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Sunday, September 18, 2011

colleen gray-hewitt's 2011 Race Report




Pre Race
1. How did your pre race ritual turn out?

Pre-race I was staying at friends’ place. Arrived a day ahead of family and just gave myself time to visit the expo, have a massage, which I didn’t get to before leaving, and try to not do too much beyond short swim, bike, run. Partnered up with another athlete to hang out and sound things off of in the days leading up which was really great.

2. How did you feel pre race?
OK overall. I was way more nervouse for Victoria ½ Iron which I’d set as my ‘A’ race for the year. Everything else past that seemed more relaxed and for the experience. I was a little apprehensive of getting nutrition right, the heat, and of running a marathon which was pretty much double the distance I’d ever run.

3. Anything you feel may have helped your pre race?
Best pre-race things were the phone conversation with Sean to go over some nutrition and race strategy, which I adhered to. Training camp to actually swim, ride, run the routes and get my bearings around Penticton was VERY beneficial.

4. Did you feel ready for the race?
As much as I could with minimal time to think (or over think) and to train up to the longer distances. I think I was more relaxed than if I’d signed up the year before.

SWIM:
1. Where did you start?

2nd row approx 100m to the left of the buoys (so basically up front)

2. Did this work for you?

Pretty much. I tend to pull right so I ended up at the buoys by the first 750m and then stuck to that line. I may move in towards the buoys more next time out as I can sight and follow those to keep on line.

3. How did you feel?
I wanted to have a good swim. Some of the jostling that made me stop for a second and look around was a bit of a pain as was the chop created by 3000 people which made me swallow a little too much of the lake, but I felt fine. I don’t mind the craziness of the swim once you settle into a pace group which I did. Managed to follow some feet for a bit too, which was a first.

4. Any problems?
Not really. The last 1800m when it spread out, I found myself off course to right a bit which forced me to sight more than I would have liked, thus not feeling like I was getting long stretches of a smooth stroke.

5. Positives
Found some feet to follow for a few hundred metres! Didn’t get goggles grabbed off or seriously kicked. Decent time out of the water.

6. How was your sighting ie. were you all over the place?
My sighting is fine when I do it all the time. When I try to go a few extra strokes without sighting I end up right.

7. Did you get smacked?
Yes – grabbed and kicked - but not too hard.

8. Were you drafting efficiently?
At one point. Not for most of the race but maybe a ¼ in all.

9. What was your time?
1hr 4 min. It was slow getting out of the water. Shallow for awhile which is tough to muscle through and then everyone is funneled into transition across the timing mat so that part was a bit slow.

BIKE:
1. How was your transition from swim to bike?
OK. I totally missed the strippers though! I ran across the rows of bags and it took them a few seconds to get my bag then into the tent. I was one of only 2 or 3 women in the tent so that was good. My volunteer wasn’t really ready to help me strip off my wetsuit and was a little flustered but that’s OK. I forgot to sunscreen on the way out. Took a salt tab and grabbed water from a transition aid stn when heading out with the bike.

2. How was your nutrition strategy?
Remembered when I was on the bike that I’d forgotten to take a gel pre-swim so my last food was 4:30am breakfast. I had salt tabs in a Nuun bottle in my back pocket which was an experiment (that worked out). I planned to take one thermolyte (180mg sodium) every 20 min and stuck to that. Not sure exactly how many calories I took in but would have been around the 300/hr (maybe a little shy of that) with Carbo Pro (800 cal worth), Clif bloks, 2/3 Bonk Bar at Special Needs and whatever I took in with Perform (not a ton – maybe 300 cal over the whole ride of that)

3. How was your hydration?
I was probably less hydrated than I should have been. I had to pee in the first 90 min but couldn’t get that to work on the bike so just didn’t pee the whole time and never really had to as that feeling went away. I took in water every aid station and topped up my Speedfil so I was drinking constantly. I felt fine in that regard during the ride.

4. Any mechanicals or flat tires?
No thankfully. I paid my due on Richter in the Desert ½ with 2 flats…

5. How were the climbs?
Fine. I kept to a very low gear to try to keep as high a cadence as possible with spinning out the legs. Passed people on the climbs. Was mostly passed on the descents but I actually passed a couple people coming down from Richter which was a miracle.

6. Any problems?
Just some frustrations with the drafting rules as I wanted to push it a bit more in certain sections but couldn’t without having to pass a whole line of cyclists which would have used up too much energy.

