Monday, September 18, 2006
Grand Columbian 1/2 IM. 2006
Nutrition and strategy
Friday, pre-race: Eat pancakes and split a vegie egg-beaters omelet with Ann. Finished drive to Grand Coulee, WA.
Snacked on fruit. Arrive, register, and go for a 30 minute spin to check all gears, breaks, ect. I put on my custom 11/25 cassette and all gears shifted fine. I talked to some locals that were racing and they advised against a disc, as the winds can kick up to 40 mph in the late morning on the plateau. Mostly cross winds from the NW, which can reap havoc on a disc. However, the news and race director stated winds were predicted at 6-12 mph. Plus, all the ITU pro's were riding discs (because they had to I found out later), so I decided to go with it.
Dinner: Light chinese vegies with grilled chicken, alot of rice, about a pint. Drank 150 g maltodextrin + 40 grams protein before bed. During the race, 30 grams of maltodextrin in 6.5 oz water in 27 oz water bottle. Used 2 bottles. Dosing every 20 minutes. Started 20 min after swim, and final dose was 10 min before run. Started run carbs at 20 min into run. 25 grams in 2 oz water, drank about 3-4 oz with each dose at the water stations. Took an expresso GU at mile 6 with 6 oz water. Cramped within 2 minutes and had the cramp for 15 minutes. Final dose of carbs around mile 11, no cramping. After race, 100 grams malto + 30 g protein drink. Then eat an hour later.
Swim of 29:45 (last year 30:50)
Got hit in the face about 5 minutes into start. Filled my left goggle with water and set me dizzy for a few seconds. Got a cut on my eye lid out of it. I simply turned on my side, emptied my goggle and proceded on like nothing happened. I really feel myself moving through the water better recently. I glanced at my watch at the final buoy and realized that I could break 30 if I pushed it, so I did. Nearly caught the second group out of the water.
T1: long run up an incline. No one there to hand me my bag as I watched several volunteers hand other athletes their bags. This took me several seconds to find my bag. Lost about 30 seconds probably.
Bike: 2:43 (last year 2:31, but only mild headwinds for about 10 miles) Total ascent 3800 ft. 20-30 mph crosswind out first 20, tail wind for two 4 mile segments, then 45 degree headwind for about the final 28 miles. I remember coasting the final 8 mile desent last year at 40+ mph. Saturday, peddling in 54/11, 350 watts for 8 miles on a 6-10% down hill grade, at 22-25 mph. This was about the toughest 1/2 I have ever done. The 10 mile stretch uphill against the wind going 10-12 mph killed everyone. Depressing to have guys pass me in spoked tires in their aerobars as I am weaving all over the place trying to maintain contol on every desent.
Power: on first 1000 ft climb over 3 miles, ave 265 W, peak of 570
HR ave 140 (range 130-150)
Cadence ave 75 (range 60-90), speed of 11.9 mph
Power for plateau (39 miles) ave 245 W, total peak of 620, 20 min peak of 275
HR ave 133 (range 125-151)
Cadence ave 89 (range 50-125), speed of 21 mph
Power for desent to the run transition (13 miles) ave 245, peak of 370
HR ave 135 (range 130-140)
Cadence ave 85 (range 80-90), speed ave 25.3
total time: 2:43 (last year 2:31)
The final desent, 13 miles and 1000 ft desent. Maintained high power but the low cadence and low speed are due to the 30+ mph headwind.
T2: No door on the changing tent, so I did a 20 sec loop around before I found the entrance. Otherwise, ok. Someone told me I was 10th off the bike which felt about right. I knew I had work to do because I new there were a couple of masters men in front of me, because they passed me on the long 12-13 mile gradual ascent on the cross wind when I was trying to keep my bike on the road.
Run: 1:30.39 (last year 1:31.30)Had no polar monitor so I ran with heart only. I really thrashed legs on the final downhill because I passed a master at the top, and tried to put as much room on him as I could. The first switch back down to the river, I saw him about a minute behind me. I ran 4 X 3 mile splits on my running watch, goal was to be around 20 minutes on each 3 mile split. 19:40 on first, 19:55 on second at turn-around. This run course has about a 6 mile false flat going back, around 1-2% grade, and a headwind the final 3 miles. Extreme difficulty running 7 min pace, but I managed. Caught the 2 masters in front of me near the turn around. Was being chased by 2 ITU pros who were finishing on the same 3 mile stretch. I thought they were fast runners coming from behind in the 1/2 IM, so I put on several 30 second surges to keep them away from me. I held about a 30 second gap on them for 3 straight miles. Final 1.1 mile is a kicker. Ran a 8:50 and I was pushing! Almost the entire mile is uphill, with a 200 meter double switchback climb of around 150 ft toward the end. Final 400 is a flat circle around the finish.
Time 1:30
Overall, 2nd. Time of 4:47.10
I was happy considering the difficult conditions today. Have to be pleased at 40 to turn a performance like this 5 weeks out from Kona. I will rest a few days, and then do about a 10-14 day cycle of more work. Then taper about 10 days out of race day.
Ann? What can I say. 2nd overall female, 1:38 for the run. She put 90 seconds on last year's overall female winner. She was the fastest female runner and the 11th fastest runner overall. This girl has heart, intensity, courage, and all the attributes of an elite athlete. She will not let down if she has a fighting chance to PR. I am in awe that she managed to run 5:10.57, her new PR, on a course with 3800 ft of climbing and heavy winds. On almost any other course on the west coast, I am convinced she would have broken 5 hours, probably mid 4:50's. The girl in front of her has had a 13th world ITU ranking, and even recently in 2003 carried a 47th ranking. Former pro...its understandable that Ann had difficulty catching her. What I am doing with Ann is working. She will enjoy Kona, thats for certain. If we do Roth or Austria in 2006 she is going to fly.
