Race Reports 2016
2016 was going to be a great year. In January of 2016 Cindy and I were planning an active year of preaching, teaching, ministry and physical fitness. I ambitiously planned two 70.3 Half Ironman Races, One Full Ironman, and would close out the season in October 2016 with a new distance, 1/3 Ironman in Cleremont , Florida. That race is coming up a week from Saturday. The good news is I’m more ready than ever, but it wasn’t an easy year.
Ironman 70.3, Hanes City, Florida was the first on the race ticket. April 2016 was a warm one. However, the swim was wet suit legal, so the 1.2 mile swim was a treat. Mission accomplished. A good bike ride too, a non-stop event for me, that’s always good. I had enough nutrition and hydration on board to ride the full 56 miles non-stop. That was a good thing because, that saved some real time, and the run took a while. It was hot, my sciatic was troubling me in my hips, and I took my time enjoying the 13.1 mile run course, looping around three times was nice to see Cindy throughout the day.
Next up, Ironman Lake Placid, NY. The training plan for this race interestingly enough starts January 1. So, with Hanes City race in April, I finessed a half Iron Training program January 1 through April 2016. Then I jumped into the Lake Placid Plan, “In Progress!” It was working. I breezed through May 2016, building my long rides. Three and a half hours, then 4, then 4 1/2. I was on a 5 hour ride on June 10 when something none of us care to think about happened. My front tire blew out, and although I’d ridden my bike to a stop in this situation before, I was on the aero bars, and watched in horror as my front wheel slid out from under me as if on ice. Next thing I knew, I was on the ground in a heap. Like many of us, the first thing I wondered about was…”what shape is my bike in?!”
I was a little sore and banged up my face. Thank God for my helmet AND my sunglasses, of all things, saved me from a serious eye injury, I am convinced. I changed the flat, rode the 12 miles back to the car, and took emergency action…went directly to the bike shop to insure the bike was ok. Then I took a picture of my scraped up face to send to my brother CJ in Denver. It’s a club I did not look forward to joining, but now I’m in. Just call me “Crash.”
Well, I knew I hurt my ribs. They hurt. They hurt like I’ve been hurt before, so I self diagnosed “bruised ribs.” I kept exercising because it didn’t hurt to ride the stationary bike, I couldn’t swim for a month, and I missed about that long running. I kept my cardio up with the spinning, and didn’t really think I missed much. On a Tuesday morning Strider Run, Dr. Randy, one of the Physical Therapists that runs with our club said, “Clark, just go get an x-ray, just for some peace of mind.” Good advice. I took it. Broken rib. “Non-displaced” (I call that a double negative!!)
Long story short, I kept training, went on to Lake Placid, but ran out of time at mile 102 on the bike. I had a good day in the water, 2.4 mile swim a little over an hour and a half. I hot day for the Adirondacks on the bike, but I guess I underestimated how much training I had missed out on for that broken rib. It was ok, on to Augusta, Ga. for a 70.3 in September.
That’s enough for today’s blog. There’s more for another day.
2016 Race Report Continued
October 31, 2016 by admin • Uncategorized • Tags: 2018 Goals, Active Living, Arthritis Exercise, Diet, Exercise, Exercise for Back Pain, Fitness, Goals, Health, Health and Wellness, Health Wellness, Hurricane Michael, Nutrition, Personal Training, Resolutions, Running, Sadness, Swimming Workouts, Training, Triathalon, Try Something New, Vision, Walking, Weight Loss, Wellness, Workout, Workouts • 0 Comments
Off I went on the 56.6 mile bike ride. The course didn’t look that hilly from the car the day before the race, but the hills were long and relentless, and the heat of the day was building. Three bladder stops were frustrating, but the 9:12 AM start time for my swim wave raised havoc with coffee and fluid consumption from the morning. This was a start contrast to the Clermont, Great Floridian the next month where I rode a non-stop 37 mile ride in complete comfort. All in all not a bad Half Iron ride. By the time we were racking our bikes at Augusta for the run portion of the race, it was well into the 90’s already. Another 60-65’er arriving at transition same time I did told me, “I’m not going out there in this heat.” I congratulated him on his wisdom, and started running. Hmmmm. Well, I’m careful about maintaining a healthy heart rate when I run so…what’s this? No heart rate data??? Had to run by feel in what later was reported as a high of 97 while we were running. But it was a dry heat,” No one ever really believed.” Turns out it’s a quirky programming thing, because I had to run Clermont Great Floridian with the same issue.
Well, the run was good all things considered. I’d had a cortisone injection on Thursday before we left for the race. The L-4 and L-5 were no problem. My hip is another story. Still running at 185 pounds, and five years ago I was running these distances at 175#. There’s a message here for you Clark! At the 7 mile mark I needed to be “at the fire station” by something:30″ I was 2 minutes late. They took my timing chip. No way was I going to stop. I kept running. About the 9 mile mark an official asked me to run on the side walks if I was going to continue. I did. Instead of negotiating the loop the loop of the finish line, I ran to my bike. Well, walked and ran to my bike along with Cindy. I turned in a 70.3 effort, just no finishing bling to show for it. Those of you who know me also know there will be bling, I just make it myself! These races truly are about the journey, and the jouney continues.
On to Clermont GFT October 22, 2016. It was cold on Saturday morning. Good news for wet suits, bad news for the last wave start AGAIN. Thanks to Cindy and Maureen I was able to wrap up in towels and blankets to await the start. At least transition was traditional!! I almost drowned in the swim. Enough said. Breathed in a bunch of Lake Mineola water and couldn’t clear my lungs for a scary moment or minute or two. Managed a 33 minute swim. Less trauma in transition than at Augusta, they had army cots to lie down on and the wet suit peelers were awesome. Bike ride about 2:40 non-stop minutes. Up and over Sugar Loaf and the other challenging hills. Easy transition into the out-back, out-back, bow tie course that was pretty pleasant, nice breeze and plenty of shade, but once again no heart rate data showing on my screen. No matter, I was rolling out my 4 minute run/1 minute walk routine, and it worked like a charm. Finish, finisher medal, finisher shirt, lots of smiles photos, and God is good, all the time, season finale.
Lessons from this race and the season: Keep moving. It’s the message all along, right back to 2011 when I started this racing thing. There aren’t defeats, there are teachable moments. I learned to check my heart rate monitor. I learned if you are going to race in the hills you have to train in the hills. Injuries can happen. I’d been very healthy up to this 2016 season. I have a deeper appreciation for my friends who have struggled with injury. There is no off season. Strength and conditioning and some pre-hab, maybe, but no off season. Cross train. Get the kayak out. Eat smart. You can’t out-train poor nutrition.