Motor City Tri, Race report

Ok, no suspense here. I PR'ed this race! 2:55:08, that's 2 hours 55 minutes and 8 seconds, almost 3 minutes faster than my best previous Olympic distance race. More importantly, I'm starting to manage the race distance better. I honestly felt like I was in control of my race from start to finish. I still know I can go faster but that is a fitness/training issue not capability issue.

The race was held on Belle Isle in Detroit Michigan and it is a flat, fast course with over 750 athletes registered for all the races. I went down to the race the afternoon before and met up with one of my team-mates and his wife at packet pickup. We pre-rode the bike and run course together, talked about strategy and the course. This was very cool. After that we went back to their house where I would be staying with them for the night and relaxed a bit before dinner. Jon, you and your wife were awesome hosts, thanks again for putting me up for the night. For dinner we met up with a couple more teammates at a local Italian restaurant called Sila's. Great pasta! Being on a team is very cool this year. I really feel part of something bigger than myself and feed off the excitement of my team-mates.

Race morning was perfect weather wise. We were up and out the door by about 6am and at the race site around 6:30am. I got T2 set up (this was a 2 transition race, the swim was about a mile from T2) and went back to the car to gather my T1 stuff. I made it down to set up T1 by about 7am and had lots of time to organize and go through my pre-race routine. I saw a few more of my GREYHOUND support crew and team-mates then it was time to start. I was calm and felt ready.

Swim: Goal time: 30 minutes Actual: 29:47
place 9/31 age group 77/214 overall
This is a course with a current. The firs 500 meters and the last 250 meters are into or across the current with the back 750 meters or so with the current. The river current isn't fast but you feel it. I lined up in the front row so I could go out hard and get out of the fray as always. About 100 meters in I settled into a nice groove and found sighting good. At about 500 meters I was coming to the first turn and had already caught the tail end of the wave of swimmers before me. It was at this point I came to the realization that I was feeling really strong in the water! I was actually making an effort to hold back on my pace to conserve some energy. I had some minor issues with the slower swimmers and I cut the turn around the buoy a little close and had some issues with it's tether rope but all in all the turn didn't have too much drama. On the back stretch with the current I felt like I was flying and hardly working at all. I picked a solo line and passed a lot of stragglers along the way. I made the turn back upstream with little issue other than I suddenly was trying to sight into the rising sun! That was quite interesting picking my line to the last turn for home. I generally tried to just use the other swimmers and shore for my bearings. Suddenly there was the last buoy and it was time to turn for home. I can't stress enough how little energy I felt like I had used on this swim. I was feeling much fresher than normal coming out of the water. It may be time to re-adjust my time goals for future races as my swim strength continues to improve again.

T1 - 3:35
This is long for 2 reasons. You had to pack all your stuff in a bag for the race staff to collect and bring to the end of the race. And, my wetsuit wanted no part of being shoved into the bag! what the heck? It was like it had a mind of it's own, lol. No worries though, I knew going in this would be a longer transition and accounted for it in my goal time.

Bike Goal: 1:15:00 Actual: 1:13:13 (hours:minutes:seconds)
The bike went just as I planned. Except for one thing..... I had no speed readout on my computer! I had cadence but no speed. Luckily I train to cadence a lot and had a general idea of speed based on cadence and gearing so I just went with it. I eased into the bike for the first half lap (it was 4 laps around the island) I hammered the next 2 1/2 laps and backed off slightly on the last lap to save on the legs a little. This was also my first race attempt at removing my shoes while still on the bike and leaving them attached to the bike in T2. This went off without a hitch and I felt like a pro hopping off the bike, not stopping or loosing momentum, running the bike into transition holding it by the saddle. haha, I'm sure I didn't look like a pro but man I now know what they feel like.

T2: 1:02!!! (minutes:seconds)
WHAT?? I never go that fast! I think this will get about 15 to 30 seconds faster at my next race as I practice a little more. I screwed up the order of getting putting things on and getting going, so practice is in order. This definitely made up for the slower T1.

Run Goal: 1 hour Actual: 1:07:33
Let give a quick public service announcement. Do NOT, EVER play one on one basket ball with your 12 year old 2 days before an important race. No matter how easy you think you'll go, YOU WON'T! I learned this lesson the hard way this weekend. My legs felt good off the bike. As good as I can ever remember them feeling coming off the bike. There was only one problem. It felt like someone was jamming a knife in my lower back and I was very stiff around the waist. I could run no problem, not fast and not comfortable but I could run. Any incline or downhill momentarily compounded the issue. I had felt the twinges the day before but figured it would go away by race day. No such luck! Fortunately for me this was a fairly flat course. The only hills were in the form of 3 small bridges I had to cross 2 times each. It took about 2 miles into the run to find a stride that was about as pain free as it was going to get and with about 3 miles to go I finally was able to start speeding up to my normal pace. I was averaging around 9 minute miles the last 3 miles. I walked the water stations as I still haven't mastered the art of drinking while running but other than that I was running. I finished strong to hear my name and RACING GREYHOUNDS announced and the announcer commenting on how well represented the GREYHOUNDS were in this race.

