JKP - Just Keep Paddlin': Glen Doherty Cup & Freedom Run (6/5/16)

Start of Kayak Race
All photos from Cambridge 5k and Alan Scherer

 

Part 1

Discipline: Kayak 

Distance: 0.75 miles

Goal Time: 8:00

Actual Time: 8:02

Last year, I got boxed in at the start.  This year I was determined for that not to happen.  So I made sure I was on the front line at the horn.   Basically, there are two strategies I can think of for a 0.75 kayak race.

1) Mark Cavendish Strategy - Attempt to keep with leaders and sprint to the finish.
2) Fabian Cancellara Strategy - Get out front, put your head down and treat it like a time trial: Just Keep Paddlin' - JKP.

Last year, within a few hundred yards I was in third and stuck behind a tactical battle between first and second.  This year, I didn't want that to happen.

At the horn I put in 15-20 sprint strokes and got myself into the lead.  I made the turn off the Broad Canal and onto the River with at least a couple yards of lead.  At this point, I made up my mind.  I was going with JKP.

Joe and Andy were acting as my spotters.  10 meters behind... Great, I can't let him close - JKP

By about 4 minutes in, my pecs and trapezii were on fire.  I glanced at my watch and thought two things.  First, it's like running the mile and I made it to lap 3.  Second, JKP!

At the turn off the river and into the Cambridgeside Canal, I got: "You're opening the lead." But I wasn't sure if Andy had said opening or closing.  So I went with JKP.

I went under the Cambridge Parkway Bridge and ready to gun the sprint. It's much further to the finish line on the river than it is on the bank...  Oh well, JKP.

I pulled my way through my burning trapezii, built into 5-10 intermediate paddles and into 10 or so sprints to win the kayak race by 14 seconds! 

Finish and roaring to victory!

Dana - third master in run

Part Two
Discipline: Run
Distance: 5 kilometers
Goal Time: 18:30
Actual Time: 19:22

Yeah, this didn't go as well as the kayak race...

But, in the end, the guy who finihed seconds behind me in the kayak race beat me by 3 minutes in the run to take the Glen Doherty Cup.  

SRR - Team Champs!

DU IT!:Whaling City Duathlon (8/2/15)

Top of the Podium

Race: Whaling City Duathlon
Distances: 1.1 mile run / 12 mile bike / 3.1 mile run
Goal Time: 1:10:00
Actual Time: 1:01:47 (1st Overall)

I was running along the beach on the second run.  And up ahead I could make out a guy in blue and orange. "That can't be the leader of the duathlon," I thought.  But it must be.  Only two people have passed me on the run and they both clearly the leaders of the triathlon.  I also knew Billy was probably closing on me to be the third to pass - but once again he was in the tri.  "Hmmm... Maybe I can catch him before mile 2 and then hang with him and then blow past him with a half mile left." But for now he was just blue and orange in the distance.

Run 1 - 1.1 mile (6:34)

The first run was my biggest concern.  Like the Miami Half Iron in 2011, that first run is weird.  Sure, I could run a 5:35 mile and have a big lead, but then there's still the bike and the 5k left.  So, I decided not to be too warmed up and use it as another mile warm up.

When the race started, This turned out to not be a good plan. Quickly four guys jumped out to the front. I had wanted to take it easy, but I didn't want to lose too much time.

Additionally, I'm not an experienced enough multi-sport athlete to properly know pacing.  I figured, It's only an hour-long race; I'll stay in sight of leaders and hope I can pass everyone on the 5k at the end.

I passed one guy on the run to stay in sight of the top 2 and finished the first run in 4th overall.

Bike - 12 miles (33:30 - 21.5mph)

I was fourth out of transition.  I was ready to hop on my bike at the mount point but the second and third place guys were slowly mounting and blocking the way...  There was still an hour of racing ahead of us, so I just waited a second for them to clear the way.

Since we started at the same time as the tri, we were the first people on the road.  With the clear road in front I was able to keep on eye on 2nd and 3rd place.  (1st place was well ahead and had quickly disappeared.)  I knew most of the bike course since it's on the same stretch as miles 8-11 of the New Bedford Half Marathon.

