Kavitz Family

Eagleman Ironman 70.3 2010 Race Report

2010-06-15T12:33:00.021-04:00

by Paul Kavitz

This was the second half-ironman distance race of my triathlon career, and my first hosted by an official Ironman™ race franchise. The Eagleman race, held in the coastal flats of Cambridge, MD, is one of the few remaining half-distance courses in which participants can qualify to compete in the renowned Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. This circumstance draws over 1500 strong athletes from throughout the world into an intensely competitive field to pursue a top spot and the dream of Hawaii.

A half-Ironman distance sounds short...only HALF of an Ironman...but the distances are still daunting: a 1.2 mile swim, 56 miles cycling, concluding with a half-marathon 13.1 mile run, for a grand total of 70.3 miles. Perhaps for this reason, the World Triathlon Corporation refers to this formidable distance as Ironman 70.3 and not a half-Ironman.

I was able to register for the sold-out Eagleman Ironman 70.3 at the prompting of my friend Andrew through a charity slot with Team PVA. This group raises funds to equip paralyzed veterans with the support needed to compete in triathlon. Through the generous donations of my friends, family, and co-workers, I was able to raise a substantial amount towards this great cause and join my fellow athletes in Team PVA at Sailwinds Park in Cambridge for packet pickup midday Saturday. After warming up 30min on the bike and familiarizing myself with the transition area, I racked my bike in Row 3, Aisle H, 3rd in from the left - #588.

My alarm at 4:15am Sunday began the day, and my journey to the starting line. Everything was readied the night before, and I lathered on 50+ sunscreen for what promised to be a scorcher. Via car via shuttle I made my way to the transition area to set up my gear. This is an important step for me; knowing everything is ‘just right’ in transition often brings me the confidence I very much need in a race with so much uncertainty. It paid off this race, with a T1 (swim to bike) of 1:54 and a T2 (bike to run) of 2:29, placing me in the top 15% of my division (Male 40-44) in these transition stages known as 'the fourth discipline of triathlon'. Alas, that was the last of my certainties...for the wicked goddess of endurance sport was about to dish out a day of damage on me and my fellow competitors.

The first surprise was the announcement of a substantial increase in water temperature from the day before. 79.6F may sound like it’d make for a more comfortable swim, but it also disqualifies wetsuits according to USAT rules. This means anywhere between a 10-30% slower swim as we lose the streamlining and buoyancy offered by a wetsuit, and a corresponding increase in the internal energy required to get through the stage. Not daunted, I entered the water with 352 other men aged 40-44 for my first large wave mass start. Treading in the choppy Choptank River, I peered to the horizon trying to make out the dim orange dot that marked the first turn buoy of the swim. The starting horn blared and what followed was sustained pandemonium. Clear for the first 10s and then bump, kick, grab, dodge, smash as we each strove to gain a lead on our rivals. It took at least 15 minutes before I escaped regular collisions and regained the technique driven into my muscle memory from 6 months of swim training with Coach Rob over the past winter. I escaped the Choptank River 44 minutes 31 seconds later in the top third of my division, panting and sprinting through transition to mount my bike and begin the second event.

The good news about the Eagleman bike stage is the pancake flat, 56-mile course inland through the scenic Blackwater Sanctuary. The bad news is the seemingly impossible perpetual headwind which seemed to find a way to drag at me always, despite the circuitous course. Again, my training showed an improvement over my last half-Ironman event up to an [I thought respectable] average of 19.3mph and a total time of 2:54:09. Alas, this wasn’t nearly enough against the hyper-fit cycle-monsters of Eagleman. Early and fresh in the ride I sustained a good top speed of 22-23mph and still found myself DROPPED by a power-chick with a Zipp-wheel Cervelo P4 and aero helmet.

Key lessons:

I need more training time on my bike, particularly in the aero position
I am not well fit for my bike...the aero position is still uncomfortable and my seat isn’t high enough or far enough forward causing my thighs to work too hard and my back to ache
I have COMPLETELY outgrown my bike: I must continue to plead my case for this luxury Christmas present before the 2011 season.

As the temperature steadily ticked upward towards the 3rd hour of my race, I couldn’t decide whether to bless or curse the headwind. All said though, I hydrated and fueled very effectively on the ride with Infint Ironman-formula, thanks to the very wise guidance of my coaching team at R2R, and this saved my bacon on the next stage.

After racking my bike back in transition, I loped down the gauntlet of cheering volunteers past the run exit, gathered my bearings, and hardened my focus on the half-marathon ahead. What happened next was one of the highlights of my race. I [actually] recognized six-time world champion Natascha Badmann running back towards the finish on this out-and-back course. I cheered her on and she smiled and waved [at me]! The wonderful thing about triathlon is that the pros still race the same event as amateurs. The Swiss Miss certainly lived up to her friendly reputation.

