{"id":494,"date":"2013-06-24T22:34:00","date_gmt":"2013-06-25T02:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mikaelstaer.com\/clients\/cbeals\/dev\/?p=494"},"modified":"2015-05-18T17:09:32","modified_gmt":"2015-05-18T21:09:32","slug":"race-report-msc-welland-half-iron-1s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikaelstaer.com\/clients\/cbeals\/dev\/2013\/06\/race-report-msc-welland-half-iron-1s\/","title":{"rendered":"Race Report: MSC Welland Half Iron, 1st, 3:58:32"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n“I’ve yet to see you self-destruct. I’d like to see what happens when Cody self-destructs.”<\/i><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n

It wasn’t the the pre-race pep talk I was expecting before my debut Half Iron distance triathlon at MultiSport Canada Welland<\/a>. Taken out of context, it sounds downright diabolical, but I knew exactly what friend and mentor Richard Pady<\/a> meant; I’ve never truly found my limits in a race. And if ever there was a day to explore those limits, this was it. Besides my inexperience with long course racing, 30-degree plus heat and humidity, gusting winds and a field stacked with veterans and up-and-comers promised to make for a challenging day.<\/p>\n

\nThose words were with me throughout the race. Not that it was ever my goal to “self-destruct”, but rather to push beyond my preconceived limits and in doing so redefine them. With that in mind, I approached the race as if it were half as long. Any time the pace felt reasonable and sustainable, I upped it. And surprisingly, it worked. I won the Ontario Provincial Long Course Championships and edged under the course record as an unexpected bonus. I guess that illusive “self-destruction” will have to wait.<\/div>\n

\nHere are the race leaders and a post race interview (full results here<\/a>). Read on for details. For a couple of tips, check out the companion post: Racing in the heat and pacing with self-deceit<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\nName<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/th>\nTime<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/th>\nSwim
\n2000 m
\nTime \/100 m<\/th>\n		Run
\nto T1<\/th>\n		Bike
\n90 km 
Time km\/h<\/a><\/th>\n		Run
\n21.1 km
\nTime \/km<\/th>\n		<\/th>\nT1<\/th>\nT2<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\n
\n1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Cody BEALS<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n3:58:32.1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n26:43 1:21<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:20<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n2:11:24 41.1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:17:46 3:42<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n0:45<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n0:37<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Nigel GRAY<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n4:06:49.6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n28:24 1:26<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:29<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n2:05:25 43.1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:29:32 4:15<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:03<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:00<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Wolfgang GUEMBEL<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n4:10:07.4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n24:55 1:15<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:26<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n2:14:11 40.2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:27:37 4:10<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:02<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:00<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Alex VANDERLINDEN<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n4:13:10.6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n28:14 1:25<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:21<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n2:18:02 39.1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:24:09 4:00<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n0:45<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n0:42<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Richard PADY<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n4:15:10.9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n26:53 1:21<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:31<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n2:11:17 41.1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:33:41 4:27<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n0:47<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n0:50<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Chris BALESTRINI<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n4:15:38.9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n32:37 1:38<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:22<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n2:14:17 40.2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:25:18 4:03<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:19<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n0:50<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Jim SUNNERS<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n4:21:41.5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n29:55 1:30<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:32<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n2:14:25 40.2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:34:02 4:28<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:04<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n0:46<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
Chris PICKERING<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n
\n4:22:52.3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n29:51 1:30<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:30<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n2:17:38 39.2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:31:28 4:21<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:23<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n1:044<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Pre-race nutrition:<\/i>
\nT-minus 4 hours: whole wheat buttermilk\/blueberry\/walnut pancakes, cottage cheese, yogurt, banana, peanut butter, tea<\/i>
\nT-minus 2 hours: homemade energy bar<\/a>, dates<\/i>
\nT-minus 30 minutes: gel, caffeine!<\/i>
\n
<\/b>
\nSwim 2000 m <\/b>(26:43, 1:20\/100 m)
\nAfter the usual swim start scrum and a futile attempt to latch onto Wolfgang Guembel, I soon found the fast feet of Angela Quick<\/a>. She guided me through an uneventful swim and we exited the water in second and third position about 1:40 down on Wolfgang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The pro\/elite start in the beautiful Welland Canal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\nBike 90 km<\/b> (2:11:24, 41.1 km\/h)
\nThere was lots of minor drama on the bike: a nasty headwind, two ejected bottles, a fluke bee sting, an erratic driver (promptly stopped by the police and marshals) and a mysterious and alarming noise coming from my bike (thankfully not a flat tire). All this kept me more than entertained on the pancake flat bike course.<\/p>\n

As expected, \u00fcberbiker Nigel Gray overtook me around 30 km at the first bottle exchange. My attempt to keep pace lasted all of 5 seconds. Shortly after, Richard Pady caught up with some welcome encouragement as I battled the headwinds. Less welcome was his hollered critique of my cornering technique (ever the coach…). We traded leads for a little while.<\/p>\n

At the turnaround near the halfway point, I saw that the rest of the field was minutes back and I could see Wolfgang ahead. At that point I knew that I could win. I couldn’t help an involuntary fist pump. But there was still work to do. I rode my way into second place around 65 km.<\/p>\n

Bike nutrition: 1 bottle homebrew sports drink<\/a>, 2 bottles on-course sports drink, 2 gels<\/i><\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n

Run 21.1 km<\/b> (1:17:46, 3:41\/km)
\nI have never raced an open half-marathon, let alone after swimming and biking for nearly three hours. Some observations:<\/p>\n