Showing posts with label race reports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race reports. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Daybreak Race Report: Austin Patten


It’s been 25 months since my last race due to major injuries and then COVID-19. My major injuries included being paralyzed after a driver hit me on my bike while training for a race in 2019. It felt good to be back on the race course. Leading up to the Daybreak triathlon, I was training but only for races much farther in the future.

When I approached my coach about doing a tri soon he mentioned the Daybreak triathlon. I registered that night. Then I got back to work training. I trained for about 12 hours a week which means I had to dedicate close to 25 hours a week due to challenges I face being a paraplegic. I pushed (ran) 2-3 times a week, swam twice a week and biked 3-4 times a week.


This was my first race as a para triathlete. A para triathlete is someone who has some type of disability that requires adaptations to their equipment or way of racing. Not only was this my first race as a para, I was the only wheelchair athlete in the race. I should note there was one more para triathlete racing. He was blind and had his guide with him.

The Daybreak tri was well organized and was an overall great event. One thing I noticed immediately on both the run and bike courses was how well they had marked the course. It was impossible to miss a turn because there were people to direct as well as signs. I’ve done some races where that is not the case. In those races if you don’t know the course you can easily get off course.


As a wheelchair athlete I’m allowed certain accommodations like people to help me get out of the water and help in transitions. For this race I had my dad and brother helping me as well as my coach [Andrew Stasinos]. At the start they helped me onto the dock and getting my equipment on my legs to keep my legs from flopping all over. As I finished the swim they helped get the wetsuit off and lifted me into my wheelchair then helped me situate on my hand cycle.


Because I can’t walk, I was able to ride my bike in the transition area both in and out. The bike course was tough for the first 6 miles on a hand cycle. It was up hill and even the false flats were a grind. Imagine only being able to use your arms to ride your bike up a hill. For me that’s a reality. Hills cause me to go really slow. Slow enough that a child could probably pass me going uphill. There were some hill segments where I pushed more than 2x my FTP.


Maybe this means I just need to get stronger on the bike so I can ride faster. A small segment of road also had a few large potholes. Thankfully these were well marked with spray paint so racers could avoid them. The second half of the bike was amazing! Because a hand cycle is very aerodynamic I was able to cruise the last several miles of the race. Uphill always hurts more than downhill helps. I was able to get some of my time back but not all of it.


The run starts with a few stairs and then about 100 yards on grass. From there it winds along a beautiful bike path around the lake. It twists and turns what felt like every 20 feet. For someone who uses a racing wheelchair for this section it made it very technical as I cannot propel myself forward and steer at the same time.

So I had to work out how to best navigate the run. The few spots I could get pushing hard were short lived as they usually came to an end with a sharp turn.


Notwithstanding the challenges of trying to push forward and steer or steer while going up a hill on a curve, I enjoyed the course. For the normal athlete, a trail like this is ideal for racing. The scenery with the beautiful homes and the lake are a great distraction from the pain of pushing as hard as you can.

The run finished with a run off the bike path on to grass down a small hill. Grass is not friendly to wheelchairs so I slowed almost to a stop as I finished but I was able to push through the finish line.


The finish line was small and simple but provided space for the athletes and their supporters to gather all in the same area which is not common in big races. Usually big races have an athletes only finish area and supporters have to wait outside that area. By allowing supporters wherever they want beyond the finish line it made it easier to find your group and stay with them. For me it was the best part of my race seeing my family and friends at the finish line. 


When I got to the finish line I just collapsed and cried. Many times throughout the race I thought of my dreams and goals and how this was the race to put me back on track to reach them. I cried several times during race just thinking about it. When I finished it was the exclamation point on the first step to reaching my goals. It was very emotional in a great way.

As a wheelchair athlete racing is a different experience. It is also the same experience. It’s different because of how you compete and your expectations have to change. It’s the same because of the adrenaline and race day feel. Those things that made me want to race as an able bodied athlete are the same that make me want to compete as a challenged athlete. The difference now is how I complete the race.



*****Below is the 2021 UTCS lineup! Check out this post if you need a refresher on how it all works. Thank you Trent Perry for being the title sponsor of the Series!*****


Below are links to all the races in the 2021 Championship Series:

Ice Breaker - Sprint
Sand Hollow - Olympic
East Canyon - Olympic
Echo - Olympic 
Jordanelle - Olympic
Brineman - Half (70.3)


POPULAR LINKS

UTAH TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES 2021 --> HERE
LATEST AGE GROUP RANKINGS --> HERE
CHAMPIONSHIP BELT HOLDERS --> HERE
MOST IMPROVED TRIATHLETES --> HERE
TOP LOCAL RACER AWARDS --> HERE
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2020 --> HERE
IMSG "COUNTY COMPETITION" (MAY BE REVIVED) --> HERE

UTAH TRIATHLON HISTORY 101 --> HERE






Thinking about Lasik or have other eye health needs?
Dr. Brice Williams is offering some incredible
deals for fellow Utah Tri Buzz readers
www.claysonwilliamseyecenter.com




Local triathlete Steve Monson has a stellar reputation
as one of Utah's finest financial advisors
www.edwardjones.com



www.trentperry.com



We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising a few bucks towards awards & swag for athletes of all abilities in our tri community. We've given out a lot over the past 3 years, but would like to continue to expand our offerings & the volume we can do.

