Result: 1:17:25! A PR by 4 minutes.
Also a 36:06 10k & 17:58 5k posted during the race. The 10k is a PR by over 30 seconds beating my Lake Geode time from last July.
Why:
Earlier this season BTG had been on my calandar, but with my daughters dance recital and family comming into town, it was out. Then my family had to rescehdule their visit, the dance recital was in the evening... so I was back in. My achillie was feeling good, run mileage was back up, and it was a recovery week, so I was resetd enough to have a good time and reduce the risk of injury.
The Plan:
Looking at least years results, it was a soft field, so I was hoping to go out a little hard to start up front, then be able to cruise a solid tempo pace and get some good metrics for Kansas 70.3. I hadn;t run more than 12 miles since early Feb. when i got injured, but mileage had gottne back up to 45mpw and run CTL above where it was before the injury.
Pre-Race:
My usual breakfast before a race of Greek yogurt with honey, a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter, a banana, and a couple cups of coffee. I then had two 20oz bottles of my own sprots drink mix. I think in hindsight, the 2nd bottle should have been just water. I then had 1 gel before hte start with no plans of eating anything and maybe just a few sips of water during the race. Not really nessesary to even drink on a cool 80 minute race. The 2000 or so calories stored as glycogen plus some fat burned are plenty for that distance as well.
The Race:
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/av/MQY6QU3JFV5AGPILPPWCEJJ3L4
The course is moderately hilly. Only a few completely flast sections, a bunch of false flats and a few descent climbs.1288ft on my garmin. Course looks pretty accurate. It showed slightly short, but I was losing my GPS signal on the 2nd bridge crossing (iron overhead) and it was reading the distance short there.
The course goes right up the bluff from the start, an 80ft climb over maybe 200 yards. I shot to the front, and hearing a gap eased up just a little up the hills. I think I let one guy run just past me at one point in that 1st 1/2 mile, but rolled past and from that point, never really looked back. I threw in a couple sures on a few of hte first hills in that frist 3 miles, but otherwise held a pretty steady pace. It ultimately was too fast, but actually not far off. I held about a 5:40-45 pace, right at threshold for most of the first 6 miles. I put a 1/2 mile gap on 2nd. He turned out to be in the 10k and I was all alone then.
THe route turned downhill and it was one of the hardest parts of the course. I caught 5k lap traffic and had ot d oa little dodging. One more descent climb through a park after that along wiht 1 more quad killing downhill and it was mostly flast after that with jsut a few very gentle rollers. By that point, the fatigue of the fast pace was setting in. I was never breathing very hard, but my HR was running pretty high and my legs were feeling it. I eased back a little a cruised at around a 6:15-6:20 for a while. In the last 3 miles i picked it back up ot 6:00, then gave it a little surge the final mile, but a 5:50 pace was abotu all my legs had left without going to the "pain cave". No need for heroics that I'd pay for in training the next week.
I ended up winning by 10 minutes, the 1st female was the next one in. I jokingly told a few guys that all the "dudes" owned me a beer for saving their a** on this one.
Pretty cool having Jackie Joyner-Kersee greeting you at the finish line. Just a cool getting to take the banner at the finish. I've never gotten to do that before. I went with the grab it and hold it over your head move.
The support from the other runners passing the opposite way was awesome. A little ego stroking always keeps you legs moving quicker. It just feels good to have your hard work pay off.
Take-aways:
I love my Saucony A6's! ... and my Swiftwicks! Not a single blister. I held an average cadence of 94 over the whole run, whih probably means 95-97 on the flats and a little lower up hills and downhills. HR wa high, maybe just the excitement, too much caffine, lots of rest this week (overreaching n training causes low HR's), a little too much nutrition before the start.
My tri suit overall feels great. I have some chaffing on the back of the right leg just below the but from the cycling pad. I'll have to add more body glide there, or even use some nuskin. Chamois cream should help a little too. I'm really liking wearing a visor. Keep the sweat out of your eyes sub off you face, helps remind you to keep you head up I think as well. Plus it's a nice color coordinated accessory.
Overall a 4' PR is pretty big. I felt really, really good the first 6 miles. I think a 1:15 is possible for me. A 5:45 should be my target pace in the Olympic distance... or about a 35:30. IF doing an open 10k, I think a low 34 is possible. A low 16 in the 5k is on my radar too.
Next up is Kansas 70.3. I'll start some heat acclimtization this week by overdressing a little in my workouts. Better safe, than sorry in this one. Today I'll try and scrape out a short run and a 1 hour tempo ride.
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