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Monday 19th September - 2011.
5am Monday morning – the day after Syracuse 70.3 and I've been up since 4am packing....what a glamorous life this is!
I've managed to accumulate so much gear that I've had to organise a box to be sent to Hawaii and one to be sent back to NZ?! This way I can avoid the excess luggage charges – although the amount I'll get charged for postage will probably be nearly as much!
I'd planned to talk to Jon , my coach, this morning but unfortunately he is in Europe travelling with the America’s Cup Regatta and is not allowed to talk on the train that he's currently on, so best make use of the time and write my update.
Yesterday I came 3rd in the Sycrause 70.3 here in New York State. It was one of those races where the outcome was not important but the processes that I had to go through - were. So from that perspective it was a great day, but if I were caught up with outcomes I'd probably be less than happy.
I'm not one to make excuses – but there have been a lot of races this year that have been decided by factors out of my control and at times you really do question yourself. I found myself doing that yesterday but realistically I should be happy with my day out.
I prepare thoroughly, and I don't say that lightly. The amount of times I've sat at race press conferences or 'meet the pro' evenings and my peers have been asked questions about their nutritional strategies, or what equipment they'll use, or how they'll handle the cold – and they just seem to of not thought about it?! And yet I cross every T and dot every I, and I felt I'd done that this past weekend going into Syracuse.
I had come here early to be able to relax, drive and train on the course and be aware of it for the visualisation I like to do in the days leading into the race. I made detailed race notes on the course so when my coach reads them he knows what the course is like himself and I get the most out of that relationship in terms of what advice he can add to the equation. I even go as far as to make notes on timings and things I want to focus on at various times leading into the event to keep me mentally in control.
With this being my final tune up race before Kona it was important, and I approached it that way. I've had the best block of training I've ever had, every session over the past 5 weeks has felt like 10 out of 10 - and all three disciplines are going really well.
So to the race, I had three 'process' goals as I like to call them, if you can focus on the process rather than the outcome, well...the outcome SHOULD take care of itself.
Process Goal 1: Attack the first 300m, find Caroline Steffen's feet, lock on and stay there....
I had a great start. Shit the water was cold but I'd used all the little tricks I know to minimize this and I got out clear and was in the lead group at 300m – check!
There was a group of four of us. So all I kept thinking was stick on those feet. I've been doing so much swimming since arriving in Kona, doing heaps of open water with Amanda Stevens and Bree Wee amongst others. Amanda is a good swimmer and my form had come on to the point that I could swim on her feet comfortably – so being on Caroline's feet at 300m was good but expected.
Mistake number 1 - Unfortunately I was so engrossed on those feet that when we turned for the final turn the leader of the group of 4 I was in couldn't see due to sun just coming up and the subsequent glare.
She turned too early, we all followed and were not pulled back by the Kayayers for about 150m. We were then instructed to swim back to the corner buoy where we'd gone off course. So eventually when we got out the water - instead of having a gap of around 1 minute we were in the middle of the pack. Poor Rebeccah Wassner who had been leading us when we went off course lost a lot more time before the kayakers turned her back!
Pretty frustrated I asked myself the question 'what can I do now'. This is something I tell the athletes I coach all the time. And in fact just last week David Brown had crashed at 65 km/h in Ironman Wales, laying in the ditch he asked himself 'what would Sam say?' - Of course the answer was 'What can you do now David” so he dusted himself off, got back on his bike, and then completed the marathon in a tad over 4 hours with a broken shoulder blade.
So I knew what I had to do – get on that bike and ride like hell.
Process goal 2: Ride at my set wattage staying low and in my aero position, and working the gears not letting them work me.
It's been very cold here in Syracuse and continued to be the morning of the race. 45 degrees was the mark that morning and the water was a baltic 60 degrees. So my silver blanket was placed down the front of the tri suit – it worked a treat.
On the Friday prior to Syracuse I had told the Central New York Tri Club about this little gem and a few of them said they were going to experiment with it on Sunday to keep warm. I had gone to speak at their Friday Night Pre race dinner. It was great fun and I made some awesome new friends. They'd offered to pay me for my time the week before arriving but I asked if they could donate the money to a local charity instead. The Syracuse chapter of The Mended Little Heart Group has just been set up and they need every little bit of help to make life just a little easier for families of children who have congenital heart defects.
Once onto the bike I was with the girls I needed to be with and normally the wattage I aim for would keep me there the duration of the 90km's. But on this occasion I stayed with them for hmmmm all of 2 minutes?! It felt like I had nothing on the bike - I just couldn't work it out.
Everyone went by me – I mean EVERYONE!
Some days in the pool you feel like you're swimming in treacle – well that's how I felt on the bike.
In the end I came into T2 over ten minutes down on the front of the race but the weird thing was I'd ridden at 10 watts above where I normally ride in a half – I just couldn't figure it out.
What can I do now.......
Process Goal 3: Go out of T2 hard, focus on fast feet but keeping myself upright and in an economical position for the duration of the run.
At last hallelujah – something was going right for me...
I ran from 7th place into 3rd on the run, everything felt great, and to be honest it's the first time I've 'felt' like a runner for quite a long time. Caroline remarked at the finish that I was storming on the run and that felt good to get some positive feedback from my peers.
But I was disappointed with the race as things just didn't go my way and I couldn't figure out where my cycling legs had gone.
Upon returning to transition to grab my bike and head back to my accommodation to get a shower I think things may have become a little more 'clear'.
Both tyres were flat, the front pretty chewed up as if I'd been riding it like that for sometime.
The annoying thing is, like I say, I do EVERYTHING right – I'm near on meticulous with my preperations, and I'd even taken the bike to a mechanic the morning of the race to pump the tires up, 115 in the rear, 110 in the front. I tried pumping them up when I got back to my homestay to check if they were actually punctured but neither valve would accept any air – so I'm even more confused now. But Stephen has sent me a picture that he's found of me exiting T1 and it's fairly obvious that at least one of my tyr es was flat.
I'm such a dummy and so annoyed with myself! Certainly not the professional athlete that I sometimes claim to be! :)
After the race we went for my traditional junk food binge. It was off to Zebes to have a burger, fries and strawberry milk shake with my homestay.
I know I 'go on' about just how cool homestays are – but yet again I was blessed with AMAZING hosts for this race. Caroline, Andrew and Zac Sussman. They have spoiled me rotten and looked after me so well it has been great – I actually dont want to leave this morning!
Caroline is a food consultant, so she advises people on how to eat healthily or if people have particular dietary requirements or allergies she's able to offer advice on best food practices. I've quizzed Caroline a lot whilst I've been here and she's had me on gluten free recipes which I really believe has worth for me personally and I intend to follow up on.
Caroline and I got on really well - We only met a few days ago but it feels like we have known each other for years. Caroline and I both share one passion other than baking, we LOVE watching 'Chick Flicks'. I've seen some real classics whilst here as they have an Apple TV!
So anyway, I now leave Sycrause - for Kona. I have mixed thoughts because half of me knowsI still have not shown by best this year yet. So I guess the other half of me is hanging out for luck to change and me to actually 'get out' what I know I have 'inside' and on a damn race day?! But as we all know that's racing and that's why it's so exciting.
And despite everything, I'm still loving it and I finished on the podium yet again, so it's not all doom and gloom....I just always...well...want more?!
Oh - and one last bonus before I sign off - this morning I’ve received an email informing me that because I’m now over 40 - and in fact a ‘master’ I’m able to go to the masters women’s breakfast 2 days before Ironman in Kona and I get to listen to a couple of pros talk about racing - awesome
See you in 2 weeks girls!
:)
Sam.
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f existence. Happy!
