Welcome to Monday, friends. It's a telltale day after a race: I'm a bit sore, a bit tired, a bit bloated, and I have faded sharpie on my arms and legs. (I really think some of my co-workers believe that I draw on myself for fun).
Now that the dust has settled a bit, I feel that I can write an accurate report. I had alot of mixed emotions about the race, as I usually do after Keuka....but first, the hard facto's!
Pre Race: Night before dinner: French toast (deviation from usual English Muffin pizzas). Morning of: One cup of coffee, pb toast, applesauce (this was new for race-usually do a banana). Drove to Keuka, picked up packet, set up transition, etc etc. Nothing crazy. The hubster and I dipped our toes in the water and did a quick swim warmup.
Clearly, I got a little excited and did a transition dance. Woah boy.
The SWIM
Truth be told I have not focused too much on this discipline this year. After marathon training, I have switched to bike focus, since that is what I want to nail on my HIM and IM. I felt pretty good about the distance, just not sure of speed. I donned my goggles and noticed mistake #1: These are my Ironman goggles. As in, they are scratched to $hit and I can't see too well and SHOULD have bought new ones. Ah well, who needs to see? Me :-P The swim was good, coupla kicks, nothing bad, but swam way off course a few times because I had issues sighting. Easy fix for next race: buy new goggles a week or two out so you can see and NOT swim a few hundred yards extra for fun.
Swim Time (includes a decent run upstairs and to T1: 33:15. 2 minutes slower than 2010.
The BIKE
As you know from previous posts, this discipline has kicked my patootie in Keuka. For some reason, the bike course and I just don't agree on life. Last year I did a 1:34 on this course, which, for reference, is a 15.8 mph avg. In Lake Placid, my 112 mile bike was a 15.3 avg. This makes no sense. Time to fix it. I took it easy on the first 5-6 miles (which, looking back, I think I should have cranked it up), then flew down the first descent at 30mph. I held my line, no brakes (which for me, is huge). Then the fun began. Miles 10-15 are 99% uphill...not ridiculous grade, but enough to make you look at your speedometer and go WTF. I channeled my friend Alexa's advice, grabbed an easy gear early, and spun my way up the hills. Also grabbed a gel to get some nutrition in....promptly dropped it, stopped (ugh) to get it, then got back on. Hit the turnaround, and grabbed some free speed!! on the way back. There are a few decent descents, which I am proud to say, I held the line for and did NOT hit the brakes once! (Usually speed freaks me out. It never used to, but I am way too cautious for my own good post car accident). I finished the bike in 1:27:xx according to my watch, good for a 7 minute bike PR! (Not the fastest still, but I feel good regarding bike shifting and comfort at being out there a win on this course. I am over my bike demon at Keuka :-)
The RUN
After my bike, I felt my tummy grumbling, which was weird (usually I only need one gel to get through an Oly) so I made a mental note to grab my spare gel in transition. Totally forgot. This was the beginning of my undoing. I ran in to the run (har har) after changing shoes, and felt decent, clocking mile 1 in 8:06. Last year I did the 10k in 50 minutes, which I knew was totally doable again this year. Then....I hit the wall. Not a brick wall, but a decent drywall wall. I got dizzy. I had tunnel vision. And my legs wouldn't go. At all. I needed calories bad and I knew it. Did I have an extra gu in my jersey? Nope. I'm an idiot. I took a bit of HEED at the next aid station, and tried my best to keep a pace. Run for 5 minutes, walk. Rinse, repeat. No HEED at the next aid station. Crap. Turn Around. I hate life. I blindly got through the next 3 miles, saw 2 women in my AG pass me, and watched them go, annoyed. Normally, I would have chased them down-running is my thing! I painfully got to the finish line in 2:57:xx (which was officially 2:58-I must have hit my watch too late at the start). I promptly fell down, threw water on my face, and begged my family for food.
The Bad: I know better than to not review my equipment before I race. I focused too much on my bike and forgot to look at my swim stuff. Totally avoidable overswimming, Rae. Totally fixable for Musselman.
Live and learn, yes?
That's what I'm going with. I ordered two new pairs of goggles this morning, and I will be reviewing my nutrition on all my long bricks in the next 6 weeks-I think my breakfast was a bit light (though I did like the applesauce-it st well!), as well as my day before nutrition: back to pizzas :-P I need to dial in everything I CAN control for the next race-one of my A races!!
A big shout out to the Team Trigger support crew! (Yes, we got our parents shirts :-P) They rock my socks off.
41 days until Musselman. Time to get to work!
