Dun Laoghaire IM 70.3 Race Report

Dun Laoghaire is situated just south of Dublin at a Sea side resort area of Eastern Ireland.  It's a lovely little town that virtually shuts down for the race.

I entered this race mostly because I wanted to visit Ireland again but I always like to race on my vacation trips.  I knew it would be a challenge but I'd done a lot more training and felt that while it would be challenging, I had a good chance to complete it. 

Long story short, I DNF'd.  I was sad to end the race where I did.  You'll see why it ended if you keep reading.  

A few major differences in a European race that are important to note

1. You MUST wear your bib on the bike

2. This race is wetsuit mandatory

3. Your bike must be race ready and will be checked over carefully

4. Transition bags MUST be turned in at bike check in the day before.  

5. You do NOT have access to transition bags on race morning.  (PLAN AHEAD!) 

I didn't sleep well the night before.  My cousin arrived that day and I spent most of the afternoon going to and from Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Sandyford and back to Dun Laoghaire back to Sandyford and then eating a fast food meal for dinner.  It wasn't conducive to the most relaxing day before prep.  Combined with jet lag still affecting me since I had only arrived the day before, I'm sure that had an effect although I wasn't really feeling it that morning.  

The day began at Sandy Cove.  We all left transition by 6:50 to head about 1/2 mi south of the transition area to the beach.  It's a small beach area so we were to be time trail starting into the water.  However, once the pros started, a heavy fog rolled in stopping all activity for over an hour.  While we waited, I chatted with quite a few locals that do the race each year.  They were pretty nonchalant about the water situation..they know the weather is capricious in Ireland, especially on the coast.  We shared a few laughs and I enjoyed the wait but it began to feel cold and the adrenalin faded and my nutrition was diminishing in that hour.  

As the race director discussed the situation, they made several announcements about trying to work out at least a short swim.  I could see that was the best solution because not having a swim meant a time trial bike start with all of us lined up about 5 wide in a narrow road having to head 1/2 mile north to transition.  It would be pretty chaotic if that had to happen.  I tried to remain calm and accept the situation but I knew my chances of holding out without any nutrition or water as we waited was a problem.  

Finally they announced we would have a shortened swim.  "Swim to the second buoy and turn left to the finish."  We hurried into the water and it was closer to a mass start than a time trial start.  It was a washing machine and I got kicked and pushed and punched a few times.  At the turn I saw the finish and kicked into high gear to the finish...at about 200 yds from shore, I was stopped along with about 200 of us at a kayak and told to turn left (NO BUOY!) to an orange buoy about 100 yards away and make a right turn to the finish.  (WTH?)  So did that but it really delayed my swim time.  This didn't help my system any.  

I was quite proud that despite about 58F water, I got in quickly and with my new HUUB wetsuit I was able to swim rapidly with no panic attack issues.  I really enjoyed the swim except that it should have been faster.  My Garmin said 23 mins.  I have no idea how long it was.  Longer than it should have been.  

I got onto the wobbly exit ramp and hobbled to transition tent.  I grabbed my bike bag and changed rapidly.  I ran out ahead of a lot of people still in the tent but as I ran I got asked three times if I had my race number.  YES!  (tattoos on my arms and numbers on my helmet and my bike...for me this was the right answer).  However, the race official stopped me at my bike.  "Where is your race number?"  I replied again all the places where my number was. "Your race number!"  She points to a bib.  OH!  my bib?  "yes," she says "everyone knows you must wear it!"  I told her that wasn't required in the US on the bike, only the run. "well you have a penalty"  I asked if I should go get it in my transition run bag. "NO!  it's too late, you have a penalty of 30 sec!"  I nearly laughed.  Sadly I said "oh, okay. " and ran out.  

