With my fans Beatka and KasiaThe setup: The thing that makes this race a bit tricky is that it is point-to-point, so there is a whole extra set of logistics that goes into registration and setup. Unlike last year, I managed to pick up my race packet in Providence on Friday evening. If you can manage this, it's a big help. The registration is super fast and then on Saturday you just have to get your run gear down to T2 in Providence, and then your bike over to T1 in Naraganset. Apparently other people also like to go to the beach on sunny, weekend days, so be prepared for some traffic.
Race Morning: Ah, nothing like getting awoken from your night's sleep before the race by the sound of thunder and the crash of lightning. Both great signs. I managed to fall back asleep, and dream of cruising along dry roads. But, when my alarm went off at 3:30, the dream was over. Rain was still dripping from the trees, the roads were pretty wet, and I was rethinking my brilliant plan of clipping my shoes into my pedals the day before. Now, last year at this race I had struggled a bit because I had overeaten the day before the race and my stomach was unsettled, so this year I tried to cut back a bit and had a couple of bananas and some yogurt for breakfast. As we will learn, this was not the best plan. By a little after 4 we were off, and things were looking up. The sky was still overcast, but the rain was holding off. Things change, however, when you get to the beach. What had felt like a slight breeze in Warwick translated to a steady seaside wind that was making for very choppy conditions. I quickly got my gear in place, toweled off my bike, put on my wetsuit, and headed out to the swim start. A quick warm-up in the water was instructive: swimming into the waves was a repetition of scrambling uphill and belly-flopping on the way down. Yet another one of those real world conditions that you just can't simulate in the pool--unless you swim in a wave pool...
The Swim: As you may have guessed, the swim was a rough one. Last year I was happy that I was able to swim without struggling the first 200 yards or so to get things under control. This time, all bets were off. Finding a stroking/breathing rhythm was impossible and I had to stop a couple of times to try to get my breathing under control. It was also very hard to sight properly with the waves blocking the buoys. But, once I got going, things went well. I managed to move in more-or-less a straight line and, by the first turn, was already passing people one and two waves in front of me--clearly some people were really struggling out there. To top it off, the wind and waves was bringing in all kinds of bits of seaweed which I kept touching. I just hate being in the water grabbing at stuff and not knowing what it is. After the first turn, things went pretty smoothly. Swimming parallel to shore was easier, since you could turn to breath away from the waves. On the second, and final turn, it was very difficult to find the buoys, and a couple of times I got disoriented. I could see other people swimming around me, but they were so spread out it was hard to know who's instincts I should latch on to. But, once I figured out where to go, the swimming was a lot easier. Going with the waves you could really feel yourself moving along. I hit the beach in 29:30 and began to get out of my wetsuit as I made my way up to the timing mat. It's a pretty long jog out of the beach, through some soft sand, which makes things a little treacherous, but a minute later I was through and on to transition. So far so good, I was 1 minute ahead of last year when, at the start of the swim, I had thought I was going to see a much slower time.
Into transition and, this time, no messing around. Wetsuit shoved in the bag, race belt on, sunglasses on, helmet on, and we're off onto the bike course.
The Bike: The bike course is, by far the best thing about this race. It is super fast, super fun. For the first twenty miles or so you're out near the coast, so you can really move along. The hills, such as they are, are short and very moderate. To top it off, the previous night's rain had left behind a lot of cloud cover which was keeping things nice and cool. For the most part, the ride was uneventful. I did learn, however, that I really need to figure out how to go downhill. I always thought that this was one of those things that just happened on a bike, but apparently there is a skill to it because I would invariably pass people on the climbs, and then get passed on the way down. I found miles 20-30 to be a bit of a slog. Again, no real challenging hills, just rollers that trend upward, so it's hard to get any real momentum going. By mile 40 however, things pick up again. I should also say that this course was well marked, with a lot of volunteers and good traffic control. The final 7 miles or so wind through Providence, and here things got a bit dicey. The road surface, which had been very smooth, became potholed and train-tracked, making for a bumpy ride. At the same time though, this was a lot of fun. I found myself with a small group zipping around the city streets and I was feeling fast and focused. This all fell apart about a mile from the finish when the guy in front of me came too fast into a sharp left hand turn and hit the curb and I followed him into said curb. For me, this was my first real wreck. I think watching the Tour de France coverage over the last week kept me calm because those guys wreck all the time, and then just jump up and hop back on their rides. Of course, no Mini Cooper was going to drop off a spare bike for me, but the only damage seemed to be a dropped chain, a broken water bottle cage, and a bike computer that no longer worked. Oh well. I was just glad that I could hop back on, make the short climb up to T2, and make a clean dismount. Even with the wreck, I came in at 2:35--three full minutes faster than last year.
