Long Road to Boylston Street

Monday April 18, 2016, 1:56pm EST I crossed the finish line of the 120th Boston Marathon and concluded a 20 month journey that began on a much more somber note. In August of 2014 I was recovering from surgery and looking for a way to give a giant middle finger to a recent cancer diagnosis. Triathlon season was over and the only races in the next few months were running races. With this in mind it was very easy for me to decide what to do. I was going to run the California International Marathon and qualifying for the 2016 Boston Marathon. I only had 3 months to train but I didn’t care. I was a strong runner with a solid foundation and I had the added benefit of being 40 on race day which bought me an extra 5 minutes for my qualification time. All I had to do was run a 3:15 and I would get my BQ. On December 7, 2014, I ran a 3:09 marathon and by besting my BQ time by almost 6 minutes virtually guaranteed my spot in Hopkinton.

CIM Finish line - Dec 2014 - 3:09 BQ

Fast forward to the night before the race. Caroline, my Mom and I ate an early dinner at our hotel. After dinner I went up to the room and got everything laid out and ready for the next morning. I got in bed around 8pm and then proceeded to toss and turn for hours. The last I remember looking at the clock was 12:30am. So much for an early bed time. 4:45am alarm came and it was time to get moving.  I dressed quickly and went down to lobby for breakfast. I ate a bowl of oatmeal, cup of yogurt and half of a bagel with almond butter. Grabbed a banana for the road and left hotel to walk to buses. Along the way I dropped my post-race bag at the appropriate spot and then walked over to the Commons to load on buses. I arrived at the buses at 6am and was loaded onto the first round of buses. I got the very last seat on the bus all the way in the back which was a single seat and it meant I had a ton of leg room. On the ride out to Hopkinton I was able to sleep for a bit which was exactly what I needed. We arrived at the Village and I grabbed a cup of coffee and found a nice spot on the grass to lay down. I hit the toilets a few times and at 8:30 began a long stretching routine in an effort to warm up my calf. I also had a few heating pads that I put on my legs in an attempt to warm up the legs and get them ready for a long day. Before long it was time to go to the corral loading area. First we were loaded into corrals to walk to the start and after a short wait we headed out on the long walk to the start line.  I waited until the last runners had began walking and then found a good open spot in the crowd.  I tried to get as much room as possible in order to have the space to get my dynamic stretches in.  Once at the starting area, I found some room to do some strides, I quickly hit the toilet one more time, grabbed a sip of water and headed to corral. They played the Star Spangled Banner, there was a flyover by 2 Blackhawk helicopters and then the gun went off. It took about 6 minutes for my Corral, 8 of 8, to cross the start line. On the walk up to the line I was in a dream world, I couldn’t believe after everything it took to get here I was finally running the race. I must have completely spaced out because as we were crossing the start line a guy looked at me and said, “You might want to start your watch!” Then in a blink I was running the Boston Marathon.

Due to a recent training injury my plans had changed a bit. I was going to take it easy at the start and ease into a pace that was comfortable for my calf. This was slightly difficult because the energy and emotions were at about a 15 on a scale from 1 – 10 and the first few miles are on a steep downhill. I started out with a 7:26 pace for mile one and was feeling great. I picked it up a bit in mile two and did a 6:57 second mile. It was at this point that I did an assessment of my calf and decided I was going for it. Operation Sub 3 Boston Marathon was on. My plan was to find a rhythm for the first 8 miles and settle in. Which is exactly what I did. I took water and Gatorade with ease and ate my first Gu at 40 mins. I breezed through the first 8 miles and was on pace. I had a wristband with splits, I used the mile pace as a general guide and mostly ran the by feel, I was more focused on keeping my overall time splits within a minute of the goal for the first half of the race. I really enjoyed going through each city, they were all similar but different at the same time. The crowds were amazing and I high 5’d lots of kids and really enjoyed the openness of the course. I assumed there were barricades for 26.2 miles but that is not the case. The biggest surprise and a huge drain on the body, mentally and physically, was how crowded the course was for the first 10 miles or so. You are mostly in small towns on the main road which is only a two lane road. On the descents you could look forward over the heads of runners in front of you and all you'd see was wall to wall runners. I used up a ton of energy passing runners, trying not to trip people and not getting tripped, literally elbow to elbow a points. The course did not space itself out until about mile 10.

The second part of the race plan consisted of miles 8-16. These miles were going to flatten out a bit and my plan was to be settled in my pace by this point and continue to click off the miles. Before the race, one of the things Gerardo told me was not to get sucked into the chaos at Wellesley University. I didn’t know exactly where that was along the course and before I knew it I was in the middle of the screaming girls. It was actually pretty cool, one of the unique experiences you get at Boston. I maintained my composure during the long line of girls until I didn't, I decided maybe I would grab a quick kiss from one of the girls. I mean, when was I going to be hunted like that again. So I scanned the crowd, found my target and went in for a peck on the check, when she turn to me and landed one right on the lips HAHA!! That was cool, had a good laugh and as I settled back into my pace two guys congratulated me. It was a fun moment and a cool memory. I passed the half way point and was feeling great. It was then I began to think I might actually pull this off. At 13.1 miles my projected finish time was 2:58. I was right on schedule. At Mile 15 I had some family members there waiting to cheer me on. They made some very cool signs and gave me a nice welcome. It was really special to see them there and they will forever be a part of my first Boston. I am grateful they took the time to do that. I slowed down a bit at that point to say hi and give them a hug. My 15th mile was a 7:27 and then I picked it up a bit for a 7:10 at mile 16 but that would be the end of my race. Because lurking right around the corner were a serious bout of cramps I never saw coming.