I had a pretty good start on the bike.  My speed was slower in the beginning as I tried to get my equilibrium back, get some water and nutrition into my system and get situated on the bike.  The first 10 miles were okay.  However after that the hills started.  These are not like hills I've done anywhere except Worlds Las Vegas.  Very steep, long, high hills with long fast declines after and another long climb, over and over and each subsequent climb is harder than the last.  By mile 20 I was flagging but the hills were still getting steeper.  I walked up the first of three hills at 20.  I knew if I could make it to mile 26, I'd be golden because you are going downhill the whole way back.  The real problem for me was that I didn't know the course well and had no idea how much effort to use or how fast to let myself fly down the hills.  I encountered at least four people who wiped out at the bottom of the long fast descents.  One broke a collar bone, another looked dazed and confused.  

The weather was overcast and the shady ride didn't make for a hot sweaty ride but I was using a lot of energy going up.  My fastest ascent was about 12 mph but a lot were closer to 5-6 and the last few were 3-4 mph.  When it got that slow, I was walking faster than I was riding.  

At mile 24 an official came up behind a group of us and said we should quit because we weren't going to make the cutoff.  We all wanted to continue anyway.  Only 2 more miles and we'd be going down!  Why quit now?  We kept going.  The hill that finally got me was at least 1/2 mile long and so steep I was walking. My legs were screaming and my heart was not in it after that official took my mojo.  I know he was trying to help but it really knocks you off your focus to have someone say you should just quit.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ergWyCYalw

So at nearly the top of the mountain I hoped to scale, I gave up and put my bike (Ruthless, not my best bike) into the van and climbed in behind her.  I was very sad to do this.  I've NEVER given up on a race before.  It felt like such a huge failure.  I did enjoy the scenery a great deal though, and true to doing races on vacation, I got to see some great views from the best vantage point.  

It took nearly a hour to get back down the mountain to Dun Laoghaire and back to transition where about 20 other people were waiting.  They were people who were ahead of me that I had traded places with all morning who had been swept off the course.  

We were processed out and some were quite a bit more depressed about that situation than others.  

While it wasn't a finish, I did enjoy the morning.  It all ended about noon 8/25/19.  

What caught most of us was that the cut offs were not extended with the late start.  Had I had another 1/2 hour, that would have been sufficient for me to complete the bike in time.  However, since we didn't get in the water until 8 and I wasn't on the course until almost 9, I had lost an hour of time.  I wasn't able to move fast enough to make up that loss.  

I might have done so had I known the course better.  I could have taken those downhills a lot faster than I did but I didn't know what was waiting at the bottom.  I was on my brakes more than usual for those descents trying to be safe.  Possibly I could have picked up 10 mins by going faster but I might have ended the race in an ambulance instead so I think I made the right choices.  

Apparently next year is the last year for this location.  I'm going to have to try again.  I took my cousin up Wicklow to show her the amazing scenery the next day and met several women who were obviously triathletes.  They were locals but had not done the race because they were "too scared of the hills"  even though they rode them regularly.  I told them they had to do it next year.  They said "oh yes, it's the last chance!"  We agreed to meet again on the course next year.  Next year, Winning Colors will be my steed.  I love Ruthless, she's a workhorse for me, but Winning Colors is the Stallion.  

My second trip to Ireland after 24 years and I'm enjoying it far more than I did the first time.  Ireland has changed a great deal since then.  Society is more open and accepting.  There are bike trails everywhere and drivers look out for cyclists.  I find everyone is very relaxed and willing to chat and joke a bit.  And of course the Irish wit is always entertaining.  

So my tri season is ended with a wimper but hopes for the future.  Now to see the rest of Ireland!  Already visited the Central and National libraries in Dublin and found important new information about my ancestors.  Hope to find more in the next couple days in Ballina.  

DNF>DQ>DNS

  

Hey Athletes,

I'm seeing so many posts recently on reactions to DNFs. First if you're not up with the acronyms, here's what they mean:

DNF  DID NOT FINISH  You began the race, but ended it prior to an official finished in regulation time for some reason
DQ  DISQUALIFIED You broke a rule and your race ended without an official finish
DNS  DID NOT START You did not cross the start line and thus officially did not race
DFL  DEAD FREAKING LAST  no explanation required

I've seen some comments like
"So depressed, this race was the worst...DNF."  "I want to quit"  "Such a hard race ended with a DNF, and now I just feel terrible"


