Race Report Atlantic City September 10, 2023
A bit delayed race report (and pre-race stuff too.)
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Back in 2018, the 2018 Atlantic City 70.3 looked to be my only chance to attempt to do a solo 70.3. My cancer was inoperable and incurable. My back had been hurting, and a spine tumor was growing. I was not sure what was going to happen going forward. Delmo Sports made sure I would have a spot in the race whoever I made my decision and my health status. I completed the race, solo, under the time limit. It is something I never dreamed I could do. There is a special place in my heart for Delmo and the race because of this.
I did the AC 70.3 for a second time in 2021. It was a relay and I did the bike leg.
Rumors started circulating in the early part of 2023 that the 2023 AC 70.3 was going to be the last. When this was confirmed, I signed up to participate one last time. I was not, however, in any shape to do it as a solo race. So I registered a relay team. I was doing the run portion.
My training leading up to the race was not optimal for a few reasons, including an unforeseen 2 week trip the end of July. But a few longer runs when I came back helped me feel more confident that I could go 13.1 miles on race day.
Using a run/walk combination seemed to be the best approach. I was fine with being slow. I was not fine with somehow winding up with a DNF, which could happen if I overexerted or hurt myself during the race. I settled on 2:1 ratio a few days before the race. Based on a conservative estimate of what my teammates would do on the swim and bike, I figured I would have at least four hours to do the 1/2 Marathon. So about 18 minute miles. I do understand how slow that is - basically a crawl for most people.
I did a 13:46 pace in my first 1/2 marathon. A week later I had a 14:32 pace in the 2018 AC 70.3 after swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56(ish) miles. But that was a back surgery, 10 radiation treatments, 40 rounds of chemo and three drug trials ago. 18 minute miles can present a challenge on some days. On the other hand, I did a 7 mile outdoor run and a 9 mile treadmill run leading up to this year’s race at a 16:30 to 17:00 pace without feeling like I was straining.
The weather reports indicated there was going to be rain. I kept an eye on the reports for two weeks. I tried to figure out what to bring. I am not a fan of carrying a lot of things, but it seemed that compression sleeves, a foldable lightweight waterproof jacket and foldable brimmed hat would cover the weather.
So I decided on doing that, together with a Amphipod Belt and water bottle. Clif Blocs in the belt/back pockets. I am really bad about drinking/eating on runs. I will often go the entire run without any food or water. I resolved to eat and drink this time. I figured that during the one minute walk sections would be perfect times for that.
The Thursday and Friday before the race turned out to be rough days for me. Friday was the worst. The tired hit. The bad tired. The tired that messes with your mind. The tired that was telling me it was a stupid idea to do the race. When I have the tired bouts, I keep on reminding myself that I know that they stop and I should just rest. Each treatment has brought them around in various degrees. I seems to have gotten worse. It is not clear whether it is from the immunotherapy or the sheer number of treatments. It seemed to be getting a bit better Friday evening, and when I woke up Saturday the tired had broken.
We got to AC Saturday afternoon and picked up the race package, then went over to the Ironman store. Unfortunately all the “name” shirts were sold out. This was disappointing. I like to have a name shirt or sweatshirt from my races. More so for this race, since it was the last AC 70.3 So far, no luck. No name shirts ever appeared on the on-line store.
We checked into the hotel, then went to Carmine’s for a family style dinner. There was a discussion about what time I should get to the race. I wanted to be there first thing to see Lori off on the swim and then get a chance to see Yale off on the bicycle. Since I was running, however, my relay mates convinced me it would be a better idea for me to sleep in. I realized they were right. I checked the weather report when I got back to the hotel room. The chance of rain continued to increase, with possible thunderstorms.
The weather forecast on Sunday, race day, continued to look pretty bad. My wife and I headed over to Bader Field. As we parked the car, the skies starting opening up. Crazy rain. I was going to go out to transition anyway, but my wife convinced me to stay in the car. The rain did not let up. It was coming down in buckets. I had the race tracker on my phone and watched as Yale made it through the course. He had to be drenched. When it looked like he was close to finishing, the rain somehow let up. I made my way to transition. It was humid and warm. I was not sure what to carry. My rain jacket would be like a sauna, but I put it into my jersey pocket anyway.
Lori did an incredible job on the swim. Shortly before Yale came back into transition, I checked his time. He was finishing up an incredible time on the bike. I would have enough time to do 18 minute miles, which I figured would be my worst case scenario to ensure I would not bonk out before the end of the race. Yale pulled into transition, put the chip on my ankle and I was off.
