Grand Columbian Half-Ironman Race Report

Grand Columbian Half-Ironman Race Report
September 15, 2007
Grand Coulee, WA

The Grand Columbian Half-Ironman had been a goal of mind since I completed my first Olympic distance triathlon at Hagg Lake in July. Shortly after that race, I not only signed up for IM Coeur d’Alene 2008 and the California 70.3, but the Grand Columbian as well. While I felt that I was potentially biting off more than I could chew after only competing in my first Sprint Tri in June, but signed up anyway.

Because of the longer race distance, I gave myself two months to train and attempt to acclimate myself to the increased training volumes requisite to prepare for the 70.3 journey.

Once my taper week arrived, the race was no longer a goal…it was a reality. At that point I began to feel the first twinge of nervousness. During training, even the long five-hour BRICK workouts on Saturdays with the Ironheads, it all seemed academic. The heart rate zones and nutrition interlaced between interval training and race-pace-pickups at Fairmount Loop were to be tested in five days time against the clock.

I arrived in Grand Coulee the day before the race to find that a large wildfire was threatening not only the surrounding hills, but whether or not the race would be run. Two months of training was to be all for not if Mother Nature continued to ravage the nearby hills. The noxious odor of smoke filled the air and visibility was decreasing by the hour. Race officials made a gutsy call to move the race course in hopes that it would put the racers just far enough away from the smoke that we could compete safely.

The night before the race I checked my bike in at the transition area and retrieved my transition bags. After a large Mexican food meal, I attempted to sleep, and looked forward to my 6 AM wake-up call. While this may seem late, the Iron distance race began at 7 AM and the Half-Iron at 9:30, leaving me to race my entire run in the heat of the day.

Race day temperatures were predicted to peak at 88 degrees. While I was not looking forward to running 13.1 miles in that heat, totally exposed, no wind, with two solid up-hills, there was little I could do about it now. After a pancake and oatmeal breakfast, I organized my nutrition for both the bike and run, and arrived at the starting line one hour prior to the gun.

The mass swim start for the men went off at 9:30 and there was a tab bit of pushing and pulling, but nothing that was too vicious. Within twenty strokes, I could taste the smoke in the air as I breathed and began strategizing for the Almira Grade climb that greets you one mile into the bike. The water was in the mid-sixties and was fairly ho-hum. Being that this was my first race at this distance, I decided not the push my swim and excited the water just north of thirty minutes.

T1 took place in a changing tent, which was a new experience for me. I noticed that my main competition was right there with me, so I was looking forward to actually racing them on the bike. After mounting my bike, I hung a left out of T1 and headed directly for the Almira Grade (which averages ~6-8% grade for a couple of miles). My strategy was to spin up the climb and not spike my heart rate, and to use my power reserves to catch people after I reached the top of the grade. About halfway up the climb, I noticed that I could not longer see the Grand Coulee Dam clearly due to smoke. I was still cruising along soaking up the faster swimmers who beat me out of the water. As I neared the top and was above the smoke, I decided to put the pedal down. The next ten miles were a series of sustained uphill rollers with one hell of a crosswind...this is where the interval training paid off. In retrospect, I could have given it a bit more here, but I feared killing my run.

We did not get our first taste of a tailwind until mile fifteen or so. The rest of the ride was fairly straighforward (except for the bumpy HWY 155 which has been dubbed the Infertility Highway), with one more sizeable climb up the Million Dollar Mile, where I was able to pass and hold onto fourth in my age group. I ended up finishing in two hours fifty two minutes. For the record, the re-routed course was 58.3 miles and had 3000 feet of climbing.

The run was an out and back along Banks Lake in the heat of the day. With two good sized hills to further deplete my energy, managing myself was the key. I saddled up next to another competitor who was running my same pace and we talked, all the while cognizant my pace and heart rate. This allowed me to forget about the creeping pain and exhaustion that were slowly setting in. My goal was to place high enough in my Age Group where I would qualify for the 2008 Half-Ironman Nationals, so I was checking everyone’s age as I ran. The heat was radiating off of the pavement and the wind was non-existent. My strategy was to run near the white line so I could at least get a bit of wind from the passing cars.

At this point I realized I was still fourth, and that I needed to keep my pace around an 8:15 to maintain my position. After the turn around, my running partner began to bonk hard, as he had just finished IM Canada two weeks prior, and I took off on my own. Those last six miles were lonely, and I refused to look behind me. After the final uphill section, I turned for home and crossed the line with a smile on my face in 5:19:36 and with a spot sewn up for Nationals.

It was a great day, and I cannot wait until my next Half-Ironman where I can actually race it with the knowledge I gained from this experience.