Short version:
Goals:
Finish at 5:10, get a slot for the Half-Ironman world championships in Clearwater, FL (this would require a combination of a good time and a bit of luck catching a roll-down slot), and beat my brother Ian.
Dreams (i.e. perfect day):
Finish sub-5:00, and get really lucky and catch a slot for the Kona full Ironman world championships.
I succeeded in two of these goals (5:10 and beating my brother), but didn't get any slots (there was only one non-Hawai'i resident slot for Kona and Clearwater in the two youngest age groups combined...luck was not on my side).
Swim = pretty good (39:45). This is a slow time, but it was a slow, choppy day for everyone. Plus, I'm a crappy swimmer. I was happy with it, but there's definitely room for improvement in the future.
Bike = real solid, on a day that was windy even by Kona standards (2:32:51). Can't ask for any better on a course like that with winds like that.
First 1/2 of run = great. I'm not a great runner, but I felt really good and was on pace for about a 1:37-1:38 half marathon. This would have been a high 4:50s overall time.
Second 1/2 of run = painful, frustrating, and incredibly slow. Nutrition problems, debilitating cramps, and a lot of time stopped and unable to move. Lots of screaming and grimacing real hard, too. And I put a porta potty out of commission forever (more on this in the full report).
Run overall = pitiful (1:52:07). In training I could run that in my sleep. I ran positive splits by about 13 minutes. I think I had a bad ratio of water to gel, too many calories on the bike, or maybe too few electrolytes...I need to figure this out. Other than having to stop every 2 minutes with cramps, I felt fine.
Overall time = 5:10:17. 5th in my age group (out of 34), 120th overall (out of 1300ish). I got a sweet wooden bowl trophy. I'll take it.
Extended version:
I arrived in Kona on Thursday night, which left me a day to get re-acclimatized with humidity after a 2-year absence from my beloved Southeast. I checked the NOAA weather forecast the day before I left to see how windy it would be...the news was not good. High pressure was moving out, and winds were forecast to "increase significantly by the weekend." 20-30mph on the coast, with gusts to 40. Balls. There goes my 5:00 dream. Friday was kind of a blur of getting the bike set up, doing a quick bike/run workout, swimming part of the swim course, getting registered, dropping off my bike and bike-to-run bag...all that crap.
Race morning came and I was feeling pretty good. The combination of last night's marinara sauce and this morning's coffee binge did its gastrointestinal job, and my body gave me the OK to race.
Swim
I was pretty nervous pre-race at the swim course. I remember two things: 1) a guy knocked my aero drink over and spilling my cytomax out, and 2) I had an awesome discussion with an older, wiser man (mid 50s or so). I mentioned how I get overly nervous before races. Performance anxiety, you know? He responded "it's an event, not a race." Very cool perspective. I kept trying to find my brother Ian before the swim start, hoping I could draft off him during the swim (this is legal in the swim). If I could limit my losses on the swim, I'd have a better chance of holding him off later. I couldn't find him, so I figured he'd put at least 2-3 minutes on me in the water.
The swim went alright, despite getting a little beat up in the 1300-person mass swim start. Washing machine. Victory at sea. Lots of arms and legs. It was pretty darn windy and choppy, too. The swim was totally redeemed by the incredible visibility and beautiful scenery. We were in ~25ft of water, swimming over a cool reef.
T1
As I started running up the chute after finishing the swim, I heard the announcer say "Ian Hersey getting out of the water," and I thought to myself "Dude, check your list. My name is Scott." Then I saw Ian running up the hill to T1. I did not expect to see him this soon in the race. I had a solid T1 time (2:00 or so, with a long run up to the transition area), and made it out about 3:00 before Ian. Onward, into the Big Island gale, with a bit of added confidence from already being ahead of the bro.
Bike
I felt good all day on the bike. I was passing tons of people (fish!), and my heart rate stayed exactly where I wanted it (even on climbs). I passed 307 people and was passed by 1. I started feeling a little fatigued toward the end of the bike, but I definitely kept my effort in check. Unfortunately, I erred somewhere in the nutrition department while I was on the bike. I either ate too many GUs, drank too much sports drink (and not enough water), or didn't take enough salt tablets. A bit of a mystery, but sufficed to say I'd be paying for this later.
The scenery was pretty cool, when I could enjoy it. The wind was seriously howling during the entire ride, and I saw a lot of people getting blown all over the road. I was riding a pretty deep-rimmed rear wheel (zipp 808), with a shallower front wheel (zipp 404), which was a good combination for me. This is the one time in the race I was happy that I put on a couple pounds during my 2-week taper...harder for the wind to blow me around. I was able to stay in the aero position for the whole race, while a lot of other people had to sit up on the bars to keep control. I had an added advantage, since the good Lord blessed us with some hot, windy days during April in Southern California. This included a 60k time trial ride that I did in 20-30mph winds in Piru...it was good to have that experience under my belt.
I didn't look at my speed or time at all during the bike, focusing instead on my heart rate. I submitted to Mother Nature, and raced within my limits.