The start through Bader Field seemed to take forever in 2018. This time it did not seem as bad. Of course I was only running, so that helped. I was feeling pretty good and I stuck to my 2:1 run timing as best as I could. Sometimes I missed the alert on my watch, so it was not perfect. I was also doing pretty well on my pace. I was under a 15:30 pace 3 miles in.
I also stopped at the first two stations to get water/Gatorade and take my Blocs. I slowed down because I never have gotten the hang of drinking when running. More water would wind up on my jersey than in my mouth. I also filled a silicone ziploc style bag with ice, and put it in front of my jersey to help cool me down. A light slip on the wet boards reminded me to be careful, so I slowed down a bit.
I got to the third aid station, which is the second reverse U portion of the course. A short section from the boardwalk, out a block or so, then back onto the boardwalk. A volunteer asked if I wanted ice. I said yes and they put down the back of my jersey, instead of the pouch I was reaching for. It was cold, but then it felt pretty good.
The good feeling did not last very long. When I got back on the boardwalk, my back started burning. At first it was mild, then continued to the point it was really hurting. I had to get the ice out. The area where my back surgery was done has nerves that deal with both pain and cold. My rehabilitation doctor had mentioned to me that this would sometimes mean I would feel cold when I was actually feeling pain. And vice versa. So I started trying to get rid of the ice without slowing down. I would pull my jersey off my back, shake a bit like a duck, and some cubes would come out. It had to be quite the sight. But I was still hurting. It was also slowing me down because things started slipping out. The strap on my running belt started getting twisted and caught up. Things then started falling out of my pockets. I realized I had to fully stop to fix things properly. By this point I was fairly certain I would not be able to get under 16 minutes per mile, though I thought I could still make 16:30
I continued on the run and got to the pier. This was another section that seemed long in 2018. It seemed a lot shorter this year. I even didn’t look too unhappy in the photo near the end of the pier on the way out. I then came back to the boardwalk and continued on. Someone called out, “Go Drew”. I had posted about my experience with cancer and triathlons on the AC Facebook group, and said feel free to keep me company or say hi. It happened a few more times during the race.
I continued to the beach portion of the run. Fortunately it was not very long. The next major section was coming up - a section of shops that were basically a U set on its side. This part was hard. It does not look that long or that it has a lot of elevation, but it is a bit of a false flat. It was deceiving and somehow a bit tough.
Though it had rained off and on during the run, it was not too bad. But when I finished the shop section, the rain started and did not stop. A steady rain. Occasionally it would become very heavy. This part of the run also is the toughest. It should be easy. It is flat. The turnaround is under two miles from once you exit the shop. But it seems like time stops. I spoke to many runners the three times I did the race - they often thought the same thing. The first mile marker seemed a bit long, but then getting to the turnaround takes forever.
I kept on pushing on. Pretty wet. Started to get cold. Pain setting out in my legs. In addition to the general pain/neuropathy on the front of my legs, my hips started locking. It is something that came up after the back surgery. It made it difficult to go on. But I knew I had the time cushion to finish and did not want a DNF. The boardwalk got slicker and I slipped a bit, but no falls. Some more people called out my name. I finally made the turnaround and headed back south. As I neared the shops U again, more people calling out my name and I heard Yale clearly. There was no way I was not going to finish in time, despite the cold and pain.
I got to the chute leading to the finish line and kept on moving. I tried my best to kick up the speed for the ending of the race. I always try to finish strong by going as fast as I can for the last bit, but I just did not have it. Crossed the finish line and was a bit shot. Someone said hello to me, “You are the cancer guy! We have been following you.” I nodded yes, tried to introduce myself, but I was not hitting on all cylinders. Usually I would have a conversation, and I felt I came across as a bit clipped/short.
The rain stopped, the sun started coming out, and I started getting cold. Which turned quickly into really cold. Usually I am not one to take off my jersey off in public. Between my port and the scars from the surgery, plus looking like a tall chicken wing from all my weight loss, it is not the prettiest thing to see. But I didn’t care. I was chilled to the bone and needed to get out of the wet clothes. So took off my top and got into my hoodie. Took awhile, but I finally started warming up.
I finally got a chance to check my time. 17:08 pace. All things considered, not too bad. I played it very carefully in terms of making sure I did not slip, push myself too hard where I could injure myself and made sure I stayed hydrated. I could have made it under 17 minute pace for sure. Took a month off from training to see family during the holidays and travel. Starting building back a bit in December, and will be working more on running in January and February, with some biking. I have a 5K in February. Last one I did was at a 15:11 pace. Going to aim for sub 14 this time as I continue to heal from the back surgery.
2023 training is in the books. 800 miles of biking. 300 miles of running. Not much swimming or biking. Looking to beat those numbers in 2024. Started 2024 with a 4 mile run.
#iTRI4aCure
