IMAZ 2012 Race Report...Fade to Black

Sophia...papa's home!

The Swim Workouts, the Trainer Sessions...

First off, for those of you that are new to reading my "stuff," I tend to write too much---Race Reports, instead of getting shorter and to the point, are becoming in depth reviews of my race....those that have read other posts (a fair amount of you do...thanks!), I can't apologize because it's your choice to come back after previous ramblings.  This post is much more than a Race Report:  I consider it my chance to close out this chapter of racing, what I have learned from it, and if I come back to race IM's again, that I can use these references to get me back up to speed with what worked and made me tick at this moment in time.  My racing strategy is in there, and I truly believe in it...it works for me, maybe not for you, but if I desire to get back to what I have built with Chris, this post will be an invaluable piece of that puzzle...

Five Ironmans in 2 years.  One kid born.  2 moves.  10 words is all it takes to review the past 2+ years. I wish I could have the numbers of yards in the pool and miles on the bike and in running shoes.  Consider that I have trained consistently since January of 2010 (34 months), and looking at 732 miles a month as a decent number, I would estimate I traveled 24,901 miles; OR, I travelled around the world on my own power in that span.  With the 2 moves, and with Andrews birth.  And don't forget Sophia, who was 20 months old when I started this journey...now she's almost 5.

Every Ironman I have competed in has taken on its own meaning, and I have treasured every leg of this adventure...whether successful or a complete failure, each one has been an amazing experience I will carry with my till I'm sitting in my rocking chair with my great grandkids teasing me because I can't move faster than Andrew can at 14 months old.  Crazy, but that would be Andrew's grandkids...

So here's a brief recap of The Five IMs...

#1:  IMAZ 2010 was all about "can I do this?"  with a 9:28, a trip to Kona, and my standing PR, it stands as one of the most exhilarating days of my life.  I'm still unsure it happened...

#2: Kona 2011 (9:59) a dream come true.  For years I thought I'd never do an IM, and here I was in Kona...Amazing experience, and only wished Jenny and the kids were there with us...Andrew was born 2 weeks prior to race day, making that impossible.  This could be the one regret that sticks...it's not every day Papa gets to play in the Super Bowl.

#3: IMAZ 2011 (9:42), six weeks after Kona...still toasted, it became a true test with a burnt-out engine.  As Chris and I discussed pre-race: this was all about just waking up and doing an Ironman; not at your best, just going out and committing to it.  No, it wasn't ideal, but yes, it tested my heart, and I won.

#4: IMTexas (11:08) was supposed to be all about Kona Trip #2.  A crash and grinding my elbow to the bone at mile 10 of the bike curtailed those plans...but I finished, and that was the most adversity I have ever faced...ask Dana Jones ;-)

To shorten it even further: Most Exhilarating, Most Amazing Experience, Biggest Test, Most Adversity...that is why there is nothing like racing this distance for me.  I simply feel the most "alive" when I am on a race course.  

And here we are, #5 in the books, IMAZ 2012.  This one followed suit.  I luckily got a spot in the race on September 24th...7 weeks prior to race day (thanks to the Endurance Sports Travel Wait List!).  After a summer of lackluster training due to zero "A" races planned for the fall, it was either "get a spot for IMAZ, or I am done with IM."  So with 7 weeks to race day, and Chris fresh off his overall amateur win at IM Kentucky on less than huge numbers, we devised a plan that was simple and had it's scapegoat:  Chris told me "It's perfect!  If you have a great race on this volume, we can say A-HA!  And if you don't we can blame the training!"  After a few chuckles, this became the plan.  Not to bore you with details, but there were ZERO long slow runs...nothing over 1h45m.  Could we have added them?  Yes, but the plan was to train for this one with minimal strain on my time away from home.  The biggest week was 18 hours...that would be considered a recovery week in the prep for the other 4.  Add in that this was only weeks, and we basically only had room for 2 build cycles.  The amazing thing?  I never felt stronger than I do now in the swim and on the bike...my run, I thought, was in very good shape going in...based on a 90/9 brick session where I averaged 7:12 off the bike on a hot day in mid October.  With that key workout, I felt I was ready even under the lack of a 16 week build...but let's not forget the huge base I have built!

So, here's November 18th, 2012....

            

My mom, dad and Jeanette flew in from back home (SF Bay Area), which was a special treat, and we spent friday and saturday just catching up and playing with the kids.  I got in and out of Registration on thursday in 11 minutes...and outside of that, I was not in Tempe until the Bike/Bag drop off, which was maybe another 15 minutes.  Zero wasted energy, which kept me at ease and relaxed leading into Sunday.  I had to keep reminding myself that I had an IM to race on Sunday, and just kept hydrating and eating whenever I could.  I was up at 3:45 am Sunday morning after a solid 6h45m sleep, and I bet if I had turned the snooze off, I would have just kept sleeping--RELAXED!  Had my Oatmeal, Ultragen, Flax Seed, Agave Nectar, Almond Milk concoction until I was fully loaded along with a 1/2 dose of OSMO Pre-Load (1/2 dose the night before as well).  I ate 2 clif bars during the night, so I was full!  I knew I was hydrated by the number of times I was in the bathroom throughout the weekend.  My mom arrived and we drove down at 4:15...way too easy to get situated, as we had to wait for transition to open because we were so early and somehow grabbed a spot in the vendor lot which was not patrolled for some odd reason---a bit of good fortune right away.  I had my checklist on my phone so I didn't have to think, and just went through the itinerary until I was standing at the ONE tent for our Pre Race Group Photo.

I met up with Cam Loos while we were putting the finishing touches on our swim prep....Cam and I had chatted on Facebook a lot leading into this race.  Cam's goal was a 9:08, and guess what, he did a 9:08 and won the 40-44...almost nailing his predictions to the minute.  I knew he was out of my reach from the get go, but nonetheless someone to spot in the field as I knew with his strong swim/bike that he would lead the AG.

Swim:  56:34....

• 8th in 40-44
• 24th Amateur (nerding out with some result hunting: 37 Pros swam faster than me, so 61st Overall)

I lined up where I have for the past 3 years...directly in line with the first pilon of the bridge from the south side of the TTL.  I jumped in a bit late and had to swim over a few unsuspecting people on my crash course to the front, otherwise the water was perfect.  I went with clear goggles for the first time (Thanks Brooke!), and wow, I'll never race with tinted goggles again.  I had some good speed around me as I spotted Erica McClurg and Cam next to me.  Canon goes boom, and for the 3rd time, I am untouched off the line.  I settled in almost immediately and watched as Cam sailed off the front as well as Max Beissmann (swim prime...nice job Max!) to his left...I had no chance of going with those two, but found myself in a nice "4 pack" right away, and we stayed together to the first turn.  Again like in Texas...solid group, great line, courteous, and really working well to make the swim easy.  Once around the return buoy, I had a decision...stay with them or swing wide right like I planned.  Luckily, they swung a bit wider than the buoy line and made my decision easy, so I hung in with them, and now we were 3.  I just sat in third position as there was no reason to jump up as the lead guy was straight as an arrow and didn't mind doing most the work...I couldn't have written a better swim plan than this!  We hit the steps, Mike Reilly shouting my name, only to hear him say..."all 3 of these guys are Erik's getting out!"  Kind of crazy if the 3 of us were together the entire swim.  The Ironman swims have all been "no big deal" other than Kona, but this one was my best, and not necessarily because it was my fastest...I wasn't breathing hard at all heading into T1, my perceived HR was low, and I was as fresh as I was jumping in the water.

Cam on the Right, Max probably Top Left, and I was the splash below him, I think!

My takeaway from the swim:  more in Ironman than in any other distance of triathlon, your pace is dictated by your training.  The last 2 weeks of swim workouts were some of the toughest I have put myself through.  Not because of the workout, but how I approached them.  I got my 100 time down to 1:10 on 4 or 5 x 100 with 10 seconds rest.  When I started with Chris, I was swimming 1:30's.  No matter what anyone says, not only is a fast swim a huge advantage, but getting out of the water not even winded and being able to make smart decisions on the bike when you are ahead of everyone else makes racing tactics a blast.  Being up front THROUGH the swim saves a ton of energy, along with zero frustration that I hear about from those behind me...mostly, the slugfest at the start line (in Kona I experienced that "hell" ...while it was crazy and even "fun," I would rather swim by myself).

My swim strategy:  use a fast swim to set the tone for the day.  Get off the line fast, but not anaerobic...just enough to stay clear.  If I can get out before my AG competition, I can control my race intensity much more than if I am playing catch up on the bike, which I am not strong enough to do, and its much easier to be up front on the swim with proper training than become a fast biker with the extra hours it takes weekly.  Granted, I fast bike is sexy, but I am realistic with my expectations and the time I have for training...at this point.  Plus you can fake a fast bike with a fast swim, decent bike ;-)

T1:  4:01
I normally wouldn't be happy with this, but I went the sock route, and I am now a firm believer in socks for the IM bike.  I take everything Chris says as if it was written in the Bible, and this was the first time for socks.  Zero issues, zero hot spots that always creep in, so try it if you have IM bike foot issues.  Otherwise, I carried my Espresso Quick Fill in my back pocket which makes perfect sense.  Why tape it to the frame when ideally you want your nutrition in front of you?

