Newbie IMFL 2013 Race Report (aka: My Endurance Nation Report Card)
Before I get to the race…please indulge me in providing some background…lots of stream of consciousness writing here – I’m just letting it flow…
It’s Nov 8th 2012. I am 6’3” (still am – I did not shrink as a result of IM training) and weigh 227 pounds. I live in eastern Maryland which is mostly flat. I’m married with 4 kids (still am – my family didn’t shrink as a result of IM training either!) and a job that constantly has me on the road in various hotels. With a whopping 4 Olympic tris and 3 marathons under my belt, I register on-line for IMFL. I immediately feel buyer’s remorse… “what in the hell have I just done”. Oh well…please pass the mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy…are there only 3 types of homemade pie for dessert?
Dec 2012: It’s so freakin’ cold out. You can barely taste the cognac and brandy in this Egg Nog and these cookies are so tasty. The IM isn’t until 2013!
Jan 2013: Oh crap. It’s 2013. My buddy Greg Dowd (EN member) asks how my training is going. I’m reading a lot about triathlon, confusing myself about where to start training and bike shopping. He reads me in to Endurance Nation. I join. I write to the coaches with what I’d like to accomplish, and within 8 hours I have my plan of what to load up, what to do, and when to do it. I get an indoor trainer and begin construction on a pain cave. New running shoes. New swim suit.
Feb 2013: My size 61 Cervelo P2 arrives and I get a pro fit. Yes, they make bikes that big. I throw the trainer wheel on there and really begin to punish myself. I can barely stand sitting on that damned thing for an hour – how in the hell do I sit on it for 6 hours?!? I start poking around the forums…learn a ton about saddles and positioning, chamois creams and remedies for saddle sores…these people know a ton and I know nothing. But I’m learning.
Mar 2013: An Olympic race I’ve done the past 3 years is 2 months away. I really want to race it and not just do it. I get a Trainer Road account for $10/month to try this whole “power thing” and get a big kick out of the Sufferfest videos. All the EN workouts are on trainer road as well. I HIGHLY recommend it. I weigh 210 pounds.
Apr 2013: Running a lot and starting to swim. 200 pounds. I vow to never weigh over 200 pounds again. Start riding outside, and it’s a whole new world being in aero bars without a trainer!
May 2013: I get a PR in my Olympic race. I’ve got my first 70.3 in Williamsburg next month. Now that I’m outside, I can’t measure my power and I really enjoyed training by it and the feedback it gave. A used Quark on E-Bay? Thank you very much.
June 2013: Rev3 Williamsburg. 190 pounds. For the most part a well executed race, but I had such bad back pain the last 6 miles of the run I had to walk. Did a 5:45. I think with some rest, rehab and watching my nutrition, I could do the IM in 12 hours. But I didn’t even want to think about it. Pretty discouraged.
July 2013: Took a few weeks off to nurse the back and get refocused. With it being so hot, I start paying more attention to nutrition and fuel. A sweat test – as gross as it may be – reveals I absolutely suck at hydrating myself.
Aug 2013: 2 week family vacation to San Fran and Yosemite. No, we are not the reason the wildfire started out there but were there when it did! I told myself I wasn’t going to stress the training – I need to be dialed in with my family. We had SUCH a great time. Promised myself that I’d drop the hammer with 11 weeks to go. I came back very focused, rested, and happy. I’ve got 11 weeks. And the used FLO wheels also arrive from E-bay. Heh heh heh.
Sep – Oct 30 2013. I train like a maniac. I follow my plans, I listen to the podcasts, I participate in the video chats, I read the trip reports…how I’ve been participating for so long and STILL learning so much is amazing. My “comeback” is an event in eastern Maryland called the Chesapeakeman Aquabike – you do the 2.4 mile swim and bike the 112. It’s very flat…was very warm…very good practice for IMFL to dial in power and nutrition. I come in 2/11 in my division with a 1:10:53 swim and 5:36 bike. Wanted to run off the bike – and did – and was surprised I could. BIG confidence booster! My fitness is there. I’m 188 pounds – but was actually starting to lose some muscle mass, so that was too light for me…looks like I should be 190 and am crushing every work out. No injuries. The plan has the perfect amount of work and rest, and boy do I like the rest. They say the real test of an IM is making it to the starting line, and the race is the dessert. Well I am ready for some IM cake.
