2011 New York Marathon

After 4 years of trying, I was finally accepted via the lottery and I can truly say this event lived up to all my expectations.  I originally heard about the NY marathon from Robert S. while I was training for my first El Paso Marathon in 2008.   Beginning that year, I dutifully placed my name in the lottery ($10 fee) and was rejected 3 times in a row.  The fourth time, I had an automatic acceptance as was the rule at the time.  (I hear this may change).   I will now relate my experience with this marathon for those who may want to participate in the future.
I left early Friday AM for New York, flying into Newark airport.  I took the train into lower Manhattan where I was staying.  I purposely found a hotel there because it was less expensive than mid-town Manhattan and it was close to the Staten Island Ferry which was my transport to the starting point.  Saturday morning went to the expo at the convention center and picked up my packet.  The expo had many exhibitors and was a cool place to hang out for a while.  I then met for brunch some fellow El Pasoans and made new friends most of whom were also racing the marathon.   Afternoon spent visiting my cousin in Queens, had late lunch/early dinner and then went to hotel to rest.

RACE DAY

Pre-race
Woke up around 0500 AM, had coffee and energy bar with banana for breakfast.  Walked 3 blocks to the Staten Island Ferry station and boarded the ferry for the trip to the starting line.  My Wave did not start until 1010 AM but my assigned time for the ferry was 0715.  During the ride, I got to meet some fellow runners and go to take in some of the beauty of the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty.    Once in Staten Island, several buses were taking runners to Fort Wadsworth where the start village was.  There, I turned in my clear plastic baggage which contained the clothes I would change into after the race.  Later, I met up with several of the El Paso contingent. The wave 2 corral closed at 0940 and so I was ready at this time.  I had worn an old T-shirt and hospital scrubs which I ditched on this large pile of clothes everyone was "donating".  Shortly after the corral closed, they herded us (we felt like sheep) to the starting point.  They played "America the Beautiful" and before I knew it, the gun went off.  It took a while before I made it to the starting point walking with all the crowd.  Listening to Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York", I crossed to timing mat and the race was on.

The Marathon  26.2 miles    4:15:44
As soon as you start the race, the initial portion is on the Verrazano-Narrows bridge which connects Staten Island and Brooklyn. The views are truly spectacular from this vantage point, and off course, its a slight incline. 

My plan was to follow a run/walk strategy, as popularized by Jeff Gallaway. My goal pace was slightly under 9 min/mile to finish in just under 4 hours.  I would walk every mile marker until mile 18-20 and then run the rest of the way.  I aimed to achieve a negative split of the marathon if all went according to plan.  I was stoked and feeling good, but I walked for less than one tenth of a mile after the first mile marker.  Had to be careful to get off to the side to keep from getting run over.  After the bridge we entered Brooklyn and ran up 4th avenue.  During this portion and subsequently, the crowds were electric.  They cheered, rang bells, and played music all along both sides of this divided highway.    They also held up some pretty funny signs which I will make reference throughout the course.   For example in Brooklyn, "Welcome to Brooklyn... Now Get Out! and "You have been training for this longer than Kim Kardashian was married!" 
After the 10K split, I was feeling pretty good, had a Gu at 45 min and drank Gatorade in the aide stations but then I felt like I needed to make a Porto-Portie stop.  I didn't want to stand in line or do like many people and stop on the side of the road, so I instead made the mistake of diminishing my fluid intake.  At this point, I got hot enough that I was pouring water over my cap which made me a little cold when we were under the shade.  All the while, we passed several quaint neighborhoods like Clinton Hill, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint.   As we exited Brooklyn we reached the 13.1 mile mark and I was pleased to have finished in a little less than 2 hours.  Since this included the walk breaks, I should be ok for the under 4 hour finish.  Next was the second of many bridges, the Pulaski bridge connecting Brooklyn and Queens.  In Queens we only ran for about 2 miles before reaching the Queensboro bridge (mile 15-16).  Here, there were no crowds and it was a steep incline for about 3/4 mile followed by a  fast descent which probably did some damage.  As we exited the bridge the crowds were enormous as we entered Manhattan and First Avenue.   Here were more signs like "You have great stamina, call me at 212-xxx-xxxx" and more political signs like "you are the 1%".    I was able to find a stall with no line at mile 16 and decided to make mile 18 my last walk break.  At that point , I felt pretty good and thought I could run the rest of the way. We passed through Harlem where the crowds were thinner, but the music was very lively and had a definite Latin flavor.    However, as we arrived at the Willis avenue bridge (mile 19.5) connecting Manhattan and the Bronx, the incline really took it out of me.  It seemed like a lot of people were walking up the bridge but I managed to keep running at a good pace.  We wandered for a bit through the Bronx and a sign that made me laugh said: "Keep running, this is a bad neighborhood!"  Next, at mile 21 came the Madison Ave. bridge bringing us back to Manhattan.  That bridge was tough and I started to cramp up on the way up, not a good sign.  I walked for a bit to stretch my legs as I arrived to the highest point of the bridge, I also had a Gu while walking.  On the descent I was able to get some energy back. We started running up 5 th avenue and I saw a sign for 135th street, which made me realize just how far we still had to go.  At this point, I was gratified by the sign that read "No more bridges!".  As we made our way downtown on 5th avenue, I really started to cramp as the road began to take a gentle incline.  My pace had diminished significantly and I realized my 4 hour goal was history as I had to take more walk breaks.  At mile 24 we entered Central Park where the crowds were really inspiring me to push as hard as I could.  Unfortunately, although there were no more bridges, there were several small hills to contend with before finally reaching the finish line. I got to the end, and I was exhausted!

Post-race
After finishing the crowd of athletes was overwhelming, we were instructed to keep walking as first we got our finisher medals.  Up the way, they had more people lining up to have their picture taken and then we were given the food bags.  At this point, all I wanted to do was sit down and drink/eat.  I sat on a brick on the side and these ladies came to me speaking in French telling me I had to get up and keep moving.  I thought I was delirious but then realized that it was because I was wearing my Ironman France cap, they assumed I was from France.  Then we had to keep walking for what seemed like a mile to get to the UPS trucks which had our post race dry clothes. I managed to put these on an headed for the nearest subway back to the hotel.  By the way, the subways are free to runners on this day.

