rock n Roll Denver in October. I’m always much better in fall when I’ve gotten to run through the summer heat and then cool temps.

(Overall place: 56, Age Group: 12, Pace: 6:53/mile)

First Ride

Oiled the chain, put some air in the tires, and got in the first bike ride of the year/season. I haven't been on the bike since late October I think, about the time of the daylight savings switch which puts an end to any weekday riding for me. And I don't really like to ride when its cold. I don't have cold weather gear for biking (booties and jacket) and I don't really intend to buy any, so I just don't do it anymore. I run just about all year, so it really only takes a few weeks to get used to the bike again. Mainly its generating power with the quads that you have to get the fitness back. The running handles most of the aerobic capacity.


So today was the first warm (enough) weekend day, around 50. And I timed it just right, hitting the westernmost part of my route just as the Colorado front range winds kicked back up. So instead of slogging, I had a nice 30mph spin back down the diagonal to Longmont. Now I just have to get the backside used to the saddle again.