We arrived at the venue on race morning a little late at
5:10am. I went to my bike first to add nutrition, check the tires, and make
sure it was ready to go. For the first time at IMAZ I didn’t bring my pump so
when I squeezed the tires and could push in I knew I now how to take it to the
mechanic for a pump up. I wanted him to do it since I was only slightly familiar
with these race wheels that Joel generously loaned to me. They had given me a
little trouble 2 days before so I was a little anxious. All pumped, prepped my
bike and nutrition, added to my gear bags, stood in a fast moving portapotty
line, turned in Special Needs run bag, got the wetsuit on, used the resistance
cords for swim warm up, turned my morning clothes bag, and lined up for the
swim. Thankfully I had a ‘to do’ list with me or I would have forgotten
something. Didn’t really have any extra time but had enough get it done without
rushing.
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| View from Mill Av bridge - orange wetsuit - click on picture for closer view |
Finding my spot by the 1 hour sign, I got cap and goggles
ready and drank my “stuff”. Spoke a little with Kellen, who was right there
too. Anthem, male pros, females pros, pour water down my front, cannon shot, and then age group swim. This time they funneled the
athletes through 2 small openings in the barrier. At first it was frustratingly
slow, knowing how it went last year. Once I figured out what was going on I got
back into focusing on what I was doing. Went down the stairs and straight into
the water. It wasn’t crowded or hectic – great start for newbies and less
secure swimmers. My swim was steady and uneventful, with limited contact and
some opportunities to draft. I could feel a little cold in my legs and feet but
nothing significant as I made the final turn towards the swim stairs exit. And
NO CRAMPS, which is only the 2nd time that’s happened on a 2.4 mile
swim!
I lined up on a part of the stairs that seemed empty,
grabbed the step, pulled my knees up, and… began cramping! Quads and hamstrings
started to seize up. The volunteers pulled me to my feet but I could not walk up
the steps. No one else picked that stair location for a good minute so I stood
there carefully trying, with assistance, to get to the top. Even then I couldn’t
really walk at all. I just stood there waiting for the cramps to subside.
Someone was telling me or telling the volunteer to get out of the way.
Eventually I made it off to the side where people tried to
help me with the wetsuit. The peelers/strippers normally have you lie down and
then they yank your wetsuit off in one motion. If I laid down I would probably never stand up again so I just stood at the railing. Someone put a mylar blanket over me, another
guy held me, and 2 others, sitting on the ground, carefully worked on getting
my wetsuit off as I stood there. Then one of the 2 on the ground started
working on my quads and hammies to release the cramps. The whole time I knew the clock was
running but needed to patiently wait it out. I had many thoughts running through my head since I’d had
cramps before. Sometimes they've affected how I’ve been able to bike and run
afterward. The key thing I did was to withhold judgment and let it play out. It
can be easy to
Swim 1:01:40
Transition went fairly smoothly after the cramps subsided. I
went with my normal cotton disposable arm warmers, left the hand warmer packs,
wore socks and gloves, drank down my UCAN, grabbed the bike, and ran out well
past the mount line (and past other fumbling cyclists).
Transition 1 11:56
It was nice to be on the bike and feeling pretty good. It
took me the first ½ mile to get the Garmin watch working but once I did, it
worked well all day. I rode under control the first ½ loop, trying to keep it
easier than I thought I could go. There was a headwind going out on the Beeline
Hwy, which made for a slow split. I remember seeing a 1:07 or so, which I knew
was slow for me based on past races. As I turned and headed back down it felt
like I was flying with that tailwind! Unless it’s on a steep hill I hate the
sound of “pawl clicking” that comes when you are coasting (on most bikes) - it
means I’m not working to propel the bike. As usual I pedaled downhill with the
tailwind.
