Racing by Feel

2014 Kinetic Half

Beautiful Lake Anna in the spring.  I think this race has become a spring tradition for me.  As much as I really dislike the run course, it suits my strength.  When the lake is calm, like the last two years, it can be a really fast swim.  The new one loop bike course, introduced in 2013, is blazing fast, but challenging.  If you want to read more about the course, check out my blog post from last year, here.

If 2013 was all about my first Ironman, then 2014 is about fixing what broke in 2013.  The focus of the off season was improving my swim and figuring out what happened during the run in Louisville.  To that end I have over 96 miles in the pool since the start of the year.  Five thousand
yards, 3 days a week, with the Masters Swim program at Fort Eustis.  If Steve Hennessy of the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins can't get you squared away in the pool, it can't be done!

Figuring out the run at Louisville has been more challenging.  Luckily, the Snapple Triathlon team picked up a new sponsor for the 2014 season, Osmo Nutrion.  The idea behind their product is to delink nutrition from hydration.  No sugary sports drinks.  Solid food on the bike and Osmo Active hydration.  I started training with Osmo in April and so far it seems to suit my needs.  It has taken some getting used to the volume of fluids the Osmo folks recommend, but the results can't be argued with.  In my first long brick of the season, one week before Kinetic, I rode 90 miles at IM pace and followed it up with a 30 minute run at 7:15 pace.  I felt better than I have ever felt coming off the bike.

Kinetic was planned as the season opener, but it was a training race.  No taper!  My two "A" races - Rev 3 Williamsburg and IM Lake Placid, are mid season races.  I had to be in my build if I wanted to be ready in July.  With over 125 miles on the bike, 20 miles running (including a 5K race), and 6 miles in the pool, I was not coming into Kinetic fresh.  I was still excited to race.  If the butterflies ever leave it will be time to stop racing.

My training partner, Adam Frager, and I drove up the afternoon before.  Normally I book a camp site immediately after I register for the race.  This year I didn't.  By the time a I got around to booking a camp site they were all gone.  I happened to post my dilemma on the Hampton Roads Triathlon facebook page.  A day later I had an e-mail from an acquaintance letting me know I could share her campsite if I needed it.  Thank you Katherine & Bryan Lindler!  Your hospitality was amazing. Thank you for feeding us, cheering us on, taking pictures.  The list seems endless - Thank you!  Kat, I am so glad that you can race again.

Our little racing community in the Hampton Roads is pretty special.  Within minutes of checking in at race HQ, we had run into Shane Danaher and his wife, Lauren, had a text message from the Fat Frogs coach, Peggy Neidig, found Joel Bell from Fianl Kick setting up his tent, and met another racer from Chesapeake, John  Fitzgerald.  It was just like being Norm walking into Cheers.  Everyone knew our names.

Storms rolled through that night and the forecast was dicey for the next day.  We got up at 0500, got dressed and made our way over to the start.  The great thing about staying at Lake Anna State Park is the commute.  In five minutes we were in transition setting up our gear.  First race jitters had me checking and double checking everything, but eventually I had it all just right and Adam and I did a 2 mile warmup on the back half of the run course. 

I slipped into my wetsuit and headed down to the swim start.  Along the way  I ran into Dixie King, Peggy Neidig, and Steve Keller.  Like I said, I love our community.  Strong racers who support one another.

The sky was grey, but the water was flat.  Evey now and then you could feel a rain drop and the temperature was just right.  The old guys were the fourth start, so I had to watch most of my competition go off three waves ahead of me.  Adam went at 7:04 and then it was my turn at 7:12.  In the excitement of the moment I didn't start my watch.  Two dolphin dives and then into the swim.  Stroke, stroke, stroke breathe!  I spent six months working on my catch and elbow position.  Keep the elbow high, early vertical forearm, pull from the lats, not the shoulder.  Stay long, reach and turn - roll through the hips.  Stroke, Stroke, Stroke breathe!  I lead out the pack for the first time ever!  There were three of us working together - another old guy and a female relay swimmer.  I tucked just inside the guys head wake for a side draft, but I quickly found out that he couldn't swim straight.  I switched to the relay swimmers feet and then we were into the third group before the first turn.  The rest of the swim was a blur until I came out of the water and saw my watch reading 00:00:00.  Uggghhhh!  My best swim ever and Garmin didn't record it.  It was like it never happened.  Swim:  31:13 2nd A/G, 40 O/A

The long jog up to the bike, pulling and tugging at the wetsuit, drop, strip, hop, shoes on.  Crowd at the exit.  I was rusty.  Not my best transition.  T1: 3:12

I had shifted my bike to the small front ring when I racked it.  I watched another racer in 2013 fall over when he mounted and had his bike in the wrong gear and couldn't climb the hill out of transition.  Nothing fancy for me!  I hopped on the bike and pedaled away.  I tried to synch my heads up display, but it wouldn't pick up my power meter.  I was racing by feel and speed.  I dialed in my favorite gear and headed out at an easy pace for the first two miles.  I had swam into the pack and now I had to ride through the rest.  I saw a lot of riders in the first 20 miles, but eventually the ride sorted out to 4 of us all working similar strategies on the bike.  Spin up the hills and press down the hills.  Over the next 36 miles the four of us would trade the lead dozens of times.  Unfortunately, one of those times was at the bottom of a hill with an immediate steep climb.  I was overtaken at the bottom and then the rider slowed precipitously as he hit the up-slope.  I didn't even hesitate, I went right around him and passed him back.  As soon as I completed the pass, a judge came by on a motorcycle scribbling furiously on her note pad.  I had just taken my first penalty ever.  I didn't clear the zone before re-passing, 4 minutes.  Ugggghhhh!  Bike: 2:30:42 3rd A/G, 28 O/A.

Unclip the shoes, slip the feet out, pedal smoothly, Dismount BEFORE the line. T2:  1:21

On to the run.  I grabbed my visor, put a bag of sporty beans in one jersey pocket and a gel in the other. I hit my Osmo preload before exiting transition.  Now I was in my element.  I was running and running well.  Two weeks before Kinetic I had raced my first double - a 5K followed by a 10K.  I won the 5K and took 2nd in the 10K, all while running negative splits -both 10K splits faster than the 5K.  The week before Kinetic I raced another 5K after riding for 2 hours.  I took 2nd in that race.  I knew my run was spot on!

Easy strides, around the short spur to make the distance right, and then up the hill.  The watch ticked 7:07 on the first mile, and I made it a point to beat that on the next two laps.  Negative splits up the hill each lap.  I felt bad for a short time on the second lap, but once I cleared the cabin loop and hit the downhill into the campground I knew I was rolling up the competition.  Joel Bell, Steve Keller, and Adam Frager - I was making ground.  I caught Adam and Steve, but I couldn't catch Joel.  He is far too strong on the bike and I had given away too much time.  Run:  1:30:33 1st A/G, 11 O/A.

Thanks to Rose PT, another Snapple sponsor.  As soon as I crossed the finish line they caught me and let me know that they were on the hill if I needed anything.  Thanks guys.  That was pretty cool!  Xterra wetsuits, Sugoi Apparel, Osmo, and Snapple - Thanks for getting me to the start and through to the finish!  It was a great day and a fantastic race, a new PR at the Half Iron distance, even with a penalty.

Finish Time:  4:36:59
Penalty Time: 4:00
Total Time:  4:40:59  1st A/G, 18th O/A