Houston we have a problem!

The third portion of my race was miles 16-21. This was going to be the most challenging of the day as they made up the majority of the hills I would see. There were three climbs followed by the dreaded Heartbreak Hill. In my mind I was not too concerned about them as we have much bigger hills around here and I was trained to get over them. I got over the first hill but I was going slowly. As I passed mile marker 17 I was stopped dead in my tracks with a hamstring cramp I pulled over to the side and worked it out. I don’t remember how long I was there but soon I was walking and running again. The next 8/9 miles were more of the same.

Oh man, walking sucks!!

I came to a complete stop two more times and then spent the rest of the time mixed between walking and running. Deep down I was disappointed but that really didn’t last long. I was running the Boston FREAKING Marathon and at the end of the day this really is fun for me. The cramps were painful but soaking in the experience and enjoying the moment was much easier when I was going slow. Beacon Street was a mad house and added a little zip to my step but all I wanted was Boylston Street. I knew Caroline was there and based on tracking data I knew she’d be extremely worried about my slow progress. When I finally made it to Boylston I began looking for her. She was just past the convention center and I ran over and gave her a huge hug. It was like a energy boost for me. We hugged and then she pushed me away and said, “Go finish!!” I’ll never forget that moment. The next 200 yards it felt like I was floating. The crowds were going crazy and I lifted my arms in triumph.
I failed to break 3 hours, heck I failed to even run the whole way but I was a Boston Finisher and no one can take that. I was proud as I crossed the line and held my head high. I was now a different person in the running community and was honored to be in the fraternity. I got my medal, hugged the women who gave it to me and then the pain set in. Wow my hamstrings ached. It was a long walk to the bag pick up, about 3 blocks and I was not moving fast at all. I stopped a few times to try to stretch out but little helped…I really just wanted to sit down. When I made it to the bag drop area someone was standing up from the only chair in site. I plopped down and a nice lady brought me my stuff. I texted Caroline and made plans to meet back at hotel. I texted Gerardo to let him know about the cramps as I am sure he thought I re-injured my calf. I changed my clothes and then it all came out. I was completely overcome with emotion. I had been carrying this weight of Boston with me for 16 months and it felt good to just relax and be done. What I mean by weight is the entire Boston experience for me was long and emotional. It probably seems silly to hear for someone who has not gone through this but after training to qualify, qualifying, making plans, changing plans, then training for race, traveling to race, checking in, getting on buses and the entire journey to finally get to the start line you can lose site of the fact that you actually have a marathon to run. To finally cross the line and get the medal and be done was a huge release of pressure and it just felt right to exhale. After I got myself straight I began the process of walking back to hotel, made all the more difficult with the road closures and security. My hotel was one block from the finish line but it was a full 8 blocks of walking to get back. I was so grateful that my hotel had 1-gallon size freezer bags filled with ice as you boarded the elevator. I grab 4 bags and went to my room. Once inside I crashed onto the bed, Caroline took off my shoes and I iced my hamstrings and quads for 20 minutes while I re-lived the entire race to Caroline and my Mom. The topper was when I asked for a hamburger. I don't eat burgers at all anymore but I wanted one so bad. Room service brought me my $40 burger and I was good.

Looking back I am so happy with how everything went down. I did not break 3 hours but that's not the point here, there will be another day for that. I finished Boston, 20 months cancer free, and joined a impressive list of runners who have qualified for and finished the most prestigious marathon in the world.  There are many less fortunate then I am who are fighting more serious battles everyday.  I can't speak for them but I can say that when you face a scare like I did it lights a fire inside of you that wasn't there before. This fire drives me to be a better husband, father, son and friend.  It also pushes me to explore and break through boundaries that I did not have the courage to in the past.  I can't wait to see where it takes me next. 



 

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 [Ma1]

When your race punches back!

Coming into my 3^rd Half Ironman I was ready, my training had been going about as good as I could ask, heath wise I was in the best shape I could be in and I was looking forward to letting my training shine on a fun day.  Additionally, I was going to be matched up against a good friend, the same guy who introduced me to this sports a few years back.

Race prep and travel went off without a hitch.  My Mom wanted to come and see a triathlon, I think she enjoyed going to Sacramento with me for CIM and was interested in seeing what an Ironman event was all about.  On Friday we drove down, went to athlete check-in and did some shopping then had lunch near the Pier.  After lunch we headed over to the Harbor to give her a tour of the swim start and transition area as well as go over the best spots to be in and when to be there.  We also meet up with my Wife’s cousin who would be racing as well.  We stayed with them for a bit and then left to check into our hotel.  Finished the day with an early dinner, last minute morning prep and off to bed. 

My alarm went off at 4:30 and like last year I ate breakfast while going over my race plan one more time.  After breakfast I loaded up my gear for the day and made the mile bike ride down to the harbor.  Transition areas always make me laugh.  There is so much none-sense going on in the morning that I just like to people watch to pass the time.  I got me stuff set up, which takes about 5 minutes, and then just cruised around a bit to see what was going on.  Some people were stressing out, other people were all the way in their wetsuits an hour before their wave swinging their arms around and bending down to “stretch” or whatever.  Other people are running around looking for a spare front wheel, not kidding, the announcer asked if anyone had a spare front wheel.  At about 5:45 I went for a jog to do my dynamic stretching, not in my wetsuit, and spent about 20 minutes by myself on the beach just going over my plan for the day.  Was hoping to catch the sunrise but it was too early for that and really overcast.  I then went back to my area and got my wetsuit on and headed over to bathrooms to take care of business.  This is where I first hooked up with Ryan and we chatted and then it was time to line up for the cattle call into the water.  Like last year I had a really late wave, 20 of 23, so while we were moving through the line to get in the water the pros where headed into Transition.  Just before it was our turn to get in the water I hooked up with Ryan again and got the first bit of good news of the day.  He was in my wave BUT he was wearing a different color swim cap. I’ll get into that later.  We got in the water and treaded water while we got our not so great countdown of “1 minute”…”30 Seconds”…” GO GO GO”  Some countdown.

