Boulder Peak Triathlon 2009 Race Report
Well the 2009 BPT race has come and gone. Ideally this is not a race that “fits” into my schedule this year with Ironman Canada at the end of August and my need for longer recovery after shorter harder efforts like this, in fact as I sit and write this over a week later I am still recovering BUT it is by far the best local triathlon that I have ever done so as long as I am physically able I will make this a yearly endeavor. To that end, on to the race report.
I had low (ok zero) expectations for this one. My intent was to train right on through and just use it as a fast training day with a few beers afterwards. So the week leading up was filled with all of my favorite long course workouts including a 70 mile jaunt the day before that included a trek up to Jamestown. As I lay on the couch Saturday afternoon watching the Tour de Bore I could feel my legs just begging me not to race the next day. Well, tough cookies because running on tired legs is what Ironman is all about. So I mounted the race wheels, packed my bag, ordered up a pizza and called it an early night.
Race Day:
Slept great. It is amazing how you sleep when you could care less on how you will do. I did my normal morning routine and out the door at 4:45. What was cool about this year was the fact that I had 5 athletes racing the event as well so being able to chat with all of them in transition was such a welcome treat for me. I got my transition area ready, grabbed my wetsuit and down to the beach to wait for my start. Lots of joking through the nervous energy that was surrounding me. I did my best to calm it but it will be what it will be. On with the wetsuit and into the water for a very thorough warm-up. What a difference this always makes.
The Swim:
Well, my swimming has been stellar these days. Really had a breakthrough this year and my goal was to hop right on the front and go from the gun and see if I could blaze some open water. GO! And I was GONE! Other than a short navigating snafu to the first buoy I swam straight, strong and steady. I saw no red caps around me and when I started to pick off the blue caps and then the pinks, and greens, and yellows and blues I knew I was swimming well. Making the last turn I just kicked the legs a lot more and eased up a bit into the beach. Up the hill and down into transition. Off with the suit, on with the helmet and off on the bike…
The Bike:
Nice and easy up the first hill and then settled right in. I got right into the big ring and did not surrender him until Lee Hill. My goal was to push the bike hard and see what the legs would do on the run. I only climb Old Stage once a year…race day...because no matter how much I do it, it never gets easier. So like last year, I danced right up in with the usual amount of pain. A quick recovery and then big ringed it up the second climb and made the fast descent out of the canyon. Much to my surprise at this point I did not get passed by ANYONE. This is atypical. Up 36 and down Nelson and I was jamming along…no passers…lots of passing. Down 63rd over the rollers. I just grinded them out. Big Gears. Down the diagonal and into the res. You know you are having a great ride when your entire row of racks is empty. One of just a few (like 3) bikes where home at this point. Helmet off, socks and shoes on. Grab hat and belt and out on to the run.
The Run:
Ok…this hurt. Hence the big push on the bike and the fatigue from the week prior. Like the plan calls for, nice and easy until you hit the gate then start to build and at the turnaround negative split it home. Well again, no passers. Just cruising and doing a lot of passing. In fact no one coming in the other direction yet and I started later then everyone else so this felt really good. For some reason I could not ever get comfortably in a rhythm so I just kept on keeping on. It felt very slow. At the turnaround I saw my competition coming in the other direction and some of them were moving fast! Well that is all the kick that I needed to find another gear and hustle home. I did not let off the gas and believe you me I wanted to. I just kept pushing and thinking strong not fast. Strong. Go. Strong. Go. Well I got to the finish, no passers and a new PR by over 1:10 including the extra long swim. On top of that a top 10 in my AG (8th actually). I will take it.
The key here was to keep everything simple, be consistent and don’t over think it. Hard to do for most, but the benefits come to those that can. Most coaches and the industry itself want the sport to be complicated…this is how they make money. Simple and Consistent HARD work will always trump complicated any day.
The above photo is of me and one of the athletes that I coach. It was his first BPT and he rocked it. The sense of accomplishment on his face says it all. He works hard (sometimes too hard and you have to reel him back in.) But on this day he kept it simple, did not over think it and just executed against the day.
