PBN Team Member, Andrew Yoder, had an absolutely amazing race on May 17^th at the Columbia Triathlon in MD, finishing just 10 seconds behind Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Terenzo Bozzone. He was kind enough to share his race report below...

Columbia Triathlon – May 17^th 2009 (Olympic Distance)
Ellicott City, MD
Race Totals:   1:52:55
Swim:  18:18
Bike: 58:19 *Includes T1
Run: 35:29 (5:43 per mile)    
2^nd place professional male
Complete race results posted here.  
Additional Race Photos Posted Below

What a day! This was my 5th consecutive year racing Columbia and every year it keeps getting better! Columbia is a very special race and a true classic in the sport. The race organization, course, volunteers, and 2000+ other athletes makes this race a must do.

I had a good week leading into the race and felt confident that I could be in the mix. Like last year, the race had a very solid pro field including 70.3 World Champ Terenzo Bozzone. Unlike last year, race morning conditions were much worse with showers and wind. These conditions were ideal for me though because since I knew the course, I could be more aggressive on the turns and descents, while guys who didn’t know the course as well would be more cautious. You have to ride the fine line of being aggressive and safe. Luckily, I managed to ride well and stay upright!

Pre-Race:
Having had success at MIT and the Champions Triathlon with the new nutritional strategy which Brian Shea and I had worked on, I basically followed that same strategy (6:45AM Start):

• 3:45AM: Whole Wheat Bagel w/ Honey, 1 serving of Ultragen (340 cal), 1/2 EFS Bar (125 cal)
• 4-6AM: (2) scoops of EFS Lemon Lime in 24 oz. bottle w/ PreRace (200 cal)
• 6-6:30AM: Water
• 6:30AM: 1+ serving of Liquid Shot (100 calories) chased with water before getting in the water

Swim (1.5km):
First big surprise of the race was that the swim was a non-wetsuit swim.  This was my first time doing the race without a wetsuit since the lake is usually freezing. At the swim start, I found some open water but everyone seemed to bunch together at the last minute. There was a lot of contact and I lost the front pack within the first couple hundred meters. Frustrated, I found some clean water and worked my way through the field. By halfway, I had caught up to a small group containing Richie Cunningham and Adam Webber. I managed to stay in the pack until the end of the swim and exited the water in 5th. Running to my bike, I saw Bozzone heading out of transition with about a 30 second gap….

I had a fairly slow transition and exited T1 in 7^th:

Swim Total: 18:18
Bike (24.8 miles):
Leaving the park, I could feel snap in my legs and I knew it was going to be a good ride. I had energy and felt really strong! I managed to move into 2nd by mile 3 and set my sights on Bozzone. I was able to move into 1st after the first major climb and really focused on extending my lead. One of my biggest problems is relaxing too much on the descents and going too hard on the climbs. I tried to be consistent in my effort and also conserve for the run. It started to rain about halfway through the bike which made for some sketchy sections. By the end of the bike, I opened up a 1:45 gap on Bozzone and 4+ minute gap on 3rd (Cunningham).

• Bike Nutrition:  16oz of a 20 oz. bottle w/ ~130 calories of Lemon Lime EFS w/ (1) scoop of PreRace

Bike Totals:  58:19*
T2: :50
*Includes T1

Run (6.2 miles):
The first two miles of the run, my stride felt very choppy and tight. I tried to relax and not think about the fleet footed Kiwi behind me. Around mile 3.5, I got my first glimpse of Bozzone…

and he had made up all but 15 seconds of the gap. Seeing him must have turned on a switch because I was able to pick up my pace and hold him off for another mile. He came by me at 4.5 on a slight downhill and surged to open a gap. I made the mistake of not believing I could hang with him, so I didn’t really make full hearted attempt to go with him. The highlight of the day though, was coming up the final hill around mile 5 and reeling him back in. It was huge for my confidence and I gave everything I had to bridge back up to him. I couldn’t quite close in and he held the 5 to 10 seconds to the finish…

• Run Nutrition: (1) Liquid Shot @ Mile 2 (100 cal) followed by water from aid station (Only time I took water was @ mile 2)

Run Totals:  35:29/5:43 per mile pace
Race Total: 1:52:55

Overall, I am extremely happy with my effort and did everything I could to win. I really wanted to take it this year but will have many more chances in the future. I would like to thank Brian Shea from PBN for coming down and supporting me during the race. Also, the guys at Elite Bicycles for getting my bike and wheels ready to race fast! Thanks to 1^st Endurance for their awesome nutrition products (Liquid Shot rocks!) and Kiwami for providing me with their Amphibian and the most underrated speed suit, the Torpedo. That suit is FAST!

Last, I would like to thank my coach, Lance Watson for his support and ability to get me in top form. He has given me the confidence to go for the win no matter the race or field.

Thanks for reading and see you at the races!

-Andrew




Andrew Yoder, Scott Defilippis & Jacqui Gordon


Chip Berry (3rd place open men) & Scott Defilippis


Chrissie Wellington, Kelly Handel, Richie Cunningham, Michael Lovato


Chrissie Wellington & Michael Lovato


Terenzo Bozzone


Richie Cunningham


Adam Webber


Holden Comeau


Andrew Yoder


Rebeccah Wassner


Paul Fritzsche


Michael Lovato


Chrissie Wellington


Scott Defilippis


Michael Lovato


Chris Foster


James Hadley


Holden Comeau


John Kenny


Paul Fritzsche


Rebeccah Wassner


Margaret Shapiro


Rick Fesler (1st open male)


Chip Berry (3rd open male)


Kelly Handel


Amanda Lovato


Scott Defilippis


Terenzo Bozzone


Andrew Yoder


Andrew Yoder


Brian Shea & Andrew


Michael Lovato & Andrew Yoder


Paul Fritzsche, Michael Lovato & Andrew Yoder


Men's Podium (pictured): Michael Lovato, Chris Foster, Terenzo Bozzone, Richie Cunningham & Andrew Yoder