Rev3 Anderson Triathlon Race Report - 2011 70.3 Half-Ironman

After my win at Rev3 Cedar Point, I signed up for Rev3 Anderson to contend for the amateur prize purse.  The rules of the series required at least two races in varying distances, and Rev3 Anderson was the last Rev3 race of the year. Although it would be nearly impossible to win the series, there was a very good chance that as long as I finished the race that I would take second.  However, finishing was in serious doubts when I picked up a stomach bug earlier in the week and was down for the count Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  On Friday I still didn't feel quite right, but I decided to head to South Carolina anyways.

Easy Breezy Swim

Swim (27:44):  The goal of the swim was to stay on the heals of the first swimmers and set myself up for the bike.  I have continued to work on my swim and each swim seems to get easier - this race was no exception.  After talking with Trista and Ryan from The Bachelor I decided to line myself up just behind the first row of swimmers.  The gun went off and I grabbed some feet.  It was a good group and we made quick work of the swim despite nobody really wanting to take a leadership role.  We caught up to some of the female pro's who went off 7 minutes earlier and I was out of the water in 4th place.

 

Surviving The Bike

Bike (2:26:51):  After pre-driving the course the day before I opted for a shallow front wheel and a shallow rear wheel.  Skipping the disc ended up being a big mistake as the windy day would have netted some good opportunities for sailing. The Rev3 Anderson bike course was a relentless rolling course with a large number of turns and technical sections and that in combination with a windy day largely influenced my conservative decision.  On race morning I couldn't find my HR strap, and my decision to switch wheels meant that I wouldn't be riding my Powertap - I would race completely by feel.

Coming out of transition the series leader - Jay Mccurdy - was just in front of me.  Without my objective data I felt like the pace Jay was pushing was too high and I let him go after the first couple of miles.  I would continue alone and I felt absolutely awful out there on the bike and it showed in my times.  The course was tough but that only added to the misery of the off day. I did manage to pass the other two age groupers in front of me along with a handful of male and female pros.

Enjoying The Run

Run (1:26:09):  I got on to the run and I was welcomed with cheers from the Rev3 crew.  It was a step in the right direction as I focused on smooth running form.  Apparently it wasn't too smooth as I got called out by a female pro who came flying by.  "Pick up your knees" she yelled.  If only she knew the number of people who have called out my running form over the years.  As I moved into another gear I was quickly huffing and puffing.  She yelled, "stay on my heels".  It seemed like suicide at the time but something told me to stay on those heels.  I looked at my Garmin - it was too fast! I did the only logical thing I could think of at the time and that was to take it off.

At Finish With Lauren Goss

I continued running behind this gal for the next few miles as we exchanged life stories.  I learned her name was Lauren Goss, she focused on ITU racing, and this was her first 70.3.  She was the local gal and to tell you the truth I was quite surprised that I had never heard of her before.  Nonetheless it seemed like the pace was coming down a bit.  We headed into an out-and-back section and it would be my first chance to see where I was at.  Interesting enough Jay was drafting off Magali Tissayre - who said chivalry was dead? As I went by we exchanged low-fives - I was four minutes down.


We continued on the rolling course and are pace was slowing down albeit it very gradually.  I took the lead and I started pulling.  It wasn't surprising to me as this was Lauren's first 70.3 and it was clear her first mile was way too fast.   We reached the second turnaround and I was still four minutes down.  My position was determined and I just focused on smooth efficient running as we headed back towards the finish.  Lauren and I stuck together the whole way and it was nice to have some company for once. 

With Jay McCurdy - 1st & 2nd Rev3 Amateur Series

Overall (4:22:40): In the end I would finish as the second overall amateur, second overall in the Rev3 amateur series, and I got to meet some new friends.  It was my last race as an amateur and I look forward to racing future Rev3 races as a professional.  The Rev3 organization has been great to work with, and once again they provided both challenging run and bike courses.

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