Cumberland Sprint Du 2.5km-19.2km-2.5km) Race Report, May 3, 2008 ======================================== I got to Cumberland early, ~7:20am. With an E wind and rain/drizzle/showers happening and in the forecast, clothing was going to be an issue. I kept my t-zone setup simple - just extra socks, gloves, jersey in a plastic bag - and after getting my race kit, I returned to the car to relax and stay warm and dry - the wind and slight rain made things cold. I felt ready physically and mentally - relaxed and not worried - but I really couldn't shake the feeling that I really was not very ready for this race.. Last night I had not felt motivated and so I hadn't done much of my last-minute race prep. Would it come back to haunt me? At 8:10am I went into the arena and did my stretching and yoga sun-salutation warmup, and then put on what I hoped to be my race clothing - tri top with a singlet underneath; arm warmers; gloves; and tri shorts - and I went for a gentle warmup run. Legs felt good, my shoes, which I'd fiddled with the speed-laces all week, felt good, and my HR was steady in Z2. I was an ok temperature going into the wind, and I wondered/hoped that if it did rain again (it had stopped by this point) that I wouldn't get too cold. Back to the car for final prep - put on socks, and I was as ready to go as I was going to get. Just before the start I ran into Geoff Wright, so we talked briefly, and I did not do the warmup strides that I had planned to do. More preparation not done. 9am I heard Terry's 5-4-3-2-1, and we were off. I started off near the back of the field, to try to control my early pace, and it worked. I settled into my pace over the first few minutes, and only then started to pass people. My pace and stride was quick, and I settled into a pace with my HR near/at LT. Too quick? Not sure. I could hold it easily, but I wondered if it was too quick. I continued to pass people all the way through the first run. Into T1 and I noted that I was well under the 11min goal I had for the first run. T1 went smoothly and quickly ,and I was able to pass more people who paused at the mount line, and my mount was clean and easily into my bike shoes - the practice earlier in the week paid off. Now I discovered where my lack of preparation was coming back to bite me. Two things: 1) my bike helmet was loose - strap too long; and worst of all, 2) my bike computer was loose and nearly falling off its mount. I prayed it would stay on, because if it fell off, I knew I would stop to pick it up. Heading east on Montreal Rd was the worst section heading into the wind. I got aero and powered past people. At the corner into the subdivision I passed back a lady who had passed me and then slowed too much for the corner. She swore and said "We are going to be like this all the way, right (meaning jockying back-and-forth)". Then, going up the steepest hill, my bike computer fell off. Fortuneately my speed wasn't great, so I was able to quickly stop and retrieve it and stuff it into my aero-bottle. I lost maybe about 30secs, as well as the lady and group I was with. Back onto the bike I got into a groove, and although I wasn't trying to, I soon caught and passed the group and lady I'd been with. Out onto the 'back straight' now and with the wind I was really able to pick up the pace. I pushed, but not too hard, I hoped. I was still slowly catching and passing those I saw infront of me. I completed loop 1 and felt good. The wind on Montreal Rd felt stronger, but on the plus side, the clouds were getting lighter, and it appeared that the rain wasn't going to return any time soon. And then, in turning into the subdivision, I knew I'd done the first 1/2 of the race too hard. The jump was gone from my legs and they were really burning. My pace up the hills and around the corners was noticably slower. I had shot my bolt. Idiot! I know better than to go out too hard. I didn't think I'd done the first bike loop too fast/hard, but I guess I had. I continued to work as hard as I dared, but I came into T2 with tired and burning legs. T2 was also quick, but not quite as smooth as I had difficulty getting my shoes and hat out the plastic bag I'd put them in to protect them from potential rain. I started running down the hill, and although the legs were loose, they were sore and tired. Ouch! I was hurting trying to run, and I knew that I had 'shot my bolt'. This second run was going to be hard. On the plus side, I knew that sub-1hr was most likely. A guy in blue, whome I remember passing on loop 2 of the bike, came past me and pulled ahead, but along Montreal Rd, where the wind was tough, I managed to get my legs and pace under me, and I stopped him increasing his lead, but I couldn't eat into it. My stride slowly picked up, as did my HR, but I couldn't get it into the 180's. Last race it was my cardo/lungs/HR that limited my pace, today it was my legs, they were too tired and already sore. Blue guy had a longer stride, and no matter how fast I turned over my legs, I couldn't catch him. Coming up the hill to the finish line I put on as much of a burst as I could do, but the legs just couldn't respond, and I made just a little headway into Blue guy's lead. Across the finish line, ouch, and Blue guy and I shook hands. I got a nice post-race massage from Michael Michaud and then discovered that he had won our AG, and I was third - Blue guy, Joe, wasn't in my AG, so not being able to catch him did not cost me an important placing! Cool! I missed the awards ceremony as I was outside chatting with Geoff and cheering other a thletes, but I got my "Bronze" medal plaque afterwards. Official stats: --------------- run 1 (2.5km) - 11:03 4:26min/km, 19/71 overall (includes most of T1); bike (19.2km) - 36:06 32.2km/h, 11/71 overall (includes t-zone to/from mount/dismount line) run 2 (2.5km)- 11:26 4:35 min/km, 19/71 overall (includes most of T2); 58:35 total time; 13/71 overall; 10/38 Men; 3/10 Men 35-39; my stats: --------- run 1 - 10:39, HR 177avg, 187max T1 - 0:39 bike 1 - 18:22 bike 2 - 17:20 T2 - 0:35 run 2 - 11:01 HR 176avg, 182max Thoughts ======== Prep! Prep! Prep! Usually my strong point, today I let myself down with the bike computer. My clothing choices were bang on, the work I'd spent this week on my shoe's speed laces paid off. Looking at my race now, I don't think I started too too fast, just a bit too fast. Even if the dropped bike computer cost me ~40secs, my 2nd bike loop was still faster than the 1st, even though I thought I was going slower. I didn't think I pushed too hard in the first bike loop, so maybe my early-season lack of bike training hurt me in the 2nd loop and then the 2nd run. Very happy with the way my transitions went - off/on with my shoes easily and into my bike shoes at mount time was the best I've ever done. Overall, I am quite happy with this race. I raced as fast/hard as I could, I have lessons to take away, as well as a 3rd-place AG award :-)