The Race:Burrito Union is a 10-hour triathlon, Saturday, September 6, 2008, that consists of a 600M swim, 14 mile bike, and a 5K trial run that you continue to do over and over as many times as you can in 10-hours. There are solos and relays. I was a solo. This was the second year for the race and my first.
Packet Pick-Up:Typically packet pick-up is not something you'd find in most race reports but this was a unique race so why not.
We arrived at
Pattison State Park, Friday late afternoon and put the tent up in the rain. Packet pick-up was 5 - 8 PM with the pre-race meeting at 7 PM. When I checked in, they had no record of my registration. They searched their active.com and Midwest events data base downloads, no luck. I had my laptop back at the campsite and was pretty sure that I had saved a copy of the confirmation email (I usually do). The real concern though was that my laptop had been stolen a couple of weeks earlier, my external hard drive was recovered, but had been damaged so I was not able to retrieve all the data from the drive. I was pretty sure that I had recovered the registration stuff. I returned with the laptop and proof of my alleged registration (I had registered for this event in November 2007, nearly a year in advance).
Transition Setup:I walked my bike and gear the few hundred yards from the campsite and started getting ready. The morning was cool (not nearly as cool as was predicted) low 50's. It was cloudy but not raining (yet). Charlene and Alexandra, my pit crew for the day, were just arriving while I was putting air in my tires. Suddenly the air valve blew off the rear tire and the guts of the tube stem blew out. I searched the ground but quickly realized that was feudal. Alexandra held my bike as I worked to replace the rear tube. Pssssss! What was that Alexandra asked, not sure I responded. Holy crap, my front tire just blew out. Now I'm looking around thinking is this really happening. I broke one of my tire levers while trying to get the front tire off the rim and had to borrow one from a neighbor. It was about 6:50 AM when I finally finished the repairs and headed over for body marking hoping this was the end of the unexplainable events. When I returned Charlene told me that Alexandra told her that maybe I should not be doing the event, to many bad signs. Always a good thing to think about before jumping in the water.
The Swim:I had decided several weeks earlier that I was not going to wear a wetsuit. I'm not very efficient getting in and out, and with the swim only being 600M (0.37 miles), and thinking I'd be in the water 6 or 7 times, it would provide the best result. As I walked down to and into the water I was second guessing that decision. At the pre-race meeting the night before they announced water temps around 72, well if the water was 62 I would have been surprised. The hundred or so athletes line the beach and counted the start down and we were off. Although almost painfully cold, the swim went very well. Obviously slower then if I had opted for the wetsuit. It was a counter-clockwise rectangle course and was completely weed free.
Later that day, the water warmed in spots but remained chilly. I had cramped on the swim exit after the fourth and had a severe cramp after the fifth. When I tried to stand up on the exit of the fifth swim my quad locked up tight and I immediately stretched back out. I was in about 18 inches of water and was able to keep my head out of the water with my arms extended. The lifeguard watched curiously as I attempted and failed to get up several times. I finally yelled over to him that I was fine, just cramping. I rolled over, sat on the bottom, and pulled my self further to shore. After what seemed forever I was able to stand and walk up to transition. All in all, it was kinda nice getting back into the water after each run.
The Bike:The 14-mile bike was a 7-mile out and back course along WI hgwy 35. The road was smooth and had just recently been swept. It was an open course so we had to stay on the shoulder within the white line or risk disqualification. Other then a couple of cramps later in the day, the bike was uneventful. The course was primarily down hill on the out (obviously uphill on the back) I averaged low 20's mph going out and high teens coming home. There was a nice climb that started about 1.5 miles out from the bike in and as the day wore on I liked this hill less and less.
The Run:One of the most unique run courses I have ever been on (not that I've seen all that many). This was a true trail run. The trail averaged 18/24 inches wide, dirt, grass, and gravel. Plenty of roots, rocks, and other natural obstacles. Plus, stairs and bridges, wood stairs, stone stairs, dirt stairs, bridges with stairs, bridges with ramps. On my first time through I averaged 9:45 min / mile and got slower as the day progressed. On my sixth lap, it had poured during the bike, the trail had become a series of puddles, which I attempted to run around (I twisted my ankle twice on this lap, nothing too serious) I should have just run straight through the puddles.
Transitions:I got a lot of practice through out the day, I did as many transitions on this day as I had done in total in my short two year career. Charlene and Alexandra were terrific throughout the day keeping water bottles full, and making sure I continued to get some nutrition. I couldn't have done it without their help. The transition area was pretty laid back, there were tents and tables setup all around the transition. Those competing in relays (which if I was ever to do this event again sure looks like fun) had coolers, clothes, food, and beverage all about.
Results:I completed my sixth triathlon at 9:59:36, the rules for the race had changed three times, during the pre-race meeting they stated that you could start a new lap anytime under 10-hours and as long as you started the run by 6:30 PM (11 hours) you could finish and have that tri count towards your total. When I had completed my fifth, Charlene, had told me that they had made an announcement that if you were not done with your run by 6:30 don't bother because it wouldn't count. So while out on my sixth lap, I figured it was my last, I might finish this lap under 10 but I'd never finish the seventh within 11-hours. When I crossed the finish line after my sixth they told me I could start a seventh (at this point I was confused, like that's news) after questioning the official, he informed me that if I started the run by 6:30 it would count. I finally concluded that it was unlikely that I could complete the run and bike in under an hour which ended my day with six complete tri's.
With the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, self proclaimed as the "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America", just 8-days away, it's funny how the talk around the water cooler has changed from how's training going? to, so what's your strategy for the race? and what are your goals?
The nutrition plan for the first part of the week is to stay the course. Nothing to unusual, just stick with normal portions of whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. Wednesday evening after the run, the meal planned will be higher in protein and I will carb fast for the balance of the day. Meals for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be disproportional towards carbs. For the day I will consume between 800 - 900 grams of carbohydrates or 9/10g per kilogram of body weight. Hydration will be a focus especially Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning.
Sunday morning, race day, the meal will be light, a banana and milk, and peanut butter toast. I'll eat an energy bar about hour before the start. I mix a 5-hour energy with 24oz of water and will drink it prior to the last bathroom break, about 20 minutes prior to start. During the marathon I'll carry Cliff gels and Cliff shot blocks, I'll consume something at 5, 11, 17, and 23 miles and I'll do so just before the water stop and take on water to help absorption.
If I've learned anything in my short Multisport career it is: "Make adjustments to the strategy if needed". You never now what race day will bring; you could face unexpected weather conditions or physical challenges during the day. You have to be willing to adjust, not just your strategy but also your expectations and goals. You need to confront and accept that every race may not be a PR (personal record). Don't let this alone determine your sense of accomplishment and success. The journey to get to the starting line was full of self accomplishment and success's.
