Challenge Pocono Mountains 70.3 - A Wee Bit Late

Just a classic from my college days that I came across so had to post!!!

Can't go wrong with Fine  Young Cannibals!

Now that I have been back in the Grove and on the grid for two weeks, it is time for my Challenge Pocono Mountains 70.3 race report!

It is two weeks late, but shortly after the Awards Ceremony for Challenge Pocono Mountains, I had a short ride to Camp Canadensis for a week at RunningWorks Running Camp. This running camp for high school is held in the Poconos where internet access and cell reception is not the best and sometimes even seems like it is non-existent! After returning to the Grove, my cross country teams at Susquehanna University returned for our preseason, making it another busy week.

So without further ado or procrastination.........

Challenge Pocono Mountains - 8/16/15

Race Morning

4:00AM- The alarms goes off and of course my initial thought is why so damn early! As I begin to mill around the hotel and get things together for the day, I turn on the television to check the weather. Unfortunately, the forecast did not change overnight......Going to be a hot one!

The forecast called for temperatures of 90 degrees with very clear skies! Oh well, it will be the same for all..... so race hard but race smart!

I leave the hotel at 4:45AM  to head to the bus shuttle pick up area to catch a ride to the transition area. All the while, I am feeling very relaxed and confident as I get on the bus to head to transition. In my head,  I know that my training for this race had been spot on and regardless of the conditions I was ready for a solid race. Within five minutes of arriving at transition, it is announced that the race start was on a 15 minute push due to fog on the river. I guess they were a little concerned about not being able to see the swimmers!! (Safety first!!!)

Transition set & wetsuit on....Time to Race

Swim -
The first stretch, maybe 400-500 meters, of the swim was upriver and if there was a current I really did not feel it. I started in the 3rd wave of the morning with all males 45 and older. For the first few buoys, I had a clear path with minimal traffic, at least until I started to catch some swimmers who started in the waves 5 and 10 minutes ahead of me. The turn to start head downriver was a little congested but quickly opened up again. Up till now the swim had been uneventful but then we hit a 100 meter stretch where we seemed to be swimming through weeds. Through this stretch, weeds were literally getting tangled in my arms and goggles. Once in a while they even managed to get in my mouth when breathing. After that it was clear sailing to the remainder of the way. I felt strong the entire swim.  Finally to beachfront and finish!
Time - 34:17 - 5th fastest in age group
T1 - 3:09 (400 meter run to Transition)

Bike -
The bike portion of the race was closed to traffic, which came in handy during the first 5 miles of the bike. We had a 5 mile climb to Rt 209 on a road that look liked it had not been paved in decades. I dodged potholes for that stretch. Once we hit 209 it was all systems go.....Big Chain Ring!  209 was a rolling course, out & back course with plenty of sections to open things up. The few rises on this stretch were mostly 1-2% grades at most. Early on during the bike, one could feel the temperature rising quickly, so Plan B was in effect given it will be very hot by time we hit the run. Plan B was very simple....race smart and utilize the heart rate and not become to obsessed with my mph. From training, I knew keeping my heart rate around 155 (+/- 3) would be optimal. Aside for taking water on at the aid stations for hydration, I also used the some of the water to pour over myself and keep my kit wet. The combination of the wet kit and the cooling breezes on the bike helped keep my core temperature from rising to high. Riding towards T2, I felt very strong and refreshed and for now it seemed Plan B was working. Over the 56 miles of the bike, there was a total of 2172 feet of climbing and I averaged 21.13mph
Time - 2:39:00 3rd fastest in age group
T2 - 2:39

Run -
Leaving T2, I kept telling myself...Plan B,Plan B, stick with Plan B! At this point, the sun and heat were baking everybody. My plan, given the conditions, was to keep my heart rate around 160bpm. The first 4 miles of the run were on a gravel path with a decent amount of shade to keep things a little cool (very little!). Over this stretch I was continually checking my heart rate to make sure I was staying at my set goal. I knew if I kept my HR around this number I could complete the 13.1 miles, running the entire way. Knowing I lose a lot of electrolytes in my sweat, I took a couple salt tablets at mile 3 & mile 8. At mile 4, they finally had sponges that I tucked into my kit to keep wet at every passing aid station. The toughest part of the run for me was around mile 7 when we neared the eventual finish line to only turn away to finish the remainder of race. At that moment, I was thinking how much nicer it would have been to have been racing the Olympic Distance race! With both races on the course at this point, it became tough at times to tell who I was passing.  But using my HR plan of 160 bpm, I can say nobody passed me! The run course was a roller coaster rid with no real flat sections after the first two miles. Hitting mile marker 12 and turning into the cottage area along the Delaware, it clicked in my head, I had achieved my goal of running the entire way! No way in hell would I walk in the last mile! I crossed the finish line feeling strong!

Time 1:39:36 - 3rd fastest in age group  
4:56:38 - 3rd in AG/ 26th OA

It may not have been the time(s) I was looking for going into the race, but I was very pleased with the results of the race. Sometimes it can be tough to alter race plans but given the conditions, racing smarter versus racing harder can be the difference between finishing and a DNF! It was the first time that I felt I had the nutrition and hydration worked out properly for a race this long especially given the hot and humid conditions.

I am still wanting to get 1-2 sprint triathlons in before the end of the season with a potential race next Sunday (Beware of Barracuda Sprint Triathlon). The focus of training the past few weeks has been on a lower volume of mileage with a little more emphasis on the quality! Once this race season is over, it will be time to sit down and truly plan next year's venture into a full Ironman distance race! As long as it does not sell out in the next few weeks, I am leaning towards Lake Placid next July! Stay tuned........

Probably the biggest thing I got out of Challenge Pocono Mountain 70.3 was  confidence to put together and execute a training plan for the 140.6 distance!

The rewards of a plan well executed!