 

Bike:  5:02:31...

• 6th off the bike in 40-44* (or "would" have been 3rd without the non-drafting but getting blocked into a drafting penalty)
• ~23rd Amateur off the bike (73rd Overall)
• First EVER penalty in over 50 Triathlons
• "would" have been 3rd without the non-drafting but getting blocked into a drafting penalty while sitting up and not pedaling for things to clear out

After nearly crashing into a sign coming out of T1 with a version of an erratic flying squirrel mount (Dan M, did you notice that???), I managed to survive the chicane heading out to Rio...and there was no one ;-)  I could see one guy about a 1/4 mile ahead...target #1!  Three targets later I was turning onto the Bee Line, but it wouldn't be right if I didn't mention that I was shark bait once...maybe twice ;-)  Different than the past 2 years, there was a head wind as I traveled up the Bee Line (reverse and worse in 2011 and horrendous in 2010).  I simply "plugged in" my watts, and rode 210-215 all the way to the turn...felt like an easy spin, but this was what my Blood Lactate Testing on Tuesday told us. So below is the SRM file for the first lap.  I think that Green Power Line looks pretty good ;-)  The blue cadence line is bad as well...

Lap 1 Power File

Bryan Dunn has become a fixture at the Turnaround, and seeing his mug up there is welcoming with some news----"you're 8th" he tells me, while trying to count his fingers and hold up the correct number, and the "Kona Bound" sign with your huge smile on had me laughing  ;-).  With that bit of headwind now turning into a tailwind for the trip back to Tempe, I had the race course to myself, and my bike was humming---really, the Firecrest 808 and Disc on the Storck were flying!  Post race, I figure I had made my way into 3rd or 4th in 40-44 by this point with the early catches on the bike--I did notice some 40-44 calf numbers on my way up, and realizing now that Bryan was going off of the Swim placing and looking at the results, I was sitting PERFECT!!!!

The Final Setup...and the best one to date.  2 cages, clean, tidy, FAST!

My cockpit...bottle for water up front (bottle behind the seat for Sports Drink), PC 7 keeping me on track, calories in the Stealth.  Not cumbersome...absolutely perfect finally!!!

Having the Bike Course practically to myself was crazy fun...everyone coming up the Bee Line is staring at you (I can't go without mentioning the Drafting Parties going on though---ridiculous!  Zero separation in at least 10 packs of 10 or more athletes---but who am I to comment ;-).  How fast was the return trip, all alone, on fresh pavement with a slight tailwind?  27.5 mph average---that is HAULING!  My average power for lap one was 212W...with a goal of 210, maybe I was a bit heavy on the throttle, but I felt perfect carrying into Lap 2, and the "feel" was that I was holding back.  The tailwind definitely kept things easy, and my mind was busy making decisions as I made the turn.

Lap 2 Power File

During the final 10 miles of Lap 1 I had peaked back and noticed a foursome catching me slowly.  Once I saw them, my goal was to hold steady and keep them away until the start of Lap 2...luckily this came naturally at my goal pacing, but I was "on alert."

Finishing Lap 1...feeling perfect!

So much to say here...start of Lap 2...Patrick Wheeler (white helmet) blew by me (finished with an 8:55...um, pretty damn fast) and he had carried these other two guys to the Turnaround.  I thought about trying to stay with him, until my watts went out of range---PULL BACK SVANS!!!  Is that you JD watching every move in the ONE jacket???  Also, what was that guy thinking with the Purple and Pink combo?  I was near him all day long....kind of made me feel wimpy.  Actually not kind of, it DID!!!

I was very happy now to have some company after all the fun on the First Lap, and my Lap 2 plan quickly changed and took shape: hold onto the back of whatever formed out of this "pack" legally, saving the effort I would have used here to hold the 220W goal pace for later.  A Zoot Ultra teammate of Bryan's got into the mix, and he tagged onto Patrick, and they were pretty much gone.  I am sitting here writing this wondering if I should have pushed a little out of my "box" to try and work with them.  I knew Patrick from IM Texas, and know how good of a rider he is, so I decided that his pace would ruin me for the run.  I think it was the right call, especially post race knowing that at this point I was sitting 3rd or 4th.  BUT, there is that side of me, especially with how the rest of the day unfolded, that if I had given it a go, that the rest of the day could have turned out better...woulda coulda didn't!

Anyways, back to my weak-minded self sitting on the back of a foursome...it was great as the guy up front was behaving just like my swimming buddy who lead the way to T1.  I was more than happy to take "pulls," but I continually checked my pace/wattage an decided that, heck, if they're gonna just let me sit here, this is perfect...AGAIN!  We kept it legal, and the Marshals were now out on full patrol.  As the caboose, it was easy to stay legal, take advantage and re-fuel and hydrate.  (I was using the reflector spacing as my guide for legal positioning, which was plenty of space).  I kept saying to myself CONSERVE ENERGY.  I simply waited for them to tire out fighting the head wind.  We hit the turnaround, saw Bryan again, mumbled a bit, and a memory from that same point last year popped into my head---a memory about how wrecked I was at that point (the halfway point) last year as I had no business being out there.  Totally different feeling this time...smiling, fresh, and fast.

The group was breaking apart as we approached the turnaround (half way point of the bike), were I had caught what seemed to be a pack of the Womens Pro field...lots of Zoot Kits in there!  On the way back, I worked through them, but one of them (no names...but I know who you are ;-) passed me back right away.  I waited, passed back, only to then have a group of 3 pass me back again.  We approached two lapped athletes who were riding side by side (blocking!), and after passing narrowly and sitting in third of the now foursome, all of us were sitting up as we reassembled (this happened, gosh, 20 times in Kona last year...you just sit up, stop pedaling, and let it sort out).  Next thing I know "Number 1859, penalty for drafting."  I look over and " hold back with everything I can from saying "you gotta be _____ kidding me!"  We had also just passed the slight rise at the Special Needs Zone which was full of congestion and riders not paying attention to a straight line...I still don't understand the penalty if he was watching the situation, but so be it.  I knew he was back there from a previous glance...I also let him know I disagreed as I was not making any agressive move, not taking any advantage, waiting for it to clear...oh well.  The guy in front of me was not helping, as he was sitting right on a wheel now like he had been since I joined him--maybe I too close for too long, but maybe it was guilty by association.  Hot, I just bolted, doing what I should have done in the first place.  I was almost to the Gas Station on the Bee Line by now, and I just laid it out there riding 220W+ to the Penalty Box stationed just before the Turn for Lap 3.  I got it out of my head as fast as I could, used the 4 minute stop to eat, drink what I had left on board, and watched the Zoot Ladies sail on by.  At least it took them 2:30+ before they caught up to me while I sat....but I had wimped out and got a penalty for being safe.  The "mistake of the day" had been made.  I shoulda chased Patrick and the Zoot guy maybe, I shoulda taken off after the turn definitely...I felt GREAT.  Instead, I was in no mans land now behind the women pros I wanted to pace with as I have learned that they typically pace the bike very consistently...

The Turn for Lap #3...Post Penalty Box :-(

Lap 3 Power File...

I was not in the mood for the crowd coming into the turn around (sorry family and friends...).  Lap 2 was perfect and a failure all in one.  My Lap 1 split was 1:38ish, Lap 2 was 1:37ish (excluding penalty time), and by working with what was around me on Lap 2, I had conserved energy so I could really lay into the first half of Lap 3 to the turnaround to make a move where others tend to crumble a bit. Pre race the goal was to try and hold 210W for the 3rd loop, and I nailed it to the turn.  Still though, I never caught the lady Zooters, and worse, all of this lap I was totally alone working through lapped victims.  The wattage dropped off slightly on the way back here and there, as I sacrificed wattage in order to stay aero. Without the penalty, I would have had a perfect bike leg and gotten to T2 5+ minutes faster than I did, fresher than I did, and without the stomach knots that came on the way back to Tempe.  It didn't destroy my race, but thinking about it and putting it down in this entry, well, if I had a mood ring on, it would be BLACK.  I cleared Lap 3 in 1:41, which I felt was a great pyramid of bike split as Chris had talked about pre-race...

Here's the fallout from my mistake with the penalty---

• I wanted a sub 5 bike split...nope!  
• I wanted to hit T2 under 6 hours...nope!  
• I would have been in 3rd-4th place in 40-44...nope!  
• I would have been A LOT fresher having someone to ride with for Lap 3 (AG'ers fall off, women pros = solid pace!)...nope!
• I could have paced off the Lady Zooters on the run with this fresher me...nope!
• I would have been AT LEAST 4 minutes faster on the day with the penalty time and losing that "place" in the field...NOPE!

Somewhere...who knows when, during the bike...