Coming into the swim my strategy was simple….find and stay with Ryan as long as possible and then just do your own thing, this was made all that much easier when he showed up at the start line with a dark brown cap on a sea of yellow caps.  JACKPOT.  Instead of trying to stay with someone who looked like everyone else he stood out.  The gun went off and I locked in on Ryan and was able to hang with him for about 400 yards.  That’s when he started to pull away and I was now on my own.  No big deal, I focused on my stroke, breathing, how high my elbow was getting out of the water and staying in the moment.  I have a history of getting out of rhythm a lot and it always slows me down.  This time I had a calm about me that was refreshing and I just got to work.  Since I was in the 20^th wave I encountered a lot of slow swimmers, way more then I remember from last year.  Last year I got caught up late in the swim between the docks and buoys but this year it was before the turn around.  In the past I would stop and readjust my position to get around the slow swimmers, this time I decide to just go through them.  Why am I going to stop and move around the slow people?  As I approached the feet of a swimmer I just pushed the feet over with my hand upon entry as if to say I’m coming.  This move worked great and if it didn’t then my second stoke was a bit further up on the body with another push, there was never a time I needed to do a third reminder.  Also, if I was approaching two swimmers close to each other, I just pushed my way in between them, something I’ve practice a few times during swim workouts.  I was actually having fun on a swim, this has never happened before.  In every race swim I have done there was a moment where I mentally cracked and had the thought, “Why am I doing this, this swim is not fun, I’m cold, I’d rather be in bed and so on”  that’s usually the time I settled back into a relaxed pace and just go into “Finish” mode.  This has always cost me time that I am no longer willing to give up.  Once I made the two turns and headed back I was locked in.  Sighting on the way out is always tough but coming back I pick up the only building in sight and just go.  You can stray to the right a bit on the way back and pick up a lot of time.  Still fighting through people and with the final stretch in sight I looked to my right and saw a familiar cap.  Looked again and noticed it was Ryan, as soon as I saw him I moved right onto his hip and got a bit of a ride.  I could not hold on for that long because there was so much traffic and it’s possible he was not happy with where I was.  After a few moves to clear the lane he was immediately on my left and we were stoke for stoke for about 10 stokes, him breathing to his right and me to my left I knew who he was but did he know it was me?  I just smiled and kept going.  As we approached the dock I lost sight of him, as I had the inside lane, but by then I was just so happy to be coming out of the water with him.  I hit the ramp and kept running.  I looked ahead and did not see him and did not have the time or space to look back.  I ran down the narrow carpet as fast as possible.  When I made the turn into transition I heard Ryan’s wife, Stephanie, scream out my name and then almost immediately she screamed for Ryan.  I slowed up a bit and we ran side by side down the long transition area to our bike which was basically in the same spot.  That really was an awesome moment for me, probably a bit over dramatic but I was really happy to share that with him.  This is such an isolating sport that when you do have time to share it with someone, especially the person who brought you into this sport, it’s pretty cool.  Looking back and based on what I know of Ryan he was probably not enjoying that at all.  I can imagine all he was thinking was how he now had to have the bike of his life to put the distance needed to hold off the run we both knew I was capable of.  Neither of us knew that the H2H battle we were so looking for had just seen its high point and was about to end almost as quickly as it began.

Ryan, just in the frame on the left, chasing me down in T1.  Got him by 2 seconds
out of the water.  The only time I was in front all day.

I’ve gotten fairly efficient with my transitions and this one was no different.  Even though it was about 3:30, this is a huge transition and requires a lot of running.  I got my stuff together and was running out ready for my ride.  Leaving the harbor I immediately noticed something was off.  There was a sound coming off the back wheel that sounded like something was on the wheel getting run over with each rotation.  I figured there was something stuck on the wheel and tried my best to ignore it as I mentally prepared myself for the next 56 miles.  But around mile 2 the noise was still there and I decided to dismount and take a look.  I did not see anything so at that point I just assumed I’d go 56 while listening to my back wheel making the thump thump sound.     But at mile 5 my worse race nightmare came true.  The dreaded sound of all the air leaving one of your tires as fast as it can.  My rear tube popped.  I can’t tell you how pissed off I was.  Just 5 miles into the ride that was going to set up my epic run was toast.  I pulled over, dismounted and had a hissy fit.  Full grown man hissy fit!!  I was so upset I really lost my composure for a few minutes.  Once finished having my own little pity party I began changing the flat.  No issues at all, I got the new tube in and tire back on all ready to inflate with my CO2 cartage but there was no stem.  UUURGGGHHHH – melt down #2 commence.  I had the wrong tube!!!!  So annoyed.  Remove tire and tube grab 2^nd of 2 spare tubes and start all over.  At this point I realize I am now out of spare tubes and another flat and I’m likely done for the day.  All an all I think I lost about 11-13 minutes with my melt down, 2 changes and clean up.  The next 10 miles were spent reconciling what had happened and how I was going to deal with it.  My entire ride strategy was out the window and I needed a new one fast.  

After my flat, trying to figure out what to do next.