I certainly understand that sentiment.  My first DNF as also my first half iron.  I chose a tough race to try for my first long distance and because of delayed sign ups, my friends did not go.   I was committed by that time though so I was in Hawaii at HONU 70.3 alone with no help and no idea what I was in for.  It was a very tough race.  I was using a pretty heavy bike and while I had trained, I had in no way trained for the rigors that race placed in my path.  At mile 40, my right foot was extremely painful and I had to get off the bike and walk up the last 10 ft of a hill.  That last 16 miles along King's Hgwy was bordered by lava fields and the heat had accumulated all day and it was like riding in an oven.  I was just exhausted by the time I got to the the bike finish.  I walked up to the transition area and the lady there said "you're done" and I said yes I am! Not understanding that I had missed the cutoff....by 3 minutes.  The person in front of me missed by 3 seconds!  I cried.  I won't lie I felt terrible.  I hated that I had failed.  I knew my friends were watching my progress and were disappointed in me and I was disappointed in myself.  I had planned to stay in Hawaii and have a week's vacation so I had the spector of that failure to sort out during that following week.  I pouted for several days.  By Wednesday I decided I wasn't done and got online and signed up for Steelhead later that summer. I then had my week of vacation and enjoyed my trip.  When I got home I started training again.  Long story short I managed to finish and the roll down resulted in an opportunity to race at World's in Las Vega that same  year. Since I had no idea that might happen I didn't have any way to pay the $300 you had to pay that moment to sign up so my coach paid it and I was headed to the 70.3 world championship after failing my first 70.3.  I did that race too and came in nearly DFL but not quite.  It was a race with driving rain, heat, humidity, and lots and lots of hills.  The bike course had a driving rain and there were elite racers wiping out all around me as I rode those hills, one nearly hit me. I also had no help on that race.  This race was one where you started at one place and ended at another nearly 20 miles away.  UBER wasn't around then so I had to beg the van driver to let me take my bike on the van to get back to my car.  I was shot after that race.  I couldn't believe I finished it.  Nearly 9 hours on that course.  They had to mail my hat because they ran out.

And to think I was going to do ONE 70.3 that year and be done.  Instead, I did 3 (nearly).  The following year I did 3 more and the year after that I did 2 plus a full ironman.  I've done many more since and some were DNFs but none were DQ or DNS.  A few I wanted to DNS and a few I wanted to just walk off the course, but despite the few more DNFs I got, I never again was prevented from running through the finisher chute.  While I had no official time, I did do the complete courses.

Along the way I've had flat tires, clips that wouldn't hold on a course with 2500 ft of climbing, my garmen battery died, my front brake dragged for 10 miles at the start of one course, fogged goggles and panic attacks, a bee sting, miscalculations on nutrition...you name it I've probably had it.  Last year was one of the worst years for my racing.  I nearly decided to quit doing tris after last year.  I had almost nothing but DNFs or problems.  It was depressing.  I'd also gained more weight due to stress and was having a very hard time losing it and had not been doing weights so my overall tone and strength had declined.

So what did I do?  I BOUGHT A NEW BIKE AND DOUBLED DOWN...PLUS I ADDED WEIGHT TRAINING AND JUMP ROPE TO MY TRAINING.

All told, I think triathlon is a sport that presents many many challenges both in training, planning and competing.  You are affected by weather and course conditions as well as your own mental and physical condition.  But that's what I love about it.  It's as much a sport for your mind as it is for your spirit and body.

It takes a lot to be a triathlete:

Resilence to bounce back from failure and disappointment
Persistence to keep training and to keep racing when it gets very tough
Intelligence to plan for a race and execute it
Desire to keep improving performance
Sense of humor to keep from drowning in disappointment
Curiosity to keep learning about yourself and the sport
Adaptability to all kinds of weather conditions
Preparedness for anything

Of the athletes I admire most, it's rarely the talented ones.  I admire those folks who start from a tough spot and build themselves into athletes. I admire those who had a set back and returned from it.  I admire those that faced a challenge and worked it out.  I admire those who kicked cancer or injury and returned to race again.  I admire those who challenged their body issues and overcame them. I admire those who, with few resources, manage to race in this expensive sport.  I admire those aging athletes who are still excelling.

