IMTX Race Report - J Lombardi
Ironman Texas was my 3rd effort at the Ironman distance....and was what I hoped to be my best effort thus far at the Ironman distance. My Personal Best to this date had been 12:19:55 my maiden voyage at 2011 IM Louisville. My redux at IMLou 2012 was hampered by a bike crash and adverse race day conditions resulting in a 12:55 result.
This time around I chose an early season race with hopes of an 11-handle. My Training began on November first and progressed through a mid-training Half-marathon test at Myrtle Beach in March. Despite extremely cold race day I ran a 2min. HalfMarthon PR before transitioning into my IMTX Race Preparation Phase....Everything...from my swimming to my biking was ahead of last year and I was lucky enough to maintain my health with no downtime for injury or illness through race day. In my two weekend Race Rehearsal tests I swam personal best times (race rehearsals not races) for 2miles and for 100mile rides....I felt all the pieces where in place to meet my goals & time expectations on race day. The only unknown was race day conditions....and I, along with 3000 other folks, were hoping and praying for moderate race day temperatures. Everyone expected warm, windy, and some humidity...but hoped for 80's v 90's and 9mph winds v 15mph winds...becuase for most of the racers including those in Texas...this has been an extended winter and cool spring...with very little if any opportunity to acclimate to warmer temps.
Race Week- Flew into Houston & checked into my hotel on Tuesday ...an easy uneventful trip...and really nice to have the bike transport being handled by TriBikeTransport...a great service I highly recommend.
Tuesday evening I had the opportunity to meet up with longtime forum friend Neil Fox...Neil was in town to celebrate turning fifty by completing his first IM....I really enjoy sharing my experiences and helping people in the sport...its especially gratifying with friends like Neal....we had a few beers, a few laughs, some food...and I could tell he would be fine!
Wednesday--Rain! WTF...and cool...was going to do my bike recon ride after race check in and gathering my bike from TriBikeTransport....oh well...I did get in a little run to keep loose...then had dinner with Neal & Roy Ezell, and Endurance Nation Team member!...
Thursday - I drove the bike course...got my bike out and rode miles 40-60 at planned race pace/power...the wind was kicking up and I could tell it was gonna be interesting...but all systems go...Thursday nite was a great EN team dinner at the Cheesecake Factory....great to meet my virtual training partners...what a great group from all around the country!
Friday - Swim Course Recon and Team Photo....BIG Denny Pancacke Breakfast.....then nothin' but put the feet up and watch movies...that goodness of NetFlix
The Race Day Plans/Metrics/Goals/Results:
Up at 3am - Applesauce & Perform Breakfast...than rest/nap again until 5am....up...get dressed....head over to the Swim start...Ready Rolll!
Swim - My Pre-Race tests: 1,000yd TT Pace (1:51/100yd) & 2mile Race Rehearsal (1:53/100yd) suggested a target of 1:55/100 or a 1:21 finish...this was my first real mass start...I knew my actual time would be determined more by race conditions than fitness so I was prepared for a wider range of possible results- GOAL TIME: 1:21-1:25 - Actual 1:26 - My plan was to line up towards the back,stay out of the crush& as quickly as possible find space to settle into a rythmic controlled pace....to call the start a mosh pit is to be kind. I had been hanging onto a raft to avoid having to tread water before the start...about 1minute to the start a drift off into what seems to be an open space about 5 yards behind a row of folks and about 5-10 yards ahead of another group...the gun goes off and the guys in front off me are barely moving...I'm trying to swim forward and now the group behind me are on top of me...I will honestly say that this continued for the entire first leg outbound 1300 yards...the turn at the buoys were traffic mashups ...and the 2nd backbound leg was the most frustrating 1300 yards I have had to swim in a long time...almost the entire route back to the next turn I had somebody swimming on my tail and about every other stroke he would hit/grab my right ankle...just enough....a few times I tried to kick him off ...what this ended up doing is causing my right hip to tighten up...which limited my rotation...very disconcerting...and simply not any fun....I finally got away from him as the final turn into the very narrow waterway channel allowed me to take a different angle...the only problem in the waterway is that due to the narrowness and the high walled sides...the water is very choppy...drank more than my fare share of dank Texas lake water on that leg....was glad to get out of the water within reason and onto the bike. (T1 = 8min - a bit longer than I had hoped for ...but I just took care of biz and got on my way...probably could have gotten out in 5-6 with a bit more urgency)
