Chattanooga 70.3: My 3rd 1/2 Iron distance race

PREPARATION/TRAINING:  Approaching my 3rd 70.3 race, I had high hopes of certain race goals and training properly.  Other opportunities in my life (flying in airplanes for work) led me to train less than I had intended.  I'll never forget, my last bike training ride before the race was in Duesseldorf, Germany on a 3 speed bike along the Rhine River--the bike gears broke and so it became a single speed.  I rode for 2.5 hours and called it quits.

WEATHER: Chance of rain all day and it ended up raining about 30 minutes into the bike course, but it was a nice drizzle.  There were puddles from the rain on the bike course, but I've ridden the course enough that the rain did not slow me down.  The run was overcast and it was mid-70s but was a little humid, no complaints.

Most of my race gear

CLOTHING: I wore an Epix brand, 2 piece, Chattanooga Triathlon Club race kit all day.  I also wore my tifosi sunglasses all day and then my headsweat visor on the run.  For the swim, I did wear my Xterra, long sleeve wet suit.

RACE GOAL:  After my lack of training properly, my race goals shifted to having fun and finish the race strong.   My mantra was to race with a good effort for as long as you can and then I could go as slow as I wanted, I kept saying to myself "go as hard as you can, for as long as you can, and then you can go as slow as you want."

ACTUAL FINISH: 5:50:58 (PR by approximately 26 minutes)

                SWIM: 37:24
TRANSITION 1: 7:08
                  BIKE: 2:59:50
TRANSITION 2: 3:32

                   RUN: 2:03:04

Pre-race breakfast

NUTRITION: I didn't have a big nutrition plan, but followed in my Ironman nutrition that worked well--with an estimated target of 200 calories per hour.  This is what I did and it worked for me, I am not trained and didn't take advice from a professional, but I didn't get sick and finished the race.  I used a combo of cytomax and carbo pro on the bike, supplemented by honey stinger chews and I also use base salt.  Again, I sip the carbo pro mix (made a 700 calorie bottle) every 15 minutes on the bike.  During the run, I did take a gel or two that included caffeine and this is a necessity for me as I need the extra energy and focus.

Chattanooga Tri Club Friends

RACE-DAY BREAKFAST/PRE-RACE NUTRITION:  I started eating carbs more intentionally about 2 days before the race.  On race day I had two 4oz containers of unsweetened applesauce, two pieces of white break with light amount of peanut butter and a regular amount of jelly, and I had 16 oz. of cytomax electrolyte drink and a glass of water, it's possible that I had a banana, but I cannot remember.  I had a vanilla gu (with caffeine) 20 minutes before I got in the water to start the race.

PRE-RACE/RACE MORNING:  Met up with Rebecca and Kelli in transition and then met up with Sarah M. on the bus.  R & K ended up hitting the bathroom, so I went to sit in the line for the swim start with Sarah.  The swim start was rolling, first come, first serve.  I felt like I needed more time to complete the race, so went ahead in the line.  I wasn't overly nervous for this race and felt that I would enjoy the day and give it my best.

1.2 MILE SWIM (37:24) 

Time: 37:24       Pace: 1:56/100m       Age Group Rank: 53/85

Gender Rank: 390/669

Overall Rank: 1372/2181

To begin the swim at 70.3 Chattanooga we walked down the GPS dock, jumped in and swam upstream for about 400 meters (estimated).  I was very unprepared for the swim, I ended up swimming about 1 time per week prior to the race, no more than 2400 yards.  I swam closer to the shore going upstream and then cut across and swam the buoy lines the remainder of the race.  I had some issues with sighting, but no problems swimming straight.  I attempted to have a higher swim stroke going up stream and then remained steady going downstream, and the current helped some, I swam straight and had no issues with the swim, but definitely was tired towards the end and could tell I hadn't prepared properly.

56 MILE BIKE (2:59:50)

Time: 2:59:50      Pace: 18.68 mph     Age Group Rank: 45/85

Gender Rank: 312/669

Overall Rank: 1283/2181

My lap split time on my GPS was every 5 miles and so my every 5 mile pace broke down into this: 16.3, 19.1, 17.9, 17.8, 19.7, 19.5, 20.2, 20.3, 18.6, 21.5, 19.4.  I'm not a coach or professional, but my observations and thoughts include that this is fairly consistent for a course that is rolling hills.  I'm a timid biker, so I would say the initial 5 miles was leaving town, and there were a few railroad crossings and a lot of bikers so the speed was slower.  Six laps (again a lap is 5 miles) were consistently around 19-20 mph average--which I felt was consistent, seven laps were all between 15-17 minutes, with the range being 13:58 to 18:21--again, consistent without being planned that way.    I surprised myself on the bike, because I never road more than 50 miles training and I was very undertrained.  I felt like I focused on a good pedal stroke and my nutrition--with the idea that I would go as strong as I good, for as long as I could.  My heart rate was very consistent 150-156 for each 5 mile lap--with six laps being 153 or less average.    

