Honu 70.3 Triathlon
Debbie Potts
Kona, Hawaii
June 4, 2011
This year was a little different as I had five clients racing their first Honu 70.3 triathlon
as well as first time in Kona, Hawaii. I wanted to make sure each client
had all the information, training, nutrition, knowledge and confidence to
complete their first Honu 70.3.
We all needed a vacation as well as a taper week. I love my time in Kona, Hawaii and
after competing in Ironman Hawaii a few times, the island means a lot more to
me each time we visit.
My race report: I had to take time out to focus on me and not worry about every
client or friend racing. I realized the taper really worked as my legs
felt amazing riding even the first day we arrived. Rest does amazing
things to our over trained bodies! Neal thought I was riding stronger
than I have in a while so I should be more confident race day. I was not
sure if I was going to race Honu 70.3 for me (compete in age group) or just
support my clients. This year my goal was to not race and to get
pregnant… well I am not pregnant yet so I decided to race!
Taper week: I have always loved taking the two days off and doing a brick
(swim/bike/run) workout the early mornings. Vacation started after our
morning workouts (always a treat in Hawaii). I stayed off my feet as much
as possible and did stretching as well as easy swimming in the ocean. A
massage with Pua on Saturday (week before race) and Tuesday body work with ART
gal.
Pre-race day:
I always prefer to get my morning pre-race quick swim, bike and run out of the way first
thing then relax. Pre-race day is so busy as we needed to drop our bikes
off and T2 bag then race meeting. I stayed inside most the day then early
dinner around 5pm. I was actually tired and ready for bed at 8
p.m.! My body seems to know when it is race day after all of these
years. I double checked all my gear and mentally rehearse race day before
I go to bed… less stress = better rest = great race. Positive attitude =
confidence = great race. Mark Kroese and I both decided our own goals
were to finish under 5 hours with goal swim 35 minutes, bike 2:30 and run 1:40.
Race morning:
No winds! So excited for a great race day and race conditions!! 4:30
a.m. early morning wake-up call as I like time eat my oatmeal (plus whey
protein, nuts and berries) and coffee (and water!). Leave to race at 5:20
am. – perfect time to get dropped off, set bike up (fill tires, bottles and
bento box) then go to body marking. I always walk around the transition
area to review my swim exit and bike start from my bike. It was fun to
see so many familiar faces from my Mark Allen team and our Fitness Forward team
as well as many Seattle participants. I was ready to race day and walked
to the swim area to relax, clear my head and review the swim course buoys.
I warmed up a few strokes in the water to make sure my goggles were
sealed correctly. Check.
Swim start:
My practice swims all week in Hapuna Bay felt great and comfortable so I was ready to
finish around :35 minutes since I am not a fast swimmer. I started beside
the buoy closest to the shoreline and happened to be right beside Mark
Kroese! I thought starting on the outside then angle in to the buoy’s
would be my best strategy but I had a few problems (remember for next
year!). I got kicked and hit a little bit after the start but I am used
to the start line activity from years of Ironman. Next year I would
remember to check which direction the currents were moving as I was being
pushed away towards Maui on the swim across the bay. I not only had a
hard time seeing the first two buoys but I really had a challenge staying
closer to the pack and buoys as we swam across the bay then I was not able to
see the last two buoys where we turned towards the finish line. I felt
strong swimming in the race but I kept finding myself swimming out to see even
though I was swimming straight…found out later about the currents.
I have learned from many races not to worry about my swim time… I am a stronger
cyclist and usually more motivated to pass as many people as possible after my
slow swim!
Transition 1:
As said above, I am always motivated to move quickly after my slower swim so I ran out
from the water through the showers (skipping the shower!) then up the hill .
Quickly tried to put shoes on… lesson to remember: leave shoes on handle
bars instead of my bag. I originally placed each shoe on my break lever
but then put them in my bag in case they got knocked over. I had a hard
time getting the shoes out of the bag and socks on since I was in a rush.
Bike:
I felt really strong on the bike and comfortable on the course since it is half of the
Ironman Hawaii course. Being confident in my bike strength/fitness, I was
on a mission to do a 2:30 bike split with the great conditions (no wind).
