Training Log Archive: Rowl

Event: Anaconda Adventure Race
 

My aim for the run was to make the cut off time and not aggravate my knee too badly so that I could still manage the ride.

I self seeded myself near the back of the crowd at the start line and for once remembered to start my GPS at the start of a race. I followed Juffy for a while off the start figuring he would carve a nice path through the rest of the field for me but after a few minutes he face planted going down a big rock and then I lost him in the crowd.

I was making good time on the rocks keeping up with most people but every time I hit sand people would stream past. Liz and partner came past when I hit a sandy patch about 10mins in which surprised me as I expected they would be way out in front.

By the time I hit the gravel road I was well back in the pack and the muscles around my knee were complaining having not warmed up properly with all that rock hopping.

I walked the gravel uphill, jogged the downhill and then walk/ jogged the bitumen with the first team runners passing me here about 32min in.

By the second beach stretch my knee was warmed up and feeling better and I made myself jog the rocks and the hard pack sand and let myself walk on the soft sand. It was good to have the GPS to check my distance vs. time was on track and to motivate myself to get jogging again. I felt a blister form about mid way though this beach section with my orthotic rubbing the sand in my sock against my foot. I thought about emptying the sand out but with sand as far as the eye could see I really couldn’t see the point so I decided to tough it out.

It was a little frustrating here with me passing people on the rocks and them re-passing on the sand, again and again and again.

Jake came past me just before the end of the beach section looking surprised to see me and said I was ahead of schedule. I ran behind him on the rocks for a while and then lost him when we started up the slope to the road crossing.

I’m not sure if I enjoyed the next section, being firm trail there were not many excuses to walk and after I while I realised I had a chance of making the run in less than 2 hours and so I pushed myself pretty hard. It was a little depressing here as team runners were streaming past me with no rocks to stymie them and I had to keep looking over my shoulder to reassure myself I was not dead last.

I did better than I expected on the run coming into transition not completely shattered and in just under 2 hours I was pretty happy with my effort.

Improvements for next year:
• Be able to run
• Tape feet to avoid blisters
• Fit waist strap on camelback so it doesn’t bounce annoyingly

After a fairly slow but organised transition into my wetsuit, making sure I got a gu and lots of water down, I shuffled down into the water.

I knew cramps would be a big possibility with my legs wrecked from the run and so I started out nice and relaxed and got a slow steady stroke going to warm-up. I made the gates without any issues but then I think I must have stopped to de-fog my goggles. Swimming along I felt my toes cramp so I wriggled them a bit to try and release them only to have my foot cramp. I stopped to stretch my foot only to have all of the rest of the muscles in that leg cramp and then the other leg as well. Luckily there were lots of people around me and they were nice enough to stop and call the rescue boat over for me while I floated on my back feeling silly. The rescue guys said I could hang off the boat for a while but if I got in I would be out of the race. After hanging there for a while with my legs improving only a little I decided that I was going to finish this damn race and I took off telling them I would swim to shore if I had more problems.

The rest of the swim was torture with a delicate balance of kicking a bit but not too hard required to keep my legs from cramping and it happening anyway each time I sighted or had to de-fog my goggles. It was very slow going with lots of back stroke required to rest and un-cramp but finally I rounded the last turn buoy and staggered out on shore. Some poor guy was lying on the beach screaming with someone stretching his legs out for him so I suppose I got off fairly lightly. I tentatively jogged to transition willing my legs to co-operate and made it without any more issues.

Hugely frustrating swim for me with it taking almost 20min longer than last year mostly due to cramps. More importantly Wally did a better split than me and will now brag until I beat him next year.

Improvements for next year:
• Maybe a new wetsuit not so tight on the legs
• Start taking magnesium regularly again
• Find a way to stop my goggles fogging up

C • Cramps 4

After another fairly slow transition as I gently peeled my wetsuit off and commiserated with the girl next to me who had also cramped up in the swim, I threw my ski off the wall, chased it down before it floated off and got on my way.

I quickly established that effective leg drive wasn’t going to happen without further cramps and resigned myself to a slow slog of a paddle. Embarrassingly I only just made it through the break with no power to get me through the waves. I hope someone got a shot of me punching through the last head high one that almost wiped me out.

I ended up being really happy with my choice to paddle the Endorfinn. Just to have it to make it through the break was worth it as I don’t think I would have made it on the V10L the way my legs were today, and remounting was not going to be happening either.