They got the tracking set up really well for this year...basically, there are 4 sections to each Lap...so Splits 1-4 are 4 even quarters of Lap1, 5-8 for Lap 2, and 9-12 for Lap 3

Lap #1:               27:21       30:40       19:20      21:34
Lap #2:               25:34       28:27       21:13      27:22
Lap #3:               24:42       26:52       23:48      25:38

It's pretty obvious to see that the wind changed directions...blowing down the Bee Line for Lap 1, neutral for Lap 2, then blowing up the Bee Line for Lap3...a typical day on the Bee Line!   Spectators in Tempe thought there was no wind, but I'd say it was about 4 mph all day long.

Nutrition/Hydration on the bike:
As I finished the bike, Chris asked how I was--I said "good" but that stomach issue was lingering, and I spent the last 10 miles of the bike focused on trying to resolve the issue, even stopping at Special Needs on the 3rd Loop to get another bottle of OSMO (I didn't stop prior).  Perform, I have decided after 3 races using it, is awful. I've had the same exact stomach tightness each time versus EFS which has given me zero problems.  I do use Perform mixed from powder in training to accommodate to it, but the bottled version I think is just too concentrated for my gut to handle.  My plan was to sip water every time I took a chug, but I guess I didn't do that enough.  So, no more on-the-bike Perform for me.  My total calorie intake was low...in the 900-1000 calorie range (EFS Liquid Shot, Clif Bar, Gu), but I felt well fueled all bike long.  I simply took in some food when I felt the slightest hunger come on.  1.25 bottles of OSMO, 2 bottles of Perform, and 6 bottles of water sounds about right for liquids on the day.   This seems low for me, but I had a consistent sweat on, and pee'd right out of T2.  Maybe next time add another bottle or 2 in the same 80 degree conditions? Peeing on the bike past the half way point would be an ideal marker.

Takeaway and tactics from the bike:  well, if the above wasn't long enough, I'm still gonna add more thoughts here.  My word for the day was PATIENCE.  I think I was a bit too patient, but really, I think it is impossible to be too patient on the bike all the same...you still have a marathon to run.  I hit the 100 mile mark at 4:24ish feeling fresh, and I gained ground on the bike on this day...this was a first for me, even with the penalty.  I really couldn't be happier about it.  I trained for 7 weeks for this race after all, and my bike fitness 7 weeks ago was suspect.  But I also think IM racing is my "niche" in triathlon...its where I can excel the most and my pacing seems controlled, maintainable, and consistent.  70.3 are the death of me, and the Olympic distance is just plain fun.  I must have the "aerobic gene" versus the "threshold gene."  This would have been my fastest bike split (it was a fast day though), but it was my lowest average power IM bike at 201W average (207W for both Kona 2011 IMAZ 2011).  For a sub 5 bike split at that wattage, I have to be extremely aero...I wasn't out of the aero bars at all until mile 100. Another tactic I used was changing cadence periodically on an pancake flat bike course.  Sometimes I was at 85 cadence, other times as low as 70 cadence.  The variety kept my legs from getting stale, and gave me something to stay focused on.

Bike Power File

T2:  1:56
Ok, its nothing to win a medal for, but the speed of my T2 tells a lot about how I was feeling...decently fast means I was alert and ready to run (last year, I didn't want to leave the tent).  A quick change of socks, shoes on, have my helper put my 5 Hour Energy and Saltstick dispenser in my back pocket, and off I go with visor and glasses in hand.

The only problem?  The Saltstick Dispenser stayed in T2.  If the penalty was the biggest mistake of the day, this was the even bigger biggest mistake of the day.  We talked pre-race about 300 mg of salt per hour starting in T2.  Frickity frack, I didn't realize how screwed I was as I needed it BAD...



Run: 3:45:26...my slowest run split :-(
(no need to figure out where this split was overall...I'll wait for Slowtwitch Enhanced Results to see the damage...

Out of T2 my family was RIGHT THERE to greet me...smiling, but not long after this, the smiles would be no more...

With that bit of GI issue, I headed out onto the run course stressed.  I felt decent, but all of the sudden the smooth race I was having into T2 was no longer with me.  Pace was 7:10-7:20ish, comfortable, relaxed, but at the same time I was feeling a lot of tightness in my rib cage---a Salt Tab would have done wonders.  I reached around after crossing the Priest Dr bridge...and panicked when I couldn't feel my Saltstick Dispenser.  My damage control instantly went into overdrive as my rib cage tightened to the point that I could only take shallow breaths (zero diaphragmatic breathing).  This defined the success or failure of the day at least from a goal time perspective.  I crossed the bridge back to the south side of TTL eager to see my family there, but I was becoming seriously worried that I would have to run the marathon feeling this way, and I was not even half way through the first lap.

Crossing the bridge on Lap 1 in panic mode...

I mumbled a bit to my family as I really couldn't come up with anything to say...I may have even faked that I was ok here.  It didn't help that as I passed the guy in bright Orange shoes my right foot clipped one of the railing bases heading through the uneven path behind transition while heading down to TTL.  I kept the rubber side down on the bike, but now I can't even run without falling?  It knocked the wind out of me and dislocated my right ring finger.  I know...I am accident prone.

LOTS of 8's....when I shooting for all 7's;  that was the difference between my goal and my actual.... 

From here, I went from racing to consistent attention to damage control all the way to the finish.  The support on the course was incredible--home field advantage carried me through 23 miles with a completely seized up rib cage.  ONE-mates, you are spectacular!  Neal and Dani Gelb: we already talked about our funny moment....one word: delirious!  Ponch: thanks for the hugs!  JD, Carlos, Sue and Rika:  you know how to yell!  Russ, you gave me everything you had to get me going...I just couldn't move any faster!  Thanks a ton bud, that was incredibly cool of you to be out there in the way that you were.
I stopped a few times and took a huge breath while letting my upper body completely go limp and got a little relief, but otherwise, I wanted someone to jump on my back or take what felt like an ice pick in my spine out.  The 5 Hour Energy had to be used at the end of Lap 1, but had zero effect, and I ended up walking every aid station trying to stretch it out, drink some Perform. Chris came to my rescue with some salt at the end of Lap 2.  It seemed to help and I was able to settle into some semi-decent rhythm finally, but at this point my legs were trashed from fighting my upper body for ~20 miles of the run.  I  maintained my position in the race for the last loop, and had just enough juice to keep two 40-44 guys from beating me to the line for 10th by seconds.
9:50 sounds like a good time, and when people tell me "great race" I simply smile and say thanks, but I had my battles out there and created a lot of adversity for myself with some really stupid mistakes---the penalty, not taking stock of the Salt Stick Dispenser, and my little crash on the run.

There were many dark times on the run, but I just kept fighting---but there was no way I was going supra-10.  I made sure I would remember the pain by having conversations with myself about how much it hurt and to remember the mistakes I made that put me there in the first place.  My run splits over the past three years here really make it obvious again as to how bad this run was...

2010:    3:21  (felt perfect---with a perfect 16 week build)
2011:    3:31  (didn't even want to run---6 weeks post Kona)
2012:    3:45  (thought I was going to PR the run pre-race...WOW...24 minutes slower than that)

It's hard to really even call that a run...more like a jog.  Still, it could have been a lot worse, and looking at the training and the issues I had, there is an immediate solution even if I went with a 7 week build down the road; simply add 3-4 long runs in there of 16-20 miles (2-2:30 runs) and change nothing else as long as I had a good base going into it.

What else could I have done?  I could have taken GREAT care of my body versus basically no massage or PT care.  Life this time around didn't allow for those luxuries, and I had been experiencing some rub cage tightness throughout the 7 week build.  It came out 5 fold on race day, and I should know this would happen and should have taken care of it...I almost predicted it as a major concern going in.  Would Salt Tabs have taken care of it better?  Probably, and I almost picked some off the ground while running...THAT would have been stupid!

Fuzzy...how I felt!

I think this is Lap 2...ONE support was amazing all day!  Rika, Carlos, Sue, Dan, Mom, Dad, Jeantte, Jenny and Sophia...you kept me going!  Among others!

So, what's next?  Lots of time with the family; fun rides, runs and swims; relaxing and recovering from the past 2 years.  But I will come back a new athlete, in a new chapter, with an updated engine, and as a member of Team BSR (Big Sexy Racing) and always ONE!
Team BSR is being kicked off this year by New Zealand Pro Triathlete Chris McDonald who lives here in Tucson some of the year.  The team is an Elite group of 45 triathletes from the US and Australia looking to make their mark in the Tri Community in 2012.  My teammate Max Biessmann won the Swim Prime at IMAZ with a 52:37, went 9:15, and was 11th Amateur, punching his second ticket to Kona with a 2nd place in 25-29.  That's some good company and just what I need moving forward to challenge me to get faster...but it won't be in an IM any time soon ;-)  Train hard, race hard, play hard!

Sponsors of the team include...