Post-Script
Looking back on the day, I can say it is truly a special opportunity to be running with 47 thousand people from all over the world and millions of spectators cheering you along the way.  The race is well organized and the city could not have been more welcoming.  For my race performance, what I would have done differently is to drink more liquids and taken the salt tablets I had from Nice which I did not even take on this trip.  I was hotter than previous races on this day and the lack of clouds made it hotter. Nonetheless, I have improved from my first Marathon in 2008 which took me 5:35 to complete.  Now as we come upon the off season, I am setting my sights on the Quadrathlon  in Feb 2012. (more about here http://www.mttaylorquad.org/  and here http://elpasotriathlete.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html  ) 

Elephant Man Olympic Triathlon 2011

Well I just couldn't stay away!  I had every intention of focusing on my running for the next two months but the allure of the Elephant Man drew me back.   I had done this event twice before, in 2008 it was my first open water swim and in 2009, I again participated and enjoyed the experience very much.  After the Eagle in the Sun, I decided to sign up and started training in earnest for the longer distance event.
The race takes place at the Elephant Butte lake in Truth or Consequences, NM which is about 110 miles north of West El Paso.   It consists of a 1 mile Swim followed by a 26.5 mile Bike, and a 6 mile Run.   More info can be obtained at http://www.elephantmantriathlon.com/ It is a very challenging course but seems to have gotten better every year in terms of organization and the level of competition is very high.  Here, I will describe the race as I experienced it with the hope of passing on some insights to those who may consider doing it in the future.

I left El Paso on Sat. around noon with the idea of setting up a campsite next to the lake.  I have gone camping with the kids every year I have done the race and it adds to the fun for them and me.  Also, this is the second year they had a kids triathlon and so I needed to get them registered for that event on Sat. afternoon. I will not go into the kids event on this blog, suffice it to say that it was well organized and all my 3 children had a blast. 
Had a fitful night in the tent as usual and got up at 0500 to eat breakfast and head over to transition.  I arrived at 0600 and the crowds were gathering for the anticipated 0700 start of the Long Distance (1.2mile Swim, 56 mile Bike and 13.1 mile run) event which is the first time they have ever done it here.   Had my helmet inspected as I went into the transition area. I set up transition close to the exit and went to get my timing chip and body marking.   We received word that the water temperature was 74 and so it would be Wet Suit legal (anything under 78 by USAT rule).  Met some friends in transition and then went back to the beach to put my wet suit on for a little warm up and watched the long distance course take off.  We had swim caps of different colors and these designated the wave that we would be in.  I was in the second wave (0815) with the over 40 men, the Clydesdales, and the relay team swimmers. 

The Swim     1 mile    41:01
I started in the middle of the pack and  got hit a couple of times as expected along the starting point.  The lake level has been very low due to the drought and the course was a big rectangle this year.  In previous years it was a big triangle which made for easier sight lines.  We headed straight out and then made a right towards buoy on the far right side of the lake and then several left turns to complete the rectangle before coming back on what they called the chute.  I had trouble sighting along the long part of the rectangle and towards the end got a cramp in my calf which caused me to slow down.  I passed a few people in the earlier wave with different colored caps.  I reached the beach but was disappointed by me time in the water, I had hoped to swim a little faster.  My first time here in 2008 I had swam the distance in 55:31(202 out of 204 swimmers)  and in 2009 42:12. 

T1   3:41
For those of you who have not been to the lake of late, the water level is supper low.  This meant we had to run up a hill with rocks, barefoot to get to the bikes.  Shortly out were some wet suit strippers which was a nice addition to the event.  I had to walk part way up as my heart rate was around 150 out of the water and I could not run.  The rest was smooth to the bike mount line. 

The Bike   26.5 miles   1:25:21   Avg. Speed 17.5 mph
As I have done this race before, I knew to expect a difficult bike course.  Once out of transition there is a steep hill to get out of the State Park.  I put my bike in the easiest gears and tried to go up steady.  After you leave the park the roads are flat for a few miles then there are some fast downhills where I reached a peak speed of 37 mph.  Then followed some canyons where there are 2 tough hills. At mile 10 got some water and filled by aero bottle and at mile 11 started the biggest hill which has a 10% grade and then it flattens out followed by a longer 4-5% grade until mile 17.  From that point forward it is pretty close to all down hill with a bit of tail wind. At mile 20, we passed the turnoff for the long course and by the time I was there, I was passed by the lead group of guys that had started the swim at 0700, on their way back after nearly completing  their 56 miles, very humbling.  I got my second water bottle at mile 20 and had some energy beans for nutrition. The last few yards are straight downhill, but you have to slow down because the dismount line is at the very bottom of the hill.

T2  1:00
I was in a good spot next to the run and bike exit so I was helped to speed my transition.  Got my shoes on and cap on and took a bottle of Gatorade with me on the start of the run.

The Run  6.2 miles    54:12    8:45 min/mile
The course takes off along a dirt road towards the spill way of the lake.  There is an initial downhill and then flattens with some rolling hills.  After the half mile mark there was this killer hill that was 15% grade and I just had to walk it as did most people around me.  Then we reached the spill way and we run towards the dam, again through rolling hills and then cross the dam which is a really cool view on both sides.  The turnaround point is at the end of a short climb where I had a gu and some water.  I tried to keep a steady pace but the hills and the increasing heat took their toll.  The last mile was again through the dirt trail which seemed to give less traction on the return.  I arrived to the finish and the kids ran with me for the last eighth of a mile, which is uphill.

