What Happens On Race Day
I have been asked by many to share what happens on race day so I thought I would share what happens leading up to and on race day. I learned that things don’t always go to plan(like life) and I share my strategy around this and what I did to overcome it.
First let me set the stage for you. The event was the World Triathlon Championships held in Cozumel Mexico and the best in the World were competing. To qualify in Canada they had a few qualifying events and I actually qualified by coming 4th last year in the National championships. The World Championships is called the Grand Final as it is the final ITU race of the year and the best in the World compete for the world championships. It was an amazing experience as all the individuals that were in the Olympics competed for the best in the World.
Barb came with me this year and although Tim qualified, he could not attend due to his job. Matt and Lauren are both back at school so could not come with us this year although they all sent me many notes of motivation and encouragement during the week.
Leading Up To The Race
My first race was Wednesday and I was also racing Thursday which was my “A” race. Monday and Tuesday were comprised of race preparation, eating healthy foods, trying to build up glycogen stores, staying hydrated and trying not to do anything to overtax the system or cause inflamation(see previous blog – 4 Steps To Reducing Inflammation (http://kevinbradyhealth.ca/4-steps-to-reducing-inflammation-reduce-cancer-risk/). I went for an easy swim in the ocean on Tuesday morning as it was my first time that I would be racing in the Ocean so I wanted to get used to it. I also rode 30k to and from registration to ensure my bike was working well and also to spin out the legs a bit. Since I had not had a workout since the previous Saturday I was feeling that I needed to do something.
Aquathlon – First Race
Start of Aquathlon – in heat before mine-Allistair Brownlee(Gold Medalist at Olympics) in front row
My first race was the Aquathlon which was held Wednesday morning. I thought I would race this event to learn the course and get race ready for my big race on Thursday. My goal was to conserve energy for my “A” Thursday Triathlon race and go really slow. I had gone through my pre race checklist the night before and had everything out and ready for the race.
The race was comprised of a run, swim and run format and this was the first time I had raced this type of event. I purposely tried to take it easy and my goal was to go really slow and save my energy for the next race day. I started out on the run and went really really slow and in fact talked to another Canadian most of the run. After transition we then dove in the Ocean for the swim and I felt really good and comfortable and had a great effortless swim. When I hit the last leg of the run I had tons of energy so opened it up on the last leg and my average time was really good on the run and more importantly it felt effortless. In retrospect, I think I went way too hard as I think it affected my race and times on Thursday for my “A” race.
Preparation For My “A” Triathlon Race
Following my Aquathlon race, I did everything I could to prepare for my race the next day. This included taking post workout recovery, supplements, healthy dinner to provide energy and to build glycogen stores and reduce inflammation . Prior to bed I reviewed course details, drafting rules(as this was a “draft legal race), and went through my pre race preparation checklist so I was prepared for the morning.
I called room service the night before and ordered toast, bananas and orange juice(same as the day before) so I would have energy for the race. They indicated that it would be there at 4:25 in the morning. I was in bed at 9:30 as I had to be up at 4:00 am as had to be at the race sight by 5:30. Prior to falling asleep I read one of my favourite books(and hero’s) called Finding Ultra http://www.richroll.com/finding-ultra/ by Rich Roll. During Rich’s Epic 5(5 Ironman courses on 5 Hawaiian Islands) he ran into some really tough conditions and needed mental strength and focus. I find this book very motivating and is my “go to ” book prior to any big race.
Transition Area Prior To Race(5:00a.m)What Can Go Wrong, Went Wrong
In the morning things did not go as I had planned. I woke up prior to the alarm so I was out of bed at 3:50 am. I got ready and went through my checklist to ensure all was in order. This included getting washed, applying sunscreen, getting my energy drinks and food ready for the race.
This is when things unraveled!
Room service called and said they had run out of bread (likely because all other athletes had ordered room service as well). I asked them to deliver the other items that we had ordered.Thank goodness I had some Mary’s Crackers as well as almond butter in the room. I had a bunch of Mary’s Crackers and almond butter to fill up and provide some energy for the race. When I was ready to leave around 4:45 a.m. room service still had not shown up so that is all I had prior to the race.