It was two laps of a sort of figure 8.  The first lap I was just trying to catch a rhythm.  I kept looking down at the computer and trying to make sure I was in the 19-20 mph range.  Around mile one you turn off the coast road and go up a small hill to two sharp lefts and then down the hill to a sweeping right back onto the coastal road.  The first half was rougher pavement than the second half with lots of tar repairs on the asphalt.  I had been able to hold position in the first half, since I passed on guy in the duathlon and then was passed by another (the man in orange and blue above).

When we started the second loop, I noticed that I had closed a bit on third place.  Also we hit traffic for the first time.  There were lots of cyclists from the tri pouring out onto Rodney French Boulevard and I spent the next mile just on the left passing them all.

As we made the first left to the hill, I realized my cyclocross bike had better handling skills than his tri bike.  If I could get him on one of the turns and then sprint away until we took the left to go on the other side of the peninsula, I could move myself comfortably into third before the run started.  So I tried to pass at the first left and that wasn't happening.  But, at the second left, he slowed for the turn and I took it as Gabe always reminds me from NASCAR: "low-in; high-out."

With the slight lead, I started to accelerate out of the saddle on the bumpy boulevard.  It wasn't until the end of the 9th mile that I sat back into my seat.  (Mile 9 was 23.4 mph). By the last turnaround at mile 10.5, I figured I'd just keep the steady pace back into transition.  As I saw where fourth place was, I was calmed to know I could reach transition in third.

Run 2 - 3.1 Miles (20:38)

As soon as I left transition, second place was 50 yards in front of me.  I wanted to sprint out and catch him; but...

I played it smart and I closed the gap slowly over the first third of a mile.  After making some small talk, I went on ahead.  At this point there were only two people ahead of me, the triathlete who passed me on the bike and the leader of the duathlon.  (Pretty soon the guy would go onto win the tri came blowing by me like I was standing still.) 

I think it was Joe who said a sprint tri is like a 15k run.  Sure enough, now I felt like I was just finishing up a 10 mile race (and running about that speed, too.) With noone in my sight ahead of me, I had nothing to do but race in my head.  I just fought through that first bit of post bike stiffness. Now I was just in end of race pain.

At the turn-around, I saw that the leader had a bit of distance on me.  I din't think I could make it up. But, by mile 2, I was right behind him.  The plan to stay with him and then try to beat him at the end seemed risky once I got to him.  After all I was running 6:40 miles and he was running 7:15s.  I determined to just try to keep running that speed.

I spent the next mile keeping up the pace and looking back at every slight bend in the path.  Surely, someone is catching up, right?  It wasn't until there was about a quarter mile left and you run up and down a pier that I relaxed.  The first person on my way back down I saw was Billy in the tri.  I was actually going to win.

I ran in.  I hit the finish straight, stopping the clock just a minute over an hour!  Winner, winner!

Shoutouts
Urvi had a Sprint Triathlon PR
Bill Hafferty took 3rd overall in the triathlon
Susannah Ford was 2nd in her age group

Yak and Scurry: Glen Doherty Cup (6/7/15)

Photo Finish of the Kayak Race - I was third
photo from Cambridge 5k and Tamagini Visuals

Cambridge 5k who puts on Yulefest and Craicfest put on a 5k in June - Freedom Run.  Part of the Freedom Run is the Glen Doherty Cup, which is a .75 mile kayak race and then the regular 5k race - best total time wins.

Part 1 - Kayak 
Distance: .75 miles
Course: Kendall Square Kayak Rental to Cambridgeside Galeria
Goal Time: 8:30
Actual Time 8:16

I thought I was in trouble.  As the 25 people in the kayak race lined up at the start line I was stuck in the second row.  On the start, sure enough, the two women in front of me started paddling but weren't actually going.  And, four guys took off into the lead and had 50 yards on me by the time I got through the traffic.

As you leave the Broad Canal, the course turns left into the Charles River.  Here there are two ways to go: Right around the marina or left along the wall - inside the marina.  Until recently I didn't even know you could go that way.  It's much faster.

Since I was in 6th, I was watching those ahead of me play out.  Two guys went right and three went left.  I kept behind the three who went left.  Fortunately the wind and waves were low. (The disadvantage is that on a choppy day, the waves will double on you by rebounding off the wall.) I passed one of the three guys who went left and tried to catch up with the two leaders.