I dropped my bike off for tri-bike transport. AWESOME. Worth every penny. Especially after the IM to pick up the bike and wheel it to them…priceless.
I flew my entire family of 6 down for the race. I was very hesitant to pull my kids out of school and spend the dough, and my wife said: “This is real learning. This is real life. When do kids see their parents take a risk? We all support each other, and this is no different. And besides…you’ve spent 10-14 hours of the past 5 weekends riding your bike – you’re taking us to Florida!”
TAPERING
Never tapered for anything before. It was very weird to lace up and run for just 20 minutes one day, and swim for 30 minutes the next. Every minor ache/pain/bump felt magnified. Really watched what I ate, and had to throttle back immensely. That made me a bit grouchy. Worked on relaxing at night, but without the workouts my body was used to and with race thoughts popping in and out of my brain – oh, and not to mention all my family crap – I wasn’t sleeping all that well either. I think my wife would say the taper week was the hardest on the family!
WEDNESDAY PRIOR
We fly to Panama City and pick up the car. My in-laws were making the trip from Vero Beach and sprung for our lodging – a GREAT house in Rosemary beach. Beautiful spot. Thank you in-laws!! (There were two Bahrainian Princes racing who stayed in Rosemary Beach too…that’s a whole other trip report) The downside was I was 45 minutes from the race venue – but I’m relaxed and happy that the family will have a great time. Knowing they’re in a great set-up permits me to get my tri on and focus. We grab groceries, I drop the family off, and hit the expo. First thing I do is grab my bike, and then I register. I got in line 15 minutes before they closed and am glad I did as that line was insanely long the next 2 days. I go home and drink too much wine, but I’m happy and rested.
THURSDAY
I’m on the beach in my wetsuit at 7:00 am. I want to see where the sun comes up, how the currents and tides are, etc…I hook up with some Team EN folks and we hit the water. There’s a storm coming…the swells are non stop, but the water is very clear. I can see rays, jellies…and the swimmers all around me. I swim as I trained and felt more winded than normal. The Garmin seems to laugh at me as I raise my tired arm to see I’ve gone 400 yards. 400 yards. We paddle around some more, and pick some great buildings to spot on our way inbound. All the way in I focus on what I can control: my form, keeping my breathing relaxed, and how beautiful the sunrise is. I’m so stinking lucky to be able to do this right now. Cup the hand and pull…cup the hand and pull…
I stick around for the 4 Keys Talk – so great – and am off to check the ride.
I take a spin on the bike later that afternoon. 15 miles. It is ready to rock, and it feels great. I come home to carved pumpkins and dressed up kids.
We were going to blow off Halloween. I know, I know – bad parents. But where we were staying it was not a big deal, and I felt awful since my kids brought their costumes. We are heading to dinner with the kids in their costumes when a neighbor asks if we’re going trick-or-treating. They recommend a spot, and everyone goes to bed after a fun night.
pack my 5 bags. I double check them. I triple check them.
Morning Bag: Wet Suit, goggles (2) – tinted and not tinted – would make the call that morning, cap, speedfill top for aero bar bottle
* Bike Special Needs: 1 tube, 2 CO2, 2 little packets chamois butter
Swim to Bike: Helmet, shoes, sunglasses, chamois cream
Bike to Run: Shoes, compression socks, racebelt with number, little pouch with salt tablets and 2 gels, visor
* Bike Special Needs: Extra pair of socks, different shirt, long sleeve technical T, baggie of gummie bears, small petroleum jelly
*: Never put anything you want to see again in a special needs bag
I sleep like a stone from 8:30 pm until 7 am. Can’t remember ever sleeping so long, and am psyched as I don’t usually sleep well the night before a race.