T2
I pulled into T2 at 3:15, which meant that I'd had about a 2:30 bike split...much faster than the 2:40 I'd expected in those winds. After my transition, I'd have to run about 1:42 half-marathon to hit my 5:00 dream time; a paltry 1:52 to hit my 5:10 goal. Easy. Very easy. I was capable of somewhere between 1:35 and 1:40. I knew Ian had to be at least 15:00 back, based on my cycling skillzzzz, and wouldn't catch me unless I had a completely catastrophic run. One goal achieved, one well-within reach.
I met another cool guy in T2. He was a volunteer. Very local...a brudda to the fullest. He walked up as I racked my bike and started fishing through my bike-to-run bag. He said "Hey brudda! Good job, no worries, brudda; I got yo stuff. I take care'a it." Somehow this put me a little more at-ease.
Run
I felt pretty decent as I headed out on the run, and felt good by the time I'd settled in at mile 2. I was passing some people, but being cautious. I knew the horrible, painful, punishing notoriety of this run course, so I was cautious. I was running about 7:10-7:20 pace, and I felt strong. Then it hit. Just after mile 6. It was a simultaneous, horrible 2-punch blow: 1) something that ends in "rrhea" but isn't transmitted sexually, and 2) the first twinges of cramps. I felt like I could work through the cramps by taking some salt tablets, eating gel, and hydrating, and backing off the pace a bit, but the stomach issue was another story. If the two were related (i.e. cramps coming from some sort of nutrition issue), I was toast.
I found a porta-potty at mile 7, ran in, and completely violated it. I mean, I hope nobody else had to use that thing. Ever again. I kind of laughed and felt bad at the same time. After making the porta-potty cleaner guy hate his life, I set back out on the run. The cramping issue was still with me a bit, and stomach issue seemed to be something deeper-seeded. Clearly I'd screwed something up in my bike nutrition. I did some quick math, and determined that the 5:00 mark was still very obtainable.
The first completely debilitating cramps hit me at mile 10, and I literally almost fell down. My right hamstring and quad seized up at the same time. I was directly between aid stations, so there was no help in sight. After screaming a bit and trying to walk, I sat down and broke open a salt tab on my tongue (at the advice of a passing runner). Salt tabs taste like crap. It couldn't have been a good sight for other runners, to see me laying on the ground amongst lava rocks, moaning with salt residue all over my face. I probably looked like a burned-out meth addict. If I had seen me, I would have been like: "Crap. This run sucks."
The cramps finally eased enough to get going again, but I could still barely move. Cardiovascularly I felt great, but my muscles didn't have enough electrolytes, and I had a rock in my stomach. So it goes. I'd have to fight this out.
Things didn't get any better, and I spent a lot of time stopped with cramps in the last 3 miles. To add insult to injury, I got another hamstring/quad combo cramp about 150yd from the finish line, forcing me to stop again. There were a bunch of spectators, and they totally couldn't understand why I didn't want to run that last 30 seconds to the finish line. "I would move if I could!" Still cramping, I started running again. I had to at least run across the line. It must have looked ridiculous...right leg completely straightened, seized up in cramps, left leg faltering as it started to cramp. I made it. 5:10:17. I'll round that down, Boston Marathon style. I hit my 5:10 goal on a very windy, nasty day, and with a worst-case-scenario run. There's something dissatisfying about getting my ass handed to me on the run, but overall I'm pretty pleased.
I beat Ian pretty handily (he also had some electrolyte issues, but his started earlier in the race than mine did). 5th in my age group (out of 35), and 120th overall (out of 1300ish). The run meltdown cost me 2 age group spots and about 13 minutes, and may have kept me out of Clearwater. So it goes. I'll make other late-season race plans. That dang sure won't keep me from enjoying the rest of my time on the big island!
Lessons learned:
1) The combination of an aero helmet, windscreen, and headwind make a sweet banshee noise in your ears, which makes you feel reeeeeally fast.
2) My swim is much faster than last year this time, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.
3) My bike and run training were pretty good for this race, but the half-ironman distance calls for some very long runs after hard rides.
4) I've got to figure out this nutrition thing. I raced within my limits and was on pace to turn in a time well under 5hr on a very difficult course, but poor nutrition execution killed me.
5) You can't count on getting a roll-down slot at any race. Last year, the Clearwater slot went to a guy that was 30 minutes slower than my time this year. This year it went to a guy with a much faster time.
6) Young age groups get shafted for Kona and Clearwater slots. They combined the under-19 and 20-24 age groups into one pool, and hand out one non-Hawaii resident slot to Kona, and one to Clearwater. That sucks. Next year I'll be 25, so there will be more slots, but also a lot more competition. I should be a lot faster by then, too. We'll see how that goes.
I'm not sure what race is next on the horizon. I'd like to break 5:00 in a half this year, so I might head up to Vineman (mid-July) or Santa Cruz (early September). I'll make that decision when my legs are recovered enough to run.
CALTECH TRIATHLON CLUB