David Kennedy's IMMT Race Report
2013 Mont Tremblant North American Ironman Championships
RACE REPORT: August 18th, 2013
Prelude: This is my second Ironman Event for me. I competed in the Lake Placid Ironman on July 22nd, 2012. Being my first full Ironman distance, my goal for the race was to finish each leg under the required times in order to finish the race before midnight. With the help of my fellow Ironman, Bob Arsenault and a member of Endurance Nation (EN), I had set myself up with the right knowledge and training plan to accomplish my goals. I trained hard for 9 months, being religious about it and not making excuses as to not finding the time to complete the workouts. I knew that my body and mind was ready, but as we all know, there are many things that we have no control over and those are the things that could prevent you from obtaining your goals. I had the chance to swim, ride and run the course, and felt very comfortable in those environments. With my family’s support and understanding, I finished the swim in 1:40, the bike in 6:50, and the run in 4:44, with a finish time of 13:30. I knew that I had the potential to take a good amount of time off of the bike and run if I really worked hard, thus finishing under 13 hours in MT.
I went up to Mont Tremblant with the three Arsenault brothers in Aug. of 2012, not with the intention of signing up for another Ironman Event. We brought our gear with us and got to ride a loop of the bike and walked a lot of the run course. The roads were like glass and the shaded “Rail Trail” was very inviting. We all volunteered to help out with the Inaugural Ironman race because they were a little short on volunteers. I helped out in the Men’s T1 tent. After seeing how well the race was conducted, all four of us got up early the next morning and signed up! I was still sore from Lake Placid, and I’m going to punish myself again, why?
I started my training on Dec. 1st, 2012, only 4 ½ months after completing my first Ironman distance. Feeling out of shape, I knew that it wouldn’t be long before I was dropping weight and getting stronger. My goal for this race was to focus upon my Core and Nutrition. I felt like I hadn’t recovered properly and thus losing valuable muscle mass prior to IMLP. I had reached my ideal race weight of 160, but felt weak and tired on the bike. I knew that my core wasn’t as strong as it should have been thus losing my form on the bike and run. This is very import to the long course. The last thing that was key to this race was the ability to train with my friends and offer support on a daily basis.
RACE MORNING: I woke up at 1:15 (same as last year), drank a 32 oz green Machine Naked Juice, which consists of an additional 560 calories that I’ll need in the morning swim. I went back to bed hoping to drift off to sleep, knowing that 5am would be knocking at the door soon. Around 2am, I dozed off to sleep and caught the alarm so not to wake up Maureen and my three girls right away. Made my way to the kitchen to eat breakfast, which consisted of 4 applesauce cups and 1 ½ scoops of Vanilla Protein Whey which I had made up the night before. Not really the breakfast of champions but it had worked before. Never want to change anything, before a big race. I did some light stretching, tried to focus upon my hamstrings and calves, because they were the two areas that I had trouble with last time around and in my training. I woke up Maureen to have her apply some much needed sunscreen and my arm coolers and warmers before I said goodbye. I squeezed half way into my wetsuit, gathered up my special needs bags and headed down to the Bike area. It was 5:30 and still pitch black out. The whole area was alive and buzzing with excitement. I couldn’t wait to get this long day started, I felt like I had got myself to the starting line in the best possible shape I could. I heard Mike Reilly announce the water temperature for the lake at 65.6 degrees and that is when I started to worry. I had heard over the past few days that it was more like 70, which to me is still cold. I’m a slow swimmer anyway due to my limited use of my left arm and also due to my low body fat percentage, 65 degrees is very cold. I usually cramp up severely in cold water, not a good thing when you are swimming 2.4 miles in it! I headed to drop off my two bags, set up my bike with all of my fluids and essential salt tablets. Got my tires pumped up by some volunteers and reracked my bike. Nothing else to do but make the ½ mile walk over to the Beach Club and get ready for the swim. I looked around for Bob and Jeff but they were nowhere to be seen amongst the 2700 other participants. As soon as I got to the Beach Club, I noticed the long line for the Porta Johns. Even though I didn’t have to go at the time, I knew that I would be by the time I got to the front. Emptied out both my bowels and bladder and was ready for the day. I was bundled in my sweats to stay warm; the air temperature was in the high 40’s low 50’s. Did some stretching, drinking and inhaled another GU, 15 min. prior to my wave start. The fly over and the cannon for the Pros brought back memories from Lake Placid, though this year, they had done away with the Mass Start and elected the waves. I made my way down to the beach area; it was jammed with spectators and athletes. Couldn’t find my family anywhere! I needed to see them before I got into the water, knowing that it was going to be harder than expected. I found Maureen and wrapped up in her blanket to stay warm since I had placed my sweats into my Morning Bag for after the race. I heard Mike Reilly announce the 50-54 year olds wave start in 30 seconds so I tried to push my way through the crowds but no one would move. By the time I reached the entrance to activate my chip, the swimmers in the 50-54 age group had taken off. I bolted into the lake and faintly heard Mike Reilly say, “Better late than never, he’ll catch up”, knowing that I would never catch up in the water!
