Race Recap – Ironman Haines City
May 20, 2012. The first Ironman 70.3 race for brother and sister and oh yeah some guy named Lance destroyed the field in a record-breaking day. Not too bad for a first time venue in small town Haines City.
The race did not sell out (just over 2,000 registered athletes 1900 started) which seemed odd since the 7-time TDF champion was toeing the line. Here was a photo taken of him hammering the bike where he averaged a ridiculous 27.72 MPH over the bike. Oh by the way he also ran 5:47 miles to win his first Ironman 70.3 as a professional. Congratulations to Lance and for setting a new course record. (more photos to follow)
Now back to the real reason we are blogging. Julie and Dan raced not only in their first triathlon together, but their first 70.3. I assure you there will be many more to come as Julie is now addicted and has already been looking up Lake Stevens 70.3 . That is because she wore out the race course in her first half and finished with a big smile on her face. For never racing that distance and in the Florida heat she did very well. (Swim – 40 min, 3:03 bike and a 1:58 run) – yeah 24th in her AG. I am so proud of her. My goal was a little different, I wanted to break 5 hours and unfortunately I am writing tonight not having done so. I was in good shape with 85% of the race done – unfortunately there was that last 15%. I swam in 37, biked in 2:30, but finished with a 1:58 run (after running the first 4.3 miles at 7:40, next 4.3 at 8:45)- finishing at a disappointing 5:12.
This was the first year that this race was held in Haines City, it moved from the Disney area where it had been held at Camp Wilderness in the past. That was the site of my first half and after racing that venue vowed never to race there again. When the venue moved I decided that I would like to return to this half (especially since it was 2 hours from me). The venue was a quaint, small town. If you are looking to make this a long vacation I would recommend staying closer to Disney. There was not much to do in the area and dining options are limited (I think everyone racing ate at the Olive Garden and Carabba’s).
We actually stayed in Davenport, FL which was about 15 miles from Haines City and stayed at a nice resort called Regal Palms. It had a nice lazy river (which was not so lazy) with a slide – I recommend not going down head first as I hit my forehead on the edge and got a goose egg the night before the race. HAHA. We rented a 4/2 house on the resort with a screened in pool. The accommodations were nice although not a big fan of a $90 cleaning fee since we had to take off the sheets, take out the garbage and tidy up the house- we did this to ensure we got our $250 deposit back. One thing we discussed when we left is that the bed spreads smelled like they hadn’t been washed in a while and we were told to take the sheets and put them by the washer but nothing was said about the comforters so we wondered when is the last time they were actually cleaned. As an FYI..our friends who stayed in one of the condos on property had a problem with fire ants and had to move to another condo. There was a Publix right around the corner and a great local pizza place (Mia’s Pizzeria).
Race Venue:
We showed up to the race site on Friday and checked in. They had plenty of volunteers on site and the check in process went very quickly. All staff was friendly in my experience. After checking in, we went to the expo where we had a few things to pick up. The expo was smaller than some of other events such as St. Anthony’s Triathlon, but was adequate for what we needed. The one complaint we had was in the Ironman tent. Julie had purchased a 2XU tri suit, but ultimately decided that it did not fit the way that she wanted it to. We went back to the tent and she was told that they do not take returns they only offered credits. I found this ridiculous as first off the tri suit was $260, second off she never left the expo site and all the tags were still on the suit. We decided to go back on Saturday and try again – we ended up being able to return the item, but it was a pain.
As far as the transition area went, the area was set up as best it could it be at the venue. My one concern was since there were an abundance of first timers they were taking liberties of the space they were using and bags and coolers were being packed between bikes which made it difficult to get your bike off the rack. I find this extremely annoying as my bike is larger than most and my seat post is very high (higher than the rack) so I had to angle my bike to get it out from the rack and navigate all the “race essentials people felt then needed). I think the officials could have paid a little more attention to what was being placed within the racks. In addition, the race allowed people to check their bike in the day of, which I enjoyed, but made the ease of getting into transition take a few extra moments. They had plenty of volunteers body marking and it moved as quickly as could be expected. There were plenty of port-o-potties and they venue actually had a nice playground for younger children.
