The Road Bach #2 - Emb"racing" Opportunity
In a couple of weeks, I'll be "racing" Ironman Santa Cruz 70.3. I won't be racing, but rather "racing" because I won't even be finishing the race and because I'm going to use it as an opportunity to experiment. My doctor hasn't cleared me to run something as far as 13.1 miles yet, so I'm going to do the swim and bike legs and then drop out. While bummed to not be able to complete the race, the cost of still going out there is minimal, I would only be able to get a small fraction of the already-paid expenses back, and I'm excited about the abundant opportunities I've found in the trip to Cali. Here's my thinking:
Friends - Before I gained full knowledge of my deep health issues, I had arranged to go out to race Santa Cruz 70.3 and stay with a long-time friend of mine from high school, who now lives near there. Instead of focusing so much on the race, I'll have the opportunity to catch up with him and his wife over a few beers (yes, even before the race!) and to go on a 30 mile ride with him (he happens to be a triathlete as well) around Sunnyvale. Another friend moved out west recently and I'll get the opportunity to meet up with her as well (and race against her, though she might kick my butt now!).
Sponsors - A close contact and friend from Generation UCAN recently moved out to the Bay Area to spread the word out there. The trip will give me the opportunity to do a speaking event with him, or at least to just get together to chat. The weekend also means that I'll meet other triathletes, where my sponsors' names will organically come up in conversation. Finally, I hope to get some pics of me in action in my new tri kit for my newly minted website :-)
My Experiment - it is an exercise in control and pacing. I plan to start the bike at a wattage that is ~30w below where I think I could ride, then after each 10 mile split, increase my wattage by 10w until the last 6 miles when I'll give it everything I've got (remember, I won't be running!). The reason I want to try this exaggerated negative split approach is because last year I attempted to discover my limits on the bike. I first attempted in training, where I did two "blow-it up brick" workouts involving a ride at 90% of my FTP and then a 6 mile run all-out off the bike with minimal transition time (like a race). In my first attempt, I targeted 90% during the whole ride, but found that because of all the turns, stopsigns, lights, potholes, cars, steep downhills, and other obstacles that litter the roadways, I only hit 84% (263w)...TrainingPeaks file here: http://tpks.ws/RTnuk. I ran too fast for it to be considered a blow up...TrainingPeaks file here: http://tpks.ws/vUALd. I failed to find my limit, so I tried again the next weekend. This time, I targeted 96% (300w) so that the road obstacles would drag my average down toward the real target of 90%. It worked rather well and I ended up riding at 88% (275w)...TrainingPeaks file here: http://tpks.ws/F929J. I failed again, though, to blow myself up! I ran almost as fast as the week before...TrainingPeaks file here: http://tpks.ws/4L0L9. While I failed to find my limit, I did learn where my limit was not and it gave me a lot of confidence going into Eagleman 70.3. There I had some mechanical issues and ended up having to ride without power, but rode an 8 minute bike leg PR, then ran the 4th fastest run split for a 6th overall finish, and top amateur. These points and more led me to believe I was more durable than ever, and that it was really hard to blow myself up, so in Kona I went for it, and paid the price. I found my limit finally, and unfortunately it was in my A-race on the Big Stage. Upon reflection, I realized that all my best races in life, including those all the way back to high school cross-country and track, happened when I negative split. They happened when I went out conservatively and built into my performance. Many athletes find this to be the case, and I've found that it rings even truer for me than for most. Last year, my M.O. was not to ride steady or build, but to go out hard because I didn't think I could blow myself up. I know what the limit feels like now, so that is why this year, and next (when I hope to be back truly racing and not "racing"), I want to practice the build. Closing strong. Santa Cruz sounds like a good place to start.
Humbled - Another opportunity this race provides is for me to be humbled. Given that I've only done ~2 endurance workouts per week for over 3 months, it's going get ugly out there. It'll give me a chance to see how so little training and such limited fitness translates into diminished performance.
Tri Community - Finally, this race gives me a great opportunity to immerse myself in the community that I love, one of camaraderie, commitment and everyone striving to be the best they can be. The vibe at these races is awesome and I'm looking forward to feeling it again!
This post served two purposes - 1.) an update and 2.) a perspective you might emb"race"...some things look sour on the surface, like your doc telling you not to run in a race...but spin it another way, and that same limitation can be seen as an opportunity. Have a bum knee and can't run? Hit the pool, take some lessons and bring your swim time down further than you could do while trying to balance all three sports. There are countless examples like that one. What looks negative in your life that you can morph into an opportunity?