13.1 MILE RUN (2:03:04)

Time: 2:03:04      Pace: 9:23/mile    Age Group Rank: 35/85

Gender Rank: 206/669

Overall Rank: 905/2181

During the run, I literally focused on one step at a time, with the goal to keep my feet moving at a rapid and steady pace.  I never ran more than 9 miles in preparation for this race, so I was very nervous because I knew the run was hilly.  My goal for a half marathon is always to keep it around 2 hours, and with my limited training, I was more than happy with the 2:03 race time.  I felt consistent and I felt strong at the finish, but I didn't have much more left in my gas tank--I'm slowly learning how to use all my energy during a race to maximize a strong finish and this will come over time and with more experience.

Post Race Smiles

FINAL RACE THOUGHTS

I found more focus on this race--focus for being in the moment and doing the best with where I was.  Thinking that I had 56 miles left when I started the bike, did not work--I had to think about the mile ahead of me and focus on my pedal stroke and that allowed me to have a faster race than I thought I would.  Finding a focus on the technique with the sport I was doing is how I've learned to race faster.  It's about how efficient you can be as an athlete, not trying to just be fast and beat a certain time.  I encourage others to break down your race and focus on the small things to create surprising results.  Enjoy the day, smile and be thankful that you are able to do what you do.

Racine 1/2 Ironman 70.3 Race Summary 2014

Most importantly, I was excited to do this race with a great friend who was doing her first ever, 1/2 ironman race.  This was my 2nd 70.3 distance.  I was happy to have my husband at this race as my number one fan, he is a trooper and I'm thankful for his support.  The bike has some very rough roads, I saw a number of people with flats and if you plan to do this race, be prepared for those roads!

TRIATHLON DATE: July 20, 2014

LOCATION: Racine, Wisconsin

 WEATHER: Sunny, minimal clouds, high 60s to start the day, with the high reaching 79 degrees F and low humidity and not much wind

CLOTHING: Xterra wetsuit with a neoprene hat for the swim, Chattanooga Triathlon kit 2014 top, 2013 bottoms, I added bike shorts over top of the tri shorts for the bike, and then removed them for the run.  In addition I wore a visor on the run and Hoka running shoes along with my Tifosi sunglasses


 RACE GOAL: Ultimately finishing in under 7 hours was my goal, my previous (and first) 1/2 ironman in 2013 had terrible weather and my finishing time was 6:49 and ultimately I was really looking to PR for this race.  However, this race was not top priority as far as racing, it's a stopping point on my way to my first Ironman in Chattanooga, September 2014.  I did have high hopes of maintaining certain heart rates during this race, feeling good and practicing nutrition in preparation for Ironman Chattanooga.

ACTUAL RACE FINISH: 6:16:38

HEART RATE: 146 Average (141-159 range for bike and run)

NUTRITION:
Swim: 1 gel (with water), 15 minutes before the swim start

Bike: One gel shortly after getting on my bike, then every 15 minutes I sipped from my 900 calorie water bottle with carbo pro/cytomax together (700 calories CP; 200 calories Cytomax).  I also had a Honey Stinger waffle and 1 pack of Honey Stinger chews (with caffeine) that I consumed mid-later in the bike ride.

Run: Approximately 1 gel every 30 minutes.  I also sipped on a 16 oz. bottle of cytomax the first 8 miles, I tossed the bottle after mile 8. I had 2 packs of honey stinger chews throughout the run as I felt like it and I also tried cola but it was warm and overly carbonated, not sure it was wonderful so I didn't have any more.  I felt okay but around mile 4 on the run, my stomach was a little uneasy and I was slightly more nervous about my nutrition on the run--thankfully, everything worked out fine and my nutrition continued as normal.

I also took 2 metasalt tablets every hour throughout the race, starting on the bike.


TRAINING:  Coach Robyn from FXMultisport has stuck by my side to get me all ready to go.  (http://fxmultisport.com)

Swim: 45:01

T1: 0:6:32

Bike: 3:14:25

T2: 0:3:53
Run: 2:06:47

TOTAL: 6:16:38

RACE DAY
Note: This might be boring, but I wrote it for myself so I could remember the day...and for anyone who may be considering doing a 1/2 ironman race, because I know you could totally do it!

1.2 mile Swim (45:01)

Time: 45:01        Pace: 2:19/100 meter           Age Group Rank: 73/143         Overall Rank: 1419/2606

My garmin swim distance was 1.25 miles and I actually was able to see on my garmin that I swam fairly straight, which was great since I haven't been able to practice much in the open water.  The start was a beach start into the 62.4 degree F water temps of Lake Michigan, I only warmed up about 10 minutes before the race and just put my face in the water to prepare for the shock.  I started in the middle/more towards the back of the pack on the outside, the swim had 2 right hand turns so it was fairly simple.  With no current and no waves, I stayed towards the outside of the group and had a smooth swim with minimal running into people or getting bummed/pushed under.  I stayed focused but felt like I was swimming forever, I was fairly slow and steady--I only had issues with one girl who was swimming zigzags in front of me--to begin with she was slightly faster than me, eventually I passed her when she became tired.  I really felt like I swam the same pace the entire race, that is fairly typically for me.  The swim was lovely (besides being really cold) and I enjoyed the clean, clear water.

