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Mark S IMWIS report

Race Report:

Super short version: Not my best Ironman from the clocks perspective. Execution wise this was this was by far the best, as it should be on your 6th attempt.

 

Swim: Estimated time: 1:18-1:20 – Actual 1:27:xx

The new swim start was fantastic. No bumping or punching, no wrestling match or rugby scrum, just swimming. This was by far my best Ironman swim. I was calm & relaxed the entire swim while focusing only on sighting buoys & keeping good form. As a slower swimmer I’m not used to passing people so when I caught up to the wave of pink caps that started five minutes ahead of me I was pumped.  Took a quick I look at my watch as I exited the water, 1:27 WTF. After discussing with several people it seems like everyone was slow which leaves me wondering if the course was somewhat long.

T1: Goal time 7:00 – Actual 8:02

Smooth & uneventful.

 

Bike: Goal time 5:35, VI: 1.05 or less. – Actual 5:50:xx (Moving time: 5:45:xx) VI: 1.04


The goal time stated in my race plan was 5:35 which was assuming a more aggressive ride. After thinking about it more carefully I made the decision to be somewhat conservative and ride my “should” ride. The five minute difference between race time & moving time was for three port-a-jon stops along with stretching out my back, more on that later.

Bike execution was perfect. The lowest VI (1.04) for any of my Ironman bike splits.  Power numbers were spot on per plan.

At about mile 75 my Garmin notified me that the power meter battery was low. At mile 80 I started to notice some spikes in power, like 1500 watts. The battery was indeed weak so I switched my focus from power to HR and never missed a beat. In hindsight the switch to HR in the last 30 miles worked well as it kept me focused. Note to self, use this trick in your next Ironman.

 

T2: Goal time 3:00 – Actual 3:30

When I got off of the bike my back was stiff. This isn’t unusual after a five hour plus bike ride so I didn’t think much of it and just kept moving per plan. Socks & shoes on, grabbed my go bag & was out the door.

 

Run: Goal time 3:59 – Actual 5:11:xx

Wow 5:11, worst Ironman run ever (except for 2015 Coeur d’Alene with 105 degree heat).


 

The chart above explains it clearly. After running the first mile I walked for most of the next six. If you think it’s hard to walk the last six miles of an Ironman, try walking the first six. Almost as soon as I exited transition I had pain in my leg and lower back. By mile two my run had been reduced to a slow walk.

The short version is that back in early August I had injured my hip while on one of the Saturday long rides. During most of the training rides leading up to the race I was able to take several breaks during the day to relax & stretch things out. On race day this wasn’t possible.

So, I was walking, and walking, and walking…it seemed like forever. It was only mile three and I was mentally out of the game.

One by one my EN team mates along with other people I knew ran past me as I walked along. On Observatory Drive hill another friend stopped to walk with me. When we got to the top of the hill she started running again & I ran with her. It didn’t feel too bad so I kept going. When we got to State Street she said “hey I have some Ibuprofen, want some”. So I downed a handful of pills & walked the remainder of State Street. After that I started to alternate between jog & walk. Things were beginning to loosen up.

At mile eight I had had enough of this walking business and made up my mind to get this thing over with. I started running again and my back and legs felt good. I ran the remaining 18 miles per plan, walking every aid station & running (mostly) between them.

Was it the two hours of rest? The Ibuprofen? Or the encouraging words from all of the awesome people? Not sure but I’ll take it.

Ironman #6 is in the books. Finish time 12:40:15

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Comments

  • If only I had read this on Saturday:


  • WOW!  So bummed you had the back issues, but man what a comeback!!!  Congrats on winning on the process goals front especially with lack of power late in the bike and managing the back on the run.  Well done Mark!!!  Now get thee to a doctor and figure out that hip!!!  Recover hard friend!
  • Mark! Another great story of what ironman are all about - no quitting! You have certainly proven to be a tough ironman. I hope you get better soon.
  • 5:50 with VI of 1.04 with back pain on that course = > incredible bike skills!! Would love to know how you accomplished that feat on that course. I think you were very wise to walk the initial miles. I carry Tylenol in my race belt. Careful with the ibuprofen as it can mess up the kidneys when doing endurance sports. I've heard Tylenol is a little more safe:

    http://fleetfeetcolumbus.com/training/mit-articles/runningwalking-with-nsaids
    https://www.runnersworld.com/peak-performance/jan-25-tylenol-acetaminophen-improves-endurance-performance-by-blocking-pain

    Hope your recovery goes smoothly
  • What Tony said,  1.04 on that course, wow!  You must have a high FTP. 

    Well done in tought conditions

  • Mark, I'm with the others, I'm in awe of 1.04 on that course. Clearly your problem on the run was NOT due to overworking the bike. Rather it was probably related to your bike position. It sounds an awful lot like some nerve or nerve root in your sacrum or butt getting pinched and causing you grief. Pain caused that way is literally all in your head (meaning, it's your brains interpretation of goofy signals coming from the nerve, NOT some psychological issue.) Running with that pain, masked a bit by endorphins and motrin, was probably not injuring you, but at the start, you had no way of knowing that, Lucky you decided to start running and found you could, walking 26 miles is not worth the price of admission.

    Solution? Maybe a bike fit issue? Maybe a more frequent schedule of sitting up every 5/10/15/20/whatever minutes to let that nerve relax a bit? 

    Anyway, the tone of your report sounds upbeat and positive, and that's always the bottom line, IMO.
  • @ "Mark Stahlkopf" - Gritty, tough race.  You stomped that course flat!  Very impressive steadiness and low VI.  Sorry to hear about your low back pain, but I think your toughness was on demonstration with your willingness and smarts to recognize the issue, walk a bit to "reset", and find a way to dig deep and run it in.  That experience WILL help you overcome future challenges - on the race course, as well as off.  

    If was nice to meet you, and put a face to a name, knowing that you are a relatively nearby neighbor.  Hope to see you on the circuit again sometime in the near future.
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