FRIDAY
My family cheers me on through my second plate of pancakes. I’m sipping lots of water – I’m reminded to do so by the pouring rain - and I’m very content. The beach is closed due to weather – closed as in the conditions flag that’s flying is literally a dude swimming with a big circle around him and a line through it. The forecast is for the sky to clear this afternoon, winds to die down tonight, and light surf to return tomorrow with temps in the 70s. What do I care? I can’t control any of that. The only thing I can control is what’s in my 5 gear bags and what’s in my mind.
We brave the expo in the rain, I rack my bike (swim cap on the seat and one on aero bars) and walk through the transitions. I find things to spot to find my bike quickly. I finally find my wife and in laws with the kids in the Boardwalk’s pub. Surprise, surprise. It’s warm in there..the beer is flowing and the plates of greasy onion rings and hot wings look SO good. I take a pull on my club soda and wonder how I’d do if I filled my bottles with Fat Tire and taped chicken wings to my bike.
The rain stops and sunlight starts to come through the clouds.
All 4 kids run the Ironkids event. They had a great time, and were really excited to run down the finisher’s chute. They even got a nice medal afterwards! It’s a great event.
Prerace dinner is at the Bonefish. Couldn’t get to the Team Dinner there the night before, and it was not my first choice, but we were a party of 13 and that’s where Grandma wanted to go – so we went! I had a light lunch and was famished, so chowed down a huge burger and some fries. Not quite the pre-race meal I planned for 6 weeks, but I knew I could digest it and didn’t want to be up all night with hunger.
I pack my bike food. Now…this is what I do and it works – so hopefully it will help someone else. I plan to eat 2 powerbars (1 hour 1, 1 hour 2), 3 packets of gel blocks (1 hour 3, 1 hour 4, 1 hour 5) and 2 gels (1 hour 6, 1 just in case I don’t feel like eating something else or feel hungry). I plan on eating this way to go from the most solid food to least solid food, so I’ll just be drinking on the run and assume that my stomach will refuse to digest solids. Since I’m eating on a bike, I’m eating one handed (WATCH OUT!!), so here’s what I do:
I have a dark speedworks bag on my frame right in front of me. I pack the gels in 1st, then I take scissors and cut the block packages in half and the ends off. That way I can just squeeze the blocks out and stow the wrapper in my jersey. I cut the powerbars in half, unwrap them except for one side, then rewrap them in the same wrapper. I can now access, eat, and stow all my nutrition quickly, easily, and even stay “somewhat” aero. (Tip: If it’s going to be hot, refrigerate the bag once it’s packed. Those foods can melt and start to stick together because you do have them opened – but it’s still easier than trying to open on the bike)
I pack my bike drinks. I run two bottles. One in the aero bars with a speedfill cap (easy refill at aid stations) and one on my frame as a backup. I plan on drinking a bottle every aid station (10 miles). That’s a lot of fluids, but I’m going to drink early and often, and assess as I go (heat, peeing, etc&hellip
to see if I need more/less. But I’ve been taught that if you feel good you don’t go faster…you eat.
I verify my bike/run settings on my Garmin. I have an alarm set for every 10 minutes (1/3 of a bottle), and every 30 minutes I eat and drink (still 1/3 of a bottle). I plan on averaging 20 mph, so that works out perfectly for one bottle an hour, and my feed cycle will start after 10 minutes. I also display power in 3s and lap avg power. I have it autolap every two miles so my lap avg power is dialed in so I can easily monitor not only what I’m doing right now but what I’m averaging over a very small distance – keeping the box I’m racing in as small as possible and helping me focus and make corrections. (Found that tip on the forums somewhere and it is AWESOME!!)
I check my race kit, timing chip, and swim gear. I shower and put on sunblock everywhere but my face, hands, and where I’ll be marked. I lay down and am so thankful for the health and opportunity to do this and to have made it this far. I am truly blessed. I am very confident I will complete the event. I have two double top-secret goals which I feel I can share now:
1. I don’t want to walk the marathon. Every marathon I’ve done, I’ve walked. I don’t count walking an aid station…I plan on doing that to relax, focus, and ensure my fluids get in me and not on me.
