Rev3 Maine Olympic - 8/28/16

I'm a bit delayed on posting this race report, but I had my first wedding anniversary and a wonderful trip to Acadia National Park, so I had other priorities to tend to.

Anyway, Rev3 Maine was AWESOME!!!  Seriously the best race venue I have ever been to.  Dog-friendly hotels all up and down the beach, transition was just a few minutes walk from the hotel, and race start was literally right out the front door of our hotel on the beach.  The weather was perfect too, so that helps.

Timber welcoming people at Packet Pickup

Here's the recap:

Swim

This was my first time racing in the ocean so there were a few things I was concerned about.  Namely, the disgusting taste of saltwater.  I swallowed some in the practice swim and nearly threw up.  Then of course, I did the same thing in my warm-ups before the race start.  So, I just hoped I wasn't going to be gagging the whole time while racing.

The pro women started 5min ahead of Wave 1 and I watched them dolphin dive effortlessly over the waves and figured I could do the same...WRONG!  My wave was full of some fast swimming collegiate athletes so they shot off and were 25m ahead of me before I could even get into a rhythm.

Race morning on the beach

Timber spent the morning digging holes on the beach

I tried to stick on some feet but they seemed to be moving a little slow so I went at it alone and had a decent swim.  The buoy spacing was a little far apart so it was tough to tell that you were actually making progress on the buoy in front of you, but I got there soon enough.  I caught a decent wave and rode it in the last few meters to the beach, so that was fun.

The run up to T1 was almost 0.5mi, so I tried to make up some time on the faster swimmers but it was tough to get my legs moving after that swim.  I jogged in and exchanged some expletives and eye-rolls about the length of T1 with other athletes along the way.

Swim Stats:

Time: 20:17

Pace: 1:15/100yd

Overall Rank: 7/315

Bike

I knew the bike was flat and fast, but I didn't know just how flat it would be!  After spending 5 years riding in mountains and hills around Albany, I was flattened by disbelief...

Anyway, all puns aside, I was more fit than I was at Rev3 Pocono earlier in the month so I pushed more watts at a lower HR.  The biggest issue I have with racing short course, as I've found out in the past month, is maintaining the focus and pressure on the bike.  It's so easy to settle into HIM pace on the bike but with such a short race, the bike is critical.

I took one Powergel early in the bike followed by some Powerbar Perform and kept drinking every 10min along the way.  I was constantly trying to refocus on maintaining effort and power.  The bike was super easy to navigate and had some fun turns along the way that you can maintain speed if you hit them right.

A few miles before the turnaround I saw a few athletes coming back my way and noticed a few collegiate athletes that seemed a little close together, but I didn't catch their numbers (not that it would be too hard to find out who they were) but I wasn't overly concerned about it.  I race my race and just get a little annoyed when I see others drafting.

The turnaround features a little loop through a neighborhood so you can't get an exact gauge on how far ahead/behind you are but it is a decent benchmark.  After hitting the turnaround the ride back is a net downhill so you can really fly!  It was fun!  The road was in great condition and the weather was just starting to heat up but it was mostly shaded so it was perfect riding conditions.

I passed a couple female pros on the bike but I knew one of them was a fast runner, so I figured I would be seeing her again shortly into the run.  One more Powergel with a few miles to go and I was all fueled up for a fast run.

Bike Stats:

Time - 1:02:11
Speed - 23.9mph
Max Speed - 39.7mph
Power - 283W
Cadence - 84rpm
Heart Rate - 165bpm
Overall Rank - 7/315

Run

I had a great T2 and started my run knowing I was at least a few minutes down on the leaders but I was in 5th place overall, so I was still in good shape.

It's always nice to see an empty T2

 I wanted to run steady and within myself because I was just starting to feel better after a summer of poor training.  I got passed quickly by Abby Levene who was bookin' and I had no chance of staying with her so I ran according to my plan and did my best to stay cool.  The run was shaded almost the whole way which was great as it was starting to get warm.  I took water at each aid station to drink and dump on my head.

I went through Mile 1 in 6:17 as I was trying in vain to keep up with Abby then I settled into my own pace and ran 6:30's for Mile 2 and 3.  Water down the hatch and water on head at each aid station.  There was nobody in sight for until I neared the turnaround where I got to see how I was stacking up against everyone else.

One of the Wassner sister's was just a minute or so ahead of me but with only 3mi to go, I knew I wasn't going to catch her.  I had a mere 10sec on a guy who looked like a stronger runner than me and I knew the catch was inevitable.

He passed me shortly after then turnaround and then my goal was to maintain place.  Mile 4 was 6:45, which had to do with the turnaround and a short climb.  More water at the next aid stations and I was in the home stretch after a 6:22 and 6:27 mile 5 and 6.  Very even splits if I do say so myself.

Total Race Time: 2:06:21

I crossed the line and am now finally able to claim that I ran a sub-40 10k in an Olympic tri, because that has never happened before.  And on top of that, I maintained my place and ended up 7th Overall, 6th if you don't include the Female Pros.  Good enough to get on top of the M 25-29 podium again!

Best race medals ever!

Run Stats:
Time - 39:25
Pace - 6:22/mi
Heart Rate - 172bpm
Overall Rank - 6/315

I like that top step!

Overall Rev3 Maine is a stellar event.  Thank you to Rev3 staff and my kickass Rev3 Teammates for all the fun, laughs, and support along the way!  Next race is Survival of the Shawangunks on Sep 11.  If you don't know what that is, follow the link and prepare to be amazed!

I would be remiss if I did not thank Wife for allowing this race to occur one day before our 1 year anniversary!  One lap done, many more to go!  We spend the next few days hiking beautiful trails in Acadia national park and sleeping on the ground with a skunky dog in the tent, but we had a great time.

We love parks!