 My attitude of aggression and going all out to put down a crazy fast time was changed to an attitude of gratitude and staying positive.  Until about mile 45 I was just having fun….talking to people as I passed, thanking the Marines and volunteers, singing and whistling on the climbs and just living life out loud.  Probably annoyed people but who cares.  What I learned during this period is that people take this stuff way to seriously.  We are Age Groupers doing something we really like to do, we are healthy enough to tax ourselves for 5+ hours and chase crazy goal, loosen up everyone.  On the climbs I tried to engage so many people with jokes, banter, anything at all and no one bit.  Not even the people pushing their bikes up the hills.  These where the people way in the back of the pack, remember I was wave 20 of 23 and I had at least 11 minutes at the side of the road.  I was not dealing with people trying to break 5 hours or grab a WC spot.  These were the ones just out to finish and even they were so uptight.  Oh well.  Maybe I was like that too, although I doubt it, but if I was I am not anymore.  Going forward I will still chase big dreams and look to crush some dudes in the process but only if it stays fun.  As soon as it is not I’m out.  As we made the right turn off the base and headed back to the harbor the head wind hit us hard.  I got in a tighter aero position and just started hammering it, or so it felt.   I wanted so badly to get to the run to “redeem” myself that I probably over did it a bit on the way back in.

I thought I recovered pretty well from the flat until I realized that an hour into the ride I’d been totally consumed with the flat tire that I forgot to eat anything.  Not a bite.  So here is where problem #2 begins.  Not thinking straight I start eating 1.5 to 2 times as much each time I ate.  I assumed I still needed the calories I just had less time to consume them.  What I did not consider was that I needed the time to properly digest the food, something I did not have that would hurt me on the run.

They had us ride all the back to the end of the transition area so we had a long slow ride to the end.  Since I was already way behind I decided to try something I have never done before.  Get out of my shoes before the dismount….nothing like trying something new in the middle of a race.  But it went perfectly and I got off the bike really quick and since it was a long run to my spot I did not have to struggle with running in my cycling shoes.  I guess I’ll be doing that from now on?  Flying mount next??? Not!!

Looking and feeling good at about Mile 2.  Thanks for the photo and support Mom.

I had a solid plan for the run and unlike last year decide to stick to it from the start.  The first mile I really worked on not going too fast and felt pretty good holding a perfect 6:50 pace.  Next two miles were about the same but the problem was I was not able to go any faster.  6:50 was what I had and I decide to just hold it for a bit and try a few surges to get the pace down to the 6:40 range.  During one of my attempts to get going I felt a cramp starting in my left leg above the knee and up the inside of my thigh.  I slowed down a bit and worked through the crap which lasted about two miles.  I was pretty happy with how I was able to control the breathing and minimize the cramp and I ultimately fought through it.  Now I was ready to go, except this is when my overeating came back to haunt me.  For the next 4 miles I was really uncomfortable.  I never threw up but I was doing those deep burps that felt like I was going to throw up.  This is FUN!!!   Mile 10-12 were really tough but I knew with each step I was close to finishing.  At the aid station at mile 11.5 I was finally able to get some liquid in me.  I walked this aid station, drank water Gatorade and a big cup of ice cold coke.  My stomach had mellowed out a bit and was finally able to get a good amount of liquid in me along with the right amount of sugar to get me to the end.  I finally made it to the finishing chute and smiled, almost laughing at what had just happened.  It was a day of really high highs and low lows but in the end it was something I am glad I went though.  Not every race is going to go your way, you are going to get flat tires, cramp, have stomach issues and you are going to have to deal with it.  Now that I’ve done it I am better prepared to handle when they happen again.  My time was 5:16 not bad but not what I was hoping for.  Today was a test and I think I did pretty well all things considered.  I made mistakes but I certainly didn't fail.

The self deprecating finish!

In the end I did not do what I wanted to do and I missed my goal time by a ton but I finished a tough race on a day where others may have quit or mailed it in and I didn’t.  For that I am proud.  If nothing else it has re-ignited a fire in me that may have wavered a bit after experiencing so much success at this distance so quickly.  I qualified, all be it a roll down spot, for Worlds in only my second attempt at this distance.  A nice kick in the junk may be exactly what I needed.  Oceanside will have to apologize to Boise after this one.  

Now I look forward to taking a well earned training break.  I am going on vacation with the family for the kids Spring Break and will not do a single workout for 11 days.  I'll probably swim in the ocean and do a run at some point but it will all be for fun.  Since September 1st I have been going pretty hard and it's time to chill for a bit.  

Vineman 70.3 Race Report - July 13, 2014

For my second 70.3 I picked Vineman, mostly because it was such a popular race and seemed like a nice place to get away to for a few days.  Everything I heard about the race was that it was fast and I think in my mind I equated fast with easier (compared to Oceanside).  This would lead to me setting some pretty aggressive goal splits, none of which I hit.  But that doesn’t me the day was not a success.  In fact, it was a hugely successful and a day I am still having trouble fully understanding what I did.  Aside from the goal splits I wanted to break 5 hours and to be the fastest Fortius Athlete of the day.

I drove up to our rented house with my teammate Paul on the Friday before the race.  The ride was long but it was nice to get to know Paul a little better.  This was his first 70.3 so I gave him as much advice as I could.    We got to the house around 5:30 and meet up with two other teammates Faeron and Kosha.  We chatted for a bit and then went to the store to get food and cooked a nice dinner at the house.  Saturday was a leisurely morning around the house and then we went to packet pick up, dropped our run gear in T2 and then back to the house for lunch.  After lunch Heather and I rode down to the swim start to get familiar with the swim course and T1.  I had heard a lot about the incline coming out of T1 and there was much debate about riding or running up the incline.  I tested out riding up the incline and it went well.  Once back at the house I went for a quick run and then swam a bit in the river.  The house had kayaks so I took one out for a really nice relaxing time on the water.  Took it easy the rest of the afternoon and then cooked another nice dinner at the house and was off to bed early.

