Race Coverage
Adventure & Unpredictability...
Monday, 11 September 2017 23:10
By Nathan Ansbaugh (nathanansbaugh.blogspot.com - September 7)
SUPERIOR MAN RACE REPORT - With Ironman Wisconsin looming two weeks down the road from Superior Man, I told myself to take it a little easy, don't over stretch, play it safe, etc... well you will see in a moment that this simply did not happen. Last year at Superior Man, I came off the bike in 3rd but had to call it quits after about 6 miles into the run due to a nagging calf injury that became a real issue for me a few miles into that run. It took almost four months after Superior Man last year for me to start to feel like I could get out for a run without worrying a ton about my calf, and that was thanks to a lot of conservative management, physical therapy, and trying to be a good patient since I am notoriously bad at this. Needless to say, last year's Superior Man race left something to be desired for me, and 2017 gave me exactly what I asked for.
In the weeks leading up to Superior Man, I put in several 20+ mile runs, multiple long trainer rides, and honestly as many somewhat moderate length swims as my schedule would allow, and then crammed a taper into the the 5 days leading up to Superior Man with the goal of Superior Man being the last big push "training day" before Madison. My legs felt a bit like sand bags until about 2 days before the race, but my excitement for this race in particular started to take over and all the aches and pains seemed to become a bit numb.
For those who haven't experienced Superior Man, this really is an epic race. Jumping off the Vista Fleet into the red waters of Lake Superior, hugging the North Shore on a fast but challenging run, and then hitting a spectator packed run along the lake shore makes for a fantastic venue. ...
The Swim: My buddy, Sean Cooley (who has a pretty good handle on this race as a 4 time champ) and I opted to be the last ones off the boat in this time trial swim start. This played out well for us last year as we both gained some mental momentum making passes and having the knowledge that no one behind us was going to creep up on us without knowing and somehow have a faster time without our knowledge of it on the course. The water was smooth as glass and made for one of the most enjoyable swims I've had in awhile. Rarely do I leave the water feeling sad, but I honestly would have had fun staying in for another go around of that swim. I put in a decent effort off the boat and then settled in. When I caught site of the speedy Christina Roberts churning away just ahead, I figured I'd stick close to her and work our way into transition together. This seemed to turn out quite well, and while my swim wasn't my best, it left me feeling fresh and ready to settle into the ride.
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