140.6 Challenge Atlantic City Race Report: When we signed up for this race we were not sure how it was going to be, as it is an Inaugural Event. But having heard about the Challenge Family events worldwide, we figured , they would put on a top notch event..... they did !! I am so glad we made the trip as it was such a unique venue and was a day filled with many challenges The day started very calm in the back bay of Bader Field. We were treated to navy seals dropping outta the sky with a huge American Flag while our National Anthem Blared. Pretty cool stuff The water was not blue, but hey it was calm and protected and it is New Jersey !! I did not see one single body floating :-). We had wave start format and the race started without a hitch. However, after heading south for a few minutes we turned to loop up to the north and that is when reality hit. We were greeted by a strong incoming tide, similar to what we have in the inlet to the river, and man that was the first surprise of the day. People were getting pushed all over the place and it was pretty much a free for all. I never had anyone to draft for more then a few feet as folks were constantly getting puled away. Thankfully all the open water events we have been doing, allowed me to stay calm, sight buoys and stay out of trouble.... I never really had issue but could tell we were gonna be in the water for longer then anticipated. It was a frustrating way to start the day, but it aint supposed to be easy Knowing that we were in for a tough race and knowing how much the mental aspect plays into a successful day , I kept my main focus on two things: The Brett Sutton quote You are going to get Hit mate, and you know that, so take the hit and get back in it.........the other thought that i kept in my head all day came from Coach Zach Ruble When you are out there on the bike, and being patient feeling like you just want to take off and race, remember what you are out there for. So be patient out there on the bike, its a waiting game. Be patient early on the run, when you feel the adrenaline rushes youve got to reign them in for one big explosion on the later stages of the run..... The thing i worked hard not to think about was a time goal as that could be a set up for failure when conditions turn against you. So when i finally climbed out of the soup and looked down at a 1:14 swim spit..... i literally laughed out loud and said you just took your first hit !!! The bike course was UNREAL ! we had the entire right lane of The AC expressway and the shoulder coned off for us. After about 35 miles we then looped into the cool little town of Hammonton for 2 laps of 22 miles. The roads were tree lined and very scenic. It was one of the most quaint little areas i have ridden through. Part of the loop included the downtown area where we were greeted by hundreds of fans ringing cow bells and cheering. It literally brought goose bumps to me. It was an experience i will never forget.....I Did as planned , kept steady, didnt chase faster guys and just hit my numbers. Things were going better then planned !! Then I took the second HIT.... 30 miles of Headwind off the ocean and huge blasts of wind coming from the hundreds of cars leaving Atlantic City !! We were now riding toward them as we now returned in the same lane from which we came earlier . WOW. A few times the speed was down to 16 mph, i was letting thoughts of what i would have to do to go sub 10 hours seep into my mind and i was getting frustrated . Again, It became a mental battle and i just kept thinking take the punches, dont blow up and get to the run.....just get to the run.... Finally, we were off the bikes. Dismount went well, no cramps, legs were well under me as i headed to T2.....here we go..This is the best i have felt coming off the bike in my 3 Iron Distance races and i was excited. We cruised over a short section of the old Air Strip then in toward the beach and then BAMMM onto the boardwalk !! Ohhh Man the place was incredible . People cheering, awesome aide stations, the ocean breeze, the weather was getting hot, but all i could feel was the planks just bouncing under my feet !!! Let me tell you the run was unbelievable ... I have nothing to compare it too, it was just freaking bad ass to be out there knocking out a marathon on the Atlantic City Boardwalk !!! Becawww ! i pretty much just set my focus on fluids , pace and keeping steady. Thankfully , the body held up and i ran my way from 8th onto the podium !! ( i originally was told i took 3rd, then apparently the 2nd place guy got some drafting penalties and moved me to 2nd. Then at awards they moved the AG winner up to Masters Overall and i was totally surprised when they announced me a Champion. I will take it lol). So all said and done it was a 17 min Iron man PR (10:06), and a 31 min run PR which it where i always fell apart so i am most pleased with that. The Race Experience was second to none. We have had an awesome time up here, and are really thinking of coming back next year. I really appreciate all the support from all my training buddies back home .No way days like this would be possible without a solid group of folks who are in the trenches with me.. Thank you all and hope this was interesting and helpful for those with Ironman coming up :-)
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 00:46:32 +0000
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