56 mile Bike (3:14:25)

Pace: 17.28 mph               Age Group Rank: 68/143              Overall Rank: 1569/2606

Heart Rate Average: 144       Cadence Average: 85 rpm

There was one hill immediately out of transition, which made it interesting clipping in and immediately going up a hill, no time for a warm up.  It was important to be in a very easy gear before the race began, and so I was prepared for the immediate hill, though I had to watch out for other people.  The bike course roads were very rough to say the least.  Constant bumps, cracks and just plan rough roads.  There were times I had to slow down because it was so rough, there were many turns too.  The only great thing was that the course was very flat (coming from someone who lives in Chattanooga, TN).  It was difficult for me to stay consistent with the road conditions.  I eventually had to make a bathroom stop after mile 43 sometime, but was thankful I was able to made it quick--really I only stopped because there was no line, otherwise I would have kept going.

I had a gel to start on the bike and then sipped my 900 calorie carbo pro/cytomax mix bottle-that worked well!  I also had a pack of honey stinger chews (with caffeine towards the middle/end of the bike for the extra energy).  I only had 1 water bottle on my bike so I took water at each bike hand off and to save time, I drank the water through the aid station and tossed it at the end--Around mile 43 when I stopped for the bathroom, I also filled my water bottle since it was about empty--otherwise my water strategy worked well.  The last 3-5 miles were very very rough on the bumps and I was done with it, I didn't want any more, I really couldn't believe how terrible the roads were.  We only had about 2-3 'kind-of' hills on the course, I would pass people going down the hills because they would not pedal--I took advantage of the hills.  All in all the bike felt fairly easy, I was trying to keep my HR down below 145, my coach wanted it lower but I had the bug to race a bit, I was still mindful of my HR and saving myself for the run.

BIKE Pace Break Down

  1st 5 miles (16:51) 17.8 mph (HR=143)

2nd 5 miles (18:31) 16.2 mph (HR=142)

 3rd 5 miles (17:47) 16.9 mph (HR=141)

 4th 5 miles (17:10) 17.5 mph (HR=143)

 5th 5 miles (15:58) 18.8 mph (HR=145)

 6th 5 miles (16:45) 17.9 mph (HR=146)

7th 5 miles (17:49) 16.8 mph (HR=144)

8th 5 miles (17:54) 16.7 mph (HR=142) BATHROOM STOP

9th 5 miles (17:38) 17.0 mph (HR-144)

10th 5 miles (15:30) 19.3 mph (HR=147)

11th 5 miles (17:03) 17.6 mph (HR=146)

final mile= (4:30) 15.5 mph (HR=144)

13.1 mile Run (2:06:47)

Pace: 9:40/mile                 Age Group Rank: 56/143                    Overall Rank: 1249/2606

Heart Rate Average: 149

I came off the bike feeling great!  I did lose a few seconds in transition, I was almost out and forgot that I left my garmin on my bike, I ran to get it since that was my focus to help me maintain my heart rate.  There was a hill within the first mile that got your heart rate going, and then one not long after that--those would be the only hills on the course, though it was a double loop run course, so we did the hills twice.

My target was to have a gel about every 30 minutes on the run, along with continuing my salt tablets.  I sipped on Cytomax until mile 8 when I threw my bottle out and just ran.  It was fairly hot and so I felt like I may need the extra electrolytes.  I tried to have some cola during the run as an experiment, but it was fairly warm and way too carbonated for it to be okay for me.  Not long after that, I did have one bathroom stop during mile 4, my stomach was not bad, but just a little uneasy, it ended up being a false alarm.  I focused on my run cadence and just enjoying the course and people out there.  It got a little warm out but it was tolerable.  Many people on the race course helped passed the time.  My coach said if I was feeling good after 8 miles, I could go ahead and finish strong, so I did and it felt great!
On the run, I was able to pass 12 people in my age group and 320 people total on the run.

Consistency was the key to this run, and I was thankful I was able to be fairly consistent the entire run, finishing with a negative split.    

RUN Pace Break Down

Mile 1: 10:02 (HR=150)

Mile 2: 9:08 (HR=148)

Mile 3: 9:39 (HR=147)

Mile 4: 10:26 (HR=145) BATHROOM STOP

Mile 5: 9:52 (HR=146)

Mile 6: 9:56 (HR=146)

Mile 7: 9:59 (HR=146)

Mile 8: 9:57 (HR=146)

Mile 9: 9:43 (HR=147)

Mile 10: 9:45 (HR=147)

Mile 11: 9:50 (HR=150)

Mile 12: 8:51 (HR=155)

Mile 13: 8:46 (HR=159)

Post Race picture

TRANSITION AND OTHER NOTES:  They did have wet suit strippers that were right before transition, I utilized this, and they were awesome!  The volunteers at this race too their role serious, and for that I was grateful.  I chose to have my own sunscreen in transition (Spray bottle) and that was a great choice, I didn't feel like I wanted to be nastily slathered.