Tri11

Fuel Belt

Xtri.com

SPY+

Zappos

Reynolds

ISM

Newton

SLS

Brooks Airbrush Studio

Lastly, thanks to everyone for all of your support...Jenny, Sophia, and Andrew: Papa is super excited to just come home every day...you simply light up my life (a little John Denver can't hurt).  To my family, thank you so much for all of your support over the years...near or far, I hear your cheers!  And to my ONE family..you all rock!  John and Cyndi---you are gems, thanks for being who you are ;-)

Onwards and upwards!

Random, but I'm proud of my pumpkin grill---next year I'm taking it to a new level!

Just recording my seat post position here!

IMAZ 2011 Race Report---Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

I am blessed---for the friends I have near and far, for my family, and most of all for my amazing wife and two kids.  The past year and a half has been, as Dickens wrote in the Tale of Two Cites...."the best of times."  (we'll skip the rest of the quotation...).  Ironman Arizona 2011 was always a means to an end for me...I think the best way to sum it up is to say it is the end of my introduction to Ironman racing.  Will there be more?  I hope so...it is now part of who I am.  Do I hope there will be more?  Absolutely, 100% yes.  Do I want to have a ridiculously fabulous family life as well?  1000% yes.  This sport has changed me for the better in so many ways, and I would not be who I am today without it.  It has taken a very ordinary middle aged man, kind of lost within himself, to a World Championship, to a place where life is grand and there is nothing that I feel I cannot achieve if I put my mind to it.
It's now time to enjoy family, rest, recover, refresh, and reorganize life a bit, but most importantly, discover how I can manage to be an awesome father, husband, and friend to those that are dear to me, and be able to continue my crazy hobby trying to be the fastest triathlete I can be.  Since I recovered from my broken/surgically repaired clavicle in April of 2010, my training has defined the word consistent.  I don't think I missed more than 4 workouts in 19 months...that covers ~570 days.  I need a break, time off, time to recover physically and mentally (a reboot), time to live a normal life, enjoy my new son Andrew, my amazing daughter Sophia, and the most amazing person, my wife.  I know, mushy, but what the last 19 months has taught me is that Jenny is an angel...she has given me so much more than I have ever come close to giving her.  It's now time for me to give back in bucket loads.  I love you babe...I hope you know how much I do.

So, on with the Race Report...

I'll start this one with my friday workouts...an hour spin and a 30 minute run.  I had just put on my Zipp Super 9 disc and front 808 Firecrest wheels (tubulars) and was expecting to fly effortlessly on this ride much like I did last year out to the Bee Line and back from transition with fellow AIMP'er Joel Garza.  My legs wanted nothing to do with it...they rebelled.  They just never 100% recovered from the massive Kona build, Kona itself, and the work we did in the last 6 weeks leading to IMAZ.  I skipped the run; yes, it was that bad.  I was concerned, which led to the "please deliver my legs" note on Facebook.  After at trip to PT for therapy, still no legs...they never arrived.  While they got a 'bit" better by the time race day came, this wasn't going to be anything like my previous 2 Ironmans.

Saturday morning after the pre-swim at Tempe Town Lake, I met up with Chris for a pre-race meeting.  The conclusion was this:  I am going to learn what it's like to just wake up and go do an Ironman, without having the benefit of fresh legs, mental sharpness, and almost any other thing I would associate with "being ready" to take on an Ironman.  I was excited though, to see what the day would bring and to see how long I could hold up---the challenge of not being 100% for some reason was very exciting...could I pull it off and have a good race on a sub par day?  I went through the rest of Saturday as planned----I had a big breakfast of low GI foods, same for lunch, same for my early dinner. All chased with tons of water, countless trips to the bathroom.  I have the pre-race nutrition planned nailed for sure now---chalk that off the list.  Spent the day with the feet up watching movies with my mom and Sophia....just a nice lazy day!

This is not a pitty party, this was an experience I would come to cherish.  What I didn't know is that I would learn more than could ever learn from a "primed" race;  and ultimately have it become one of those races I am most proud of.  Yes, I missed qualifying for Kona by 4 minutes and 53 seconds...that is not the end of the world...it is actually refreshing to not have this "event" to immediately start planning for after I was just there 6 weeks ago.  Anticipating another long build doesn't sound like fun for 2012...maybe for another year, but last summer took a lot out of me...refresh, recover, rebuild!  That 4:53 has started to haunt me...at the pace the guys in front of me were running, that's about 2.5 laps around a track that separated me from a spot.  UGH...I left time all over this course.  Some of it was absolutely necessary (family), other portions totally unnecessary...oh well, we move on.

RACE DAY

Sunday I was up at 3:45...good sleep, no gitters, just ready to get to work.  Got down a huge breakfast of Oatmeal/Protein Powder/Almond Milk/Flax Seeds (my everyday breakfast)...added 2 whole wheat blueberry flax seed pancakes and a banana.  Topped it all off with sports drink on the way to Tempe, had a bar an hour before the gun, and nothing but water in that last hour.  I was confident I was topped off.  The morning was insignificant as I was in my own world...I wrote the following on my hands:  COMMIT     FIND A WAY     YES YOU CAN     WHO AM I! (watch this youtube video:  Who Am I Speech) I missed the ONE photo (brain fart!), and felt late to the party when I walked over the the swim entrance with 2000+ people already in there wetsuits...mine was in the bag still.  Before 5 minutes was up, it was on, I had nudged my way to the front of the swim entrance (no one ever wants to get in the water at Ironmans...weirdest thing!), was warming up, and was greeting nicely by Lisa Keller and Kenny Steil at the entrance...I said my hellos, then took the plunge.  Mistake number one was realized at this point although very minor...I forgot to take my Pre-Race Capsules and the Gel I wanted to put down right before jumping in...I don't think this made a difference at all as you will see later.  After jumping in, it was a nice little warmup to the start line, where the pros were just about to start their day.  They were off, and I took position with the same exact plan as last year...starting front row middle right.  As I swam to the line, luck would have it that I had 2 ONE members in a kayak waiting for me...Jayson Harris and Joey Gregan.  Definitely nice to have them there as after that point I was going to be loning it for the next 6 hours.  I was lined up with a group of fast swimmers...I was right where I wanted to be.  I sorely missed the playing of Black Sabbath's Ironman...that track should be a requirement at every IM start (WTC!).  Last year the water felt electric when they played it...oh well...WTC take note--play that song---it is an amazing way to start the IM journey!  True to IM fashion, the gun went off without warning...let the insanity begin.

SWIM:   57:14    1:22 per 100yd pace (still smiling about this)   13th in Age Group, 93rd overall including pros
             (2010 was 59:00---new PR!)

My plan was to let the pressure from behind dictate my pace over the first 200 yards.  I didn't go out crazy, but I went with a controlled hard effort.  Felt fingers for the first maybe 30 seconds, kept the strong strokes going until the fingers were gone on my feet, then focused on settling into my pace as I watched the fast swimmers lined up on the buoy line set their course.  I sat along the right side of that pack swimming my pace not concerned about catching a draft.  For me, it's just too hard to efficiently draft in water that you can't see the swimmer in front of you through...the opposite of Kona for sure.  I was going by my above water targets, and just cruising along steadily...just on the edge of comfortable/uncomfortable...all was good.  After about 300 yards, there wasn't anyone on my right, at all...I had room to the right should it be necessary I thought.  I got to the bridge, then got through the turnaround and started heading back, taking a line so far outside that I went under the bridge between the north wall and the first pylon while the pack went buoy line.  My line again felt right on...I aimed for the furthest buoy on the right that I could see, and just kept that line, all the while seeing the pack on the left that was starting to dismantle as the race went on.  Basically, I kept all the "action" to my left the entire swim...my favored breathing side, so I had a good view of what was going on.  I dunno if this line is right or not, but it feels right, and I'm only looking at one buoy for 10 minutes...less sighting required is a bonus in my mind.  About half way back, I had to pee...swimming while peeing without stopping is a skill I acquired in this race---zero kick, 50% effort, and let it go ;-)  Energy levels were great throughout the swim, the #1 told me I was WELL hydrated...pre race nutrition/hydration was a success!  Rounding the final buoy was a great feeling....as I sighted the exit stairs, I wasn't noticing a lot of action at all on the stairs....I was is great shape, the swim was perfectly comfortable, and it just felt like "no big deal."  A fast swim is very cool because it gets you out ahead of almost everyone, but it was even better feeling like it was just a stroll...Chris, you are an awesome coach to get me to this level of swimming. To do this with 3 days of swimming a week is incredible.  I never thought I would be saying any of that about the IM swim....SWIM....check!

T1:  3:24...T1 PR ;-)
        (2010:  4:30)

Seems pretty slow, but only one guy in my age group who finished ahead of me was faster, so I'll take it.  With all the running to get through transition, it adds up versus the short, fast T1's you get in local races with everything at your bike-side.  Of the top 4 guys in my age group, I took 30 seconds out of them at least, so I was two for two...T1...check!

