CraigM 2015 IMLT Race Report
I would like to say that I was rested and ready for this race, but sadly I can not. As luck would have it I suffered a bike crash two weeks out from the race that resulted in a slight right shoulder separation, two broken ribs, bruised lung and assorted cuts and bruises usually accompanied by falling on the pavement at 20+ mph. So this race report is more how to prepare for an Ironman race when you are broken and have only two weeks to heal. I started this particular journey by first consulting with my wife, who wisely counseled that I go see a PT and see if they could help and then wait until race morning to determine if I could actually race. The Physical Therapist was very good and used soft tissue mobilization and taping to stabilize the ribs. He also suggested that I not do any more training and rest up for the big day.
On race morning, I woke up at 3:00 had a bowl of blue berries, pumpkin seeds, banana and lots of water. I got to the start in plenty of time by taking the 4:30 bus from Squaw to Kings Beach. I brought plenty of help to get me in my wet suit since doing it solo was out of the question. Temps were cool but not to cold and I was wearing easily four layers of clothes including a stocking hat and gloves. My wife kinda resigned herself that I was going to race at this point and was my biggest supporter. The concession that I made was that I would race to finish, take my time and not shoot for a specific time goal.
Swim: I had decided to swim in my kit, since changing would be VERY slow and painful. My revised plan called for a swim that was slow, controlled and (above all else) free of the usual bumping. I decided to start in 1:20 wave (IMLT used a rolling start). Entry was a walk for me at the edge of the crowd and I entered the water gingerly. My first couple of strokes were very tentative but as the swim wore on I got looser and started to just swim and enjoy the scenery. Lake Tahoe is very clear and you can see things that normally you would not see. I watched the bottom of the lake as it moved under me, then I took note of the swimmers that were around me and noticed that I was swimming past them, not fast but at a steady clip. As I waded ashore I thought "that had to be one of the most enjoyable swims ever". I came in with a 1:08, not bad for swimming mostly one armed and not breathing to good.
T1: Thank goodness for the wet suit strippers. I could not get my right arm out of the wet suit. They were so helpful and very careful as they removed my wet suit. I took my time getting ready and had a very comfortable 15 min transition time. This obviously could be improved upon with being healthy, but under the circumstances I felt that it was good transition.
Bike: Getting on the bike for the first time since the crash was a little unnerving but after 20 minutes I got into the groove of it. The bike course was beautiful. IMLT bike course consists of two loops, the front half is easy and the back half has all the climbing. This allowed me to warm up with out having to push to hard since panting was going to be the worst thing I could do. My revised plan called for a moderate speed to keep my breathing normal and climbing had to be done seated since standing hurt like, well, it was a bit uncomfortable. The smaller climbs leading to Brockway went as planned. Brockway is mostly a long grind with kind of a steep pitch at the very end, so the first loop went as planned. The second time up Brockway did not. I knew it was going to hurt, but I was not prepared for what the real thing felt like. With snot rolling out of my nose, drooling all over myself and sweat stinging my eyes, I cleared Brockway for the second time. From here it was all downhill, or so I thought. I had been out on the bike course now for about 6 hours and the wind had picked up so I had a head wind from King City to Squaw. Oh well, that's racing, but it did take a lot out of me. I finished the bike in 7:02.
T2: Handing my bike to the bike catchers (by the way that is way cool, having never done an IM before) I got my gear bag and made my way to the changing tent, sank into a chair and considered quitting. I hurt all over, even my hair hurt. I decided to put my running shoes on (wow that took a long time) and just begin by walking. Total transition time was 12 min. I think I could improve on this one too.
Run: I decided to walk for a while which turned into about 4 miles before I loosened up enough to begin a slow jog. The jarring from running set the ribs off and each step was accompanied with a stabbing pain. So I decided on a run walk strategy, 3 min run 1 min walk. This worked for about another 10 miles before I had to switch to a 2 min run 1 min walk, which was the cadence I used for the rest of the run. Couple of things I noticed on the run about nutrition, use salt sticks, don't drink gaterade or chicken soup, do drink coke. I finished the run in 6:30.
Conclusion: First I do not recommend breaking your ribs as a race strategy, I am not sure I would attempt an Ironman with broken anything again. Second, I am glad I did it. As it turns out this is the last year IMLT will be run so completing my first IM in my home state in the most breathtaking scenery I can imagine in front of my family is going to remain very special to me. My finishing time was 15:03 and I was 12th in my AG. Not bad for a newbie. I did learn a lot. Mostly that the EN way does in fact prepare you, and your success is directly proportional to the amount of work that you put in. Thanks RnP for preparing me so well that even with adversity, I could still finish my first IM.
Thanks for reading and good luck in all your upcoming races. By for now. I am off of training for the next six weeks and then it will be a slow climb back into the saddle. I am not done with the whole IM thing and curious to see what I can do without broken ribs.
Comments
Wow. I just checked my Merriam Webster's dictionary, and next to the entry for "hard-ass" there was your picture.
Any future IM will literally be a walk in the park. Except for the swim, which will never be as pleasant as what you just did.
Congrats and I hope to see you and your family at another race soon!
Thanks Coach. You and Patrick have a lot to do with this. Your coaching works and I could not have done without you guys. I plan on racing next year, but shorter races while I heal. The shoulder is worse than originally thought and the ribs will take a while to come to full strength. After that some more IMs are in my future. For some very odd reason, I kind a like this sport.