SS 2015 IMLP RR
Swim Goal: 1:16 - 1:19 Actual: 1:19
Bike Goal: 5:45 - 5:50 Actual 5:48
Run Goal: 4:20 Actual 4:47
Total Actual Race Time: 12:05
Other stats: Exiting swim I was ranked 1,136 overall. A 1.07 V.I. and 290 TSS got me passed 842 people during the bike leg (114 of them were in my AG). Exiting the bike I was ranked 50 out of 412 in my age group. Cramps on the run lost me 7 places and I finished 57/412 or 14% in AG.
Details:
Lined up with Croucher and Cronk near the swim start. Great to see the race face of those guys and make my last mental preparations just before the big party started.
Swim was somewhat easy. I tried to swim close to the cable but had to fight too many people so I sat off to the side about 10 yards. I was zig sagging somewhat which caused my time to be in the upper estimated range. Got kicked once pretty hard in the forehead but shook that off.
T1 - strippers did a great job, no issues, ran to bag and through tent handing my wetsuit to a volunteer. Put my helment on as a I ran to the bike, shoes and I was off on my way. 6+ minutes.
Bike: A somewhat technical course for this TX boy. I focused on my numbers like a Gerbil on crack never really taking my eyes off of the scrolling 910XT sitting on top of my speed fill.
I came upon Ed Croucher just getting it done on the bike and rode with him for a while. Gave me a boost of energy during that period that was much needed. I also saw several other EN members out there looking very focused, disciplined and in the EN ninja trance! Other than the EN kit they were wearing you could tell they were all business, aero, steady, strong, passing other competitors!
I made a mistake on the bike. I should have drank 3 bottles that first hour and 2 every hour thereafter. I drank only 1 - 1.5 bottles / hour on average and that caused problems for me on the run leg when temps began to rise. Focusing too much on the technical and not balancing it by ensuring the nutrition is met will be a reminder for me as IMFL approaches later this year. I peed only once in the first hour of the bike.
T2 - 4+ minutes - grabbed my watch, put on my shoes and off I went with my GO bag.
Run: My longest IM run to date.
Miles 1-6 I focused on pace and HR not allowing HR to exceed 140 (where I exited on the bike). I followed Coach Ps passing advice on the way out and ate an entire banana walking through aid station at mile one. About mile 2ish, I had my first hamstring cramp, first in right leg then in left leg. Felt like the muscle was being pulled off of the bone.....not fun.....Stopped, bent over slowly waited for it to pass, then got things going again.......everytime I would get going again for about 2-3 miles, one or both legs would lock up and this kept happening through about mile 24 on flats and down hills but not on the up hills.
I walked each aid station trying to catch up on salt, Gatorade, water, ice, etc......I had made the mistake on the bike and with the rising temps I could not catch it up at that point so I made up my mind to deal with it.
I saw Bill, Ed, Teri, Tim, Patricia, Mike, Don, Neil, John, Steve and others. Some more than once and each time took from their forward motion, mojo, hard work and leadership to hold it together.
Saw Doug Johnson each time coming up the hill. Huge strength so much so that I ran every one of those hills without walking, albeit slow.
Teri C. yelled out to me on each loop of the run, she was just "Getting it Done" during her second loop!
Tim C. looked like the KQ he is yelling out to me on his was home.
Al Truscott was all professional and managing the challenge at hand like the veteran he has become both times I saw him on the run.
Our incredible support crew was like a shot of lightning instilling staying power and adrenaline each time I passed.
Just a great race despite the frustrating limitations caused by the cramping.
I crossed the finish line with 12:05 on the clock. Legs not able to stick around and hold up for remaining EN finishers.
I am learning the hard way, that racing in and of itself contributes to your getting faster. I do well with training, but relatively speaking, have less experience actually racing. Hoping that improves more along the way.......
I had one of my greatest IM experiences at LP. The coaching, leadership, team attitude/support, venue, and perfect day for an IM race made it what it was.