Overall, my time was 3:05:15 which represents a big improvement for me at this distance.  My first time in 2008 was 3:44:00 and in 2009, I had improved to 3:24:17.   My place in my age group was 12/17 which is a reflection of the level of the competition with the winner in the age group finishing in 2:18:11.

I highly recommend this race to anyone looking to move to the next level from the sprint distances and events in the swimming pool.  The volunteers were terrific and the race director, Cory,  does a very good job. 

2011 Eagle in the Sun Triathlon Race Report

I can't say enough good things about this event.  Needless to say, it was a blast. I had been disappointed in my performance last year and really had been focusing on improving my time and maybe getting a podium spot for my age group.  The race is a Sprint tri with a 400 meter Swim, 20K (12 mile) bike and a 5K (3.1 mile) run.  With this in mind, I worked on my bike and run speed as I figured I am not likely to get any faster in the water.  Also, practiced transitions and dismounting off the bike.   I also had done the Socorro, New Mexico triathlon as a practice event and felt good with my progress one month out.  After 4 years of doing triathlon, I have been able to have steady improvements which has made for a great journey.  My first was the Girl Scout triathlon at the Ascarate pool which was a reverse tri which they called F1 format with 1.5 mile run, 6 mile bike, 1.5 mile run, another 6 mile bike and then an 800 meter swim at the end.  On that Labor day weekend, I was 2nd to the last participant and took me 2 hours to complete.  (Bobby G. did it in a little less than 1 hour).  On this Sunday, I was thrilled to have come away with 3rd place in my age group (45-49) with a time of 1:08:52.   For those who are still with me and interested in more details, I will gave my race report.

The organizers improved several things from last year and one of those is to organize a package pick up on the west side of El Paso at the Coney Island Restaurant on the Thursday before the race.  On Sunday AM headed out to the Tigua Indian Reservation recreation center at 0500 and was there by 0530 setting up my transition.  After that, got body marked and picked up the timing chip for the left ankle.  At 0700 we had a pre-race instructions and they started at 0730 with the first 50 people and as I was 190, I got ready to line up.  There was a little bit of a wait as they allowed 10 seconds between athletes to jump in the pool.  I talked to Rob L. (188) and Flip L. with his captain america swim trunks. Before I knew it, it was my turn to jump in and there I went.

The Swim  400 meters   9:06

I started as fast as I could but had to slow down a bit because I felt a little winded.  I also got some water in my goggles and had to readjust.  The pool is 50 meters so you swim one length and change lanes for a total of 8 lengths.  I passed a few people along the way but there was plenty of room.  Last year, my swim time was 9:24 so I improved very slightly.  This is the portion of the triathlon where I could really use some improvement. 

T1  0:56.8
I exited the pool and ran to T1, not jogged but ran.  I had practiced this before and knew I could do it without passing out.  Got to transition and put on the race belt, next shoes, helmet, and last sunglasses in that order.   Off the start of the bike.  My bike was next to the start as I had arrived early so that helped.  This year, I did not bother with any shirts and significantly cut my T1 time from last years abysmal 2:30.   Looking over the top 10 male finishers, their T1s were between 0:45 (Bobby G.) and 1:10.

The Bike  20K   32:57  Avg. speed 23mph
I clipped in and started out cautiously as there was a 90 degree sharp turn as you head out on Socorro road.  I felt really rested and recovered which allowed me to take off faster in the beginning.  I passed several people and was looking at their numbers and calves for age.  I had to be careful not to draft as there was a good size group riding in front of me. There was great crowd support and a HS band was playing.  The road was closed to traffic but there was 1 loose dog that could have caused an accident.   I caught up to Rob. but I couldn't pass him for a while.  I made a move but he passed me again just before the turn around. At the turnaround as I slowed down, I ate a gu and drank from my brand new water bottle which sits on the aero bars.  Really cool little gadget.  On the way back  there was a slight tail wind so I again sped up and caught up to Rob and passed him again.  I began to loose speed towards the end and got passed again.  At this point I figured I best save some energy for the run and so I focused on increasing my cadence and easing the gears to wash off lactic acid before the run.  (I read about that somewhere).  Finished the gatorade as I arrived to T2. Last year, I raced the same course in 36:10, so a big improvement which was reflected in my total time.

T2  0:49.9
I had a great dismount off the bike leaving my shoes on the pedals.  Carried my bike as I ran barefoot to my transition area.  Got the helmet off, then cap on and put the Spira XLTs with elastic laces on.  Grabbed a Gatorade bottle and ran with it to the start of the run.  The top 10 athlete's T2 times were 0:36 to 0:57 so that is pretty good.

The Run  5K  25:02  Avg pace 8:05 min/mile
I started the run and tried to keep my pace around 8 min/mile.  The crowd support was great and I specially enjoyed the kids with the water guns who sprayed us.  They were very polite and asked first, if you wanted to be sprayed. The course is flat around the nearby neighborhood.  I paced behind someone who passed me and was able to keep the pace.  I sprinted the last half mile as I didn't want to leave anything behind.  If I was going to miss a podium slot, I was not going to have any regrets.  I crossed the finish and heard my name called.  Got a finishing medal and picked up a delicious chocolate milk.

This was by far my best triathlon finish ever and I feel really happy to have come this far.  In my age group, I was 3rd out of 22 and overall, I was 28 out of 205 finishers.  The event is well organized and I got to see a lot of friends as this is my home town race.  I really wish we could have more of them. For now my focus is on Nov. 6 when I will get to participate for the first time in the New York Marathon.  After 4 times being denied entry via the lottery, I finally got an automatic acceptance. 

