Athlete Name: Anthony Scalise
Race Name: Western Mass 70.3
Year: 2024
Goals for this race –
– bike smart and avoid the 9 mile death march I experienced at this race last year
– implement run fueling improvements using gels
– set a baseline for Maine 70.3 in 6 weeks
Race day –
Up 3:30, coffee, ON oats, sip water with Precision Hydration drops.
Forgot chamois cream! Buy a new tube and put in race bag.
Left on time and got to transition a little early. Filled bottles (except concentrated bottle which I mixed the night before) in transition with water there and PH bag I brought. Worked well. 3 scoops, 45 carbs per bottle.
Swim – Walked to swim start(1.2 miles) in old running shoes and socks. ate half a banana, and caff gel before I got on line.
Swim started ok – but tinted goggles fogged on a cloudy day and I couldn’t see anything. Swam half the course until flipping on my back and clearing the fog which was a major help.
get antifog for goggles and buy clear goggles for next overcast day
Time – 35:21 vs 35:19 last year, was focused on not going too hard and keeping HR down. Avg HR 147 higher than last year 145.
Walked to T1, 8:57 long way around to my bike. Peed in port a potty coming out of the water.
Bike – started out well, didn’t chase watts as I was hitting 20+ MPH over the first 20 miles or so and my HR was borderline Z3. Then I hit some climbs over the next 10 miles, at which point it started to hail!! and then rain very hard. Eased up and didn’t go into aero bars as much due to concerns of slipping or someone going down around me and having to avoid them.
Average speed 18.5 mph, average power 169, NP 199. Below PY and targets. Avg HR 141. TSS 121.
Nutrition – put 2 servings (60 carbs) in aero bottle, drank by 45’, put 1.5 servings (45 carbs) in each saddle bottle and drank over the next hour or so. Then grabbed 1 water at aid station 2 and mixed concentrated bottle into aero bottle and drank everything. Took 1 salt pill at 1 hour and ate 2 bars. Peed on the bike 3 times! And then again at T2. Ate 2 of 3 bars.
When I got to T2 my lower back/kidneys were hurting. After I peed it felt better. Total carbs 250/83 per hour.
Run – glad I had socks for the run because I came into T2 completely soaked. I started easy, running to HR with a Z2 limit of 150. Very cool, cloudy and light rain helped keep HR low. Mile 1 9:07 was surprisingly fast, HR 139; mile 2 & 3 was 120 feet climbing each, pace 9:47,10:07 as I eased up to keep HR in check. Miles 4/5 9:14;9:13 on the flats HR 149;152. Mile 6/7 had 60/100 feet climbing paces 9:41/9:22. Miles 1-7 drank Gatorade each station and regular gel over the first hour. Mile 8 starting drinking coke alternating with Gatorade and eating some caff gel every mile. Felt really good and held back a bit – miles 8-10 paces 8:47/8:43/9:02 HR 158;155;157. Mile 11 picked it up – 8:50 HR 159, mile 12 9:03 HR 166, mile 13 8:04 HR 168 sprint finish feeling great!
Takeaways:
Need light goggles for cloudy morning swim conditions.
Nutrition went well, on bike and run. Weather helped as I was able to back off just a little to get HR down. New run shoes Hoka Mach 6 felt great.
Some minor glute tightness during the run. Refocus strength over the next month.
Very happy my dad came along this year – he has lost almost 100 lbs since this race last year!!!
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Team comments
Brenda Ross -Congratulations Anthony. I think you managed this race well. As for your Dad. What an accomplishment. Proud of you both.