SWIM: The cannon, the flyover and the fireworks before each wave start seemed like a long time ago. As I tried to settle into a familiar pace, I enjoyed the warm water at first because it was warmer than the air. What I wasn’t anticipating was the larger than normal swells that had developed across the lake. I felt like I was swimming in the ocean not in a lake. I had set my watch to send an alert at every 6th of a mile, this way I would know how far I was from the turnaround and the finish area. That first .6th of a mile seemed to go by fairly quickly and without much body contact. That is when things started to go south for me. The next two waves were a lot faster and flew right by me; the cold water was now starting to take its toll. I peed in my wetsuit (not an easy thing to do while swimming) trying to stay warm but the contact from the other swimmers created the first of many cramps in my feet at first then my calves. At this point in the swim, I was just reaching the turn buoys and knew that it was going to be a struggle to complete the swim portion of the race. While trying to focus on my form and count my strokes, I knew that my pace was off and my sighting was off. The sun was blinding, I had practiced this on Friday morning but it wasn’t this intense. I wore my blue lens goggles’ to help reflect the glare but still had a hard time seeing the church steeple behind the swim exit. My watch signaled the third .6 of the swim and I knew what I had left to go to be safely on land however, the cramping was getting worse. I peed two more times to stay warm but the cramping in my hamstrings left my lower torso numb. I had to stop swimming twice to look for kayaks just in case I needed them in a hurry. I was now swimming with only one arm and I knew that this was the point in the race where I really had to focus or not complete the race. My watch went off for the final time, but I was still away from shore. I had swum further than I should have (2.57) but the sandy bottom of the lake brought tears to my eyes. I had never been so happy in my life. As I dolphin dived my way into the Swim exit, I glanced quickly at my Garmin, it showed 1:50. It was my longest and hardest swim ever. Since I was one of the last athletes out of the lake, I could hear my family yelling for me and I knew they were very happy that I had made it out of the water safely. The dreaded swim was behind me, I knew that the rest of the day as going to be great! I flopped down on the carpet and let the wetsuit strippers do their thing, tucked it under my arm like a football and ran the ¼ mile to the Transition tent and T1.
T1: I shouted out my number as I entered the tent, a volunteer handed my bag to me as I ran towards the last chair by the exit. With everyone else on the bikes, I had the whole place to myself. Quickly dried off, put on socks and my cleats, helmet and sunglasses, and ate a GU on my way to the bike racks in 9:11. Not as quickly as I would have liked but just glad to be warming up and ready for a nice 112 mile bike ride.
BIKE: Once again, the volunteers were right there with my bike, I ran quickly to the mount line as I saw my parents and gave them the thumbs up! I could see in their eyes that they were very happy to have me safely out of the water and getting on my bike. The first hour on the bike was just a matter of getting use to the seat, warming up, now that the air temps had climbed into the 70’s in just about two hours. I knew that it would continue to rise so I mentally started to drink and plan my salt intake at every hour. It wasn't long before I was completely dry and starting to sweat. I concentrated on my power, and race execution. Riding the way I should, not the way I could, it was going to be a long day. My goal for this portion of the race was to ride at 70% of my FTP, which was 256. I knew that if I was able to maintain this power, I might be close to a 6 hour 15 min. bike split. Riding slow and smooth, smooth is fast, I didn’t let the other riders passing me disrupt my philosophy. I had peed three times on the first loop, even after three times in the lake but at least I knew that I was hydrating properly. Once again, not an easy thing to do, but practice make perfect! Execution for the first loop of the bike was almost spot on, a 3:07 time for the first 56 miles @ an IF of .698. Seeing my family at the turnaround was a great boost of confidence heading out onto the second portion of the bike. I pulled into the Special needs station to grab the rest of my nutrition (Infinit) and strip off my arm warmers. My overall well being was great; I had survived the swim and was ready to tackle the second loop of the bike. The second loop got tougher as the winds picked up out on Rt. 117 (as they say it always does in the afternoon). I focused upon my form, my cadence and core to push though the long climbs. My time was still on pace for my predicted goal. I approached the last section of the bike, with some 12% grade climbs quickly became a harsh reminder that 112 miles is a long ways to go and that I had a marathon coming up fast. It was only a 6 mile out and back but it was here that could crush your legs at some point on the run. I remained seated on the hills, and watched as some riders opted to walk up them. I knew that my time on the bike had slipped away but didn’t want it to affect the rest of my day. I finished up the second loop and ended up with a 6:22 bike split, slower than I had hoped, but 28 minutes faster than in Lake Placid. I had passed 71 athletes in my age group. I contribute some of the extra time to the winds out on Rt. 117 and the leg cramps sustained during the swim.
T2: I cruised up to the bike dismount line and handed off my bike to the volunteers, once again heard my family shouting out encouragement as I quickly made my way to the Transition tent area. Two disciplines down and one to go! I had a volunteer put on my socks and shoes while I removed my helmet, put on my hat, race number and pounded a GU and 2 salt tabs. I ran out of T2 in 3:54, could have been faster but didn’t want to forget anything for the 26.2 miles that lay ahead.
