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| Photo: Challenge San Gil |
My swim has been the only place this year that I can rely on. I exited the water at the front in all of my races this season and was confident that I would do it again here. That being said, the effort that it required to be in that position in those other races was significant. So this race I had two plans. Either go absolutely full-gas and try to get on the feet of super swimmer and 2016 San Gil champion, Davide Giridini or keep the effort as low as possible while still being in contact of the race. I missed Davide at the start so went right into the second plan- comfortably cruising in the group, keeping the heart rate as low as possible and exiting the water ready to ride+run.
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| Photo: Challenge San Gil |
I got onto the bike in a big group of 6 athletes and got a split that we were about ~:90 seconds down from the lead. I was motivated to put together MY best ride but also did not want to tow the group around for 90k riding steady from the beginning. I put in a big acceleration at the start of the bike, hammered a downhill and then got some separation. From there I settled into my pace- feeling great and riding strong. At the turnaround I was able to get a sense of how the race was unfolding. I was putting time in to the chase group behind but was losing time to the leader who I could see from far away being escorted by the flashing police brigade. I was pushing some really serious power (especially with the course starting at 6500ft elevation and climbing up to 7500ft at the top point) but still could not make any inroads to the lead. I did what I felt was my best ride on the day and got off the bike in 2nd with the gap to the lead at a daunting ~5.5 minutes.
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| Photo: Challenge San Gil |
I knew that the stable, non-variable ride would suit my run legs well. I got off the bike and felt just as good as I did on the bike if not better. 5:30 down seemed impossible when I set off on foot but I continually reverted back to my original race plan- get the absolute most out of my body on the day. I quickly settled into my pace and was clicking off consistent 5:50 miles- about what I thought I could sustain at high altitude. They felt hard but comfortable. I was getting a few splits on course and the gap was coming down but not as fast as I needed it to be for the first few kilometers. But there was a stretch from about 6k-12k where I picked up the pace and put in a LOT of time. Before I knew it, I got a split that he was just over 1 minute ahead and then shortly after I could see him up the road. At 17k I made the pass, surging hard and smashing it all the way home to the finish line.
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| Photo: Challenge San Gil |
My win in Iceland last year did not have a finishers tape so although I was elated, it was a bit anticlimactic. This time, I got to feel it. And it felt really freaking good.
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| Photo: Challenge San Gil |
Aside from the win, I am most pleased with how I raced. Aside from the swim, I was 100% solo on the day and that gave me a good opportunity to push myself. I averaged 315w NP on the hilly/ challenging bike course and 5:54 min/mi pace on the run- again both at 6500+ feet. All of the numbers were great but the most important thing was that I felt STRONG. Had I come 50th and felt the exact same way, I still would be happy.
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| Photo: Challenge San Gil |
My confidence is obviously up a notch and that is going to be critical in the next few weeks as I dive into some final preparation for Ironman Canada. It is just around the corner and I know that my form is on point for a great full-distance race.
Highs and lows of this sport… they are crazy but for as crap as the lows can be, you can’t beat the feeling of coming out the other side on top.
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| Photo: Challenge San Gil |
Cheers,
Justin
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