This was a depressingly slow paddle for me with 3 spirit affinities keeping pace beside me and talking constantly about vegemite sandwiches while I was popping gus but still starving.

Eventually it ended and then I had to endure the exclamations of sympathy from the spectators as I, clearly wrecked, slowly pulled my ski up the ramp to the transition.

Improvements for next year:
• Don’t be cramping at the start
• More consistent paddle training with speed and strength work
• Be confident enough to paddle the V10L in all conditions

I wasn’t expecting huge things from the ride given it was the last big leg and I had discovered my bottom bracket had seized up when I packed my bike this morning…some very generously applied WD40 seemed to get it spinning okay but I wasn’t convinced I would make the distance with it co-operating.

Came into transition just as Janet was leaving, turns out she cramped on the swim too – bit of a trend going on here!

Changed into my bike shoes and then cheered as I gave my pedals a quick spin and found that the bottom bracket hadn’t seized up yet.

Got off to a slow start with the sandy corrugated gravel uphill seeming to stretch forever but at least I didn’t get off and walk like many others around me. I didn’t really enjoy the first downhill as it was very sandy and I didn’t have enough energy to get my weight back and control the bike properly. Robin came past full of energy and giggled at me struggling along in the sand with tired legs.

Got into a rhythm when I hit hard ground and then the bitumen passing quite a few people, and then came upon the long sandy climb. Wally had warned me not to bother to try and ride it so I hopped off and pushed from the start, and pushed, and pushed, and pushed. I looked back when I was near the top and spotted Cass so we pushed together for a while. When it levelled out a bit I got back on my bike, and then hopped off thinking that my bottom bracket had seized again. Cass had a laugh at me as my pedals were spinning freely and said that yes it was just hard going. Cass took off riding into the distance as I walked until I reached the top of the hill and I didn’t see her again.

Some more bitumen, some more sand and then a huge gravel downhill which I was a big chicken on not trusting that there wouldn’t be more sand around the corners. I really need to improve my down hilling speed and stop getting so freaked out at sand.

After that the ride was much faster and nicer, I came back to life on the flat and had a blast on the BMX track and single track passing quite a few people again.
Improvements for next year:
• Don’t have mechanical issues coming into the race
• Improve my bike control and skills so that I can ride downhills, gravel and sand faster
• Speed and strength training on the bike

Quickly pulled on my running shoes and finding no other excuses to stay in transition hobbled down to the beach for the last run.

Started out fairly slowly walk/jogging again, but then 2 teams dressed in pink and 1 in tutus passed me so I latched on and managed to re-pass the tutus at least. Sadly I didn’t have enough energy to reel the pink teams in and had to live with them beating me to the line.

Almost went the wrong way at the end (was the finish chute different last year?) but some spectators pointed me the right way and I sped up to run a respectable pace over the line.

Spent a bit of time contemplating curling up in the foetal position on the nice soft patch of grass next to the finish line, got my photo taken to prove I finished, drank about 20L of water, ate a burger and finally was ready to function again and talk to people (other than to ask if I could eat their strawberry ice cream or mars bar).

I was fairly happy with my race, it was my comeback to solo Anaconda and I achieved my aims of finishing and making the run cut-off which was the only one I was in danger of missing. I was a little disappointed at my overall time of 7hr 22min, and really unhappy about the cramps that affected my swim, paddle, and ride times. But I am still really proud that I finished and chuffed my knee was almost completely fine throughout and after the race. Next year hopefully the knee will permit me to do some proper training and I have ambitions of a sub 6hr time.

C • Woo! 1

C • Woo hoo! 2

C • Yee-haa! 1

C • Ride 'em cowboy! 1

Tried to take it easy and just roll in, remembered mostly and only got into a few races up the freeway.

Back home into a stonking head/side wind which was throwing my front wheel around disturbingly. Couldnt find anyone to draft so suffered home by myself.

Slow and steady - somewhat despressingly not going much faster than Wally.

Goggles didnt leak!!! but fogged up a little :(

First paddle in a month I think - and it definately felt like it.

The water felt like glue as I struggled through a 10min warmup, 5min effort and then 5 x 30 stroke efforts. After that I took it fairly easy and nursed my blisters back to the start. It looks like I will be wearing my gloves for Anaconda.

Boat decision for Anaconda I think is the Endorfinn as I dont think my core will be holding up that well after running for 14kms and I think having the more stable boat will make the whole race nicer for me. I suspect I will be kicking myself with the current wind forecast but I have to think of the whole race and what will see me finishing.

C • You can ride my wake if you want 12