IMAZ Report
IMAZ was my first Ironman and my main goal was to finish. Based on practice rides and paces set up through training, I figured I could finish in around 13:00 or 14:00, and I determined I would be happy to finish, happier with 14:00, and ecstatic if I made 13:00.
I was inspired to start Triathlon about 18 months ago, and after watching my friend and Endurance Nation (EN) teammate Rian Bogle, as well as many other inspiring athletes do IM St. George, I had a pretty good idea that I wanted to do an Ironman. The journey to an Ironman had it's downs including a DNS HIM in 12/11, and a Hernia surgery later in 12/11, but also it's ups including good Olympic and HIM experiences in 2012, and a lot of fun and challenging training. EN was really helpful in giving me the training, guidance, and comraderie needed to complete an Ironman!
Swim: 1:35:30
I am not a fast swimmer, and was nervous about the mass start of the swim. However, the swim went pretty smoothly for me. I kinda hung back a little before getting into the water to avoid the crowd, and once I got in the water, I swam toward the start line until I felt like I still had some space, but wasn't way back when the starting cannon went off (about 50 m from the line). It was really cool to see all of the spectators, and I swam at a calm, comfortable pace. I did stop about 200 m from the finish when I heard a woman call for help. I stayed with her for a short time until a kayak reached her. I came out of the water feeling good.
T1: 16:39
Holy crap! I knew I was taking my time, and even warmed up in the tent for a minute, but this was too long. I didn't even think about it at the time, as I was focused on staying calm.
Bike: 7:11:01
I took it really easy for about 90 minutes, and then kicked it up a bit. I really wanted to not push the pace too hard. Time-wise I thought my bike would be somehwhere around 6:30-7:00, so as per my execution guidelines I kept my HR in upper Z1, and backed off when I pushed into Z2. Additionally, I really wanted to save myself for the run. I took in about 300 calories per hour including a bottle of perform each hour. I had to pee four times, so I stopped and used the porta potties as an excuse to stretch my legs. I felt good for the bike and had no major issues.
T2: 8:46
Better than T1, but I could definitely improve here. Again, I was more focused on staying calm and making sure that I was comfortable.
Run: 5:12:12
I started fairly slow on the run, and only picked my pace up slightly after the first six miles. I never really had a hard line or hard bonk on the run, but I was never really able to push my pace to what it should have been. Maybe I was being conservative, but I felt like pushing too hard was going to jeopardize my ability to sustain even the slow pace I was maintaining. I felt good that I was still running instead of walking, and on the final lap I felt really good about the number of people I passed that were walking.
In the first two miles I felt that my pinky toes were getting a little squished. I tried to adjust my shoes, but nothing worked, so I just accepted that I would have to work through some blister pain at some point in the run. I had never had this issue to this extent before, so my only guess is that maybe my feet were a little swollen from biking. The pinky blisters did hit me at about mile 18, as I felt one of them pop and had some real pain for a few minutes, but I just kept going as the pain seemed to subside once I got used to it.
Nutrition-wise, I had a gel about thirty minutes into the run, and then at about an hour and a half into the run. I drank some perform or water at each aid station (just a couple of ounces). After the second gel, I was really not into the gels anymore, and basically supplemented the rest of the run with small portions of chicken broth, cookies, a few chips, and perform. I tried the Coke, but it made my already slightly unsettled stomach feel moreso, so I couldn't use the coke anymore.
I did see a friend from home on the course, and we were going the same pace, so we talked for a few miles. He was on his final lap, and it was sorta tough to fist bump him as he turned into the finish when I still had to do one more lap. I had a few dark times on the course in the couple of parts where there were fewer spectators and less light, but I felt pretty resolved about finishing, so nothing ever really got me too down.
Finish: 14:24:08
Of course emotions were high as I turned into the finishing chute. I thought I was going to cry the whole time I was in the chute, but I just celebrated, high fived a bunch of people, and crossed the finish line with my hands held high. I got to see EN'ers Dottie and Rian after the finish, and it was really nice to see their excitement for me. I felt great, if exhausted.
The day after I was already thinking forward to doing another Ironman. I really want to do it faster. I am sure a lot of people feel the same way, and I know I can improve if I train well, be ready to push harder, and work on some of the mechanics. I am super stoked to be an Ironman, and with that have the knowledge that I can push myself even more!
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