Having oriented to the run, I took stock of my body’s condition. I was hot, and I had to pee, but otherwise I felt good. I decided to throw away 60s on a stop at a port-a-loo, just so I didn’t have to think about urinating for the next two hours. Inside the port-a-loo was an OVEN which reinforced what a hot run this was going to be. Exiting the toilet back onto the course created the illusion that it was cooler. Only relatively though...the 90F+ temperature and 90%+ humidity conspired for a heat index over 103 degrees. Add to that the heat radiating off the shade-less, blistering pavement and you’ll understand what happened next: runners started ‘blowing up’ all over the place, unable to run.

This caught me off guard at first, since it is rare that I pass people on my [typically] weakest stage. Then I realized I was surviving due to the wisdom dispensed days earlier by my expert coaching team at R2R. Following their advice, I had held back a bit during my bike, restocked water at the bottle exchanges, and was now holding back a bit on the run. At each volunteer station, I gulped water and endurolytes, sometimes with goo, instead of the seductively sweet and cool Gatorade. I dumped ice water on my head and chest, and crushed ice into my hat and back jersey pocket every chance I got. My pace wasn’t fast, but it was surprisingly steady, and I had reminders all around me of the hazards of quickening the pace. Runners sobbed in the medical tent, vomited into the verge, and [literally] cursed the sun...angry with disbelief that their months of training were being thwarted by the evil elements of that day.

Sometime around mile 5, still running, I realized I had poured so much water and sweat down my back, that my socks were saturated. Fortunately I had selected the tech socks from the Eagleman registration swag-bag instead of my cotton sponges from home, so my feet didn't prune too much. I switched to slow-drip ice from then on. I remember looking down at my feet and thanking them (out loud) for continuing to run.

At mile 6.55, I strode over the turn-around timing pad and began my return home.

At mile 9, I couldn’t believe it but some f**ing horse fly decided to wound me further by biting big chunks out of my sun burnt shoulders. I was in Dante’s Inferno, following the poet Virgil through the seventh circle of Hell, fed upon by the Harpies. Swatting my arms about, I picked up the pace briefly to pass some other poor tortured soul in the hopes that the insect would switch targets. I succeeded...sorry #447. The TriColumbia Eagleman event organizers should post upon their registration website, “Abandon Every Hope, Ye Who Enter Here”.

At mile 12, winding my way through twists and turns of the infernal 'ninth circle' along the Choptank shoreline back to the finish line, I heard an angelic voice beckoning me out of my hell. Like the mythic Beatrice, there stood my friend Lynne, having finished her own epic Aqua Velo competition, energetically cheering on the Ironman 70.3 competitors and awaiting my passage. This second highlight of my race was EXACTLY the boost I needed when most needed, for which I am eternally appreciative. Thank you so much, Lynne!

At mile 13, with 1/10th of a mile to go, my heart rate monitor beeped. This signaled a spike to 170bpm...higher than my course-steady-range of 158-162bpm, a sign that I too was beginning to blow up. I crossed the finish line strong but spent at 5:58:31, setting a PR under grueling conditions, happy that this race was finally over. Hey, I was only 105 slots away from qualifying for the World Championship in Kona...the closest I’ve ever come.

Now for my Oscar Awards acceptance moment (without the Oscar or any Award)...

I want to thank my coaching team at R2R for their wisdom, science, and experience in helping me achieve my personal best, especially Coach Rob Colburn who transformed my swim over the winter, and regaled me during our post-swim coffees with invaluable Ironman lore. I want to thank my triathlon buddies Ryan and Lynne for their friendship, enthusiasm, and accountability as we each worked together to improve our athletic performance. I want to thank Coach Andy of Team PVA for his event logistics support, for assembling a strong athletic fundraising team, and for his dedicated support for veteran paratriathletes. I want to thank the team at Fitness Intelligence for helping visualize my race performance and goals. Most of all I want to thank my wife Camilla, my kids, and my au pair for supporting the training I needed to get me to the starting line and for managing the weekend while I battled the elements at Eagleman. ALSO and ESPECIALLY for Camilla’s openness towards purchasing a sweet new tri-bike this coming Christmas [wink] [wink] [nudge] [nudge]!

The most amazing cookie in the universe

2009-12-05T20:04:00.008-05:00

For a cookie afficionado, declaring the most delicious cookie in the universe is a big call. However, having finally sampled Bill Granger's delicious recipe from his signature cookbook 'bills food', I leave it to the reader to concoct, sample, and verify this claim for yourself. Recipe as follows:

150g (5 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
230g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten (free-range - ideally from Dragon Creek Farm)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
125g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
235g (2 1/3cups) rolled oats
175g (1 cup chocolate chips) Must be dark chocolate, 60-70% cacao

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Line three large baking trays with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until fluffy and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and mix lightly. Add the oats and chocolate chips (loads) and stir to combine.

Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and place on the baking trays. Flatten the balls with a fork dipped in flour. (Make sure the flattened cookies are really thick or else they will bake 'crispy' and not convey the wonderful texture that is the signature of this cookie). Bake the cookies for 20 minutes, or until pal golden. Remove from the oven and cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 30.

Enjoy!

Superwhy

2009-05-16T09:36:00.001-04:00

http://pbskids.org/superwhy/index.html#

Vienna Halloween Parade

2008-11-15T16:57:00.005-05:00

Our very reliable and fun-loving au pairs (Maren & Emmy) took our little dragons to the Vienna Halloween Parade. The local newspaper ran an article on the event featuring this photo. How much fun does that look?!?

Ethan's School Photos

2008-10-31T19:19:00.003-04:00

Hey, having discovered the wonders of facebook, we've been much more active at keeping our friends up to date through social networking. If you haven't already, find us on Facebook and we'll bring you in to our latest updates. In the meantime, here are Ethan's first school photos for your enjoyment.

'Casual' pool party

2008-08-18T19:08:00.000-04:00

Great fun with our neighbors and a whole passel of kids. The wine flowed as freely as the conversation, while the kids enjoyed the jumping castle (a.k.a. moon bounce), swimming, and puzzles. Milly made the day by quickly drumming a cake on request. Yay!

My Birthday continues...

2008-08-15T10:16:00.003-04:00

So the Camilla Extended Birthday Celebration System was very well implemented this year and i had a continuous succession of birthday events.... dinner at Nobu in NYC with our friend Gervaise, dinner at 8 Mile Creek in NYC with my friends Mike and David and then dinner at Ruth's Chris in Parsippany with Mike and Bill!

I am well and truly birthdayed out this year. Have to make it even bigger next year!

My Pre Birthday

2008-08-11T10:26:00.002-04:00

Well anyone who knows me knows that I really do milk my birthday for everything it is worth... this year no different! My birthday began yesterday, when we headed to NYC on the train to stay for a few days and celebrate. The kids loved the train - thanks to video iPods, and Ella was just smitten by NYC. And I quote, "wow mummy, I am really impressed". She loves catching taxis, and walking fast and seeing all the shops and the people... last night we hit Toys R Us at Times Square, went to the indoor ferris wheel, had dinner in Times Sq and she was generally overwhelmed... wonderful surprise the Hyatt sent me a birthday cake that we had when we came home and she, and mummy, collapsed!

Ella's Brief Atavistic Regression

2008-08-09T13:31:00.004-04:00

Challenging week with Ella. The picture says it all.

Singing horses

2008-08-09T13:02:00.001-04:00

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Click on a horse to make it sing!

National Night Out

2008-08-06T13:22:00.000-04:00

We celebrated National Night Out with our neighbors. The jumping castle was a hit with the kids and the ice cream sandwiches that didn't melt were fantastic!

Ella made friends with Officer Sophia Grinnan whom she met last month at the Fair Oaks police station. Her daddy helps the police keep people safe through Volunteers in Police Service.

Ethan's 2nd Birthday

2008-08-03T19:38:00.003-04:00

Well time flies - little Ethan is 2 already! Wow it was a hot day, but we had a family party outside with grandma and grandad, and a custom cake, champagne and a Pooh Bear theme - his favorite. Other than anything to do with cars of course - he even got new car running shoes that have wheels on the bottom.

The Big Brand Launch

2008-08-03T19:28:00.005-04:00

So finally the project I have been working on for 6 months is done..well done for now. We had a great launch of the newest real estate brand in the US. I don't want to write it here as it sets off all these google alerts in our press coverage when I do, but if you are wondering what it is, it also has the name of a magazine, that rhymes with Better Gnomes and Pardons... you can see the website by googling it :).

Anyway, the press conference went really well and the party was spectacular. We had a stealth photographer, so here are a few pix...also featuring my trusty sidekicks - Mike and David from Infinia and Donna from Mansfield.

More San Francisco Weekend

2008-07-28T21:46:00.002-04:00

We had a great kid free weekend. I relaxed - a lot - including napping on the great window seat at the W Soma Hotel. We went out to dinner, hung out at the bar, walked around, went to the markets. Brilliant time. It felt like a week.

On the way back i got upgraded to first, and Paul started his transition home early, between someone else's screaming kids....

We must do this again soon.

Golden Gate Run

2008-07-26T11:58:00.009-04:00

On our celebratory weekend away in San Francsico, I opted to go for a late afternoon long-distance run after a lunch on Fisherman's Wharf and drinks at the Palace. Initially targeting the 11-mile increment of my summer running schedule, the gorgeous wheather and stunning views instead inspired an amazing 15-mile path along the bay foreshore from the W Hotel downtown South of Market across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. My feet and legs shared a few harsh words during dinner at the XYZ restaurant that evening, but I've since been forgiven.

