Posted: Tue Sep. 13, 2005 9:15 pm
Well at long last I've finally gotten a chance to write up the trials and tribulations I faced in completing my 1st 1/2 Ironman triathlon, the Timberman Triathlon back on August 21st at Ellatoya State Park in Guilford, NH (by Gunstock).
[u:385cfbe60d][b:385cfbe60d]Prologue[/b:385cfbe60d][/u:385cfbe60d]
First off, I found that it is very important to read all the information e-mailed to me for the race. Since this race was going to be really big (1,500 individuals and about 60 teams) you had to go the day before and register, get your race packet, etc. So I head off at 1pm on Saturday afternoon to head to Gunstock to pick up my stuff. Well, as I enter Tilton and glance at the e-mail I printed out my eye picked out the big bold type saying that all bikes had to be brought to the transisiton area the night before. At this point my memory kicked in as I recalled that I had indeed read that a week before. A glance in the rearview mirror also confirmed that my bike was sitting safely in the garage back in Newport. A well planned trip to get my stuff evaporated instantly as I turned around to retrieve my bike. I did get there in time, but it was definitely not the way to spend the day before a big race!
The next morning dawned rainy and humid as my wife and I slogged our way in the darkness to Gunstock to catch a shuttle bus to the race start at the state park. The race started a 7 AM, so you can imagine how early we had to leave. The rain got heavier the further east we went - this was not looking to be a good weather day - and was still pouring as we got to Gunstock, then down to the transition area at the state park. At 6:30 still pouring.......7Am raining still. The race got delayed about 20 minutes due to the weather, then about 7:15 the rain finally ended. It was a little breezy but Lake Winnipesaukee wasn't very choppy. Water was about 74 degrees or so so opted to forego the wetsuit. Things were finally set to start.
ACT 1 - The 1.2 mile swim
I was in the fourth wave of swimmers (there were eleven in all). I hung out in the back of the pack at the start. I really don't enjoy getting kicked, elbowed, etc. at the start of the swim, so I keep off to one side usually. Now I had set a goal of about 25-30 minutes for the swim for myself - I'm a strong natural swimmer and three weeks prior had done a mile swim in 19:53 in an Olympic distance race, so I thought my time estimate would be reasonable. It was for the first 6/10th of a mile or so. Rounding the first bouy at 1/3 of a mile I was at about 7 minutes and by 6/10ths had broken out ahead of the main pack of people in my wave ( I was sort of in between the pros of my wave and the rest in a spot surprising clear of swimmers). At that point near disaster struck. I got a killer cramp in my right calf that locked up my right foot completely. I had been having issues with that calf as a result of running, and it decided it didn't want to play nice anymore. So, I revert to sidestroke, backstroke, doggie paddle - anything to keep going and at the same time not use my right leg. The cramp would not go away! The rest of my wave comes and goes. The following wave (20-29 rear old women) largely comes and goes. I got girled here more times than I could count. And then, to top it off, the lead group of the next wave (50-59 men) catch up and pass! I got old-manned too! Now after what seems like an eternity (6-7 minutes) the cramp finally goes away and I gingerly resume swimming normally, not willing to push my calf into another spasm. I finally get out of the water at about 42 minutes thinking that this was a hell of a way to start a race.
ACT II - The 56 mile bike
The first transition was uneventful. The bike course had a split personality - the first ten miles or so was very hilly as you crabbed your way west over the shoulder of Gunstock to get to route 106. The most notable part of this was at about mile 8, where you were finally forced to go up a 3/4 mile climb that was extremely steep. How steep? I don't know the % grade, but on the return leg I hit 48 mph going down it! By mile ten we had finally gottten on to route 106 headed for Loudon. At this point I had averaged only 14.5 mph, but from here on out the course was very different. Basically from mile ten to mile 28 was either a gentle downhill or flat. At the turnaround in Loudon I had upped the average to 19 mph, and the on the return leg (reversing the outgoing route) I was able to hold onto that average all the way back home. I finished the bike with an 18.7 mph average - 2 hours 59 minutes. The cramp from the swim didn't return. I was well fueled and well hydrated. I did the bike part faster than anticipated so I made up some of the time lost in the swim. It was still cloudy out. Things were looking up......
ACT III - The 13.1 mile run
As I rolled into the transition area I felt really good. My strong (for me) bike performance gave me hope that I might be able to finish in 6 hours or less - my goal I had set for myself. I was at 3 hours 45 minutes elapsed at the start of the run - if I could keep a ten minute mile pace I'd just squeek under my goal.
The run was two 6.5 mile loops - rolling with some steep but not long sections. The first loop I managed to stay on pace at ten minute miles but trouble was looming - namely the weather. During the first mile of the run the clouds burned off instantly, it seemed, and instead of being warm and damp it very quickly became very hot and humid with no wind. During training I've tried to condition myself to the heat, but since most of my available time for running was between 4 & 7 AM due to work I never got used to running when its hot and humid.
On the second lap the heat got to me. I could see me heart rate climb up the first hill and it then it just slowly kept creeping up into the low to mid 80% of max range. and I could feel the 'ol radiator want to boil over. So I had to give up the 6 hour mark and run/walk a good bit of lap two. Luckily for my pride, so did a lot of other people, too. So I ran and walked up through mile 11. By this time a breeze had picked up, so it wasn't quite so stifling. I stopped to use a Port-A-Potty and I could see across a bay the finish line on the far shoreline. I decided then and there that I wanted to be done with this race and the quickest way was to just run the last two miles and get it over. It was right about 6 hours five minutes at this point. So I slugged down some water and headed off. With a mile to go fatigue was setting back in, so in true jarhead fashion I started singing "The Marine Corps Hymn" to myself. This managed to drag out what little reserve I had left so I kept repeating the song. As I turned the corner to the 1/4 mile corridor to the finish I evidently was singing loud enough that I got some "Urrahs" from some fellow Marines in the crowd.
EPILOGUE
At long last I crossed the finish line at 6 hours 26 minutes. As I crossed I glanced at my heart rate monitor and saw it was at 87% of max! I must say it was all I could do not to collapse to the ground when my wife hugged me. But, hey, I did it. I didn't hit my goal, but for a guy with a reconstructed right knee I think I did OK. I have to thank my wife and son for putting up with the training and for everyone who supported my efforts.
I have one word for next year - Aquabike!
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