Matt Art: Griskus Olympic, 2hr 14min, 3rd AG and 17th Overall - Just weeks after Rev3 Half

Jun 19 at 7:50pm | 0 comments

My nerves were totally frayed leading into this race. I had bigger expectations than previous years, and qualifying for the AGNC’s was key to achieving my race goals for the year. My wife helped diffuse them, by reminding me that I’d qualified the last two years, and that I was much better trained this year. Still, my mind was playing tricks on me. Because the swim start felt so awful two-weeks ago at Rev3, I decided to warm up by running shortly and a good swim with some pickups to get the blood flowing. Twenty minutes later it would be time to race. The swim start felt way better than Rev3, but it was a fray to say the least. Lots of jostling in the first 200 yards, but I found some feet and got a decent draft into more open water. I am still plagued by inefficiency on the swim, and had to let that precious draft go to let my HR and breathing settle. After composing myself, I focused on strong long strokes and a good kick. I was nowhere near any opportunity to draft. I stayed focused and pushed to finish hard. The first six miles of the bike course are really fast. For three miles it’s slightly downhill and flat and the next three miles descend to the lowest course point. It’s a screaming fast turn-filled descent that gets the adrenaline running (especially when you forget to re-clamp the front caliper). With the HR low still low, I took in a bottle before the climbs to come. I felt pretty solid for the first three miles up out of the cellar, I picked off a bunch of people and the legs felt decent up the first few steeper grades. Around mile nine something didn’t feel right. I was pushing it up a gradual grade, but the bike was just not responding. Did I flat? Nope. Were the rear brakes rubbing? Nope. What is going on? Then it hit me, fatigue from Rev3 HIM two-weeks ago was still in my legs. At least it wasn’t a flat…so, with the internal governor switched on, I knew this wasn’t going to be my best bike. Around mile 16 I got absolutely smoked by another 30-34, and I tried to catch him for a mile or so, but he was gone. I didn’t have that extra register, and I was not about to go into the pain cave without my best bike-legs underneath me. By this point I was by myself, and unusually for a 40K, I just wanted off the bike. I was fired up to run. The two-loop run course sets up so nicely for a fast run because there is only one hill, and it comes at you near miles 2 and 5. I got the feet moving real quickly out of the gate, down the hill I leaned forward and let gravity do it’s thing. My pace was faster than I had planned, but I felt like I might just be able to hold it. Leaders started passing on the return of loop one, and I was keeping a mental tally of my place, best estimate of 20 or so in front of me with no idea how many in my AG. High-cadence was my focus in the flats below the hill, I felt efficient and fast and knew I had an opportunity for a strong run. I felt great even as my HR spiked going up the hill, I was able to immediately turn it up at the top and my HR settled quickly. I saw my wife and girls at the turn-around; I love that part of the race, better energy than any fuel. Now time to repeat the loop, and let it rip. I was starting to fatigue pushing the final hill, but with less than a mile to go I was able to gut it out and crank it up on the flats to the finish. I crossed the line in 2:14 claiming third in the AG and 13th OA. Checking the splits when I got home, I noticed a nice little 2:00 min addition to my final time…my first race penalty, which is most likely the result of a rear bottle ejection right in front of the official, ouch. The final result was 3rd AG / 17th OA. 

Dan Nacimento: AG Nationals Report - 'lots of good work done, lots more to come...EVOLVE!'

Aug 31 at 9:19am | 0 comments

Age Group Nationals.. 45-49 group..
 
The race went very different than I had planned. For the week leading up to the race I felt tired, bored, and bummed that I was driving for 5 hours by myself to a race instead of having my buddies with.  After a couple of days off and watching ITU London race on TV I started getting motivated..
The morning of the race was pretty motivated,  you could see the intensity in everyone's faces..  You could see their talent on their Jerseys literally (USA Team members wear the USA race bibs - pretty cool).
 
I decided to take a different approach with the swim this time.. we had 3 minutes of warm up before the in-water start.. Instead of going all out for the first 200 meters.. I decided to think long and smooth for clean for the first 200 meters and let my body and lungs progressively warm up into the swim.. This made the swim more enjoyable and equally as slow - boy i can figure out what the people swimming 1500 in 20 min, i finished in 29 and change..  With some luck spending some time in the endless pool with Coach Cliff will unlock my inner fish :-)
 
I was determined to earn my stripes on the bike, so according to plan and coach Cliff ("I want you to test your fitness here"). I started the first 5 miles warming up the legs and waiting for them to come on-line, for the next 3 miles I increased my tempo and started dropping the hammer, I continued to increase my speed and effort for the next 6 miles (passing a lot of people and 45-49ers along the way "not in the water now are we?! I kept thinking) all the way to the turnaround point (where the downhill fun would start).  I passed one more person, made the turn around, started to crest the last hill before the downhill started.. At the top of the hill I shifted to drop down to a heavier gear and start picking up speed - to my surprise the shifter didn't work, i tried again and again and again. As I started going downhill I consciously thought about the pros and cons of stopping, waiting for a mechanic, and how much time i would lose.. I decided to spin 140rpms all the way into town. I was able to get to 23-24 mph down the hills and 20 on the flats as people passed me at 35 mph (Ahhhhh!!). My back got a little sore but at least I wasn't crying on the side of the road (ok, I cursed for 5 miles on the bike before letting it go and becoming committed to running fast).  I ended up with 1:14 for the 25 miles.  I dismounted determined to run fast.
 
The 15% grade beginning of the run course was not what I was looking for to get my legs going, and without my friends around i had no rabbit to get me running fast..  By the end of mile 1 i had all the motivation i needed, the 25-30 age groupers starting running by (more like sprinting by at 5:45s).  I stayed focused on leg turn over and what Coach Cliff said "Test yourself, if you blow, you blow - and that won't be as bad as you think!". I stuck to the game plan and increased my speed to 7 min/mile pace and kept it there, I was even able to accelerate all the way to the finish line..  PR: 7:03 min/mile pace..  Pretty cool..
 
It was a great motivating and humbling experience.. lots of good work done, lots more to come.. Evolve !!!