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Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Vineman

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“You’re racing ghosts.”

Slusser Rd., lined by scorched grass and awash in the California sun, was relatively sparse with competitors this early in the race, so the purplepatch support crew at 10 mile popped in my tunnel vision. The encouragement the coaches and athletes produced was tangible, but perhaps none more than that phrase I heard Matt Dixon yell, “You’re racing ghosts.”

It perfectly captured the reality of the day: Team Every Man Jack had 15-20 athletes starting in waves from 7:10 through 8:30 a.m. Which meant that roughly 20 guys were capable of winning an Amateur title at Vineman 70.3 and I had no idea where any of them were. But Matt’s words meant he knew that I was in the hunt for that Amateur title, and for the last 3.1 miles, I ran like hell to secure a PR on this course, Amateur runner-up and Age Group win.

IRONMAN 70.3 VINEMAN

Wine country is home to arguably one of the most competitive 70.3s on the circuit, Vineman. Athletes begin by turning the serene Russian River into their own brand of washing machine for a 1.2mi swim, before heading out on a diverse 56mi bike ride through redwoods, vineyards, flats and climbs, all topped off with a 13.1mi run through the vineyards in the exposed sun. The caliber of athletes in both the amateur and the professional field is world class so race day is the truest test of  ability. I was gunning for this race.

SCIENTIFIC RACE CHART, VINEMAN EDITION

Vineman 70.3 Race Chart

I have to say, I made some really solid additions to my pre-race play list. If you can’t get amped hearing Thunderstruck at the start line of a race, check your pulse. Said playlist got me fired up and focused as I warmed up and those tunes played through my head during the race. So on the scale of Kenny G. to breaking the ROCK meter, I heated up as the race went on, like Freebird, but far less obnoxious and definitely less…Confederate.

THE SWIM 1.2mi

Full Swim Photo Album | Song: Thunderstruck by AC/DC

Vineman swim

Image credit: Ironman

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Roka errthang: Cap, R1 goggles, Maverick Pro wetsuit

Race morning saw zero clouds, which meant a sighting would be challenging with the sun right in our eyes on the way out. I discussed sighting strategy with teammate C.J. Olson before the gun went off. When it did, I saw C.J. take off more quickly than I could cover, so I settled into a group hoping that together we could sight on the buoy line. At the turn around, the depth of the water is less than 3 feet deep and I bottomed out. I stood up and dolphin dove until I got to a depth I could continue to swim. Looking back, I probably should have clawed the ground and kept “swimming” (crawling). My return line was a bit wider as I shot straight for the swim exit. As I’ve learned more about the river currents (they’re strongest in the middle), I probably lost some time. I got out of the water in 31:18. Slow, especially for Vineman, but I was feeling fresh and ready to ride my bike hard. And if I learned anything at Raleigh, it’s that I can overcome a poor swim.

THE BIKE 56mi

Strava | Full Bike Photo Album | Song: Robot Rock by Daft Punk (#helmetgoals)

The bike was the tail of two halves. Or should I say, four quarters. The first half of the bike stared down the barrel of a strong headwind and was quite challenging. Much of the second half benefited from these conditions with a fast and fun tailwind, allowing me to really get into a groove. But this year, inspired by how college basketball teams, specifically the Xavier Musketeers, handle games by breaking them up into “4 minute wars” (TV timeouts are called at the 16,12,8,4min marks in a half), I’ve been breaking my bike into four 14mi wars. I have a time goal for each quarter of the course and I work like mad to hit it, then focus on the next one. Here you can see how the wind really affected the first and second half of this course respectively:

Bike 14mi wars.emf

Note: On pace in final “war,” but was slowed up in no-pass zone in final mile

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Felt IA, ENVE wheels and Rudy helmet cruising through the Vineyards

I made sure to fuel and hydrate with GU hyrdation mix and gels to set up a good run, so when I hit the racks and barely any other bikes were there, I knew there was nothing left to do but strap on my Saucony Fastwitch 6 shoes and go. Fast. Because my teammate Jackson Dovey was out there doin’ work and it would take a solid effort to compete.