Moving forward to IMFL ....................
SS
Comments
Thank you very much for your help and support, setting a great example of hard work and when it gets tough to KMF.
KMF! KMF! KMF!
Shaughn...great report and race. How many IM have you finished now? Sure missed having you around in the forums and race weekend. You've always been so encouraging to me and so many others. Get those fluids in next time and you will have the run I know you have in you. Congratulations! JL
Shaughn, Great race report & great Race! This is the 3 year for me racing here and it is the third different course. Although the route was the same each year. IMLP seems to pull a little something special for those who come to race. Your bike was rocking. I tried to keep you in sight, but that was not possible. You looked so smooth and strong. I can't tell you how much motivation you gave me. When I finally made it to the run, all I was thinking about was trying to see you. When you were headed back up Riverside drive and I was still headed out, I think I turned my fastest mile. I know you were struggling with the leg cramps, but when I saw you your running was strong. KMF and we will talk soon.
Ed
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring
You truly are a leader and I am ever grateful for all you have done, leading from the front. For your time, effort and support you have shown to all of us!
Congrats on your perseverance thru cramping issues and strong finish. I never would have guess it was so bad when I saw you running. Amazing job getting it done. As always you continue to demonstrate what is possible when you KMF!
All of you guys are amazing and very gracious! Always leading in my view in many different ways. Every event/training cycle I go through I am grateful, motivated and inspired. Very lucky to have such special friends with which to surround myself.
Some of you mentioned seeing me running well in the below posts. Every time I got it going again after the cramps, I was trying to hold on and make up for the time lost during the cramp(s). Also, there was no way I was going to distract another team member with my issues during a race.
@Jeff, this was IM #5 and IMFL will be #6.
@John, recovery was slow Mon-Tues. Still could not get down the steps well so I broke down and got an 80 minute massage yesterday - was painful but really helped. Walking normal today and was able to get out and do a walk/jog for about 40 mins. During the jogs I could feel the deep fatigue in the muscles. How about u?
@Tim, We all owe you our thankyou(s). No one else shows us better each cycle how to get it done and then back it up each race with winning performances. That is the purest form of Leadership I know!
SS
SS - Man, I was so excited to see you race and you did not disappoint. I know the run didn't go how you wanted but every time I saw you, you looked so much better than all the people around you and were moving right along. That goes to show how tough you really are. You are one of the best leaders on the team in the forums, Strava and training. You really showed your leadership on the race course Sunday by managing those cramps and pushing through. Thank you for always leading and being such a great teammate. I think IMFL will be a special race for you!
You didn't mention much about your hot bike! How did you like riding that thing? Would you go the rental route again? Do you think that impacted your speed on the bike course or the cramps that showed up on the run?
@Doug, thanks for your post and friendship! As I have said, you have great talent and I really admire the way you Lead with it. That will come back to you in a very strong/beneficial way come race time!
I love the bike rental. I don't recommend renting a bike for a race just because it is so risky given bike fit and no past experience riding a new bike. In my case, I think I got lucky and actually had a really good fit. The bike was lighter and I felt that primarily on the ascents moving what seemed to be much easier up the hills and seemingly a better power transfer to the back wheel from the cranks than my old dinosaur. I think the bike improved my time overall and I cannot attribute the cramps to the new bike necessarily. I know I did not hydrate sufficiently which is the primary cause IMO......
Looking forward to following your IM build and riding that mojo train for the second half of this year!
SS
Thanks for the great RR. Sorry so slow to chime in - still living out of a suitcase. I can't wait to start our IMF build n a few weeks. It's a big-watts course, so you'll blow up that bike course, even with your 27lb Litespeed. Gotta spend lots of time in aero in training, also lots of time stretching the back, hips and hamstrings. I personally love the course - single bike loop, 2x out-back run where you get to see lots of teammates and different neighborhoods/park. If the weather cooperates, it should be your first sub-5 bike. I'm still very greatful that you generously spot me 20 min on the swim - just to give me an outside chance.
