Montreal Pre-Race

This post is mostly a lot of pictures from the day before the race.

 

We drove up to Montreal on Thursday afternoon and after arriving had a quick dinner and went to bed.  On Friday, we walked around the city for a little bit and had lunch outside.

After playing tourist, it was time to get down to business - packet pick up and checking out the race course. 

 

Let’s take a look at the race course.  It’s basically an island in the St Lawrence river.  As you can see below, the long rectangular body of water is a 2km long artificial lake that was built to accommodate the rowing events during the Montreal Olympics.  The winding road is the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve which is used for Formula 1 and Nascar car racing.  When it’s not being used for events, its open to the public for running, biking, etc.  Similar to Central Park in NYC but without the crowds.

 

The swim was held in the rowing basin, the bike was laps on the track, and the run was on a bike path around the rowing basin.

Here is the same view, but during the Formula 1 race:

The main race area including transition is basically at the far end of the above photos.

 

After getting the bike together, rode through the huge transition area to the packet pickup.

After getting registered, time for a little pre race meeting.  It was in French so I left.

This interesting set up is used to have the swimmers cross over the runners who are lapping around the water.

I originally had planned on doing a practice swim but was running short of time and decided to just get in my usual easy pre-race ride instead.

While I changed into riding clothes, my photographer wandered up the swim course.  The finish line would be constructed where the arch is.  The race expo would be down where the tents are.

From there my photographer cut across to the bike course.  Here is a shot of me racing by.

The training direction is the same way the race cars travel, but the opposite of the race direction.

 

Here are a bunch of shots in the hairpin area.

Here is what that same area looks like on a race weekend.  These pictures were being taken near that white wall in the middle of the picture.  We didn’t have quite this many fans for the triathlon.

Opposite view:

After 4 laps, it was time to head in.  Here are some shots from the last lap:

After packing up, we decided to take a lap around the course in the car lane as we are huge Formula 1 fans – so the opportunity to drive on an actual track was fun.

After shooting back across the city, we drove up to the top of Mont Royal – which is basically a mini mountain right in the middle of the city.  We wanted to check it out to see the course that the pro cyclists would be riding on Sunday.  The hill was steep, but plenty of amateur riders were on the course.

Here is a view looking down towards the city.

 

Up next the race report.

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J.F.S. Triathlon Race Report

I know I’ve fallen a month behind with my posts, so I’ll be making an effort to get current over the rest of the week.  More posts coming soon!

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On August 29th I raced at the Journey For Sight Triathlon in Chicopee, MA.  The race was a half mile swim, 17 mile bike, and 3.6 mile run.  The bike and the run were both two loops with an out and back section to the transition area.  This race was a comedy of errors in every phase of the race and not my best performance of the year.  Let’s break it down:

 

Got a prime parking spot right next to transition which was situated in a parking lot at the top of a short but steep paved trail above the lake.  I had plenty of time to get in some swim warm-up before the national anthem. 

 

Unfortunately the starting procedure was completely lacking.  Without warning, they just fired the start gun.  People were all over the place, with some 200 yards offshore, some on the shore and me somewhere in between.  I guess some people knew the lax procedures and they got a huge advantage that left me (and others) scrambling into deeper water.  This definitely cost me up to a minute from the front of the pack as I started about 100 yards behind the first guys.

 

Shots shortly after the start.  The course was a counterclockwise triangle.

I was coming in from the left of the picture, as usual you can see my arm in mid pack to the left of the buoy.

There was a lot of aggressive bumping as the wave size was huge – they just did 2 waves with 175 racers.  My wave was all the men.  By far the most contact of any swim this year.  This became the second issue of the day.  After rounding the first buoy, I had a pretty good leg down to the second buoy.  However, going around the second buoy this guy got senselessly rough throwing punches and trying to swim over me when there was plenty of clear water all around.  I had enough by this point and got equally combative with him.  It came to blows while treading water which was a ridiculous waste of time.  Fighting while treading water is exhausting by the way.  With that idiot behind me it was time to keep moving toward shore.

 

Nice shot approaching T1 and coming out of the water:

 

Out of the water in 11:12, it was clear the swim was short by about 150 yards or so based on my pace.  With the starting position and fighting in the water, I was off the pace in my age group but around the top 25% overall.