At the turnaround near Hawi, I picked up the pace all the way back to Mauna
Lani entrance. The “no passing zone” was not being enforced after I
slowed down and was stuck behind people that were not in a rush to get to
T2. I was getting frustrated (trying to make my 2:30 split) so people
behind me told me to pass the other riders as we only had 1.5 miles to
T2. I didn’t want to get a penalty but other riders behind me felt the
same way…just go! I know I am not a fast runner (compared to the top age
group girls) so I try to win off the bike leg in each race.
Fuel on the bike: 2 bottles of Infinit Mark Allen custom orange drink mix.
Pills two times on the hour. Power gel cola gel blocks- apx. 4-6.
One bottle of water (last aid station). I finished almost both
bottles. Aero bottle is key to this type of race course.
Transition 2:
SO easy… drop bike, grab bag, shoes on, visor, fuel bottle and go!
Run:
I felt great running off the bike and happy I ran with my bottle. I have learned I
can’t race with a fuel bottle (too small bottles to refill) so I run with a
wider mouth bottle…fill up with cup of ice and cup of orange PowerAde
drink. Perfect for me. I had one gel at mile 6 or 7 on the
course. I enjoy mentally running to each aid station and started throwing
a cup of cold water on my head (feels so good but not good for shoes).
Pacing… I tried to pace myself then pick up at mile 8. Neal was ALL OVER the course
cheering for our group and Mark Kroese was right in front of me (too far to
catch!). My BIG lesson learned is to not do all of my run workouts after
my bike rides. Due to my schedule, my run would be right after my bike
which is perfect for transition off the bike but not for any key speed workouts
on the run. I need to be rested for my quality key speed workouts.
The result on race day was no pick up! I have not been running fast all
year since my legs always feel tired for the run …is it age, over trained or
always running after my bike rides. This course is hard to run as you are
on the golf course grass, then trail and road. The road felt so much
better for me as my pace picked up even though I train on all terrains when
possible.
I had fun racing all day… always try to motivate and help other people on the run course as
they get tired. The support along the course was great so I thanked the
spectators who appeared all over the course almost as much as Neal! Very
fun race day but I wish I could have picked up pace on the run (need more SPEED
WORKOUTS and run with faster people during the week on training runs).
The last two miles always feel long but I tried to pick up my pace and keep looking behind
my shoulder! I had the top 10 bike finish for girls but quickly get
past on the smaller faster runners at the end of the race. I tried to
push the pace and not look at my run splits at all… heart rate during the race
then just go fast after mile 8 on the run. I finished faster than last
year …5:01:27 but of course always over analyze that my swim was slower by 2
minutes and my run was slower around 2 minutes which would have brought me to
under 4:59 finish time!
I didn’t reach my sub 5:00 hour time goal but I did reach my goal of winning a
“bowl”! I was fourth in my fast new age group (3rd OA girl was
1st in my age group!) and go to be on the podium in the awards
ceremony. The Hawaiian bowls with a plaque are the age group prizes…same
bowl as they use in the Hawaiian Ironman!
My biggest reward of the day was to watch my clients cross the finish line! Especially
Amy and Sarah who completed their FIRST triathlon that day! Very
impressive stories from each client of the obstacles they had to overcome the
last 16 weeks! Kids, full time jobs, travel schedule, illness, injuries
and even just finishing their first Ironman two weeks earlier. They all
finished with smiles on their faces! We even had our Fitness Forward
trainer Leah and her fiancé Max at the finish line to share the experience with
the team.
Major lessons for myself:
1. To swim on the other side of the buoys (closer to shore) so I don’t get pushed out to sea by the currents.
2. To have private swim lessons once a week or month to work on stroke that never seems to improve!
3. To run speed workouts when legs are fresh then do my bike ride. Two fast runs a week the month before race day is best for me.
I loved seeing all my clients and friends at the finish line after 16 weeks of
dedicated training! I hope we have a larger group next year as I now have
my pre-race checklists and emails saved from this year! So many
reminders, tips and tricks to share with new triathletes and people new to
Kona! Very rewarding experience for me but also stressful as I try to
make everyone relaxed and happy for race day!
Aloha…Be there in 2012! Honu 70.3 triathlon! Sign up soon! Kona is a
perfect race vacation experience for all!