Bike - My Training Metrics/Tests/Goals...so this year I have been training on the bike with PowerMeter...my Functional Threshold Power or FTP was established @ 210-220 (this is kinda like Tempo Pace in Running)...and my targeted race power level was 145. I had two race rehearsal rides of 100 miles at 145-150 with finish times with projected around a 6hour race time...I also had a HR target of less than 135...so my Plan for race day based on course knowledge and a recon ride of miles 45-60...was to ride very easy the first 40miles keeping watts below the 145 target (135)...then if everything was good to settle into the target power for miles 40-80..then hopefully maintain that through the final 32. Allowing for conditions (heat, wind, etc,) GOAL TIME: 5:50 - 6:10 - Actual 6:04 The first 40 miles of the course is relatively easy...flat to rolling with the wind at your back...I was able to get out of transition and going without any issue...but I can't say I felt great...I didn't feel bad but my hip was tight from the swim and maybe due to the heat I just didn't feel very good...my power was about 10% below where I wanted/expected and my HR was steady but already around 135 - perhaps due to the tailwind and/or the heat - but because I was moving at such a good pace and was planning on taking it easy the first 40miles anyway...I just went with it...pedaled steady and focused on getting food and fluids into my body...my Nutrition Plan called for 2 bottles of Perform/hour, 1 gel (or 1/2 powerbar) every 30 min., and 1 S-Cap Salt Capsule every hour....I could tell early on I was not hydrating and made a doubled effort to drink as much as my body would take...and also to dump one bottle of water on my body at every aid station....it wasn't until about mile 50 just before entering the town of Jackson when I started to feel okay and was able to pee on the bike...just in time for the tough rolling section where I was able to start to push my power a bit higher still 10% below my target but higher than the first section (my second 20miles power was up and my avg HR was down so my plan seemed to be working) ....my goal was to keep this up steady through mile 80 where we start to get a net downhill into the finish...but still had to deal with a 12mph avg. wind with gusts to 17mph...my other goal was to pee at least one more time before getting off the bike...so I had to keep drinking...alot....uh oh...Issue at around mile 75!...my garmin almost falls off the quick mount...luckily I caught it before it launched but had to fiddle around with it almost crashing myself but getting it safely reattached...disaster averted....I hit mile 80 and was feeling fine...so I continued to push steadily on the return...upping my power in the final 30 miles as planned ...and peeing too!...almost made it in without incident except I dropped my chain at about mile 105 on a short incline and had to dismount to get it back on....no biggie....back on and rolling....I reached the bike finish in 6:04...really hot out now but feeling great....& looking forward to the run.... Final Metrics...112miles/6:04/18.5mph/NP130 (about 10% below target..probably due to heat)/Avg. HR 136 and a VI of 1.05 (T2= 6min - again a bit longer than I had hoped for ...but changing/tying shoes etc...again just took care of biz and got on my way)
RUN- What can I say...I love the IM run....it is the most simple and straighforward and tough thing......my run training has been solid...I had more consistent and stronger running this year with slightly higher overall volume but perhaps slightly shorter, but harder, long runs. My long runs this year topped out at 16miles (4x) v 18.5 (2x) last couple of year...but I ran at roughly 1min/mile faster average pace on my long runs this year...so traded some additional volume for intensity...net net was probably equal......My pace for the IM Marathon is my Easy Training pace of 8:35 under ideal conditions (ie. 65 degrees, fully hydrated and fuelded etc.)