 

I struggled up the hill to T1 and went out on to the bike.  The first part of the out and back to the main loop was down the park entrance road which had a few speed bumps.  Right after the last one my aero bottle was knocked loose with the velcro attachment coming undone.  I tried to get it reattached but ultimately had to stop to get it put back together.  This cost me another 30 seconds.  Then I was distracted by my Garmin which was not behaving, but I was able to fix it while still riding.

 

Once I got back underway I had a good bike and enjoyed the loop portion of the course.  The course had a nice uphill to start the loop, followed by a downhill and then a flat section to conclude the lap.  I was making up a lot of time on the uphill and maintaining a quick pace on the flatter sections.  My age group had a bunch of fast guys, but I was in the top 50% age group and top 25% overall.

 

Here are a few shots approaching T2 on the road with the speed bumps:

I had a pretty fast T2 and got out on the run course.  Like the bike course, it started with an out and back section to a mile loop which was done twice.  Here was the next error of the day as I was expecting a gently rolling course based on the course description.  However it was a very steep uphill and then a plateau followed by a steep downhill.  I just wasn’t mentally ready for this type of run.  I suffered up the climb and then tried to get back on pace.  I was moving ok along the flatter sections.  As usual, I struggled the most on the downhill where my knees were screaming.  I pushed on for another lap and then headed for home.  Despite the unexpectedly hilly course I was averaging a decent 8:15ish pace.  But this was only good enough for 12/14 in my age group, illustrating the strength of the field. 

 

Some shots coming back toward the finish line:  

 

I was pretty frustrated after the race, given I had an issue on every leg of the race but in retrospect my times weren’t terrible.  It was just another tune-up race for Montreal and it served that purpose.

 

Thanks to my support crew for the photos (some really great ones at this race!) and encouragement.

 

Final stats:

 

	Time	Distance	Pace	AG Place	%	Overall Place	%
# Entries				14		175
Swim	11:12	1/2 mile	1:16/100 yd	8	57%	47	27%
T1	2:33			9	64%	80	46%
Bike	48:54	17 miles	20.86 mph	6	43%	47	27%
T2	1:12			5	36%	36	21%
Run	29:45	3.6 miles	8:13/mile	12	86%	86	49%
Total	1:33:38			7	50%	56	32%

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Holcomb Farms 10k Race Report

August 22nd I raced at a small local 10k in West Granby CT.  I drove the course before the race and was surprised how hilly it was.  The race flyer described the course as rolling farm roads.  In reality it had a short steep hill up to the half mile mark then a gradual uphill to the 1.5 mile mark.  It was then flat to a steep downhill then turned right around a residential neighborhood.  Out of the neighborhood it was back on the same roads we came on, which meant back up the steep hill to the 4 mile mark and then mostly downhill to the finish.  Garmin had over 500 feet of climbing in 6 miles.

 

I had showed up hoping for a fast time, but was disappointed with the hilliness of the course.  I mentally went into a training mode prior to the race – resigned to a slower time.

As expected it was a small field with only 62 entrants, but most looked like pretty hardcore runners.  The race got started and I tried to keep the pace reasonable up to the first hill at the half mile mark.  I picked off a few runners up the hill and then really got settled into a rhythm.  I was holding a good pace up the hills and found some other runners running a slightly faster then comfortable pace to run with.  This really kept my effort level pretty even, with the pacing going up and down with the hills.  I really struggled on the downhill approaching halfway and was passed by several people.  After the turnaround I made up a lot of time on the steep uphill.  Everyone was in slow motion but I was able to just plug away up it.  Checking the watch I was ahead of my expected pace, even with the hills.  This was surprising.  I was on a good day.  As the road leveled out and heading gently down I really tried to bring up the pace now that I knew my time would still be good.  Each of the last 3 miles were progressively faster.  Approaching the finish, I was able to pass 2 more people in the last half mile.

 

As good as I felt the race went, my results stunk – but I think this is what I have to expect at a small running only race.  I finished 6/7 in my age group and 23/62 overall.  More importantly, my time of 51:26 was good for a PR at the 10k distance – by over 5 minutes! 

