The road to UTMB - Chapter 3 - Eagleman 70.3

Eagleman 70.3 was my third go at the Half Ironman distance and a buildup race to Lake Placid Ironman. The idea of doing it came from David. David DNF the swim course of the Syracuse 70.3 and signed up for Eagleman afterwards. I borrowed David’s swimsuit for my second go at Lake Placid 70.3 where I finally got through the swim and finished the race getting my first half ironman finish. When returning was when I first learned of the race. I told Jessica who has been interested in doing a half ironman and then my triathlon friends. Slowly there ended up being a group of six of going, five of us from the Queens Distance Runners team!

Five of us, Cathy, David, Matt, Yin, and I, along with Cathy’s boyfriend David rented a cottage about 20ish minutes from the race. I picked David and Matt up and used the bike rack I got from a friend Omar. It was only my second time using the bike rack and I needed some help from David in setting it up. It actually is pretty simple but it’s a bit nerve racking watching your bike hit bumps on the rear view mirror. We stopped by a dinner on our drive down Only problem with random dinners is the difficulty in getting vegan food without asking for modifications but I think I was okay with the food. We only stayed for one night so leaving NYC Saturday morning, bib pickup and bike drop and then racing Sunday.

We found street parking close to the Great Salt marshes easy enough and simply cycled the two blocks or so into the race village. We got our bibs which took quite a while to pick up. My previous two pickups at Lake Placid have been quick and smooth. I learned that the swim course had been moved to another side due to the water being too choppy. As soon as I heard this, I started thinking that the swim may be cancelled. I hadn’t prepared at all for the half ironman and the swim has always scared me. Sure I was still running and I tried jamming in a few bikes rides the week before but it was the swim that I was most worried about. Cathy and the others caught up and we attended orientation together. We learned that the swim course was supposedly in shallow water which was a big relief. It also led to quite a few jokes about our swim strategy. Cathy and Yin decided to swim a bit. I wanted to swim, however I also wanted to just relax for the race. Can’t cramp anything in at this point so I chose not to swim. My car, David, Matt and I were starving so we ate a Mexican place. I wanted to get this potato dish but the cheese was already mixed in it so I got it with avocado and black beans instead. How I wish there were easier vegan options. Then some grocery shopping and onwards to the cottage. The other group had already got in and were now leaving to get groceries and eat dinner. I thought of joining them for ice cream afters, a place had sorbet options, but I wanted to focus on relaxing and not doing too much do declined.

Race day came and the first thing we were relieved to see was that the race was wetsuit legal. Two days before the water temperature was too high and yesterday the water temperature was just barely below. A little bit after, just as I was about to start putting my wetsuit on, it was announced that the swim was cancelled due to safety boats not being able to be on the course. I jumped up for joy! The swim was freaking me out that morning. Then came the long wait to start the bike course. The atmosphere of the race became more chill. I met another man from Queens, Christian who was a strong swimmer and obvious disappointed. I hung out here and there with my friends trying to kill the time. Eventually we were off and boy did the bike start off fast. I made it to 18-19 miles an hour which was fast for me but I thought I could hold it since it was a flat course. I was still easily getting passed. About 20 miles in I started feeling pain from the bike seat rubbing against my skin. I have always used bike shorts but I forgot them and was using a tri suit that was a bit too small for me. It probably didn’t provide enough padding, also my seat was a bit in an angle sit it dropped a year ago. I was using my road bike instead of my tri bike so I didn’t really spend time trying to fix it since I was doing tris and all. In short, just unprepared. Eventually the pain became so great that I had to start taking breaks after 25ish miles. I would have to stop pedaling and stand on the seat for a bit. Around mile 33ish I found a position where the pain was bearable. I still had a slow 8 miles. I slowed down a lot and the race was essentially over me. I finished the bike ride but already knowing I performed badly I did an easy 2 hour half marathon. I mostly passed older racers at this point. Not a great race on my part but it fired me up and got me to start considering serious training for the full Ironman at Lake Placid.