2011 Socorro Chile Harvest Triathlon

With the focus now being the Eagle in the Sun Triathlon in September, I decided pretty close to the last minute to sign up for the Socorro triathlon.  It took place August 6 and its an event I highly recommend.  More info at http://www.chileharvesttri.com/  The distances are the same as the upcoming El Paso Tri (400 m swim, 12 mile bike, and 5 K run), and I considered it a good training event to get ready for a sprint tri.  The focus now is on speed and not so much pacing and endurance as in the longer events. 
Left Friday afternoon from west El Paso for the 183 mile drive to Socorro, NM.  Got there at 8 pm just in time to pick up the packet at the race venue and then checked in at the Holiday Inn Express which is half a mile away from the starting point. Had a late pasta dinner in a restaurant next door and then got ready for the next days event.
Woke up at 0500 for the 0700 start and grabbed a bite to eat at the hotel. Rob Lovett was there and we finally met in person after following each others blogs.  We walked to the venue instead of driving and some people were riding in.  Arrived at 0600 got body marked, picked up timing chip, and set up my transition.  At 0630 there was a pre-race briefing and then we were instructed to line up according to bib numbers which were based on our estimated 400 meter swim times. They allowed groups of 60 into the pool area and it was there that I met some guys lining up with me.  162 Michael from Socorro and 165 Adolfo from El Paso and 167 Lowry also from El Paso. 

The Swim  400 meters   9:32
As my turn arrived, I was instructed to jump in the pool (no cannon balls) and wait for the start.  The outdoor pool was around 77 F, wet suit legal according to the official.  They separated each swimmer by 10 seconds, a little long in my view, I think 5 seconds is good enough.  Felt good to be swimming and passed two people and 1 guy passed me.  Not very crowded for me and it was 50 meters out and change lanes for 8 lengths of the pool.  Saw Blanca on the side of the pool towards the end and gave her a wave.  There was good crowd support and I reached the end feeling pretty good.

T1  1:11
There was a seemingly long run to the transition from the pool.  The bike racks had letters on the side, mine was F, and I made what felt like a pretty smooth transition.  Shoes first, no socks as I had put baby powder inside to soak up the moisture which I recommend.  I did not put on a top to save time for the first time. Helmet,  glasses,  and then off to the mounting line.
I have been practicing T1 but would really like to improve,  the top 10 finisher's T1 ranged from a screaming 38 seconds to 1:42, so I am in the middle of that fast pack.

The Bike  12 miles, 36:04, 20.79 mph average
One thing that I did not know was that the bike course is hilly in Socorro.  The first portion has a  90 degree turns and then it is straight up hill for half a mile at 4-5% grade.  It levels out a bit but it's still up hill with 2 out and backs where you can see who is in front and behind you.  From mile 5 to 8 its out up hill 2-3% grade then the last 4 miles is down hill for the most part with some short inclines. At the turn around point from the second out and back, I had a chocolate GU and Gatorade then went for it the last 4 miles.  My speed was up to 30 mph during this portion except for the two 90 degree turns.  So the bottom line is expect hills for this event and make up for it on the return.  As I arriving to T2, finished my Gatorade and got ready for the run.

T2  0:56
I had dismounted by leaving the shoes in the clips, so I ran to my transition spot and mounted bike, helmet off, cap on, and then slipped on my Spira XLTs for the run. I use no shoe laces and no socks.  The top 10 finisher's T2 range was 42" to 52" so not too bad there for me.

The Run  5K/3.1 miles  24:30  pace7:54 min/mile
Felt good starting the run.  My goal was to keep my pace at 8:00 min/mile which I found in training I could maintain.  The run is flat and after the first mile you run on gravel next to an irrigation canal.  It was getting hot by this time but there were some large trees providing shade.  At the half way point, I was passed by Michael who was 162 and I had met on the swim line up.  He was running faster at 07:30 min/miles.  I saw his calf and his age was 47 and so I realized we were in the same age group.  I jokingly told him I thought I was going to be second in our age group but now I would have to settle for third.  Since he had started the swim ahead of me, all I had to do to beat him was finish close to him, even if he was ahead.  I used him to pace me the rest of the run and completed the event pretty satisfied with my time and performance.

Total time  was 1:12:13.  I was 9th in my age group (45-59) out of 19 men and 65th overall out of 254 finishers. The winner in my age group had a time of 58:14 a 49 year old from Los Alamos. The competition in this event is very strong as the athletes from Albuquerque and Northern, NM are quite fit.

Post Script

Last year at Eagle in the Sun my time was 1:14:28 in what I consider an easier bike course.   With more training, I should be able to improve the T1 time and hopefully the bike and swim.  All I need is more motivation on the run.  I agree with what Brooks V wrote on his blog, that these events with the chip timing and the swim first (in a pool instead of open water) only amount to a time trial.  You never know where your place is along the way to push you to compete. 

