On Sunday, August 20 I completed my first half IM in Gilford New Hampshire. It was a great weekend to get away and finish it off with a good race. The Timberman festival is a great race and I am glad I chose this race as my first half. I was actually I was put on the waiting list in February and actually found out I got in two weeks before the race. It was a little unnerving since I needed to step up my training in only two weeks and I raced in a really testy Olympic the weekend before.
Swim
I was in the 9th wave. I've never seen so many triathletes at one location it was actually pretty cool. The beach was filled with about 1800 people in wetsuits all with different colored caps. It was an in the water start which was new and actually preferable to the mad dash that usually kicks off these events. I started in the upper right front and waited to get tackled by swimmers but they just never came. I fought my way through a couple slower swimmers and was kicked in the goggles which quickly filled with water. A quick back float and goggle clear got me back on track. The 1.2 mile swim felt short or rather I felt really strong perhaps it was the adrenaline. I hit the first buoy and decided to pick it up and quickly ran into the people in the waves ahead of us. A few ducks and turns and I was in the clear. Hit the final turn and was met by some chop but found my way through and up to the beach for at time of 38 minutes. Getting stripped out of my wetsuit just made that more special. No hassels, just hang onto your shorts!
Bike
Got into transition and took a quick swig of gatorade, put on my cycling shoes, helmet and sunglasses and ran out of the bike racks to a long path leading to the mount line where we were met by even more spectators. I felt good, a little cold but hammered up the first upgrade past people still getting their bikes together and a few who already had flats. Quick decent to a turn and then onto the bike course for the 56 mile ride. I moved past quite a few riders in the beginning trying to hit that Zen state people talk about on the bike. A little water, clear the head and just spin. About 7 miles in people had talked about a steep incline which people were struggling up but it really wasn't anything compared to the hills I rode in my race last weekend. The Litchfield Oly proved to be a good base for what was to come. We eventually found our way out to the rolling flats where I gelled up and took in loads of fluids. I moved my way through traffic and decided to keep my cadence around ninety plus with an average speed around 21. Just before the turn around the pros were ripping by on their way back and damn were they moving. They really put it all in perspective. Hit the turnaround and was hit by a pretty serious headwind which pulled me out of aero in parts and moved me to just spinning. I decided to eat some cheese crackers and snack on a rice krispy treat while my head was down pulling through the headwind. Around mile 40 I decided to pick it up and took over a ton of people in my age group and also in the waves ahead. We hit a nice spot of downhills and I just tucked and held back on the pedals hitting a cool 49 mph in most parts and passing some blockers and people who just didn't want to get the hell out of the way. They were also met with some get the f___ out of the way. Climb back to T2 was killing people but not me since I had spun it out most of the way. In T2 with a time of 2:50. Not what I had planned.
Run
Racked my bike, slipped on the shoes, visor and out on the run. Having took in so many fluids I really had to pee and I just couldn't do it on the bike. I jumped the rope hit the porto john and let go for what seemed like 5 minutes. Back out on the run chute surrounded by thousands of people, my legs felt really freakin great! I had no idea of my time since my watch locked up for some reason but I didn't care. I hit the first three miles with a time of 22 minutes, little fast for what I thought I could handle but my legs felt great. I was moving by a load of people and got a look at the route coming back which had one tough hill but I didn't think it would hurt that much considering what I ran last weekend. I made my way through Margaritaville a great spot on the course where neighbors turn their neighborhood into scene from Mardi Gras it really makes you forget about the second loop. By the turn I felt some hopping in my stomach, and decided to pass on all gatorade, gels and just stick with water - good choice. I motored up the hill in for the first loop and met up with a guy from Connecticut and we paced out for about three miles until he pulled ahead around mile 8. I took a salt capsule in Margaritaville, some salt and vinegar chips and all of a sudden I felt really good. I turned it on and caught my fellow pace mate, passed him and caught people I had seen well ahead of me on my first loop. Something totally came over me and it's really hard to describe but I felt really really good. I kicked it through mile 9 and past some onlookers who commented that I was making it look to easy. With two miles to go I let it go. Made my way past the spectators who were on both sides of the road, turned into the shoot and just sprinted finishing in 5:32. The clock actually read 6:12 and I thought I really sucked but after realizing I started in the 9th wave I felt better. Talk about better, I felt like I could have done another loop. I realized I really held back in this race which is totally understandable considering I just wanted to finish. Now I know I can hammer more on the bike and even pick it up sooner on the run.
I met a ton of great people. People just out to do it because they love it and are in it for themselves. I hit the ice bath for about five minutes and hit the food tent with no pain in my legs or anything it was truly a great feeling knowing I have more and can do better at this distance. Great race, well run, good people -
Lessons learned:
1. Don't underestimate your training - if you put in the time it will be there on race day.
2. Don't be afraid to feel pain on the bike or run because you can always gut it out to the finish.
3. The time spent trying to be cautious will hurt your overall time.
4. It's a race - let it go a little.