THE RUN 13.1mi

Strava | Full Run Photo Album | Song: Backseat Freestyle by Kendrick Lamar

Jackson started 6 minutes ahead of me as our Age Group was split in two due to size. I knew that there was no chance I would physically catch him unless he crashed and burned, so I’d keep my eyes open for any cue as to how far behind in “race time” I was. Regardless, I had to run fast.

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La Crema vineyards

Just like 2014 I headed out in 5:30s. While it felt comfortable, and was assisted by the cheers by Dani and the V squad, I reeled it back to be conservative, settling into 5:45s and then 6:00s at the first grade uptick. Vineman is sneaky hard because the entire course is rolling. So while there is no “marquee” climb, it’s punchy. To my satisfaction, my body felt at home as I powered the ups and let it fly on the downs, with very little variations in pace. Whenever I crept up to 6:10, I forced it back down by tightening up form and focusing on turnover.

At mile 7 the course goes up into the vineyards of La Crema winery for a one mile loop in what feels exactly like a cross country course. I smiled, enjoyed being in my element, and embraced the pace needed in the second half of the run. As I passed an athlete, he told me Jackson was a quarter mile ahead of me. While grateful, I knew that time and distance gaps given on the course are usually a bit off, so I took this as Jackson was up to a mile ahead of me.

Once I left the vineyard I saw Jackson returning from the out and back and estimated he was a mile ahead of me. Quick math: 1mi=6minutes – or the exact amount of time Jackson started ahead of me. Meaning that, as of mile 8, we were effectively running shoulder to shoulder…while being a mile apart, if that makes sense.

FLASHBACK: 2015 Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii, I watched Jackson Dovey cruise through the field and finish 9th in his age group IN THE WORLD. He’s an incredible athlete and I knew that if I didn’t run even harder for the last 4.5mi of this race, I would have a hard time catching him.

Jackson @ Kona

Kona: Jackson was 9th in the world in his division

25_m-100727249-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1357_034850-2340264But that’s the beautiful thing about this team. I watched almost all of our guys do this in Kona last year, so they were all coming, it was just a matter of when. Thus execution was critical for a strong overall finish. In order to do this, your aid station game has to be as strong as your pace, so I guzzled Coke or Red Bull at each, drenching my Louis Garneau Coldblack kit and Boco visor with ice water to stay cool.

And that brings us back to mile 10. With 3.1mi to go, I get a boost from the purplepatch team and dial the pace a notch further for my fastest mile of the day. For some reason I remember the final two miles being entirely downhill. Turns out this isn’t the case. The Cleveland Cavaliers were a source of inspiration – in order to be champions, they had to fight. Effort was maximum output at all times. Nothing is given, everything is earned, and imagery of them diving for loose balls and playing to fatigue in Game 7 looped in my mind, powering me over the hills. My fastest GAP mile (grade adjusted pace) was the final mile, 12-13 as I kicked to the finish.

Down the chute, I heard my family yelling for me to go and figured it must have been really close. As I crossed I looked at Jackson with a “What-the-hell-just-happened-that-was-so-freaking-hard-omg-nuts” look and gave him a big hug. I didn’t know if I’d beat him or not, but in that moment I was just really thankful. Thankful for the opportunity to race with him and push each other to our limits; thankful for this team and all that we put in, to get this out of each other on race day.

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Thankful for the opportunity to race against this guy and the rest of our squad

RESULT AND TAKEAWAYS

It turns out the effort was about :30 faster than Jackson. In a ~4hr race, that’s incredibly close. A PR for me on this course, 4:12:35, meant an Age Group win, 2nd Amatuer (teammate Jake McDonald taking the title by 2min – stud!) and 18th overall, including many of the worlds best professionals. I’m beyond encouraged by this finish and thrilled that the work to date materialized.

