I'll start off by sparing any weak suspense and coming clean. This was my first time competing at Eagleman; it was also my first DNF.
Eagleman is down in Cambridge, MD and is actually put together by the same folks who organized the first Ironman I raced, way back in 2008. The course is flat and fast... well, it has the potential to be fast but humidity can do a lot to change those plans.
My plan for this race was to test out my spring training and get some hot racing under the belt. I didn't really walk away with the former, but the latter definitely happened!
I drove down to Maryland with my training/racing buddy Glenn and my girlfriend, Posie. The drive was short and painless.
Glenn and I spent the early of the afternoon preparing for the next day. In my case, I started to tinker with my bike position which I had at this point still failed to dial in. (Big mistake.) As you'll recall, I'm racing on a new time trial bike this year... and it's been some real work getting the fit figured out.
After buggering around for a bit, we took our bikes for a test ride. My Shiv didn't feel all that much better, but it didn't really feel worse either. We checked in and parked our bikes in transition just before dinner and then retreated to the Hyatt Resort to do a test swim and unwind. Hotel was quite nice.
Race morning went as it always does. I had my usual nutrition but should have gone a little heavier given my late start of 8am--in most races, I start at 7am. (Less big mistake.)
My race wave went off without too much commotion. I settled into a decent rhythm and felt good in the water. I opted not to wear a (barely legal) wetsuit for fear of overheating as I have in the past in warm water. Definitely cost me some time. (Unclear if this was a mistake.)
I got out of the water in decent time, moved through transition and got on my bike. This began my 56mi of agony. My latest rendition of bike fit was terrible. Shoulders hurt. Saddle hurt. Leg hurt. Couldn't put out any power. Spent the last 15mi out of the aero position struggling to get done. The worst I have ever felt on a bike in a race. Jeez!
By the time I hit transition, I knew that I had blown the race. At this point it was 99F and the humidity was beyond thick. So, without too much thought, I pulled the plug. I turned over my race chip and walked out of transition.
My first (and hopefully only) DNF was weird. I was bummed out that I had had such a bad day--especially because the bike-related issues were due to me being bad about simple things like fit. But still, it seemed like the entirely right move and really didn't feel like an admission of defeat. I didn't cave during a moment of intense suffering--which is good because that is a seal that I do not want to break. Rather, I was just having a terrible day and slogging through 13.1mi of absurd humidity didn't seem like it offered much value. I knew I could finish, but why?
Anyway, the race did serve as a reset for me.
First off, after finishing, it was clear that I needed to figure out my bike position. Within a day, I had a video off to TT Bike Fit and a week later, I had a completely new (and comfortable fit). Who would have thought that it just took 56 terrible miles of riding to get me to do the smart thing. (I cannot over-endorse Todd and the folks at TT Bike Fit.)
Secondly, it was clear that I needed to work on general fitness and train for the heat, and that I needed renewed focus. This switch flipped nearly overnight.
So, was Eagleman a failure? Totally. Did some good come from it? I'd like to say "yes!"
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| My buddy Glenn had a better day than I. This is us walking to the car post-race. |