I got to T2 and learned why smart people, when they have to leave their run gear out on the grass overnight when there is a chance of rain, take steps to keep the water out. I racked my bike, and opened my bag to find my shoes and socks sitting in an inch of water. Undettered, I threw on my sopping foot gear, grabbed my hat, and set out for the run.
The Run: I had done this course before, so I knew what to expect. At the getgo I was moving okay, but feeling tired and heavy in the legs. Unlike last year, however, I was able to keep up a steady pace. The first real challenge was Angel hill--a long, very steep climb within the first mile. My quads were starting to complain and I was getting worried that they wouldn't hold up. By mile 4, I was starting to get my running legs under me. I was becoming concerned, however, about my food intake (or lack thereof). Besides the three bananas and bit of yogurt in the morning, I had taken in four gels and about 240 calories of fluids on the bike--all told, that was about 1000 calories since 4 a.m.--clearly not enough. I was taking cups of Gatorade and water at the aid stations, and at around mile 3 had half of a gel, but clearly was not eating enough. And yet, I just could get myself to eat. At the turn around, starting loop 2, I was still feeling pretty good. Coming off Angel hill for the second time, I was starting to pick it up. Miles 7 through 11 were good and strong--not particularly fast, but I was holding consistent. More to the point, some quick calculations were telling me that, if I could hold on, not only would I break my 4:50 goal, but I would just make it in under 4:45. Right around mile 11 though, things started to break down. The lack of food was getting to me. I still had only had half of a gel on the whole run, along with some Gatorade, and clearly I was depleated. Fortunately, the course was mostly downhill. Coming into the last half mile, I managed to hold it together and, hopefully, pulled off a strong finish-look as I came into the finishing shoot at 4:44:22.
Race Morning: Ah, nothing like getting awoken from your night's sleep before the race by the sound of thunder and the crash of lightning. Both great signs. I managed to fall back asleep, and dream of cruising along dry roads. But, when my alarm went off at 3:30, the dream was over. Rain was still dripping from the trees, the roads were pretty wet, and I was rethinking my brilliant plan of clipping my shoes into my pedals the day before. Now, last year at this race I had struggled a bit because I had overeaten the day before the race and my stomach was unsettled, so this year I tried to cut back a bit and had a couple of bananas and some yogurt for breakfast. As we will learn, this was not the best plan. By a little after 4 we were off, and things were looking up. The sky was still overcast, but the rain was holding off. Things change, however, when you get to the beach. What had felt like a slight breeze in Warwick translated to a steady seaside wind that was making for very choppy conditions. I quickly got my gear in place, toweled off my bike, put on my wetsuit, and headed out to the swim start. A quick warm-up in the water was instructive: swimming into the waves was a repetition of scrambling uphill and belly-flopping on the way down. Yet another one of those real world conditions that you just can't simulate in the pool--unless you swim in a wave pool...
The Swim: As you may have guessed, the swim was a rough one. Last year I was happy that I was able to swim without struggling the first 200 yards or so to get things under control. This time, all bets were off. Finding a stroking/breathing rhythm was impossible and I had to stop a couple of times to try to get my breathing under control. It was also very hard to sight properly with the waves blocking the buoys. But, once I got going, things went well. I managed to move in more-or-less a straight line and, by the first turn, was already passing people one and two waves in front of me--clearly some people were really struggling out there. To top it off, the wind and waves was bringing in all kinds of bits of seaweed which I kept touching. I just hate being in the water grabbing at stuff and not knowing what it is. After the first turn, things went pretty smoothly. Swimming parallel to shore was easier, since you could turn to breath away from the waves. On the second, and final turn, it was very difficult to find the buoys, and a couple of times I got disoriented. I could see other people swimming around me, but they were so spread out it was hard to know who's instincts I should latch on to. But, once I figured out where to go, the swimming was a lot easier. Going with the waves you could really feel yourself moving along. I hit the beach in 29:30 and began to get out of my wetsuit as I made my way up to the timing mat. It's a pretty long jog out of the beach, through some soft sand, which makes things a little treacherous, but a minute later I was through and on to transition. So far so good, I was 1 minute ahead of last year when, at the start of the swim, I had thought I was going to see a much slower time.