ResultsVineman finish stats

But like most athletes, I dug into takeaways for improvement. While I’ve really developed my bike to be competitive while maintaining a solid run, the swim is miles away from finishers 1-17 ahead of me. The great swim project will continue and teammates have been generous with their tips, especially Savage. On the bike, I think the gains will come from two areas: staying the course on the purplepatch training plan and aerodynamics. Teammate Jesse Moore has provided great insight on the latter as it pertains to position.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’M COMING HOME! My next race is Ironman 70.3 Ohio, which takes place in Deleware just a short drive from where I grew up. Hometown crowd, home cooked meal, sleeping in “my room” – can’t wait. See ya on August 21st, Ohio!

After that the plan is to finish the season at Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz on Sep. 11 on the classic Big Kahuna course.

THANK YOU

A big thanks again to Dani and my folks for a great weekend at Russian River and for all the support. To the D’Onofrio clan for having us over on Friday night for dinner – Kathy, you’re culinary skills are off the chart! Always good to spend time with the fam. Team EMJ, I’ve said enough – good work fellas. Purplepatch for having me ready to execute. All of our sponsors for provided the best gear – I legitimately race faster with this stuff, thank you!

See ya in O-H…!

Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Raleigh

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10_m-100722382-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-1293_002908-1533578As I plodded along in the Raleigh sun, my stride shortened, shoulders hunched, pace crippled, I stopped running and ask myself, “What the %#@& is this?” The humidity had overcome me and to put it plainly, it really just sucked. I’d become weak and feeble in the fair Cali weather.

That was 2013, a training run during the wedding weekend of my friends Joey and Kerrie. Almost three years later, three things were the same and one was different:

BACK STORY

A month earlier I raced in St. George and registered my first “Did Not Finish” after freezing on my bike in sub 40 temps and rain. After some thought, conversation with coach Matt Dixon and some full-court press by Meredith Kessler, I decided to call up Joey and see if they still had room for me. Operation “Bounce Back, Thaw Out” was on.

I was ready to put the fitness that I’d built for St. George to the test, only to be totally laid up for a week and a half before the race with the gnarliest of mega colds.

Race Prep Training Log

My prep before race weekend included less than 2 hours of activity in over a week

It’d be a lie if I said I wasn’t less than optimistic. But thanks to the constant reassurance of key individuals (thank you), I kept my head straight and toed the line ready to give my best, whatever that was on that day.

THE RACE, IN ANOTHER SUPER SCIENTIFIC CHART

The chart in my last post got some positive feedback. Obviously people value the in-depth analytics that went into it and really, just appreciate science. So I’ve brought it back, but in light of my beloved Cavaliers fighting for their lives in the NBA Finals, I’ve adjusted the scale a bit:

Top: You’ll notice the top end of the scale is this amazing human being. Animal. That’s when I’m feelin’ great.

Bottom: At low end the scale, we have a Draymond Green kick, which if you ask Timmy, Adams, Kyrie, KD, Russ or Brewer, can’t feel good. Zero = a size 15 to the gut on this chart.Race ChartThere are 33 things I felt worth calling out in this race. You might disagree, so I’ve bolded the race-story critical ones.

race chart key

Post Script (33.1): It turned out the guy had started before me and wasn’t racing me for the same finishing time, but we really did push each other to the end.

As I gulped down my 4th bottle of water in as many minutes at the finish line, Joey and Kerrie came up to congratulate me. I was happy to have laid it all out there, but was a bit subdued and winged a bit about my slowest ever swim and run. It was then that Kerrie pulled out here phone, refreshed the results and told me that I won my age group by 2 seconds. 

I was genuinely shocked. Because of the wave start, there was no way for me to have known this. I seriously thought I tanked. It wasn’t the day I know I could have, but it was a hot, long day for everyone out there and I managed to pull together a division win with focus on the bike and by sheer will on the run.

