Lowell

Two weeks after LP Jesse and I had decided to have me jump into a local sprint race, the Lowell Wild Cat Triathlon. I did it last year and Jesse beat me as he has stated a few times (I think he says it 5-6 times, but who counting) in the blog post (http://kropelnicki.com/?p=70). A big thank you goes out to Jesse for helping me set up the post IM training.

Courtney and I rolled out around 7 am for a 9am start, because the Olympic race started at 8. One of my guys, George, was racing the Olympic and I wanted to be there early so that we could chat a bit before the start of his race. George had a great day and got his first podium, he is looking good for IM KY!

Around 8:40 I was in the water for a little warm-up in the lovely Merrimack River!

Once the race was on I was swimming as hard as I possibly could, I mean a 25 yard all out effort! I hit the first turn buoy with one other guy; once we got around the buoy I was solo, a pretty weird spot for me, leading the swim. It was a very quick and short ¼ mile swim I was out in 3:42

My plan was to continue with the all out effort so I rode the first 18 mins with an average wattage of 309. Two weeks after IM, this is not such a good plan, but I wanted numbers for my prep into Kona. And so I just kept pushing and waiting for the other guys in the race to catch me. Luckily no one showed up. I hauled into Transition, again still looking back for the other guys, most notably Paul Miller as he can ride very strong.

Once onto the run I went with the same plan, all out. It was supposed to be 2.5 miles... well, when I got to where the turn around was last year there was NOTHING, but I could see an aid station about 2 minutes down the road, no big deal. Made it to the turn around and was able to get the first time check on the guys behind me. I had three guys back, starting around 25 seconds. Nothing left to do but try and run harder. Finally made it to the finish and found out I had won! The run was just shy of a 5k!

All QT2ers at the race placed in their AG’s, and as a coach it was very cool to see everyone do so well. The hard work is paying off, just like I said it would…

Next up Timberman Sprint and the Pemi Loop.

LP 2009

It seems like I update this thing once a year with an LP race report; so here it goes.

The short. I worked my butt off 7 days a week 24 hours a day for 41 weeks with only one goal in mind. To get across the LP finish line AFAP. Just like last year, some days were so hard and painful I asked myself “why” other days were so easy it was a joke to even put on bike shorts. Once the gun went off I was on autopilot, In the end, I hit every number and finished exactly where we had planned 41 weeks before.

The long.

Courtney and I rolled (literally rolled, she has a Prius) into town Tuesday afternoon and immediately I was fired up and ready to race.

It was a pretty normal race week from there forward, laying low and finishing the IM taper with the last 3 easy workouts. The only thing not so normal were my nerves, for some reason they were missing. Don’t get me wrong I was nervous, but not like last year, I was ready and I knew it.

Saturday came and we ATE and ATE. I spent 23 minutes on my legs that day (yes I track that too, last year was 31 minutes). I hit the sack around 8:30 and was out cold around 9. Finally 3:30 am rolled around (I had already gone over the race about 15 times before the alarm went off) and it was up to eat the most important breakfast of the year.

I was able to get all the morning stuff out of the way very quickly and hung with Courtney for the last 30 mins before it was time to don the wetsuit. I kissed her goodbye, hugged the family and I was off.

57:25 later I was grabbing my bike stuff and on my way. After all the bike time this year I knew I was really to roll out for 112 mile and once I got going I never looked back. I just rode my power number, not an easy thing to do as what feels like the entire race fly's by.

5:34 and 9 bottles of Gatorade later I was off the bike and putting on my run shoes. I had been a little nervous about this run for the final 2 weeks because of the pace I was to go out at (6:40). It’s a funny thing, I killed myself all year to become fast (relative term) then on race day, I was scared to use the fitness I had earned. Either way it was set: 6:40. I went out and ran the first 9 miles @ 6:42’s and felt strong, then my stomach went a little south. I switched to water for a few miles (my one mistake of the race, I went 1 mile too long without Gatorade). Came through town feeling good, got all the way to mile 20 before the wheels started to fall off, 2 minutes later the wheels were off and rolling down the road!!! I was shelled; at that point (21 miles) I stopped looking at the Garmin. I had made my decision no matter the pace I was going to run as hard as I could. I wasn’t out there for me anymore; I was running for everyone who had gotten me to this point. I was running for Courtney and our two dogs who have given so much to help me get to this point. (I am writing like I won the damn race) But most off all I was running so I could stop running…….

3:10 later I was done. I was able to see all my friends who were either already done or finishing soon. Everyone had great days and hit all their numbers! We have a solid group of athletes.

Less then 10 weeks and I get to do this all over again. Its been a dream of mine since my first sprint race, while I was walking the run course less then a mile into a 4 mile run, to race in Kona. It took me two tries and more time in the pool, on the bike, and in the running shoes then I care to remember, but I made it. I made it with a relentless push towards a goal we set out for 41 weeks prior on a cold snowy day in November.

In the famous words spoken by Jimmy V “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up”