7. Positives
Felt strong mentally and energy-wise the entire ride. No bonking or energy sag along Barcelo which was a problem on our training ride (I hadn’t taken in sodium then). All the crowds and volunteers were amazing.

8. Any highs and lows in terms of energy?
Energy felt pretty consistent throughout which I was very happy about. The heat was definitely a factor but I just tried to keep cool with water over the head and knowing that this was going to be better than the run! The lowest point (which was also a high point) was the last portion and the wicked headwind which was a bit demoralizing after coming through everything else so well. But it was still a high as that portion was done and in a time faster than I was expecting.

9. Did you know where you were on the course?
Yes. Riding the whole course once in training camp was awesome. I used my Garmin for time/cadence and heart rate, though heart rate monitor wasn’t working that well.

Run
1. How was your transition from bike to run?
Slow but somewhat unavoidable. Think it was about 5 min. Tent change was fine. Had to get sunscreened as it was hot and sunny and I hadn’t done it pre-ride. Had to use the Johnny and it was an 8hr build up of pee (sorry) so that took a couple minutes as dealing with wet kit with not so functioning hands took a few seconds to get all ready to run for the next 4 hrs.

2. How was your nutrition?
Very so-so. I opted to carry a fuel belt with 2 bottles of coconut water/water mix, salt tabs and some clif blocks and 2 powerbar latte gels. I hate gels so they were for emergency. I took the tabs approx every 25 min. I drank both bottles and replaced them at special needs and drank those as well. Took a piece of banana at two aid stations but wasn’t super keen on that. Watermelon at one but never saw that again. Tried an orange but that was too much work and stuck in the teeth. Block didn’t set right. I did cave and take in 3 powerbar gels in the 2nd half to keep the energy up. I ice watered over my head and body twice per aid station and took in water. Took in cola every 2nd aid station on the way back. I knew I had to take those gels to make it to the finish strongly and I think that did work but I couldn’t have done it 10 times. I’ll work on that.

3. How was your hydration?
See above. I hydrated constantly. My own source and through the aid stations.

4. Any problems?
Nausea for the whole run. I’m easily prone to this. Shin splints that were rearing up in the first half but seemed to settle down in the 2nd half in lieu of other parts feeling the pounding.

5. Positives
Support of friends, coaches on the route. The out and back seeing people running. Managing to run the whole way at a very steady pace and come in just over 4 hrs (I was hoping for under 4:30:00) which included walking through every aid station except the last one on lakeshore. And walking around special needs to replace my bottles and grab one more gel. Having lots of energy and speed to finish strongly. I’m not sure but I’d think I did a negative split of first half/second half which was also a goal.

6. Any lows and highs during the run?
The first stretch from the transition to the start of Skaha, which is a bit uphill. The marathon distance was very daunting to me and I didn’t feel great (nausea-wise) so I was worried about keeping my chosen pace.

7. How did you feel finishing?
Amazing!!!! It was briefly emotional (which I felt as I came onto lakeshore from Main) and exhilarating!!!! What an epic day.
Overall how did you feel about your race? Did it reach your expectations? Will you do another one? Any problems with the race at all in terms of organization and execution done by the race organizers?
I am very happy with my race. I felt that I really hadn’t done enough to come through quite that well, particularly in the run, but that the strategy Sean put forth and keeping a level head about this being a great learning experience and intro to IM (which I was totally not planning to do for a few more years about 6 months ago). I will always put pressure on myself in my head to have a strong day but I was quite prepared for things to be less than perfect and to roll with that. It definitely reached my expectations.

Race strategy: Swim: start up near the front and try to find some feet to draft. Bike: patience game. Spinout and keep it easy through Richter and the rollers and then open it up, which I did and felt good doing that. I think the fact that I was mostly passed by guys made it easier for me to do this as I’m not really competing against guys so I didn’t care if they passed me. Unless it was Bruce MacKenzie and then I would have had to lay down the hammer (kidding). Run: just keep running, save for some walking through the aid stations to get what I needed.
Mantra: Gratitude, Patience, Fun, Fast
I have signed up for Coeur d’Alene 2012. See what that’s all about and hoping it will be warmer than 2011. I have to see if I can continue the momentum started this year and extend that a bit. All things going well (and I do know that every day something could go wrong), I’d like to go under 11 hrs and know that most of that time has to come from the run.

Race itself: found it easy to register, easy to access everything I needed once there. The organization seemed really good to me. I didn’t love the distance from the bike to run bags and then having to go into the change tent and back around but everyone had to do it so that was equalized.

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