ALWAYS A LESSON TO BE LEARNED (OR REINFORCED)

Had the last 800m not been a track meet, I likely would not have gotten the division W. I learned something that day. I guess I should say, I re-learned a lesson that each race I’ve ever done has taught me. I always have more. WE always have more. That 2 seconds was the difference between me pulling up and coasting to the finish line instead of out-sprinting. The difference of being focused in transition 1 vs. being rattled about my swim. The difference of focusing on gearing and hiding from the wind on every one of the 56mi cycled between the lake and the city. The difference between listening to the reasonable Mike on my shoulder at 7min/miles and swatting away Devil Mike.

Whether in a race or in life, when you think you can’t go any further or any faster, turn off your mind and do it. You’ll surprise yourself when you in fact do it. And pain only hurts.

And now, I return to earth with one of my patented “Worst Race Photo-Taker of All Time” gems to kick off some race pics:

The final sprint, as ugly as it looks.

The final sprint, as ugly as it looks.

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The Roka Viper swimskin gave me a fighting chance in the non-wet suit swim. The Roka R1 Light Amber tint goggles were perfect for a cloudy morning.

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Aisu in all it’s glory. Felt IA, Enve 8.9+Wheelbuilder Disc Cover, Louis Garneau one-piece kit, Rudy Project Wing 57 helmet+visor, GU in the bottles.

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A happier time on the run. Floating in my Saucony Type A5s. QUICK. Boco visor kept Carolina sun at bay.

 

Massive thank you to team EMJ, sponsors, purplepatch coaching, the Albrights and all my friends and family for your support! Definitely a team effort to bounce back from St. George.

See you all at Vineman! -MV

 

Race Report: ITU Standard World Championship (Chicago, IL)

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Playing Captain America for a day in the Windy City

Playing Captain America for a day in the Windy City (Felt IA, Enve 8.9s, Rudy Project Wing 57, Louis Garneau shoes, GU Brew onboard)

Background

“Wait didn’t you race in the World Championship a few weeks ago? And wasn’t it in Austria?”

The majority people don’t spend most of their weekends in spandex talking about aerodynamics, so I got this question a lot before leaving for Chicago. The answer: Yes. But I also raced in the ITU Standard Triathlon World Championship this past weekend in Chicago. So read along to see how it went and check out the pictures at the end.

For starters, here is how the two Championship races are different:

The pain face is the same regardless of the race

The pain face is the same regardless of the race

The ITU Grand Final weekend has an “Olympic” feel to it. In part because there are, in fact, athletes vying for Olympic spots. But the whole city is abuzz with folks from different places and team sweats qualify as legitimate evening wear. Additionally, the type of racing is very different from Ironman racing. If Ironman and 70.3 racing is about grinding it out, Olympic style racing is redlining for two hours thinking about nothing except the word, “GO!”

The Setup

Like Austria, the race started at a civil 10:45 a.m. I could get used to this! I traveled with my close bud Vince D’Onofrio and come race morning, we were amped and ready for one of our epic throwdowns in what has been a back-and-forth history racing against one another. My parents were in town for the race as well, which makes consecutive ITU Worlds cheering on the Stars and Stripes! Sadly, I picked up the cold that was going around SF a few days before the race, so I pumped myself full of caffeine, Ibuprofen and electrolytes and reminded myself that I only had to feel like sh!t for 2 hours.

Lots of loops, lots of speed on this fast, flat course

Lots of loops, lots of speed on this fast, flat course

The Swim – 0.9mi (00:24:37)

This swim went almost exactly the way that each fast and furious Olympic distance swim has gone for me:

  • In the cold waters looking at the Chicago skyline, pumping myself up before the gun
  • Gun goes off, and I commit to swimming hard to stay with the pack
  • Settle into rhythm, find myself falling off main group into second group
  • Half way through, second group looking thinner…
  • Begin hating my lack of swim skills and asking myself why I do Olympic races
  • Have a HTFU moment, fight the chop of Lake Michigan alone and bring it in for a strong bike and run

One day I’ll write a different race report, but with the setbacks I’ve had this year, I don’t believe that will be in 2015. I didn’t give it a second thought and focused on sprinting the quarter-mile to my bike.

