Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Providence by Max Metcalfe

Ironman 70.3 Providence
By Max Metcalfe, Boston University Triathlete
Finish: 5:05:04 – 7th M18-24

This was my second year racing the Amica 70.3 Providence, and I was excited to compare my 2009 race to this year. Last season was my first year racing a Half Ironman distance triathlon, and I have come a long way in fitness and overall triathlon experience since then. This also being my second Half Ironman of the summer, racing Ironman 70.3 Mooseman five weeks earlier, I was in a good training groove coming into the race. I ran two 15+ mile runs and two 12-14 miles runs, as well as rode two 60+ mile rides. I was also very lucky to have access to Walden Pond at least twice a week, which helped my open water swim greatly.

Pre-Race:

I arrived in Providence at 11 am with Josh and Colin packed in a mini cooper. Imagine 3 bikes glued on the outside of the small car and every bit of room filled with helmets and transition bags. We registered and then stopped at Legal Seafood on the way to drop our bikes off at T1 in Narragansett. I ate a grilled chicken sandwich with a Caesar salad and lots of water. I did snack on a few fries, which seamed a bad idea before the race, but they were too yummy to resist. We set up T1. Bikes were in working order. Racked them for the night. Back in Providence, we went for a quick 15-minute run up the long hill of last year’s course just to get the blood flowing and the driving out of the legs. After putting our run gear into our T2 bags and put them in transition. At 6:30pm, we sat down for dinner and all devoured spaghetti and meatballs. Just before bed, I bought a Milky Way bar, which would be a large portion of my bike nutrition during the race. We were all very relaxed for a night before a triathlon. At 9pm, we fell into a deep race night sleep - pleasant, yet cluttered with sudden dreams of race morning and the terrible feeling of arriving at the race site, forgetting an essential piece of equipment. I awoke at 3am wake up and settled into my race morning nutrition feast. I tried to get a bit more food into me than at Mooseman. I drank 1 serving of Endurox, 1 packet of Pop-Tarts, and 1 Banana. I would also later consume half packet more of Pop-Tarts, and 1 GU on the beach. In the hotel lobby, I grabbed a cup of coffee and then walked through the dark streets of Providence towards the shuttle. The streets were mostly empty, except for a stream of calm and focused triathlons walking alongside staggering drunk bar-goers. We had to wait for an hour on the beach, since we were the last wave of the day. My warm-up went great and I was feeling ready to go. Focused, awake, and fueled…my third Half Ironman. I was ready!

SWIM (33:27) As at Mooseman, I started on the right side of the group behind one row of people. When the gun went off, I led the right side of the group into the water and pulled hard for a few hundred yards. The waves were big and it was hard to sight the buoys and keep your head clear for breathing. I tried to push it hard on the way in to take advantage of the waves. Coming out of the water, I saw that my swim time was yet again 33-minutes. I thought I maintained a pretty good position relative to the other racers in my age group.

T1 (2:36) As I ran towards my bike, I saw Colin’s bike still racked very nicely on the rack next to mine. At that moment, I reminded myself to collect my well deserved $20 after the race! With a smooth transition, I was off.

BIKE (2:51:00) To prevent the hydration problem I had at Mooseman, I started the bike with a 24-oz. Gatorade sports drink between my aero bars, a 24-oz. bottle of Fluid Recovery, and a 24-oz. bottle of water. My plan was to first drink all of the Gatorade and ditch it at the first food stop. I knew the course pretty well from racing last year and doing a few scouting trips. I kept my cadence high and focused on getting that initial fluid into me. By the half way point, I had consumed half of my GU flask, which contained 2.5 servings of Fluid Recovery, half of my Fluid drink, and half of my delicious Milky Way bar! I chose not to have any caffeine during the bike. I had substituted GU gels for Fluid Recovery. In regards to my Milk Way Bar, it was great to have a solid piece of food mid-way through the bike, and passing other competitors while your munching on a candy bar makes you smile! Like my other races, I struggled to keep my mind focused on the bike, and from drifting to the run. I could feel my legs slowly losing strength, but I kept my effort balanced. I wanted to exert myself, yet leave just enough in my legs. I felt like I balanced this perfectly on this race. Surprisingly, my bike time was slower than my bike last year. I’m a stronger biker this year, yet the conditions this year (headwind?) were tough.

T2 (1:15) As I came into transition, Northeastern Triathlete Mike Abbene passed me. I knew my run would be strong. I remained focused on my race and my transition. With all these people around, I would hate to do something embarrassing like knock my water bottles off my bike, which Colin and Josh managed to do multiple times.

RUN (1:36:49) During my training, I focused on maintaining a higher cadence during the run. The first loop of the run felt awesome! Despite it being very hot, I was able to keep my core temperature down with ice sponges and the occasional cup over the head. I decided to ditch the hydration belt for this race. I had to make sure I got enough water into me at the aid stations. At every station, I ditched my old ice sponges for new ones, drank 1-2 cups, and tossed any extra water over my head. This process kept me feeling fresh even as I was starting my second loop. I was feeling very strong. I wanted to make sure I pushed it very hard on the second loop. I also consumed 3 GU’s with caffeine from a Gel Flask, finishing it at mile 11. During the second loop, I slowly picked up the pace. Soon I felt my legs begin to really lose power. I saw the 5-hour overall time goal disappear on my watch, and I picked the pace up even more to try to get across the line as close as possible. I saw my family, friends who came to watch the race, and the other BU triathletes on the course. This really helped me stay composed mentally throughout the hot run. I have never felt this much in control of my pacing and my body. Great run! My half marathon time was 1:36:49. My time during last year’s race was 1:49 and Mooseman’s run was 1:40.

--- Now I’m off the New Zealand for 6-months!!!