Pros and elites are amazing people for sure and I'm sure they have their challenges and work very hard, but I've been a talented athlete in another sport and I can tell you I never realized just how tough it is to compete in a sport where you are not talented, but love it anyway, until I became a triathlete.

So if you've suffered from a DNF or had a DNS or DFL or DQ, take heart.  Triathletes never quit.  You'll bounce back and probably be a much better athlete for it.

Without those DNFs last year, I would never had put so much effort into weight training or jump rope.  And it made a huge difference this year.  I just had a 43 min PB (personal best) on an OLY in FL last month.  I doubt I would have accomplished that without those DNFs to challenge my thinking about my training or pushing me to ask myself why I was having so much trouble.

Your last race isn't the end of the world.  It may just be the beginning of a whole new one.  

Race nutrition

Racing Season gets serious about now as Athletes approach their A races.
It may be a triathlon or marathon or it could be a 5K.  It's YOUR season so you get to designate YOUR A race.  No matter what, it's a good idea to "dial in your nutrition" during training.

Good race nutrition should accomplish the following
1. Provide sufficient fuel, electrolytes and hydration for you to complete the race as you plan (PR or time focus or HR focus,etc)
2. Provide sufficient fuel,electrolytes and hydration for you to walk away from the race feeling good, maybe not do another one the next day, but at least able to function and go about regular living
3. Provide fuel, electrolytes and hydration without making your stomach upset

If you can finish a race without being seriously dehydrated and able to continue life normally, you have accomplished a pretty tough goal.  Why is that?

Racing can provide a lot of internal chemicals and hormones that allow us to ignore our basic needs.  Adrenalin can make us feel invincible and as though we don't need much nutrition.  Our thirst mechanism can shut down.  Endorphins can dull or nullify pain making it seem we are in much better shape than we are.  Dehydration can dull our senses and our thought/critical thinking processes.
So the time to figure out your race nutrition is NOT DURING THE RACE!

Some things to consider before you choose your nutrition:
1. How much do you sweat?
2. What do you expect race conditions to be?  Cold? (more carbs, maybe some protein and fat) Windy? (More hydration) Hot? (more electrolytes and hydration)
3. How fast will you go, where is your target HR?  If lower, you will be using more fat and might be able to use fewer carbs.  If going fast (>85% HR) you may need carbs.
4. How long will you be racing?  Races of 1.5-2 hours at high speed can be done without consuming much fuel (still need to hydrate!) because your muscles have about 2 hours of glycogen (the fuel your muscles use to move).  If you are going longer, you will want to fuel and replace lost glycogen.
5. How many calories per hour?  Top athletes can use 200-500 cal per hour depending on how much work they are doing.  Most AG athletes will be using 100-200 cal per hour depending on your race distance and energy expenditure.

Terri's Nutrition Plan
Over 11 years of racing and allergies to whey, soy and citric acid, I have had to experiment with my nutrition a lot.  I can tell you what I use but it's very esoteric.
Day before the race:  Precision Hydration 1500 packet in bottle of water, plus lots of water and carbs.
Pre race:  Smoothie with fruit, almond milk, 1/2 scoop  Base Performance Amino Acid Powder, Ucan Endurance Powder, 1/2 X2 Performance vial, Vector 450 , 1/2 packet of precision hydration 1000.  Tea with milk and honey and Clove Oil.
Race: Pre swim: 1 gu plus water remaining 1/2 X2 performance vial, water
Bike:  Short course: 1 bottle Iced Tea, 1 bottle water with UCAN unflavored powder 1/2 scoop and Precision Hydration 1000 packet, 1 bottle pure water. HUMA gel and sport beans as needed.  Long course: 1 bottle Iced tea, 1 bottle pure water, 1 bottle 1/2 scoop UCAN+ X2 full vial+ Base Aminos full scoop+ 2 scoops Base Salt+ 2 tablets Vector 450. HUMA gel and sport beans as needed.  Goal 1 bottle water per hour minimum, plus half the mix bottle plus half tea bottle.
Run: 1 vial Base Performance Salt tabs, 1 package sport beans/ 3 miles,   carry water bottle, longer races, I use pretzels, coke and oranges as my stomach can tolerate at the last half of the race.
Post race:  Water, Base Aminos and Vector 450.