Race morning went as planned, I ate a bowl of granola with Almond milk, Greek yogurt and half a wheat bagel with almond butter.  This combo seems to be perfect for a 70.3 as I have done it twice now and both times never got hungry until after the race.  T1 is set up so you can come and go basically as you please compared to Oceanside where the shut it down at a certain time and you have to wait for your wave.  Here we were instructed to be there an hour before your wave so we ended up getting there at 6:30 (for a 7:24 start).  In hindsight this was a little too tight for me.  I like to take my time setting up and getting ready and “taking care of business” when I got there most racks were full, meaning I was late, and I was kind of rushed.  I still had time to do everything I needed but it was slightly uncomfortable.  I made my way down to the beach just as the 8^th wave (I was in 10) was starting.  I like to watch at least one group go out to see what’s going on.  After that we were called to the waiting area and then in the water.  I was able to get in a good swim warm up in the 6 minutes we had between groups.  I settled into a spot I liked and waited. 

Our age group was split up into two groups and it did not feel crowded so at the gun everyone was off and there was not a lot of contact.  I tried to hook up with some swimmers but was not able to find anyone so I was on my own.  Things were going great until we hit the 3^rd buoy, that’s where it got real shallow and I began to dolphin dive.  I figured I would do that until people started passing me.  This never happened and I dolphin dove all the way to the 4^th buoy.  Then I began to swim again.  Fairly uneventful to the turn around when I looked at my watch and saw 18 mins.  This was not great.  I wanted to do something in the low 30’s and I knew I needed to really get moving.  Just then it got the shallowest it was on the swim.  The water was probably only 1 foot deep at this point and very rocky.  I stood up and walked, tried to back stroke and basically just fought until you could swim again.  It was so frustrating, I had heard it was shallow and there would be people walking but it was far worse than I expected.    After this part I got back into a good pace and just went all out to the start.  Got out of the water quickly, removed goggles, cap and wetsuit as quickly as possible and threw everything into the provided bag.  

Not that I am the fastest at T1 (20/249 AG) but it always surprises me how many people beat me to the bike but are just standing at their bikes looking like they are waiting for something.  I hit T1 and I feel like a storm coming through, getting everything done as fast as possible.  They may beat me out of the water but I always beat them out of T1.  Once I got to the mount line I decide to run the hill.  The day before the entire ramp was open and there was a ton of space to maneuver.  On race day the ramp was cut in half and it was pretty narrow, a  prefect spots for disaster.  Once up the hill I mounted and had a little trouble clipping in on the left side due to dirt but quickly got moving.  I saw Kelly right away and she said Kosha was just ahead of me, I knew in my head that there was no way I would see him any sooner than mile 5 of the run so I just put my head down and got to work.  The first five miles are flat and straight.  A great chance to get warmed up and ready for the next 2:40, if all went well.  After a few extremely sharp turns and a quick climb we were on Westside and into the rollers.  It was here when I saw my first of many Fortius teammates; Joel and I said a few words.  I had been hearing for a few months now about these rollers and there really is no way to prepare for them other than riding the course.  I have explained to a few people after the race that none of them were especially challenging but it’s as if you leave a little piece if you on each one and by then end of the day the small rollers seem like brutal climbs.  The constant up and down, go hard and recover, really takes its toll on you and for me it was my quads.  This was the first race I was doing where I was really focusing on Power.  I had a power number in mind and I spent most of the ride just above that number.  I was not worried as I knew of the course of the ride the number would come down a bit and be very close to where I wanted to be.  I used the same nutrition plan for this race as my previous 70.3.  I took about 700-800 calories which included 2 bottles of water with Skratch and half of another bottle of water only along with 5-6 salt pills.  It is a bit of an effort to eat that much over the course of 56 miles but I forced myself to stay on track and make sure I got in enough or else the run would be lost.  I made it to the half way point just under my 1:20 target and was doing great.  The highlight of the bike was when John caught me and we rode for approx 5 miles together from 35-40.  It was so nice to talk to a familiar face during the race.  It was like we were out on a training ride, a perfect mental break to take your mind of things for a bit without losing focus of the big picture.  After we passed the house he was staying in and his personal cheering section, at mile 40, he took off.  The only real climb was about mile 44 up Caulk Hill.  It was tough but not too long or too steep.  Nothing we had not seen and climbed before.  I was so happy to see nobody walking their bikes up the hill, unlike Oceanside. I caught John at about mile 54 and we rode the last two together discussing what was coming and how we were feeling.  Unfortunately he was not doing so well after going a bit too hard on the bike, something he brought up as soon as he initially caught me back at mile 35.  We dismounted together and took the long run through T2 and to our run gear.  The past few T2’s I have tried to avoid sitting down only to waste time fumbling with my shoes and having to sit down anyways.  This time I racked the bike and just sat down.  Switched shoes, took off helmet, grabbed hat and nutrition and took off.  John and I wished each other luck on the run and I was off.

Here we go…the run.  As soon as the run started I caught Heather, we shared words of encouragement and went on our ways.  I really needed to stay calm in the first four miles of this run.  I knew the last 4/5 miles were going to be brutal so I needed to make sure I was not overdoing it early.  It was not easy but I fought the urge and put in a 22:46 5K (7:20 pace) which included a bathroom stop.  I just tried to convince myself I was out for a 13 run and there was no need to push it out of the gate.  This mental trick actually worked and maybe a bit too much as I was slower then I wanted to be but I took it as a good sign.   I took some fluids at each aid station and ice at a few with salt pills every couple miles and was feeling pretty good, not amazing but good and I made it into and out of the winery.  This is where the battle really started.  I knew we would be heading toward a turn around a little past mile 8 and after exiting the winery it would be just shy of a mile to that point but it felt like it never came. Each roller and turn I was expecting to see the cone but it never came.  

