No, this is not a children’s story book – this is about finding and taking on new challenges! We always encourage our athletes to challenge themselves with new events. Jason Gardner is definitely taking that to heart in 2019. Not only is he attempting his first full Ironman this September in Wisconsin, but at this year’s destination race in Bend, Oregon, Jason decided to take on the challenge of the Pacific Crest Endurance Weekend’s Three-Headed Beast. Basically, this is a three day challenge of a bike ride on Friday, the long course triathlon (half-ironman) on Saturday, followed up with the Olympic distance event on Sunday. Following the event, I sat down with Jason to talk about his experience.
Coach Jenni: What made you decide to do three events at Pacific Crest?
Jason: So far this season I have battled a foot injury and several illnesses that have affected my training. I am tackling my first full Ironman in September, so I felt with the lack of training and the big event in September, I needed to have a big weekend. Pacific Crest offered a great weekend of tons of events, so I decided to do something every day. I thought why not, I drove a long way to get to Sunriver!!!
Coach Jenni: Which three events did you pick and why?
Jason: For Friday, I chose the 26-mile bike ride. I felt this was a great warm up for the next couple of days. Next was the Beastman on Saturday, the signature event, and the one I was looking forward to the most. Finally, for Sunday I went ahead and did the Olympic Triathlon. Last year I was very impressed when Augustine Torres accomplished the Wildflower squared (1/2 ironman on Saturday and Olympic Tri on Sunday) so I wanted to give something similar a try.
Coach Jenni: So, did you do anything different to prepare yourself going into this weekend?
Jason: Leading into the weekend I made sure to get lots of sleep and I tried to focus on my stretching and foam rolling. I made sure to get a nice massage the Monday before, so my body was ready for the events. I also made sure to drink lots of water to make sure I was properly hydrated for the weekend. In some of the water I included Nuun tabs to increase my electrolytes.
Coach Jenni: What did you do AFTER each race to help you prepare for the next day’s event?
Jason: Well, you and Coach John brought Recovery Boots to the destination weekend, which I used, and they are amazing!!! I also brought and used my Thera Gun. I drank lots of water after each race and really tried to always have a bottle of water with me so I would by properly hydrated for the next day. Finally, I went to bed early to make sure I got my needed rest.
Coach Jenni: What was your thought process after driving the Beastman course on Friday and seeing the climb up Mt. Bachelor?
Jason: For the most part the Beastman course is not too bad for the first 20 miles. During the drive we made the day before, I really got a good sense of how difficult the Mt. Bachelor climb would be. It doesn’t have much gradient, but it is very long (over 3 miles). I kept telling myself to stay within my power numbers during the climb and look forward to the nice descent once you made it to the top!!
Coach Jenni: During the race, how did you feel once you climbed over the summit on Mt. Bachelor?
Jason: I was so relieved to finish the climb but at the same time a little nervous about the descent. We had a good wind coming down Mt. Bachelor directly in our face. I also knew the last 14 miles were mostly downhill, so I tried to just relax and let the speed go.
Coach Jenni: What was your thought process during the Beastman bike? And Beastman run?
Jason: During the bike my main thought was about fueling and hydration. I was going to try something different with my fueling that I was hoping would work, so I can use it during Ironman in September. For the first hour, I used my normal Infinit Bike Blend. For the second hour, I tried real food. I have been reading and trying some different recipes from the “Feed Zone Portables” book. I made some French Toast bites and ate those during the second hour. For the final hour, I went back to Infinit. Overall, I thought the combo worked well for me, so I feel good about using this combo during my Ironman.
For the run, my main thought was survive!!! The course is very flat for the most part, but you end up going a long time without seeing anyone. It was the first event I have done at a smaller event, with so few participants. I would look forward to aid stations since they had people at them!!! I feel the run is the part I felt my lack of training the most.
Coach Jenni: So, following the half-ironman, how did you feel on Sunday morning before you started the Olympic Tri? And, after the hail storm that rolled through the area late Saturday night, did the weather conditions concern you at all?
Jason: I honestly did not know if I could complete the Olympic Sunday morning when I woke up. The night before we saw a nice hailstorm and sure enough, when we arrived at the lake you could see hail on the roads. When I saw that, I knew I would need to be careful on the first part of the bike course.
Coach Jenni: What were you focused on during the Olympic bike? And Olympic run?
Jason: During the swim I was still not convinced I could finish. I felt like I was swimming in mud. I got on my bike not knowing what to expect. The good news is once I got my legs moving, I found a good rhythm and my legs felt better than I thought they would. I just kept focusing on my nutrition and keeping my power numbers in a good spot. Once I got to the run my focus was on 6 miles. I knew I only had 6 miles to complete my weekend. I also had a little reward for myself during the run. For my nutrition I had Swedish Fish!!!
Coach Jenni: So, how did you feel during the run?
Jason: It really surprised me how good I felt on the run. The day before I did not feel great on the run. My legs felt bad and I was slow. On Sunday I guess my head kept telling me it was only 6 miles so go for it, and I did. I kept getting a little faster each mile and by the end I made the final mile the fastest mile of the weekend.
Coach Jenni: Awesome! How did you feel crossing the finish line at the Olympic and getting your Three-Headed Beast award?
Jason: I felt so amazing when I crossed the finish line on Sunday. I had set out to really push myself and do something I have never done before. This accomplishment has given me confidence that I can complete my Ironman later this year. It has also got me really focusing on my training since coming back to make sure I am fully prepared.
Coach Jenni: So now that this is behind you, how are you feeling about Ironman Wisconsin?
Jason: Yes, next up is the big one, my first ever Full Ironman in Wisconsin. I am looking forward to pushing myself again and seeing what I can do. As a bonus, I am so happy my teammate Frank is going to the event as well. We have been pushing each other leading up to the event and I know we will both finish strong come September.