Total time 2 hours 55 minutes 8 seconds!! My new personal record for this course and an Olympic distance race. (1500 meter swim, 23 mile bike, 6.6 mile run in this race)

It was awesome to see so many GREYHOUNDS at this race. Between competitors and support crew we had around 20 people out there! It is such a lift to see your team-mates out there on the course.

Next week I'll let everyone in on a little secret that is happening Saturday. It is so cool what I am getting to do but I can't tell you about it quite yet.

So until next time... keep training and don't ever stop tri-ing!

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Curwood 10k race report

Saturday morning was a great day for a race. It was bright, sunny and only about 60 degrees Fahrenheit at race start. This small town race is flat, fast and brings in about 700 attendees. My son Ryan, ran the 5k and I lined up for the 10k. I wanted to use this as pacing practice for my upcoming race at Motor City. I always go out too hard at these things and pay for it in the last half. Saturday, I was determined to change that. As the race was about to start I told Ryan good luck and sent him off to the front row. I on the other hand headed to the back third of the pack. I soon learned a couple of new lessons.

1) this far back in the pack, if you aren't paying attention, the race start might just be a total surprise when you don't hear the starting beep.
2) more people need to learn how to start in the right pace location.

I was looking around soaking in the atmosphere when all of a sudden people were running all around me. I never heard the race start. Whoa, hey Craig, you're slow enough without letting everyone have a head start! I quickly regrouped and took off. It was hard not to sprint off like everyone else. I felt like I was running half as fast I could. Life was good and soon to get even better. I spent the first mile weaving through the crowd. For the first time that I can remember, I was the passer not the passee.... is that really a word? I hit the 1 mile mark at 9:30 and was shocked to only be 30 seconds off my goal pace for the first mile. Over the next mile I slowly caught up with a neighbor and friend going about the pace I was planning for the first half of the race. I then had the pleasure of a nice conversation up to the turn around. We both were running well and slowly catching and passing people as we went. I sensed she was pushing maybe a little harder than she wanted and I felt like I was still holding back. Staying to my plan of negative splitting the race. After mile 1 I was hitting the mile markers pretty darn close to 9 minutes or just a little under. So far so good.

At the turn around I passed 2 people as they stopped to take water and decided to let the horses have their heads a little and see how the next mile felt. My neighbor sensed this wasn't a short term change in pace and wished me well as I slowly worked away from her. I settled in to a good pace and started picking people to pass. (again, not normal for me but what a great feeling, haha) At about the 4.5 mile mark I caught up to a group of three guys and spent the next half mile working my way past them as they were pushing my pace a little more than I really wanted at that point. But, my legs felt good, I wasn't overly winded and the gas tank was feeling pretty full still. Next, it was time to test the mind a bit. I wanted to get a little out of the comfort zone for the last mile. I wanted to turn up the speed a bit and battle my mental demons. Those little buggers always seem to creep into my head at some point and for once, I wanted them on my terms. I wanted to embrace the pain and force the issue at a point where I knew it was almost over and beyond a time when walking would be an option. I got what I wanted and then some. I crossed the 6 mile point with the demons screaming their pain filled song through my body. This time, however, I could see the finish and hear the crowd. Like a horse headed for the barn, nothing was stopping me at this point. I felt a growing urge to purge my pre-race bagel and peanut butter from my stomach and fought that nauseated feeling the rest of the way in, still picking up speed and ignoring the pain.

I did it. I battled the demons on my terms and won! Kind of, lol. I was pretty miserable for the first few minutes after the race, not knowing if I was going to hurl or pass out, but I did it MY way this time. No walking, no going out too fast, continually speeding up as the race unfolded. I passed a lot of people who know me as a triathlete and gave me well wishes on my way by. I PASSED people. That in it self does not usually happen when I run. That felt good, no it felt GREAT!

I set a goal of 54 minutes. I ran a 54:31 and am not in the least disappointed. I know I lost time on the first mile. I, for once, ran a smart race though and that is way better than woulda, shoulda, coulda.

My awesome son Ryan, who I hope some day finds his true potential, ran a PR 21:23 5k. I fully anticipate he'll break 20 minutes by the end of the year at the rate he's going. I actually got to see him mid race after his turn around point and he looked so strong. How cool is it to cheer your son on mid race in the middle of the course? It was mind blowing for me, I even slowed down just a little so I could wish him well at the exact point our courses turned opposite directions.

This weekend brings my next triathlon. The Motor City Triathlon on Belle Isle in Detroit. I'll try and get a quick post up before the race with some goal times.

As always, if you do nothing else in your life. Just keep Tri-ing....

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