Tim Cronk 2015 IMAZ DNF Race Report
Before I delve into my day, I wanna give a big shout out to my Heather... Many of you know her thru EN already... She is the secret weapon to ALL of my success , not just my racing... While I did not have the day I was looking for, she had an amazing day PR'ing everything , and I was there to watch it all unfold... So proud and so happy for her... We don't talk targets , just execution. This is what I secretly sent to a local triathlete friend of mine for her estimates.
run - 5:20 vs. 5:24:13 oh so close but a 6 minute PR
Total was 13:33:04 for a 11 minute PR over IMCHOO (which I am not counting in the swim category since the downriver swim was 56min)...Think about that for a second, not only making up the 27 minute slower swim in IMAZ over IMCHOO to still be 11 minutes faster overall on the day... On top of that , this was her 5th IM so it wasn't one of those easy PR's over the 1st or 2nd one.... She clearly does well in cold/tough conditions.... Best of all was her AG rank of 20th vs. best of 39th , Coming out of the water 26th , moving up to 21st on the bike, and taking 1 more position on the run....
Here's the Race Plan. http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/20027/Default.aspx
The week and plan went exactly as expected. I showed lean , mean , EN racing machine , and ready to go... My only concern was staying warm...
Swim- goal was 1:04 - actual 1:03:30 ... water was 63 degrees and air was 57 to start... I liked the rolling start quite a bit as this allowed me to stay as warm as possible for as long as I could.... I wore an extra throw away jacket with hand warmers in the pockets and throw away socks and shoes right up until lining up, at that point I even kept the socks on until they started the AG'ers... It took me a while to fight my way up to right behind the sub 1hr starters... They launched us at 6:50 and I musta been in the water in the first couple minutes... There was 5-6 stairways down to the water with railings on both sides, very easy to walk down , take one step into the water and dive in without losing googles, etc...I had done the practice swim on Saturday to see if there was a shock/hyperventilating effect for me... NONE... I had a very clean and pretty fast swim... Compared to the beating I took in KONA this was a piece of cake... However those further back reported lots of contact and rough swim.... The cold water took its toll and I could feel my body core temp getting lower thru the swim... Legs felt weird almost on the verge of cramping, probably my body routing the blood to my core for survival...
T1- goal was 4 min - actual was 4:55... considering I added my Castelli KONA race shirt to be put on over my tri-suit, arm warmers, gloves, and the removal of hand warmers inside my shoes, this was a very acceptable time to only be 55 seconds slower... I even dropped gloves/arm warmers a couple times....
Bike- goal was 5:04 with watts 172-175- actual was 75 miles in 3:26 on 167 watts.... This was right on target for my 5:04 estimate and I hadn't even got up to the target watts... I shivered uncontrollably for 1-1.5hrs on the bike... I felt this most of all in my neck muscles... Originally I was concerned about biking too hard initially (as I have a tendency to do to stay warm)... My legs took about 15 miles to come around and I finally started to feel good... I was warm enough, putting out intended power, nutritionally solid, and mentally strong... Ah , I knew I was gonna struggle with temps to this point but NOW I can RACE....When I saw Heather for the first time I did the math and she was around 16 miles behind me... Whaaaa wow good swim and bike so far... I did this math each time I saw her and I was only gaining 2-4 miles each time... I already knew I would hit my 5ish hr bike split and she would be 6.5hrs... I started to feel my back a bit at mile 40ish... Lower left muscles... This was not really unusual we all get stiff/sore back muscles sometimes in aero position ...I Never felt it swimming or shivering.. I have had many back issues most on the right side (herniated disc)... The muscle continually got tighter until around mile 60 it really started to become a factor... I started sitting up more, stretching, stand to pedal, did a lot of coasting for my first PEE right after mile 56 ... By the end of the first loop I was having a hard time staying aero... I started out on the 3rd loop and waited until I got out of all the people and pulled over, got off the bike for a minute, then rode a few more minutes, got off the bike for another minute.... It actually got worse stiffening up quite a bit... I could barely get off the bike, and then I could barely walk... Well I guess that does it....I called it a day and flipped it shortly after this... Stopping before the timing matt to announce my DNF and turn in the chip... Between KONA and IMAZ I really focussed on Quality and AERO, the back was solid in prep , my last 2 long rides were a couple of my strongest for the year and 100% AERO coming in at 112 miles in 4:58 at 175watts and 56 miles in 2:25 on 184watts... So the 167 watts I was riding was feeling pretty easy..
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/958040085
The Aftermath- I had a very hard time just walking around for about an hour, I picked up my clothes , changed, went to the car, warmed up and took 2 advil.... Checked in with Mariah and sent emails to family... 2hrs later I was feeling pretty good again...So it appears no damage was done and I'm feeling really good this AM with only a tiny bit of stiffness/soreness...