 

Mile 1 – 8:02

Mile 2 – 8:31

Mile 3 – 8:14

Mile 4 – 8:35

Mile 5 – 8:12

Mile 6 – 7:59

Mile 6.24 – 7:14

 

I need to get a lot faster to get one of the trophies.  The race was a benefit for the Holcomb Farm, and the trophies were pretty cool:

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Westboro Sprint Triathlon Race Report

On August 15th I raced at the Westboro Sprint Triathlon in Westboro, MA.  Once again this was close enough to my parent's house to enable them to spectate and I also was lucky enough to have my personal race sherpa/photographer in attendance.  This was a 1/4 mile swim, 14 mile bike and 2.9 mile run format.  The bike course was mostly flat, with the exception of one moderate hill and a few short but steep hills right before T2.  The run course was half trails and half road, with a finish across the soccer fields.  This was also the first year the race had been held.  The race was held at one of MA's finest abandoned mental hospitals - very creepy.  The weather was cooler then recent races and it was a comfortable 60 for race time.

 

Also a change from the last few races was that I was in the second to last wave which meant plenty of traffic on course.  For the swim I decided to get a little more aggressive as I was thinking this race would play out similar to the Hockomock race.  I didn’t want to get trapped in traffic.  I figure it's time for me to start more towards the front as my times for these sprint races have been consistent.  I started right on the front row, on the inside half of the line.  Wow.  What a difference being in the front.  The wrestling match was crazy.  Lots of kicks, punches and people trying to swim over me.  Lots more contact in the initial few strokes.  Nothing I couldn't deal with but it was definitely more noticeable then starting further outside or towards the back. 

 

There I am in the top middle fighting with some other swimmers:

On the plus side, it gave me a better line and less traffic to the buoy.  That's me with the wetsuit on the left of both the below pictures.  Notice the floaters from the previous wave and the traffic coming in from the outside towards the first turn, while I am swimming straight at it.

 

        

Hit the beach with the exact same swim time as Hockomock, 6:57, which put me 4th in my age group and in the top 10% overall.  Was pleased as I didn't really feel like I swam very hard - just a nice controlled rhythm.  Both transitions has very long chutes in and out and T1 was steeply uphill from the lake and then another steep uphill from the soccer field to the road.  That spiked the heart rate. 

 

Once on the bike it was still uphill to the first turn.  Here's a shot getting going after the mounting line.

 

The below pic is right at the first turn.  I like the guy waving goodbye to us.  Notice the guy on the yellow bike.  He followed me around the entire bike course; you can see him again on the second picture still right behind me.  He ended up finishing second in my age group, obviously due to a fast run. 

My bike was great, I really liked the course.  Very flat up to the 11 mile mark and then a few quick hills towards the end.  I really felt good on the bike but saw a lot of blatant drafting around me.  A group of 10 guys tried to roll by me.  I called them out for being a bunch of cheaters and then attacked in anger up the next hill - never saw them again.  I ended up coming off the bike 2nd in my age group.  This was my fastest bike of the year and also my best placing, also inside the top 10% overall.

 

Here are some shots of me approaching T2.  The marshal was not impressed with my speed:

Had a quick transition, but again the timing mat was way down a chute so the time looks slow.  Right out of transition it was literally into the middle of a cornfield on a rocky trail.  The trail was narrow and uneven, so not good for any speed.  However, the other runners from early waves kept me motivated as I was passing some slower runners and not getting passed by many.  After the run through the cornfield, we circled the lake on a trail that was slightly uphill.  I was holding between 8 and 8:30 pace on my offroad adventure.  At about the halfway mark we got on pavement and I was able to accelerate.  Knowing there was only about a mile and a half left, I decided to see how fast I could go.  I was able to hold around 7:30 pace the rest of the way.

 

Entering the soccer fields with about 300 yards remaining, I saw this guy behind me trying to outsprint me.  I was already at my limit from running harder for the last 1.5 miles and couldn't sprint much faster - only at about 6:20 pace for the last quarter mile.  He was able to catch and pass me.  Two races in a row this has happened.  Unlike at Marlboro this was a loss of position in my age group.  Very frustrating to lose a position by just 6 seconds.  I guess I'm not much of a sprinter running - which is interesting because I always used to have a very good sprint on the bike.

 

 

I beat my expected overall time by about 2.5 minutes, mostly due to a faster bike and run then I was forecasting.  This was also my fastest run in a race, at 7:41 average pace.  This led to a breakout performance for me, as I almost made the top 10% overall at the finish.  Knowing I started the run in 2nd place was also a best for the year.  I was only passed by 5 guys in my age group on the run.