The Bike – 24.9mi (00:55:17)

 The crowds were great and as I got on my bike I immediately went to business in the midst of USA chants. Per usual, the legs were a little heavy to start, but I pushed as damn hard as I could until they woke up. The course was crazy as two-thirds of it was in a tunnel. So while that was very fast (sadly not fast enough as discs were not allowed allowed at the last-minute, preventing me from putting my aero jacket back on), it was actually a bit sketchy because bumps and holes in the road were tough to see in the dark on the windy road.

Vince had swum almost two minutes into me, and I used him as my benchmark on the out and back. On the second loop, I had put no time into him – crap, he was riding hard! I kicked it into my highest gear and passed EMJ teammate Kyle Fox as he yelled at me to go get ’em. I knew Kyle was a strong rider, and that this meant he was coming with me. I went through the many turns like a crit racer and brought it home.

The run – 6.7mi (00:36:21 – 10K route was 1/2mi long)

Not having caught Vince on the bike, I knew I was in trouble and had to run hard. Though I thought I was transitioning well, Kyle ran by me and put about ten seconds into me as we headed out. Like the other two legs of this race, the only thought in your head is “go as hard as you can.”

Unfortunately for me, my hardest on Saturday was good, but not great, compared to runs I’ve done in the past. I knew this meant keeping a steady, controlled burn instead of going through matches with gutsy moves. In addition to going back and forth with Kyle, I saw teammate Sean Cooley and his girlfriend Hanna cheering at the perfect spot to keep me pumped up.

I looked down at my watch and saw 6.2mi (10K), but knew we had a good deal of running left. This course was officially marked long! But I used it to my advantage and turned up the heat passing a bunch of folks on the way in.

As I circled around Buckingham Fountain (which was pretty rad, by the way), I was going deep for sure, as my “pain face” finisher photos confirm. I was up on the toes, going down the blue carpet, knowing my parents were in the stands and that I’d done the best I could. All you can ever ask for!

Result – 2:01:56; Division 20th OA, 8th American

Closing Thoughts

At the end of the day, this is a really fun way to race on one of triathlon’s biggest stages while representing your country. I’m honored to have been there again and so fortunate to have had my folks and buddies there to share this (and the deep dish pizza) with. For the record, Vince took this round by 48sec – the saga continues!

Thanks

Thanks as always to my friends and family for supporting – to those of you who send kind notes, to the ones who help me pack my bike up before I leave, I’m so very grateful! To the Team USA staff who did an awesome job organizing the team, information and accommodations like mechanics, masseuses, chiropractors, etc. Thanks to the Team Every Man Jack guys at the race and sending support over the interwebs, and all of the sponsors that legitimately make me go faster – special shout out to ROKA Sports who hooked me up with an insane Maverick Pro wetsuit as mine was full of holes!

Next Up

– Oct 4: Ironman 70.3 Silverman – Las Vegas/Henderson

Final race of the year in less than two weeks and I can’t wait to get back to Henderson and throw down!

Pictures

T-minus 15 minutes, time to suit up!

T-minus 15 minutes, time to suit up!

Imagine how slow it would have been without the Roka...

Imagine how slow it would have been without the Roka…

Oh hey, Sears Tower

Oh hey, Sears Tower

If skinny dudes in onesies were allowed on Baywatch...

If skinny dudes in onesies were allowed on Baywatch…

Scrambling for spots...!

Scrambling for spots…!

On the toes, pain face intact...the blue carpet is always a welcome sight

On the toes in my trusty Saucony Type A5s, pain face intact…the blue carpet is always a welcome sight

Not a bad place to finish a race

Not a bad place to finish a race

The crew watching the pros go at it. Incredible race to watch!

The crew watching the pros go at it. Incredible race to watch!

If you didn't finish your day with Chicago deep dish, you were doing it wrong

If you didn’t finish your day with Chicago deep dish, you were doing it wrong