Cedar Point Half Rev Race Report

I returned to Cedar Point this year with the great memories of my first full distance triathlon (FullRev or Ironman) one year ago.  This year I was ready to "smoke" the HalfRev (half-ironman), or at least that was my hope.  Coming off of Ironman Lake Placid at the end of July and a full summer of training, I was banking on being more fit and ready than any other time in the year.

Just like last year, my family would be there to support me in full force.  With an entourage of 12 adults and six children ranging from 8 weeks old to almost 7 (Tyler's birthday is on Sept 24), the weekend was a bit hectic, but a lot of fun.  We arrived in Sandusky at the Hotel Breakers late Saturday morning and after a longer than anticipated lunch, walked over to Cedar Point by mid-afternoon.  Tyler, Rylen, Luke, Reese, and Aidan were so excited to be with each other going from one ride to the next, or in some cases, just running around.  Our little Matty was well behaved and wide-eyed at times as he was strolled around the Park.  The day's fun was greatly enhanced by a special, but still secret announcement from a certain sister...:)

Tyler, Rylen, and Luke at Lunch

Riding race cars! Luke's favorite!

Blast off!

Wow! A Merry Go Round!

After sharing a bed with Luke (I love this by the way), I awoke Sunday morning wondering what my body had to give.  I doubt many other athletes walked Cedar Point for several hours on Saturday, and I know its not the ideal plan before a race, but I awoke Sunday morning feeling rested and ready.  I got to sleep-in until 5 am since the HalfRev didn't start until 8:20.  I didn't sleep any later than 5 because I wanted to get down to transition and make sure I had plenty of time to take care of any unforeseen circumstances.  Boy was I happy I did that.  It ended up that Rev3 decided overnight to move the swim course from Lake Erie to the Bay because of riptide warnings.  There was no doubt this was the right call.  You could have surfed on the waves.  However, I had left my wetsuit, goggles, and swim cap at the hotel thinking I would return there after setting up transition and have an hour or more to relax before putting my wetsuit on and heading to the beach directly behind the hotel for the swim.  Combined with forgetting my water bottles for the bike in the fridge, I ended up making three trips down to transition (about a mile walk) before walking 3/4 of a mile over to the bay for the swim.  By my calculations, I had walked or jogged about six miles prior to starting my race.  Oh, by the way, I got Luke up and dressed him to try to help Laura out.  So after walking Cedar Point the day before and my hectic morning, I was really starting to wonder how my body would react in the later stages of the race.

A rough Lake Erie forced the swim to be moved to the bay.

The Swim

With the swim taking place in the bay, we had a time trial start with two swimmers starting every three seconds.  There was no opportunity for a warm-up swim, and you couldn't see much of the swim course because we swam around an island.  But, none of this bothered me after the morning I was having.  I stayed calm and focused.  Once in the water, it took me a few minutes to get comfortable.  Without having a warm-up in the water, my body and mind just weren't properly prepared.  Once I found my rhythm though, I did my best to push myself.  Too often I'm too comfortable in the water.  I know I need to become more accustomed to greater effort in the water, and that's what I was shooting for.  Once I circled behind the island, I could feel the rise and fall of the current as if I was a boat out at sea.  I could also feel the current pushing me forward as if I were body surfing in the waves at the beach.  The most challenging part of the swim presented itself, when the swim course came around the other end of the island and worked back against the current to the swim exit.  As I sighted the final buoy, I realized I wasn't making much progress.  I amped-up my effort level and really started digging for home.  With small waves crashing over my face with every breath I took, I did my best to keep a good line towards the exit.  When I exited the water with a swim time of just over 35 minutes, I didn't let myself get discouraged.  Honestly, that's not my worst time even considering everything up to that point.  I ran the 3/4 mile back to T1 trying to preserve every second and was now ready to take the hot-rod out for a spin. :)