Side note---a clock would be nice in the tent....my helper told me it was 8:04 (I immediately thought 1:02 swim?? can't be!), and I didn't know my swim time until after the race...I didn't go with a  "race timer" on my wrist as I already had a Sally band, a Quest for Kona band and my athlete band....too much clutter!  So I left thinking I was already behind, but I really wasn't---this played into my psyche a bit on the bike.

Another side note:  Dan Thomas, you are the man, and probably why I had a great T1...I ran through without breaking stride as my bike was ready and waiting for me...VIP service..you rock, and I'll hope to do the same for you in 2012!

BIKE:  5:05:57   NOT a PR...      9th in Age Group, 98th overall including pros
            (2010:  5:01:10)

Onto the bike course I go, and I'm actually feeling decent...I start thinking that maybe I'm gonna have a good day after all.  The course was barren (good!!).  On the first way out I was passing a couple female pros, but more important, I was being passed by some age groupers...2 in my AG specifically.  Last year I was "the passer" through this section, but I stayed calm and stuck to the plan, which was to  take the first lap very cautious.  Chris had told me that I wouldn't be able to race the entire 112 miles, so the plan was to race the last 75-80 miles while taking the early portion "just a bit lighter."  Well, Chris is a genius coach and was right on, we had built a massive engine inside of me, and I screwed it up a bit...pushing the wattage up too high too fast...it was only 10W above what we wanted, but I think I paid the price for this later...but back to Lap #1.  The first lap was otherwise insignificant other than I delayed my nutrition plan as I felt strong, nourished, hydrated, and really didn't feel like I needed to dive into my nutrition plan of taking something in every 20 minutes to average 300 cals/hr tops.  I had a half bottle of Coconut water on my aero bars that I started sipping once on the Bee Line, but then promptly dropped it...butterfingers.  My plan was to keep a bottle of water on the aeros fastened with one of those Profile industrial rubber band things---don't try this, it was a bit of a disaster...a hair tie or a bottle cage is the way to go (hair tie in Kona worked perfect---why tinker?).  Bryan, it was great to have you at the turn...I looked forward to your comments...but I had nothing to give ;-)   As I rounded the Tempe turnaround to finish Lap #1, according to the plan it was now time to push the pace...push the wattage up 30W compared to Lap #1.  I got into a good groove and had the number somewhat pegged.  I had what I felt was good control over my nutrition and hydration, rode until I couldn't handle the pee build up anymore, then slowed to relieve the situation that was getting in the way of power output.  As I did, the guy who I had been working with threw out a nice comment:  "your bike is leaking."  This was at mile 65...again a perfect time for the pee to happen as I knew I was well hydrated.  If dropping one water bottle wasn't enough, I lost one of the two bottles on my rear Xlab setup---my plan to stick with EFS only was out the window now, and I was gonna have to count on PERFORM...ugh.  I decided I wasn't going to use Special Needs, and I just went with it...I used PERFORM in Kona and it was alright....but not really as I re-learned on this day.  The cardiac drift never came, and I wasn't sure what to do about the lack of HR dropping...I just kept on the wattage regardless, finishing Lap #2 averaging the same wattage as Lap #1 (NOT according to plan!...) and it was about to get worse.   As I approached the Tempe turnaround to start Lap #3, I was still with my "pee buddy"...I went for the Jolly Ranchers (Kenny that's what I was fussing over ;-), and both of us were on a bit of a break through the turn.  We continued to head back out, and the effort was controlled and I was able to stay above the "floor" wattage we had set for lap 3.  I have to add here that I was already 7 capsules of Pre Race deep...that's a lot of caffeine, taurine, malate...!  Mile 90 came and went, and I could feel the wheels starting to fall off...I would have panicked a bit, but I was just too tired to start caring...I was cracking mentally all of the sudden.  Then, we hit the turnaround and bam, just like last years race, a nasty headwind to fight all the way back to town---the mental status took another hit.  I was well into a bottle of PERFORM, and just like Kona, the rib cage cramps were there almost immediately (I think the stuff is good when mixed, but the bottle form is just too concentrated for me).  A cramp that wouldn't go away, the nasty headwind...put them together, and you have me riding out of the aeros for the first time all day because it was just counterproductive---aero and LOW watts shifting all over the place, or on the bar at least able to put watts down but being blasted by the wind.  The one good note is I passed 2 guys in my age group somehow...the same two who had passed me early on---at least there was some sort of consolation to the way I was feeling.  T2 seemed to take forever to reach... I wanted off for the first time in an IM...I was done.  The third lap was 8 minutes slower than the first...I obviously raced the first 80 miles versus the latter 80 miles...BE PATIENT and follow the plan!   BIKE...no check

T2:  3:48...OUCH!
        (2010:   2:51)
I wanted to get out of my cycling shoes when I was passing ASU stadium...I was that done.  I hung on for another 60 seconds, slid out of the shoes, did the old flying dismount (but was polite in my handoff ;-).  First two steps into T2 had me immediately saying...how the hell am I gonna run (again, never felt this way off the bike before)!  They handed me my bag (volunteers rocked...all day long!) and then I hear "KEEP IT STEADY" from Chris who was waiting along the fence...I just about lost it with the humor I heard in that simple comment.  I think he chuckled...I know I did because I was anything but steady.  I grabbed a seat looked around, and noticed 2 guys in there looking worse than I felt...just blank stares on there faces---good, I wasn't alone, but this is not how I planned on feeling.  I did everything I could to just stay in T2...put CEP's on, socks on, shoes, visor, glasses, turned my number belt around---the last 3 items there I usually do as I head out, but I was standing still...still.  I was looking out the door to the run course, and it wasn't inviting me...I felt like I had already run the marathon.  But off I pushed...3:48 felt like 10 minutes---it should and would have been less than 2 on any other day....T2...no check as well

RUN:    3:32:30               10th in Age Group, 96th overall including pros
             (2010: 3:20:49)
Little did I know I was sitting in 9th at this point, almost equal to my IMAZ 2010 time...can we get scoreboards out there???  ;-)  A live tracking feed in the tent would be VERY cool.  The clock at the Bike dismount was not correct...ugh again and again.  Knowing my bike time was 5:05 and not knowing my swim time...I thought I was out of it.  I will never race without a race timer again ;-((
I was welcomed to the run course by my mom and Kenny...I was so happy to finally see familiar faces, and it raised my spirits where I needed them most.  100 yards later, you guessed it, time to pee again, and I hit the same port-o-let spot as last year...another break!  After the relief, I was now ready to go get it;-)  I was greeted now by Joel Garza!  Great, a running buddy...just what I needed.  We both settled in and I let a gap develop between us...we yo-yo'd a bit, and were eventually joined by another AIMP'er Caroline Gregory...a pro out of San Diego who was running solid.  I don't know Joel well enough and didn't want to run side by side thinking I would be holding him back.  If I could go back and do one thing different in this race, I would have tried to hang on, settle in next to him.  We could have done damage together and motivated each other to get Kona slots...20/20 hindsight of course, but it would have been a good idea.

The original plan Chris had for me was just like the bike...find my legs and settle into Lap #1 without pushing too much, then start increasing the pace on Lap #2, then trying to hold it on Lap #3...."find em, hold em, push em, survive em."

The first half lap was behind me, and the highlight of the race was next...seeing Jenny, Sophia, and Andrew for the first time together on an Ironman race course.  Sophia was too small to make it last year, and they missed Kona with the birth of Andrew 2 weeks before.  I could have stopped right there and not continued, and not because I was beat up, but because it was just a blast.  Sophia handed me a card with a drawing on it, and in return I gave her a lollypop I had been carrying with me...I was smiling and crying at the same time...there was no pain for that 30 seconds...there was not even a race going on.  The rest of the first lap was uneventful, and I managed to carry a 7:35/mi pace while stopping at every aid station for 2 cups of coke as my staple, and added in banana, orange slices, and water.  This was my routine every aid station...I totaled over 30 Dixie cups of coke, but in doing so probably wasted 5 minutes of time while I slowed to ingest them.  I felt like I was balancing the caloric intake pretty well, and a couple of times I overdid it---then backed off the pace till I felt the fullness dissipate (not longer than 30 seconds), then picked it back up and skipped the next aid station.  The intake was obsessive, but between the quick jolt of caffeine and sugar, it was exactly what was keeping me moving forward...from one aid station to the next.  My hunger was satisfied...to a definite fault (I have a fear of running out of calories; once that happens, you're done)...this isn't a picnic, geez.  Jumping back a bit to the end of Lap #1, Jenny was there with another card for me...this time I just stopped, walked with her for a minute as I read her very special note.  The course was empty, and for another awesome moment, I wasn't on the course, I was with her, just her, just loving the moment.  I was again, in no pain.  A kiss, some private words, and I was off, totally rejuvenated from her card and our time.  I passed the ONE tent, then Chris, then the start of Lap #2....and into the busy-ness that comes with a multi loop course.  I actually settled into a steady pace from there to mile 20, seeing friends and family everywhere, keeping on my nutrition "plan."  Chris and I were actually having a blast with this...he knew I was wasted, I knew he knew I was wasted...he kept me moving.  What I didn't know was that I was close (like I said above)...close to Kona-ville.  The 3 guys in front of me were crumbling at a pace very similar to mine....I know it didn't matter, and probably wasn't feasible with a fairly severe left knee pain when I landed just wrong, and it was almost debilitating on the downhills.  While the plan for Lap #2 was to push em and I was somewhat successful, the Lap #3 plan was to survive em, but I was also planning to push em some more, much like I did in Kona finishing with a 7:11/mi pace over the last 9 miles...I just didn't have that on this day---no extra gear, nothing in the tank.  But then again, maybe I did, I just didn't dig.  I kept saying COMMIT, but nothing came out of it...put me back to the start of Lap #3 and tell me I have 4 minutes to make up on guys running 8:20+/mi, and I would have quickly calculated all I needed was 7:40's to catch them all...yeah, you are saying woulda coulda shoulda....didn't.  It wasn't superhuman, it was just a solid effort that was needed.
I think the physical abuse got so bad that mentally I was just shelled...I had put up the white flag long before the final 6.2 miles due to the limited information I had onboard.  All the more reason to feel the need to recover, refresh, rebuild and come back stronger for a Kona bid, whenever that may be...that white flag should have never been in on the ship.  Insult added to injury, the 7:38 pace over the same section last year is a bit of a slap in the face...another ugh.