Ironman France 2011 Race Report

What a great event! This being my second Ironman I thought I was prepared for what is advertised as one of the toughest courses in the Ironman circuit, I was wrong. Historically, the Nice triathlon as it was previously called was along with Hawaii the place where the elite athletes like Mark Allen participated and won 10 times. I was intrigued and after Couer d'Alene last July decided to sign up. Here is a rundown of the event as I experienced it in 2011.
We arrived on an overnight flight from El Paso on Thursday before the race. Unfortunately, the plane arrived to Paris delayed and we missed the connection to Nice. Next, we find out that 1 of the 4 suitcases did not arrive and the one missing had all the triathlon gear, everything! After finally arriving at 4:30 pm instead of 08:30 am, I went to pick up my bike at the expo. I had shipped the bike with Darrin with http://www.trisportexpress.com/. This is Tampa company that provided excellent service and more reliable than the airlines. After much fretting, on Friday AM I happily received my last suitcase at the apartment. That AM, I did an easy run as I looked for a phone charger around Nice as I was running out of juice. After sightseeing, went to pick up the registration packet. Since I do not have a USAT license I needed a one day permit to race which required a medical release from a doctor, plus 30 Euros. The expo was expansive with a lots of cool bikes, gear, etc. I bought two CO2 cartridges since I could not ship the bike with them. Later that night was the pasta dinner, which I don't recommend as I found it a waste of time and no new info was given that was provided in the athlete guides that were provided at registration. The food was also not very good.
Sat am, went for a swim at the Med. I was nervous as all my prior swims were in lakes and pools. Found the water temp to be a nice 72F and after 300 meters to the buoy and back that I was much more at ease. Sat afternoon rested a bit and took the bike and T1 and T2 bags to get checked in plus got a timing chip and body marked. They took a picture of me with the bike so that when I picked up the bike after the race they could verify it was mine, very secure. I didn't have to worry about my bike being taken as there were some very nice bikes there. Ate a light dinner and got ready for early bedtime for the big day Sunday. Woke up at Midnight and couldn't sleep. As it was 4 pm in El Paso my circadian rythm was still all out of wack plus you never really sleep the night before an Ironman. I passed the time looking over the race info on the Internet and killing time until 2 AM when I was finally sleepy again. Ate some powerbars, Gatorade and water to stay hydrated. At 0400, alarm went off so I got dressed and headed out to transition to get ready. Pumped up the tires, got the water bottles on the cages, and made a last check of the bike. I turned in my two special needs bags, one for the run and one for the bike. Put on the wetsuit and headed over the beach with all the other 2500 athletes. Got the beach around 6:15AM and an Italian guy who looked like the statue of Michelangelo's David explained the swim course to me. I was intimidated by him and all the other guys (very few women there) and how fit everyone looked. A lot of eye candy for the ladies, I must say. The beach was very rocky and uncomfortable on the feet. It was marked with different areas indicating the anticipated swim times so that you could be positioned accordingly. I talked to a guy from San Francisco who said the water was much better here as he had done Escape from Alcatraz triathlon and another from Dallas. As I was talking I realized how many people had lined up behind me. I was in the middle of this huge group. I had intended to get in towards the end but had lined up to early. I was committed and figured I would just stay there. At 0630, I did not hear a gun go off, I just saw everyone jump in the water. It had begun.






The Swim 2.4 miles 1:31:20

Felt good and did not have the usual panic I have experienced in the past with all the people around me. There was the usual kicking from people in front and those trying to pass. It was a pretty crowded field for a while until the first turn at 1100 meters then back to the beach for a total of 2400 meters (1.5 miles). The second loop is a different course of 1400 meters (0.9 miles). I had a little trouble sighting due to the waves and swallowed a bit of sea water. All to be expected. My first loop was right at 60 min. and then I did my second loop at a good pace to finish better that last year by nearly 10 minutes.

T1 7:15

After getting out of the water, there was a long run up a ramp to the transition area where the swim to bike bags were arraigned numerically. I had to peel off my own wet suit as there were no wet suit strippers like in CDA . Put on some sunblock and headed out to get my bike and out to the mounting area.


The Bike 112 miles 7:52:51

The bike course starts out flat and easy down the Promenade des Anglais towards the airport. It felt good to be out of the water but my heart rate was really fast and I had to slow down to get it around 130 bpm. After about 3 miles we turned inland towards the mountains, the Alps Maritimes. The next stretch was slight uphill until we got to the first real climb, the Cotte de Condamine at roughly mile 12. It is only 500 meters but it's steep! My I-bike and Garmin read out 17% grade in some portions. I passed a few people who were walking but was able to get through it while standing on the pedals for most of it. Next we passed by the town of St. Jeannete, the first of the beautiful little villages and towns we passed on the course.

St Jeannette

Next, more up hill around 5-6% to the Town of Vence and then rode by the town of Tourrettes sur loup, a mideval village set upon a hillside. These pictures really can't capture the beuty of this region in France, and made for a very enjoyable ride.

Gourdon

Next, between mile 25 to 30 there was downhill to Gourdon. The roads are really well maintained so I was able to make up some time going up to 30 miles an hour in this section. After Gourdon comes the hardest part of the bike course and that is the Col d'Ecre. Its 13 miles of uphill at 6-7% grade. Like Transmountain over the Franklin mountains but 3 times the distance from Resler to the top. By this time, it was really getting hot and there is no shade in this mountain. No nice tree canopy and not a cloud in the sky. I was among a bunch of riders, and we were all complaining about how tough the course was. Throughout, I was mindful to drink plenty of energy drinks, water, salt tablets, and poured extra water on my head and body to try to stay hydrated.

After the Col de L'Ecre we arrive a valley on top of the mountains. It is about 3740 feet, the highest elevation we achieve coming from sea level. A brief fast downhill is followed by yet another hill, the Col de Sine. A couple of more climbs followed but at mile 75 the downhill started and we headed back to Nice. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of headwind and there is always a headwind and it gets worse in the afternoons. Also, there are a lot of dangerous curves which require you to slow down. There are volunteers who warn you with yellow flags to slow down in the more dangerous sections. I saw two people who had fallen and were getting taken away by ambulance, as seems to happen every year on this course. Lastly we passed by Carros on the way back to Nice.


                                                           Carros


We passed through the middle of these little towns and there were always crowds cheering and encouraging us. The would yell "Courage!" "Bravo" and "Allez (go)". Really made for a great, albeit hot ride of nearly 8 hours. Then, it was back to the Promenade des Anglais where by this time most people were running along the same course. I had to be careful with people crossing the street as I arrived for transition.

T2 8:58
I arrived to transition and found out that I had to walk the bike back to the rack myself. In the previous Ironman, I had handed the bike to a volunteer who put it away for me. The transition area was full of bikes and I had a long way to go to turn it in. Also, my toes were hurting from "hot toe" and it was hard to even walk at first as I got off the bike. Once I got settled, I got my Spira XLTs on, my hat, and more sunblock as I headed out to the timing mat for the Marathon.

