We began training for this race as
soon as Mooseman 70.3 ended in June 2011.
Our first goal was to find a half-iron distance race later in the summer
since none of us enjoyed the chilly swim in Newfoundland Lake. We liked the area, only around a 4 hour drive or so, if only it were later in the summer. Then we found Timberman70.3. A race put on by the same race director as Mooseman, not far from Newfoundland lake and its in August, YUP!
We arrived at our cabin on
Thursday, were able to settle in and relax for a while. We checked out the area around our cabin to
find some nice tourist type attractions, which gave us plenty of ideas for post
race activities (like drunk go-karting).
That evening Matt and I enjoyed a brief swim in lake Winnipesaukee,
followed by retiring back to our cabin for a healthy meal. 
Thursday morning we found a great
breakfast place. Griddle in the middle
offers a “breakfast hibachi” where you can make your own pancakes at the table.
We all enjoyed some pre-race pancakes
and gave the restaurant four stars. Then
we were off to Gunstock Ski Resort with full bellies for the expo. While it wasn’t the most extravagant expo
ever, it was sufficient. We spent some
time and money (as always happens when surrounded by so much carbon fiber). We met a few fellow athletes before we headed
back. Our plan for the rest of the day
was to drive the bike course of both races (the sprint followed the same
course, just turned around early). Cori
then dropped Jenni, Matt and Myself off at the bike turnaround so we could bike
our way back to the finish. The course
had three notable climbs, but our long rides through the Adirondacks have
tougher climbs so we felt prepared. This
left the three of us smiling all the way to the finish, even in the rain.
Did I mention our cabin had access to not one
but two separate hot tubs? The four of
us enjoyed stretching and relaxing in these.
It made choosing nightly activities very easy. We enjoyed another nice dinner, with some
carbo-loading as Cori prepared for her race Saturday morning. Followed up with some more hot tubbing.
Saturday morning arrived and Cori
was ready to execute her race plan. She
set up her transition area and even made a friend at the bike rack. Lake Winnipesaukee is very shallow along the
beach of Ellacoya state park and she didn’t complain as this made her .3-mile
swim very easy and FAST. She felt very
comfortable on her 15 mile bike ride and ran a 5k that rivaled her fastest
ever. She crossed the finish line with a
smile and enjoyed a celebratory margarita at 9am, which always makes for a good
day.
We all relaxed for a bit before we
hit the expo one last time, then brought our bikes down to transition. When the three of us were satisfied with our
bikes we enjoyed a little three-mile jog from the run start to the turnaround
where Cori picked us up. Happy with
knowing the course we returned to our cabin for a prerace meal prepared by my
mom who drove out to cheer us on.
Another trip to the hot tub and it was off to attempt to sleep.
5 am seems to be the magic time
to arrive. Less than one month before
Matt and I found ourselves in Lake Placid at 5 am. One day after volunteering at the 14th
Lake Placid Ironman, 5 am found us waiting in line to register for the 2013
Lake Placid Ironman. 5 am also found
us arriving at Ellacoya State Park. With
limited parking, this was again the magic time to ensure a good parking
spot.
Lake Winnipesaukee was a near wetsuit Illegal 75 degrees on race morning. Later when we spoke with Heather Wurtele (who won the women’s race by 13 seconds). She stated that she was overheated coming out of the water and would have rather had the race be wetsuit illegal for pros, USAT regulations state that wetsuits are legal for water temps of 78 degrees and lower (76 and lower for pro’s). She followed up that statement with “But I won so I really can’t complain”. Triathlon is one of the only sports where you not only compete alongside (or behind more or less) the professional athletes but also have the opportunity to interact with them.
We all went through our race day
traditions as we checked and double-checked our gear before our swim waves went
off. No guys in my age group were
interested in talking, just quiet and focused, small differences between the
two races. Matt and I saw Jenni of at
7:20, and then realized that we were nearly out of tri-slide (bring on the chafing). With no other option we rationed the last of
it between us, zipped up our wetsuits and warmed up. I watched him head out at 7:45 before I waited
the last 5 quiet minutes before my wave, the final wave of the day went
off.
Myself and about 150 other men
under 30 hit the water at 7:50. My plan
for the first two legs of the race was to stay comfortable and not push too
hard. Unlike Matt who was going hard
(and making great time), Jenni and I were just trying to conserve until the
run. The lake is very clear and made for
a great swim. All three of us improved
on our swim time from last year.
I hopped on my bike and made my way
through the first 10-15 miles which I knew would be the hardest. After a slight hiccup around mile 20 caused
me to lose a bottle of my Infinite Nutrition custom blend I saw Jenni and
Matt going the other direction on the out and back course. The way back was un-eventful, I continued to
follow my plan and watch my wattage, not a easy task. I ate and drank as much as I could as my plan was to get as many calories in my body
as possible, and I did. I later found
that I still need to adjust this plan. I
arrived at transition feeling good. My
legs felt good, I was mentally strong, just 13.1 miles until beer.
I hit the run course with a pace in
mind but an overall goal of just running the whole thing. The first few miles clicked off well, not on
pace but over all well. I passed Matt
and Jenni on their way back. We offered
words of support to each other knowing what the other was feeling We were each alone at this point though. The run portion of a race this long is
something you need to just dig deep and finish.
Matt proved this by running a solid time hunched over with a killer side
stitch the entire time.
Digging deep is what I was doing on
my way back out for my 2nd loop.
Matt had finished in a great time of 5:09. Jenni was well on her way to a fantastic time
of her own of 6:27. My stomach began to
bother me at the end of the 1st loop and at this point my caloric
deficit was catching up to me. The race
had taken its toll. I managed a one foot infront of the other attitude for the final part of the 2nd loop, picking up to a solid run again on the
final mile thanks to Cori coming to find me and offer support. I finished with a smile in 7:17, and drank
some beer. It was a very successful race
weekend. Four PR’s on a beautiful,
well-organized course. The crowd support
and volunteers were great. As athletes
who have volunteered we fully appreciate the time and energy it takes to
volunteer. It was finally time for us to
celebrate.
We began with some dinner. Most of us couldn’t really eat too much, but
we ate a little and brought it back to our cabin. I followed this by falling asleep rather quickly. Matt hobbled across the road to the Lobster
Roll restaurant that had been taunting him all week and enjoyed a post race
splurge. Something we were all planning
on doing for the next three days, we felt that we had earned it.
Beer, hot tub, repeat… That’s
pretty much how the rest of the week went.
We spent some time on Weirs beach with Matt’s family when they came to
visit. Drank more beer, played some
horseshoes and made a gin and tonic or two.
Rest and recovery are very important after a race and we definitely take
it seriously. Tuesday evening found us
searching for an open bar, which would take a few tries. After a few more pints Matt and I found
ourselves stumbling up to the go-kart track, about to embark on some drunken
go-karting. It was looking like it would
be us versus a pack of teenagers. Sadly
it ended up with Matt and I chasing each other around the track, which was
still fun.
All in all it was a successful
trip. One that we plan on doing again
for sure…Timberman 70.3, we’ll be back.
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