IM 70.3 California (Oceanside) Race Report: "Five W's and One H"

Kaboom! The 2015 race season is game-on! My first race working with Coach Chris Bagg, proudly representing the Timex Factory Team was nothing short of an awesome experience.

Prepared! Not just a word but a resonating theme I can’t get out of my head best sums up
this big early season test. My left brain forced me to analyze (likely over-analyze if you know us Type-A triathletes) why prepared fits so well while my right brain is just feeling warm and fuzzy about the outcome. To satisfy my need for analysis I decided to apply the “Kipling Method” or better known to my son’s 5^th grade class as the “Five W’s and One H” questions. None of these questions can be answered by a simple “yes” or “no”, but even Capt. Kirk Obvious knows the Five-W’s…Who, What, Where, When and Why are fairly self-explanatory, albeit, Why was murky at times training through cold/wet/winter days in GA. But as an avid and competitive age-group triathlete, Why was easily justifiable. It all boiled down to the mysterious and clearly most exciting part of the equation – the 6^th and final question…How. How was I prepared?

 

The “How Blindfold” seeped a glimmer of light when I received my first training block from Chris on November 1^st. It didn’t take long for me to realize the herald line from Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” was staring me straight in the eye. I was coming out of a 6-week Transition Period (arguably 12-weeks beginning post IM Boulder -- with the Lifetime Olympic Tempe Triathlon in mid-Sep interrupting it...), lulled into the annual comfy and secure transitional period zone. But things were about to change and I couldn’t have been happier and more thrilled to get going with Chris.

My training blocks began to build like a carefully crafted and very cool “How Lego Set” as pieces magically fit on-top, alongside or below the prior like they knew exactly where to go.  Heart rate based speed work pushed the pace and I was making gains across the board like running an 18:04 5K in my Kiss MS Goodbye virtual charity race. As race day approached Chris was dialing me in and my focus and training efforts intensified -- I was prepared!

On to race day...                              

Decent swell near the mouth of the Oceanside Harbor along with patchy fog and glare towards the water exit made for challenging sighting at times, yet I would classify my swim as good. Not great, not really good, but good enough to come out of the water 39 out of 180 guys in my AG – or top 22% -- a nice improvement from my typical top-third placing. I was in a great spot -- I had 56-miles on the bike and 13.1-miles on foot to run down the 38 guys in front of me.

The bike at Oceanside is no joke! With 2,720 feet of elevation gain that really begins past the halfway point at mile-28, you can get pulled into an early course vortex that will turn-around and spit you back out by mile-41 if you’re not mindful. Chris said be patient, be patient and I was. But after-all this is a race so I found my rabbits creating a sense of urgency, staying with a Wattie athlete and a local San Diego guy through the hills and into the 11-mile home stretch.  The bike strategy paid dividends as I came off the bike in 19^th place, moving up 20-spots.

I came out of T2 super stoked -- feeling strong and focused. I was also excited to see my kiddos with my awesome brother Craig along the course. I gobbled down my T2 banana, locked and loaded into my first 5K HR zone and off I went. As I moved into my 2^nd 5K, I came up on the heel of a female pro and used her for pacing. We were running a slight sub-7 pace and I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. After approximately 2-miles she faded a bit and I passed her. I ran each 5K as a race within a race focused on managing my ever-drifting HR. I pulled down a 6:45 final mile and held on for a 133:03 ½ marathon – the 4^th fastest run split in my AG, and more importantly moving up 11 spots for an 8^th place AG finish. 

Thank you Chris for your direction and guidance answering my How getting me so well prepared.

Ironman 70.3 California will serve as a fantastic springboard for what is shaping up to be a banner 2015 season. Next up is the Rocky Point Olympic triathlon in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, and then onto Escape from Alcatraz for escape number 6. You’d think even Capt. Kirk Obvious should be able to figure out how to get the heck off the "Rock" again, but one thing is for sure – I will be prepared to do so.  Stay tuned and we’ll see.