After a stomach flu related
DNS at Cedar Point last year, and a terrible DNF at the half distance this
year, I really wanted Cedar Point to go right.
Lana had to work until
Friday evening, so we drove half way from Illinois to Ohio Friday night and we
stopped at South Bend Indiana, in this awful hotel. It was right on Notre Dames campus, and
there were groups of drunk hockey players out playing bags in the parking lot
until 3 in the morning. The next
morning they had ‘breakfast’ that both of us were pretty afraid of, but since
there was no microwave in the room we made do.
We made it to Ohio and got a
quick swim in, then registered. After
registration I was shaking down my bike when I discovered my front wheel was
flat. I fixed it and noticed the wheel
was once again leaking from the valve.
I changed the valve extender, and my problem was fixed so I checked my
bike in. To say I was on edge would be a massive understatement.
That night we made dinner in
our room, as extra food poisoning prevention. Unfortunately Lana said her
stomach was already upset. I walked down
the beach to check my bike one last time that night. The tire was holding… I set the alarm for 4am and went to bed.
That night, at about 2 am,
Lana was sick. It seemed very similar to
what I had the year before. After the
tire stress, and then this, I had really had my fill of this race. Two years in a row…
I thought about it, but I
knew Lana would want me to race. She
went back to bed. I felt terrible for
her. When I got dressed that morning I
had a problem with the zipper on my new jersey. I’d only worn it once before, so Lana
suggested I take her bike jersey with, just in case…
Swim
Time 35:19
Distance 1.2M
Rate 2:00/100
AG Place 13 / 75
The lake swim was moved to the bay this year,
because a 25ish mph wind was creating some rip currents in the lake that made
swimming too dangerous, according to the coast guard.
It was a TT start, and I had to wait forever (it
felt) to swim. The swim was at least
half a mile from T1.
My swim went really well. I had a new wetsuit I was looking forward to
wearing (Tyr Hurricane Cat 5). My only
complaint, and it happens a lot in triathlon swims, is that the distance just doesn't add up. My GPS reported 1.33
miles instead of 1.2. That’s the
difference between a 1:33/100 swim and a 2:00/100 swim. Admittedly, I could have sighted poorly or
my watch could have been off, but I rarely swim as slow as 2:00/100, even on a
cool down lap, and I doubt very much that a 2:00/100 pace would have gotten me
13 in my AG. So, I choose to believe I
swam the 1.3 miles. :)
T1: 09:35
Note previous comment about long long run to T1.
Bike
Time 2:36:07
Distance 56 Miles
Speed 21.53
AG Place 16 / 75
Well, the good news is I had air pressure in my
tire!
Conditions were pretty bad. It was very windy and misting rain, enough
to make the cornering slow.
After the first 10 minutes I started working at
my goal watts. My RPE was way too high though,
like time trial high. But I was still missing
my numbers by about 5W. I looked down
and noted I was averaging about 23 Mph.
Nope, too hard. Something’s wrong
with the quarq maybe. I was questioning
everything, trying to figure out if I should push it, back down, or something
else. What’s the plan? I spun the pedals backwards a few times to
try to zero the quarq out. Still,
things aren’t feeling right, and I seriously doubt my electronics. Then I remember that I calibrated the quarq when
it was in the rev3 rack. Maybe
that?
By mile 56, I was ready to get off the bike, and
my average pace was right in line with what I did at route 66, on a worse day. So, even if I wasn't hitting my numbers, I
was going hard enough for today.
The last ten miles of the bike were with a wicked
cross wind coming from over the beach.
It was like being sand blasted. I
was holding on for dear life, and sand was everywhere. Up my nose, in my mouth, everywhere. I was happy to be done, but unsure about the
run.
T2: 04:13
Right off the bike into T2 I noticed the zipper
had broken on my new jersey. Seriously? Luckily I had Lana’s
bike jersey at her request earlier.
I took my time in T2, changing into dry socks, plan B for wet weather on the bike. I glanced down at my HRM and saw that the sock
change brought me down into zone 1, so I figured I’d go out and run a few miles
at low zone 2 and see what stuck, I was wanting to be careful at this point. Thinking about Lana sick in bed, I didn't want to drive all the way out here for another DNF, so a conservative approach
was warranted.
Run
Time 2:03:48
Distance 13.1 Miles
Pace 9:31
AG Place 25 / 75
After the first few miles ticked by, I was pretty
pleased to see I was sitting right around 9 minute pace, at the lowish end of
zone 2 heart rate. Combined with quick
aid station walks, I was averaging about 9:20.
Not speedy, but I knew at even that pace I was lined up for a huge
PR. I was running really well, and
decided to stay at that conservative pace.
(Yes Laura, your run training is working!!!)
At about mile 5 I picked it up into upper zone 2,
but I was really staying at about the same pace.
Around mile 10, I finally let myself hit zone
3. Running back into the park the last
two miles, I was running directly into the wind and I was very glad I was as
fresh as I was. I was right at
threshold, running a 10 minute mile.
Once we finally turned, I was all out, trying not to barf, and running
to the finish.
And finally, having executed every plan B in my race plan, thinking about my poor wife with the
same stomach bug I had last year, my jacked up quarq, and the flats the day before, I turned
down the finish chute to smile for my finish line picture, in my purple woman’s
bike jersey, relieved to cross the finish and happy that an anvil didn't fall
from the sky to bonk me on the head.
Good grief, what a race.
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