Wildflower Half-Ironman Triathlon

Long Course, Short Summary

Long Course, Short Description

Lessons learned:

• BE CAREFUL WITH NEW EQUIPMENT. I had worn my goggles twice. By the second time, I thought I had them well adjusted for no leaking. But triathlons are not pool swimming - a lot more lifting the head for sighting, which torques the goggles differently. They leaked. However my New Balance 678's, which I had also worn just twice before (but including one 10-miler) were fine.

• RUN YOUR OWN RACE. I started running great. First mile 8 minutes. Next two a little slower. Then I reached the first hill. Ahead of me was a line of ten people, all walking. The psychological pressure was tremendous. I *could* have taken it as an opportunity to blow by them all. Instead I thought, "maybe they know something I don't. Maybe they're conserving needed energy. Maybe I should too." Too much thinking, not enough running. I walked.

• DO NOT WALK [Ultrarunners can ignore this paragraph]. I've said it before, I'll say it again. If you walk once, it's twice as easy to walk a second time. Walk twice, it's four times as easy to walk a third time. You can see where this is headed. Slow down. Jog. Shuffle. But DO NOT WALK. Never give in to the temptation as long as you are physically able.

• RACE FOOD <> TRAINING FOOD. I eat on long runs. But eating during a race, where the intensity is different, is different. "GU" (a product similar to Leppin Squeezy, and Gatorlode, all three are concentrated carbs (paste, really) in a little packet) had seemed great during some training runs. But I couldn't deal with it during the race. And do not buy Chocolate GU. Sickeningly sweet and fatty tasting (even though it's not).

• STOKERS ARE GREAT BUT... I downed two during the bike. Really easy to eat, even at race pace. During the run I was fortunate to be passing a bathroom (yes, not even a porta-potty) at a time when I needed it. Lost two minutes or so. This has happened to me after eating Stokers during long training runs, so I'm getting more and more convinced. It had never happened to me before during a race (and I had done two other half-Ironman races, and eaten other solid food during those races).

• RACING IS 90% MENTAL. (Assuming you're in shape, of course). Everyone knows this, but here's an example. Mile 9 to 10 was all downhill, maybe a 4% grade. Then the course doubles back from 10 to 11, up the same hill. My neighbor Andrea was behind me. I figured there was a good chance I'd pass her during this mile. Couldn't let her see me walking. So I ran the whole uphill mile, even while others were walking. I did pass her (turns out she had a flat on the bike). Pride made me run that mile. If I hadn't expected to see someone I knew, I would have walked at least part of that hill.

• TRIATHLONS ARE GREAT FOR RECOVERY. Attention JimP and any other injured marathoners. This race took me well over 6 1/2 hours. By the next day I didn't have a single ache or pain (and I even passed up a massage). This week I have been turbocharged riding my bike to work and running.

• PERSONALITIES CUT BOTH WAYS. Debi was bad mouthing the announcer, who was making everything ultra-dramatic. Then came the awards ceremony, when he made a big deal about The Athlete's Diary which they were awarding to the winners (certainly got Gary's attention! Sorry I missed you, Gary). We certainly appreciated his personality then!

• IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO A HALF-IRONMAN IN APRIL. But it's a lot easier in July or August. Between rain and darkness (or other weather impairments, depending on where you live), I managed to average something like 12 hours a week in the month or two leading up to the race. That's quite a bit less than the 15 or 16 I average through the summer. And definitely enough to make that half marathon seem a lot longer.

• DON'T LEAVE YOUR RACES IN YOUR TRAINING LOG. The week before I had a great brick workout - a hard 20M bike, followed by a 9M hilly run. I was really focussed on my training. Come race time, and particularly run time, and I just didn't have that mental focus. The results showed.

• HEAT TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL. This was the coolest Wildflower in years. But 75-80 degrees during the run is still 10-20 degrees warmer than 95% of all my training. It does make a difference, physically and mentally.

• CARRY WATER. Everyone knows hydration is important. So is cooling. If you carry water, you can grab the water at the aid stations, dump it on your head, and drink in between stations, all without stopping. You can also cool yourself down between stations. Water on the head is obvious; I find that water on the arms is particularly effective. Nicest person at the Wildflower? Someone at an aid station saw me approaching with water bottle in hand. "Do you want that filled?" I nod. He grabs it from me, runs ahead of me, fills it up, and hands it back to me when I reach the station, all without requiring me to stop. I was impressed.

• EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE. There I was at mile 7 of the run, sitting on the toilet in the campground we passed through. I overhear two guys taking a shower, talking. "Boy, those people who do the Long Course are just awesome!" Didn't feel particularly awesome at the time :-)

• TECHNIQUE COUNTS. As in every triathlon I do, there were numerous people who passed me on the flats or downhills, who I then flew by on the uphills. Why? Lots of hill riding certainly helps. But above all, it's because I'm not afraid to use my lowest gears and "spin" up the hill, while they're fighting their way in a higher gear.

• THE LONGER THE RACE, THE TOUGHER THE COMPETITION. I'm used to passing literally hundreds of people on the bike and run in shorter (International distance) triathlons. A lot of people do those races who aren't completely prepared. Very few people seem to do a half ironman who aren't prepared.

• FINALLY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ENJOY TRAINING! Anything can happen in a race. Poor focus. Leaky goggles. Flat tire. Sprained ankle. You simply cannot count on being totally satisfied with the results of any race. Since Jan. 1 I had trained 156 hours for this race. I would be a fool to do that if I hadn't enjoyed every one of those 156 hours. The race (for me) is the motivation, the validation, but if you focus all your mental energy on the race alone, and don't have that "great race", you can let yourself in for a big letdown. I am somewhat disappointed; I think I could have gone under 6 hours. That will be my goal for next year (of course, it will end up being 20 degrees hotter next year and there will go that goal). But I'm glad I made the effort, and darned proud too.