In putting together my race calendar, Earl (Walton) and I had one goal in mind; race and race well at Ironman Copenhagen in August. Given how hectic work can be, new added responsibilities at USA Triathlon Northeast, supporting and raising money for CAF and trying to have a social life (trying is the optimum word here), we decided to use every race before Copenhagen as prep ones. I have typically used “early season” races (Nola, Puerto Rico, et al. to test my fitness out. The challenge has always been acclimating to hot weather during the cold winter months. Heat and humidity, coupled with windy conditions have plagued my “performance” at these races in the past. I was hoping not to repeat this when signing up for Mallorca 70.3. Why Mallorca and not Texas, Florida? Well, friends and teammates Jacquie Wolfson and Agnes Park decided to do it and hey, I have never been there and hell the Island was supposed to be beautiful. Unfortunately Jacquie had to cancel her trip due to a business meeting in Far Asia, so what started out as a trio heading to Spain, ended up being just me and Agnes.
The five-day jaunt started off promising as we used my miles to get upgraded to Business Class en route to Madrid. The 8-hour flight is so much more pleasant when you can actually sleep (and hang in the Admirals Club before the flight). Yea, it did not suck. The trip took a turn when after getting off the Iberia flight in Mallorca, our bikes did not arrive. We waited over and hour going to various baggage claim areas looking for them. As many of you know, disorder and chaos are not my friends. I like to have a set schedule before a race and while a little deviation does not get my off track, a lot of it well just sucks and throws me off my game. Not having a bike (along with sneakers) put racing in jeopardy as Iberia initially said the bikes would arrive sometime in Saturday (when the race was happening). Getting to the hotel in Alcudia, Agnes suggested we contact Amex Platinum desk for help. After a 45-min call, they were extremely helpful, somehow found our bikes and got Iberia to promise to deliver them by 2pm on Friday. Well, welcome to panic mode. Bike Arrivals…and another set-back:
Our bikes finally arrived Friday at 2:15pm (close enough). I scrambled to assemble my bike and get to the race briefing. Post briefing, I was struggling a bit and facing a 7:30pm bike check in “curfew.” Finally giving up, I took it to the mechanic Agnes brought her bike to for help. $25 Euros later, the bike was ready…but first a test ride. Jumping on, I could not shift at all. Well, kids, when I took apart my bike in NYC, I forgot that Mike Sherry (Bikeriders NYC) told me that the battery (I have new electronic shifters) was housed in the seat post, and inadvertently dislodged the wires tendering the gears useless. Bike fiasco #2. Thankfully the mechanics diagnosed the problem and went to work to fix it; seat post off, crank off, cables everywhere. A good hour and a half and $150 more Euros later, Malibu Too was working and racked along with bike and run transition bags (Ironman Europe does not have traditional transition areas; everything is done in changing tents with nothing at your spot but your bike). I was mentally drained and the race didn’t even start yet. Saturday Morning - Race Day
Mallorca 70.3 starts really late for our standards with the first wave going off at 7:55am. My start time was 9:10am (the second to last wave). I am really not used to being that far behind and knew it was going to be a lonely day. Checking the weather, I prepared myself for one hot day. At around 8:30am I headed down to the beach which was literally across the street from our hotel in my new TYR (thanks MB for the hook up) wetsuit and immediately started to sweat. Oh boy, this is going to be fun! Trying to focus and relax, I watched as waves before me started first the blue caps (young guns) and two waves of light green caps (men 40-444). Heading to the start line, people are already shoving for a starting position. Whatever. Finally, we line up and are called to start.