Now that the dust has settled a bit, I feel that I can write an accurate report. I had alot of mixed emotions about the race, as I usually do after Keuka....but first, the hard facto's!
Pre Race: Night before dinner: French toast (deviation from usual English Muffin pizzas). Morning of: One cup of coffee, pb toast, applesauce (this was new for race-usually do a banana). Drove to Keuka, picked up packet, set up transition, etc etc. Nothing crazy. The hubster and I dipped our toes in the water and did a quick swim warmup.
 |
| Doin' the penguin dance in transition |
The SWIM
Truth be told I have not focused too much on this discipline this year. After marathon training, I have switched to bike focus, since that is what I want to nail on my HIM and IM. I felt pretty good about the distance, just not sure of speed. I donned my goggles and noticed mistake #1: These are my Ironman goggles. As in, they are scratched to $hit and I can't see too well and SHOULD have bought new ones. Ah well, who needs to see? Me :-P The swim was good, coupla kicks, nothing bad, but swam way off course a few times because I had issues sighting. Easy fix for next race: buy new goggles a week or two out so you can see and NOT swim a few hundred yards extra for fun.
Swim Time (includes a decent run upstairs and to T1: 33:15. 2 minutes slower than 2010.
The BIKE
As you know from previous posts, this discipline has kicked my patootie in Keuka. For some reason, the bike course and I just don't agree on life. Last year I did a 1:34 on this course, which, for reference, is a 15.8 mph avg. In Lake Placid, my 112 mile bike was a 15.3 avg. This makes no sense. Time to fix it. I took it easy on the first 5-6 miles (which, looking back, I think I should have cranked it up), then flew down the first descent at 30mph. I held my line, no brakes (which for me, is huge). Then the fun began. Miles 10-15 are 99% uphill...not ridiculous grade, but enough to make you look at your speedometer and go WTF. I channeled my friend Alexa's advice, grabbed an easy gear early, and spun my way up the hills. Also grabbed a gel to get some nutrition in....promptly dropped it, stopped (ugh) to get it, then got back on. Hit the turnaround, and grabbed some free speed!! on the way back. There are a few decent descents, which I am proud to say, I held the line for and did NOT hit the brakes once! (Usually speed freaks me out. It never used to, but I am way too cautious for my own good post car accident). I finished the bike in 1:27:xx according to my watch, good for a 7 minute bike PR! (Not the fastest still, but I feel good regarding bike shifting and comfort at being out there a win on this course. I am over my bike demon at Keuka :-)
The RUN
After my bike, I felt my tummy grumbling, which was weird (usually I only need one gel to get through an Oly) so I made a mental note to grab my spare gel in transition. Totally forgot. This was the beginning of my undoing. I ran in to the run (har har) after changing shoes, and felt decent, clocking mile 1 in 8:06. Last year I did the 10k in 50 minutes, which I knew was totally doable again this year. Then....I hit the wall. Not a brick wall, but a decent drywall wall. I got dizzy. I had tunnel vision. And my legs wouldn't go. At all. I needed calories bad and I knew it. Did I have an extra gu in my jersey? Nope. I'm an idiot. I took a bit of HEED at the next aid station, and tried my best to keep a pace. Run for 5 minutes, walk. Rinse, repeat. No HEED at the next aid station. Crap. Turn Around. I hate life. I blindly got through the next 3 miles, saw 2 women in my AG pass me, and watched them go, annoyed. Normally, I would have chased them down-running is my thing! I painfully got to the finish line in 2:57:xx (which was officially 2:58-I must have hit my watch too late at the start). I promptly fell down, threw water on my face, and begged my family for food.
 |
| Hubster and I post race (after I recovered...lol) |
The good: It was a Keuka PR (albiet by a minute-but still was). I'm trying to focus on that. I also feel like I didn't freak out on the bike, which I am proud of. I'm excited to apply this to Musselman, a course I know I can rock out better than this one.
The Ugly: My run really pissed me off. Even though my time wasn't terrible, this is my discipline, and I usually rock it. I easily gave up 4 minutes due to my stupidity with nutrition. Which I know doesn't sound like much, but add that to the swim and it would have resulted in a new PR.
Live and learn, yes?
That's what I'm going with. I ordered two new pairs of goggles this morning, and I will be reviewing my nutrition on all my long bricks in the next 6 weeks-I think my breakfast was a bit light (though I did like the applesauce-it st well!), as well as my day before nutrition: back to pizzas :-P I need to dial in everything I CAN control for the next race-one of my A races!!
41 days until Musselman. Time to get to work!
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