Race Result

Racer:	Tom Barbieri
Race:	Eagleman
Date:	Sunday, June 8, 2008
Location:	Cambridge, MD
Race Type:	Triathlon - Half Ironman
Age Group:	Male 35 - 39
Time:	6:20:44
Overall Place:	811 / 1382
Age Group Place:	146 / 207
Comment:	Wow!

Race Report:

This year is my first year back in the sport after a four year break. Kids, a new home, a new job, and family obligations took me away from the sport, happily though. I still stayed very active, but had no organized tri’s or training plans.

I did my first race in July of 1989 and I still love the sport….even after days like yesterday. By far yesterday’s race was the hardest, most physically and mentally demanding event I have ever done. This includes 14 marathons, one 50 mile race, 9 half-Ironman races, and numerous Olympic and sprint races over the past 19 years.

I decided to do Eagleman in the fall of last year. I was meticulous in my training and the events to do building up to this race. This included a Backyard Burn 10 mile run, Kinetic Sprint, Little Pepper, and Jim McDonnell 1 mile swim. It all seemed to work.

Pre-Race:

I decided to head do to Cambridge on Friday morning. I picked up a hotel room on a cancellation last month. I was going to camp, but decided to check on hotels. After calling five different hotels 10 days in a row to see if there were any cancellations…I got lucky.

Knowing what the conditions were going to be like on race day, I decided that I had to acclimate to these conditions the best I could in the few days before the race. After checking in on Friday, I went over to the race site to check it out. And it was hot. I got on the bike and went about 20 miles down the race course and got a preview of what we were in for. I also did a swim on Friday afternoon and on Saturday morning followed by a 5 mile run, again to build some tolerance for the heat. I felt prepared.

I laid low Friday night after dinner at the Portside Café….awesome cream of crab soup (extra salt!). On Saturday, I headed down to the “expo” and met my wife and 3-year old son. We had lunch at Palace Greek and Italian (Spaghetti & Meat Sauce), and again spent more time outside to acclimate to the heat.
Back to Palace again for dinner (more Spaghetti and meat sauce with some salty garlic bread). In bed by 9 pm…..good night sleep even with a twisty three-year old in bed!!

Race Day:

Good start to the day…Khashi Oatmeal in the motel room and stopped at Denny’s for three scrambled eggs. Got to the park at about 5:15 am with plenty of time to get set-up, stand in line a few times for the bathroom, and walk around to loosen the legs. No worries, no rushing.

Swim (38:16 – 117th):

I love open water swimming. Even though it was a little warm, I took it easy, held some drafts, and just maintained a desired 39 minute pace to keep my body fresh for what was to come. I trained specifically between 1500 to 2500 yards for this swim, nothing more. I focused a lot on short, fast 50’s and 100’s in training to keep myself ahead of the main pack and to have some quick pick-ups during the race for added motivation and mental momentum.

T1 (6:21):

Felt great after the swim…not dizzy, got my land legs pretty quick. Took some additional time to apply sun block and power down a banana. Kissed the wife and boy heading out on the bike.

Bike (2:52:57 - 19.5 mph – 145th):

The first 20 miles were nice and smooth. About a 22 mph average, very little wind, a power gel every 45 minutes, a swig of Gatorade endurance, and sport beans every hour. I grabbed a bottle of water at each aid station for the obligatory dump on the head. I did not drink a lot of water, just Gatorade on the bike. I didn’t want to cause cramps due to too much water ingestion. At about mile 23-24, I felt great! Worked up to about 26-27 mph to make up some time I knew I was going to lose on the run. At mile 40, I began to feel the heat. I knew I had to keep some energy in reserve. I took my bike speed down to 19-20 mph and kept my cadence relatively high and in a low gear to flush any lactic acid that was starting to show up. The last ten miles of the bike, I dedicated to just stretching out my legs, loosening my arms, and mentally preparing for the run. In my training, I did two spinning classes per week to build in some strength and cadence work. Long rides on the weekend went to only 65 miles, with a little hill work for strength.

T2 (4:58):

All smiles coming in. Yeah, it was hot and getting hotter, but this is what I trained for. I took in another banana, a Clif Bar, and started the ice bath. Shoes on, no problem, legs felt good….a high five from my boy, and we’re off to hell, and back!

Run (2:38:14 – 12:05 per mile – 146th):

This was it. The true test. I started off on a good pace of about 9-9:30 per mile through mile three. Then it got real hot. I mean like desert hot. That stretch on the “new” road was blistering. When I turned that corner, I made a deal with myself that I would walk/run until the turnaround, then I would run the last 6 miles. So the deal was done….ran to every aid station then walked for 5 minutes. At the stations, it was all about a power gel, water over the head and drinking one cup of Gatorade. Ice was next, one cup down the shirt, and a handful in each hand. The run turnaround was the most welcomed sight I could have seen all day. For me, I had already completed the race; it was just about survival now. I stuck to my deal…run to the aid station, re-fuel, and then back running. This worked. I held off cramps and dizziness. The last mile was the longest in my life. It seemed like another 12 miles. The final turn down to the finish chute was awesome. I saw my wife and son, and was surprised by my brother who made it over for the day.

Final Result: 6:20:44 146/207 35-39 age-group (811/1382 overall)

Coming across the line was phenomenal! Besides the pain and heat of the day being over, the sense of accomplishment was large. Even though I have been through this many times, it never meant so much.

Post Race:

I stayed an additional night in Cambridge to avoid the rush out of town and to let my body recover. Today the legs are sore, especially the calves. Feet feel like I walked on hot coals for three hours, basically did. Had a huge burger from Hardees, and a medium pizza before bed. Drank lots of water and Gatorade to finish off the re-hydration and took two Tylenol PM….slept well.

To juggle a new job, two kids under four, I can still do it. But I could not have done it with out the support of my wife. She knew how important this was and adjusted her time and sacrificed so much so I could do this. I could not have done it without her support and commitment to me. I cannot thank her enough.

I hope to build on this experience by focusing on the bike and run through the rest of the summer. I have been lurking on the e-mail list for sometime, became an official member of RATs in March, and now I am ready to train more with the group and take advantage of the experience and skill level I see and read about everyday.

I look forward to seeing you all out there soon! Thanks for listening.