Many of you know I also coach the Endurance Nation triathlon team…this past weekend was a big race up in Lake Placid and I wanted to share with you! Go Team EN!!!
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Executive Summary for Team EN at Ironman USA:
- 36 Team members competed. View the complete Team results here.
- 4 podium finishes: Maryka Sennema, 10:41, 1st W25-29, Kona; Jeffery Capobianco, 9:48, 3rd M35-39, Kona; Steve Chavez, 10:34, 3rd M50-54, Kona; Staci Studer, 11:11, 4th W35-39, Kona.
- We are in the process of gathering PR info from the Team, but standouts include Carrie Chavez, IMUSA Team Captain, posted a 22? PR to earn 6th in her 40-44 age group with 11:30, and Mike Cook’s 10:43, a 50? PR.
- Many first-timers reported great races. Without exception they credited the Team’s race execution focus with teaching them the skills that helped them avoid the pacing and other mistakes that hundreds of other athletes continue to make year after year.
- Team dinner at Nicola’s attended by over 70 athletes, family and friends.
- Nearly 100 athletes attended our Four Keys talk on Friday. Many, many thank-yous on the course and at the finish line by talk attendees.
Team race reports and stories from the weekends are beginning to trickle in. You can view them here.
Listen to the coaches recap on Triathlon Execution Radio
The Details:
View this video online here.
The Swim: Water temps were a bi chillier than usual, but only by a few degrees. The water, as you can see, was calm and perfect for a great swim. Preliminary reports suggest it was a very aggressive & physical swim start. Almost everyone was close to their predicted time.
View this video online here.
The Bike: Cloudy and humid conditions ensured that everyone was pretty cool for the first one to two hours on the day. The roads were slick from the rain, but it wasn’t actually raining when the athletes were on the bike. A few folks geared up for the ride, probably scared from 2008, but it wasn’t really necessary.
Lap one was, as always, pretty fast. Most folks hit the timing mat at mile 36 (end of the out/back) with ridiculous time splits…the climb back to town settled most people down, but for many the damage had already been done. Lap two saw the adrenaline that carried most of the competitors through the first 56 miles fading fast. Hills were longer, the wind picked up and the return to town, all 20 miles from the end of the out/back (or 12 from the bottom of the “climbing section”) were very tough. Athletes who followed the Four Keys Ironman Execution protocol to pace properly were definitely in a good place…and in the minority.
We estimate that, on average, athletes rode to their potential on race day, if not a few minutes slower. Conditions were tough but not crazy.
View this video online here.
The Run: Athletes ran in the same overcast and muggy conditions that pervaded the bike leg, with the only real “break” coming in the form of about 90 solid minutes of hot, hot sun starting around 3:30pm. As a result, almost everyone had to deal with this on the run as some point, and for many it was the last straw.
As usual, the solitary portion of the run along River Road was tough for many…this year the officials really enforced the no-bikes rule back there making it hard for anyone to get in to cheer. Rich and Patrick rode down Papa Bear to River Road and then walked in to station themselves at about mile 7/19, critical pacing markers for out Team. From there they encouraged or cracked the whip as needed, Twittering updates to the rest of the team eagerly following the race online.
In all, most Team EN athletes had a solid day despite the weather and terrain. The combined humidity and heat zapped many goals, but few reported being disappointed. It was truly a day that demanded 110% mental focus, execution, and physical strength. Coming up short in any of those areas meant you paid the price.
From the Pointy End: On the pro / Kona qualification side, the folks were still fast. While the overall qualification times really didn’t change from past years, the conditions meant it was harder to earn that same time. The top athletes were once again the best runners on the day, able to run fast times despite the high temperatures. The men’s and women’s overall winners both built dominating leads on the bike and then cruised the run.
Congratulations to all the finishers. You have earned some well-deserved downtime…and lots of fluids! Happy recovery and see you at the races.
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