Galveston 5150 (err.. 5000) Race Report

This was my first Olympic distance triathlon. I had been battling achilles tendonitis since late July, so I've hardly ran since then trying to rest and recover. My bike training also took a hit for a couple weeks. I knew I could finish the race, so I didn't want to drop down into the Sprint.

I stayed overnight at Moody Gardens and brought the wife and kids to cheer me on!  The nice thing about staying at the hotel is you can wake up later, unfortunately I still woke up early and then had trouble sleeping.

Swim (or lack thereof)

Due to storms the previous two days, the wind was high (20 mph) and they cancelled the swim due to the chop. I understand why they did it, but there went my strongest part (relatively speaking) and the part I was able to continue training on with the achilles injury.

Bike

The bike was a time trial start. Everyone waited by their bike at the rack and the race official came by and started everyone, 10 seconds apart. We left from Moody Gardens and headed south on 83rd street to the seawall blvd via Stewart. The first mile or so was somewhat technical with sharp turns and uneven pavement. Then you hit a straight shot onto Seawall Blvd (well paved), ride down to Jamaica Beach and do a U-turn.

Wind had sustained winds of 20mph from the NE, meaning the first half of the bike I felt like Lance Armstrong on steroids (or just Lance Armstrong) cruising along at 22 mph. Then we turned around, where it was even tough to maintain 14 mph.

On the way out, I found that I had to ease up to keep the HR under 175 (my LT), but on the way back it was tough to get it up above 170. I would pedal harder, but feel the lactic acid built up in the legs before getting out of breath. I did hold back a little, trying to keep my legs fresher for the run.

Overall, I averaged 17.43 mph on the bike, which put me in 63rd out of 69 people in my AG.

Run

The run was two winding laps through Moody Gardens, which is actually good for spectators. My wife and kids could stay in one spot and see me 6 times.

The first couple miles felt good and time was decent 8:44/mile and 8:54 mile (assuming the mile markers on the race were posted correctly). However, my legs and feet started getting very sore which continued to get worse. My achilles felt fine - it was my legs and feet that were hurting. I wasn't out of breath, but I just couldn't move my legs faster. My heart rate averaged at 177, while my LT is 184.

The lack of running over the last 8 weeks has shown. This was actually only my fourth time running over 6 miles. I had done some 40/2 bricks, but not anything longer.

The best part about the run was that my wife and kids were out there cheering me on.

Overall, I ran at 9:43/mile, which put me in 54th of out 69 in my AG, so I passed a few people.

Overall

I am pretty happy with the race given my injury. Sure, I was 61st out of 69 in my AG and 430/605 overall, but I knew I wasn't going be fast given my lack of training. I finished and I feel my times are respectible, so I am happy. Additionally, an Olympic distance attracts the better racers. If I had done the Lonestar Sprint, even at the same paces, I would have been in the 50th percentile of my AG. I haven't been so tired after a race before and my legs are SORE today. I think I'll need a week off anything.


Race Management

Good, but not great race from an organizational perspective. When I first rolled up to Moody Gardens, there were no signs as where to go. The course was well marked and there was a lot of volunteers, but the communication regarding the weather was poor. They said they would send out emails and post stuff to the website, but nothing ever happened. T

he Expo and the after-party was very weak - I expected a little more for something associated with WTC. Race club tents were not allowed, leaving the after party looking barren. The location at Moody Gardens makes for a nice destination race. It is nice to walk downstairs from your hotel room to the start.

Galveston and Beyond

Galveston 5150 in 3 days! I've been checking the weather report and getting mentally prepared. One thing that this race will inform me of, is whether I want to try for the half-Ironman. The Galveston 70.3 is on the same course as the 5150... you just bike further down the island and run two more laps around Moody Gardens.

My training plan for Olympic distance was pretty intense and I struggled to keep up with the volume.  I know I wouldn't be able to go on a 80 mile ride every weekend AND a long run every week, plus do everything in between.  It's not that I'm lazy, but I want to try to balance work, family, and working out. I can be active healthy by running 5k & 10ks and going on 25mi rides. I don't need to put in 80 mi rides to be healthy. Still the allure of the half Ironman is there, because I feel I could finish it without too much more effort. What's the least I could get away with? We're talking just being under 7 hours. Maybe three, rides 65 miles or more?

While I'm not interested in doing the MS150 this year, I think some of the training rides would be fun. There are a lot to choose from:

 2013-2014 rides: The List
Description of 2012-2013 rides Fall rides, Jan-Feb rides, Mar-Apr rides

Potential Things of Interest

November 3, 2013: Tour de Doughnut (Katy)
November 10, 2013: Bike for Little Heroes (Waller)
February 9, 2014: Bike for Little Heroes (two rides but I like the charity's cause)
February 23, 2014: Sun & Ski Sports Spring Breakaway
March 1, 2014: Woodlands Half Marathon
March 16, 2014: Tour de Houston
March 23, 2014: Bluebonnett Express

T minus 6 days

My first Olympic tri is on this coming Sunday and nerves are starting to build. I've done 1500m+ in a pool multiple times, but I know I'm going to look at the course and think "Holy shit that is far".

I had a good workout yesterday, a 31/2 brick. I kept the pace largely in zone 2, but I was feeling well after the 2 mile run. It gave me confidence that while my time is questionable, I know I will finish.

With family watching for the first time, finishing is my main goal. I originally had a goal of 3 hours, but after my bout of achilles tendonitis, I was trying to forget that, but it is hard. There is nothing magical about 3 hours, but it seems like a benchmark to hitting a respectable number. I think "best case scenario" is 2:50, and worse case is 3:20. There are a lot of variables which could impact this, such as

1.  how well I sight,
2. if there is chop,
3. how bad the wind is on the bike
4. how hot the run is.

I'll actually be pacing my effort based on heart rate, so if I meet those goals, but my time suffers due to wind or chop, then I should be happy.

August Totals

August was dismal for training. I battled achilles tendonitis, my go-to pool was closed, and I spent a week on vacation. I couldn't run and couldn't even bike hard for several weeks. The only upside is that I took the opportunity to get and learn to use clip-on aerobars. I am hoping that whatever I lose (or not gain) in endurance, I can gain in improved aerodynamics. The good news is that I ran today for the first time since Bridgeland tri, and I didn't have any pain afterwards. Run: 0h 34m, 3.6 mi Bike: 16h 44m, 229 mi Swim: 2h 49m, 7,100 yards