The swim was in Lake Eva. Since Florida is in the midst of a serious drought the water levels were very low and you could actually stand about 250 feet into the lake both going out and coming in. With the lake being low it also kicked up a lot of mud and dirt from the bottom of the lake and made for a very dirty swim (if you wore white when you came out it was a brown-ish color). Exiting the water you ran up a beach area and into transition. Exiting T1 was a narrow shoot and was crowded especially since many novices felt they need to have their shoes clipped onto their bike. I heard many athletes were falling and causing a dangerous exit which I encountered coming off the bike
I was part of the last wave to go off (M30-34 was split into two groups) so we had a crowded bike course. When you left transition you took a right and had a little incline you had to navigate. The first 28 miles were relatively flat, but had a decent amount of turns-it helped having the wind at your back for the majority of the first 28 miles. Once you made the halfway turn the race course became significantly different. The wind was in your face the last 28 miles, and although none of the climbs were extended or more than probably 200 feet, the course became an up and down course. If any of you are familiar with Clermont, Fl the course mimicked what you would experience there. I averaged 3 MPH less on the back 28 and was disappointed until I saw that most athletes (including Lance) experienced the same. Below are the breakdown of my miles over the course:
Miles 1-5
17, 22.5, 24.1, 22.8, 23.9
Miles 6-10
21.6, 23.9, 24.3, 22.6, 26.4
Miles 11-15
24.3, 22.1, 25.8, 26.1, 24.8
Miles 16-20
25.1, 23.5, 26.2, 24.6, 24.3
Miles 21-25
25.0, 24.5, 24.4, 22.7, 25.5
Miles 26-30
24.5, 25.1, 17.9, 24.3, 24.1
Miles 31-35
24.0, 19.2, 19.9, 20.5, 19.8
Miles 36-40
16.2, 24.1, 20.4, 18.4, 19.5
Miles 41-45
22.9, 21.2, 22.0, 22.0, 21.7
Miles 46-50
20.8, 21.8, 22.6, 22.7, 21.5,
Miles 51-56
20.7, 22.6, 18.7, 19.6, 19.8, 19.6
Coming off the bike I leave my shoes on my bike and hop off. As I was coming into transition I got sandwiched by two other athletes and one jerked his bike in front of me as I was running and I took his pedal right to my shin (I guess a mark to remind me of this race). As I was running through transition I realized leaving my shoes on my bike was a bad idea as the sun had heated up the asphalt and my feet were on fire. I had to run through almost all the bikes around a corner to get to my rack. The only good thing was I was close to the run out. The run course consisted of a three loop run. I had not checked the run course and did not realize that about .3 miles into the run there were consecutive hills (probably 80-100 feet in height) that caught your attention very quickly. After making your way up the hills you made a right into a residential neighborhood and had an ever so slight incline before taking another right and finding your way downhill (and in a slightly shaded area). Athletes then proceeded around the lake and into a triangular one mile loop (within the main loop) which turned out to be great for spectators because if you stayed there you could actually see your athlete pass you six times. Bad news for the athletes this was out in the sun and got to be hot towards the end of the race. After navigating the triangular loop, athletes took a left turn and worked up another slight incline (which seemed more daunting on the final lap), one last aid station before making on last right turn back to transition.
Overall, I enjoyed the race. Didn’t care too much for the swim, but I think the water levels had a lot to do with that. The bike course was challenging at times and not a flat pancake ride which makes athletes think while on the course especially while navigating turns. The roads were bumpy at times as you were out on country roads for the majority of the race. I might be wrong in this assumption, but the elevation gains I thought were similar to the Augusta bike course only here you did not get the benefits on the downhill as much because most descents were followed by turns. The run course was great for spectators, maybe not for athletes. I have never seen so many walk during a run on a 70.3. It was fair as it was not a flat run and of course it was Florida in May so you had heat and humidity.
The one thing that was disappointing was the crowd participation. There were only a handful of spectators out on the run course (except for near transition and the triangular loop). I do not think the town was ready or understood the magnitude of what an Ironman 70.3 race is and brings to the community. I will chalk it up to, “it was the first year” and it will get better. I raced Ironman Augusta the first year and the city and people were amazing. I guess I just didn’t see the people of Haines City as inviting or involved as I would have expected. I mean for a small city to have the excitement of a big race come to town I thought they would have turned out a little more especially with Lance racing. This was just a small disappointment in a weekend filled with the excitement of seeing family and racing with my sister for the first time! I will race this race again which is more than I said after Camp Wilderness.
Congratulations to all finishers and big brotherly love to Julie on an incredible finish! I am so proud of you. Now on to the next challenge!
Birthday Bricks!
3 days.
Dear body, please be rested and fueled so that I can crush it on Sunday. Thank you, Julie
I started off taper week with a long overdue sports massage that left me feeling like I just did 700 squats and 500 pushups. Wow, that felt oddly great. Thank you to Rebound Massage Therapy in Beaverton, OR. I’m not much of a stretcher, so there were some definite built up knots all over, and deep. This wasn’t no pansy Swedish massage. Dang! But for the first time in my life, when I got home that night I could not only touch my toes but put both my hands flat on the floor.