Coulda , shoulda, woulda's- I don't believe in these... It is what it is... We don't get the do over until next time... We can only look at how it went down and try to learn something from it... While I "was" really having a great day and everything was falling right where I expected (this falls under coulda,shoulda,woulda) My biggest disappointment on the day was not being able to run, specially after not being able to run in KONA... I didnt want to swim/bike in those conditions/temps but I did want to run in them...
What did I learn? - well I wish I knew... I re-confirmed I don't like to be cold.... I believe the biggest factor in my back muscle was the cold...Right after I called it a day it started to rain and it rained all day long with temps in the low 60's... Many were not prepared for this and hypothermia was quite prevalent. I did feel I prepped for the bike well but feel if I had got to run I may have suffered...I should have had a jacket in T2 and or SN.... Always prepare for the worst and hope for the best...I had a tooth ache last week to the point I had to go to the dentist at the last minute , sure enough a cracked tooth, but the nerve was just reaching its peak before dying , so was a non issue on race day... I have the root canal scheduled for this week... I'm very anti- advil when racing and I find Tylenol absolutely useless... But... Ironically I had put some advil in my run stuff just incase my tooth issue flared up again, but for some unknown reason I never put any on the bike... This may have saved me?....
Going forward... recovery will be easy... in a nutshell go easy and get fat .....planning 2 weeks OFF/ZERO running before starting a 10 week run focus and ending with a 50k ultra in Febuary... Some easy road bike riding this week ,Tour of Tucson next weekend... After that 2 weeks OFF/ZERO cycling/swimming... I really wanna drop my PMC ATL/CTL numbers as low as I can in 2-4 weeks.... Will do a thread outlining plans and goals for 2016 later....
Comments
Hey Tim, so sorry your day ended up the way it did! As you know, I'm the same as you with the cold and wouldn't be at all surprised if that was a factor with your back. I've had similar issues happen (usually back related) in cold damp weather. Also in my opinion Advil wouldn't have helped at all. Sounds like time to rest the body! Anyway, HUGE congrats to Heather for her amazing day!! Best to you both!
Bummer, but glad you're OK, glad you didn't put too many eggs in this basket, and glad you got to cheer on Heather. Please tell her congrats for me on the great PR. You know I think the world of you, but Heather's in a different league of awesomeness. You marrying so far above your head is a mystery only Ric Ocasek and Billy Joel can appreciate. But I digress . . .
That swim can be mean cold. I wore two swim caps and a full, but still came out of the water completely numb. When I got to the top of the hill to turn around, I was shaking uncontrollably and still couldn't feel my feet. Decided to get off, jump in a porto and try to warm up. Took a few minutes, but the bio heating actually worked. Probably saved my day. And we were definitely not low 60's and raining.
You're definitely due a day of good IM weather. I may have to sign up for MD just to leech off your overdue good luck.
This is 2 years that IMAZ has had bad weather. I wonder if I will continue selling out in seconds. Last year we had the brutal headwinds outbound on the Beeline. There is nothing more demoralizing than riding on a flat in aero going 12MPH. It also cooled down on the run. I didn't notice how cold I was until I stopped running at the finish and then shivered uncontrollably. I had to take a scalding hot shower and turn the thermostat up to 80F back at the hotel to warm up.
Sorry the day didn't work out for you time - really good decision to take care of yourself. We do this for fun :-) Big time kudos and congrats for Heather!
For the file of things to think about next time it is cold, here are a couple of tricks that got me through Tahoe 2013
- I put a insulated container of warm chicken broth in my T1 bag. I took the time to drink this down before getting on the bike; I learned form skiing that when I get the core warm, everything else follows. It is a good trick for cold races.
- During my morning setup, I put hand warmers in my gloves and in my shoes. Actually in my shoes and under the toe caps. That way they are all toasty when I put my feet in them, and I can pull them out from under the toe caps to discard later in the ride.
The thermos of warm broth can make the difference between adjusting and not adjusting to a cold day.
I hope you continue to feel better. You have had an enormous season - congratulations and enjoy the recovery!
Tim, sorry about the back...but you will be back at it soon I'm sure! Congratulations to Heather...I also PR'd on that course under the tutelage of EN! Great feeling. Take care of yourself.
ok...now I will read the rest of your report!
Tim, You are amazing. I am so impressed with your ability to see the race before you and make the very tough choice. I Love that you put Heather first. It was great meeting her this summer and frankly I am not at all surprised with her race. She is a very powerful person. Thank you for all the help you have given me this year.
sorry to read this, but Im sure that you took the good decision considering all your experience, you know the game and when to call it a day.
Now, go get fat !
Tim, big congrats to Heather! That's a very solid PR in challenging conditions, not to mention 20th in AG is totally legit! Sorry to hear about your race, but you're 100% right in the shoulda, coulda, woulda, department - unfortunately I too have learned this lesson the hard way. At the end of the day there is no doubt in my mind you will learn from this and add a few more weapons to your arsenal. The big thing i see from the various reports i have read is to always be prepared for the worst possible conditions on race day. Get some rest and enjoy some well earned downtime. Looking forward to watching you reload for 2016!
