This race is staged near Penn Yann in the Finger Lakes, right at this small college (Keuka College). For the bargain price of $40 you can get a dorm room the night before the race. How could I resist. I was disappointed to find that all the coeds had already left for summer;)
Saturday. Arrive and get my dorm room. Really brings me back. Go into town, kind of slim pickings for restaurants. Try the “Penn Yann Restaurant” I think. Good pre-race meal, 16 oz prime rib, fries and two beers. I know, I should have had three, but they selection was really boring (Bass, Guinness or Coors Light on tap). In bed by 10 pm.
Sunday. Wake up at 3:45 to visit the rest room. Never really get back to sleep. Get out of bed about 5:50. Yogurt, peach, banana, piece of multigrain bread. Walk 300 yards from my dorm room to transition.
My HR watch battery died on Friday, so I am going to be going all on RPE.
Swim. 7:30 am start and I am in the first wave. Nice water. A little chop. Feel like I have a good rhythm and have feet for about 1/2 to 2/3s of the way. 28:18 ouch. Maybe it was long?
Bike. Riding my 2001 Cervelo P2K. Old school bitches. Try to keep things in check, because I have no HR. start passing some people and feel good (maybe I am going too easy). At the first out and back section I see I am in about 12th place on the road, about 4-5 minutes off the leader. It’s a little bit windy. I know there is a big climb (about 2 miles) coming up, time to go. Pass about 6 more people on the climb and see I am in 6th place on the next out and back. Starts to rain lightly. It is pretty strung out and I am still about 5 minutes back of the leader, but making up some ground on the other guys I think. Last 5 miles is mostly downhill, jamming away 53x12, prolly not making up any time. Drank one bottle of cytomax on the bike. Not real hot, so not thirsty and I have Prime Rib in the tank, so I am good. 1:06:50. Meh.
Run. Feel okay coming into transition, but the bike time was slower than I wanted, so maybe I paced okay. Head out on the run. Have not done any bricks this year (except AZ race) and this feels easy compared to running at AZ. Pass one guy about 1/2 a mile in, but cannot even see the next runner and it is a long straight road. Running okay, based on the markers I am running a little over 6:00 pace. Heading into the out and back I see the leader, looking fast, he is at least 5 minutes ahead. The course is pretty flat. Still a little rain. All the other runners look solid and it is pretty evident I am going to cross the line in 5th. I hope the top 3 are all 35-39 (and beat everyone in the other waves) and maybe I can scam an AG award. Power through and feel relatively decent. 37:53. Not bad based on my last 10K (mid-April going 36:14)
Finish up in 2:15:32. Jog a mile. Don’t really feel that spent, but I have no idea. Aside from the swim, the other splits were not that bad. Back to the dorm for a quick shower. Nice. Then to the cafeteria for a hot lunch. Food is pretty decent.
Apres. Longest awards ceremony ever. First the duathlon. I think everyone got an award, lots of AG only had 1 or 2 people in them. Then the sprint. I still haven’t seen any results, I am going to feel like a chump if I don’t get an award. They are giving out bottles of wine and almond butter for every AG award, not too shabby. Finally top 3 OA and I recognize at least 2 (one guy didn’t show) from my wave, so maybe I am getting something. I back into 1st 35-39. I was 7th OA, and the top 3 OA were all 35-39, so my 4th place AG now is 1st place. I love how this works.
Assessment. As usual, the swim killed me. 2nd OA (Musselman RD) put 8 minutes into me on the swim and only ended up about 3 minutes ahead. I think I will focus on duathlons and bike racing;)
