Hickory Grove 2011 Race Report

Race Day
Sunday Aug 28th  4:30 am
*ALARM*
I slept good I feel rested.  Its time to put something in my stomach. I prepped some John McCann's Steel Cut Irish oats last night so they would be ready to heat & eat.   Because I am OCD about forgetting crap I had gone through my gear bag a dozen times last night and laid out the stuff I would be putting on in the morning.   I do my morning routine and eat some awesome oatmeal with some brown sugar.

I load the car up with all my gear and then pack all the cheerleaders in for the trip.

We are off!  WAIT!

One quick stop at Perkins for some of that delicious Super Dark Blend coffee.

Ok now we are off...

======~48 min later~======

We arrive. There are already alot of athletes milling about moving gear and bikes warming up etc...  I find a place to park just on the back side of transition and run off to find  where I need to check in to pick up my timing chip.  On my way to check in I bump into my friend LittleRachet from over at "Tri-ing to be a triathlete" Much of this craziness that I'm involved in is her fault. since this is my first Tri she is checking on me making sure im ready asking me questions.   I have no clue my head is spinning from the excitement!   I get directed to the proper tent to pick up my chip.
After chipping myself I go unload all my gear and find a spot for my bike and bag in transition.  I dont know alot about transition strategy but here was mine.  "Be able to find where I left all my stuff while Im out of breath and freaking out about why my legs have suddenly stopped listening to my brain."   I decide that a spot on the end of a rack is best and find one next to a large oak tree.  The 3rd tree in from the run exit.  I place all my gear and check my tire pressure and my gearing.  Then I tuck a Mocha Gu pack into my bike tool bag strap so I have it on the first leg of the bike. (<--this is important)

I have about 15 min before transition closes and the pre-race meeting begins.  I eat a bag of Jelly Belly Sport Beans and talk with Little Rachet and my Wife for a few minutes before I run to the Port-o-John.  LONG LINES but they are moving fast.   I get done just as the pre-race meeting starts.

Race Meeting: Blah blah blah
Because the swim was cancelled they split the run and I will now be racing 1 mile run/15.5 mile bike/ 2.1 mile run
The Race

First run
Im racing as a Clydesdale (fat guy) so Im in the 5th wave of runners.  My group is called up and I put myself about the middle of the pack.  Im a short fat guy so standing in the middle of this Clyde pack was like being surrounded by sequoias.  Im really getting wound up my heart rate is elevated Im way more nervouse then any 5k Ive ever run.  I mentally try to calm myself as I know being this worked up will make me pace faster then I want too.
I honestly dont remember if there was a horn, or a shot, or just a "Go".  I just started running when everyone else did.  It seemed like everyone was pacing really fast and 100yards into the run I started rethinking my run strategy.  This was only a mile run I can recover quickly from a mile run especially in the 2-3 transitioning from run to bike and gettign going on the bike.  I up my pace a bit and and just stay with it to the end.  finishing hard accross the line.  In looking at my Garmin It was under 9 minutes  I could have gone harder and wish I had after the fact.  This race was a different dynamic.

T1
Running into transition I easily find my way to my spot either because I just remembered or because the prep of locating the big tree actually worked I dont know.  I get to my bike put my helmet on and my gloves and unrack.  I begin running through transition to the bike exit.  The bike exit sits ono top of what is essentially a 4 foot vertical wall.   Well its a road and transition is in the ditch so there is a 4 foot incline to get to the the roadway.  I thought as I was leaving that incline was really steep and sucked.  Little did I know!   Once I get on the road I fumble gettign mounted and get going I must practice the mount a bit better.  Things to work on.    It was nice to hear Little Rachet tell me to calm down and just get going.  Its strange I didnt see anyone but through all the commotion I hear this voice.  Thanks!