Day in the Pool

2008-07-20T21:26:00.002-04:00

Well its like watching my childhood again! Ella and Ethan are real little fish. They love the water and the pool..it was 95 today so there was no better place to be, other then when we had a nap in the hammock

Debut of the newest Chief Marketing Officer in America

2008-07-19T17:30:00.008-04:00

Check out Camilla's press photo for her debut as chief marketing officer responsible for the launch of the newest real estate brand in America.

Ethan goovin' to the tunes

2008-07-18T07:31:00.005-04:00

Ethan was hanging out with his eurochick pals and grooving to his new tunes. Here, cruising the Little Gym in style with his coordinated apple-golden hair, apple juice and apple-colored shades

Press the 'Play' button below for Camilla in latest JibJab

2008-07-17T11:34:00.005-04:00

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Visit to the Police Station

2008-07-17T11:06:00.003-04:00

You can only imagine how excited Ella was to visit the police station with Daddy this morning. While Paul and Officer Grinnan worked on the Google Earth crime prevention decision support tool, Ella got the princess treatment with tootsie rolls, stickers, safety coloring books...the works. Ella loves the police and wanted to know when she can come back next.

This video shot with Camilla's new 'Flip' video recorder. You can see Ella enjoying a visit in the police cruiser.

Dinner at Pastis

2008-07-11T10:30:00.004-04:00

I was lucky enough to go out in NYC on Tuesday night with Donna and Sabrina who I work with at Mansfield Marketing and Communications. They are super talented and lots of fun to go out with too!

Food as always here was fabulous, so was the wine, and the company

July 4th 2008

2008-07-05T20:11:00.004-04:00

We had another great July 4th. Lots of kids, and fireworks (set off by Paul) and enjoyed the day at our friends Chris and Karen's house.
The pictures say it all... i actually took a day off. Everyone I know out there, sorry for not emailing.. Until after July 23rd when i get this brand launch done i just dont have any time other than the occasional sleep and brief check in on my family!

Anyway, happy independence day... i even left my blackberry in my briefcase!!

Zoo-fest

2008-06-14T18:40:00.003-04:00

Perhaps you won't be surprised to discover that both children were elated when I suggested a spontaneous trip to the zoo. This was truly an adventure for both, and it was Ethan's first time which made it really special.

We started with a ride to the train station in the van listening to the "They Might Be Giant's" album "NO!". Ella's favorite song goes "No means no. No is always no. When you hear no it means no, no, no...[guitar refrain]...No plus No equals No....." With this discovery of the latest TMBG album in the store, the band catapulted back to my (dad's) favorite all time group.

When we got to the Metro station, Ella was VERY excited and everything was cool with Ethan until the doors shut and the train started moving. He then proceded to wail unil we were about halfway to DC when he discovered that his imminent death appeared to be taking longer than he thought.

The kids loved the zoo. We had a treat from Australia this time as the emu and the wallaby's were out feeding right next to their fence so we could see them up close. The best part was when Ethan saw his first elephant. Check out his astonishment in this photo here being held by daddy. A lioness was playful today and started tossing around a giant red rubber ball. Ella was delighted.

All in all, the journey was a success and of course the kids fell asleep as soon as we got home.

Metro ride: $3.40
National zoo admission: Free
Amazement of your two year old on seeing his first elephant: Priceless

Earthquake Disaster Exercise!

2008-06-08T19:32:00.018-04:00

Every year we help out the local fire department by supporting the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) disaster simulation training exercise at the Fairfax Fire Academy. Here, the exercise simulated a 6.7 Richter Earthquake which "severely injured" Camilla, our au pair Sarah, and Paul. These photos capture those rare moments when we were able to feign seriousness. When the student responder first approached Sarah and asked, "Ma'am are you OK?" she immediately broke out into a smile, prompting the initial assessment, "well at least she's smiling!"

We picked what we thought was the perfect spot: under a shady tree to escape the heat, great view over the disaster area so we could see how everything was going, and close to the responders ensuring a speedy rescue for our critical injuries. Unfortuantely, even though we were directly in the line-of-sight for the command center and only 40 feet away, the responders never evacuated us. After about 45 minutes, the instructors strolled by and declared us "dead" and sent us to the morgue. Yikes!

Paul became a certified CERT responder in 2006 and now supports the program through a special project using Google Earth for targetted CERT volunteer recruitment analysis.

Reston Sprint Triathlon

2008-06-06T09:13:00.006-04:00

Can anyone say hills? Definitely a new experience for me crossing the finish line uphill. Here I am on the bike...the leg on which my training is concentrated (and needing the most improvement).

Next stop...Reston Olympic in early September!