Ironman Cozumel - Getting Under 9 Hours
Quick note... I've been an EN member since 2011. I find the
guidance from the coaches and YOU, the team, invaluable. Three years ago I
started devoting way more time to training ~15hrs/wk with some weeks
inching into the 25-30hr range. My goal was to get fast quickly and,
since this was going to take a lot of specific programing, I have done
some work one-on-one with a coach. Just wanted to give full disclosure
on that 
BRIEF
It’s been a busy year — lots of 70.3s from March-May, a cross-country move from LA to NYC in the summer, and new projects with work. Still, thanks to some great support, I was able to show up to Ironman Cozumel in the best shape of my life. (Well, endurance shape that is. I can barely do a push-up these days…)
The end result was a personal best across all three disciplines.
FINISH TIME 8:57:24
Swim 48:46 Bike 4:59:41 Run 3:03:43
1st M30-34, 4th Amateur, 19th Overall
I'm pumped with the result. I feel like I gave everything I had out there, properly honoring the hard work and commitment that went into training along with all the help I’ve received along the way. It was humbling to go under 9 hours — my first Ironman time was 11:23:08 in 2012 (first half in 2010 was 5:50!). Shows that anyone can make huge improves with the right guidance and willingness to do the work. Pumped that this means I get to return to Kona in 2018 too. Should be another awesome trip to the Big Island. Can't wait.
HERE'S A DETAILED LOOK AT MY TRAINING PRIOR TO COZUMEL
BACKGROUND
Back in 2015, I did Cozumel and had a strong race. I took out the M25-29 AG with a 9:26 and qualified for Kona for the first time. I loved the island, the course, the time of year, and the early jump on Kona qualification. While this year was spent doing mostly 70.3s, I knew I wanted to get back to Kona in 2018, so was considering this race all year. I didn’t commit right away though.
Moving from LA to NYC was tough, and I took most of July off from any structured training. The move and work had me preoccupied. It was also a nice mental break. I raced a lot of 70.3s at the start of the year, doing Puerto Rico, Oceanside, and Chattanooga, so was in great shape but a bit burned out. By the start of August, I felt re-energized and Justin got me back on track with training.
By the end of August, fitness was coming back and my day-to-day life was settling down. I signed up for Cozumel and was pumped to get back there and race.
RACE
LEAD UP
Marla and I got to Cozumel on Wednesday afternoon. After a 4am wake-up in NYC and full day of travel, we were totally spent upon arrival. We got a quick dinner at our favorite, Casa Mission, and went to sleep around 8pm. I slept soundly for 12 hours. Tight.
The next few days were a mix of light training, typical pre-race errands, and lots of hanging with Justin and Jimmy, who were also racing. Always fun doing races with good friends, especially Ironmans. It makes things way less stressful and always makes for a great trip. (Brooke & Kelly, awesome having you guys in Coz too!)
SWIM
While standing in the corral, I noticed a woman making her way to the front of the start line. Given her confidence in coming to the front, I figured she was a strong swimmer, but potentially one who I could keep up with. (I'm usually just a touch slower than the 1 or 2 fastest female AG swimmers at a non-championship race.) So, I lined up behind her.
When the gun went off, we were slowly let down the pier and jumped into the water after crossing the timing mats. Way more organized than it was in 2015. I got on said female's feet early and she was really pushing it. I had to work my ass off to stay with her!
About halfway into the swim, a wave hit our little group and opened up a 5-yard gap between me and this strong swimmer. I pushed to try to close it, but it wasn’t happening. She was too fast. From there, I led a smaller pack of guys for the back half of the swim.
As I approached the exit ramp, I took a quick glance at my watch and saw 48:xx and thought, Holy shit that was fast. Sub-9 hours was definitely in play.
I ripped through transition, sucked down a bit of water and two gels, and was out on the bike.
(After a quick look at results, the speedy female was Brittany Vocke. I don't know her, but she deserves a shoutout for swimming a 44:57 which had her FOTW for women AG'ers.)
BIKE
On the bike, I felt pretty strong from the start and just settled into a decent pace. While normally I am VERY focused on my watts during a race, I'd been having issues with my power meter for the past month. It appeared to be reading low (by maybe 5-7%) in comparison to my other hub-based power meter and my Wahoo Kickr.
So, for this race, I kept an eye on my watts but also focused a lot on how the effort felt. I didn't want to kill myself trying to hold my goal watts of 200 if the meter was in fact off, but I also didn't want to hold myself back if 200 felt normal since the power meter could be reading correctly. (Having a messed up power meter is something that would have spooked me big time even just a year ago. I got much better at racing the bike by feel this year doing lots of 70.3s, so I was less concerned about it.)
LAP 1: Even in the first 5 miles, holding 200 watts felt too hard. I backed off a bit, knowing that this race would come down to the run, so sat right around 195. I did the first lap (bike course is 3 loops) holding just over 190 watts and my average speed was 23mph. With that in mind, I figured my power meter had to be off by at least 5%. While the wind would continue to pick up and make the ride slower, at 23mph I was on track for a 4:55-ish bike split.
LAP 2: The second lap is probably the hardest one mentally. I remember seeing 50 miles on my bike computer and thinking, OK well, just under 65 miles to go... Good lord. Not a comforting thought. I still felt good though and was pleased to be on track for under 5 hours.
At this point it was getting hot on the course. I had been hitting the aid stations from mile 1, usually getting just ice water to spray on myself. But now, I was making a more concerted effort to get at least one Gatorade bottle at the aid stations since my own fluid supply was now tapped out.