I didn't start out with this complicated mix.  I added, switched and changed my mind about what I wanted many times.  I've tried a lot of things!  I know I cannot tolerate these items on the race course:  potato chips, bananas, chocolate, cinnamon, apple, coffee flavors of anything.  Any color except orange Gatorade. Clif bars or other whey bars, cookies.  I avoid these things to save my stomach.

Secret weapon:  Small bottle of Peptobismol in my bike pack has saved more than one race. 

Thus, consider your options when you can focus on your needs.  My best advice?
READ THE INGREDIENTS LISTS!

Article on various nutrition items for runners 

10 reasons why you should read all ingredients lists
1.  Athletes should know why they are putting in their body
2. You need to know if the nutrition hydrates, provides electrolytes or carbs or protein or fat.
3. Not knowing what is in a product can make you sick or ruin a race by not providing enough or too much of something.  (Recently a coach told me about switching from one salt tablet to another, forgetting during the race that the new table had twice the salt!..That could have been very bad but he survived.)
4. You need to know what's in everything so you can plan when to consume it
5. You need to know how long it will take to digest, and what effect it will have
6. You need to know if you can handle the flavor mixes.  (IMHO chocolate, coffee and other very dense flavors are not good during a race, they make me sick immediately and I cannot consume them)
7.  You may be allergic or want to avoid certain chemicals
8. Races provide a lot of these various products...it's good to read the athlete guide to know what is on the course to determine if you  want their products or if you will need to carry a variety of types, gels, beans, blocks, bars, liquid powders...
9. You could learn something about new ingredients you've never heard of like Maltodextrin or Chia seeds
10.  Why wouldn't you want to know?  How will you plan unless you do?

Some general types of race nutrition to consider from liquids to solids to powders

Liquids: yes all these can be used

• Gatorade & Power Ade  electrolyte drinks with flavor and some sugar
• Chocolate Milk  Cows milk, chocolate and other stuff
• Whey drinks  Protein drinks, similar texture to Chocolate milk, high protein focus using a variety of sources:  Hemp, Pea, Rice, Milk etc. 
• PH Balanced Water drinks: Water at PH  7+ to reduce acidity in the body
• Electrolyte water drinks  Water with electrolytes and no flavor
• Carbonated drinks Cola  Coke is used in Ironman, tends to have high caffeine sugar and Potassium which appears to be helpful 
• X2 Performance by Ironman, small vials of liquid with ingredients to help performance and recovery. 

Semi Solids, Gels, Gus 

• Hammer Gel, Clif Shot, GU, HUMA etc are packets about ketchup packet sized with about 100 calories of sugar in a gel that can be slowly consumed.  They vary somewhat in calorie content, ingredient lists, flavors and texture.  Can have Caffeine
• Shot blocks, Gummy Bears, Honey stinger chews are slightly larger than a nickel and are semi solid with about 20 calories each in packages of about 100 calories.  These require chewing and come in a variety of flavors.  Can have caffeine

Solids, Beans and Bars

• Sport Beans: 100 calorie packs that provide some sugar and electrolytes, come with and without caffeine.
• Nutrition Bars: Ucan, Base Performance Bars, Honey Stinger Waffles, Clif Bars, etc   These come in a wide variety of flavors and ingredients.  Many focus on providing protein and carbs but they vary greatly in what is contained.   Some, like Honey Stinger Waffles, contain NO protein whereas others do.  Consuming protein during an endurance race is not often necessary.  Most protein bars are best for before or after the race, not during.  

Here is the list of Clif bar peanut butter bar ingredients:

INGREDIENTS

Soy Protein Isolate, Beet Syrup, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Cane Syrup, Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Peanuts, Organic Soy Protein Concentrate, Natural Flavors, Organic Oat Fiber, Vegetable Glycerin, Cocoa‡, Rice Starch, Sea Salt, Cocoa Butter‡, Soy Lecithin, Organic Sunflower Oil, Mixed Tocopherols (Antioxidant).