 

I thought it was a well run race, particularly given that it was in its first year.  I loved the bike course, but the run would be a disaster if it was not dry conditions.  The parking was pretty far from the actual finish line area which led to a lot of walking for my spectating crew.  The run finish in a wide open bowl was good for watching the conclusion of the race.

 

Here are the final stats for the race:

 

	Time	Distance	Pace	AG Place	%	Overall Place	%
# Entries				31		316
Swim	6:57	1/4 mile	1:35/100 yd	4	13%	32	10%
T1	2:17			9	29%	59	19%
Bike	39:46	14 miles	21.12 mph	5	16%	27	9%
T2	1:19			9	29%	39	12%
Run	22:18	2.9 miles	7:41/mile	16	52%	84	27%
Total	1:12:35			7	23%	34	11%

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2010 Ironman Timberman 70.3 by Rico

My preparation leading up to the race was a bit unconventional, I had just completed the Bronx Half Marathon and biked 50 miles the weekend before rather than taper. Also spent Thursday and Friday ALL DAY on my feet visiting Mystic Seaport/Aquarium and Six Flags New England before finally arriving to New Hampshire with Regina, the kids and our adopted step child Mike Kimelman.

The temps felt perfect for race day, low 70s with overcast. I was hoping the rain would not hit but eventually did mid way through the bike. The Pros started at 7am with my wave starting at 7:50. The swim start was crowded and I took an unusually high volume of kicks and elbows for the first quarter mile. My sighting was not the best but overall was happy to see my time of 44:06.

I quickly got into an easy rhythm on the bike, I had planned to bike based on a heart rate of 85% rather than just hammering away to maximize my MPH. My watch was not reading my heart rate nor my speed, so I was left to use perceived exertion to base my pace. For the first 15 miles I kept what felt like a sustainable pace as though I was doing a full ironman. I than picked up the pace slightly and when I hit mile 25 I was feeling strong. I decide to once again pick up the pace and really start working hard but keeping it comfortably hard (if that makes any sense). I wish I had the stats on my heart rate but when I got off the bike, I felt strong with energy in the tank for the run. Despite what I thought was a slower pace I realized that I still managed to finish with a strong bike split of 2hrs 50min flat or 19.8MPH on what was a hilly bike course. Starting the bike split slowly and not getting to cocky or letting ego take over was paying off.

I lost a little bit of time in T2 as I accidently ran down the wrong isle and struggle to find my transition spot. My sneakers and socks were soaked due to the rain but by the start of the run the rain had stopped.

At the start of the run I was immediately in the right place mentally. I was feeling happy with my bike split and had energy to spare. At this point I knew as long as I didn’t fall apart I was going to have a shot at a PR. The first mile marker came quickly, Before I really knew it I was already at mile 4 and still feeling no pain. I though about pushing harder but I was on track for a PR by keeping at my current pace. There is still a long way to go and anything could happen. I hit mile 7 and realized I was feeling the same as I did during my first mile, no breaking down. Typically by this point I am hating the sport, cursing myself out and claiming to never registering for another race again. Instead I was smiling and feeling like I couldn’t be having a better time right now. When I hit mile 10 I finally felt the effects with my legs feeling heavy but by this time I was on such a high and feeling great about my race that It would take more than heavy legs to slow me down, I kept the same pace right to the finish line. I passed a lot of people in the last three miles of the run, that’s how I knew I was having a great race, I generally never pass anybody in the last three miles of a half ironman. This time it was me who was doing the passing right to the finish line with a half marathon time of 2:00:51 and overall finish of 5:40:01 (11 minutes faster than California). I finished strong and even got slightly emotional about it for 10 seconds and smiled the rest of the day.

They say almost everyone shows up to race physically ready to race but 80-90% of the field does not know how to execute a race, I believe that comment to be dead right. A successful race = a good run. There is no such thing as a good bike followed by a bad run. That usually means you messed up on your bike which means you had a bad bike. I proved that to be the case this weekend with a PR and feeling stronger at the finish line than any race I have done.

Thanks to Mike Kimelman for really pushing me to go do this event, and of course special thanks to my wonderful girlfriend Regina and the kids for being my number one fans and doing so in the rain.

Rico

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