Chaney's IMFL Race Report wrapped with 4 Keys
First, let me thank Coach P and Coach R for putting together such a great program. I joined EN in October 2014 with the goal of completing my first Ironman in October 2015, IMMD. While things don’t always work out as planned, I put my trust in the training plans and that the coaching philosophy would get me there. The result was not only completing something I never thought possible, but doing it with the knowledge, confidence and strength to do it well.
IMFL Results:
Overall: Goal: <13:30 Actual: 13:33 (233 in AG and 1209 OA)</span>
Swim: Goal: 1:25 Actual: 1:43
Bike: Goal: 6:45 Actual: 6:27
Run: Goal: <5:00 Actual: 5:06</span>
Four Keys Line Game: Goal: 100 Actual: 145 (see Run section)
Pee Score: Coach P’s Pee recommendation: 2 on bike. Actual: Swim=2, Bike=4, Run=1, Total=7
Background:
I’d been training for IMMD for a year. My key races in 2015 were IM 70.3 PR (DNS due to death in family), Miami Man – Speedway (half iron, finished 6:06), and NYC Tri (Olympic, finished 2:45). For me, when IMMD was cancelled it was like telling a 5 year old on December 22 that Christmas is cancelled. While it was the right decision, the resulting mental impact was too disheartening to describe. The hardest part was being left in limbo for the next three weeks regarding what my Ironman fate would be for 2015. While I was lucky to get one of the 50 transfer spots for IMFL, it was not without a great deal of additional stress and anxiety. Apparently, WTC had removed me from the “available to transfer list”. They said that since there was another athlete with the same name and in the same age group who raced in IMMD, they mistakenly deleted me from their list. I had all but given up on racing in 2015, and even questioned whether being an Ironman was meant to be. Fortunately, 15 minutes before registration for IMFL opened I tried one last time and was able to get someone from WTC on the phone and received the registration link 2 minutes before registration for the 50 spots opened.
Needless to say, my training suffered somewhat and I probably was not peaking for IMFL like I was for IMMD. The good news was I got to do another race rehearsal and was a bit more confident this time around.
Because of the late registration, the administrative aspect, like travel plans, hotel, rearranging work schedules, etc., was a bit chaotic and not as well planned out as I would have hoped. Also, I did not have time to connect and get to know other IMFL teammates, which I regret. My family and I ended driving 9 hours and arrived on Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, we could not make the team dinner nor Four Keys talk. Although, we were able to do the IronKids run, which was so much fun. My kids, ages 5 and 8, loved it.
Race day:
Woke up at 3:30am and ate a bagel with jam plus 1 cup applesauce. I got into transition, pumped tires and was all set within 15 minutes. It took another 15 minutes to leave as I lent my pump to others around me. The last guy broke off his valve in the pump, then he took the pump apart and lost some of the parts, so I’ll have to re-think whether I bring my pump next time. 30 minutes before the start I had a gel and half bottle of water.
Swim:
Goal: 1:25 Actual: 1:43
Swim was in the Gulf of Mexico with a rolling beach start and 2 loops, where you had to come out of the water after the first loop. Water was unseasonably warm and I think for the first time in IMFL history, wet suits were not legal, and I did not wear one. Also, the current was very strong with some fairly big waves to cross. I started near the end of the non-wet suit swimmers, since I’m not that fast and didn’t want to be too crowded. Starting out I got hit by a wave that practically knocked my HR strap off. I had to readjust and untwist it, as I totally forgot that I was wearing it and didn’t have a wet suit to protect it. After I got out past the waves, I actually thought I had a very good swim. I kept repeating “patience and discipline”, and maintained good form. Also, for the first time in a triathlon I swam fairly straight, even with the strong current. When I got to the beach after loop one, I was surprised that it took 50 minutes. The second loop was more of the same, and even though I knew I was slow, I was actually was enjoying it. My lap 2 time was very similar to lap 1, so at least I was swimming consistently. During training, my best rehearsal time was 1:22 in a 25m pool without doing flip turns. I figured with a wet suit and reasonably calm salt water, I should match and even beat that time. That said, I was very pleased with my swim execution as I was able to maintain form and swim straight, so I didn’t get too upset about the time. Note, I peed twice on the swim (remember not in a wet suit).
T1: 10:04
I took time to make sure I was ready for a long bike by adding plenty of cream and putting on arm coolers. Also, I was hungry and could hear Coach P in my head saying, “If you’re hungry, eat.” So, I had a gel and fig bar. T1 time was slower than I would have liked, and being in the farthest row because of the late registration didn’t help.