2. I want to actually break 12 hours. I told my wife: 1:20 swim, 9:00 T1, 5:45 bike, 9:00 T2, and a 4:30 marathon…that’s an 11:53. That would be so freakin’ sweet.
I’m just going to race every mile as perfectly as I can and as I’ve been trained to do. Holy Crap. This is going down. Tomorrow.
RACE DAY
3:30 am. I awake to my alarm (all 3 of them) and slept like a baby. I drink 2 Ensure chocolate shakes, and nibble half a bagel. I stretch well, cover myself in body glide, and dress.
3:50. I get the wife up, and she’s more excited than I am. Another layer of sunblock. We walk out to the car, and the sky is crystal clear and the stars are SO BRIGHT! It was beautiful. The temp is nice, the breeze is calm…the stage is set.
4:00-4:45. We drive to the Wal Mart parking lot to catch the shuttle for the ½ mile ride to the venue. The windows are cracked, the salty air smells nice, and it was very peaceful to be alone with my wife and to just hold her hand in silence. As I would do all day, I was enjoying the moment I was in and not thinking or worried about what was next. Mindfulness.
IMFL is INCREDIBLY well executed!! The shuttle service was outstanding, the volunteers are amazing…it was SO GREAT!
5:00. My wife and I pick a place to meet and I enter transition. I check that my run and bike bags are in the right place, and head to the bike. I pump up the tires, load up my nutrition, and…damn it…can’t find my speedfill adapter for my aero bar bottle. Damn. I share the news with my buddy EN member Greg Dowd (we were the best men in each other’s weddings by the way) who throws some rubber bands on my bars to secure the smaller bottles offered on the course. My Garmin seemed to want to pick up every power meter but mine, so I had to get away from the crowd and we were finally able to sync and calibrate into a perfect union. The energy is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, but I just focused on what’s next – and that’s going to the bathroom.
6:00. I’m hanging out in the boardwalk café and am strangely calm. I sip my water and look around at these people – everyone has worked so hard for this moment. And it’s finally here.
6:20. One more application of body glide around the wrists ankles and neck (expedite wet suit removal) and on goes the wet suit. I wear a De Soto First Wave 2 piece and LOVE IT. I wash down a gel with water. Lots of pics with the wife and Greg. Greg’s family is somewhere on the beach, and we head out with the thousands of other people to find them. My wife is right behind me. I say goodbye to her several times as the crowd becomes slightly more frantic every passing minute, but she says “Oh no – I will stay with you until they make me leave.” I laugh because that’s what she would say and do when I would prepare to fly out for deployments with the Navy. I’m on the beach. The water looks great. The sky is pink and purple. There are THOUSANDS of caps heading through the swim gate and over the mat to “check in”. We find Greg’s family and take a bunch more photos. It’s 6:45. Pros go off in 5 minutes.
My wife of 18 years, 8 moves, 3 6-8 month Navy deployments, and 4 amazing kids takes my hands, smiles my favorite smile, and says: “Go Mike. Go.” So I went.
6:50. The pros go off and it appears the current is going right to left. I work my way to the right (about 2/3 of the way over) through the mass of people and up to the front. Not only am I hoping to get help from the current, but I’m thinking with the first turn being a left turn, it will be better to close on the buoy from the outside vice be “in the stream” or Lord help you trying to get ouside it from the inside. They let us paddle around a bit, so I burped my wetsuit and the water temp was great. Goggles were snug. All systems go. I climb out of the water and stand next to my best friend of 30 years. I did my first triathlon with him about 5 years ago: 500 yard pool swim, 18 mile bike (which I did on my mountain bike) and a 5k. Here we are standing on the beach at IMFL.
7:00. Someone fires a cannon. I hit my watch. I laugh out loud and scream as I charge. The clock is running.