The 2nd loop felt faster, in part due to nutrition
intake, though I think the wind may have been a little stronger. The 3rd loop was the slowest of the 3. 3 times during the ride I
pushed a bit too hard (for me) when I got into a group of 3 riders who passed
me and then slowed. I backed off, passed them back , and pushed another 30 sec
so as not to disrupt their pedaling effort. In the process I spiked the heart rate a little but mostly just added fatigue to my legs which was probably
unnecessary but I wanted to live within the spirit of the race rules. Total
calorie intake was a bit short of planned: probably 900 calories. In the end my
bike split was 10 min slower than last year’s. Average HR 119, Max 132; Average
Speed 20.27, Max 35.3mph. (That night when we retrieved the bike, my rear tire
was down at least 25 lbs of pressure. Not sure if it had a slow leak or what.
It was down even more the next day.) I did not come close to even or negative
splitting the bike with the 3 loops being 1:47, 1:49, and 1:55.
Bike 5:31:32
I took my feet out of my bike shoes with about ¼ mile to go
and pedaled with feet on top. Dismounted just before the dismount line, walked
and jogged to get my bag, and then changed outside the tent since the air was
warm and it looked dark inside there. Without compression socks to put on I got
out in less than 5 min. The anticipated portapotty stop was unneeded since I
peed twice while riding on the bike.
T2 4:56
The run started slowly and with little promise for a good
split. I was feeling the fatigue and some back discomfort. As per plan, I
walked and jog a little to start. The first little uphill the legs decided it
was time to cramp again. I shifted immediately to a cautious walk to let things
settle down. Again, I made no judgment that this would be permanent or temporary.
I just dealt with it the best I knew how. I tested it as things subsided and
the legs responded. Gradually I got into a reasonable pace, taking short walk
breaks as needed until I settled into an effort level and heart rate I’d
planned to maintain.
The run was about as expected: it was HARD and PAINFUL. I
hated it and loved it, sometimes simultaneously, sometimes alternately. As is
typical I would find a flow and just be moving and feeling like a runner. At
other times my legs or feet or back or all of that would feel heavy, out of
balance, inefficient, painful, and/or unpleasant. There were highs and lows on
a regular basis. In my mind I would feel despair, defeat, confidence, and joy.
I was frequently ‘checking’ myself to maintain even, level emotions.
In the end the run was not fast – 43 min. slower than my
best marathon – but it was my best Ironman
Run 4:46:57
Final Result: 11:37:01, 6th place in age group
(previous best 11:29 in 2015 with full run training and no leg cramps). I feel
short on many of my goals. I hit my experiential and process (execution) goals
and in the end that makes missing my time and place goals far less
disappointing.
In part 1 of my ‘race report’ I expressed how I was
extremely grateful of all those family and friends who cheered, supported,
checked on line, and/or volunteered. In part 2 I told how awesome it was to
race with my friends and fellow athletes. The thing I may not have explained
well was how the athletes I coached or supported gave back to me. The
excitement, anxiety, uncertainty, and enthusiasm from the newbies helped remind
me of my first Ironman and the MAGIC that is part of this event. While it added
stress to me it ALSO added a good energy. I LOVED being able to race with them
and to be there to happily cry with them at the finish line.
Bike loop splits 1:47:31, 1:49:57, 1:55:42
Run splits by mile:
1 – 11:45; HR ave 113, HR max 122
2 – 11:24; 121, 128
3 – 10:16; 124, 129
4 – 10:23; 124, 130
5 – 10:16; 125, 130
6 – 10:29; 123, 128
7 – 10:32; 124, 129
8 – 10:46; 121, 127
9 – 11:18; 120, 126
10 – 11:41; 118, 125
11 – 09:55; 125, 130
12 – 10:38; 122, 126
13 – 13:42; 117, 126
14 – 11:07; 122, 133
15 – 10:41; 124, 129
16 – 10:59; 123, 132
17 – 10:45; 121, 127
18 – 10:59; 121, 129
19 – 11:00; 121, 126
20 – 10:19; 123, 128
21 – 10:46; 120, 127
22 – 11:25; 118, 124
23 – 12:08; 116, 124
24 – 10:17; 121, 127
25 – 10:06; 126, 132
26 – 10:22; 124, 127
.2 – 9:44 pace; 129, 138
½ marathons – #1 2:24:49, #2 2:22:08
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