Bike:
Goal: 6:45 Actual: 6:27
Starting out on the bike, my HR was not showing up on my bike computer. This was concerning since I wasn’t using a power meter and keeping my HR in line was a key part of my bike execution. I thought during the swim the big wave may have loosened it, so I made sure everything was secure. Also, I unzipped my shirt thinking this might help dry out the monitor if it had something to do with being in the salt water for so long. I even tried resetting the computer several times too. Still, it didn’t work for the entire ride. I had checked it before and it worked, and I checked it the day after the race and it started immediately, so I have no idea what went wrong. Good news is I had a backup plan. I have a Tom Tom multi-sport watch that uses your wrist to measure HR. In the GPS with HR mode the battery life is about 6 hours, so I was saving it for the run. Although, I put it into a HR only mode that would extend the life and I could still use my bike computer for RPM and speed. My goal was to have my HR at 130 for the first 2 hours, then around 130-35 for the next two and 135-140 for the remainder. Overall, think I was pretty close to averaging 135 and the last hour was very close to that too.
As for nutrition, my plan was to drink a bottle of GE every 45 minutes plus one gel. From this standpoint, I executed perfectly, and added 2 fig bars from my special needs bag. The only problem was that I uncharacteristically had to pee basically the whole ride. I ended up stopping 4 times at port-a-potties. Since it was a hot day, a main concern was staying hydrated, so I kept drinking, yet I just couldn’t go on the bike. Maybe that’s something to work on if I’m going for a PR next time, but on the other hand, it sure felt great to get off the bike for a minute or two.
Overall, the roads were is pretty good condition, but there were some decent winds during parts of the course. I felt I did a great job executing my bike plan, and I was happy I could stay aero almost the entire time with breaks every 15-30 minutes.
T2: 6:28
T2 was uneventful. I added plenty of Vaseline to my toes and feet to prevent blisters, but once my shoes got wet during the run, it didn’t help much and by the end of the marathon it was pretty painful. I had dry socks and extra Vaseline in my special needs bag, but when I got there I decided not to use them. Something to consider for next time.
Run:
Goal: <5:00 Actual: 5:06</span>
For the past year, what rings loudest in all of my training is that everything you do is about getting to mile 18 and this is where the race starts. When I got to T2, I was feeling very good about my race and even better about my execution. Thoughts of a 4:30 marathon were going through my head, which would give me an overall time with a 12 handle, which I would have been ecstatic about. However, I had to put those demons out of my head and stick with my plan. I knew if I went by pace instead of HR then I most likely would blow up my entire race by mile 18. Instead I trusted the coaching plan and I stuck with the HR strategy, trying not to look at pace.
Here’s the detail by mile:
Mile HR Pace
1 143 0:10:24
2 143 0:10:32
3 143 0:11:00
4 142 0:11:10
5 141 0:11:17
6 142 0:12:02
7 141 0:11:18
8 141 0:11:34
9 142 0:11:20
10 141 0:11:29
11 139 0:12:20
12 140 0:11:45
13 139 0:11:46
14 138 0:12:25
15 141 0:11:40
16 140 0:12:02
17 139 0:11:50
18 137 0:12:12
19 138 0:12:25
20 141 0:11:52
21 141 0:12:10
22 140 0:11:37
23 138 0:12:55
24 138 0:12:07
25 140 0:11:48
26 141 0:11:30
27 146 0:01:56
For the first 6 miles, my goals were to get my HR under control and make sure my nutrition plan was on track to get me through the entire run. Coming off the bike, it was hot and my HR was about 143 and above my targeted 135 (last hour HR from the bike). I slowed my run to an “all day pace”, walked every aid station and used my plastic Ziploc to put ice under my hat. This helped and it went down a little but not to 135. Given the heat, I figured that was within an acceptable range as to not jeopardize my race plan.
For miles 7-13, my strategy was to go into Robot mode, and “don’t think, just do”. As the sun went down, so did the heat. At the half-way mark, I did a re-evaluation of my nutrition and environment. My legs were still good, my HR was steady, but mentally I was exhausted and just wanted to lie down and sleep. I kept telling myself I had to make it to mile 18 and then see how I felt. In those next 5 miles I was able to keep my HR steady by continuing to walk the aid stations, hydrate and ice. And I still would eat a gel every 45 minutes.
Mile 18, the long awaited Line. Over the last year, so much was made of the Line that I often wondered what would happen once I got to it. Yes, I had my motivational ace in the hole for why I was doing this craziness, but that reason was a bit too personal and I was afraid my emotions would get the best of me and I’d break down anyway. Somehow I came up with a mind game to reward me for executing a good race until mile 18, and then keep my competitive juices running for the rest of the race. The rules were simple: if I followed my race plan and executed a good race up until mile 18, then after mile 18 I would get one point for every person I passed that was walking. If I got 100 points, then not only do I “win”, but I’ve proven that the Four Keys philosophy works so well, you can pass about 5% of the entire field in the last 8 miles.