The Swim
I move efficiently through the breakers (over, under, whatever) which helps me not get run over by swimmers behind me. I find my form quickly and swim hard the first 500 or so yards. The spotting buoys are hit or miss to see due to the waves, but the turn buoy sits out there so I drive at her. I’m getting bumped here or there, but it isn’t so bad. I don’t mind being bumped and hit – but I hate being grabbed. There’s no excuse for that…but I can’t control other people. I can only control me. I imagine everyone who grabs me is giving me all their power, and I suddenly feel much better. There’s a swarm of people inside the turn buoy and they make no attempt to go around it. Another thing I can’t control. That’s not the only privileges I’ll see people take today, but I’m going to race my race. I circle the next turn buoy and drive at the beach. Spotting the left side of the hotel with the rising sun gives me confidence I’m straight as opposed to looking for the buoys, so I swim as efficiently as possible. I have the sensation that I’m REALLY moving, but don’t feel like I’m working excessively hard. I start lining up for the beach and to head out for lap 2. I swim ALL THE WAY in. I think I even got some applause from some folks because I body surfed a huge distance. Literally when I was beached, I stood up. Time check: 30 minutes. Woah! Easy big fella! I power walk on the sand. The crowd is screaming, the music is pumping…it’s a long day, and running in sand in a wet suit isn’t going to do me any favors. I rinse the mouth with a glass of water and try to head over to where the swim start was to try and swim straight out for the next lap, but there were so many people on the beach I followed the herd into the water. I figure anyone here with me is perfect to draft off of…there’s my boy…right there…and I line up behind him and enter the water. I follow him for about 50 yards or so…I think he’s lost and must have really tuckered himself out on lap one, so that was my one and only attempt to draft. I just did 30 minutes by myself. I can do it again…just maybe dial in back a bit. I hit the first turn buoy…the second turn buoy…I feel so strong that it’s crazy. Is it the taper? Is it the crowd? Is it a year of waiting for this moment? Well – I’m enjoying it now! I thought about trying to pee but I didn’t really have to go. I swim in again to beach myself (thanks Coach Patrick!) and feel somewhat bad for the folks walking in a wet suit in waist high water with waves hitting them trying to get to shore.
Official Swim Time: 1:05:22
T1
I rip off the top of my wetsuit stowing my cap and goggles in the sleeve as it comes over my head and hit the showers. I skip the wet suit strippers since the guy in front of me looks like a sugar cookie squirming on the ground while they tend to him, and I don’t think tri shorts full of sand will make for a fun bike ride. I make a point of rinsing all possible chaffing spots very well to get the salt and sand off, and am not afraid to reach into my wetsuit bottoms to ensure I’m well rinsed. The volunteers help me quickly locate my bag and I run into the changing room. Another volunteer grabs my bag and gets out my chamois cream, bike shoes, helmet and glasses, and then leaves to help someone else. I pop off the bottom of my wetsuit, cram my wetsuit into the bag, generously apply some chamois cream, throw that in the bag, strap on my helmet, and charge out the door carrying my shoes and glasses. I get to my bike quickly, and a volunteer has it out of the rack for me waiting. I throw on the shoes, high five the volunteer, and go to mount my bike.
Official T1 Time: 6:14
The Bike
My goal watts for the first 30 minutes was 184 watts. After that it was 194 watts. I mount my bike, and am off. My first glance at my power meter shows 325 watts. Doh! EASY BIG FELLA! I quickly find my groove and start to take on fluids. My stomach is a tad bit unhappy about having some salt water in it, so I take it nice and slow. I start the feed cycle and it’s a little rough. Relax. You’re going to be here a while. I don’t think about the stomach, I think about the “right now.” Right now I’m very comfortable on the bike, I’m relaxed, and my stomach is used to this, so it’ll work itself out.