I was the second last of my friends to finish. I was able to eat a bit and drop some things and watch the last of us come in to the finish. We decided to do a celebratory some time later. Our car ate with Jessica and her boyfriend. I had some eggplant pasta dish, pretty sure it wasn’t vegan but I tend to be more vegetarian after races. The post food options for the half ironmans are always pretty disappointing (especially when you compare them to some of the trail races I have been to). David was really looking forward to getting a cinnabon on the drive back but they were all closed by the time we got north enough to the NJ rest areas.

If it was just the race itself, I would say it was a bad experience but having friends to drive around with and hang out before and after made the trip a good one. Grateful to have other crazies in my life!

NYC Half 2019

The NYC half is my first race in my short build up to Lake Sonoma 50 miler.  Instead of doing a warmup marathon or 50k, and then have to spend time recovering, I thought it be better to do shorter races where I could jump back to training quickly.  This race was meant to merely be a training run but the size and hype of the race made me want to do well in it.  I wanted to go for a 1:35 as my A goal and get a PR (personal record) as my B goal.  To get the B goal I would have to break 1:39:02 which I got in the SI half last fall.  I thought this would have been pretty easy considering that I ran 25 miles the day before Staten Island.  The two days before this race I emphasis sleep (at least 7 hours) and did a simple 4 mile shakeout the day before so a lot better rested.  My training as been mostly focused on building a base to handle longer mileage weeks so I was far from half marathon racing shape but I thought I could at least pull something off my aerobic fitness.

Pre-race

Shuttle!  I didn’t know most of the people in my van but I met Colleen in it.  Getting to bag check was pretty straight forward.  Found out in horror that you had to check the bag before porter potties.  This pretty much meant I had to shiver in the cold for an hour before the race.  I never done the throw away clothes thing since it seems like a huge waste but I might have to consider it for future events.  Shortly after I finished dropping my stuff and then headed to the porter potties I met Winston and Henry.  Winston gave me his heat sheet seeing me cold.  I felt bad taking his heat sheet but he insisted that I needed it more.  I followed them back to bag drop where I met Ninam Edwin and Diana.  I realized I left my gels in my drop bag.  With so many people I figure it would be impossible to get my drop bag back.  A bit of a letdown but I guess I could survive.  I should have just packed it in my pocket before heading out the door in the morning.  We then headed through security and then the porter potties.  On the way they were giving heat sheets and Diana mentioned putting one to cover the bottom half of the body which I tried and immediately felt some warmth on the legs.  I then took another heat sheet to cover the core area.  Line wasn’t too bad for the potties, I figure since bag check didn’t close yet and most people were hovering around it trying to stay warm with their jackets and such.  A little afterwards with bag check closed the lines went crazy.  Afterwards was just talking and slowly meeting other teammates.  When we separated I met David and we walked for a bit.  Then did a quick jog warmup together.  I went back in front of my corral and met Diana again.  We did a few stretches and moved into the corral.  Diana mentioned me pacing her but I was thinking she could pace me haha. 

Reunion Party!  Miles 1 - 4

I started with Diana.  I found the corral’s pace immediately slow but it was just the start so no use going crazy trying to get pass them.  First mile clocked in around a 7:50 pace.  I figure that was okay getting my cardio system warmed up and with the prospective park hill.  Second was about 7:25 which was closer to what I wanted.  I then put my arm sleeve over the watch and went by feel.  The course had one out and back in the beginning and I saw Danny, Anthony and Eric as they passed and cheered.  Then saw Akif!  A little pass 2 miles we met Colleen!  Saw Kevin cheering!  I saw Akif again a little pass the 5k mark and made my way to say hi.  Right after I met Chris’t from Hoboken and we both said that the other was looking good.  I lost where Diana was around this point but I figure she would pass me if I was going too slowly.  I soon hit the Manhattan Bridge.  It look pretty intimidating as I approached.  I switched to a shorter stride with more cadence.  Passed quite a bit on the bridge.  The bridge seemed to drag on for a bit.  I met Elver on the bridge whom I haven’t seen in quite a while.  We ran together for a bit but I soon lost him too.