Into transition and, this time, no messing around. Wetsuit shoved in the bag, race belt on, sunglasses on, helmet on, and we're off onto the bike course.
The Bike: The bike course is, by far the best thing about this race. It is super fast, super fun. For the first twenty miles or so you're out near the coast, so you can really move along. The hills, such as they are, are short and very moderate. To top it off, the previous night's rain had left behind a lot of cloud cover which was keeping things nice and cool. For the most part, the ride was uneventful. I did learn, however, that I really need to figure out how to go downhill. I always thought that this was one of those things that just happened on a bike, but apparently there is a skill to it because I would invariably pass people on the climbs, and then get passed on the way down. I found miles 20-30 to be a bit of a slog. Again, no real challenging hills, just rollers that trend upward, so it's hard to get any real momentum going. By mile 40 however, things pick up again. I should also say that this course was well marked, with a lot of volunteers and good traffic control. The final 7 miles or so wind through Providence, and here things got a bit dicey. The road surface, which had been very smooth, became potholed and train-tracked, making for a bumpy ride. At the same time though, this was a lot of fun. I found myself with a small group zipping around the city streets and I was feeling fast and focused. This all fell apart about a mile from the finish when the guy in front of me came too fast into a sharp left hand turn and hit the curb and I followed him into said curb. For me, this was my first real wreck. I think watching the Tour de France coverage over the last week kept me calm because those guys wreck all the time, and then just jump up and hop back on their rides. Of course, no Mini Cooper was going to drop off a spare bike for me, but the only damage seemed to be a dropped chain, a broken water bottle cage, and a bike computer that no longer worked. Oh well. I was just glad that I could hop back on, make the short climb up to T2, and make a clean dismount. Even with the wreck, I came in at 2:35--three full minutes faster than last year.
I got to T2 and learned why smart people, when they have to leave their run gear out on the grass overnight when there is a chance of rain, take steps to keep the water out. I racked my bike, and opened my bag to find my shoes and socks sitting in an inch of water. Undettered, I threw on my sopping foot gear, grabbed my hat, and set out for the run.
The Run: I had done this course before, so I knew what to expect. At the getgo I was moving okay, but feeling tired and heavy in the legs. Unlike last year, however, I was able to keep up a steady pace. The first real challenge was Angel hill--a long, very steep climb within the first mile. My quads were starting to complain and I was getting worried that they wouldn't hold up. By mile 4, I was starting to get my running legs under me. I was becoming concerned, however, about my food intake (or lack thereof). Besides the three bananas and bit of yogurt in the morning, I had taken in four gels and about 240 calories of fluids on the bike--all told, that was about 1000 calories since 4 a.m.--clearly not enough. I was taking cups of Gatorade and water at the aid stations, and at around mile 3 had half of a gel, but clearly was not eating enough. And yet, I just could get myself to eat. At the turn around, starting loop 2, I was still feeling pretty good. Coming off Angel hill for the second time, I was starting to pick it up. Miles 7 through 11 were good and strong--not particularly fast, but I was holding consistent. More to the point, some quick calculations were telling me that, if I could hold on, not only would I break my 4:50 goal, but I would just make it in under 4:45. Right around mile 11 though, things started to break down. The lack of food was getting to me. I still had only had half of a gel on the whole run, along with some Gatorade, and clearly I was depleated. Fortunately, the course was mostly downhill. Coming into the last half mile, I managed to hold it together and, hopefully, pulled off a strong finish-look as I came into the finishing shoot at 4:44:22.
I took off my timing chip, got my finishers medal, grabbed some water and headed over to get in line for massage. I stood there for a few minutes and then, feeling the race (and my lack of eating) catch up to me, found my way to a port-a-john and threw up. Now the race was officially over.
