2018 IM Texas - Roll Call - T-minus 6 month check in
Yes, your legs are sore; you have blisters and rashes in places that only a post race shower can discover; and your statement of “I’m never doing another one of these again” are all becoming a distant memory.Don’t act like you’re not thinking about it. Who’s in for 2018?
And for those of you lurking at home...and were inspired by your teammates...did you pull the trigger?!
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There are a couple of reasons I really like this course.
1. It fits my lifestyle schedule. I'm currently a stay-at-home dad so life revolves around the school year. Summer is a little unpredictable and it's hard to follow a training plan. My fitness almost always drops. When school starts up I settle into a routine that gets me back into shape by Thanksgiving or so, then an EN style "out season" work through the end of January and then an IM plan to get me to race day in the spring. I've done every North American spring/early summer IM I think. IM CdA a couple of times, Arizona years ago, Lake Placid, St. George and Texas.
2. The swim is fairly comfortable for me. I'm a poor swimmer and always hated the mass starts. CdA was cold and choppy and I've had panic attacks there. New rules have helped a lot, but in Texas, I've always swum a little closer to shore and never had issues.
3. It's pretty spectator friendly. My family comes every year and watching IM events can make for an incredibly long day. Typically the family walks to the swim start with me, watches the start from the bridge, walks back to T1 and then when I ride away they have time to get breakfast and settle in. The 3 loop run course allows them to see me 6 times (on either side of the canal). We stay downtown so they have access to the hotel all day. They are getting tired of the course though!
4. It's an IM friendly downtown. I've always liked the CdA and Lake Placid towns that really welcome athletes. The Woodlands isn't a Lake Placid, but it's pretty good. Lots to do, a variety of restaurants, nice walking areas. Friendly people.
5. Nice hotels. My wife has traveled a lot for business in her lifetime and staying at a Motel 6 is out of the question. There are a couple of nice places right at the finish line that we have stayed at. Pool for the kids.
6. It's easy to get to. Southwest flies into Hobby airport and rates are reasonable. I'd love to do an international IM but logistics and cost for a family are a huge factor.
7. The course suits my skills relative to other athletes. Not 100% sure why I do so well in Texas compared to other venues, but when you qualify 2X for Kona, it becomes a favorite.
8. Lots of slots. In the past, there have been 75 Kona slots. Next year they are offering 80. When you get older like me, the slots in your age group drop dramatically. I expect three spots next year. With a race offering 40 slots, only the AG #1 would go. There are a lot of fast people in my group and they show up every year. They don't always win, but they are contenders.
9. I think I can do well again next year after this year's DNF. I'm fairly certain that this year was a nutrition issue. I've started working with the dieticians at The Core Diet. They have done some EN webinars and caught my attention. They are 100% convinced I was massively dehydrated and didn't practice the race fueling enough. There is always more to learn in this game!
10. I don't mind routine. I'm perfectly OK to ride in the garage on my trainer for hours at a time, run on a treadmill forever, bike and run the same few courses around town. Most people crave more variety and the thought of doing the same long run course every week for a few months in a row would drive them off the deep end. Me, not so much! I don't race that much (typically 1 IM, 1 half, 1 half marathon and a 5K or 10K or two) in a given year, so I'm looking for a race that I will do well in.
Anyway, all good fun. It keeps me healthy but I don't take it too seriously!
I'm a weak swimmer. I've worked for years on my technique and have tried all kinds of things. As someone who learned to swim in their 40s, I'll probably never swim a 1 hour IM. I've not given up on the goal, but it's a hard one to get over. So, I shy away from difficult swims; rough, choppy water, really cold water, mass start or aggressive pack type swimming - that sort of stuff still bothers me.
Biking. I'm really good at going straight on a flat course. I'm pretty darn good at going uphill. I'm a huge chicken going down hill. I ride indoors a lot, or if outside, by myself or with one other person almost all the time, resulting in very poor bike handling skills. I don't turn, descend, or pack ride well because I never practice. I avoid races with long descents. I get pretty nervous over 30/35 miles per hour on descents. I had a friend do Whistler and he told me that he hit 60 mph on the descent. I would have done that at 30 mph, giving up 20/30+ minutes of the race which I could never make up (having a slow swim already).
Running. I seem to be a pretty good runner on flats and hills so I don't pick courses based on the run venue. I do like multiple loops where you get to see spectators on a regular basis.
Heat. I don't seem to mind the heat and have done well relative to others in the hot and humid conditions. I've done a couple of really hot Texas courses and the one year it was about 100 in CdA, without an issue. I do hate the cold weather though. I did HITS Napa Half IM this year. Near freezing at the start. Below 40 and raining for most of the bike. I couldn't feel fingers or toes at the end of the bike. I was shaking uncontrollably and just gave up in T2. Last year I won my AG. This year one of my teammates was feeling the same way as I was, but he sat in his car to warm up in T2 for 45 minutes then headed out on the run. He won his AG in 7:15. I still hate the cold