...this was not that...a heat adjusted pace is required....my goal/belief is that I should be able to run 9-9:05 or 4hr. marathon pace...and that is what I set as my target...the course is 3 loops, very exposed, but also very well supported...strategy was to run the first loop very easy...9:00+ whatever...just to get the legs loose, get comfortable , eat, & hydrate...then to try and settle in and run the second loop a bit faster...but "do no harm"..by targeting to keep HR around 150...then lap 3 with everything left in the tank!..............................NOTE: when I say run...I mean continuous running between aide stations...every aide station is planned admin walkthrough...taking ice, cola, perform and gels early on if I can tolerate them.........My key goal was to avoid the "dehydration/Bonk" that I have experienced in both prior IMs causing me to walk for varying amounts of time between aide stations at some point.............GOAL TIME: 3:50-4:10 - Actual 4:30 This is an absolutely flat course around the lake but there are a couple of short out & back add-ons, one on dirt trail that are just bothersome but really inconsequential to the run execution...ie. you don't have to plan for them or do anything special....within the context of the IM run...I felt quite good on the first loop...which I covered at a liesurely pace eating, drinking, icing as much as possible at each aide station...because it was HOT....and most of the course is exposed....the absolute best part was the final two miles of each loop which cuts along the waterway which is jus lined with crowds cheering, and dressed wildly, great great support...and real spirit lifter....First Loop - 8.6miles/1:23/9:45 per mile/HR 148....slow but executed as planned and HR under control....spent a bit too much time in each aide station...but the running was consistent...........I started out on the Second Loop with the intent of trying to pick up the pace...but everytime I tried to move to fast my HR skipped up and I was forced to back it down...completed the Second Loop 8.6/1:24/9:53permile/HR 148...I'm slower than I would like but things seem okay...until...they don't...I was elated heading out the waterway for the last loop and the crowds were wild and I was pushing the pace...not intentionally just carried away...it lasted for about 1.5 miles (Mile 18.5)..when my HR started to take off and I started to get that tingling sensation in my fingers, hands, arms, and a little buzzing in my head...I tried to just slow down to a slog jog ..but it would go away...my fear was that continuing to run would cause it to get worse and maybe even unrecoverable...so ...I walked...I knew I had to get fluids, cooler, and something with potassium (banana or gel)...I had to walk 1/2 mile to the next aid station...I grabbed banana, gel, ice in the shorts water, water bath...walked through...and was able to run again...I was able to get back to my running continuously between aide stations until mile 22.5 when I was forced, for the same reasons, to walk the half mile to the mile 23 aide station....refuel, rehydrate...then I was able to run the remaining 3 miles of the course without any problems.....I crossed the finish line in 12:18:06 at 2min. IM PR! 28/165 in the 50-54 AG and 518/2900 OA....(the race overall suffered a 17% DNF rate - high due to the temp conditions)
Reflecting on the results I am fairly satisfied....of course I am ecstatic to have completed the event and with everything that has gone into the day....especially in the context of the conditions experienced on race day...extreme heat, humidity, winds...this was not a day to expect my outright best performance for ideal conditions....so perhaps this was almost my outright best performance for these conditions....I think I met or achieved those condition adjusted performance goals with the exception of the run....and will need to think about what things I could have done better to avoid the walking. Could I have consumed more fluids on the bike? different fluids? Did I consume enough or the right stuff early on in the run? during the run?....I acutally believe it was the latter...that as the run went on...and the heat increased...I spent more time with ice and cooling and did not pay attention to fueling/hydration during the second lap....? I don't believe I could have consumed more on the bike...nor do I think I overcooked my effort on the bike.....These are some of the the puzzles that need to be solved to do better the next time around (yes there will be another...TX 2014!)....and which make IM so fun and interesting.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read some, any, or all of this...or who have just stopped by to say congrats, you're crazy...or whatever...its all fun...and its more fun with all of you.
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