9 Months to Tri

[Brett] I’m one of the “experienced” triathletes that’s working with Chris. Apparently I am not nearly as experienced as I like to think; sometimes it takes a situation like I had on Sunday to make me realize that fact.

On Sunday, October 7 I competed in the BASSMAN 70.3 Triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 58 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) in New Jersey. While there’s always more room for additional training, I felt ready for the event. This season I had completed about 20 triathlons ranging from sprints to olympic distance as well as training for long runs for my first marathon coming up in November. Gear-wise, I’m always well-prepared. I’d packed everything but the kitchen sink into my car for the drive to NJ and triple-checked to make sure I had everything. I’m usually the guy who has 2 of everything at the race and ends up lending it out to other racers. I was also meticulous about my nutrition for the event. My favorite fuel food on race day starts with an almond butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread and sometimes there’s a banana in there as well. I’ve found that this is the perfect blend of nutrients for endurance events, and made sure to make 3 sandwiches - one for 5:00am, one about 6:00am and an extra one just in case. I also whipped up several bottles of HEED (High Energy Electrolyte Drink) that always works great. I was ready to go!

Race morning was great; my son Ian was volunteering so we got to the race at 5:00 for a 7:00 start - plenty of time to hydrate and get ready. I didn’t gauge how much water I drank, but it seemed like I was hydrating well. As I pulled my drinks out of my bag I noticed an ice cold Vitamin Water (Energy) that looked appetizing, so I drank that first. Then I got the great idea to fill up the (4) 6-oz bottles on my fuel belt with some water from my bottle and my HEED shaker bottle. These should be great during the 85-plus degree heat for the run. What I failed to realize was that I hadn’t drank ANY electrolytes or taken anything in with my dinner last night or breakfast that had a decent amount of salt. By putting my HEED into my run bottles, I forgot that I didn’t drink what was to be my pre-race bottle. I also realized that I forgot to put my bottle cages back on my bike, I’d removed them for the shorter distances I’d been racing and had only been using my aero bottle on my handlebars. I wasn’t worried because that’s all I used in AZ last year for a 70.3 and it was perfect; I just refilled each time I passed the aid station (there were 4).

I felt great going into the swim, and hit my mark of close to 40 minutes for the 1.2 miles. I’m not a fast swimmer, but I have no issue being in the middle of the pack in the water. The bike felt great for the first 20 miles; it was awesome to see Ian directing traffic at one of the most important turns of the course. As I passed he yelled: “You’re doing great dad, I’m so proud of you!” and I rode off beaming with pride and confidence. 8-10 miles later, something started going wrong. The water that I had on my bike was gone, and there was only one bottle swap at mile 29. By the time I picked up that bottle and poured it into my aero bottle I knew I was in trouble. For the last hour and a half in 85-degree temperature I’d only consumed 16oz of water and no electrolytes, and I was starting to fade. At that point I should have drank the entire Accelerade they handed me and circled back for another to fill my bottle… I say “should have” because I didn’t. When I passed Ian at mile 39, I did something I never thought I’d do; I got off my bike and gave him a hug. As proud as I was of him being out there doing a great job, I also used the hug for a chance to catch my breath. Then something that I find REALLY funny happened. Ian was out on the course with nothing to drink for 2 hours by now, so he helped himself to a big slurp of the remaining liquid in my bottle. I had rationed a few sips to make it the last 19 miles, but he’s my kid and I love him - if he’s thirsty then go ahead. I knew I wasn’t going to make that liquid last much longer, and it made him feel better. I re-mounted the bike and rode about 10 more miles before the road looped back to Ian again, where he yelled across the road “My feet hurt from standing so long” and I chuckled to myself. I said “Great job, I love you!” and all I really wanted to say was “How much do you think my WHOLE body hurts right now, kid?”

The last 10 miles of the bike were hell. My back and neck started stiffening up, so I stood a few times and stretched - then my legs started cramping severely. First my hamstrings flared so I altered my stroke a bit, then my quads turned into rocks. The cramping just got worse and worse over the rest of the distance and I couldn’t wait to get off the bike and stretch before the run. I passed a woman who was competing in the international distance and said “Just a few more miles” to which she replied sardonically “Great, then I have to run”. I was actually looking forward to the run, I’d been training all year on my running endurance and figured I could stretch the cramps out from my legs that were increasing every stroke. Just before transition there was a little wooden bridge that a woman in front of me slowed down for and I passed her momentarily until she stood and cranked for the remaining 200 yards to transition. Right at that moment I knew I was in trouble - there was NO WAY I could have done that in my condition. Little did I know that about a minute later my whole race would come crashing down in front of me.

When I hit the dismount area in front of transition I knew my legs were going to be sore, so I dismounted as carefully as I could by swinging my right leg back off the saddle and standing to the left of the bike. Maybe “standing” is an incorrect term as I found myself stuck in a crouch like I was over an invisible toilet. Folks around me didn’t realize what was going on for 10-15 seconds as I stood there frozen - I’d locked up with cramps so bad I couldn’t move my legs… at all. Both quads looked like a fist was popping out of them and my hammies were shooting off like fireworks too. I couldn’t straighten or bend either leg, so there I was — stuck crouching with my bike in my right hand. I was so amazed at what was happening that I didn’t say a word until folks asked me if I needed help. I muttered “Yes” and some guy grabbed my bike and someone else called for a medic. 2 big guys carried me over to the cart in that crouched position and I laid there squirming in pain while they tried to get me to drink some Gatorade. A massage therapist happened to see what was going on, and came over to help work it out. 10-15 minutes later, my right leg released followed by my left in another 10. I dangled them over the side of the cart for a minute, then figured the crisis was over - time to get back to the race. I hobbled over to my spot in transition and thought about what to do next. I knew that I couldn’t get my running shoes on, so I thought that maybe I’d shuffle the first part of the course (a 3-4 mile loop) barefoot and then get my shoes when I came back this way. I tried to hobble out of transition and both my quads locked up again - there was no way I was going anywhere. All I could do was sit on a stool in transition and watch everyone go by on the run. It was a hot day and most everyone was miserable, but I was so jealous of all the people finishing what they set out for and reaching their goals. This was the first race ever that I didn’t finish, and it was clearly a humbling experience. I can only make sure that it doesn’t happen again. This was a lesson learned, and at least I didn’t do any permanent damage.

Tips: Hydration is really, really important - we all know this. What’s more important is HOW you hydrate. Water can only get you so far, and taking in the proper amount of electrolytes are a huge part of keeping your body hydrated. I made a mistake by underestimating how much fluid I would need and had a total brain fart by forgetting to drink my HEED before the race and paid dearly for it. There are a million resources on the web that tell you exactly how much liquid and electrolytes you need (I like the one at runnersworld.com) so don’t make the same mistake as I did - hydrate with electrolytes if you’re going to be sweating a lot.

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