2013 doesn't allow for easy.
After the 2013 - Part 1 at White Lake Half Triathlon and Maritime International concluded earlier this year, then a less than inspiring finish at the North Face 50K, I took a little time off to focus on me and my personal/professional life. Coming back to life last month with the Nation's Triathlon, I felt like I was fairly ready to tackle a late-year half-iron. Fortune didn't favor my boldness, but challenged me. I had to get hard again, like I did with Jorlie and Erin at White Lake.
While I always have exciting lead-ups to races, I think for this occasion I'll highlight the course characteristics since very few race reports out there actually give a good feel for what the course is actually like. Due to really bad weather, little photographic evidence back up my story, but I assure it, it's true.
Preview
The course is based from the General Smallwood State Park in Indian Head, MD, which is about a 45 minute drive from Arlington/DC. A week before the race I visited the course and tried to ride as much of it as I could without overdoing it on the legs. The course had changed in 2012, adding a decent amount of climbing to what you would think is a rather flat, coastal area. That is not such the case. However, aside from a few rough patches, the roads are smooth and ideal. Long, gradual uphills, then steep and exciting descents. The swim takes place in the Mattawoman Creek which is fed from the Potomac River and just as brown (only less dead bodies), but not brackish like it was at Maritime International. This time of year the water is in the mid to upper 60s. This year's new run course featured a 3-loop jaunt through the park on mostly paved surface, but incorporated some fire-road through the camping areas.
An Unexpected Visitor
On the Wednesday before my race, my friend Murphy, Esq. dropped by. Waking up I turned my head and felt a familiar grind - the one that precedes the next two weeks of not being able to turn my head and searing pains in my upper back - all of this from being rear-ended by a drunk driver nearly two years ago. With three days before my race, Claire at Rose Physical Therapy Group in DC immediately made time for me on her calendar for the rest of the week to use Active Release Therapy to give me enough pain-free range of motion to hopefully limp through the swim. With each session I felt better, but wondered how it would be Saturday morning. (Spoiler: it felt good - THANKS CLAIRE!)
When it Rains, it Pours
Then the rain came. It rained all week, and with each passing day the forecast for Saturday deteriorated. I don't say this with disdain, but rather with acceptance. Race day looked grim, with a steady drizzle during the quiet drive out to the park. Over the speakers in transition played a number of soundtrack preludes, chiefly from Headlamps, jackets, and umbrellas scurried about. Transition setup was hilarious. Plastic bags everywhere, covering saddles, shoes, gloves, and other accoutrements which no one knew wear in such nebulous weather.One of the characteristics of triathletes is to endure pain and unpleasant things for longer than "ordinary" athletes (except ultra runners...those em-effers are hard, too).
Embrace the Suck. Accept the rain, cold, and discomfort, then smile back. Remember, there's beer at home.
Swim
At some point the man with the loudspeaker announced the official water temperature: 64.9 degrees. Having learned from previous fails, I had packed both my sleeveless and full wetsuits. I opted to swim in the latter. This was an in-water start, with a triangular, anti-clockwise double loop - which keeps your OUT of the channel and thus away from aquatic vegetation and other things to get tangled in. After the initial shock of the chilly water, my heart rate moderated and the horn sounded. Chop made for an interesting swim, and I only got my goggles kicked off twice. I'm okay with that. Easy pulling kept my back from freaking out, however I could still only breath to my left. I didn't care. The important part was surviving the swim. If I could do that, I could finish the race. There's a good chance I touched a few butts and probably owe people dinner. Part of the fun of OWS, right? Note: next time, bring shoes down to the SWIM OUT - it's a long-ass trek back to transition on rough cement and grass.
Bike
Thankfully transition is in a paved parking lot, but that didn't stop my feet from getting muddy on the trek there, and didn't keep my gear from still sitting in a pool of water. Awesome :) If you've raced in the country before, the bike course was pretty much just like that. No monster or steep hills, but it rolled. A lot. I had opted for forgo my jacket, gloves, pretty much everything, and only changed my sunglasses out for amber lenses. Windshield wipers would have helped. That, and more lube. I couldn't feel my man-bits, and the wet chamois was, let's say "highly abrasive."