The Bike

I had a good feeling going into the bike!  Last year, I had a solid bike split going under five hours on the FullRev bike course (112 miles), and I knew the course layout for the HalfRev and terrain with its rolling hills was a good setup for me.  Although it was a windy day, I expected to ride well.  I didn't know how far ahead the lead swimmers were, but I started picking off cyclists one-by-one.  I wanted to push the pace, but also was trying to keep my cadence around 90 rpm to ensure I wasn't wearing my legs out.  Mile 25 came quickly and I was feeling really good.  When the HalfRev and FullRev bike courses split, I found myself riding more alone, occassionally passing cyclists that looked more capable.  This told me I was most likely toward the front of the group.  I didn't know how close to the front, but I thought within striking distance of the leaders.  I continued to push the pace, while being fully aware that I would need to run well to keep or improve my position.  With about 10 miles to go on the bike, a spectator informed me I was in tenth place.  I had hoped for something better (like 1st), but knew there was still time to catch one or two more.  With about seven miles to go and headed back to the last stretch along Lake Erie, the wind really picked up.  It was brutal.  I was leaning into the wind and bracing for the frequent gusts that nearly take your bike from right underneath you.  In the last seven miles, I passed two more riders, which put me in 7th place heading into the run.  I knew I would have to run well.  As I pulled into T2, my family was there in full force.  They were screaming like crazy providing me with an unbelievable boost of motivation and emotions.  T2 was mostly empty.  This is the greatest site for a triathlete.  When there are very few bikes already racked, you know you're having a good day.  I finished the bike averaging just over 24 mph with a time of 2:18.  I was ready to lay it all on the line on the run!

Headed out on the bike.

The Run

As I began the run, my family had crossed the parking lot from where they cheered for me coming in on the bike and now gave me an equally exciting send-off for the run.  As Laura held Luke, I gave him a quick high-five followed by one for my sister, Jess.  This was quite emotional for me knowing that I have such great support.  I had to calm myself and refocus on the task at hand.  Coming off the bike, I anticipated running around 7 min pace, when I looked at my first mile split and saw 6:23/mile, I knew I had it in me.  In the first half-mile, I passed an athlete that was struggling.  He actually had slowed to a walk as I went by him.  I figured this put me in 6th place for the moment.  A mile later, I passed another competitor.  He wished me luck as I went by so I knew he didn't think he had it in him to make a comeback.  I ran strong in 5th place seeing the top four on the out-and-backs setup through the streets of Sandusky.  This is one reason I like the run course for this race.  There are plenty of opportunities to see your competition and know exactly where you stand.  When I got my first look at the runner just ahead of me in 4th place, I thought I had a chance to catch him.  Trying to get into his head, I made sure my stride was extra strong and my face was determined each time we passed one another on the first two out-and-backs.  I could tell he was waivering and with about four miles to go, I went by him and took over 4th place.  As well as I was running, there were others behind me running better.  I knew I couldn't let up.  I kept thinking about my family and their support.  I wanted badly to finish on the podium for them.  With three miles left, I decided not to stop or even slow down for anything else to drink at the aid stations.  Until this point, I was trying to refuel with a combination of gatorade, coke, and water.  Caffeine and sugar baby!  However, the last few miles would hang on guts alone.  My hamstrings were very sore as my pace started to creep over 7 min/mile.  With just under two miles to go, I was passed by a competitor.  His stride was much stronger and quicker than mine.  I tried desperately to run with him, but it wasn't worth the risk of blowing up myself and losing the great race I had to this point.  I kept my stride as smooth and strong as possible finishing with a personal best half-marathon of 1:30 and an overall race time of 4:31.  Good enough for 5th place overall and 1st place in my age group!

Hi-Five for Luke!

Hi-Five for Jess!

Thanks for all the support!

Ironman Lake Placid - Part 3: Race Day

Race day started with a 3:45 wake-up call and a ride down to transition from my dad.  Like many others, I was there just before transition opened at 4:30.  Body markers were already outside of transition marking athletes with race numbers and ages before sending them on their way with good luck wishes.  A quick check of my transition bags and some final bike preparations and I would be ready.

Volunteers body mark athletes outside of transition.