Taper Week:
- Monday I put in a light 60 minutes cycle and put in a little time stretching (!) to keep the nice benefit of the massage going.
- Tuesday was spent cramped in the window seat of the plane on the long flight from opposite corners of the US. Blah.
- Wednesday Dan and I celebrated my 31st birthday with a short swim (1mi) and run (4.5 mi) brick. It felt great, especially after feeling super gross from traveling.
- Thursday I am picking up my bike today! Wooooot! Dan and I are planning a bike/run brick. Not intense, but I need to get use to my bike and we need to keep the body moving, but not tire us out.
- Friday and Saturday will be really light. We probably wont do any exercise on Friday and will do a super short (think 10-15) warm up on Saturday to keep body loose.
- Sunday Swim Bike Run like crazy.
Right now I am just feeling pure excitement. It is so great to with my brother and my sister-in-law. I can’t wait to see my folks later in the week. I can’t wait to finally ride my new bike. I can’t wait to jump in the water on Sunday and move my body 70.3 miles to the finish line. I can’t wait for the Coronas afterward! I can’t wait to then plan the next race.
Northwest to the Southeast- Race week!
I’m Florida bound. (Ok, now at this posting, I am in FL) Race day is four days away.
Leaving Portland. View of Mt Hood (Mt St Helens and Mt Adams in there too!)
I’m in a mental game now. For the past 16 weeks I have committed hours upon hours to a training plan my brother created to get me prepared for race day. At this point, there isn’t much I can do to physically train to get ready, besides controlling my nutrition and hydration. It’s all about how my mind is going to prepare me.
I am strong. I am pumped. I am focused. I am ready.
I have been amazed at the transformation I have taken over the last few months both physically and mentally. I have had fantastic energizing training sessions and felt my body move farther it has ever gone before and I have had horrible ones where I stop 20 minutes in and been on the verge of tears. Since the beginning of my training I have gone through major changes in my life: been broke, moved to a new city, been unemployed then started a new job, and experienced heartbreak. Training was one major constant- there to test my mental and physical strength, provided a release and meditation, helped me explore new locations I have been in, and given me something to own and be proud of. So here I am, turning 31 and completing my first 70.3 in the same week.
I can’t help but recognize that I am here because of my brother. No way would I have ever attempted this without him. Never would I even considered getting into triathlons. Those are for crazy people, right? I was so inspired by watching my brother as he did IM Rhode Island last year, and while my respect for what he did was high then, it’s ever higher now having now experienced what sort of preparation goes into training. If you have ever been to a triathlon event, even as a spectator, it is hard not to feel moved by the emotion and the triumph that these athletes go through to cross that finish line. People of all ages, all abilities, all sorts of stories and journeys brought together in one race. There aren’t many events out there that can be shared with a sibling, an 80-year old, a disable athlete, and Lance Armstrong.
I am going through both mild and intense opposite emotions during this week. Nervousness. Excitement. Pride. Doubt. Elation. Fear. I have been woken up many times over the last couple of weeks from nightmares about the race- not being able to make it to the starting line to anticipated pain of competition. At this point I am doing all I can to take moments of the doubt and the fear and reverse them into mantras of positive thoughts. I have also taken moments during the day when I feel nervousness build up and turn them into moments of positive visualization of the race day. I imagine myself swimming efficiently and focused. I imagine a relaxed posture and smooth bike stroke. I imagine a steady and light running pace that all brings a smile to my face. I imagine my family on the sidelines and at the finish line as I cross with hands in the air and give them a hug. I imagine not giving up, finishing strong, and happy.
I think before any race there is this consideration that more could have been done to prepare for a race- “I shouldn’t have taken a day off,” “I should have done more speed workouts,” “did I work as hard as I could have?” etc. But I am where I am.
Thank you Dan for all you have done to get me here. I am so excited to do this race with you. I will never forget this experience. See you at the finish line…or the medical tent.
M.I.A
Yes…I have been MIA. I always get on Julie for not posting well now it is time for me to take my medicine. It has been weeks since I posted. I know, slacker. We are 13 days away from Ironman Florida 70.3 and I have been nowhere to be found. I am still here, still training.
Baby steps. I finally reserved our room for the trip, could I be any more last-minute? Glad to say that we were able to score a 4 bedroom house with a screened in pool about 15 miles from the race site. Thanks www.regalpalms.com
I have been trying to stick to my training schedule the best I can, but that darn thing called career always seems to get in the way. I wrote a longer post, but alas my computer wasn’t cooperating so I am keeping this short and sweet.
