Oceanside 70.3 Race Report

Not posing.  Seriously.  And those aren't my abs.

      Getting older equals getting faster?  I'd always rather be younger, but I'll take faster.  First triathlon of the 2013 season was on saturday down at Oceanside.  This would be my 4th time doing this race, and my best time on the course was 5:18 back in 2010.  Some people hate this race because you train in winter and the water is on the cold side.  Racers don't realize that Ironmans held in lakes are rarely above 60 degrees.    I like this race, as it forces winter training compliance (check out my time from 2011, when I didn't comply!), and it's the only IM race that is actually local to So Cal. 

    Coach Hillary put together a December marathon plan to recover and then prepare for Oceanside, Eagleman, Vineman, and then IM Tahoe in September.   Woke up at 4:15am and noticed it was pretty nice out.  Not cold, and little to no breeze.  Ate about 500 calories, and we headed to the start around 5:30.
 
     Swim--Went off in the 12th wave, which was the 2nd group of my age group.  Water was 62 and totally flat.  When the gun went off, I just took off and didn't look back.  Coach had me doing some very specific swim training which totally paid off when I put that wetsuit on.  Ballz out all the way and tried push hard through the whole swim course.    The swim course was fast this year.  No waves even out of the harbor.   23:09 (1:13s)  PR HIM swim by 2 minutes. 

Smiling after a good swim

     Bike--Bike started out great and went great the whole way.  Legs felt fantastic.  Power was right in line as I focused on a strong controlled ride through the first 28 miles (1:18 at the half way point). The hills start at mile 29 and end at 42.   I cruised through the hills, staying in the aerobars most of the time, trying not to spike the watts.  First time on the bike that I felt I was controlling and racing the course instead of the course riding me into the ground.  Such a great feeling, which had me psyched for the last 14 miles.  I hammered (my level of hammer anyway) the last 14 miles but in a good way.  I rolled into T2 feeling great.  2:45 ride.  Power was right on my pre-race target, although I was not a slave to power, and only looked a few times.   Came off the bike in 10th in my AG--first time I've been up that high in an HIM or IM race.  It was cool to see so few bikes in rack area.  Thanks to Wheelbuilder Richie for installing and procuring my new aerobars.  They are awesome and soooo comfortable.

   Run -- Came out of T2 downing a gel.  Overall time was 3:15 as I exited T2, so I knew that I had to run a 1:44 to break 5 hours.  Felt it was totally doable.  First mile was 8:04.  Legs felt great right away, and I felt good right off the bike.  The course is kind of strange, and had I realized it, I would have started a little faster, as there are some slow sections, the first 2 miles and then miles 7-8. Narrow, weird turns up and down hills, which I found distracting.   In some sections it was challenging to pass and go around people.  Not sure why they have that out and back so narrow.  Was running easy through 6.  Felt a little slower and then tried to pick it up at mile 9 with 4 miles to go.  Took in a gel 40min in, 1:10 in and 1:30.  Splits were 8:04, 7:58, 7:48, 7:59, 7:56, 8:00, 8:16, 8:27, 8:15, 8:11, 8:43, 8:46, 7:42).  1:46:02

   

    5:02:09 -- Finished 11th, less than a minute out of the top 10 in what is usually a pretty fast race.  Course PR of 16 minutes and an 8 minute HIM PR time.  We hung around for the awards --Andy Potts gave a good winner's speech.  Then drove home in the ridiculous pre Easter traffic.  Almost 3 hours.

     Thanks to Coach Hillary for the PR, and thanks to Johnna for sherpa-ing the race in her sling, and thanks to Johnna's brother Tom and her mom Kathy for getting up so early to watch me race.   Happy Easter!