#1367

Transition as Eric Heiden looks over his place of Olympic greatness.

The weather was the talk of the week.  The morning was cloudy, but it appeared we were going to dodge the predicted possible thunderstorms.  For now things were dry and you could sense everyone was ready to get the day started.  The swim start was changed from a mass start to a seeded start where athletes were able to seed themselves based on predicted swim times.  This allowed athletes to swim with other athletes of similar swimming ability to limit the amount of bumping in the water.  I warmed-up for a few minutes in the water and then placed myself in the 1 hr - 1 hr 10 min group.  Following a stellar performance of the National Anthem, which echoed through the mountains with each pause, we were ready to go.

Honoring our country during the National Anthem

The swim was two-laps around the rectangular course spanning 2.4 miles total.  Unique to the Lake Placid course, there is an underwater cable marking the swim course, and since the water is clear enough, athletes can follow the cable and not have to worry about siting.  Of course, everyone wants to swim above the cable, so you usually find heavier traffic there.  For the most part, I was comfortable in the water over the 2.4 miles.  I chose to swim the second lap on the cable as much as possible to ensure I was taking the shortest path around the course.  Unfortunately, I did run into some traffic at points, which probably slowed my pace and broke my rhythm at times, but what can you expect with 1500 people in the water.  Overall, I was a fan of the seeded swim start and exited the water with a satisfactory swim time of 1:09:40.

1 of 3 done

Spectators lined the course throughout the day.

After making my way down the street to transition, I was ready for the bike course.  It was highlighted by a mile-and-a-half descent followed closely by a 2-mile descent in the early parts of the course and some challenging climbing toward the end.  Bikers are able to reach speeds of 50 mph if they're willing to let it run on the descents, but unfortunately, when I exited the water, it was raining.  In addition, the roads on the descents were bumpy making handling difficult.  Therefore, I knew I would need to be cautious.

Nice and easy, it's a long ride.

As with every Ironman, the bike needs to be a controlled ride.  The bike course was two laps, and I was conservative on the first making sure to take in a lot of nutrition.  The rain that was falling at the beginning of the bike didn't last long.  The course was mostly dry and the clouds shielded us from any intense sun.  One of the highlights of the first lap on the bike came toward the end on Baby Bear, Mamma Bear, and Pappa Bear, which are the three consecutive hills to end the bike loop.  Spectators lined the road on both sides to cheer us on.  IT WAS AWESOME!  I felt like I was riding in the Tour de France!  It was the perfect adrenaline rush for the end of the first loop.  As we winded our way through town being cheered on by spectators, I was ready to let it run on my second shot at those descents.

Riding through town and ready for lap 2.

The roads were dry, but the ripples in the pavement most likely created by treacherous winters made the descents dangerous.  Most likely topping 40 mph (I didn't dare look at my computer), at one point, I had to squeeze the breaks and clench my bars tightly so as not to crash.  A little scary for sure and a reminder to be cautious.  Continuing to feel good, I tried to take advantage of the rolling hills while keeping in mind I still had a lot to do before the day was done.

Riding through the Adirondacks.

As expected, when I hit about 90 miles on the bike, I could feel my body starting to really fatigue.  After eating so many gels, my stomach was in no mood for any more, but I knew I had to force it down or else pay severely for it on the run.  Trying to keep my effort consistent and my mind poised, I climbed the hills back to transition.  Things were starting to get hard.  The spectators that lined Baby Bear, Mamma Bear, and Pappa Bear were absent, most likely having moved to their spot along the run course to see their athletes.  A couple riders that I had moved ahead of earlier on the bike, had come back to pass me, and I started to seriously doubt my ability to now run the marathon.

As I entered transition, I saw Chad and Jen (Holderbaum) with little Andy cheering me on.  I spent 3:44 in transition changing my gear for the run, but more importantly, I used this time to relax my body and mind.  The truth was, I wanted to stop!  I wanted to be done!  I was tired!  I had already pushed my body into a state of fatigue.  But, there was a job to be done, and it would be done by putting one foot in front of the other.  I wasn't going to quit.