Ahead of me there was some full NASCAR going on as the two jockeyed for position and the leader cut the other off when we went under the little bridge that goes to the marina.  I had settled into a comfortable pace that was slightly behind them.  As we approached the last turn at the Science Museum down the Lechmere Canal, I determened my plan was to pull out a hard sprint in the last 200 yards.

Unfortunately the other two guys had the same plan.  There was no change in position or even distance between us.  I pulled in in third place, three seconds behind going into the run.

Part 2 - Run
Distance: 5 km
Course: Lechemere - Kendall Square - Inman Square - East Cambridge
Goal Time: 19:00
Actual Time: 18:31

The kayak race had started at 8:30 with 25 people,  and an hour later was the 5k with 1500 people.  But I was only worried about the 24 others from the kayak race.   On the gun I took off with the lead pack.  However, that meant I was taking off with Jake Barnett and the Antunes.  By the time we got in front of Helmand Restaurant, I made the smart move of slowing down.  When we took the right onto Binney, I noticed my watch hadn't started.

So, now I decided to go on place rather than pace.  Ahead of me were two masters runners - Jim Normile and a guy from Forest Hills (David).  I spent the first mile catching up with Jim.  I caught him on Hampshire Street.  He kept looking back while I tried to catch my breath and look to the next step in place.  As we approached Inman Square I left him looking toward David.

We made the big right in Inman from Hampshire to Cambridge Street.  By the time we got to the second mile mark, I made my way up to the guy between me and David.  Finally, by the school on Cambridge (where Andy and Joe were cheering) I made my way up to David and by him.

The last challenge is the hill up to the courthouse.  It's three blocks long.  I was going to use Ryan Hall's stratey on hills.  Take the first 2/3 reasonbly easy and then take the last third hard.  Well, that's two blocks easy - where David passed me.  Then when we hit Scirappa I went hard and passed David. Now, I just had to make the goal to not let him catch me.  I took a huge breath down the hill and turned on whatever juice I had left in me.

With the turn on First Street, there were three blocks left.  I looked back and saw David still behind me and 3 20-somethings charging at me. I let them do what they were going to do.  I was able to sprint the last block beating David.

Finished with a Personal Record - 18:31 as First Masters and combined 26:47 for First place in the Glen Doherty Cup.

Masters and Glen Doherty Cup Champ

Shoutouts -
Jake Barnett won
Bev was first woman
Jake, Bev and Chris Antunes were the first place team.

99 Problems but the Bike ain't one: Miami Man (11/13/11)

Race: Miami Man Half Iron Duathlon
Distance: 0.85 Mile/56 Mile Bike/13.1 Mile Run
Goal Time: 5:20:00
Actual Time: 4:57:45
Finish Place: 19th; 1st Clydesdales!

Perhaps one of the most disconcerting sights I have ever seen was 50 miles into a bike ride, my legs are rubbery, the headwind is physically and mentally kicking my ass, and I am riding on all heart! There, hanging out on and about a fence in front of an avocado field stood 5 turkey vultures. In my exhausted delirium I shook my fist and yelled toward the buzzards: "You're not getting me!" (Then, I almost punched the guy passing me in the face.)

*****

The Miami Man Half Iron Triathlon has two accompanying races, the International (within range of an Olympic) and the Half Iron Duathlon. As one who determined who absolutely hates swim training, the Duathlon was the logical choice.

*****

Leg One – 1 Mile Run (Actually 0.85 Miles)

Goal Time: ????

Actual Time: 5:53

On a little band of sun beaten asphalt that cut its way through the saw palmettos we stood next to a hand written sign that said: “Duathlon Start.” In the distance behind palms and palmettos we heard the waves of swimmers starting by the lake. The waves were starting at five minute intervals from 7:00 am on while the Duathlon was the last wave to start at 7:45.

We ran down the asphalt until it opened into a picnic area, where the running route led us down to an ancient coral bed trail that ran around the lake. As we jogged warming up our legs I watched those doing the tri force swimming their two loops around the lake.

We reached the end of the run and entered the transition area as some of the elite triathletes entered as well. Shockingly the duathletes were less tired after their mile than the swimmers after theirs.