When mile 18 finally came, nothing happened. There was no wall, and I didn’t collapse. I know it’s not literally at mile 18 where the Line is, but once I got there, I just kept running my race and said “let’s now make it to mile 20”. Also, I started playing my mind game. In the first half mile I must have passed 20 walkers. Even though my run was not the pace to get me a 4:30, it felt good to pass so many people, not because I was a better athlete, but because I executed a better race. Also, my HR was consistent and I knew continuing to execute my plan would get me to the finish line without having to walk outside an aid station. And that’s exactly how I finished the race.
In summary, for the first 18 miles my HR averaged 140.7 and pace averaged 11:34 (including walking aid stations). During the last 8 miles, my HR averaged 139.6 and pace averaged 12:03. While I never hit the “wall”, my Line was a gradual build of pain from mile 13 on. Mile 23 was the worst (and slowest) as the burning in my quads was insane and the blisters on my feet were piercing.
Overall, I finished in 5:06, which was a bit slower than I expected, but I was happy that I didn’t succumb to the pace demons, and didn’t walk outside any aid stations. I realized that if I had tried to keep a faster pace, then my time would have even been slower in the end. And the data proves it. As I reviewed the results, I finished 233 in my age group (40-44), but of the next 25 age groupers to finish, 23 were ahead of me starting the run.
Note, my final mind game score was 145 walkers passed after mile 18, which is testament to the EN coaching philosophy. I’ve now given it a name: The Four Keys Line Game. I know, it’s not great, but maybe you can suggest a better one?
My total time was 13:33. I have to say I was very pleased with how I executed my first Ironman. At times during the bike and run, I’d give a mental pat on the back and say “you’re really executing like a ninja”. Other times, when I was going off plan, I would ask myself, “will this help me get to mile 18?”, which helped put everything in perspective and I’d tone it down.
In summary, the biggest take away from my first Ironman can be summed up in one word: Execution. Coach P & R pound this into our training, but sometimes there are little tri-demons in your head that think they are smarter. As a first year ENer, my advice for new teammates is to trust the coaches, and not second guess their experience and wisdom. That’s a big leap of faith for some, especially in an online setting, but I hope this race report helps convince anyone on the fence.
As a final note, thanks to EN, I’ve already signed up for my second Ironman. I got one of the early entries into IM Vineman that EN was awarded for being Tri-Club Champion. A really nice perk. Thanks EN!
Comments
Thanks Doug. btw, I see you live in Webster. Not sure if you grew up there, but I grew up in Pittsford and graduated from Pittsford Mendon. Although, I think I'm about 10 years older.
Speaking of those temps, running in the low 80s, if you are staying within yourself by following HR guidelines, should result in at least 60 sec/mile slower pace than if running @ 60F. "Road kill" is another term used by folks counting walkers they pass after mile 18.
Overall, you produced a result to be proud of in your first time out.
David,
Congrats on a great first IM and welcome to the club. You'll remember that day forever. Too bad you couldn't arrive earlier and join in on some of the team events, but it looks like you had already soaked in the EN knowledge and applied it on a tough day. Like Al said, if you're looking to hang a 12-something next time, the easy/free time is in transition. You could save 10 minutes there pretty easily. No need to eat inside a tent when you've got all morning on the bike to eat. Peeing on the bike (I went 5-6 times last Saturday) is pretty easy once you figure out your move - whenever I crest a hill, I stand up, put my head low with my hands on the drops). And, if a race has any potential of being hot on the run - Vineman does! - I start going sockless in some of my 3-5 mile runs starting several weeks before the race. Just to toughen my feet. And make sure that your race shoes are made to drain (many are not). My feet were completely soaked much of the run on Saturday, and my feet went unscathed. Blisters, like chafing, is just a nuisance we could all do without on race day.
Congrats again.
Mike
Al and Mike - Thanks for the great advice. I completely agree with everything you suggested. There are plenty of places to improve that are fairly simple to do and will save a decent amount of time. Hope to meet you at a future race.
Jimmy, Yes that's so true about training. I did my first marathon in January 2013, but before training for that race, I had never run more than 5 miles at any given time, even though I played lacrosse through college and afterwards. Also, I purposefully signed up for 2016 before IMFL, so not to give myself an opportunity to talk myself out of it. Turns out, I didn't need to, as I had a fantastic experience. Only wish I had time to meet you and the rest of the IMFL team.