Clearwater Pictures

Trucking along in the Avia Avi-bolts
Smooth and relaxed
Into T2
Chase time!
In the water before sun up!

Clearwater 70.3 race report

I capped off my race season with the 2009 Ironman 70.3 World
Championships in Clearwater, Florida on November 14th. It’s been my
most successful triathlon season, with personal bests in the
half-Ironman distance at Boise 70.3 in June, and again in Clearwater.
I have continued to make improvements in all three disciplines.
Swimming remains my biggest challenge; however, compared with last
year, I have made a 3-minute improvement in the 1.2mi distance. I am
also confident that my relocation to Boulder and new training
facilities will result in continued improvements throughout the 2010
season.

Florida in November offers ideal racing conditions—morning
temperatures in the fifties, highs in the seventies. Hurricane Ida had
come through days before, so the swim venue was moved from the gulf
side of Clearwater to the harbor side, which guaranteed a calm and
fast swim. There was no longer a beach entrance and exit, but merely a
narrow dock and ramp that did not facilitate wave starts. The pros
were the only division to start together, while all the age-group
athletes had a time-trial start to avoid too many swimmers in the
small harbor area at once. After a quick 5-minute warm-up, 65 male
professionals lined up and were off at the sound of the gun. With a 69
degree water temp measurement taken the morning of, the professional
athletes were allowed to wear wetsuits. In the past, I have been a
bit timid in the frantic swim start. Typically, my swim strategy has
involved a few minutes of extended warm-up before settling into a hard
race pace. However, at Clearwater, I opted to swim with everything I
had from the get-go and suffer a slow, painful demise over the 2k
distance. For whatever reason, this seemed to pay off as I swam a
personal best of 27:18.

Coming out of the water a little behind the lead swimmers
provided little traffic on the bike course, which allowed me to focus
on a steady effort and staying aero. As I crossed some railroad tracks
3 miles in, my gel flask containing 400 calories was ejected off my
bike, so for the entire race I relied solely on 2 gels from each of
the bike aid stations for nutrition. Flat as a pancake, Clearwater is
known for its blazing bike splits. The month before Clearwater, power
numbers on my Garmin 705 GPS/bike computer have suggested peak form;
however, out on Clearwater’s course, at the same efforts, I was
pushing about 5% less than what training zones predicted. I had gone
on 2 big bike rides the Saturday and Sunday before Clearwater, and if
I had to guess, this is why my legs felt a little flat. On my blazing
fast Blue Triad and Zipp wheels I have no excuses, as I still posted a
good bike split at 2:08. I also learned a valuable tidbit in
understanding how my body tapers best.

One of my focuses coming into this race was on improving my
efficiency at transitions. With the Avia Avi-Bolt racing flats I
experimented with a “no socks” half-marathon. The shoes are nearly
seamless, very comfortable, and lend very well to triathlon racing. It
took a couple miles to get in my rhythm once out on the run, after
which I focused on staying hydrated and cool, utilizing each aid
station for ice cold sponges. The first 10k loop was pretty desolate,
but by the second loop, age groupers had joined in on the course,
giving me some carrots to chase down. The last couple miles I felt the
lack of nutrition, but luckily didn’t cramp, and I finished up the
last few miles stronger than all previous. My run time of 1:13.02 was
the 6th fastest, resulting in an overall time of 3:53.05 (46th
professional). It was great to have my parents and Erin in Florida
with me as I closed out my season. They are my biggest fans and make a
most excellent pit crew.

I am currently at the end of my 2 week exercise hiatus, and
I plan to begin a heavy swimming block that will take me through
February. The goal is to slowly progress swim yardage into the
30K-40K/week range. I am excited about my new swim facility, Rally
Sport in Boulder, with both indoor and outdoor pools open year round.
I have been very happy with their coaching staff, and I look forward
to seeing how far we can take my swim fitness this winter. Cycling and
running speeds have become faster and more consistent throughout the
year, and I plan to open next season with a big aerobic base. I will
continue planning my 2010 race schedule through Christmas—a lot will
depend on whether the World Triathlon Corporation initiates a $750
professional fee for their 2010 70.3 events. In either case, I have
been very happy with the progressive and steady gains I continue to
make in the sport. I plan to make 2010 my best season yet.

Crucial to my success this season has been the involvement
of USA Triathlon and the generous help of the USAT Trade Team
Sponsors: Blue Competition Cycles, Rudy Project, Zipp, Avia, Garmin,
USA Triathlon Wetsuits, Zone Nutrition, Skins, Speedo, and Green
Layer. My success this year has also been dependent on continued
support from PowerBar, The Olander Company, Inc., Davis Wheelworks and
my wonderful family.

Next season I’ll be racing as a married man. I have had the
incredible fortune of finding someone who loves and appreciates all
the quirks of a die-hard triathlete. She is my masseuse, motivator,
confidant, and best friend. For you patience and support- Thank you
Erin.

Happy Holidays,

Justin