Leg Two – 56 Mile Bike

Goal Time: 3:10:00

Actual Time: 2:56:11 (19.07 mph)

Like I said 99 Problems but the Bike Ain’t One! At the bike shop – Elite Cycles in Kendall – KC did not recall me requesting a bike. But, that was okay. I ended up getting a Specialized Allez Sport – the all-aluminum version of my very own Ajax Telemon. While its aluminum forks make the bike a little bumpier and apparently the shifters weren’t as good as the ones I carry. (I never noticed since it was flat and I was not trying to change speeds.) Overall it was a pretty sweet bike I was comfortable with and knew like I knew Ajax Telemon, so I will call it Ajax Oileon (currently my dad and two other of my readers are laughing).

In the transition area, I grabbed Ajax Oileon and ran out of transition and across the field to the park road. In a long reasonably slow line we rode down the park road and out of the Park onto 127^th Avenue through South Miami “Heights.” Soon we were out of the residential areas and out into the swampy or drained farm lands of avocado, coconut and palms.

I was still warming up my legs trying not to go too fast and find an even pace when we passed the International Tri’s with its 22 mile bike turnaround point. It was here that the roads got a little rougher. What did Tolstoy once say? “All good roads are alike; but, all bad roads are bad in its own way.” Admittedly none of the roads were frost heaven with temporary patches over last year’s temporary patch. But, many of these farmland roads offered their own challenges: just damp enough to be oily; grainy; slightly gravely; patchy tear halfway down the length of the right hand lane. The grainy roads kept making me think I had a flat.

Without a bike computer, I was nervous to going too fast, however I found one guy who was going a steady comfortable pace who I followed a bit. Once, we got to what I thought to be about 20 miles and was at around 1:15 on my watch, I picked it up. I got to the left so I wouldn’t be drafting off my previous pacer. As, I passed I noticed he had a bike computer: “Hey, what pace are you averaging?” He turned out to be Eastern European and said: “30 kilometers.” 18 and half – great.

The course was a 13 mile out, 2-15 mile loops and the 13 miles back. At the end of the first loop, I knew I was doing well and knew as long as I didn’t pop a tube, I was gonna kill it. At the start of the second loop, the prevailing winds KC at the bike shop had warned me of kicked in. I fought the cross winds and enjoyed the brief tail wind as we went South again. But as we turned back to the north – uh oh. It was just a fight for the last 20 or so miles, straight into a hot prevailing wind.

I kept churning out a steady pace all the way back until I reached the International Tri’s turn around point. I knew it was only 11 miles now. I put the bike and myself into a higher gear and probably did 21 or 22 mph into the headwind. While I spent most of the last 11 passing people, one guy did pass me while I was yelling at the turkey buzzards. We pulled back into the park on 184^th Street and my passing days were done. I had to spend the last ½ mile going the speed of the two guys in front of me as there was no room to pass on the park roads with people parked on either side.

I hopped off the bike and carried it to transition cyclocross style.

Leg Three – 13.1 Mile Run

Goal Time: 1:58:00

Actual Time: 1:53:01 (8:37/ mile)

Apparently last year the run was voted the best part of the course – with good reason. The run is a 6.6 mile loop around the park that goes around the lake again through a campground and through the zoo. The open zoo mind you – so there are people with children gawking at animals and sometimes cheering, but mostly gawking at random people wearing race numbers who are running through the zoo.

While each of my first couple of miles were under 8 minutes and my last few were over 9, I was able to maintain 8:15-8:45 miles over the flat course. Through the zoo I was occasionally slowed by either families in these odd pedal powered Model A looking contraptions, or by getting caught up looking around at Hey there’s a rhino. Add “lion”, “elephant” or “sandhill cranes” (especially fascinating birds).

After mile 7 is where I started to stray from the 8:30 miles. I took my last gel at the 9 mile tracking pad and knew NOW just hang on and we have 5 hours.

Mile 12 was still one of the most physically, mentally and emotionally challenging things I’ve ever done in my life. (If I hadn’t had a chance at break 5 hours, it may have been easier because I would have just dropped down to 11 minute miles and celebrated completion.) Every step was painful without obvious gain. But I remembered my Prefontaine: “Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” I never lost mentally or emotionally. At the marker in the campground that said 12 miles my virtual tears of pain became real tears of joy. Nothing could keep me from finishing and finishing under 5 hours now. By the end I was rejuvenated; the runner from Relay Team Grizzly gave me a last word of encouragement as I passed him near the 13 mark.

The last 0.1 miles, I barely remembered. I glided in just under five hours, more than two hours ahead of 2^nd through 7^th in my category. Enough to win me the Victory Gator!