If you enjoy Utah Tri Buzz and would like to pitch in, any amount would be greatly appreciated... (there may be something in it for you as well!)


We're also always grateful for talented people who contribute in terms of time... let us know if you'd like to be part of the Utah Tri Buzz team.



HISTORICAL U.T.B.
"BELT HOLDERS"


Interviews








































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Location: Utah, USA

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Kona 2019 Race Report: Koji Aoki


This year there were so many local Kona qualifiers, sadly we weren't able to feature them all with an official "Kona Profile" interview.

 Koji Aoki is one such example, and his performance on triathlon's biggest stage caught our eye... who is this fast young buck who can out-swim most of the pros?? Why have we never heard of this guy on the local scene??

 Thankfully Koji obliged us with this race report from the big day. Thanks for the time, man!

Kona 2019 Race Report

Kona 2019 was unforgettable! It is surreal to think that I was able to race on the big island with the most elite athletes in the world. I am extremely grateful and fortunate for the amazing opportunity. Blessed to have a body that allows me to compete and an amazing support system. As a Kona first timer my coach and I decided that I should soak up the entire day and enjoy every minute of it.

 And I am so glad that I did that! From the wind on the Queen K, the humidity and heat of the run course, and the electric atmosphere felt all throughout town. Once I landed on the island I knew it was a special moment in my life. But oh did that race really test me. I know it was only my second Ironman, but Kona was freakin hard!

 I felt really good with the swim. The mass start brought me back to my water polo days of people thrashing in the water fighting to keep position. I remember getting hit in the face and I immediately thought “Okay Game on!”

The bike was brutal. The winds were relentless. And luckily I mentally prepared for that to happen when I visualized for the race. I lost nutrition in the first 4 miles on Ali’i drive, so lucky I had back up plans for that. Grateful that I decided to put extra salt and nutrition in my special needs bag.

 As I was heading back into town I remember thinking “I don’t remember going down these hills!” The legendary winds really made the back half of the bike course terrible hard!

The run really tested me. As I was going up Palani before heading out on the Queen K, I saw my family and said “holy shit balls!” It was hot, humid, and my legs felt heavier and heavier as a progressed through the marathon.

 I really hit a wall at mile 18.5 once I climbed out of the energy lab. I remember really hurting and mentally struggling and then I heard “Koji Honey, how are you doing?” I turned my head and It was Ali [McInturff].

 Those words helped me so much at that time to actually psychologically acknowledge that I was hurting but to just keep pushing. I was amazed because she looked like a million bucks blazing back into town! Later on I was encouraged by her husband, Jorge, which I hated at the time because I was hurting so bad; but it was much needed! It was also very nice to see other Utahns in the race and see their true grit! Shout out to Gentry Yost for killing it out on the run course!



The last 4 miles it was a test of my strength. I had to really dig deep and remind myself of my 5 mantras for doing this. Those reasons carried me those last few miles. But once I hit Ali’i emotions came running out.

 All the hard workouts, sacrifices, blood, sweat, and tears were all felt during this moment. It was unforgettable! I will never forget running past that finish line and hearing the roaring crowd!

I would like to thank the Utah Tri community for welcoming me into this sport! As a newcomer it was intimidating but everyone at BAM and Intermountain Tri were so welcoming! It is amazing to be able to practice with such amazing athletes! Thank you to Wes, Andrew, and Nat for the little things they did for me!

 I will be more present with workouts in the future. I would also like to thank Janie Dahle for encouraging and believing in me to race Kona! Lastly I want to thank my coach Kayla Bowker from Where Your Feet Take You! She is amazing and deserves so much credit for what she does! Love you Kayla!


POPULAR LINKS

LATEST AGE GROUP RANKINGS --> HERE
CHAMPIONSHIP BELT HOLDERS --> HERE
MOST IMPROVED TRIATHLETES --> HERE
TOP LOCAL RACER AWARDS --> HERE
REIGNING STATE CHAMPIONS --> HERE


UTAH TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES 2020 DETAILS -->  HERE !
Below are links to all the races in the 2020 Championship Series:

Below are links to all Challenger Races:




Thinking about Lasik or have other eye health needs?
Dr. Brice Williams is offering some incredible
deals for fellow Utah Tri Buzz readers

www.claysonwilliamseyecenter.com



Local triathlete Steve Monson has a stellar reputation
as one of Utah's finest financial advisors

www.edwardjones.com



We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising a few bucks towards awards & swag for athletes of all abilities in our tri community. We've given out a lot over the past 3 years, but would like to continue to expand our offerings & the volume we can do.

If you enjoy Utah Tri Buzz and would like to pitch in, any amount would be greatly appreciated... (there may be something in it for you as well!)


We're also always grateful for talented people who contribute in terms of time... let us know if you'd like to be part of the Utah Tri Buzz team.


HISTORICAL U.T.B.
"BELT HOLDERS"


Interviews
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