Chinatown to Times Square, the painful FDR!  Miles 5 to 10

Down the bridge we hit Chinatown and the crowd there were pretty encouraging!  Going towards the FDR the road became pretty bumpy and I completely missed the honey stinger gel station.  If they were going to have gels, I wish they simply offered it in the beginning of the race.  Shortly after getting on the FDR drive I saw the sign for 3/4s of a mile to 20-23 street.  Great I thought, only a little bit till I past Baruch and then 42 street should be close after.  Those 3/4s of a mile felt like forever.  No crowds and really nothing to see, I much rather have been running on the East River Park with the nice views of the river.  I saw the 1:40 pace group whom started in the front of my corral whereas I started in the back. Catching them and passing would have been good sign and boost to confidence.  I felt like I could easily pass them and continue along my way.  I positioned myself to pass them and I gained ground slowly.  After a while they started slowly pulled away.  My mental state deteriorated and my mind started wondering.  Random thoughts popped up and in the loss of focus, I lost where the 1:40 pace group went.  As my mind approached wipeout I heard “go Vikram, go”.  Gurmit came by and said he recognized my singlet and face.  Then he told me only a little more as passed by.  This simple encouragement got my mind back in the game.  It was about mile 10.  I brought my mind back to the present by focusing on my breathing. 

To Central Park!  Miles 10 to 13.1

I used Gurmit and two dashing whippets’ runners as my pacers for the final stretch to Central Park.  Probably because they stood out quite a bit.  I just focused on breathing as I made my way across 42nd street to 8th ave.  Then we turned right and I could see Central park straight ahead!  I kept my focus on staring straight ahead to Central Park.  On my side view I briefly saw some of the kid’s race taking place.  I wonder what they thought of us runners.  I thought I could fool myself a bit and convince me that I’m pretty close to the end by looking at the park.  Turned right and on Central Park South and I was in a lot of pain.  Heard my name and this time it was Edwin’s mom and Bryan!  I weakly gave a peace sign which I then turned to a thumbs up.  Entering Central Park I was in immense pain and started going to tunnel vision.  Instead of feeling strong as I approached the final mile to the end, I felt like giving up the pace a bit.  I heard a porter potty door slam and out came Kevin with some immediate encouragement.  I focused on picking it up and still in tunnel vision I missed most of the QDR water station.  I saw Lillian cheer on the right side.  This part of the course is where I work by and by default is where I run the most.  I thought it would have been my strongest part but it was just a struggle.  I knew all hills and bumps along the way and exactly how much farther the finish line was but I wasn’t able to visualize the distance.  The feeling of pain just kept hitting my mind and trying to hang on was the only thought in my head.  800 meters away came and I couldn’t get a sprint going.  The last 200 meters I managed to let out a weak sprint. 

Post-Race

A few seconds later Diana caught up.  Medals with photos, heat shield and soon Elver caught up.  Sad to tell him I didn’t get the 1:35.  I knew I was close to PR but it was close to a few seconds.  Recovery bag was pretty disappointing but I don’t expect much from NYRR races in this regard so no surprises.  Bag check was amazing though, as I passed by I heard my number called to my surprise and got my bag in seconds.  Then there wasn’t any place to change, definitely missing the logistics of the Houston marathon here, so I quickly changed shirts and pulled sweats over my shorts.  It was a bit hard to balance myself in my state.  Found Edwin and his dad and then limped walk with them to the QDR cheer station by the last water station.  Cheered till the last QDR runner passed by, more than 90 minutes after I made it to the cheer station (so maybe like 115 minutes after I finished).  Back home I had a big lunch and then napped for an hour.  Then just hanged out till 7ish where I got in a 12 minute recovery run.  I went in pace where I could take deep breaths in and out of the nose.  The mile, though at a slow pace, went by quickly.