People are absolutely blowing by me. Like…I’m pedaling backwards. They look so big and strong on their super-duper bikes and their cool sounding disk wheels… MIKE, STOP. You have a plan. You have a goal. Your goal is to race this current mile as efficiently as possible – the perfect balance of putting out the minimal required effort to gain maximum performance which you have practiced for MONTHS now. You are still warming up for your race which starts at mile 18 of the run. Ride this mile as best you can. Ride this mile as best you can. Ride this mile…
Some people have some very distorted views as to what 4 bike lengths is...but here are some tips to know if you’re drafting:
1. You’re laughing at the same joke as a group of other people
2. You can go 20+ mph without pedaling and your back gears are just clicking away
There were literally pelotons out there. But all I can do is race my race.
The stomach gets strong and I’m back at 100%. It’s getting hot, but I’ve been anticipating that by pounding fluids the whole ride. I make 3 pee stops – and don’t really mind as it feels good to stretch. At one, the rack I go to put my bike on collapses and I save another dude’s bike. The volunteers were slow to realize what had happened and help so that cost me some time, but that’s okay.
I blow off the special needs stop. I chalk up a pee stop to “special needs.”
I feel myself getting stronger and stronger on the bike, but focus on staying in my box. I start passing people. LOTS of people. They are swinging in their saddles, working so, so hard…and I cruise right by them. I see the family and they are going BANANAS! My kids are all lined up for high fives and they are SCREAMING for me. So awesome.
I ride to the dismount and hand a volunteer my bike. I pop off the bike shoes and turn around and my run bag is shoved into my chest. I run into the changing room.
Official Bike Time: 5:18:48
T2
Another superhero volunteer helps me in transition. He collects my helmet and bike shoes while I squeeze into my compression socks (dorky, but I swear by them), I throw on the shoes, the belt, grab my salt tablets…I see a bunch of sunblock on a table and I throw on another layer. As I’m leaving the changing room the sunblock volunteers are there so I get one more coat on my back.
Official T2 Time: 5:10
The Run
My legs feel surprisingly good. I try to run my Z1+30 (that’s a 10:30 mile folks) and it’s TOUGH to go that slow. The crowd…the music…the tri clubs mixing cocktails and screaming at you to go for glory…but I settle down. I walk. I stretch. I relax. My run nutrition plan is 2 cups of perform (about 8 oz) every aid station (every mile) and a salt tablet every hour. I’ll permit myself to go to cola after mile 18 – that’s my “reward” for getting there. Once again, people are BLOWING by me. That’s okay. I feel GREAT. I’m happy with where I am, what I’m doing, and am really enjoying myself.
My dream pacing plan was to break the run into 5 chunks with the following goal paces – if I could maintain it: 10:30 first 6 miles (Z1+30), 10:00 next 6 (Z1), 9:30 next 6, (MILE 18!) 9:00 next 6, and hammer 2.2 with a 8:30 (Z2 pace)…that’s roughly a 4:15 marathon. With the inevitable walking I’ve done every marathon, I felt a 4:30 was possible.
I felt strong after the first 6, so came down. Felt strong after that 6, but ran that pace a bit to get halfway through. People are no longer passing me, I’m gaining on some folks, and I know my family is just up ahead. I am running so relaxed and feel so good – I have never been so dialed in before.
There they are. Screaming their heads off and waving signs and swinging cowbells! I can not even begin to describe the emotion of seeing my family…all of the practices and games I’ve missed – all the weekends I took up – all the early bed times and early mornings – so I could have this moment. Right here. Right now. They are SO FIRED UP! I glance down and am ripping an 8:30 mile right now…easy big fella…
I’m 13.1 complete and coming into run special needs. An amazing volunteer (see the trend?) runs next to me with my bag and asks what I want. All I ask for is the gummy bears…oh how I crave their chewy sweet goodness. She then says “Well what about this note?” I smile, she hands me the note, and I move along.
I am now running through a screaming crowd with a bag of gummie bears and trying to read the note. They all wrote on it, and I’m torn because I want to stop to soak in every word, but I didn’t come all this way to read. I came to race. And in less than 5 miles, I am going to absolutely blow this thing wide open. I catch glimpses of “hero” and “love you” and “proud.” The crowd LOVES the fact I’ve got a note and start screaming “He has a note! He has a note!”
