Post by jontotman on Jul 27, 2011 7:02:36 GMT -5
I just want to share with you Eva's Iron Man Lake Placid race recaps last Sunday 7/24/11. I invited her to BM to suffer with us but I guess she had a much better idea on how to suffer...IRON MAN so here is her race recaps;
So here is the story…
Prelude
The arrival in Lake Placid went together with a heat wave that reached the North East. Temperature last Friday reached 104F/40C in NYC, we had slightly milder temperatures in Lake Placid. So, you learn that there are places in the US were air conditioning actually does not exist, indeed in the Adirondacks, including Lake Placid. Temperatures were hardly bearable, and sleeping at night was an undertaking.
Also, I did not know if I was recovered from a stomach flu that I suffered two weeks prior to the race, and that put me on fluid/semisolid nutrition for several days, leaving me with several pounds less and pudding like legs.
Nevertheless, the weather expectation for race day was sunny, some clouds, and temperatures around 75F/24C. The major unknown was the water temperature…
2.4 Mile Swim (1:43:05)
At around 5 am we hear that it would be a ‘no wetsuit’ race for those athletes who wanted to be eligible for awards and Kona slots, since the water temperature was 78F/25.5C (cut-off temperature is 76.1F/24.5C), and ‘wetsuit optional’ for the other athletes. While I definitely was not aiming at awards or slots, I did chose not to wear a wetsuit because I did not want to take any chance to overheat. Performance wise maybe not the best decision (besides the disadvantage of less buoyancy, my tri suit also generated major drag, turning me to something that must have looked close to a balloon fish), but health wise maybe not a bad decision, since I felt warm even without wetsuit. The two loop swim took place in Mirror Lake, in downtown Lake Placid, with a short exit/run on the beach in between loops. The course is easy to follow, as there is a cable underneath the water that links the buoys, so you don’t have to sight. However, swimming along the cable is very popular, so you stay away and sight if you prefer to have some space around you, which I did. I thought that I had a decent swim (no major wrestling, no major zigzagging, no particular problems with heavy arms or legs), but my time was very disappointing. I will never know how much time I have lost because I did not wear the wetsuit, but I like to think that it is at least 15 min, so now I feel much better… J
T1 (6:57)
The transition from swim to bike was somewhat chaotic. I had to open three porta-potties before finding one that was not occupied by a male athlete relieving themselves (I know, this is no typical triathlete language, but there are non-triathletes reading here, including my mom…). Were they afraid to lose one more second to lock the door (hey, I am talking here about athletes that swim 1h45min or so, not the pro’s…)? Also, the sunscreen was nowhere to find, so I left transition without, which of course is a risky thing to do on a sunny day.
112 Mile Bike (6:26:39)
The two loop bike course was quite challenging, with some fast downhills and flat stretches, but also many uphills, and side winds (as usual). Some hills were tough, and I found it difficult to get a good rhythm, switching frequently from the big to the small ring. But I really enjoyed the last hills (Little Cherry & Big Cherry, Mama Bear & Baby Bear & Papa Bear) with the many enthusiastic spectators. Grace, who I was hoping to catch on the bike, was nowhere to see… She had a much faster swim than me and now she was flying on the bike, so I decided to focus on my own race instead... I rode a good split on the first loop, the second was a little slower. But overall I was not unhappy about my bike time and the number of people I passed.
T2 (4:41)
All smooth, and finally I found the sunscreen, so my sunburn did not get that bad… J
26.2 Mile Run (5:17:14)
The two loop course was not an easy one. Moreover, it was hot. Each loop had two major hills (where many athletes were walking) and some other hurting sections. Nevertheless, it was a scenic course (including a sight of the two Olympic ski jump trampolines) and very spectator friendly. I had a hard time keeping up the running, so I did some walking (and talking) in between... Two miles before the finish I was done, only pushed forward by the cheering of the spectators. But once I reached the Olympic speed skating oval, my legs started running harder and harder. The spectators were amazing, so many and so noisy. The finish now was a few steps away…
Finish (13:38:34)
So I put my best smile on my face for the photographer, hands up and another Ironman distance finish (nr. 17) is in my bag!
I said that I would do three more Ironman races before my retirement, but I also said that I would continue until I am 65 years old, so maybe I can try to qualify for Kona. I guess that I still have to figure this out.
Later that night, back in the house, I heard about all the amazing results from the athletes in our group, including two qualifiers for Kona! I was very impressed, though not surprised, as everyone had worked really hard this season, and it showed!
Thank you
To all the athletes staying at 14 Placid Height Lane and the other GCTC athletes, your partners, friends and families… Thanks for making this a great race and stay in Lake Placid! This was not my best or fastest race, but definitely the most animated and with the best ambience. It did not feel at all like I was there with no personal support… A big thanks!!!
What is next?
Time to move on and focus on my next goal: Ironman Canada, which is in five weeks. Two weeks of recovery followed by three weeks of tapering including a weekend of biking in the mountains should do the trick… Because there is no better training for an Ironman than an Ironman… J
Everyone, thanks for reading my story and for the many pre-race good luck wishes and the post-race congrats. You will hear from me shortly about Ironman Canada, so stay tuned.
