I tried to write this race report yesterday. I woke up close to noon Monday morning and after eating a huge breakfast, I sat down at my computer, looked at my screen for maybe 20 minutes, and then realized I needed to go lie down. I was just out of it...this race took a lot out of me.
This was my first real attempt at a half iron triathlon. I did try the same race three years previously, but I was quite underprepared. I blew up on the run, but I did finish. This year, things were feeling good. I've been training more for longer distance races, and I was ready for another half iron triathlon.
Pre race
I was feeling good leading into the race...good taper, good fitness...things were good. Race morning was pretty typical, and after a bit of a swim warm up, things got underway.Swim
It was a pretty calm swim for the pro/elites since there were only five of us starting in the first wave. Alex Vanderlinden and I were up at the front of the race, and we took turns pulling. Neither of us were very inclined to push the pace, so it wasn't a surprise to have some fast AG athletes catch up to us (they started a minute behind). We both tucked into their draft and sat in for the rest of the swim.
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| Taking a turn in the front |
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| Out of the water |
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| Heading up to T1 |
Bike
Alex pulled ahead a bit on the run up to transition, and he had a bit of a lead as we started out on the bike. I had to keep reminding myself I didn't need to panic and ride hard to bridge the gap...there was 90km of riding to go, and I just wanted to ride steady. About 45km into the bike, Alex was around 50 seconds up on me. I decided it was probably a good idea to narrow that gap, and I caught up to him just after 65km. We rode together for a bit, and then I started to tighten up at around 80km. The last 5km of the bike was brutal...my glutes were burning and I just wanted to sit up and get off my bike. Alex went ahead and put about 30-40 seconds on me going into T2.
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| Putting in some power |
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| Heading to T2 |
Run
I came into T2 with burning legs, which felt very stiff as I started to "run". Really...the first couple km's were brutal. I just had to tell myself to hold a steady pace, and that I was going to finish this race. There were more than a few moments when I questioned why I thought this was a good idea. Alex put a lot of time on me on the run, and I came across the line about 10 minutes back for second place.
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| Starting 21.1km and already hurting |
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| Tanks empty |
Post Race
After crossing the line, I realized I could hardly walk...now in addition to burning glutes, my quads decided to shut down as well. I hobbled to the recharge with milk tent with the assistance of Catalina (who was wonderfully supportive and also an amazing cheerleader). I managed to get seated in a bean bag chair, and got hooked up to the recovery pump for my legs. I was pretty out of it at this point, but after some chocolate milk and a bit of food, I managed to get back up and walk around.
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| Sitting down never felt so good |
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| Nice way to refuel after the race |
Conclusion
I finished this race with nothing left...this was my first real stab at a long distance triathlon, and I put out a solid time and came away with a second place. I gained a lot more understanding for what it takes to race at the longer distances, and I think I will be able to learn and improve for future long course races.
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| Second place on the day...still taller than Alex one step down |
I need to say a big thank you to my chauffeurs for race day Juan (who had a great day of racing himself) and Alicia. A big thanks also to my wonderful girlfriend Catalina who was cheering me the whole way and who insisted on carrying my rain soaked bags after the race.
Also a big thanks to all my supporters back home who couldn't make it to the race (Mummy, Daddy, Danosaur, Coaches: Derek, Christine and Brent) and many others as well.
Also a continued thanks to my sponsors Multisport Canada and eLoad.
I'm taking this whole week off training. I'm going to spend my week off in my garage restoring an nice wooden bench and also an old tool box. If I feel good to go on Sunday, I'm going to be racing at TTF in the Olympic distance race.
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