My overall reflection of this race is two sided:  I am disappointed slightly that I wasn't tougher---but it has made me tougher just the same.   I should have trusted the endurance I have built...I ran my "all day" pace on the run.  My overall time was 14 minutes slower than last year, and I was 13 minutes slower on the run this year---it was just the wear and tear of the year that started in January and never let up.  I should have taken a break mid season...I had tunnel vision towards Kona, but now I understand the need for this break if I am going to race in October and November with 281.2 inside of 6 weeks...maybe I shouldn't have raced in the spring at all---that's what I would have changed.  The other side of this is very gratifying...I was 13th, 9th, and 10th respectively in the SBR for IMAZ...I don't think that could be more well rounded.  I don't understand how I had the 9th fastest bike split in 35-39...I felt like I was flailing all over the place, and I don't consider myself the strongest biker.  To those of you trying to qualify:  last year I was 6th on the run and finished 6th, this year I was 10th on the run and finished 10th---do I need to say the obvious?  I know I will be working the run big time in 2012---70.3 is the perfect distance for that ;-)

On another note, part of me is saying that I was afraid to go deep into the well and fail. An ego-preservation mechanism I guess.   You just have to leave it all out there every time...do the race justice...treat it like it's the last Ironman you will ever compete in, because it just may be the case.   But then again, I did leave it all out there and then pushed for more...I ran somewhat steady the entire run and was proud that I pulled off a 3:32 feeling the way I did off the bike.  To miss Kona by 4:53 will probably eat at me a bit, but really, I think it is a blessing.  I need time off to be what I said in the opening paragraph...this is my hobby, not my job.   Another reality is I really got to enjoy this one with my wife, kids, and mom.  I like to cry while I race...I dunno why.  As I approached the finish, I was sniffling again, just like in Kona when I saw the personal notes coming out of the Energy Lab.  I knew Jenny was there waiting, and I knew this time I was going to stop, tell her I love her, give her a kiss, and let her know how much I truly appreciate the gift that she has given me to be able to train the way I do for something I love so much to compete in.  I managed to get the "I love you so much" part out, but the rest was too much for me to say, I was just overwhelmed with the moment after thinking about it the last few miles of the run. As I left her in the quiet of the final corner before the finish chute, I just looked at the ground as I ran to the line...missing the hands that were stretched out for high fives.  I was amazingly calm---not upset, not let down---just very calm knowing that life is grand from this day forward because I have a beautiful amazing, supportive family to spend the rest of my life with.  It wasn't just me running to that line, it was Jenny, my kids, and I running into the next chapter of our lives together.  This was every bit of a family wide sacrifice---and I wish we were still in the days of having our kids cross the line with us, maybe even having your loved ones right on the other side of the finish line would be a decent compromise.   But, Kleenex I'm sure would need to become a sponsor.  There will be more Ironmans, more Konas, but for now, I want to snuggle up on the couch and watch movies, eat popcorn, and play lava monster like my dad did with my sister and I when we were little squirts...but the goggles, bike, and Nikes won't get dusty just yet...I've never been more excited about the future as I am today.

2011 Kona Ironman Race Report...Got 'er Done!

Showing up late to the party, I've read quite a few race reports already from Kona...and I wish I could write one that was more nuts and bolts, without the "issues" I come across in almost every race.  Maybe I am just so Type-A that I discriminate every little detail, or maybe I just suck at decision making, race planning, and the likes.  Whatever it is, I try to tell a story that lets others learn from my discoveries...keep that in mind as you read this.   I am 100% happy with my result to start with--but that darn "Divine Discontent" always sneaks up on me---I think if I was 18 seconds slower I would not be saying I was 100% happy, and at the same time, I know my times are only important to me; but they are what drives me to keep pushing, keep training, and keep breaking through new levels of fitness in my training.   I learned so much about the race course once I was on there...I think I could write a much better plan for the next time, if there is one...I think just a smarter approach to all 3 legs would make a huge difference---but like I said, for the first time in Kona, I was ecstatic to go sub 10---I'm going for a IM resume without a 10 hour race on there---so to the IM Gods, please don't humble me any time soon ;-)  So with that out there, welcome to my diabolical diarrhea of a diary Kona Race Report:

Pre Race:  I arrived in Kona on Thursday, September 29...a mere 11 days after the birth of our first son Andrew.  To say leaving home was hard is the understatement of the year.  Jenny, Sophia, and Andrew dropped me off curbside, and I felt like we were in one of those movies where the "man" is leaving his girl to go off to war, not knowing if he is going to be coming home alive.  There were a lot of tears shed immediately by all of us (well, not Andrew..), and the race was the last thing on my mind.  I held it together, arrived in Kona to a warm welcome from my mom, and got organized in our huge house "Komohana" which was situated perfectly out of the way of the mayhem that was to arrive down on Ali'i over the next week.  The first few calls/Facetime's home were disastrous, and Jenny and I almost felt that communication was worse than no communication---it just reminded us of how long and how far away I was from them during this delicate time in our lives.  Thoughts of last minute ticket purchases were brought up, but we stuck it out, and things actually settled in and Sophia understood a little bit at least that papa would one day return home.  I don't know how our Armed Forces do it---leaving their families for months if not years at a time with no knowledge of when they will re-unite again...ugh, awful!!

Okay, so that paints the picture of what was on my mind early in the week, but I managed to settle in well...good foods from local markets, good training sessions, legs really started to wake up around wednesday before the race, and I was getting comfortable with the South Swell that was rumbling the swim course and the winds that we would face on the bike.  I did very little running by design, and as race day approached, I could not wait to race.  Doug Thralls did some amazing bodywork on me on two occasions, really freeing up my "always" tight hip rotation...I was zinging Thursday, and worked my best to save that energy for race morning.  Maybe I peaked a bit early, but some bike intervals on thursday kept me feeling "zingy" to race morning.  A quick swim friday morning felt awesome---I felt like I was flying through the water.  So going in to race day, again Chris had me feeling perfect...now it was up to me to execute the plan.  I managed to get a lot of rest going into the race, staying away from the commotion down on the race course and at the Expo.  Dinner friday night consisted of A LOT of brown rice, a Lentil Soup concoction, Ezekial bread, Nut Butter, Quinou.  All good carbs, some protein, and almost no gluten.  I also was on the water all day, and added in EFS after lunch as my "electrolyte loading beverage."   I was in bed early, as the 12 "other" occupants of the house avoided me knowing that I wanted to be alone (thank you all, I was in race mode!).  I ended up watching ""The Last Lecture"  by Randy Pausch on YouTube, and I carried the key points into my race---brick walls (they are there to separate those who really want something versus those that just "say" they want something), the reason behind his decision to do the lecture (his kids)...they all were invaluable tools for the race for me.  Randy died of pancreatic cancer shortly after this lecture...but you would never guess that he was terminally ill with cancer...he was more alive than 99% of the people on this planet...no "poor me," no "why me,"  he was an amazing person.  I didn't finish the video that night, but when I woke up at 3:30am race morning, I finished it...and I was full of Randy Puasch-isms---nothing was going to get in my way on this day.

Breakfast was surprising small, as I had a hard time getting my breakfast down probably due to the amount of food I ate the night before (I ate dinner at 4:30pm by design).  2 servings of oatmeal, half a bagel with nut butter was all I could muster, and I made a mental note there:  this is NOT enough.  It may have played into the race a few times, as I would have liked to get in twice as much as I did.  My family was up with me, and there was a good feeling in the kitchen having them all with me---it was not the norm for me to have so many people there to "sherpa" for me (thanks Jordan again for the use of the term---it's so fitting).