RUN: My goal for the run was to break the 4:30 mark, just being off the bike and moving was a blessing considering how my day had started such a long time ago. I ran out of T2 and felt something immediately in my left shoe. Since I hadn’t put my shoes on, I wondered if there was still a GU in there. I stopped quickly and removed the shoe and found a small piece of rubber that fills a hole for the “foot iPod” had slipped out. I threw it on the ground, cinched up my laces and started running again. I glanced at my Garmin and realized that I was running way too fast, trying to make up for lost time, but remembered to slow it down and race according to my plan. I had been practicing to run the first 6 miles at 9:30’s plus 30 sec. to get my running legs under me and then try to run 9:30’s the rest of the way and take 30 sec. walks at each aid station. The sun was out in full force reaching above 80 degrees and the first half mile brought on a killer hill. Some runners were already walking up the hill, not sure how many were on their first loop or on their second loop. I passed the Beach Club where my day had started and my left hamstring started to cramp up. Why? I had taken in all of my fluids, nutrition and salt, this just wasn’t fair. The same thing happened to me up in Lake Placid, not a good way to start a Marathon! I took some time to stretch out both hamstrings and grabbed more fluids at the next aid stop. I started to find my stride/pace and was able to maintain it and gained some confidence by seeing Bob and Jeff Arsenault (first time today) along with other ENer’s on the road. Reaching the “Rail Trail” was a great feeling, no more hills for 6 miles; it was mostly shady and a lot cooler than on the roads. I soon realized that the trail wasn’t exactly flat, both directions seemed like it was uphill. Was that fatigue setting in or just my imagination taking over. That usually doesn’t happen until later in the race. The aid stations were closer than at Lake Placid, the volunteers were excellent and had everything you needed. I stuck to my plan, to run to the end of each station grabbing what I wanted (water/perform/ice GU’s etc...) and walk while eating and drinking. I had to stop once to pee on the first loop and walked ½ way up one of the hills. I passed on the Run Special needs bag, just like in LP and headed down through the village with a smile on my face. With hundreds of spectators cheering and seeing my family and friends was a great way to head out on the second loop of the marathon. I managed to run a 2:07 half and was on target to better my goal time. But I know that the race doesn’t start until mile 18, and that was still a long way from here. The first hill after the turnaround was just brutal; a lot of people now were walking up it. No matter how good you felt after the half way point this was a killer. This was when I started looking at the back of runners calves, to see how many of these men in my age group I was going to pass. I know that I’m not competing for a Kona slot, but it was a way to stay focused and continue to run. Even the slowest run is faster than a walk! Because of my horrible swim, I knew that I was behind everyone else getting on the bike but managed to pass roughly 71 athletes in my age group. Some of the EN sayings that kept going through my mind throughout the day was, “Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast” and “Patience & Discipline” these are true in all aspects of the Ironman race. They would prove to be more valuable as the race went on. The hills heading out to the Rail Trail were taking its toll, along with the heat of the afternoon. I couldn’t wait to be on that trail, I knew if I could get through that section of the course, I had a very good chance of finishing up under my goal time of 13 hours. I cramped up one more time and had to stop and pee again right at the 18 mile mark losing some valuable time and energy. It’s harder to stop and start than continuing to run. This is the final Key to racing an Ironman; anything that is left in the tank can be used now. The finish line is only a 10K away! I focused upon my form, continued to count Age Groupers and managed to pass at least 20 athletes just on the second loop of the run. My pace continued and the coke at the aid stations gave me the extra caffeine and sugar that my body craved to continue. Heading out of the old village and bringing on the hills once again, my quads were screaming at me and my left big toes was beginning to throb. I knew from other previous marathons it would lead to the loss of the nail but at this point in the race, nothing matter more than Mike Reilly announcing your name as you head to the finish line. Just when you think that you are close to the finish and you can hear the names blasting through the loud speakers, you still have two more steep hills to crush you. For me, the downhill’s hurt more than the ups! As soon as your feet leave the pavement of the street and land upon the cobblestone path of the Tremblant Village, the excitement and energy was indescribable. I felt as if my feet left the ground and I floated through the street upon the wings of the crowd carrying me the last 100 yards to the finish line. It was one of the best experiences of my life, one that I will never forget. The best part of the day was that I got to share this awesome experience with my family, parents and good friends!
Results: I know that my goals are a lot different than most Ironman Athletes, mine are not about making it to Kona, and they were about getting better and still having a memorial journey along the way. To spend time with my family, accomplish a goal that I had established 1 year ago. Besides the swim, I had raced my race and shaved time off in every other area of the race. I took off 29 sec. in T1, 29:05 on the bike, 31 sec. in T2 and 16:12 on the run for a total of 34:20. I established a new PB in 12:56 from only one year ago and starting my triathlon career at the age of 47 only 4 years ago. The only unanswered question now is: Will there be another Ironman race in my future? I guess only time will tell!
Comments
The only unanswered question now is: Will there be another Ironman race in my future? I guess only time will tell! Keep us posted!
Nicely done, David!
There well certainly be another one in your future, if for no other reason than you have improvement in the SWIM awaiting you.
Sub-12:30...YES YES YES!!!
All the best to each and everyone of you in all of your training and races!!