It is Finally race week, 6 days to be exact. Julie comes tomorrow and we pick up her bike on Wednesday. The time has finally come for us to race our first half together. We have nerves for two separate reasons, Julie racing in her first half and me for trying to redline it and set a new PR for me. The weather is supposed to cooperate with us being in the mid to low 80′s with humidity of course, but we can suffer through that. Wind is the only x factor, might be up to 20 MPH.
I am feeling good leading up to the race because I had a great weekend of training. Rode 70 miles on Saturday followed by 3.5 miles of sub 7:15 pace. Sunday, I ran 14 miles at an 8:01 pace, felt great after the run and could have gone longer but no need to push it this week. Yes, the 3 weeks after IMFL 70.3 are all focused on IMCDA. Needless to say I am excited for my sister to get here, my mom and stepdad to fly down and just get down to racing.
More updates to come. You can track us on race day at www.ironman.com race tracker
Now Counting Down in Days: 14!
Northwest weather is certainly not preparing me for Southeast racing. Today I woke up and headed out for a ride up to Sauvie Island north of Portland and was unprepared for May temps that caused me to see my breath. My fingers and my toes went a little numb at some point…but, the ride was beautiful.
Here is a link to the route I took: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/90000471
I am so eager to get my new bike and really wish I had it now to practice on. I tried very hard not to be hard on myself during the ride when I felt I should and could be going faster, however I went out there with an intention of time, not distance. I mean, I am still riding with sneakers for crying outloud and that is tiring for 3 hours!
I am so pumped to get to FL! We have family coming down to watch, we just rented a condo for a couple days, and I get to race with my bro! Regardless of how I do in the race, it is going to be a great time.
Albany Aquatics Sprint Tri Race Review
First tri of the season. Done! For the first time in my race history, I slept the night before! So much so, when the alarm went off I was confused as to why. Must have been that 3 hour ride and 25 min run yesterday!
I left my apartment just before 5:30 and was greeted outside my building by some drunk dude who exclaimed “no way, someone else is up?!” who then wanted to walk with me down the street and tell me all about his previous experience as a bike messenger. His enthusiasm for bikes was a little much at that time of the morning.
I have been trying to be pretty calm about this race and just consider it a practice. Of course that is hard to do, when I really just want to win (I seriously need to get over this). But it really was just about going through the motions and working out some kinks. I was pretty anxious about the swim portion of this race since it was in a pool and not open water. I don’t know why, I was fine. I did however wake up thinking my start time was 8 am, not 9 am, so my morning nutrition was a little off timing wise.
The swim portion wasn’t nearly as messy as I imagined. Everyone was given a start time based on their submitted 500yrd time to try and match skill level. There were 3 people in my lane at the beginning and we started 5 seconds from each other. About a couple laps in, somehow we gained another person. I definitely gassed it early on in the race because I didn’t want the person behind me have to pass me. Well, he did anyway and I just had to suck it up.
This was a small tri with only about 150 participants, and then a duathlon event. It was really low key and a good beginner or practice event. The pool swim actually makes it great for beginners because you can stop if you need to and the start isn’t chaotic. The bike course was fairly flat and winded through farm fields which were rather pretty. Plus the day was absolutely gorgeous: around 70 and sunny. Woohoo! (Oops, hello first sunburn of the season.) This event is small and has a small budget, but that is ok especially if this is a practice race. It is hard to find a tri at this time in this area, so going into it if you know its practice it is good.
I ended up finishing second in my division. (Awards were ribbons, like you get in high school.) I was slow on the bike! But I guess for being a steel bike and riding with running sneakers, I didn’t do so bad. I also learned that in the future I should take a little ride before the race on the bike. Something funky was up with my bike and I couldn’t get it into low gear without some horrible horrible sound, so I ended up pedaling in high gear and spinning way more than I needed, and needlesstosay, getting passed.
Results here. I will also update our race page when splits are posted.
Overall a good day. Burger, fries and milkshake always taste good post-race. Thank you Burgerville, my post-race-reward.
The best moves on the road, however, came on the drive home when I narrowly escaped making a 4 car pileup a 5 car. When a pickup blew a tire a few cars in front of me and slammed on the brakes, the cars behind it had little time to break, including me. Realizing I was able to hit the car in front of me, I swerved to the left somehow wedging myself between the car ahead of me and the cement barrier, with inches to spare, and right before the person behind me hit the person ahead of me. Me and my car escaped without a scratch. Again, the Honda Fit, fit.
Alright, Haines City….race fever is happening.