Eva
For the other people that haven't met RoadieEva she was the only female in the picture below.
So here is the story…
Prelude
The arrival in Lake Placid went together with a heat wave that reached the North East. Temperature last Friday reached 104F/40C in NYC, we had slightly milder temperatures in Lake Placid. So, you learn that there are places in the US were air conditioning actually does not exist, indeed in the Adirondacks, including Lake Placid. Temperatures were hardly bearable, and sleeping at night was an undertaking.
Also, I did not know if I was recovered from a stomach flu that I suffered two weeks prior to the race, and that put me on fluid/semisolid nutrition for several days, leaving me with several pounds less and pudding like legs.
Nevertheless, the weather expectation for race day was sunny, some clouds, and temperatures around 75F/24C. The major unknown was the water temperature…
2.4 Mile Swim (1:43:05)
At around 5 am we hear that it would be a ‘no wetsuit’ race for those athletes who wanted to be eligible for awards and Kona slots, since the water temperature was 78F/25.5C (cut-off temperature is 76.1F/24.5C), and ‘wetsuit optional’ for the other athletes. While I definitely was not aiming at awards or slots, I did chose not to wear a wetsuit because I did not want to take any chance to overheat. Performance wise maybe not the best decision (besides the disadvantage of less buoyancy, my tri suit also generated major drag, turning me to something that must have looked close to a balloon fish), but health wise maybe not a bad decision, since I felt warm even without wetsuit. The two loop swim took place in Mirror Lake, in downtown Lake Placid, with a short exit/run on the beach in between loops. The course is easy to follow, as there is a cable underneath the water that links the buoys, so you don’t have to sight. However, swimming along the cable is very popular, so you stay away and sight if you prefer to have some space around you, which I did. I thought that I had a decent swim (no major wrestling, no major zigzagging, no particular problems with heavy arms or legs), but my time was very disappointing. I will never know how much time I have lost because I did not wear the wetsuit, but I like to think that it is at least 15 min, so now I feel much better… J
T1 (6:57)
The transition from swim to bike was somewhat chaotic. I had to open three porta-potties before finding one that was not occupied by a male athlete relieving themselves (I know, this is no typical triathlete language, but there are non-triathletes reading here, including my mom…). Were they afraid to lose one more second to lock the door (hey, I am talking here about athletes that swim 1h45min or so, not the pro’s…)? Also, the sunscreen was nowhere to find, so I left transition without, which of course is a risky thing to do on a sunny day.
112 Mile Bike (6:26:39)
The two loop bike course was quite challenging, with some fast downhills and flat stretches, but also many uphills, and side winds (as usual). Some hills were tough, and I found it difficult to get a good rhythm, switching frequently from the big to the small ring. But I really enjoyed the last hills (Little Cherry & Big Cherry, Mama Bear & Baby Bear & Papa Bear) with the many enthusiastic spectators. Grace, who I was hoping to catch on the bike, was nowhere to see… She had a much faster swim than me and now she was flying on the bike, so I decided to focus on my own race instead... I rode a good split on the first loop, the second was a little slower. But overall I was not unhappy about my bike time and the number of people I passed.
T2 (4:41)
All smooth, and finally I found the sunscreen, so my sunburn did not get that bad… J
26.2 Mile Run (5:17:14)
The two loop course was not an easy one. Moreover, it was hot. Each loop had two major hills (where many athletes were walking) and some other hurting sections. Nevertheless, it was a scenic course (including a sight of the two Olympic ski jump trampolines) and very spectator friendly. I had a hard time keeping up the running, so I did some walking (and talking) in between... Two miles before the finish I was done, only pushed forward by the cheering of the spectators. But once I reached the Olympic speed skating oval, my legs started running harder and harder. The spectators were amazing, so many and so noisy. The finish now was a few steps away…
Finish (13:38:34)
So I put my best smile on my face for the photographer, hands up and another Ironman distance finish (nr. 17) is in my bag!
I said that I would do three more Ironman races before my retirement, but I also said that I would continue until I am 65 years old, so maybe I can try to qualify for Kona. I guess that I still have to figure this out.
Later that night, back in the house, I heard about all the amazing results from the athletes in our group, including two qualifiers for Kona! I was very impressed, though not surprised, as everyone had worked really hard this season, and it showed!
Thank you
To all the athletes staying at 14 Placid Height Lane and the other GCTC athletes, your partners, friends and families… Thanks for making this a great race and stay in Lake Placid! This was not my best or fastest race, but definitely the most animated and with the best ambience. It did not feel at all like I was there with no personal support… A big thanks!!!
What is next?
Time to move on and focus on my next goal: Ironman Canada, which is in five weeks. Two weeks of recovery followed by three weeks of tapering including a weekend of biking in the mountains should do the trick… Because there is no better training for an Ironman than an Ironman… J
Everyone, thanks for reading my story and for the many pre-race good luck wishes and the post-race congrats. You will hear from me shortly about Ironman Canada, so stay tuned.
Eva
For the other people that haven't met RoadieEva she was the only female in the picture below.