Seriously, I'm glad you're OK. It was great that Mariah posted that you were OK and back on the course to cheer everyone else on. Rest up. It's a good time to get fat. Congrats to Heather and her awesome PR. You may have to pick her brain about racing in cold weather.
rest up...
"There is an opportunity in every situation, whether or not you find it is up to you................" Words my dad drilled into me from a very young age I can still hear and am reminded of in this event you shared with us.
Please tell Heather I said, "Damn! fine work and congratulations!"
Sorry about your day and the events that unfolded with the cold bro. As you can see from the replies below, very inspirational they way you led from the front and re-directed your focus toward Heather. Sign of great strength.
Keep leading, as always!
SS
Wicked Smart call Tim!!!! after all, it´s just a game .... and it´s for the long run .... enjoy your "go easy and get fat" weeks and have a wonderful 2016!!!
Tim...Big congrats to Heather on an amazing day & performance by her. That is a monster PR!!! Please give her my best, and a big hug too.
And a smart call by you. No sense in risking a serious, permanent injury. My bet is on the cold being the factor that cased the muscle strain. There is always another day, another race. I have no doubt that you'll be back next year as fast as ever. I'm looking forward to that day, and cheering for you. Rest up and enjoy time taking it EZ. Thanks for sharing all you wisdom and experience with the team.
Well, as they say down your way, "Quién sabe, Kemo Sabe". I assume you had made no changes to equipment or fit between Kona and AZ? I guess your experiences belie the old adage, "You can never be too rich or too thin."
Really, 6 IMs in 18 months or so eats away at all the fat reserves, and all that acclimatizing for Kona the past few years may also modify your peripheral circulation. Like Steve Swanlund notes above, us Pac NWers are mudders - I too have done very well on cold and rainy days, but you've seen what hot 'n humid does to me.
I'll note that I am ENer # 25 to comment on your report - a sign of the vaunted status you have achieved here. Keep smiling' and big congrats to Heather.
Only race I've ever dnf'd was imcda2009, and that was due to hypothermia. My body hasn't been the same since!
@Rich- great suggestions- I used the hand warmers in the shoes this past weekend and then put them in the toe covers before starting, I also used hand warmers in pockets and them moved them to the lower back pockets in the Castelli kit before starting, NO back issues, forgot to mention but at IMAZ I used a bottle hot water inside my jack up to the start and then used it to rinse/spit in goggles.
@Steve- yeah IMMD could be cold but it used to be know for heat when it was late in Sept. so it could go either way... I will be ready and training in NH thru Sept will help... Just have to get to the 1st to 2nd hr of the bike without back issues and I'll be good to go, as long as its not raining :-)
@Mariah- Was fun hanging out and chatting ... Thanks!
@Al- Vaunted status huh? Well just trying to pay it forward , even if I only give back 50% of what I have taken from you I will consider that a success... Yes I was very lean for IMAZ 2-3 lbs below KONA race weight ,and I know that could have cost me, but I'm into risk reward, if I had to do it over again I would show up at the exact same weight, because the reward on that run would have been awesome. I can't do the coulda, shoulda, woulda thing so I own the outcome... The hand warmers in the lower back worked great this weekend.
Some more thoughts- Like Steve mentioned we definitely learn more from mistakes and failures than we ever will from success ... This is true in all aspects of our lives.... I fail a lot, own it, and move forward... I will do IMAZ again since I live in Tucson 6months a year, maybe 2017... Things I will add to my cold weather racing going forward, hand warmers in shoes(removed in T1) and in toe covers, hand warmers already in back pockets of T1 shirt, since I just partially ruined my Castelli KONA top I may have Heather stitch into the liner a vest for future use to give me a warmer option but keeping a fast transition, at some point I will pick up a DeSoto Wetsuit as it is thicker and know for being warmer vs. my ROKA which I absolutely love and have never been faster in but is cold...
The AZ course- again I really liked the swim start, lots of people did not.... I was also very surprised at the bike course finding it very easy to ride clean on the first lap , very clean on the second lap , however the third lap would have been crowded as I was starting to catch the BOP from the swim... Its a bike course that does require your full attention though! The layout, ease of access, and lots of local hotels make this a great race... The odds are still good for a pretty warm day just a chilly start and cold water!
yes was happy to see heather have a good day.
did many folks do a swim warmup ? easy to do if I want to next year ? I don't do well just jumping in without getting used to the water.
don't enjoy the extremes of temps myself. if Canada is cold again next year I will be wearing a down parka.
have a good rest. have a good Arizona winter sojourn.
Tim-late to respond but I have been working on my report all week! It was great to see you and Heather here. Congrats to her and sorry for your back troubles. But, IMLP win and Kona, its been a great and long year! And I hate cold too, whine a lot about it in my report. Look forward to seeing you next year!