One foot in front of the other for 26.2.

As I left transition and made my way onto the run course, I got a boost from the yells of encouragement from my parents and friends.  It's always helpful to know there are people there supporting you, even if you can't show it at the time.  The run course goes like this, run down some big hills, out and back six miles on some flat roads, then run up the big hills.  Do that twice and you're an Ironman.  Sounds simple, right.  Ah!

I tried to keep a consistent pace that was doable.  Checking my watch, I started out running just over 8-minute miles.  Nothing impressive, but I wasn't trying to impress.  I was trying to finish.  When the day began, I had the goal of finishing in under 10 hrs in the back of my mind, but my calculation now told me that would not happen.  For me, it was now about staying consistent and putting forth my best effort to get to the finish line.  I continued to force calories down my throat walking through each aid station to get sports drink, cola, and the occasional wet sponge.  I couldn't do any more gels.

By the end of the first run loop, my legs were screaming with every step.  My pace had slowed, but I continued to tick off the miles step-by-step.  When I spotted the Olympic Ski Jump shoots that towered above the trees, I prepared myself for the climb up Cascade Road back to Main Street and the finish line.  Most people around me chose to walk the hill, I did not.  While my pace rivaled that of the tortoise, I shuffled up that hill getting encouragement from strangers that appreciated my determination despite my pain and fatigue.

Running with just a few miles to go.

Having conquered the hills and returning to Main Street, there was the formality of finishing the last 2.5 mile out-and-back without cramping.  I knew I had done it!  I thought about Laura, Luke, and our little Matthew, and how Laura puts up with all my training, and how she was willing to stay home with the boys and let me travel almost 600 miles to do something I love just 15 days after she gave birth.  I thought about my Mother-in-Law, Chris, who slept at our house while I was gone to help take care of Luke, and I thought about my parents who had made the trip with me and were unconditionally committed to supporting me.  I would not have been able to do this without the wonderful people in my life.

Rounding the curve with Eric Heiden!

Finishing shoot with the Olympic Torch.

Few more steps.

Love this picture!

I guess that makes me an Ironman.

Ironman Lake Placid - Part 2: Ready to Race

As you know from reading Part 1 of my Ironman Lake Placid experience, Laura and I welcomed Matthew Robert, our second son, into the world on July 13th, just 15 days before the race.  As you would expect with any newborn, they eat, sleep, and poop along with the occasional cry.  Unfortunately, they do these things 24/7.  That means the hours from 9 pm to 6 am are no longer yours.  You're up at best every two hours changing diapers, feeding, burping, and rocking the little one back to sleep.  And know this, you're not reading the blog of some dead-beat dad that has his wife do all those things.  Of course, the feeding is up to Laura because us guys come with a different set of plumbing, but as for the other responsibilities, I can do it all!

Luckily, two weeks prior to an Ironman is the perfect time to start a taper.  I geared things way back from the training I had been doing and was now focused on letting my body rest while trying to stay sharp with some shorter, quicker workouts along with a few days off.  Fortunately, I was able to supplement my sleepless nights with some solid mid-day naps while Luke and Matthew slept too.  The taper also made it easier to spend time hanging out with Luke so that Laura could focus on Matthew's feedings.  Activities like riding the tricycle, hitting tee-ball in the yard, going to the playground, and a trip to the zoo highlighted our days.

With cousin Tyler.

We got to hear the lions roar.

And see the elephants swimming.

That brings us to race weekend.  All racers had to check-in by 5 pm on Friday or else no racing.  Therefore, my parents and I left Friday morning at 3 am to make the nine hour drive to Lake Placid.  You're probably thinking 3 am was a little early, but when you spend the money and put the training into the preparation for an Ironman, you're not going to leave anything to chance.  Aided by some great conversations that probably solved the world's problems (you were wondering why you had such a good week), we arrived in Lake Placid around 12:30 with plenty of time to spare before the 5 o'clock deadline.  The rest of Friday included getting familiar with the town of Lake Placid as well as a cookout at the house Billy (Hughes) and Bruce (Jenkins) rented for the week.  The cookout was awesome!  Many of the Pittsburghers that had come to do the race were there with their families and friends.  I got to meet Kenny, Jeff, and Sarge of Reaction Nutrition as well as many other great people!  Unfortunately, we had such a good time at the cookout that we didn't think to take any pictures.