It was very very hot in Cozumel so I needed ice to go with the energy drinks otherwise after the swim I would be drinking hot energy drinks. I went to the ice machine and there was no ice. I then went to the 24 hour coffee shop and once again they had no ice.
I went to front desk they managed to track down ice but it took some time. I had inquired about Taxi’s the night before the race and whether we needed to order a taxi in advance. They advised me that there would be a lot of taxis on hand so no issues. When we ordered our taxi, there was a lineup and we had to wait again.
Needless to say, I was very stressed as everything was either not happening to plan or taking a long time. To summarize, no room service was delivered(therefore no food), there was no ice available for my water bottles and to top it off, there were no Taxi’s on hand!
The Life Lessons from Triathlon Racing
One of the life lessons that Triathlons has taught me is that in most races, things don’t go to plan and you have to learn to adapt. Whether it is a flat tire, a crash, going the wrong direction in the swim, pretty well every race something goes wrong. It teaches you to adapt to those roadblocks or adversities and still manage to have a good race. I think the reason this occurs in Triathlon is to do to the fact that you have 3 different events to contend with as well as the start and 2 transitions, so essentially have 6 “events” where something could go wrong (and typically does). This is a good life lesson as usually that is how life goes. Life does not always go to plan and if you can accept that, then it makes these obstacles easier to deal with and get around them.
Although things were not starting off well in the morning, in my mind I knew I could still have a good race and had to change my mental attitude and focus on the future(the race).
The Race – How Did It Go?
Overall I was pleased with my results. As most of you know, I have been battling injuries all year of which my most significant was a torn Achilles so I could not do any races of any sort until July. I had a good swim but it was crazy competitive as everyone was racing really hard so it was like swimming in a washing machine. I was trapped by other racers and kept hitting bodies, hands and legs most of the swim. I was one of the first out of the water and had about a 750 m run into transition. I came out of transition with one of the lead packs on the bike. It was my fastest bike race ever as it was draft legal and we averaged over 40 km/hour speed. I was with a group of about 12 riders and it was crazy(riding within 1” of others while going 40km/hr). I stayed with this lead pack so I went into the run in a decent placing.
The run was a different story and although I had an ok run I was hoping to have my fastest race of the year. This did not happen as I had zero energy. I am not sure if was due to the extreme heat or the fact that I was tired from the race the day before.
In any event, I ended up coming 3rd in Canada and 52nd overall. I was pleased with everything other than my run which I will need to work on for next year. I believe if I can stay injury-free and work on my speed that I could place top 10 in the world which I would be really pleased with.
The plan for the Fall
My plan now is to go easy in terms of cardio training and add back in weight training 3 times per week. Through all of the cardio training in the summer, I lost a lot of strength so I need to regain that over the winter months to get strong for next season and prevent injuries.
Thanks to Barb, Family and You
First thanks to my number one supporter and fan, Barb. Not only did she travel with me but went to bed early with me on race nights(actually in bed prior to me) and got up same time as me(4 am) to go to races. I heard her and saw her a number of times on the course and she was constantly cheering me on. She also had to put up with my many hours of training all year. This included very early morning rising to swim, bike or run and being gone on weekend mornings for 2 or 3 hours for training. I am sure she is happy that the season has once again come to a close.
I also want to thank my children, Tim, Matt and Lauren. Not only are they great training partners on weekends but they continually send me words of encouragement and support prior to and after every race.
Thanks also to many of you that sent me many words of encouragement and wishes for a great race. Even this week I had a number of emails inquiring how the race went so I thank you for that as well.
Many thanks again for all of your amazing encouragement as it really helped me in my races!
Yours in great health, Kev
3 comments
Hi Kev.
I don’t think you realize how much people admire your determination. I sometimes wonder how you do all of the things you do.
This article certainly describes in great detail how dedicated y.ou are.
Good work. You are an excellent example for your children and also other aspiring athletes. Marge
Well done, Kevin. Good message on dealing with obstacles and the value of a supportive spouse. I did a few triathlons years ago and know how tough they can be, let alone at the level that you’re competing. Keep swimming, biking, running and sharing, Kev.
Great blog Kevin! Really enjoyed reading about this amazing experience. Here’s to tenth in the world – can’t wait to read that blog!!