4:30 am Race Day..My Sherpas all in Orange!

The short drive down was uneventful, parking was easy, and I was off to get numbered up and fine tune my bike and nutrition for the day ahead.  iPod started, the first song was a GREAT sign Eminem's "'Till I Collapse"...my engine was revving.  The number guy was a guy I met at the awards banquet at IMAZ, Eric...another good sign.  Then I ran into Yi---always good to run into her!  Off to transition to attend to tires, bottles, and the likes---then it was time to chill.  I made my way to the King Kam Hotel Pool, and by luck, I found a lounge chair to rest one last time on.  After gathering myself, sending some texts and Facebook posts, I started to well up...I was here, I was ready, and I was going to make a dream come true.  Then things got "really real."  I sat up looked around, and realized I was surrounded by the Gods of Triathlon.  Crowie, Lieto, Wellington, Twelsik, Cave, Abel, Van Lierde, Mackenzie, Carfrae...you name it, they were poolside going through their routines.  I fed off of this...but I ended up not watching the Pro start at all--I had my own race to deal with.  Bathroom trips done ;-), final prep done, TYR Torque Pro suit on, TYR Nest Pro Goggles and race cap on, and before I new it, I was treading water on an inside line close to the pier wall....I was there early, but I had a spot in mind, and the treading was a nice warmup regardless.  The Hawaiian Drum lead in to the race was electric---I thought the IMAZ start was amazing...well, this one put that to shame.  The setup of the swim start in Kona is the coolest...you have the Pier on one side, the Finish "stage" behind you, and a long wall on the left side...loaded with 1,000's of cheering spectators...it has almost a "Super Bowl" feeling with the Pre-Race chants and anthems...and of course the best sports announcer around (Mike Reilly!).

Electric Swim Start

Swim:  1:03:38   415th overall but 77th in my Age Group
I decided to line up on the inside, but not right on the pier as I knew I would get pummeled not only by the swimmers, but by the kayaks and surfboards that "hold the line" along the buoys.

First Mistake that I would change for next time:  I decided to be in the "third/fourth row"---I'll spell out why in a second, but I should have gone for the front row---being a first timer, I was conservative, but now I know that I belong in the front row.  The canon was to my immediate right, and I watched the canonizer intently as I figured there would be no warning to the start.  BAM..let the mayhem begin...


The start was not as bad as I expected, but I expected the worst.  I learned to NEVER stop swimming freestyle, that the head up drill is invaluable, and to fight for it.   Immdeiately, I was pushed to the buoy line and the line of boards and kayaks but the 1700+ swimmers to the left of me, so I was not only fighting other swimmers (all of whom seemed so slow!), but also these things with sharp fins on them (luckily no interactions with them).  And the early "crawl" was so slow!  It seemed like a lot of slow swimmers mis-seeded themselves, I think the opening 500 yards must have been at 2:00 pace, ugh.  Had I started a bit more in the middle, and in the front row, I would have sailed with the faster swimmers.  Approaching buoys was the worst, as the line from buoy to buoy was not maintained by the kayaks and boards, so it created a "crunch" at the buoys, and they wouldn't let anyone swim inside of them.  I fought hard on the first two, but developed a new strategy that was brilliant (if I say so myself...).  As I approached the next buoy, I was 5 feet inside of the buoy, and I was gonna have to hammer someone to get around the buoy.  Instead, I went submarine style...swimming about 10 yards under 2 kayaks, the buoy, and coming out the other side in undisturbed water---AWESOME!  If you were near me, you would have heard my excitement underwater ;-) The rest of the way out opened up a bit, but I couldn't figure out how so many people got in front of me off the start position I had.  I swam though group after group, sighting open water lanes and "intervalling" into them to catch the next group.  I felt great, under control, but flustered as I knew I was wasting energy with all of the maneuvering.  At the first turn, I glanced at my watch---30:00 on the dot.  With all of the extra "work" to get there, I was happy that I hadn't lost too much time in the process, but now we were turning back into the swell, and thus, slower swimming.  I rounded the second buoy at the turn, and headed home.  It finally opened up, and I started to take in this beautiful swim course.  You could see everyone around you against a brilliant blue background.  I grabbed a set of feet here and there, but continued working my way through swimmers.  With 300 to go, I settled in on some feet again to rest a bit, watched the coral reef get shallower and shallower, felt my hand hit the sand, and popped up---thinking, what's my time!!  1:03...happy with the time, but with all the commotion, I knew I could do better...next time ;-) I say this because I never felt like I exerted myself on the swim, I never got to really stretch it out and swim until about 2500 yards into the swim...

T1:  3:50

Up the stairs you dream about running up, through the hoses you also dream about going through (I was craving a quick mouthful of fresh water), I grabbed my swim to bike bag, into the tent, packed with athletes..ugh---again thought about how the starting position decision did NOT pay off.  Changed methodically to make sure I had all the goods for the bike, and was off, running all the way around the dock to finally arrive at my bike (threw down a Gel in the process...).  Hit the mount line, jumped on, and spun away.

Bike:  5:07:20  376th overall but 8th in my age group--tough age group!!

I heeded the advice of Bryan Dunn, stud triathlete, for my bike setup and some course knowledge.  I established a plan to settle in on the "trip" through town which was crowded and a bit technical from time to time.  Threw down another gel, and kicked into my nutrition plan of 300+ cals/hr based on how I felt, plus as much water as I could handle.  I actually sighted my family in the Hot Corner, buzzed on up Palani to the Queen K, and started the crusade to Hawi...in a long single file line of cyclists that stretched on down the road into the distance.  So many people say there is rampant drafting in this race, but kudos to the race officials, who were everywhere.  Stop watches timing passes, watching for blocks, and breaking up the occasional "pile" of riders that happens when you stick that many high caliber racers on the same course.  There was an Official every 1/2 mile, buzzing up and down the line watching for obvious offenders and handing out red or yellow cards, and writing numbers of those who were "close" to heeding a penalty for future reference.  We quickly learned what a "safe" gap was.  The closest I came to any attention was when an Official took her hands and said with them "give it a "little" more room."  The conditions for the day seemed to be less than what I had prepared for...the climb to Hawi was of course straight into a headwind.  Hit the turnaround, grabbed my Special Needs Bag, and conveniently dropped the contents...no biggie, and young boy picked em up, and I was on my way.  On the way out I had put down 800 cals in the form of 1 EFS Liquid Shot, and 2 bottles of EFS (2 scoops each, 1 with a full scoop of Pre Race).  My needs bag had another EFS Liquid Shot, 2 more bottles of EFS set up the same way, a pack of Honey Stingers, and a Salty Sweet Bar.  I nixed the non-pre-race bottle and the Salty Sweet Bar---Mistake #2!  After the drop and the stop, I hammered the return from Hawi section, spinning out of my 53 x 11 at 95 rpms.  At this point, I was riding with a group of very respected triathletes, including Troy Jacobson.   I studied his moves as he backed off a bit coming down from Hawi, and was curious why.  I found out when we reached the Queen K, as he and the other 5 guys I was in contact with left me for the wolves ;-).  I settled into my wattage goal, and just put my head in an aero position (meaning: down!) and rode the never ending road back towards Kona.  The bike spacing had definitely opened up, and as I was approaching the Waikaloa area I saw a familiar face in the Penalty Tent..and said "THAT'S BULLSHIT" loud and clear---it was Rich Blanco who had passed me with the most authority on the bike course--how the hell was he drafting someone when he clearly was riding at a different level than anyone else?   I started looking at race numbers, and I noticed that more numbers had marks on them than didn't---the Officials were making a statement I think on this day.  I hit a bit of a lull, due to a lack of calories (stemming from that small breakie, and leaving that food in my Needs Bag of course!), so from mile 80 to about mile 87 I started to conserve energy (meaning: back off the pedal pressure).   I hit an aid station, hit the gels and Perform, and recovered, but I think I was in the hole now...shit.  As I approached Kona, I got to take in a bit of the Men's Pro race...Crowie had distanced himself on the Queen K on his way to the Energy Lab--it was in the bag.  I found myself sitting up and watching versus racing--oh well, this was a WC, and I was on the same course with the Elite of the Elite, and I was "taking the experience in" as Bryan told me to do ;-).  I pulled my feet out of the shoes, did the old flying dismount, and was off into T2, so happy with my bike split!  I was estimating 5:15, and all depended on the conditions of course, but with a 203W average, my coaches response after the race:  "also - 5:06 / 203??  THIS file I need to see!  great!!!"  So I guess I pulled something out of my arse ;-)

Gear wise, the Storck was amazing as it always is...I feel blessed to be riding such a nice, fast bike, with the Di2, the SRM...all was great there.  I would also highly recommend a helmet with a front shield---I used the ONE Elite LG Superleggara...I will never race without a shield again, and the visibility is twice that of wearing sunglasses (I can look out of the top of my eyes with a full view versus being limited by the frame of the glasses---FYI.  Di2---game changer.  DMT shoes were perfect again as well--no hot spots at all, no socks, just a very good pair of cycling shoes!