Temperatures stayed around 64 degrees during the entire course, but strangely helped balance my core temps. Despite tree coverage, wind was still a factor. It rained and rained. My bits hurt. My legs felt sluggish. and it rained some more. After passing a bunch of folks early on the roads got lonely. Really lonely. On LONG stretches I could see a single rider way out in front of me. At one point I even looked back and could see a rider who was way behind me. Aside from a few cars, it was me and the road.
A picky bar 20 mins in, 5 gels, and 2 bottles of Accelerade/water fueled the ride, however it would have been nice to have some soup. And some Irish coffee. I tried to pick up a waterbottle at the third station (around 13 miles out), but managed to miss it because of a car recklessly zooming past, which spooked me. Lacrosse nets were set up to throw empty bottles into, but I completely botched that and it ended up just falling short and nearly hitting a volunteer. I still had some liquid left in my other bottle, so no biggie.
Something I liked about the course is that it was a single loop route and had lovely roads. Even the shape of the course on the map is entertaining (if you're 12 years old. Which I am).
What I wasn't completely expecting was the amount of climbing in total. My Garmin put it just over 3000 feet of climbing. I must say, my Cervelo isn't a climbing bike. Fast on the flats, but a bit unwieldy on the ascents.
My predictions are getting better these days, coming in about a minute under my anticipated (and conservative) ride time. I just hoped it was enough to help save the legs for the 13.1 miles.
Run
A few steps onto the run and I could hear Bill Cosby in my head explaining the nature of Jello Jigglers to me and how my legs were now made of the curious substance.
Running the loop takes you out of the park is a gradual uphill before a long, rolling section on Chicamuxen for an out and back, then turns you into gravely, muddy roads for a bit before you returning to pavement. You even go through the camping site area and down to the water and run on a wooden bridge before circling back up to start your next loop. If you've ever run Kinetic Half at Lake Anna, it was very similar to that. Almost identical. Except not as steep, and it rolls a lot more. The run loops were far from flat, but not killer. I was slow. I walked for a few moments, and was beyond thankful for the kindness of the young volunteers. My guts hurt. My legs hurt. And I really wanted some pizza. I took a gel every loop and got liquids when I needed, but never felt thirsty.
I managed to hold on for 15th overall and second in my AG. There were some fast kids out that day. I mean really fast, especially for the conditions. Congrats to all the DC Tri Club folks for their finishes, including Alysia for her valiant 2nd Female OA.
Post race was a lot of Rockin Refuel Chocolate milk and barbeque.
What really meant a lot to me on this race was being able to hold on. I didn't feel good. But there were enough happy people out there in the crappy weather who weren't giving up, either. Even on my third loop there were still riders coming in from the bike course, who, in moments, would be slipping into their shoes and beginning their 13.1 mile trek, too. That's resilience.
This was a good race to end my 2013 tri season with. Third time on the podium this year, and a respectable finish, despite the challenges.
Things to note about the race: Good swim conditions, nice and chilly, and not a lot of debris, however the sighting buoys at the far turn could be placed a bit better so you know which angle to swim once you've rounded the turn; the bike is rolling the entire time, save your legs; the run goes offroading some, and only sucks if it's wet and muddy - no real need to wear anything but road shoes in normal conditions; the volunteers rocked; the BBQ was simply okay, but it was nice that it was a local mom and pop place, however, I heard some vegetarians complaining about a lack of non-meat options (which is fair, but if you have funky diets, bring your own backup food).
Would I recommend this race? Yes - but not to the someone who hasn't trained.