Onward and upward…
Well the 2009 BPT race has come and gone. Ideally this is not a race that “fits” into my schedule this year with Ironman Canada at the end of August and my need for longer recovery after shorter harder efforts like this, in fact as I sit and write this over a week later I am still recovering BUT it is by far the best local triathlon that I have ever done so as long as I am physically able I will make this a yearly endeavor. To that end, on to the race report.
I had low (ok zero) expectations for this one. My intent was to train right on through and just use it as a fast training day with a few beers afterwards. So the week leading up was filled with all of my favorite long course workouts including a 70 mile jaunt the day before that included a trek up to Jamestown. As I lay on the couch Saturday afternoon watching the Tour de Bore I could feel my legs just begging me not to race the next day. Well, tough cookies because running on tired legs is what Ironman is all about. So I mounted the race wheels, packed my bag, ordered up a pizza and called it an early night.
Race Day:
Slept great. It is amazing how you sleep when you could care less on how you will do. I did my normal morning routine and out the door at 4:45. What was cool about this year was the fact that I had 5 athletes racing the event as well so being able to chat with all of them in transition was such a welcome treat for me. I got my transition area ready, grabbed my wetsuit and down to the beach to wait for my start. Lots of joking through the nervous energy that was surrounding me. I did my best to calm it but it will be what it will be. On with the wetsuit and into the water for a very thorough warm-up. What a difference this always makes.
The Swim:
Well, my swimming has been stellar these days. Really had a breakthrough this year and my goal was to hop right on the front and go from the gun and see if I could blaze some open water. GO! And I was GONE! Other than a short navigating snafu to the first buoy I swam straight, strong and steady. I saw no red caps around me and when I started to pick off the blue caps and then the pinks, and greens, and yellows and blues I knew I was swimming well. Making the last turn I just kicked the legs a lot more and eased up a bit into the beach. Up the hill and down into transition. Off with the suit, on with the helmet and off on the bike…
The Bike:
Nice and easy up the first hill and then settled right in. I got right into the big ring and did not surrender him until Lee Hill. My goal was to push the bike hard and see what the legs would do on the run. I only climb Old Stage once a year…race day...because no matter how much I do it, it never gets easier. So like last year, I danced right up in with the usual amount of pain. A quick recovery and then big ringed it up the second climb and made the fast descent out of the canyon. Much to my surprise at this point I did not get passed by ANYONE. This is atypical. Up 36 and down Nelson and I was jamming along…no passers…lots of passing. Down 63rd over the rollers. I just grinded them out. Big Gears. Down the diagonal and into the res. You know you are having a great ride when your entire row of racks is empty. One of just a few (like 3) bikes where home at this point. Helmet off, socks and shoes on. Grab hat and belt and out on to the run.
The Run:
Ok…this hurt. Hence the big push on the bike and the fatigue from the week prior. Like the plan calls for, nice and easy until you hit the gate then start to build and at the turnaround negative split it home. Well again, no passers. Just cruising and doing a lot of passing. In fact no one coming in the other direction yet and I started later then everyone else so this felt really good. For some reason I could not ever get comfortably in a rhythm so I just kept on keeping on. It felt very slow. At the turnaround I saw my competition coming in the other direction and some of them were moving fast! Well that is all the kick that I needed to find another gear and hustle home. I did not let off the gas and believe you me I wanted to. I just kept pushing and thinking strong not fast. Strong. Go. Strong. Go. Well I got to the finish, no passers and a new PR by over 1:10 including the extra long swim. On top of that a top 10 in my AG (8th actually). I will take it.
The key here was to keep everything simple, be consistent and don’t over think it. Hard to do for most, but the benefits come to those that can. Most coaches and the industry itself want the sport to be complicated…this is how they make money. Simple and Consistent HARD work will always trump complicated any day.
The above photo is of me and one of the athletes that I coach. It was his first BPT and he rocked it. The sense of accomplishment on his face says it all. He works hard (sometimes too hard and you have to reel him back in.) But on this day he kept it simple, did not over think it and just executed against the day.
Onward and upward…
1 comment:
Way to go Keith!!
Post a Comment