Date: Mar 8, 2019
Time: 7:25 am
Location: Fort Lauderdale Beach
Shoes: Nike Vaporfly Next %
Bike: Specialized Shiv Expert
EVERY PERFORMANCE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PODIUM. JUST HAVE FUN. YOU MIGHT SURPRISE YOURSELF
Those were the last words my coach had told me the night before the race - He was right.
I had fun. I surprised myself. I podiumed.
The phrase "performance and no podium" almost sounds a bit counterintuitive as if the purpose of the race and outcome of my performance didn't matter. And at the starting line, it didn't. I was there to have fun, enjoy the moment, and gain some experience.
Little did I know that all three would lead to a second place overall finish.
Las Olas was my first race since the Miami Marathon in February and my fist attempt at the international distance. The course was a 1 mi run, 20 mi bike, 6.2 mi run. To be honest, the 10k distance eats away at my confidence as a runner. It has no inbetween - you're just hauling ass to the finish line until the wheels fall off...or you vomit....one is bound to happen.
4:00 AM : WAKE-UP CALL
I prepared my typical pre-race breakfast of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some coffee. I did a triple check of all race day equipment I was planning on taking with me:
Bike : brakes and shifters working properly
Tires : proper pressure
Helmet: the USAT will not allow anyone to mount their bike without a helmet
Bike Shoes
Run Shoes: I was SUPER indecisive of what shoes I would be running in for the race. I packed 4 pairs of shoes: Hoka One One Carbon X, Nike Zoom Fly 3, Nike Vaporfly, Adidas Adios 4. I had initially wanted to run in the Adidas Adios 4 because I absolutely fell in love with how the shoe responds at speed, but getting into the shoe isn't quite as accessible during the transitions compared to some of the other shoes I packed...So I went with Nike Vaporfly. Those babies never fail.
Water bottles
Hat
Race belt
Nutrition : 2 gels and salt tabs...JUST IN CASE
6:00 AM : ARRIVE AT VENUE - FT. LAUDERDALE BEACH
WINDY IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. I don't know what was going on in the universe, but it sure was angry that day. The winds howled, the trees blew, and the waves crashed against the shore. I opened up weather bug and the gusts were as high as 23 mph.
Once I finished racking my bike and laying out my equipment in the transition area, I ran back towards a building to shield myself from the cold wind.
Everyone seemed to be in a bit of a worry considering the conditions. Swimming and biking in high winds can be very dangerous (and extremely difficult). We all congregated behind the building waiting for any announcements regarding changes to the race.
At about 6:30, the race director announced that the swim leg of the international triathlon would be cancelled and that participants can either choose to swim with the sprint group (.25 mi versus .5mi) or run with the duathlon group (1 mi). From what it looked like at the duathlon start, many international triathletes opted for the duathlon run.
7:25 AM : READY. SET. GO!
I was so disoriented by the commotion regarding the weather I lost track of time. Before I knew it, the officials blew the whistle and we were off!
RUN 1 : 1 MILE
The run was a mass start and I was dead last in the back of the pack at the whistle. The first mile was an out-and-back along A1A. I wasn't certain how fast I would or should be going as were running into the headwinds, but I was feeling good. The surrounding energy during a race always seems to give me some sort of superpower - all aches, pains,and worries disappear and I'm filled with this indestructable will to JUST GO!
Before I knew it, I was already heading back to the transition area. I looked at my watch and it read 6:32 min/mi. I thought to myself, " No way". I wouldn't know for sure what the official numbers were until I finished the race so I just smiled and kept it moving.
TRANSITION 1: RUN TO BIKE
The first step in transition is to put your helmet on. Period.
The rest will follow.
BIKE: 20 MILES
Headwinds on headwinds on headwinds. Upon mounting the bike, I realized that my speed censor wasn't aligned properly so the GPS screen remained blank. The only way that I would know how fast or slow I was tackling these winds was to look at my watch; however, I can't stress enough how important it is to focus your attention on maintaining control of the bike to avoid a crash.
Much of the bike leg was raced off of feel rather than speed. If the winds were heavy, I took off a few gears. If the winds were manageable, I added a gear or 2 to power through what I can.
The international bike course was a 2-loop route that took us down A1A to Oakland Park Blvd and through Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. The straightway just past the turn on Oakland gave us all a bit of reprieve from the wind and we were jetting through the neighborhood. I did manage to look at my watch a few times and it read anywhere between 21 and 24 mph. I took advantage of the stillness and powered through 3-4 miles before coming in contact with the wind again.
That stillness was greeted with both crosswinds and headwinds over a bridge that would lead us into the park. The wind was so strong at that point that some athletes decided to walk their bike up the bridge. The bridge wasn't nearly as steep or as long as the William Powell on the Rickenbacker, but it can be a little nerve wrecking to bike in certain conditions alongside hundreds of other athletes next to you.
Overall, I felt fairly solid on the bike despite the winds. I had no true gauge as to how well I performed due to the malfunction I had with my speed sensor. Quite a few athletes did pass me, but I couldn't tell which distance they were racing. As I approached the final 2 miles towards the transition area, I kept my head down and pedaled my ass off.
TRANSITION 2: BIKE TO RUN
I nearly ate the ground as I ran my bike down to my assigned rack. The clips of my bike shoes slid across the pavement, but I managed to grab a hold of my bike to keep me on balance.
RUN 2: 10K / 6.2 MILES
I went into the run feeling good- really good and better than anticipated. I hadn't set any true expectations for myself on this run. My plan was to run off of feel and gain the experience of running a 10K off of the bike at a "race" pace.
The first mile of a brick run can make or break your race - despite the heavy feeling in your legs after having ridden the bike for x amount of miles, your legs are moving...fast! I had never run a 10k off of the bike so I knew I had to pace myself accordingly.
I had performed a 10k run test in November of 2019 and ran a PR of 46:22. Would I be able to match that pace? I tried not to worry about time so much and just let the energy of the crowd and athletes carry me through.
The first mile felt great despite the headwinds. The mile marker beeped at 7:36 min/mi and I had to make a decision as to whether or not I would maintain the pace, slow down, or speed up. I had a rhythm going and I felt unstoppable so I maintained a 7:35-7:40 min/mi for the majority of the first 5k. Before I knew it, I was passing people that had originally kicked my ass on the bike.
As I approached the turn-around, a crosswind blew so strong I was nearly knocked off of my feet! One of the volunteers had even lost hold of the "turn-around" sign due to the wind. From mile 3 to 4 and to 5, I was cruising! To my surprise, I didn't feel out of breath, tired, fatigued - nothing. I felt nothing. I was in the zone. My zone.
I decided to pick up the pace for the last mile and held about a 7:15-7:20. Once I could see the Bahia Mar to my right, I hauled ass to the finish. I crossed that line in 1:58 - accomplished. satisfied. happy.
Part of me wonders if I could've given more, if I should've given more.
Have fun. Just have fun.
I repeated those 5 words throughout the entire race. But crossing that finish line feeling a little "too fresh" still leaves me wondering if the outcome would have been different if I pushed the pace a bit faster in some areas.