Shoreline Multisport Festival

Eleanor and I were looking for a race she could do between the Ottawa Race Weekend in May and the Victoria Goodlife Marathons in October and she stumbled on the Multisport festival in Rochester NY. Seemed perfect. Half Marathon on Saturday for her and a Sprint Triathlon on Sunday for me. Then I saw that there was a special (very cheap) price if you did both races. So – what the heck!?!?

Eleanor and I were looking for a race she could do between the Ottawa Race Weekend in May and the Victoria Goodlife Marathons in October and she stumbled on the Multisport festival in Rochester NY. Seemed perfect. It has a Half Marathon on Saturday for Ellie and a Sprint Triathlon on Sunday for me. Then I saw that there was a special (very cheap) price if you did both races. So – what the heck!?!?

Saturday – Half Marathon

Very flat course! Very pretty too – mostly on country roads. I stayed mid-high Zone 3 until half way and then started to speed up. Overall I went a lot easier than I normally would (and my finishing time reflects that) but I still ran a good race. I approached it like I did the Goofy in Disney… but I had a better time and a better time.
Finishing time – 1:43:41
9th in my division (out of 22) and 62nd overall (out of 333)

Recovery

Had a banana and a Deep2 30 shake (with cocoa and chia seeds) immediately after the race. At the hotel we went back and forth between the pool and the hot tub for about 45 minutes. Ate a big bowl of sweet potatoes, quinoa, beets and spinach. Went for a short walk. Tried to nap a bit (played game on my iPad) and then went out for a dinner that was probably not ideal… but Ellie was celebrating coming in 3rd in her division in the Half Marathon and we were “on vacation” so… yeah… Then we went back to the hotel and I stretched, foam rolled and had a great 7+ hour sleep.

Brock nearing the finish lineSunday – Triathlon

Swim – 0:08:36, T1 – 0:02:04, Bike – 0:47:45, T2 – 0:01:03, Run – 0:30:58
They shortened the swim from 800 yards to 600 because the water was so cold. And, yes, it was cold. ~50 °F, they said. That made for a very dizzy exit from the lake (cold water in your ears puts you very off-kilter). The water was ridiculously shallow! We started ankle deep and when the start of the race was shouted (no gun or blow horn), we all waded until it was waste deep, then swam for about 20m and then all stood up again and waded for another 40m. Wading in knee deep water is very slow but sure spikes the heart rate quickly! The 25.3km bike course was flat (with a bit of a head wind on the longest stretch) which meant no uphill but it also meant no downhill. The 6.4km run was 2 loops of the same trail/path. It was slightly rolling in a couple sections and although the trails were pretty hard packed it was still a trail (roots, rocks, lumps) which was fun but it was also an added challenge. Managed my fastest transitions yet! My feet paid the price for not stopping to put on socks – 3 blisters and 2 cuts. Oh well…
Finishing time – 1:30:22
6th in my division (out of 16) and 40th overall (out of 159)

Ellie and Brock before the Half MarathonNutrition

Day before:

  • Breakfast – 2 scoops of goat’s whey protein, 2 tbsp almond butter, 1/2 cup of oats, banana, sprinkle of coconut, 1/4 cup coconut milk, tablespoon of chia seeds, some raisins,
  • Lunch – tabbouleh, chickpea, tomato and egg salad at Wegmans,
  • Dinner – quinoa, sweet potatoes, spinach, beets and a can of salmon,
  • Snack – blueberries, dark chocolate.

Morning of the Half Marathon:

  • First thing – Two big glasses of water and a small cup of coffee,
  • Breakfast (2 hours before race) – 3 scoops of Living Fuel SuperBerry, a banana.

During the race:

  • 10 minutes before the race – 1 Gu Roctane w/ caffeine (pomegranate) and some water,
  • 1 Gu Roctane w/ caffeine (orange vanilla) at 5km and 12km with water (to thirst – 2 sips at nearly every aid station).

Morning of the Triathlon:

  • First thing – Two big glasses of water and a small cup of coffee,
  • Breakfast (2 hours before race) – 3 scoops of Living Fuel SuperBerry, a banana.

During the race:

  • 10 minutes before the race – 1 Gu Roctane w/ caffeine (pomegranate) and some water,
  • Bike: 1 Gu Roctane w/ caffeine (orange vanilla) at the beginning and again at the end with water (to thirst),
  • Run: A few sips of water at most of the aid stations.

I abstained from caffeine for 6 full days and ate (pretty) clean for about a week before (aside from Saturday night’s meal which was quite rich, sweet and included one pint of beer).

All in all I succeeded in having fun during both races and raced what I think/feel was my best tri yet. It was a weird distance, so I am not sure how it really stacks up against the other races… but I felt strong and competitive.

I am really proud of Ellie. I think she has overcome a mental hurdle as well as a physical one. She was faster than she was in Ottawa (by nearly a full minute) and she felt great at the end and was wishing she had pushed harder (she shouted/muttered/mentioned this a few times over the next 24 hours). That is a really big and important step in getting faster. Not to mention that she got a plaque for being 3rd place in her division! Yay!

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