Recovery Week

I had a good week of training.  I hope I haven't done too much this week.

Monday: The day after the race I spent 30 minutes spinning on the bike, nothing hard just an easy spin.

Tuesday: 2 mile easy run.

Wednesday: 5 mile easy run.

Thursday: 20 mile easy bike ride on rollers with no resistance.

Friday:  This may be where I over done it.  7 mile run, felt fine and ran much faster than I should have.

Saturday:  Was suppose to be 85 minutes on the trainer.  I was doing the Sufferfest video "Hell Hath No Fury".  When I hit the first attack my legs just didn't have any pop.  I ended up dropping to the small chainring and slowed it down trying to keep it easy.  Legs just weren't going to have any of it so I decided to call it quits after the first 20 minute interval.  I figured better to play it smart.  I have a race in 3 more weeks.

Sunday is a scheduled rest day.

Happy Training everyone.

Ironman Augusta 70.3

2012 Ironman Augusta 70.3 Race Recap

1.2 Mile Swim / 56 Mile Bike / 13.1 Mile Run

September 30, 2012

Overall Time: 4:50:35

AGE Group Rank: 51 of 507
Overall Rank: 254 of 3335

Swim: 25:28 (1:19 / 100meters)
T1: 4:08
Bike: 2:30:24 (22.34 mph)

T2: 2:34
Run: 1:48:01 (8:14 / mile)

Race Morning

I had my alarm set for 4:15 a.m. with the plan on leaving the hotel by 5 a.m.  I had a marathon bar for breakfast and a bottle of gatorade, base performance salt with base performance amino. We checked out of the hotel and headed to swim start for parking. Once I parked the truck I started my mile+ walk to the transition area to set up my bike.  Once I arrived I started prepping my area and discovered I had a flat tire.  My first adversity of the day.  I am glad I had a spare tube in my transition bag in addition to the one on my bike.  A quick change of tube and I was set to go.  One final check of everything and then I headed back to the truck.  Once I got back to the truck I still had an hour before the official start of the race.  I ate a Luna Bar and washed it down with a bottle of water which I continue to sip on until we left the truck for the start.

Swim

There were 25 waves with Pros starting at 7:30.  I was fortunately enough to start early in Wave 7, starting at 7:56.  Once I made my way out the pier I dove in the water to acclimatize to the water temperature of 76.0 F, making the swim wetsuit legal.  At 7:56 we were off and I started near the front of the pack and in the middle of it all.  I was kick, hit, grabbed and punched in the face.  It was a brutal start.  Once I was through the first 300 meters or so it thinned out and then my biggest battle were the weeds in the water.  At one point I hit a clump of weeds that engulfed me.  I had to flip over on my back to get untangled so I could continue swimming.  All in all the swim was great.  It is nice swimming down stream.  I was reported that there was a 1 knot current assisting the swimmers.  About a mile into the swim I was ready for it to be over, I knew I was getting close.  I just kept looking for the trees along the river to disappear. Finally the trees were gone and I knew I didn't have far to go.  I swam into the boat ramp and up the ramp I ran.  I had a goal time of 25 minutes and I finished the swim in 25:28.  Goal #1 met.

T1

There was about a 1/4 mile run up to transition.  I pulled my wetsuit off my shoulders and down over my hips as I entered transition.  Over to the wetsuit strippers, down on the ground and off came the wetsuit.  Ran to my bike, dried my feet, socks and shoes on, helmet on, number belt on, grabbed my bike and off I went to transition exit.  4:08 total time, a little slower than I would have liked but I ran a little slow coming up the boat ramp.

Bike

I mounted the bike and off I went.  I had multiple goals for this course.  Primary goal, 22 mph average and secondary goal of 21 mph average if I wasn't feeling "it".  Both goals were faster than any previous race.  My nutrition plan was 200 calories an hour along with electrolyte mix of gatorade and base performance salt.  I felt great through out the bike and I kept trying to hold back as I seen my bike computer during the first 5 miles hitting speeds of 25 mph or more.  I took in my first gel 15 minutes into the ride and every 30 minutes thereafter and drank as required taking on a water bottle at every aid station.  The course was awesome and I was able to keep the hammer down.  I set my computer to give my splits every 8 miles.  There were some awesome downhills and a few climbs that weren't all that bad.  The worst climb was around mile 37. Not that it was steep or long, it was right after a sharp right trurn and you had no momentum to get up the hill.  My splits were 21:29 (22.3 mph), 20:53 (23.0 mph), 23:22 (20.5 mph), 20:40 (23.2 mph), 23:41 (20.3), 21:14 (22.6 mph) and 18:43 (24.2 mph).  Computer measured the last split at 7.6 miles.  Total time: 2:30:24 (22.34 mph).  Primary goal met and then some.

T2

Off the bike and ran into transition racked my bike, helmet off, shoes off, running shoes on, and hat on and off I went to the port-a-potty for a quick stop.  Total time in transition: 2:34, way too long in transition.  Must have been the pit stop.

Run
My legs were on fire from the bike and I immediately set my goal pace of 8 min mile and then would see how I feel for the second loop.  A mile into the run the lead female came flying by me on her second lap.  Yep, I know I can't match her pace and she was on her second lap.  I just kept focusing on my pace.  My first mile was a little fast at 7:46 and then I tried to settle down. I was feeling pretty good through the first two miles.  Mile 2, 7:59 right on target.  During mile 3 things started to fall apart. My peripheral vision started to go, my first sign of getting a migraine, and then it was nothing but white spots in front of me.  It was tough to focus on my run, but I kept moving forward.  I told Melissa I was getting a migraine and bless her heart she ran to get me medicine.  I took my first gel somewhere around mile 3, fortunately for me it was caffienated which helped with my eyes and my migraine.  When I passed Melissa and she offered me medicine I turned it down as I didn't know how it would affect me.  I just kept moving forward, mile 3, 8:04 and mile 4, 8:18.  I was off my pace now but just wanted to keep it going.  My legs were on fire and couldn't see well, my head was pound.  My stride started to go, I started to focus on my stride at this point which helped.  Mile 5, 6, & 7 splits were 8:12, 7:48, & 8:09.  Mile 8 starts the second lap and I was feeling a little better, but man were the legs on fire.  I knew Mile 9 was coming.  I have always fell apart at mile 9 and 10 and then come around for the final miles.  Not this time I kept telling myself.  I having a great race. I can do this without walking.  Push through the pain.  "You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you".  Run faster, you can do this.  Mile 8, 9 & 10 splits were 8:14, 8:12, 8:18.  Ok, not what I wanted but at least I am not walking.  Run Dave Run.  Legs are burning, just walk for a few seconds, legs are burning.  At mile 10.6 I gave in and walked.  OUCH! the cramps hit me. I think I took like 5 or 6 steps and regretted every step of it and started running again.  I walked the next aid station to get in another gel and as much water as I could and back on the course.  A little over two miles to go.  You can run hard the for 2 miles.  Mile 11, 9:51.  Run harder I felt like I was flying a lot of effort but I was going anywhere mile 12 in 8:42.  What!?  RUN only a mile to go! I pushed as hard as I could the remainder of the way grabbing water at the aid station and dumping it on my head.  The final push back to the finish brought me in at a 7:40 pace.  I finished the run in 1:48:01 (8:14 pace).  Although it wasn't the 8 min mile I wanted I was excited that I ran that fast off the bike.  Especially since I pushed as hard as I did on the bike.

Two days later I am feeling great.