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MastrBrewr
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
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Joined: 24 Sep 2003
Posts: 6974
Location: outside
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 Posted: 09/12/05 - 11:28 Post subject: Duke Liver Center Half Ironman
This is my last tri of the year. I'm ready for a little break in training and go back to some base building this fall and winter. This race has raised over $300,000 for the Duke Liver Center over the past few years. It is a challenging course that is a qualifier for the USAT Half Championships. The swim course is billed as being challenging because the area on the lake is exposed to windy conditions. The bike offers a bit of everything: a few climbs, rollers and flats. The run is entirely on a park trail systems and has rolling hills.
Pre-Race check
Saturday while getting my gear organized and ready, I noticed my rear tire on my bike has gotten worn down to where some threads were showing. It must've happened over the last 2 weeks. Anyways, after an emergency trip to the bike store, my ride got some new Michelins.
4:45 AM
Wake up! I get up and get dressed, grab some oatmeal, a Clif bar and some Amino Vital and a shot of Powerl Gel. Load up the Land Rover and head out to the race site. I set up everything in transition and hit the porta-johns. I take my bike out for a quick 2 mile spin, then run for about 10 minutes to get my legs loosened up. Hit the porta-johns again. I learn that the water temp is just barely cold enough so that wetsuits are optional. I see only 3 guys with them on. I don't see any reason for me to wear mine.
Swim
The race got off to a late start due to buoy positioning issues. Some of the elites were treading water for 20 minutes before the start. They are studs. The wind on the water was 20 mph from the north. It is forecast to be fairly windy all day. The water wasn't exactly calm, by far the roughest I've swam in besides the ocean swim earlier this year. The water felt pretty good. I wasn't nervous at all, just ready to get out there and tackle the lake! I'm in wave 4 and we go about 15 minutes after the elites (About 7:40ish?)
I started on the edge of the pack at a pretty good pace for me. Definitely the best swim start I've ever had. It felt like stayed pretty much in the middle of the pack. About a half-mile out my hand hits the bottom. WTF? Several of us stand up and we're on a sandbar that's only 2 feet below the surface. We all stand up and race across it! Pretty surreal seeing a bunch of guys running in the middle of the lake. The race director has said we could stand, but didn't say we'd be able to run! Anyways, after about 30 feet the water gets deep again and we start swimming. The further out we get, the wake gets pretty bad with the wind, the waves were hitting us head on. I got a couple of mouthfuls of water, but I totally felt in control the entire time. It felt like it look an eternity to hit that first turn buoy. After the turn we were going perpendicular to the wind. 400 more meters or so and we hit the buoy to turn and head home. The trip in was pretty not-eventful. The wake seemed to die down and I actually KICKED IT UP A NOTCH! I managed to pass a few guys. I really don't know how many in my wave I beat out of the water. I'd like to think I came out in the top half (I doubt it though). Swim time - 48:something.
T1
Non eventful. Slipped on my bike shoes, helmet, glasses and ran out of T1.
Bike
I've ridden the course a couple of times and knew where I should take it easy. I did spin at an easy pace for the first few miles. I used that time to start hydrating and take a shot of gel. My strategy consisted of alternating between Ultima Replenisher/Watter and every 15-20 minutes sip on some Hammer Perpetuem. We could really feel the wind in several parts. Mile 20: Waterbottle hand-off, I ditch a bottle and get a new one. Mile 23, I'm hungry, time for another Clif Bar. This is the best tasting Clif bar EVAH (Black Cherry Almond, btw)!!! Mile 23.5, train tracks! Crap! There goes the last half of my bar. I'm sure it rolled to a stop among the launched bottles along the side of the road. Mile 30, hey there's a church. I give the man upstairs a shout out. Most of my training had to be done with only the middle chainring because I was too stupid/lazy to get a tune up. Anyways, I had my big ring today and used it wisely. The bike went well. I laid back when I knew I should and hammered when I knew I could get away with it. Mile 40, grab anouther water bottle. Not to sound picky, because the volunteers were awesome and Set-Up runs the best races by far, but couldn't the water at least be chilled a little? After 45 miles I was averaging over 18 mph. My hamstrings were beginning to feel a little tight. Not wanting to push it, I backed off a little. It's getting pretty warm outside and this wind sucks. I can't recall off hand what my time was, maybe a shade over 3 hours. I did average 17.5 mph.
T2
Nothing special here. Did a rolling dismount of my bike, racked it. I sat down and pulled on some socks and my shoes, grabbed my running hat, took a shot of gel and I'mm off!
Run
Felt great the first mile. The heat was getting up there. I hit the first aid station and downed a ton of water. I will regret that later. Mile 2, up some hills, through the woods. I start to slow down on the hills. Mile 3, start to walk one of the longer hills. Mile 4: SLAM! Wicked side stich from hell. Walk, breathe, stretch it out, poke it, bend over. Run again. 5 steps later, it comes back. Walk again. After 3 minutes, I try and run some more. I manage 10 minutes and it comes back even worse. Next aid station, the heat is starting to get to me and I'm a little nauseated. No way can I tolerated something flavored. I pass on the Cytomax and grab some more water. MISTAKE!!!!! I'm dying, the heat is making me drink too much, and to top it off I'm not even drinking the right stuff. Coming up on the end of the first loop, I manage to run through since there' people wating and stuff. It's amazing how crowd support carries you. I look at my watch, my 6 hours goal has just ticked by unless I can pull out a 5 minute 10k. I'm too scared I'll puke if I drink anything else and that will end my day. Next aid station, the volunteer forces some flat coke on me. MAGIC!!!! After downing that, I forced my self to run again. I made it 3 minutes before the pain in my side forced me to walk again. Every few minutes I attempted to start running again to no avail. Mile 11, thank God I'm almost done. I can start to hear what's left of the crowd at the finish line and try to pick up my pace. The last mile & half is pretty much downhill and flat. I 'm not going to finish this race walking. I start to shuffle, my side flares up something fierce. After a few minutes, shuffle becomes a run. I'm starting to tear up a little, I'm going to finish. My body is killing me, but I can't feel it. I hit the last quarter mile coming into the finish line. I'm not moving fast, but I am running it in. I see Ang and my friend Chris waiting for me and I manage to get a smile and a wave out. Cross the line and stopped my watch. 7:11:34 I ran/walked a 3 hour half marathon. The first time I've ever run an official 13.1 miles in a race.
At the finish line, they took my chip and gave me my finisher's medal. I'm escorted over to a tent where I'm told to lay down and I'm immediately draped with towels soaked in cold water. I grab some water and Cytomax. After some stretching, Ang and I pack up and head home. I take a quick shower and we go to our favorite sports bar for dinner. For the first time in a long time, I didn't substitute veggies for the fries.
Thoughts
This distance is tough. It's a world apart from doing sprint and international tri's. I feel really great about the swim and bike portions. But I feel I cheated myself on the run by making stupid mistakes that cost me. I wasn't able to run the run and that's going to eat at me until I do it. I already know that I'll take another shot at the distance in May. I have to. Maybe even do this one again next year to prove I can run that course. I know I'll do Ironman one day. I wanted to try next year, but right now, the Half is calling me.
So after doing sprint, international and Half-IM distances, I can say this one was by far the most difficult and the most rewarding. I definitely prefer the longer races. But for now, I'm done for a while. I was starting to burn out mentally and physically. I'm looking forward to riding my mountain bike around some local trails, running without purpose, and even going to the pool and just knocking out some laps.
Pics and official times will be posted probably later tonight.
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ya done did it !!