Thanks to all my support from Coach AJ, the folks from Rockin Refuel/Shamrock Farms for the recovery, Adventure Geek Racing for the training events, and from my wonderful new sponsor Rose Physical Therapy Group in Washington, DC for helping me even get to the start line on race day - I literally couldn't have done it without them.
Sorry for no action shots - I had no sherpa and there were no race-day photographers :(
After the 2013 - Part 1 at White Lake Half Triathlon and Maritime International concluded earlier this year, then a less than inspiring finish at the North Face 50K, I took a little time off to focus on me and my personal/professional life. Coming back to life last month with the Nation's Triathlon, I felt like I was fairly ready to tackle a late-year half-iron. Fortune didn't favor my boldness, but challenged me. I had to get hard again, like I did with Jorlie and Erin at White Lake.
While I always have exciting lead-ups to races, I think for this occasion I'll highlight the course characteristics since very few race reports out there actually give a good feel for what the course is actually like. Due to really bad weather, little photographic evidence back up my story, but I assure it, it's true.
Preview
The course is based from the General Smallwood State Park in Indian Head, MD, which is about a 45 minute drive from Arlington/DC. A week before the race I visited the course and tried to ride as much of it as I could without overdoing it on the legs. The course had changed in 2012, adding a decent amount of climbing to what you would think is a rather flat, coastal area. That is not such the case. However, aside from a few rough patches, the roads are smooth and ideal. Long, gradual uphills, then steep and exciting descents. The swim takes place in the Mattawoman Creek which is fed from the Potomac River and just as brown (only less dead bodies), but not brackish like it was at Maritime International. This time of year the water is in the mid to upper 60s. This year's new run course featured a 3-loop jaunt through the park on mostly paved surface, but incorporated some fire-road through the camping areas.
An Unexpected Visitor
On the Wednesday before my race, my friend Murphy, Esq. dropped by. Waking up I turned my head and felt a familiar grind - the one that precedes the next two weeks of not being able to turn my head and searing pains in my upper back - all of this from being rear-ended by a drunk driver nearly two years ago. With three days before my race, Claire at Rose Physical Therapy Group in DC immediately made time for me on her calendar for the rest of the week to use Active Release Therapy to give me enough pain-free range of motion to hopefully limp through the swim. With each session I felt better, but wondered how it would be Saturday morning. (Spoiler: it felt good - THANKS CLAIRE!)
When it Rains, it Pours
Then the rain came. It rained all week, and with each passing day the forecast for Saturday deteriorated. I don't say this with disdain, but rather with acceptance. Race day looked grim, with a steady drizzle during the quiet drive out to the park. Over the speakers in transition played a number of soundtrack preludes, chiefly from Headlamps, jackets, and umbrellas scurried about. Transition setup was hilarious. Plastic bags everywhere, covering saddles, shoes, gloves, and other accoutrements which no one knew wear in such nebulous weather.One of the characteristics of triathletes is to endure pain and unpleasant things for longer than "ordinary" athletes (except ultra runners...those em-effers are hard, too).
 |
| Why are my race stickers soaking??? |
Embrace the Suck. Accept the rain, cold, and discomfort, then smile back. Remember, there's beer at home.
Swim
At some point the man with the loudspeaker announced the official water temperature: 64.9 degrees. Having learned from previous fails, I had packed both my sleeveless and full wetsuits. I opted to swim in the latter. This was an in-water start, with a triangular, anti-clockwise double loop - which keeps your OUT of the channel and thus away from aquatic vegetation and other things to get tangled in. After the initial shock of the chilly water, my heart rate moderated and the horn sounded. Chop made for an interesting swim, and I only got my goggles kicked off twice. I'm okay with that. Easy pulling kept my back from freaking out, however I could still only breath to my left. I didn't care. The important part was surviving the swim. If I could do that, I could finish the race. There's a good chance I touched a few butts and probably owe people dinner. Part of the fun of OWS, right? Note: next time, bring shoes down to the SWIM OUT - it's a long-ass trek back to transition on rough cement and grass.