T2:  3:24

Again made the trek around the perimeter of the pier, grabbed my bike to run bag, into the tent, Castelli socks on, Orange Nike Lunarracers on, EFS Liquid Shot in hand, Visor and glasses on, and off to the run I go.

JD and Lisa working...looks like they were having fun!

Run:  3:41:36

So, let me show you the splits first, then I'll explain this disaster that came out okay in the end!  Something is "off" when I run 9 miles faster than 7 miles---ugh!  So hard to look at those splits, but "it is what it is" when cramps force you to stop racing. 

Split Name	Distance	Split Time	Race Time	Pace	Div. Rank	Overall Rank	Gender Rank
5 mi	5 mi	42:20	7:00:32	8:28/mi
10.2 middd	5.2 mi	47:49	7:48:21	9:11/mi
17.2 mi	7 mi	1:06:43	8:55:04	9:31/mi
26.2 mi	9 mi	1:04:44	9:59:48	7:11/mi
Total	26.2 mi	3:41:36	9:59:48	8:27/mi	115	459	431

Well, I looked good here...

So the first thing I have to mention is I went against what I ALWAYS do...I went without an HRM all day.  I simply had a Timex watch that had my overall time on it versus the full Garmin setup giving me lots (meaning: too much!) information for me to play mind games with.  I immediately found my legs out of T2, as if I hadn't ridden at all---AWESOME.  I was running with 2 other guys, and we were picking people off right and left...I was a happy kid in summer camp and ready to crush this thing--swim and bike were both practically perfect, and had me right on my "best case" projections.  When you hit Ali'i Drive to start the 5 mile out and back, things get REAL, really REAL.  On the bike there was of course always a breeze/wind, but Ali'i was stale, hot, and felt like a swamp.  I was still feeling great though, saw my cheering squad in their awesome orange shirts in front of Humpys...they were right where I needed them!  I left them, and POW, ribcage (intercostal) muscle cramps..straight to a 10 out of 10 in pain.  We still hadn't hit the first aid station (am still curious why there isn't one at mile one??).  I was buckling---and digging for the first aid station..it seemed to never come!  I eventually got there, and immediately went into emergency mode...how do I get rid of this?  The answer was probably right there in my hand (the EFS Liquid Shot), but I couldn't muster a swig of that hot gel.  Instead I tried Coke--of course the wrong thing!  I was walking out of this aid station still buckled in pain as Chris approaches on his way back into town, shaking his head---my heart sank, as I knew he was disappointed to see me give in.  I kept my mind focused though, thinking this will pass, and when it does, you need to RUN! This section forced me to stop racing, and start surviving the race---I didn't train to have it go this way, but there was nothing I could do when I hobbled between aid stations as I tried to find a solution.  Finally, at about mile 7, things started to turn as I went to orange slices and Perform---lots of it.  Between aid stations I was getting better, but was still limited in speed fearing they would come back with a vengeance.  I made it back to my crew, and John gave me a much needed pep talk...

but not here on the Ali'i return...John's pep talk...

I walked a bit after, mumbling nonsense to myself and told myself to stop feeling sorry for myself and get back into this thing---but the damage had been done.  I went from my "perfect day" target to geez, I may finish in 11 hours....ugh, NOT a feeling I had imagined going into this race feeling as good as I did physically and mentally, but I didn't let it crack me.  Chris has told me many times that you can recover from a "bad patch" and to just work with it, trouble shoot it, and come out of it stronger than ever.  After making my way up to Palani, I was welcomed by this guy with his young daughter on his shoulders---RUSS BRANDT!  He was saying everything I needed to hear, and along with what John had said to me 5 minutes earlier, I hit the Queen K, felt the breeze, and joined the race again.  Welcome back Mr. Svans, you are now in hunting mode---Chris, you are always right!  I "hit the proverbial RESET button" as Russ was screaming at me to do as he ran up Palani as I walked.  I took the momentum of running out and down " Mark and Dave Hill" to regain entry into the race.  The cramps were still there but tolerable, but I just kept on the orange slices and Perform, and they were gone by the time I hit the top of the Energy Lab.  Chris played a trick on me by saying the turnaround was another half mile into the Lab, so when I turned, I was all smiles.  I picked up my little note of motivation (the only thing in my Run Special Needs Bag...), and cycled through the names and quotes I had written on it...including "It's go time" and "put the women and children to bed and go hunting for dinner."  I was breaking down those walls that Randy Pausch mentioned, and was doing this for my kids...to get this done and to get "home"...as fast as I could put this chapter behind me as I could so I could move on to packing to go home to them.  Quite frankly, I think a lot is made of the Energy Lab stent, and  I agree 100% with what Bryan told me going in...it's really not the big deal that everyone makes it out to be.  Yes, the air is stale running up and out, but nothing compared to the Ali'i stretch, and you are now running back to "home."  Then there is the Ford Inspiration Sign with the notes from your cheering section. In my case, I asked my family if they could ask Jenny for something to put on there---I don't think my feet were touching the ground as I approached, so I would say the Sign worked wonders for me.  I hit the mat that triggers the sign, and glued my eyes to the digital sign..waiting, waiting, and then there it was...."You Got This Papa!"  So, I had lost it a few times before the race, but I had tears rolling down my cheeks and was almost uncontrollable with the sniffles---I just couldn't hold it back, and didn't want to.  Luckily I was alone through there, and that little note meant so much, they were right there in the middle of the war with me, cheering me on, feeding my positive reinforcement that I did in fact "HAVE THIS!"   I re-composed myself and was back on the Queen K, knowing that this section was tough, boring, and rolling.  None of that mattered...I became a man on a mission, and after a few checks of the watch, I had sub 10 back as attainable, but it was gonna take a huge effort.  By the time I reached Mark and Dave Hill, I was flying---I guess walking all that way on Ali'i saved my legs for this effort I was putting in, and I felt no effects of the 20+ miles I had already covered on the run.  I picked a guy way up ahead---about 40 people were between the two of us...he was my "goal catch."  As I reached the top of the hill to head down Palani, I was greeted by Russ again, and I told him he was my new best friend (well, he is "one" of my best friends now...don't worry Ponch and JD ;-)   That reset button was a charm to hit, and I ended up catching my "goal catch as I made the turn onto Kuakini Hwy, but now my goal was bigger, very specific, and very close...getting to the line sub 10.  I must have been running 6:30's from the bottom of Mark and Dave Hill to the final turn on Ali'i...I was on Holy Ground now, and there was no way I was going 10+, but I still had work to do.

on Holy Ground

There was one thing that was going to keep me from celebrating the final section with my family, and here I am trying to go sub 10 with seconds to spare as I approach my family---sorry family, I said screw it, and put out another surge to get me down the shoot, as I wasn't quite sure how far the finish line was...Mike Reilly was right on cue saying "these guys are fighting for sub 10 hours---give em all you got!"  I was fist pumping while sprinting with no one but me and that line..and a clock reading 9:59:43 as I crossed the line into a dream I have had 1,00's of times, watched on TV hundreds of times, and into my personal catchers:  My mom and sister Inta who's shift ended at 5 pm, and I was finishing at 4:59:43pm...PERFECT!  My dream of 15 years DONE!  My Bucket List contained one item, and this was it...maybe time to add some new targets on there.

Carlos Sue and I at Dinner Sunday night...Champions!

I felt so fortunate to share the course with so many athlete-friends of mine...we all kept each other going out there.  Carlos and Sue, you define Ironman for what you overcame on this day---a huge congrats to you for the perseverance you showed us all by reaching that finish line.  Dad, I have to say that hug on the beach after the race was the best father son moment of my life....I knew you knew how big of a deal this race was to me, and I am so glad you were there to see me "finish what I started" over 15 years ago.  Remember watching the race every year?  Well, watching it this December will hopefully bring on a whole new meaning.  And Mom, you have always been right there cheering me on, and of course it was no different this time--sometimes I even think you are more excited about races than I am!  to my sis's and bro, thanks for making it over to Kona; I know it was a challenge, but every one of you made it and made the trip that much more special...it has been way too long since we were all in the "same room" together...let's try to make it a more frequent occurrence (well, I am probably the guilty one here...).  And to JD and Cyndi..thanks for showing my family around when I was too busy being selfish---well, racing ;-)  You two continue to prove that you are very special friends, thanks for everything you are!

I think I made them proud parents on this day ;-)

Me and the Deans Post Race..Love em!

Jenny, simply, you are amazing.  I missed you more than I ever want to miss you...you have been behind me on this journey, putting up with the long hours, the nights with "no Papa" at home.  The calls after my failures, a crash...and you have been there unconditionally for me every step of the way.  I don't know what's next (or after IMAZ...), but I know you have given me much more than you have received, and I can't compete with your heart and unselfishness that you have exuded over the past 18 months....I feel like the luckiest man alive to have you as my wife.  You are my rock.

Calling Home...