Friday, pre-race: Eat pancakes and split a vegie egg-beaters omelet with Ann. Finished drive to Grand Coulee, WA.
Snacked on fruit. Arrive, register, and go for a 30 minute spin to check all gears, breaks, ect. I put on my custom 11/25 cassette and all gears shifted fine. I talked to some locals that were racing and they advised against a disc, as the winds can kick up to 40 mph in the late morning on the plateau. Mostly cross winds from the NW, which can reap havoc on a disc. However, the news and race director stated winds were predicted at 6-12 mph. Plus, all the ITU pro's were riding discs (because they had to I found out later), so I decided to go with it.
Dinner: Light chinese vegies with grilled chicken, alot of rice, about a pint. Drank 150 g maltodextrin + 40 grams protein before bed. During the race, 30 grams of maltodextrin in 6.5 oz water in 27 oz water bottle. Used 2 bottles. Dosing every 20 minutes. Started 20 min after swim, and final dose was 10 min before run. Started run carbs at 20 min into run. 25 grams in 2 oz water, drank about 3-4 oz with each dose at the water stations. Took an expresso GU at mile 6 with 6 oz water. Cramped within 2 minutes and had the cramp for 15 minutes. Final dose of carbs around mile 11, no cramping. After race, 100 grams malto + 30 g protein drink. Then eat an hour later.
Swim of 29:45 (last year 30:50)
Got hit in the face about 5 minutes into start. Filled my left goggle with water and set me dizzy for a few seconds. Got a cut on my eye lid out of it. I simply turned on my side, emptied my goggle and proceded on like nothing happened. I really feel myself moving through the water better recently. I glanced at my watch at the final buoy and realized that I could break 30 if I pushed it, so I did. Nearly caught the second group out of the water.
T1: long run up an incline. No one there to hand me my bag as I watched several volunteers hand other athletes their bags. This took me several seconds to find my bag. Lost about 30 seconds probably.
Bike: 2:43 (last year 2:31, but only mild headwinds for about 10 miles) Total ascent 3800 ft. 20-30 mph crosswind out first 20, tail wind for two 4 mile segments, then 45 degree headwind for about the final 28 miles. I remember coasting the final 8 mile desent last year at 40+ mph. Saturday, peddling in 54/11, 350 watts for 8 miles on a 6-10% down hill grade, at 22-25 mph. This was about the toughest 1/2 I have ever done. The 10 mile stretch uphill against the wind going 10-12 mph killed everyone. Depressing to have guys pass me in spoked tires in their aerobars as I am weaving all over the place trying to maintain contol on every desent.
Power: on first 1000 ft climb over 3 miles, ave 265 W, peak of 570
HR ave 140 (range 130-150)
Cadence ave 75 (range 60-90), speed of 11.9 mph
Power for plateau (39 miles) ave 245 W, total peak of 620, 20 min peak of 275
HR ave 133 (range 125-151)
Cadence ave 89 (range 50-125), speed of 21 mph
Power for desent to the run transition (13 miles) ave 245, peak of 370
HR ave 135 (range 130-140)
Cadence ave 85 (range 80-90), speed ave 25.3
total time: 2:43 (last year 2:31)
The final desent, 13 miles and 1000 ft desent. Maintained high power but the low cadence and low speed are due to the 30+ mph headwind.
T2: No door on the changing tent, so I did a 20 sec loop around before I found the entrance. Otherwise, ok. Someone told me I was 10th off the bike which felt about right. I knew I had work to do because I new there were a couple of masters men in front of me, because they passed me on the long 12-13 mile gradual ascent on the cross wind when I was trying to keep my bike on the road.
Run: 1:30.39 (last year 1:31.30)Had no polar monitor so I ran with heart only. I really thrashed legs on the final downhill because I passed a master at the top, and tried to put as much room on him as I could. The first switch back down to the river, I saw him about a minute behind me. I ran 4 X 3 mile splits on my running watch, goal was to be around 20 minutes on each 3 mile split. 19:40 on first, 19:55 on second at turn-around. This run course has about a 6 mile false flat going back, around 1-2% grade, and a headwind the final 3 miles. Extreme difficulty running 7 min pace, but I managed. Caught the 2 masters in front of me near the turn around. Was being chased by 2 ITU pros who were finishing on the same 3 mile stretch. I thought they were fast runners coming from behind in the 1/2 IM, so I put on several 30 second surges to keep them away from me. I held about a 30 second gap on them for 3 straight miles. Final 1.1 mile is a kicker. Ran a 8:50 and I was pushing! Almost the entire mile is uphill, with a 200 meter double switchback climb of around 150 ft toward the end. Final 400 is a flat circle around the finish.
Time 1:30
Overall, 2nd. Time of 4:47.10
I was happy considering the difficult conditions today. Have to be pleased at 40 to turn a performance like this 5 weeks out from Kona. I will rest a few days, and then do about a 10-14 day cycle of more work. Then taper about 10 days out of race day.
Ann? What can I say. 2nd overall female, 1:38 for the run. She put 90 seconds on last year's overall female winner. She was the fastest female runner and the 11th fastest runner overall. This girl has heart, intensity, courage, and all the attributes of an elite athlete. She will not let down if she has a fighting chance to PR. I am in awe that she managed to run 5:10.57, her new PR, on a course with 3800 ft of climbing and heavy winds. On almost any other course on the west coast, I am convinced she would have broken 5 hours, probably mid 4:50's. The girl in front of her has had a 13th world ITU ranking, and even recently in 2003 carried a 47th ranking. Former pro...its understandable that Ann had difficulty catching her. What I am doing with Ann is working. She will enjoy Kona, thats for certain. If we do Roth or Austria in 2006 she is going to fly.
