The intent of this race was to:

1) complete; and

2) check nutrition.

So, I really didn’t care whether I got a good time or not. I am happy with it, cause I PR’d by 2 minutes. It would have been better if I didn’t start out like I did. Pace is the key. I believe that nutrition saved me on this one. In addition, I know IF I were to have had a better PR the taper should have been better.

Pre Race

The reason for not getting a better time was because I had a 12hr week of workout this week to start this things off. Rode 241km, Run 36.1km. So in order to do better I think I should have rested more. I wanted to test the nutrition on this run primarily. Seems that I always have had a tough time with cramps and pains in the legs due to a lack of proper electrolytes and nutrition during marys and Irons. For this race I brought the hydration backpack filled with the following:

a) 1000 calories of carbopro;

b) 24g protein;

c) 3 oz gatorade; and

d) I had 2 gels along the way with 2 rolaids for the Mg and Ca.

It seemed to have worked. The concentration was high and I diluted at aid stations with water. I walked all the water stations.

Race

The day started out with a morning of cup milk w oatmeal and a coffee. I ended up using the porto pottie 10min. before the race. Only 2 stops during the race. This means I was STILL not properly hydrated as I see it but the nutrition I did have helped for the endurance.

Problem for me was that I seeded myself with the 3:30hrs. pace bunny to try and get what I would like to get in a mary. Seems he started out too slow and then started to kick the pace up. This got my HR too high and by mile 11 I felt like I was blowing up. I backed off with major pains in the legs. From there on I sucked high concentrations of sol’n that I had and complemented with the water for dilution. It seems to have worked. By mile 15 I had stopped the juice for a while and started to feel really ick. But after a good swig by mile 17 with 2 cups of water, it hit me like a rock and perked me up. By mile 20 things were real bad and I felt like I just wanted to quit. The fast start had wasted the legs, my bad. The IT bands and the hips were in major pain. I resorted to walking and running for a while. If it were not for the juice in the pack I would have really been in bad shape. By Mile 24 the pains really set in, juice was gone and I just literally gutted the remainder of the race out on sheer visceral energy, no more walks just guts. The pain as I crossed the line was intense but, after 5 marys it has taught me to put everything out of my mind and just concentrate on the finish with all the personal glory I will have. It was a numb feeling, especially in the hips and the IT band. The feeling of last year’s IMC came to mind, but the cramps were not there the same. Goal met.

Ended up with a 2min. PR and success with nutrition. Still have tweaking to do, especially with the bike nutrition, but I hope NOT to have the same account of IMC this year as last.

The watch said I ended up with 3:43:23hrs. for this race. I’m ok with that.

Next stop, 300km ride with the BC Randonneurs next Saturday and then Oliver 1/2 Iron June 1st. Training for the half starts now.