The heat was catching up with me and a lot of negative self talk was taking place.  My pace was fairly consistent but I was not doing well.  In the morning Gerardo and I ended up walking in to T1 together and were discussing where we would see each other on the run.  He said it would be my mile 10 and his 4.5.  He is pretty spot on with this kind of stuff so I figured it would be pretty close.  I should have just listened to him, it would have saved me a lot of grief because mile 9 I saw Spencer and Alex and that’s when I convinced myself Gerardo had already passed them and was in the winery.  I was doing the math and mentally checking out big time.  I ran my slowest mile (aside from the pee break in mile 3) and I was falling apart.  Still taking fluids and salt but mentally I was losing the war.  As I turned onto Slusser Rd I began watching the runners going the opposite way and I was approaching mile marker 10.  As if on cue I see Gerardo smiling and laughing knowing he nailed it as to when we’d see each other.  We exchanged a high five and he said something positive.  That exchange changed everything for me.  I quickly did some math and realized I was still on track to beat him.  My pace picked up and I gave everything I had left for the final 5K.  I ended up passing 2 guys in my AG in the final mile and finished way stronger than I thought I would just 30 minutes earlier.

	Goal	Actual (AG rank)
Swim	33:00	34:29 (60)
T1	2:30	2:24 (20)
Bike	2:40:00	2:42:24 (63)
T2	2:30	3:13 (33)
Run	1:28:00	1:32:22 (10)

After the race my quads were killing me, I walked around a bit and drank a bunch of water but I was hurting.  Fortunately I ran in Ray and he got me over to the people with the ESTIM (Electrical Stimulation Therapy) units and got me hooked up, which was a life saver.  After 20 minutes on that I was finally above to get some food in my and re-connect with my teammates.  Someone had a phone and was checking results.  I asked if they would look up my bid number, when I heard 4:54:52 and 26^th in AG I kind of lost it emotionally.  I shed a few tears, good thing I had sunglasses on but I was completely overwhelmed with emotion over that fact I had just pulled that off on a day where I was losing it with 4 miles to go.  I was so proud of myself for pulling my stuff together and finishing because it could have gone the other way and sub 5 would have been out the window.  People starting saying that 26^th should be good enough for a roll down spot, again totally shocked and overwhelmed that Worlds might be an option.  I stayed for the ceremony and ended up taking the 3^rd of 3 spots for my AG.  So amazing!!  Worlds were never on my radar at all, like not even a thought.  Now I am a Worlds Qualifier at my 2^nd 70.3.  Wow! 

Oceanside 70.3 Race Report - March 9, 2014 - My first Half Ironman

Make your own luck

The 2014 Ironman 70.3 in Oceanside was targeted as my first HIM a long time ago, I don’t remember exactly but it was at least 9 months.  Once I finished the Santa Barbara Long Course in August I began to focus my thoughts on this race.  This was going to be my first shot at a HIM and I really wanted to do well.  None of this, I just want to finish crap, I wanted to race and perform at Oceanside.  In order to do this I knew I needed to make a big change to my training, one that would require me to not skip Strength Training anymore.  I had learned to be okay with Red Boxes in TP for Strength workouts, but I had come to learn, from experience, that late in the race I would need to strength to fight off fatigue, cramps and general doubt.  So I committed myself to two strength sessions a week from August to March.  I immediately felt the difference as I was stronger in all my races during the winter and had the strength to finish races, something I lacked in 2013. 

Leading up to Oceanside I had very strong workouts in my final bricks.  I was doing excellent on the bike and then just hammering it on the runs.  I felt so strong and my confidence was sky high.  Because of this I was not nervous at all or experiencing any of the common pre-race freak outs.  I was calm and confident that I not only earned my place at the starting line but I was there to show off my months of hard work.  There are no secrets in this sport, if you want to race well you need to train and train hard.  In addition to all the hard work leading up to the race I put together, along with the help of my Coach, a race plan detailing everything starting with my day before the race, including meals and amount of sleep, all the way through to crossing the finish line.  I printed out this report and took it with me, reading it over before dinner Friday night, before I went to bed Friday night and once more while eating breakfast on race morning.

I arrived in Oceanside around 11am on Friday and went straight to Ironman Village.  This was my first Ironman event and it was huge.  There were two main areas along with a separate check-in hall.  I was a little overwhelmed with the size of the production but quickly settled in.  First I went and checked in and got all squared away.   On the way back to the Ironman store I came across the Ogio booth.  I have needed a Transition bag as I have been carrying two bags in and out of transitions the past year and it is cumbersome.  I have had an Ogio backpack for over 10 years and have been very happy with it so I was familiar with the brand.  They had a new transition bag and I really like it, they were also discounted 25% so I picked one up.  My gift to myself for being there I suppose.  I then headed over to the Ironstore and grabbed a couple of small items as mementos of the event.    In doing this I hooked up with my Coach and fellow teammates whom I ultimately had a nice lunch with while enjoying the beautiful weather.  After lunch I did a short ride over to the swim start area and got familiar with the layout of the Swim Exit and T1.  After this I did a quick run along the strand testing out the up and down of the pier and trying to get familiar with the run course.  The course was extremely difficult to follow on the map but on race day it was well marked and supported, there was no way to screw it up.  After this I headed out to my hotel 10 minutes away and checked in.  This is when the prep really began.  Because of the separate transition areas you had to coordinate 3 different bags.  I probably over analyzed this but I finally got set up and then relaxed for about 90 minutes before we all meet up again for dinner which was just across the parking lot from my hotel.  We enjoyed a nice pre-race diner with great company and it was off to bed.  I watched the end of the NCAA games, rocked and rolled with the earthquake and then got a great night’s sleep.  No nerves, just confidence.