MR
I think our tri lives parallel in alternate universes. I say that based on one summary from your report....I have never, ever, raced up to the training I pulled off. Call it nutrition, overcooking it, bad weather, whatever, I'm still looking for that day. But, here's what I've come to realize....it's not up to the race gods to drop a good one into my lap, it's up to me to continue to train hard, tweak some things, and execute on any given race day to the best that the terrain/climate have to offer.
I'll be pulling for ya huge in your attempt to chew up and spit out IMFL.
Recover well and recharge. Plenty of time to PCB. The way you train FSA, make sure you're ready for the next push.
@JW - completely agree with you on the hydration/nutrition....I'm gonna kick my own ass if that doesn't get fixed for IMFL. Admire very much your humor, strength and leadership here in the haus........looking forward to meeting up at a future IM down the road.
@MR - can't tell you how much I look forward to going into battle with you come IMFL.......gonna need your expertise, mojo and leadership to get that one done right!
@Chris - thx man! You're putting up some strong medicine on the Strava boards lately! Keep Leading!
"I do well with training, but relatively speaking, have less experience actually racing. Hoping that improves more along the way......."
Yeah; there really is no way in training to replicate the double whammy of a non-stop bike followed by a marathon, especially when the air temps rocket up while you're finishing the bike and then trying to run. I suspect you ave entered the sweet spot now, where race day will become more second nature, and you will need to rely less and less of following rules, and more and more on following your experience (what some might call instinct).
Cramps on the run are very hard to diagnose. Maybe it was not enough fluids early in the bike. Maybe it was working a little too hard going up dozens of small rises. Maybe it was a bike position thing, or possibly not enough stretching while biking. I certainly don;'t have an answer, just a caution not to assume one. Although if you only pee'd once, during the first hour of the bike, that speaks to relative dehydration as a major issue. But, just like fitness, all cramping is in the muscles...
Before Texas I was having trouble with my pedals... so I changed from Speed Play Zeros back to the Shimano I used to use.. about a month before the race. It didn't really feel all that different... but I would get a little soreness in my knee... and some tenderness in one of my hamstrings after the long stuff. I did TX without incident, but had pain in my knee when I worked out for a month after the race. Such a small positional change had really big effects. I'm betting that you using that rental bike with its different position had to at least contribute to that cramping.
either way... Great job! Now get working toward Florida!
SS - Great race and great race report! You have no idea the impact your leadership has had on your teammates, myself included. As others have stated i think IMFL will suit your strengths very well. As for cramps, google "it's the nerve". I hooked up with these guys a couple months ago and they were in the expo at IM Boulder. They hypothesize that muscle cramping is caused by some sort of erratic firing of nerves going to the muscles. They have this drink that contains cinnamon, capsayisin, and a few other ingredients. It's awful, but for someone like me who is prone to muscle cramps, it has helped. No cramps since taking it, but that being said, i think you need to cover basics as well like being hydrated and having taken appropriate levels of salt/electrolytes. For me, that wasn't always enough and that's where the "it's the nerve" stuff has helped to supplement. Good luck as you approach your build for IMFL! Will enjoy following!
Every morning like clockwork you are posting on Strava, getting the work done, doling out huge doses of kick ass KMF. You are a master engine builder, and each RR I read, you are becoming a more experienced driver. Sorry about the cramps, but each race offers lessons to be learned. I am super confident that once you crack the code on this issue, there is a smack down brewing in Panama City for you soon.
Keep on the gas, and keep leading from the front.
Ian
Thanks again guys. Really a great team with special people and genuine comments. Hard to find that.
@ Danielle, the bike I rented was so much nicer and lighter than my 13 year old Lite Speed Saber, I loved it. It is risky to rent a bike for a race which you have not used in your training leading up to the race as the fit will most certainly be different and could cause issues. I am glad I did it however.
SS