Bike
I get going and I feel good legs feel strong and I feel like a slender reed slicing through the air.  As I exit the Park there is a big Downhill grade somethign that will get me well over 30 MPH quickly.  I get up to speed and immeditaley at the bottom of the hill I have to slow to make a corner. I stay very solid through the first Hill and once I get back on the main road to the out and back I feel great Im staying strong and passing a few people.  I am of course gettign passed by the disk wheel/sperm helmet crowd but I expected that.  There are alot of different levels of people on this ride.  I hit the turn around and start powering back.   The plan was to take my GU pack at the turn around.  The turn around is followed by a hill back up.  So I wait to take my gu pack till I get back to the flat.  Wehn I crest the hill I situate to get back into a groove and go for my Gu pack just as I move my hand to grab it from the strap It slips from the strap and falls to the side of the road as I cruise on by.  I say good bye to the only nutrition I brought with me on the bike.  Im upset.  I let it get to me.  I know that Ive done bike rides this long before without nutrition boosts but for somereason my plan got disrupted and I let it get to me.  A mile later I kick myself in the ass and tell myself to quit sulking about it and just SPIN on.  Nothing I can do about it now.  I settle back in and realize Ive lost some momentum and begin to try and make it up.  I do a little.  As Im finishing my last lap I begin to feel the effects of being worn out.  Whats wrong.  then I realize I havent been drinking much.  Its a nice day out and not hot and I felt good and I drank a little but not much. I begin to drink water a nd then relaize What Im doing I have less then a lap left and 3/4 of a bottle of Nuun.  I start drinking every few minutes  By the time I reach the turn around I know Im almost done but Im seriously slowing down only averaging about 15-17 mph  and slow on the hills.  I pound the last of my nuun hoping its not to late to get the hydration back in my system.   Drink more water as I come back round to the park entrance.  I take the left to renter the park and push hard to the end.   Again I hear Little Rachet..."How was that?"  Louder then the rest of the crowd  *Cowbell Clanging*  I yell back,  "It was Awesome!"  and I dismount flawlessly.  Within 3 strides I realize that my legs arent holding me up its my mind forcing my body to levitate as my legs pretend to work.  Thats when the Steep incline heading back into Transition suddenly becomes the most difficult obstacle in the world.    I dont know how I manged to make my legs do what they did but They held me up and I ran my bike down that hill and into T2.

T2
This seemed faster then T1 to me.  But it wasnt!  I racked and stripped my gloves and helmet. grabbing my hat I turn to go then I rmember I have other Gu packs in my bag.  I shove my hand in and grab one and rip into it on the way out.   Squeezing it into my mouth as I trudge out of T2 and down the long trail out to the course.  I realize that the reason they tell you to take those things with water is because if you dont your mouth becomes a gooey things that makes you freak out.  I pass my awesome family cheering me on the sidelines my little girls and my wife.   It was so great to actually see someone.   Man I could use some water to wash this Gu pack down.  And then the cramps start!


Second Run
My calves are cramping into tennis balls I breath and try to relax but continue to run.  I slow my pace a little and allow my body to adjust.  The hard cramping goes away but I still feel the tension and know if I push hard they will come back.  Arrghh! Its because I didnt drink sooner on the bike.  I know it is hydration.  I hope that the late ingestion of Nuun hits me pretty soon.   This run is all trail, grass and dirt.  As I approach the first hill the tension in my calves ease and I begin to feel better.  I settle in and begin to just run finding a rhythm and just going.  I increase my pace a bit trying to make up a little time from the cramping. I know its only a short ways but my head keeps screwing with me tell me the finish is a long ways off.   I just keep pushing forward the calves are just sore from the cramping and I think im clear.   I see a water table up ahead and volunteers handing out gatorade and water...  I Should have taken the gatorade instead of the water.   I  see a girl really struggling and give her an encouraging word as I pass by.   I keep trudging and I have less then a mile left.   I feel tired. Im angry that I didnt drink more on the bike.  Oh well lessons learned as I hit the short hill coming across the lake dam muscles just inside my knee on the bottom of my quads start to cramp and with each downward foot plant It seems to get worse.  I eas my speed back again and try and minimize the cramping.   Some little girl is directing traffic  near one of the turns and I dont know what happened but she is telling us to stay to the left and the runners headed oout are being told stay to the Right and we are criss crossing each other and its very confusing.   I can see the end and hear the crowd and I get that boost of knowing im almost done.  Rachet is yelling at me to go and Im expecting some cowbell but I got nothing!!   So I forget about the cowbell and push to the end .

Someone hands me a bottle of water and takes off my timing chip.

WOW Im done what an incredible experience.  I wish it had been the real deal but Im still glad I did it and I learned some valuable lessons.

Things I learned


1 mile isnt very far push harder (only appropriate for shortened duathlons)
Secure nutrition to my bike better
Take more then what I need in case other accidents happen
Drink Drink Drink!
Practice Mounting while running.
More Bricks
More hill trianing (both running and cycling)
Seek out some guidance on gearing