We've arrived!

Main Street in Lake Placid.

Saturday, as usual, is a day of preparation.  Like many of the athletes, I wanted to make sure my body and my bike were ready for Sunday's race.  I made a couple final adjustments to my bike and went for a 30 minute ride Saturday morning.  It was a refreshingly cool morning with temps in the low 50's, and the scenery of the Adirondack Mountains was calming but exciting.  After rev-ing the engine a little on the bike, I loosened the legs with a 15 minute run trying to transport my mind to tomorrow's marathon.  Overall, I felt good and was really looking forward to racing.  After enjoying a hearty breakfast at the Comfort Inn consisting of scrambled eggs, sausage, and a waffle, I prepared my bike with race numbers, tire changing supplies, and my race nutrition.   All bikes needed to be checked-in before 3 pm.

Breakfast with Mom.

Checking-in my bike and transition bags.

Next, I went over to Mirror Lake to get accustomed to the water and try out my new Helix Blueseventy wetsuit compliments of Ballou Skies.  My old wetsuit was sleeveless so I wanted to be sure I was comfortable in the long sleeves.  In short, the water was great (I could actually see the water was so clear) and the wetsuit was perfect.

Last one in is a ...

The final task of the day was the drive the bike course.  I had heard a lot of the mile-and-a-half descent followed by the 2-mile descent along with the beautiful scenery along the bike course so my parents and I were looking forward to the drive.  Let me just say, it didn't disappoint.

Just one of many scenic river views along the bike course.

White Face Mountain Ski Resort.

Rapids ... Well, kinda.

Many triathletes come to ride the course and volunteer for the race.

Saturday evening I joined Billy, Bruce and his girlfriend Becky, and Eric (Johnson) and his wife Natalie for a pasta buffet dinner at Generations, where you got to pick from a variety of fillers such as mini scallops, artichoke hearts, chicken, roasted peppers, etc., to put in your pasta and then have them cook it right in front of you with your choice of sauce.  I think we all overate, but that's certainly allowed when you're going 140.6 miles the next day. :)  After dinner, I casually walked the mile back to the Comfort Inn taking in the scenes of Lake Placid while enjoying a small vanilla ice cream cone with chocolate sprinkles.  I know you want the details. :)

Generations

A Catholic Church where Saturday evening Mass had just ended.

Lake Placid Movie Theatre

Racers and spectators enjoying a roof-top dinner.

After checking-in with my parents to make sure they were enjoying their own dinner, and talking to Laura one last time to see how she and the boys were doing, I called it a day knowing that I was ready to race.

Ironman Lake Placid - Part 1: The Birth of Matthew Robert

My Ironman Lake Placid experience truly spans the past 12 months.  As you may know, Ironman Lake Placid is the longest running Ironman in North America.  This year was the 15th annual running and to sign-up for the race you need to do one of four things.  First, racers in any given year are given the opportunity to sign-up for the following year's race on the Saturday before the present year's race.  Wow, that sentence is confusing!  Second, race volunteers are given the opportunity to sign-up for the following year's race on the Monday after the present year's race.  Because of this, volunteers come from across the country.  Third, online registration opens at 12:00 pm on the Monday following the present year's race and usually fills in about 15 minutes.  If you're not sitting at your computer refreshing your screen every ten seconds, you're going to miss out.  Finally, Ironman Foundation spots can be purchased after open registration fills, but these spots include a sizable donation, which basically doubles your race registration fee ($650 times 2 is a lot of money).  The reason I'm explaining this is because signing up for an Ironman is a major financial and physical decision that is made 12 months before race day.  In fact, this decision was too much for Laura and I to make in 2011 as I had completely filled out the online registration and payment information, but couldn't commit to clicking the "make payment" button.  However, in July of 2012, I was lucky enough to refresh my screen often enough that I registered for this year's race online.  Following the race registration, I became an expert in Lake Placid lodging as I tried to find the best place to stay for the least money.  If you know Lake Placid, you know it's EXPENSIVE!  Finally, registered for the race and hotel rooms booked for Laura, Luke, and me as well as both my and Laura's parents.  I though to myself, "this is going to be awesome."

