After (2) consecutive 2nd place finishes in Columbia, (behind the likes of Lieto & Bozzone), Andrew Yoder took another step up the ladder this past weekend, winning by a 3+min margin, over a very solid field. Below is his race report, enjoy…
Columbia Triathlon – May 23 2010
Columbia, MD
Race Totals: 1:54:53
**Swim: **19:09
Bike: 57:16 (26.6mph avg)
**Run: **36:26 (5:45 per mile avg)
*Complete race results posted *HERE
*Post-race Slowtwitch coverage *HERE
This past weekend I made the short trip to Maryland to compete in the spring classic Columbia Triathlon. I always look forward to racing Columbia for its challenging course and strong competition which included Tim DeBoom (2x Ironman Hawaii Champion) and Tim O’Donnell ('09 ITU Long Course World Champion), fresh off a victory at the Ironman Florida 70.3 last weekend.
Going into the race, I was lacking a bit of confidence from a DNF two weeks earlier and then getting sick, which knocked me out for 5 days. Not the ideal lead up to a race but my coach Matt Dixon of Purple Patch Fitness assured me that I would be ready and I still was capable of a good result. The goal was just to go back to basics and enjoy racing.
Race Nutrition:*
*Race day nutrition developed with the help of Brian Shea and 1st Endurance.
3:45AM: 1 serving of Ultragen, 1 bagel w/ PB
4:00AM to 5:30AM Sipping on 24oz. of EFS Lemon Lime
6:00AM to 6:30AM 16 oz. of EFS Lemon Lime mixed with one scoop of Pre-Race
6:30AM 1 serving of Liquid Shot w/ water
Swim (6:45AM): With a non wetsuit swim and no super fast swimmers in the field, I was aiming to have a fast swim and be near the front. The swim start at Columbia is very wide so there was hardly any contact. I ended up not having a great start and settled into a long line of swimmers. I attempted to move up throughout the swim but was never able to reach the front. I exited the water in 4th position just off the leaders which included Tim O’Donnell. I held my own in transition and was in striking distance at the beginning of the bike.
Bike: The bike course is gently rolling for the first few miles and then has three challenging climbs and with the wet roads, descents. I moved into 1st by mile two and rode as hard as I could up the first climb to get out of sight. My Trek Speed Concept:
felt absolutely amazing on the climbs and I was able to open up a gap on the chasers. After staying up right through the sketchy roundabouts and twisty descents during the first half of the ride, I picked up my effort to see if I could increase my lead on the back half. Typically on this course I slow the last 20k but my main goal was to keep the pace and effort high. I ended up riding very solid the entire 42k and came off the bike with a 4:15 lead on Tim and 4:45 to the next group.
Bike Nutrition: 20oz. of EFS Lemon Lime w/ 1 scoop of Pre-Race
Run: From the beginning of the run, my legs just felt empty. They didn’t feel tired just no power which was disappointing considering the run training I had been doing the past few weeks. The constant up and down was making it hard to find a tempo but I just tried to stay steady and focus on the present:
I held my form to the finish, claiming my first professional and Columbia win. It was great to bounce back at a race that is very special to me and come out on top on a very challenging day.
I want to give a special thanks to Brian Shea of Personal Best Nutrition for coming down and supporting me during the race. Thank you to my sponsors Team Trek/K-Swiss, Matt Dixon of Purple Patch Fitness, 1st Endurance, Oakley, and AquaSphere for the support and giving me a chance to pursue my dream.
-Andrew
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