Swim…I like the taste of Salt in the morning
Earl told me to use the day as a long, catered, workout. With that in mind, I was not racing, but training. This totally helped to relax me. When the whistle blew, I let people jump ahead of me and started to swim as soon as I was able to do so (it was a beach start and as really shallow for about 100 or so yards). Soon enough I was passing people who obnoxiously seeded themselves in the wrong place. Smooth, clear, rotting hips, sighing every 15 strokes, I was sailing along. Occasionally I started to veer to far to the left on the way out, but was able to easily correct myself and found feet to sight off of (and draft a bit; it’s allowed in the swim). The turnaround was easy enough too and I started to see and pass a handful of light green caps. Suddenly took in a mouth full of salt water; ugh, hope I do not feel that later on. The route back to shore had me breathing into the sun (not ideal) so I increased my sighting ti every 20 or so strokes. At one point I look up and catch sight of the crew on the safety kayaks telling me I am too far off course. Oops. I started to breathe to my left in order to get back on course. This worked well as I fund the line, started to pass more light green and even some of the slower blue caps. I see the swim exit arch, stroke until I am hitting sand, stand up and start to wade to the beach. Not being a race, I take my time and jog into transition (it’s a long trek).
T1: Where are all of the bikes?
This was my far the largest race I have entered with over 3,700 registrants (I was # 3750 and think the numbers want to 3,900). It was also a very long jaunt into T1 (longer than Mont Tremblant which was long). I grab my Swim>Bike bag and prepare for the next 90k (56 miles) in the changing tent. Powder, gloves, shoes, sunglasses, suntan lotion and I head to the area my bike is in. Where are all of the bikes? Oh yea, about 3,000 people are already on the course (including Agnes who started an hour before me). Time to buckle up and ride.
Bike: Heat, Hills and Wind…Oh my
Two weeks before the race, Agnes and I did a simulation on the course at Tailwind Endurance. This allowed us to get a taste for the course and practice on the 15% grades. Of course experiencing it in real life is vastly different from a simulation ride. However, with the mindset that this is not racing and just training, I decided to focus on my heart rate and power and keep it in a range that would not make me blow up on the hills. That provided immediately hard as I had no data. Two choices, panic and keep going or calmly pull to the side and re-set my Garmin to pick up some data. Rolling with the punches, I go with the latter, reset the bike computer and once again head off on the ride. Being used to getting passed on the bike, I just ignore everyone around me and focus on his beautiful Mallorca is.
The route was flat for the first 10 or so miles before we started to climb, and climb and climb. Approaching the hills, I simply focused on maintaining my goal watts, keeping my feet off the base of my shoes and pedaling in round circles. While my cadence was low (low even for me), I didn’t blow up, nor pull to the side and rest like a few others. Instead I just settled in for the 10K+ climb and focused on climbing, taking in the right nutrition as Nicci (Elevate by Nicci) and I discussed, and getting to the top which I knew would come…eventually.
What goes up must also come down. And down we did via fast and twisty switch-backs. After the crash in South Beach in 2010 (4-years later and I am still not over it), I am cautious on downhills (probably to my detriment during races). So while others may have bombed down the mountain, I just took my time and freaked as needed. This was the right thing for me especially passing someone on the side of the road of one of the descents, as well as ambulance at another. Just like I eventually made it up, I would eventually make it down the mountain.
The thing about being in or near the back of a race is that you’re never really sure if you’re on the right course. With many of the marshals packing up to go, and so few fellow riders, I kept hoping that the sag wagon (used to sweep the last of the riders) was far enough behind me. I don’t mind being slow, I just don’t to be last.
Getting off the mountain, the route took us through small towns that were exactly what you imagine them to be; mostly old stone buildings closely clustered together with some residents peering out of their windows to catch a glance as we rode by. Some of the roads were well paved, but ones that weren’t were so bad my teeth were chattering, the bike bottles were spilling liquid and my Garmin was bouncing. Despite this, it was just an amazing sight and something I have never experienced before. While the course was flat, smooth and fast at this point, it was also extremely windy.
Now I have faced windy courses before (Nola, Puerto Rico), but the last 20 miles were pure grit as it was pedaling against headwinds throughout. I kept saying, get into aero, treat it like a hill and push through the wind. My mind started to play tricks — going between wanting to give up one minute and pushing though the next. It helped that I started to overtake a lot of people — riders who pushed too hard in the beginning and were now paying for it. Knowing this was not going to be a PR today in any way, shape or form, I focused on much my biking has improved and how much more confident I am now on the bike, The new hand I was dealt had a lot of wind and heat. Well, I see your wind and heat and raise you some speed and cadence (well maybe not speed, but cadence). I pass a few more folks and see T2 ahead of me.
