Columbia Triathlon Race Report – Solis Athlete Pat Spencer
June 1, 2010 by admin
Filed under Race Reports
This was my first time racing at the Columbia Triathlon, which was celebrating its 27th anniversary. This was also my first experience in a race with a pro field. These pros included a multiple time Ironman champions, a blazingly fast up and comer in the pro field, and the woman who set the course record last year. These and other factors had me incredibly excited for this early season race.
Columbia, Md., is a planned community near Baltimore, MD right off of I-95.. There is a large number of places to both stay and eat all of which were reasonably priced. The road trip also gave Elyse, and I had a chance to visit with friends we don’t often get to see.
Going into the race, I was told by Keith and Michelle Cook, of the challenges and personalities of the course. For this early in the season, I felt comfortable with my fitness, though wish the weather had provided more opportunities for outdoor training, and open water swimming. I had been working on my strength in the winter season and was excited to use this new found strength and power.
I drove the bike course and was amazed at the hills in Maryland. Who knew Maryland was so hilly? While not chain breakers, these rollers were placed in conjunction with turns and curves that make the bike course challenging. Previewing the course was a real help as it provided me the visual cues and markers to anticipate come on race day.
I did not heed Keith’s advice, and did not preview the entire run course. I did run the path around Centennial Park, but did not venture out into the surrounding neighborhood. On race day I came to regret that decision. Most of the 6.2 mile run, was contained in Centennial Park, along an asphalt running path. Approximately, 2 miles are in a neighborhood next to the park, and that is where the fun was. Within the park were 2 short but steep hill. To exit the park all racers must face a longer and steeper hill. Holy burning quads!! In addition to the big hills are also a series of smaller hills. I never knew if I was conquering the last hill of the race, or if there was another one around the bend.
Race day started as usual, early rise and some breakfast. From our hotel room we looked out the window and saw torrents of rain. I made sure to stow my gear in such a way as to stay dry, but be easily accessible in transition. Bike check was the night before, so that was one less thing to worry about. A down side to a race this size was that I was in one of the last heats. This meant clearing transition approximately 2 hours before my wave would start. I wish I could have just slept in!
Because my heat started over an hour after the first heat I had the opportunity to watch the pros start, to stretch, and mentally focus on the tasks ahead. I was greatly relieved when the rain stopped right after the first wave went off, and thankfully the rain stayed away for the rest of the race. The 1500 meter swim course was a unique shape that finishes around an island. This makes the finish not visible from the start. I started, relaxed and found a rhythm. All the hours in the pool and strength training had paid off. While no two courses are ever exact, I showed an almost 4 minute improvement in my split at this distance! I was pleased with my performance. I exited the water knowing I had a decent split, and confident that the bike would go well.
The staging area at this race was at the bottom of a hill. Entering and exiting the bike course on wet grass presented a real challenge, my bike cleats were extra useful, in that they helped me have traction on this slippery hill.
The bike course was challenging, but not as daunting as I had pictured. I successfully navigated the hills, the roundabouts, and the S curves. I remained constant with my cadence and gear selection knowing there was a tough run ahead. On the bike I felt increasingly confident as I yelled out “on your left” many times, and was subsequently humbled toward the end of the bike course when 2 women flew past me as if I was standing still. I know in the future with that race familiarity I can save some time on the course. My overall bike split was about the same overall time as my split on a less challenging Olympic course last August. I hope that with my fitness so far ahead of last year, that will provide great things the rest of the season.
Both of my transitions were great considering the conditions. My running shoes, socks, and eye glasses were all stowed in plastic bags, so they were dry. The dry running shoes made for a much more comfortable run.
Although the run time was nearly my best at the 10K distance off a bike, it was humbling. The hills just beat up what juice was left in my legs. Boy was I regretting not previewing the course the day before. My mantra on the run, was “just keep running, c’mon legs keep moving, this has to be the last hill”. Instead of focusing on the hills, or on how tired my legs were, I tried to focus on posture, form and cadence. The finish of the race is flat, around the lake. I pushed to go a little faster, and to have strong finish. I was able to finish near the top of my age group, in the top third of all competitors, and had a decent time. Although I did not come home with any hardware I did leave the race happy with my performance. I had many areas I improved on from last year, and a better understanding on what I need to work on before my next big race.
The race was so well run; the community and volunteers really embraced to have the race there. The spirit and atmosphere of the park were great for both competitor and spectator. This is defiantly a race I will keep on my list for the future, and highly recommend it. Now time for me to get some more hills in and get ready for Timberman!