I woke up at 4am on race morning and ate a bowl of granola with Almond milk, half a wheat bagel with almond butter and a cup of Greek yogurt.  This was a perfect meal; I was never hungry during the race at all.  I packed up my car, checked out of the hotel and headed over to the race finish area.  I had a parking pass for the best lot possible, I was right across the tracks from T2.  This really helped to relax me on the way over to the race as I was not worried at all about parking, something that typically causes me more stress than necessary.  I dropped off my run gear, which consisted of my shoes, a hat and one GU and then rode over to T1.  I got my bike all set up and then it was a lot of waiting around.  I was going off at 7:39 which was Wave 20 out of 23.  I spent the time mulling around and just keeping warm, finally it was time to get in line and move the cattle off to the slaughter.  I saw Ryan running past as he finished the swim and thought, I can’t wait until that’s me.  I slowly moved my way up through the wave and was trying to get close enough so that once we entered the water I would not have to fight for a good starting spot.  Our wave was finally called and we jumped in and got in the only warm up I had all day, a 50 yard swim to the start buoy.  While waiting there I was waiting for the prerace butterflies but they never came.  ONE MINUTE warning quickly turned into a 10 SECOND warning and bam it was go time. 

By and large the swim was uneventful and routine, I tried my best to sight and stay on the buoy line which was tough on the way out as I felt like I was being pulled right and away from the line.  Once we made the two left turns and started heading back I found a large building to sight off of, which really helped me and I was able to stay right of the line on the way back which was the shorter route.  It got really crowded about half way back and there was a lot of contact.  About 300 yards from the finish the swim lane got narrow between the buoy and the boats and it was super crowded, mostly with slow swimmers from early waves and these people were doing all sorts of strokes and kick variations which made it difficult to pass.  Finally I just had to go over them and make my own way and once past that group I could see the swim exit.  I began kicking hard to get the blood flowing and headed straight to the exit.  This was my first of many encounters with the awesome and numerous volunteers out there.  I swam as far as I could and past some people walking in deep water and was grabbed by two people and lifted up.  In the same motion these two people in perfect synchronicity unstrapped and unzipped my wetsuit.  I was half way up the ramp before I really realized what had happened, too far up to thank them but that was some serious service.  The long run to the bike went quick and I had to move around and pass a few people, the theme of the day, just to keep going.  I found my bike with ease and got the suit off and in the bag much faster than I expected.  There were three or four of us all right together and shared a few comments, got my shoes on and headed out to the Bike Exit.   Had a quick word with my Coach in T1, like two or three, and was off to the dismount line and to the moment in the race that I was most worried about, and this is no joke.  I had just purchased a new bike and only got 3 rides in before the race.  During each ride I had water bottles on the back of the seat and noticed how difficult it was for someone without the greatest flexibility to get their leg up and over the bottles.  I hit them each time in practice and knew this was the one moment I was unprepared for.  Sure enough I got past the mount line and swung my leg up, hit the bottle and my right thigh locked up with a nasty cramp.  I almost fell over but the good volunteers grabbed me and pulled me over to the side.  One even started to rub my thigh; I composed myself, thanked them for saving me and almost laid the bike down and put my leg over.  I clipped in and headed out.  I love the bike start for two reasons: 1) Swim is my slowest event and I am always so happy to have it behind me and 2) the feeling I get taking those first 20 pedals and the wind on your wet skin is just exhilarating, I feel so alive in that moment and excited to get to work.

I had an extremely specific nitration plan for the bike, I had a time goal and specific average speed I wanted but the nutrition was the priority.  I knew regardless of my bike time, if I messed up the nutrition my run was over before it began.  Lesson learned.  In addition I think the cramp was a blessing in disguise because it took my mind off the ride and let me think about the cramp and put together a plan on how I was going to heal up so the legs would be fine for the run.  I was carrying salt pills on the bike as an added item that I would take if needed.  Due to the cramp I started taking the pills early, ultimately this played a big part in my not cramping during the run when it got pretty warm out.  Like the swim there were a lot of people to pass on the bike course.  Being so far back we would be passing the slower bikers from all the pervious waves.  The first half of the ride is pretty uneventful, just settling into a nice manageable pace while keep heart rate in check.  Things did not get interesting until the halfway point when we hit our first short but steep climb.  I settled into the highest gear I have on the TT bike and kept pounding out the pedal strokes.  One after another, passing a ton of people on the hill, including PEOPLE WALKING!!!  WTF, you signed up for this race 6 months ago and you have to walk the hills?  I was really surprised that for a race of this distance that anyone would be walking the hills.  To my surprise I saw this on every hill.  Due to my multiple 5K Fridays and other days spent in the mountains in my backyard I was able to take on all the necessary climbing with ease.  I continued moving, taken my nutrition and making sure I was not overdoing it on the bike.  My heart rate was great, pace was perfect and I felt very strong.  Not only strong but very comfortable.  I continued taking in the food, not because I was hungry but because I knew I needed to.  I had to space out the consumption of around 700 calories over the course of the bike.  As the ride was winding down I noticed I really had to pee, as an example of how I am now more comfortable racing and things are starting to slow down a bit I was able to figure out that I needed to pee in T2 to protect my run.  I did not want to have my pee break time included in my run time or bike time so I was sure to hit the port-o-potty that I knew were in T2.  This may be a small trivial issue but for me, to be able to think through it and come to a good solution is a win for me.