Bike
Thankfully transition is in a paved parking lot, but that didn't stop my feet from getting muddy on the trek there, and didn't keep my gear from still sitting in a pool of water. Awesome :) If you've raced in the country before, the bike course was pretty much just like that. No monster or steep hills, but it rolled. A lot. I had opted for forgo my jacket, gloves, pretty much everything, and only changed my sunglasses out for amber lenses. Windshield wipers would have helped. That, and more lube. I couldn't feel my man-bits, and the wet chamois was, let's say "highly abrasive."
 |
| Pictured removed due to high volume of site visit overloading system. |
A picky bar 20 mins in, 5 gels, and 2 bottles of Accelerade/water fueled the ride, however it would have been nice to have some soup. And some Irish coffee. I tried to pick up a waterbottle at the third station (around 13 miles out), but managed to miss it because of a car recklessly zooming past, which spooked me. Lacrosse nets were set up to throw empty bottles into, but I completely botched that and it ended up just falling short and nearly hitting a volunteer. I still had some liquid left in my other bottle, so no biggie.
Something I liked about the course is that it was a single loop route and had lovely roads. Even the shape of the course on the map is entertaining (if you're 12 years old. Which I am).
 |
| Small. Wood. |
 |
| 3000+feet. |
Run
A few steps onto the run and I could hear Bill Cosby in my head explaining the nature of Jello Jigglers to me and how my legs were now made of the curious substance.
 |
| "Now, you see, Theo, the hibbity boppitiy comes from within the Jello.." |
Running the loop takes you out of the park is a gradual uphill before a long, rolling section on Chicamuxen for an out and back, then turns you into gravely, muddy roads for a bit before you returning to pavement. You even go through the camping site area and down to the water and run on a wooden bridge before circling back up to start your next loop. If you've ever run Kinetic Half at Lake Anna, it was very similar to that. Almost identical. Except not as steep, and it rolls a lot more. The run loops were far from flat, but not killer. I was slow. I walked for a few moments, and was beyond thankful for the kindness of the young volunteers. My guts hurt. My legs hurt. And I really wanted some pizza. I took a gel every loop and got liquids when I needed, but never felt thirsty.
 | |
| Woo! |
I managed to hold on for 15th overall and second in my AG. There were some fast kids out that day. I mean really fast, especially for the conditions. Congrats to all the DC Tri Club folks for their finishes, including Alysia for her valiant 2nd Female OA.
Post race was a lot of Rockin Refuel Chocolate milk and barbeque.
 |
| Protein to rebuild, carbs to recharge |
What really meant a lot to me on this race was being able to hold on. I didn't feel good. But there were enough happy people out there in the crappy weather who weren't giving up, either. Even on my third loop there were still riders coming in from the bike course, who, in moments, would be slipping into their shoes and beginning their 13.1 mile trek, too. That's resilience.
This was a good race to end my 2013 tri season with. Third time on the podium this year, and a respectable finish, despite the challenges.
Things to note about the race: Good swim conditions, nice and chilly, and not a lot of debris, however the sighting buoys at the far turn could be placed a bit better so you know which angle to swim once you've rounded the turn; the bike is rolling the entire time, save your legs; the run goes offroading some, and only sucks if it's wet and muddy - no real need to wear anything but road shoes in normal conditions; the volunteers rocked; the BBQ was simply okay, but it was nice that it was a local mom and pop place, however, I heard some vegetarians complaining about a lack of non-meat options (which is fair, but if you have funky diets, bring your own backup food).
Would I recommend this race? Yes - but not to the someone who hasn't trained.
Thanks to all my support from Coach AJ, the folks from Rockin Refuel/Shamrock Farms for the recovery, Adventure Geek Racing for the training events, and from my wonderful new sponsor Rose Physical Therapy Group in Washington, DC for helping me even get to the start line on race day - I literally couldn't have done it without them.
Sorry for no action shots - I had no sherpa and there were no race-day photographers :(
