Rhode Island 70.3 (Sunday - July 13th, 2008)
Race Totals:  
4:15:29 
Swim: 27:13 
Bike: 2:24:53 (23.2 mph)  
Run: 1:19:41 (6:05 per mile)    
1st place 25-29 age group, 3rd place overall amateur

Complete race results posted here.  

Finally I was able to figure out how to race all three disciplines on the same day!!!  Sunday’s race was the race I was hoping to have in both CA 70.3 and Eagleman 70.3 (CA & EM race reports posted here.). When I returned to triathlon 1 year ago after 3 ½ years away from the sport I thought the transition would be easier than it has been, but I had to learn the hard the way that there is a huge difference between racing for 2 hours and racing for 4 hours.  I am still a ways away from reaching my long term goals but I took a huge step forward on Sunday.  

Race morning I woke at 4:00 a.m., ouch that is way too early!  Race logistics were a nightmare being a point to point race but luckily everything went pretty smooth.  I had my usual Pre Race Shake of Cytosport PreFormance (now Cytogainer) and a bagel along with 3 MultiV and 4 Vantage and sipped some dilute Cytomax between breakfast and the start.  I was the last wave of the day going off at 7:05 a.m., which was actually pretty nice because I could take my time warming up and watch a few waves go off before mine.  Before I knew it I was standing in the paddock and the starter informed us that we had 3 minutes to the gun, “These are my least favorite 3 minutes of the sport”, I thought….

Swim (1.2 Miles):
The swim was a beach start which was really fun because it was pretty shallow so we could get in a few dolphin dives before starting to swim. My aim was to go out hard from the start to try to get on the feet of the faster swimmers. We had practiced this strategy a lot in training and it definitely paid off today as I was able to get separated pretty quickly.  It was a box swim so I was able to get into a nice pack for the first half, once we started catching waves in front of us we broke up and it became every man for himself.  The return swim back to the beach wasn’t as easy as I was hoping because the tide was going out so even though we had a strong wind pushing us we were fighting the out going tide.  


Exiting the swim.

Once onto the beach I quickly made my way into T1, packed my wetsuit in my bag, grabbed my bike, and ran towards the exit…

Swim Totals (Time/Place): 27:13 (48th o’all – 2nd in M25-29)
T1: 2:18

Bike (56 Miles):
The first 10 miles of the bike were gorgeous as we rode along the Rhode Island coast, with a nice tail wind pushing us, which made it easier to get my Heart Rate down to around 160 B.P.M (high zone 3 +/-).    I have been training on some heavier tires and tubes so I really felt great on race wheels.  As we made our way up the coast and started to head North and West, we started to hit some of the early hills, which weren’t terribly tough but enough to slow the pace.  I am amazed at how fast the first half of the bike goes by, and how slow the second half goes by.  From mile 25 or so the course became very rolling with a few longer climbs.  I was very conservative on the climbs as I didn’t want to get my heart rate over 165 B.P.M.  Being in the last wave of the day, I had a constant train of people to go by which was fun but also a bit dangerous.  Throughout the bike I sipped on 2 bottles of 200 calories of CarboPro + 100 calories of Cytomax, took 3 Thermolyte Caps, and 3 Gu's 1 as soon as I got on the bike, 1 at mile 25, and 1 at mile 50. Nutrition on the bike was near perfect today as I felt 100% the whole way with really very little bloating.

Right around mile 40 I took 2 Motivators and hit the one last big climb before heading downhill back to Providence.  It was a pretty steep climb, considering there were quite a few people walking their bike up it, again I was very controlled.  I am finding that at this point in the race is when I start to crack a bit, hopefully as I get stronger on the bike it will be less noticeable but I started to feel the ride a bit so I backed off for the next few miles and really started to do some positive thinking about how I wanted to feel when it came time to run.  As we headed back into Providence, things got pretty hectic as there were a ton of turns, lots of cars on the road, and the course was packed with riders.  I can’t say that this slowed my overall time or not, I definitely had to back off at points, but who knows, it might have helped me save my legs for the run.

Bike Totals:  2:24:53/23.2mph avg (41st o’all – 4th in M25-29)
T2: 1:26

Run (13.1 miles):
Once out onto the run, I immediately noticed that I had the legs that were missing in CA and EM.  I was pretty sure I was leading my age group and as I passed my coach Brian Shea, he told me that I was in fact 1st in the age group off the bike and in a position for the overall amateur win if I put together a big run.


Just after exiting T2.

The first mile had a slight downhill and then a monster uphill that took us up to Brown University’s Campus.  This was like no other hill I have raced up, it must have been 400-500 meters long and very steep.  As I approached mile 1 I was surprised to see that I was still under 6:00 considering how tough that big hill was (5:55 first mile), 2nd mile was 5:20 and I really started to get into a groove, taking water at every station and a GU at mile 5.  

The run was a 2 loop out and back course so we had the pleasure of running down the monster hill, back up it, and then down again.  I stopped taking splits after mile 4 because the backside of the course had some rolling hills and I didn’t want to get caught up in running for time, I just wanted to run strong.  As I came set out on the 2nd loop, I got the thumbs up from Brian and Tom, my good friend and training partner.  


Starting Lap #2. Despite this looking like Scott's giving the #1 sign, paraphrasing what he said, 'You guys should see this f#cking hill right out there!!!'

I still felt really strong but once I got to the top of the climb I started to crack a bit.  I really had to concentrate on taking it one mile at a time; at this point I think I was running 6:10-6:20 pace.  It was really starting to heat up and I began to feel a little bloated so I was taking water and sponges at every aid station.  Even though I was struggling I was still running pretty quickly and the support I was getting from my fellow competitors was awesome!!!

The end of a half Ironman for me is very similar to how I felt at the end of my first marathon, hanging on by a thread!  I was very pleased to reach the final descent and thus the run up to the finish; I passed Brian and Tom with 200 meters to go and gave quick thumbs ups.


Mile 13 - last climb to the finish

I was more relieved than anything else; finally I had a solid race after 3 tries.  As I crossed the finish line I once again had that unbelievable feeling we all get when we set a P.R. or accomplish a goal we have set out for ourselves.  This feeling is what gets us up to swim before dawn, gives us the courage to ride our bikes in freezing temps, or head out for a long run at noon when it’s 90 plus degrees.  

Run Totals:  1:19:41/6:05 per mile pace (8th place o’all/1st in M25-29)

Race Total: 4:15:29

Immediately after the race Brian handed me my R4  which I downed and headed off to the massage tent.

What I am most proud of and what I will take away from this race is that I didn’t give up, I didn’t give up after I struggled in my first 2 races, I didn’t give up as I failed to meet my primary goal of qualifying for Kona, and I didn’t give up after it got tough in those last few miles!  


Top 4 - Male 25-29

For those that know me on a personal level, triathlon has brought me back from the lowest point I ever been in my life, a place I hope to never be at ever again.   One year ago I was recovering from a very painful divorce and the only time I felt alive was when I had a drink in my hand.  Running and sport was the furthest thing from mind, it was difficult to breath while standing still, never mind trying to run, and the thought heading out for a solo training session made me sick to my stomach.  Now those solo training sessions have become my therapy sessions as well as my training sessions.  In a way triathlon saved my life from falling into an even darker place and I will never forget what this sport has done for me.  If you allow it, it will change your life and make you a better person in ways you could never imagine… Congrats to all those who conquered that monster run course!!!   Onto Clearwater!!!!

-Scott