The Run 26.2 miles 5:35:29

The Ironman France run course is basically 4 loops of approximately 6 miles each. From transition its out the Promenade des Anglais along the beach to the airport and back. On my first loop I ran into a friend, Bill, an American who lives in Italy. He was on his second loop and we briefly talked about what a tough bike course we had just completed. I was running a little faster at that point going 11:20 min/miles so I passed him. I felt good at first but then started to have GI issues. Looking back, I think the salt tablets which I was taking every 45 minutes had a little too much Magnesium, a natural laxative. I had to wait in line at a porto potty as there didn't seem to be enough on the run course. (there were none on the bike course, it was en naturale) After that I was afraid to eat or drink much so I just drank water. I felt dehydrated and hot throughout the run. There is no shade as the palm trees are few and in the median of the street whereas we ran closer to the ocean. There were showers about every mile marker and I ran through those liberally. I would take walk breaks every mile and tried to keep my pace around 11:30 min/mile. After every loop, we got a cloth bracelet. The first was black, then white for the second loop, and blue for the 3rd loop. After the 2nd loop, I realized it had taken me 3 hours to run 13.1 miles. Normally the Ironman cutoff is 17 hours but in France its 16 hours (10:30pm instead of MN).  I had less than 3 hours until the cutoff so I had no choice but to negative split the run.  All I kept thinking was that I did not come all this way to be a DNFr.  I really had to push myself to increase the tempo.  I did the 3rd loop (approx 6 miles) in 1 hour and 15 minutes and started the 4th and final loop.  Luckily, there was shade for a change as the  sun was setting  behind the hotels on the Promenade.  At the turnaround next to the airport it was 9:30 pm. That was the last timing mat and cutoff before the finish. I was able to run the last 3 miles at a 10:30 pace passing a lot of people who were walking.  One guy was on the floor and they were calling for assistance with a stretcher.  You could see on their wrists their armbands to see how many loops they had done and they were many with just 1 or 2 to my 3.  They were not going to finish in time...  As I arrived to the finish line, the crowd support was incredible.  The MC was yelling in French and English, there were cheerleaders, and the crowd was pretty enthusiastic.  I crossed the finish line greatly relieved to have made it.  I took 15:15:23 to complete the course, what a day it had been.

Post Race.

I received a finishers medal, and was offered to go to medical tent if I needed.  As I passed, several people were getting IV fluids, all wrapped up in warming blankets, and some even going by ambulance to hospital.  I drank water, power aide and 2 chocolate eclairs which were delicious. Looking over the results, incredibly, out of 2590 participants, 2058 people finished the "race".  A much higher DNF rate than many other events.  I was ranked 1944 overall and 252 of 259 finishers in my age group (45-49).

Post Script
Overall, it was a really good "destination race" which is what I was looking for for my second Ironman.  Blanca and I spent the next week in France and got to visit Paris, Normandy, and caught the first two stages of the Tour de France.  It is a really hard  event and the heat is oppressing.  The payoff is the spectacular bike course and the beautiful blue ocean you get to swim and run next to. 

Ironman France Training: Cloudcroft NM to Sunspot

As of the first week of April, I've started focusing on the upcoming Ironman in Nice, France on June 26, 2011. Been swimming 3 days a week, cycling 3-4 times a week, and running 3 times a week. I will be increasing the distance as it gets closer to the event and as we have more daylight in the morning and evening.

As part of the anticipated hills we'll be encountering in Nice at the Alps Maritimes, Blanca and I decided to go to Cloudcroft, New Mexico for some hill training. We left Sat AM (April 16) at 9am and arrived into town a little before 11. We parked in the city center which has a very convenient public rest room (very clean) and began our 17.2 mile trek to Sunspot.

I had found out about this ride from the web at a site called Map my ride. The link for this particular ride is at http://www.mapmyride.com/s/routes/view/bike-ride-map/new-mexico/cloudcroft/4533929mexico/cloudcroft/4533929

We knew from the profile what to expect but found out how challenging it is, specially with the altitude. Cloudcroft is at 8600 feet and we left town on Hwy 130 with an average of 2% climb. Later on it gets tougher with a category 3 climb up to 9320 feet. The first descent was awesome with no traffic and a moderate headwind. Next came the Category 2 climb with 11.5 miles with an average grade of 5%. This peak is at 9500 feet! We struggled for air and then came down to Sunspot where there was a slight uphill to the visitors center. Total distance 17.2 miles.

Sunspot is located on Sacramento Peak and is the home of the National Solar Observatory. It started in 1947 to observe the Sun with several telescopes. They had picnic tables, a bathroom and some cool stuff like a sundial.

The return trip was faster for us and the longer downhill was really cool with my top speed of 38mph, the fastest I think I have ever ridden on a bike. We arrived at Cloudcroft very pleased to have made this ride and highly recommend to anyone in the El Paso, Las Cruces area.

Mt Taylor Winter Quadrathlon 2011

What a great event! The venue and all the great volunteers make this a truly enjoyable experience. I came upon this ultimate challenge by accident while looking for triathlons in New Mexico at trifind.com. I had heard about it before from someone that had competed in it who was at the Elephant Man triathlon. I have been an intermediate downhill skier but never cross country and certainly never snowshoe. I got the opportunity to try the two disciplines while skiing in Durango in January for the first time and decided to give it a go.

The Quadrathlon or Quad as its referred is a 42 mile race in Grants, NM which is 70 miles West of Albuquerque on I40. The starting point is in the city which is at an elevation of 6,500 feet and ultimately climbs to the spectacular 11,301 foot summit of Mt. Taylor, and then returns back to the finish line in Grants. We started with a 13 mile bike ride on a paved road. The course initially winds through the streets of Grants then begins an 1800 foot climb from desert cactus to ponderosa pine. At the end of the paved road, bikes are parked and then racers must run 5 miles on gravel roads. This part of the course climbs 1200 feet in elevation. Runners then turn to cross-country skis for 2 miles for another 1200 foot climb. The remaining 1 mile climb on snowshoes gains 600 feet to reach the summit. The race is only half way over as one must reverse the four events and race back 22 miles back to Grants. Total distance 43 miles.