VITAMINS & MINERALS

Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Oxide, Ascorbic Acid (Vit. C), DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit. E), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vit. B1), Beta Carotene (Vit. A), Niacinamide (Vit. B3), D-Calcium Pantothenate (Vit. B5), Riboflavin (Vit. B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vit. B6), Ergocalciferol (Vit. D2), Cyanocobalamin (Vit. B12), Potassium Iodide.

ALLERGEN STATEMENT

Contains peanuts and soy. May contain tree nuts, milk, and wheat.

For comparison, here is the list for honey stinger ingredients:
Ingredients: Organic wheat flour, organic palm fruit honey, organic rice syrup, organic cane sugar, organic honey, organic whole wheat flour, organic soy flour, sea salt, organic soy lecithin, organic spices, baking soda.

Powders, tablets

• Ucan Hydration and Energy Powders Ucan Energy powder contains a super starch proven to raise blood sugar level and keep it there longer than other carbohydrates.  
• Heed, Perpetuem, Precision electrolyte powder, Skratch electrolyte powders  Electrolyte powders normally provide mostly electrolytes, flavor and small amounts of sugar for taste, not for fuel.  
• Nuun Tablets Enduralytes FIZZ are fizzy tablets you drop into your water for electrolytes and light flavor
• Base Performance Aminos; Comes in two flavors, provides NO calories, only the amino acids that your body needs for continued endurance racing.  These are the building blocks of protein already in the form your body can use without digestion.  
• Salt Tablets, Base Performance Salt,  Enduralytes tablets  provide pure NACL to bump up your salt consumption quickly.  Tablets must be digested but pure salt begins going into the system in the mouth. 
• Vector 450 Tablets, Immunoglobulin that reduces inflammation from exercise 

SIPE and Heat Training

 I had a couple of conversations recently about two topics that most triathletes should really know.  

1. SIPE : Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema  

2. The effects of heat training on your body

SIPE 

Let's start with SIPE.  I don't want to scare you but you certainly should know what this is and the symptoms because it could mean life or death for you or someone you know. 

In slang terms it's "drowning from the inside" because your lungs fill with water.  There are a few swimming deaths each year in triathlons and some of these appear to be due to SIPE. 

What happens is that pressure from outside the body causes the body to send water to the lungs.  Symptoms are a cough, blood tinged spit and shortness of breath.  If you are volunteering at the swim, you should know about this and look for these symptoms.  If you are experiencing these symptoms, it's time to get out of the water.  You cannot wait it out and continue swimming.  Essentially your race is over if you begin to have these symptoms.  Ignoring them can lead to death.  

Training in Heat

I was talking to someone today who asked me why I was out riding and running in such hot conditions.  I explained that there are significant benefits to training in the heat for athletes.  The link in the title is an article that cites scientific research on why training in heat is so good for you.  This article indicates that blood volume increases but my comment was that the body is encouraged to build new capillaries to dissipate heat more rapidly which would explain a need for more blood volume with no increase in blood pressure.  Apparently your oxygen efficiency goes up (VO2 max improves) and your sweat rate goes up, which we would all agree happens.  In fact your body continues to dissipate heat long after you stop exercising indicating your metabolism is amped up  as well.  So when you're out there sweating and struggling with high heat, imagine the good things your body is doing to make you a better athlete and perhaps you'll have more tolerance for it.  I know I do!  

OWS Training Aug 20! 

Don't forget about the upcoming last OWS session at Ohio Street Beach Aug 20.  This last session includes the course talk which means you can skip the course talk at the expo/packet pick up.  It's worth it to not only get some good swimming training in but also save yourself the 45 min course talk at packet pick up.  You get a bracelet after the talk indicating you have attended.  If you still want to try out  a wetsuit, you can rent one there.  All the Tri coaches in Chicago volunteer at these events so you get access to some of the best coaches in the city!