Monday Morning Quarterback - Nations Tri

Ok, for starters, I realize my race report was filled with tears and excuses.

Yeahhh.... my bad.

Sorry for putting us both through that. You can read what a real race report is supposed to look like here:

• Chris McCormack - Ironman World Championships
  
• Chris Lieto - Ironman World Championships
  

HOWEVER.... whether that thing I called a "race report" was venting, race reporting, scape-goating or something else, it did me well to get it off my chest. I think my mind is clear enough that I can look back at the action and break it down Gary Miller style. Chances are we're in for another long, rambling post here, so don't say I didn't warn you.

3... 2... 1!

The Night Before - Nutrition, Sleep, etc. 

Good: I ate a big burrito and drank LOTS of water the night before (carbs, yes!). I also had everything laid out so I wouldn't need to screw around going through mental checklists when I woke up, including the food I planned to consumer right upon awakening. 

Bad: It was college football Saturday, which meant going to bed early was damn near impossible. I tried, only to find myself waking up frequently and having to check the scores. I probably didn't fall asleep for good until somewhere between 11pm and 12am. (I also woke up 45 minutes before my alarm was scheduled to go off. Rats!) In hindsight, I also should have eaten more, I think, and incorporated some fruit and vegetables - perhaps more traditional carbs like spaghetti and bread.  

Next Time: Get settled in a bit sooner and try to get in bed well ahead of when I should actually be falling asleep. Eat a more traditional meal that is made at home, as opposed to going somewhere. This will make for better nutrition and a guarantee of sufficient portions/consumption. 

Pre-Race Setup 

Good: I was able to get up, eat my food and get on my way very smoothly and calmly. I got into the transition area with plenty of time to get everything setup. I read a bit about how people lay out their helmets, sunglasses, shoes, etc, so I just tried to do something similar to that. 

Bad: Well, I got to the race so damn early that if it wasn't my first race I would've got pretty bored I think. Orrrrr, you could say I got there at the perfect time to get set-up and get a good solid warm-up in. Whoops. I didn't. 

Next Time: That brings us to "next time!" Next time it'd be smart to get the game-face on much earlier and get a good solid warm-up in. Get the heart-rate up, get a sweat going and get in the "compete" state of mind instead of the "participate" state of mind.

The Swim 

Good: I was 3rd in the water? I tread water pre-race successfully? That's about it, really. 

Bad: I had no open-water swimming experience before the race. None. And no, going tubing on a lake does not count.. obviously. I put a TON of anti-fog solution (read: spit) into my goggles and it totally backfired. Mid-race I cleaned them out and they were fine for the rest of the time with no fog problems what-so-ever. My wet-suit did not fit me properly and I had no experience using a wetsuit for anything other than tubing. The strangulation feeling accompanied by swimming in a wetsuit was completely new to me. I also cramped up on the way out of the water - 2nd calf cramp in my life and it happened right there. Also, heart-rate... 

Next Time: Lots more open-water swim practice!! Long, tempo-swims with wetsuit on in pool or open water!! Hell, I might even swim with my eyes closed when the lanes are empty enough. 

Transition 1

Good: I got my wetsuit off relatively easily after recovering from the calf cramp and lightly jogged up the ramp and into the transition area. Bike helmet and glasses went on immediately, sock and shoes went on, and nutrition was properly loaded. I was able to lightly jog with my bike from the transition area to the mounting line. 

Bad: Those fucking gloves. I stood at the start line struggling to put them on and it makes me shake my head in frustration every time I think about it. I also sat down on the ground too damn long when putting my shoes and socks on. It relaxed me and made me take more time than I needed. 

Next Time: No cycling gloves. Pre-roll socks and put them on standing up. Put shoes on standing up. Run faster from swim to bike. 

The Bike

Good: I ate and drank right once I got on the bike, as planned. I didn't draft, unlike the hundreds of others who did, whether they were trying to or not. I tried to take advantages of downhills since my uphills were atrocious, thus making the best of the situation.

Bad: I didn't eat/drink enough when on the bike. I only had one energy gel while on the bike, instead of the planned two. I also didn't finish my two water bottles of sports drink, a planned. I bonked a couple of times and figured it was due to tired muscles. I forewent using my heart-rate monitor and instead tried to keep a speed which I was more accustomed to training at - this ultimately backfired and I ended up going way slower than usual while still maintaining an out of zone heart-rate level.

Next Time: Train a lot more on rolling hills. Use those speeds as your averages so your expectations are more realistic, as opposed to speeds on completely flat land. Trust your heart-rate monitor. Eat and drink more than you think you should because obviously you don't know any better. RELAX and race your own race. Get training on the aero bars more so it feels natural. 

Transition 2

Good: Well-paced running in with the bike. Found my spot easily. Ran out at a decent pace. 

Bad: Gloves. Bike corral was too low so i had to bend/lean my bike awkwardly to get my seat under and locked in place. I sat down again to do the shoe shuffle. Didn't eat/drink right there in transition. Forgot to put on race number. 

Next Time: Duh - stand up the whole time and save yourself 2 minutes. Start "un-gearing" or dealing with nutrition while still on the bike - loosen shoe straps, eat a gel, drink, etc. Wear race-number so you don't look like you're a weekend jogger that got lost along the race route. PRACTICE YOUR TRANSITIONS.  

The Run  

Good: Opening pace was great. I felt tired, but still solid. I liked where I was at, considering the HR debacle of the race up until that point.I found someone running at a pace I was comfortable with and jumped behind him for as long as he could hold it. 

Bad: Nutrition just wasn't done correctly. I found myself in situations where I would start to bonk and wasn't sure if it was the nutrition or muscles being worn out. This wouldn't have been a question if I had made a solid nutritional plan and stuck to it. Mentally, I got very weak at the end of the race. I was not pacing according to my watch and instead was just relied on feel... which, when you're mentally spent, means walking every now and again. FOR SHAME!! 

Next Time: Make nutritional plan and stick to it. Come out of the gate with a pace in mind and hold it, even if you feel better. Run slower, instead of walking. Bring visor to keep sun off of face. 

Shout-Outs and Awards

1. me on the swim entry 
2. me into the transition area that morning at 4:30am 
3. Photographer Patrick
4. Adie and Beca
5. Local pro - Lindsey 
6. Mayor Fenty 

Golden Sombreros 

1. Guy who can't swim straight in the water: granted, I was probably bestowed with this honor by someone else at some point during the swim, so I can only smile at the thought of a bunch of us Fred's out there swimming in diagonal lines! 
2. Guy who I was pacing with on the run who bonked before I was ready: I know you tried hard, but ultimately the pressure of carrying us both to the finish line was too much for you to handle and you had to shut it down. You left me out there on my own, flailing about.
   
3. Shuttle bus after the race: It turns out the damn bus wasn't scheduled to show until almost three hours after the race ended. whaaaaat? So, instead of taking a nice relaxing bus-ride back from the race, I had to walk my bike (tons of swag made bike inoperable) for about 2 miles to the nearest city bus-stop that came anywhere close to my neighborhood. To add comedy to the situation, my chain fell off mid-walk. HARRRRR!