T2..to run or not to run:
I got off, racked my bike, grabbed my Bike>Run bag and head into the changing tent. Over the past two seasons, I have been plagued by a foot that goes numb off the bike. After many, many tests, Earl, Andy Feneck (Finish Line PT, friend, and fellow scotch lover) helped to rework my running form so that I was not running solely on the balls of my feet. Given that I worked hard to get back to enjoying the run, I really wanted to see if the work I have done with Andy and my friend and strength guru Ken Szekretar, was paying off. So I start and say to myself you can always stop.
The Run…Hello Sun!
The course was 2 1/2 loops around the Port of Alcudia with many zig zags through neighborhoods. It was hot with none of the wind we had on the bike (we could have used it now) and very little shade. Given how many bikes I saw in transition, I knew that I was starting while many were on their second or third lap. This was a major demotivating factor. The first mile was somewhat slow but steady; 12.1 miles to go. The hope of running the full distance soon flew out the window as the walking dead around me suckered me in and soon enough I was one of them. I can do a run walk…it won’t be so bad. At first I was doing a 5 min run and a 2 min walk. Then 5 and 3, then 5 and 5 and then the opposite.
The course brought us around the finish line twice, but directed people to either finish or head to the second or third loop. As I approached this split and I heard the roar from the crowds welcoming them back home, I hoped to find Agnes, finished, who would persuade me to quit. Alas, I did not see Agnes, so kept going.
Around 8K (and the start of the second loop), I started to cramp around my mid section overtime I ran more than a few mins. Was this dehydration? Did I need to pee? Was it the saltwater I swallowed in the swim? Who knew? The walking helped and I kept hoping to see Agnes along on the second loop somewhere (where in the hell was she? Walk…run…walk some more. Drink water, cola, anything that would make me feel better.
As I approached the start of the second loop, I passed a few people who were in waves ahead of. Good I will not be the last person on the run course. Second loop, or 16 K done. 5k and another half a loop to go. I can eek this out. It wont be pretty. I run up to an elderly woman named Patty from the UK. She and I walk together for a bit. Patty helped to motivate me as she was so happy to be beating her previous race on this course and for being ahead of her friend and teammate Rob who started after her. It turns out that Patty is also doing Copenhagen (her second attempt at a full) so we chatted about that race. Suddenly Rob runs past us and I think, “Oh no you don’t.” I wish Patty good luck and run after Rob (in Patty’s honor and also because I cannot let a 70+ year old man beat me although I am sure many already had). Rob and I played Cat/Mouse for a little while until the last aid station. I stopped in the porta-potty one more time to see if going will help me, you know, go. I see Rob ahead of my and run past him. With 2k to go, I just want to be done with this race already.
I hit the path along the ocean which is now full of pedestrians rather than runners. Despite the pain I was in from the cramp and the exhaustion from the heat, my running form, when I am running, is actually good and strong. While I didn’t dare look at my pace, I felt fast maybe as I only had 1k to go. Near the finish line, I pass a crowd of spectators cheered me on by name (our names are on our bibs along with our nationality) and shout USA, USA as I run past them. Head down,…a few more steps. Almost there…Almost done. Almost.
Finally I saw the directional signal to the finish line is meters away. I zig-zag past strollers, walkers and others who likely were not aware a race was going on,“excuse me,” I say, “need to finish this race.” As I entered the finish line carpet, the announcer personally greater me, gave me a high five and announced my arrival home. Guess being near the end has some perks after all. Done and done. I am cooked.
While the weather and the course got the best of me, I am proud that I did not give up when I wanted to do so, ran without any foot pain, and focused through the wind. It was a great experience and then enjoyed Mallorca and chilled out. 
Next Up….Challenge Quassy in June followed by Eagleman 70.3 Relay and then the big dance.
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