Do or do not – there is no try: Rhode Island 70.3 Race Report

At the starting line of races, I used to think: “I’m going to try the best I can.”

Doing the best that we can is important. Trying, however, is useless. “Trying” implies an attempt, but not necessarily the execution of an act.  If I want to do my best, I have to focus on execution – not on trying to execute.

Yoda is right: It is do or do not. There is no try.

To focus on trying is to give myself an excuse for doing less than I can before I even start.

Each race presents a unique set of challenges, whether it be hills, heat, wind, poor road conditions–the list goes on, right?  It could be easy to say these challenges make a particular race “different,” just as Luke felt that the new challenge Yoda presented was different, beyond his ability. But, challenges–regardless of how they manifest–make no difference for a focus on executing the best race we have in us.

As Yoda says: “No, no different. Only different in your mind.”

This season, my focus on race-day execution has steadily improved with each race. Make no mistake: cultivating focus is a skill that we must train, just like any other aspect of training. It requires the ability to stay in the present moment, and to avoid the many distractions that come on race day.

At the Ironman Rhode Island 70.3 on Sunday, July 8th, the effort to focus on the present moment and do the race was key to executing my best race for the day.

Swim

I began the swim committed to avoiding the panic that plagued me at Quassy. The siren went off and the wave of 30-39 year old females took off into the 80-degree pond (sans wetsuits). My plan was to enter the water (it was a beach start again) calmly, from behind, and then build momentum from there.And, that’s what happened. I focused on sighting, staying on course, breathing rhythmically, and pushing the effort right at my redline.

I did not try to do this. I just did it.

I exited the water in over 38 minutes. I looked at my watch, and was immediately disappointed. As hard as I was swimming, I thought for sure I’d be somewhere around 35 minutes.

This knowledge proved to be a distraction to me. To fix this issue next time, I’m not going to pay any attention to what my time is as I exit the water. There are many factors that effect speed in an OWS – no wetsuits, choppy water, swimming around slower swimmers from the 4 previous waves, and so on.

I was the 11th person out of the water. My time was irrelevant. I was in the lead bunch.

A note on the swim in case you are thinking of doing this race: Some have trashed this swim as being disgusting. I disagree. The water is perfectly fine. It’s a pond, so it’s not pristine, but it’s not gross. At. All. The only issue I had with this swim was the glare from the sun going out made it incredibly challenging to sight. I often couldn’t even see the buoys until I was within strokes of them. I wish race directors would add more buoys to compensate for this situation.

Bike

Unfortunately, I let my disappointment about the swim cloud the first few miles of the bike. I knew I had to shrug it off. So, I worked to refocus my mental energy on executing the bike strategy that my coach Vince and I discussed. By the time I hit the 10 mile mark, I was in the game and had my edge back.

Rhode Island 70.3 is a rolling bike course for the most part, with an official race elevation gain of almost 1400 feet. There is some climbing, to be sure, but this course is nowhere near the challenge of Rev3 Quassy a few weeks ago. I felt great at Quassy, so I decided that I could push my power limits a bit more at Rhode Island.

I stayed in the present moment, using associative mental strategies, which focuses attention on how my body feels and what I need to do in the present moment to execute my race plan. This includes making decisions to alter the race plan as the situation dictates, which in this case meant working at a slightly higher power cap while climbing hills than I usually do. I did not try to work harder. I just did it.

The descents are short, so I took full advantage of them. This was perhaps the most fun I had throughout the day. I laid down on my bike, Tour de France style (as below), and zoomed down the hills – with a big smile on my face.

I get how descending is fun–and exhilarating. My goodness, does it make you feel ALIVE!

It also represents an optimal pee break, which is nice.

Much has been written about the final miles of the Rhode Island bike course. Yes, the road conditions are poor. Yes, it is a circuitous route through the city. But, it’s only for a few miles. Other than that, this race offers a fairly nice course, with ample opportunities to fuel and hydrate.

Given the heat, a solid hydration and nutrition strategy was key for execution. I usually alternate drinking Perform and water, but because of the heat, I knew I’d likely need a few more calories, as well as the extra sodium that I would get from the Perform. So, instead of alternating, I took in mostly Perform, drinking water only to rinse my mouth or to wash down gels/chews. I also used the water to sprinkle through my helmet and down my back to help keep my core cool (For more core cooling tips, click here).

I came into T2, strong, happy and ready to rock the run.

Run

Clearly, the most significant challenge for the run portion was the heat. Temperatures were near (or at) 90 degrees, with a heat index in the triple digits.

The heat simply demands a different strategy of execution–but I could not use it as an excuse to work below my best effort.

Notice the blister on the pinky toe. I have a matching one on my right foot.

I have an aid station “protocol” when running in high temperatures: Drink fluids (water and/or cola), pour water over my head, put ice in my hat, shirt, and shorts, place sponges in my shirt and shorts. Repeat at EVERY aid station.

The only issue with pouring water over myself was wet shoes. Luckily, my Newtons handle wet conditions very well. However, as of late, I’ve been training and racing without socks. And, when my sneakers are dry, this is not a problem. As soon as they got wet, however, this became a formula for some pretty nasty foot issues (see left). So, next time, if it’s hot, I’ll have to take the extra minute in transition to put on socks. I’m not sure I would have liked to do an entire marathon with those blisters.

Beyond the heat, the run course is a two-loop romp through the city. I rather liked the run course, even if it isn’t the most scenic of the races I’ve done. There are some solid elevation challenges, including a fairly steep hill that comes about 1 mile into the loop. The second time around, this hill was a death march for many.

Thanks to proper fueling and my aid station protocol, I was able to keep it moving, passing 5 women in my AG throughout the run.

I achieved a  personal best half-marathon time (1:42:16), and the fourth fastest time in my AG. (This time was originally posted as 3rd, but a later finisher had a faster time.)

Overall, I pulled together a 5:41:17 race, which was good enough for my first ever top 10 finish in an Ironman event.

I’m working my way to first place. I’m picking through my competitors to find that top spot on the podium.

I can smell her sweat. I can feel her pain. I can put together the performance that’s going to get me there.

I won’t try to do it. I just will.

 

 

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