I hope to give an overview of the Quad to share my experience and hopefully encourage someone else to give it a try. More at http://www.mttaylorquad.org/

PRE-RACE

As I mentioned earlier, I had practiced in Durango with skis and snow shoes. I bought some snow shoes and was able to practice here in El Paso during our rare winter storm. I rented my cross-country skis from REI in Albuquerque, where I called in advance a few weeks before. I got the boots, skis, and climbing skins for $24 for one day. Blanca and I left El Paso on Friday afternoon and arrived in Albuquerque to pick up the skis. They were a Fisher Snowbound brand and the boots fit perfectly and they put the skins on for me. We got to Grants around 7:30 pm and picked up the packets at the Cibola Convention Center. They provided a pasta dinner for the racers and guests were $7. The atmosphere there was very nice. The dinner was at the Grants High School and the students were the servers on the food line and the waiters. I checked into the hotel and got all my stuff together for the next day. That night we had until 11 pm to check in the transition bags, skis and snow shoes. We went to the fire house where they had multicolor duct tape. We labeled our gear for the bike/run transition, run/ski transition and it was loaded into trucks to send up the next AM.

Back to the hotel for a fitful night of sleep wondering about what the next day would bring. The weather for the next day was not looking too good which was an additional concern.

Race Morning

Woke up early even though the race didn't start until 0900. Got breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express and drove out to the starting place with bikes. Blanca was planning on riding the bike course as well to get some training done. It was not too cold, around 38F but the wind was picking up at 15-20 miles an hour from the Southwest. Met up with Octavio T. my friend from the hospital and we lined up towards the back of the pack. There were 140 male soloists and 31 females. The pairs and teams would start at 1000 AM from Grants. The team members who ran or ski/snowshoe were taken up at 7:00-7:30am. At 0901 AM, the race promptly started...

The Bike (13 miles, 1800 feet climb, 1:17:13 including bike/run transition at 8200 feet)

The bike started pretty flat and slow with all the riders. The group started to split during the initial climbs which at first were 2% and then got a little harder. There was a short downhill half way up and then the last 4 miles was 8-10% grade with somewhat of a head wind. As we started the climb, my friend Octavio's chain fell off as we rode together and I told him I was going to pull a Contador and attack him just like Schleck encountered in last years Tour de France.

I reached the end of the bike portion and a volunteer called my number as I arrived. They then guided me to my spot to leave the bike and there was my transition bag. I got my shoes on and then put on by drink carrier, gus and hat and I was off on the run.

The Run (5 miles, 1200 foot climb, 1:20:56 including run/ski transition at 9,497 feet)

The run initially was pretty flat and there were some initial downhills on gravel roads. There was a bit of snow and slush at first then more as we ascended further. I stuck to my run/walk routine to conserve energy. As I got higher it got harder and was forced to take more walk breaks. There was an aide station at the half way point with gatorade, bananas, and orange slices. I also had a gu on the way with gatorade.

I reached the run/ski transition and once again the volunteers were ready with my skis, poles, and boots. There was a volunteer assigned to a racer at each transition and they would bring water and orange slices to you as you put on the gear. I also got my snowshoes on the backpack to carry up to the next transition.

The Cross-Country Ski (2 miles, 1200 foot climb, 51:34 including ski/snowshoe transition at 10,700 feet)

This is the part that I most feared but turned out to be relatively easy. The climbing skins made all the difference. I was able to move at a pretty good clip and got a good rhythm. I had learned well from watching those instructional You Tube videos. At first the course is not too steep, but as with every other time, at the end it gets hard before transition. The notorious 'Heart Break Hill" lived up to its name as it was a barren exposed area of the mountain with winds kicking up to 40-50 miles an hour. The views at this point were spectacular and I made a point to look around to enjoy the scenery.

At the end of the last hill we arrived at the transition. We had to just find any place to leave the skis and put on the snowshoes for the next climb.

The Snowshoe (1 mile, 600 feet climb, 42:22 to reach 11,301 foot summit)

Again at the beginning of this portion, it was a slight incline with two way traffic as people were coming down from sumitting. The last 4/10th of a mile was the hardest as we climbed at 20-30% grade according to my Garmin to the summit of Mt Taylor. By now the winds seemed to be up to 50-60 mph and it was much colder. On the way we passed the highest 'bar' where the offered Water or JD? I chose water and passed on the Jack Daniels. The view from the summit was spectacular. There was a wind blown American flag and a elevation marker. I spent a minute looking out to the Sandia Mountains next to Albuquerque in the distance. I was now half way done. It had taken me 4:24:07 to get to this point.

Snowshoe down (1 mile, 23:16)

The downhill portion was a different route initially and had really deep snow which made it more treacherous. I fell a couple of times as I lost my balance coming down but was able to make it pretty quick. It was nice to see there were some people still behind me heading up to the summit.

Ski down (2 miles, 59:34 including snowshoe/ski transition)

This portion of the Quad if I had to do over again I would alter my plan. I had decided apriori to keep the skins on for safety reasons. We followed a different route down the mountain from the people still climbing and I had heard it could be dangerous in some places. I knew that I had a hard time controlling the skis going down and I took the more cautious approach. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of time as several people passed me going very fast without skins. I still fell a couple of times but my descent was considerably slowed down.

Run Down (5 mile, 1:08:43 including ski/run transition)

Once we got back to the transition the volunteers were awesome again. As I arrived they had my running shoes ready and gave me orange slices and water. They then put away my skis, boots, poles, and pack with snowshoes. I started running down and found out my quads were getting pretty fatigued. There was a lot of mud and slush to contend with at first but by the end the gravel was dry and soft. Unfortunately that is when the headwinds came back with a vengeance. Those slight downhills on the way up became big hills on the return trip, specially with the head wind. Took many walk breaks and spent some time at the aide station half way down.

The Bike Down (13 miles, 59:02 including run/bike transition)

As I arrived to the last transition, I was met up by a Forest Ranger who was volunteering. He had my bike ready, my bike shoes at the ready as well. I replenished my gatorade and had a gu before heading down. The winds were hauling by this point and it had started to rain. I could not pick up much speed as I was being pushed to the side by the wind. Further, I had to contend with the slight uphill before again going slightly downhill into the wind.