I entered T2, racked bike and switched shoes really fast.  Grabbed my hat and sprinted to the toilet.  I was in the port-o-potty for what seemed like 3 full minutes.  But based on my 2:10 T2 split it was probably closer to 1 minute.  I may have been able to do a T2 at really close to 1 minute which would have been amazing.  I am getting better at transitions and going sockless is a big reason why.  This was the moments I had been thinking about for the past 6 months.  Run Exit – I had been waiting for this moment and it was finally here.

 Blasting out of T2

As noted above I was waiting for this run for a long time.  I am a runner, no matter how much better I get in the triathlon world I will always be a runner.  It’s what I have been doing the longest and it’s what I am best at, I can’t fight it.  The run is my chance to make up all the ground I lost on the swim.  It used to be, all the ground I lost on the swim and bike, but I am not losing spots on the bike anymore.  I put a lot of pressure on myself for this last part of the race and I really wanted to perform.  My Coach put a plan in place for me to not only negative spit the run but also flirt with a sub 1:30.  I was going to start out at about a 7:10 pace while keeping my heart rate below 175 and slowly work my way down to a finishing pace of around 6:35 while not going over a HR of 185.  Leave it to me to mess this up pretty quickly.  I was so excited and jacked up for the run, especially due to how effortless the bike felt, that I busted out of T2 and put the hammer down.  I was doing a sub 7 minute pace for most of the first mile and was having a really hard time slowing down.  Part of the reason was my HR was below the 175 threshold we set, I figured if that HR was in check then I could push it a bit.  The first few miles flew by and I felt strong, tried to stay upright as much as possible and slow down my turnover.  Around mile 3.5 I passed Ryan and he said something like “You look strong” he was on his second lap and looked good as well.  I wanted to pick it up and catch him so I could take him home but I need to save something for my own second lap.  I only had three salt pills left over from the ride so I spaced them out, I took them at miles 3, 6 & 9.  I figured if I needed something more an aid station would be able to help out, turns out I did not need it.  At the half way point I realized I was not going to negative split the run, not because I was hurting or out of gas, I just knew I went out to fast and basically below the plan in the process.  Now it was all about staying strong and giving it all I could to try to be as close to 1:30 as possible.  At about mile 8 I took my last GU and I was doing great drinking at each station.  It took about 3 stations until I FINALLY figured out how to drink perfectly.  I needed to not only squeeze the cup but completely shut off 80% of the cup and just leave the little part at the end to have the liquid come out of.  This kept me from swallowing too much and a bunch of air as well.  It took awhile but I got it.  I also figured that a mix of 50% water and 50% “Gatorade drink” was the best combo for me.  It got me what I needed and kept me hydrated perfectly.  Overall my nutrition was perfect and a huge win personally, I was never “hungry” or really in a place of need. I just kept it going on a regular basis and was covered the whole day.  The last 3 or 4 miles of the run were a real fight for me.  Not because I was hurting, but because I knew I was slowing down.  I pushed and surged to keep my pace around 7:00 and with the exception of mile 12 I did that.  When I got back on the strand after descending Wisconsin Ave for the final push I tried to go, I went a little bit but quickly realized I did not have too much in the tank.  Actually this was comforting in that I knew I had used what I had throughout the day and did not leave anything left.  The last mile was a real emotional time as I thought of all the work I had done, finishing my first 70.3 in a great time was an incredible feeling, one I will never forget.  As I approached the carpet I put myself in a position where I would be crossing the line by myself.  When I hit the Ironman carpet I got a huge smile and started pumping both fists.  This fired up the crowd a bit and I was floating to the line.  I freaking did it and I crushed it.  I was really happy to see my Coach at the finish line; we shared a good laugh realizing what I had just accomplished.  It was very fitting for me to have him there at the finish as he was the reason for such an amazing day.  Without his guidance none of this would have been possible, I did all the work but I was just following his orders.

The next 30 minutes was kind of a blur, crappy tacos, lots of cold drinks and some time to sit back and enjoy what I just did.  My coach and I sat reviewing my splits and shared many smiles, laughs and fist bumps.  What a day.

Since that moment of becoming a Half Ironman, my confidence is sky high.  To be able to go out and perform the way I did in my first ever shot at that distance has me on cloud nine.  I am going to enjoy this for a while as I take some prescribed time off and recharge.  I have been going pretty hard all winter and am looking forward to a little break.  But I know that Vineman 70.3 is right around the corner and I can’t wait to take another crack at it, except this time I have the first hand knowledge what I can do.  Look out!

I called this post, Make your own luck, because that is what I learned in Oceanside.  Luck is overrated and is not a magic pill you get slipped at an aid station.  You make your own luck by putting in the hours of hard work so you can reap the rewards of your race day.  That’s not luck that’s called preparation.  If you prepare, you will put yourself in the best possible position to succeed.  To say I got lucky and did a 5:06 undercuts all the hours of work you did to earn the 5:06.  If you do the work you’ll make your own luck. 

Results

	Goal	Actual	AG Place	OA Place
Swim	0:35:00	0:36:36	98	672
T1	0:03:00	0:03:57
Bike	2:50:00	2:51:06	88	508
T2	0:02:00	0:02:10
Run	1:30:00	1:32:17	38	253
Total	5:00:00	5:06:06	11.4%	10.5%