Comfort Inn Lake Placid

Let's fast forward 11 months to June of this year.  I've trained through the winter putting in the hours on the bike trainer, running outside in the cold, and enduring 4 am wake-ups to get workouts done before the day begins for most people.  I've finished the school year, which included the added work of the creation of an online remediation course.  I've helped coach the Mount Lebanon track team to a WPIAL Runner-Up Finish and led the 4x100 relay team to a podium finish at WPIAL Finals and a 10th place finish at the State Track Meet at Shippensburg University.  Oh, and Laura and I got pregnant!  Yes, we would be expecting our second son on July 16th, just 12 days before Ironman Lake Placid.  Being the amazing wife that she is, Laura was on board with me doing the race as long as I didn't miss the birth of our son and the delivery went well and everyone was healthy.  However, the travel plans had changed.  It would now only be my parents accompanying me to Lake Placid, and no, we didn't get the deposit back on the unused hotel rooms.

State Track Meet

Lebo 4x100 Relay
From Left: Jake, Dimitri, Chris, Me, Mike, Troy, & Pat

Next, we fast forward to Saturday, July 13, 2013.  Knowing that the baby could come at any time, I had mapped out an 85 mile loop around Pittsburgh that would take me as far as 40 miles and two hours away from our house.  You'd be right if you thought I was crazy for doing this with a pregnant wife.  But, the farthest point on the loop was my sister, Jessica's house.  Then, the loop went through Oakmont and my parents house, and a direct shot back to home.  If necessary, I could have either my sister or parents pick me up along the route and take me home or to the hospital.  Of course, I had my cell phone stashed in one of the back pockets of my jersey in case Laura would call.  This route became my standard "long ride" every weekend in anticipation of the baby.  Well, after spending Friday night in the Emergency room because we thought Laura's water had broken, I saddled up Saturday morning and headed out for my final 100 mile training ride before Lake Placid.  With her mom at our house and my cell phone stashed in my back pocket, I knew Laura was in good hands.

Ok, this isn't actually from that morning, but a picture helps tell the story.

It was a beautiful sunny summer morning.  It was warm, but comfortable as my tired legs turned the pedals.  My thoughts bounced back and forth between the excitement of the arrival of our new son and Ironman Lake Placid.  As I reached my sister's house, I thought about stopping for a quick break, but figured I'd just ride by so I didn't prolong the ride.  No more than 10 minutes later and two or three miles down the road, I heard my phone ring with Laura's unique ring tone.  I truly didn't expect it because of the "pump fake" the night before, but when she said, "my water broke," I explained to her where I was and that I would be riding back to my sister's house and would call her once we were in the car to determine whether I should head home or go to the hospital.  I called my sister, "Jess, I need you to take me either home or to the hospital."  Of course, I figured she would know why, so I didn't tell her.  Little did I know, she thought I had crashed on my bike and needed picked up and taken to the hospital.  Oops!  We clarified the situation moments later in her return phone call.  After racing back to her house on my bike, hitting-up the bathroom, and throwing on my brother-in-law's shorts and t-shirt (he's 6'6" tall), we were in the car headed to West Penn Hospital to meet Laura and her mom.  In fact, we beat them there by about 20 minutes!

Thanks for the ride Jess!

Twelve hours later, Matthew Robert Erdeljac was born at 9:14 and was 8 lbs 3 oz and 20.5 inches long!

The Erdeljacs

Luke & Matthew