The Finish

I arrived into Grants and to the finish with a slight drizzle and a lot of wind. Glad to have made it down in one piece. My total down time was 3:30:34 and the entire course took me 7:42:36. I ended up 118Th overall out of 140 men. In my age group, I was 9Th out of 13, where I usually end up in these events. The goal was for me to complete and have a good time doing it, so I accomplished both.

El Paso Puzzler 2011

In the Fall of 2010, I had been talking to several mountain bikers that I know and had heard about the Puzzler from the media coverage. Everyone said it was a very hard event to even complete. I decided to give it a shot to strengthen my biking skills with an eye to the Nice Mountains in the Summer at Ironman France. I bought a used but nearly new Kona 29r at the local bike shop that was a model from the previous year. I hit the trails in El Paso and found out that mountain biking is a whole different deal. Specially here with the rocks and lose gravel. I have fallen so many times in training I could even count. I was as ready as I was going to be. Mind you I had 3 months of training, never having ridden a mountain bike. I was a Beginner in the truest sense.

The El Paso Puzzler now its 4th year is billed as the "Toughest Mountain Bike Race in Texas" The event took place on January 16, 2011 at the Bowen Ranch in Far NorthEast El Paso. The race course goes over the Franklin Mountains inside the State Park and has a 50 mile and 35 mile event. For more info check out http://www.elpasopuzzler.com/ they have the course outline plus the Borderland Mountain Bike Association http://bmba.wordpress.com/ has more trails info.
I arrived in the AM of the event, signed in and turned in my special needs bags for mile 19 and mile 26. I included extra water, gatorade, gu, and powerbars. I also left a gatorade bottle at the 7 mile point which was at the starting line. A little after 800 am the 50 milers started followed by the 35 milers. Initially the jeep road was wide and the field spread out as we headed out towards Sotol Canyon. This section of trail is along the side of the mountain and is a little technical with some rocks and vegetation that protrudes into the single tract trail. I was excited and probably going to hard which led to my first fall of the race. Unfortunately, I landed on a cactus and spent the next few minutes picking off needles off my rear. THIS was mile 3... So not a good beginning. Further down, I lost my balance as I stopped because someone ahead of me had stopped and I fell a second time down the side of the mountain for a few feet. At this point I am wondering if I will finish in one piece or ever finish at all.
After the second fall, I seemed to slow down and pace myself better. I got to Shockrock and went down slowly and in a controlled manner because as the name suggests, its a rocky jeep trail. Next came the turn to Mad Cow, there Brent S. one of the race co-directors provided encouragement to the riders. Mad Cow is a fast twisting downhill back to Bowen Ranch where we had started. There I replenished my Gatorade bottle and had a Gu, 55 minutes and 7 miles were now behind me. Next came the Lazy Cow trail which is a slight uphill twisting trail then downhill on a nice Tin Mine Road towards Cardiac Hill. As the name implies it is a tough hill which I and everyone else around me was walking. Some downhill single tract and more uphill led us to Mule Shoe. This is the most technical part of the race with some large boulders so I walked most of it to avoid further injury. Next we were in the serious climb to Mundy's gap. The road goes to an elevation of 6000 feet with several switchbacks. It is a jeep trail and not too technical but the loose rock makes it hard to get traction. At the top of Mundy's gap is an incredible view of Northeast El Paso and this is where I stopped to replenish my nutrition. The way down is very steep and the riding surface not the best for this beginner. Next came the worst part in my view of the course which was the rock farm that makes the trail down to the Tom Mayes Unit of the Franklin Mountain State Park. I started walking while carrying the bike and the slowly pushing the bike because I was worried about twisting my ankle. As I was getting to the parking lot, I saw Blanca and the kids on the side of the trail and was excited to see them out there supporting me.

Out in the parking lot there was a stretch of paved road to the mile 19 aide station. I stopped to replenish my water in my camel back, gatorade, and gu. Said goodby to the kids and went off to Lower Sunset Trail. This section has some hills and technical sections but is not too hard. Maybe I was complacent but that is where I had my 3rd fall. I landed on a hard rock, no cactus this time but fortunately just got a scrape on my elbow and hand. At that point I realized I had left my gloves at the aide station! Next came the mile 26 aide station where I was happy not to get cut off the race. The cut off time was 2:30 pm and I arrived at 1:50 pm, so I was safe to finish the "race". The last hard climb was next which is called Hitt Cayon. This is to get us back over the mountains to the Northeast. A fairly new section built by volunteers from the Borderland Mountain Bike Association (BMBA), it is pretty hard and so I walked most of it.
That is where I ran into Fernanda, a young woman who looked to be in her 20's. I asked her how old she was and she told me she was 13 years old! Amazing! She was a very strong rider and needless to say very mature for her age. I decided to ride with her as were going about the same pace and to make sure she stayed OK as there was nobody around this canyon. Call it my fatherly instinct, kicked in as well. Once out of the canyon the trail turns nice downhill back to Bowen Ranch. While heading back I ran into Fernanda's father and he was relieved to know that his daughter was safe and only a few minutes behind me. Further down I saw Blanca and the kids again on the trail and it was so emotional for me I got a little teary. I continued to the finish tent having finished in 7:54:33. I placed 39 out of 42 men who finished the 35 mile loop and 5 men did not finish.

I was happy to have completed the race and have a great respect for all the racers with their incredible finishing times in both the 35 and 50 mile loop. However, I have decided that this will be my first and last mountain bike race. The risks that someone with my limited skill and experience takes is too great to sustain a serious injury. I was fortunate that with all the falls in training and during the event that I came away with only bumps, bruises, and cactus needles. (some still buried deep inside). I have to admit, however, that it is a lot of fun to mountain bike and will encourage my children to have a try at it if they like and will join them on EASY, not Too Technical trails.
Next challenge is the Mount Taylor Quadrathalon on Feb 19. During this next event, I bike, run, cross country ski, and snow shoe up a mountain and back. I will do a report on that next time.