I see the family one last time before the finish, hand my wife the note, and am now refocused. I go into a slightly faster gear now…shooting for about 9 minute miles. I am running down people now – and that never happens.
For the first time all day, I take a moment and permit myself to think of the finish. It’s about 4:00 in the afternoon…if I have to walk the next 12 miles – that’s 240 minutes or 4 hours…YES! I am going to be an Ironman! Man, I feel so great right now…is my dream of sub-12 still possible? Let’s see…12 miles to go…if I run a 10 minute mile pace, that’s 2 hours – that’s…that’s…wait…I started at 7…it’s 4…that’s 9 hours. If I do 12 miles each at 10 minutes that’s 2 hours. That’s…that’s…oh my God…that’s ELEVEN.
My body immediately dialed in a 10 minute pace. Not for a moment did I think I couldn’t maintain it. I have no idea how I got here, but I feel GREAT. Enough about eleven…let’s work on finishing this mile.
I get to mile 18. I’m here. I’m strong. I drop to a 9:45 pace. The body is showing signs of fatigue, but some Coke comes to the rescue. I’m going to be steady and strong.
Something very weird then began to happen. I had the sensation of running very fast – because LOTS of people around me were walking, and if they weren’t, they were most likely on their first lap – but my GPS and the clock confirmed my pace. I felt faster because I was running down people, which I feel mentally gave me the strength to keep going. MANY of these people passed me miles ago…speedo guy…little pinkie…the zebra…I had names for all of them. And now they were walking. Heh heh heh.
Mile 23. Holy Cow do my feet hurt. IT bands are feeling tense…hammies are letting me know they’re there…dial it back, Mike. Dial it back. You only need 10 minute miles. Chill dude. Have a coke.
My kid’s school runs a 5K every year to benefit a former student who died of cancer. My kids LOVE that race. They love me to run it with them. That’s all I have to do now. A 5K.
I return to the crowds and it’s getting me fired up. People are really pushing me along. I’m running through the special needs area and see the branch off for “Finish.” I can’t help but smile. I round the bend and see 10:55:30. I also see my family screaming like mad. I wave at them and give everything I have to the finish.
Official Marathon Time: 4:20:24
Official IRONMAN Time: 10:55:58
Dear Reader – If you made it this far, WOW!
I documented this experience for myself to always remember – but choose to share it because Endurance Nation knows what the hell they are doing! If you do what these guys say – if you practice what they teach – if you take advantage of the amazing knowledge of your team members and the forums – you can ABSOLUTELY do this.
Ironman training is a sacrifice, but there’s much to be learned about yourself – especially the way race execution is taught by EN.
The number one thing I learned is mindfulness. I have practiced mindfulness in every workout – what am I doing RIGHT NOW…and have carried it with me in my everyday life. If you begin to pedal mile one and wonder how you’re going to run a marathon in 6 or so hours, you’re race is already over. If you aren’t focused on racing but executing every mile as perfectly as you can, you just might find yourself at mile 14 realizing you’re going to go sub-11 and there’s nothing that’s going to stop you.
KABOOM!
Thank you Team for the experience of a lifetime. There will be another...oh yes...there will be another...
Comments
Mike - Totally agree with your summary: WOW ...KA-BOOOM!
Thanks for providing the blow by blow of your year-long experience and internal conversation during the race. It makes a great motivator for those of us still to run in Tempe next weekend.
Oh, and you might consider sticking with the sport a while; predicting a 1:20/5:45/4:30, and then going 1:05/5:18/4:20, and making it sound EASY ... who knows what a few more years of this might bring?
You might be drafting:
* If you reach for a Gu packet and accidently pull one out of another racer's jersey
* If you sit up to stretch your back and in the process you blow by Mirinda Carfree and shout "Great job, Rinny. Keep it up!"
* If the rain burns and tastes salty