As I reached the east side of the island on lap 2, the stretch on the bike course that's right on the water and exposed to a pretty strong headwind (see picture above), I started to go through a bit of a rough patch. My stomach started to feel off again, so I slowed down on fluid intake and took my first salt pill. Given the salt all over my kit, I figured I was in need. (More on my in-race nutrition here.)
I focused on just turning the peddles over and staying low given the wind. At this point, about 2.5 hours into the ride and near mile 60, a moped pulled up along side me with a camera man. I realized it was my buddy Talbot (@talbotcox), an awesome photographer. We exchanged some words and he snapped photos for about 3 or 4 minutes. This quick interaction provided a huge mental boost. I was feeling super pro haha and got back some good energy.
Before I knew it, I was riding back through town — where Marla, Brooke, and Kelly were stationed cheering — and I was kicking off the final lap.
LAP 3: Lap three was a challenge. Hot and windy. Unfortunately, a few of the aid stations were totally caught off guard too, so I was unable to get any fluids for much of this lap. Not ideal. My watts were way down from the start of it, but speed was still pretty solid - wind was picking up and was a tailwind at this point - so I didn't sweat it. With little to no fluids, I wasn't going to hammer.
With the winds picking up, the east side had a stiff headwind/crosswind as did the northern straightaway. I was riding slowly. I kept an eye on my time, and as I got closer to the 113 mile mark (the course is a mile long), I started to push a bit harder to make sure that I was coming in under the 5-hour mark. I figured that a sub 5-hour bike split would have 1st in M30-34 not too far up the road.
I cruised into T2 just under 5 hours. I quickly threw on my shoes, visor, shades, and run number, and was off.
RUN
At non-championship Ironmans, this is really where the race starts for me. I try to swim and bike well enough to allow for a strong run to win my age group and place well overall. I came off the bike in 4th in M30-34 and was just over a minute back from 1st (which Marla relayed to me about .5 miles in). My swim and bike have improved a lot over the past two years. I used to come off the bike about 5-8 minutes down on 1st in my AG.
Right off the bike, I found my legs and felt good. So good that I wasn't sure my Garmin, which was reading 6:35/mile pace, was accurate. Sure enough, I hit the mile 1 marker in 6:36. From there, I pulled back and settled into a 6:45-6:50/mile pace.
By mile 13, I was consistently running 6:50/mile pace and felt great. I moved into 1st in M30-34 and started asking Marla how far up the road the 1st overall amateur was. By mile 15, I was holding on to 1st in M30-34 and had moved into 5 overall amateur. I was still holding my pace and thought that going under 3 hours in the marathon was a real possibility.
Around mile 16, I started to slow a bit with my stomach feeling tight, and teammate James Harrington came up beside me. He had gotten off the bike about a minute behind me and was running a similar pace. With James beside me now, I focused just on staying with him. Having him next to me was a big motivator to stay on track with pacing.
This is one of the huge advantages of being part of a team. (Not to mention the "¡Vamos EMJ!" shouts we got out there. So funny.) I didn't know James well prior to the race, but we really pushed each other on back half of the run and forged a good bond through that shared suffering.
By mile 17 however, I was starting to fade with my pace dropping to 7:15/mile and the wheels were coming off. James pulled ahead and it was all I could do to keep him in sight. While my legs still felt strong, my stomach was off and my energy levels were fading. I knew I needed calories but I wasn't sure what my stomach could handle. I decided to hit the Pepsi at the aid stations HARD. (Shoutout to my man John Newsom from Epic Camp and the IM Talk Podcast for this tip.) I started slowly jogging the aid stations while yelling, Pespi!
Mile 18 through mile 21 had me averaging about a 7:25/mile pace. I was really hurting. Thankfully around mile 21, a 5-year-old Cozumel boy gave me a full pitcher of iced Pepsi. I came through yelling for it, and must have surprised him. He looked at me wide-eyed and handed me the full pitcher that he was using to refill the small cups. I guzzled most of it, while waddling for a couple steps, before another volunteer realized what was happening and motioned for the pitcher back while laughing and yelling. Maybe 5 minutes after this, I came back to life. That little kid saved my run.
With 4 miles left, and now feeling more energized, I decided to take it one mile at a time and simply push as hard as I could for each. I knew if I could put down 2 of the remaining 4 miles at 7:00/mile pace, I would almost certainly get under 9 hours and win the age group. I went for it, fighting to get my pace down to 6:59/mile.
I came by James around mile 23 and urged him to come with me. He picked up his pace as well. Still taking each mile at a time, I focused on doing everything possible to keep running under 7-minute pace. It hurt, and probably wasn't pretty, but I held on and finished the marathon in 3:03:43 with the final post-Pepsi-chug miles run in 7:04, 6:58, 6:57, and 6:57.
James came across the finish just 40 seconds or so behind me, also winning his age group and taking 5th overall amateur. Pretty awesome.FINAL THOUGHTS
This was by far my best race to date. I showed up in great shape and was able to execute on the day. I'm proud of that. I'm also very thankful for the fact that no big issues came up prior to or during the race. It's not uncommon for things like mechanicals on the bike or injuries to derail an Ironman that you've invested so much into. I'm lucky that I could just go out there and race my race.
I'm also incredibly grateful for all the support I got in preparing for this race. Training was way more fun this year with lots of group rides and several stretches of focused training with friends.
They say that it's about the journey, the training, and not the destination, the result. I really think that's true. I'm definitely happy with the result, but even without it, I'd still be grateful for all the experiences I've had while training this past year. This sport has brought many great people into my life and I've really enjoyed the time spent with them on the bike, at the pool, and on the road and trails. Even the time spent alone, during a relaxed cruiser or while pushing myself to the limit, has helped me gain a deeper sense of self. That's what makes this sport so special.
Probably easier to say all this after a good race, but I still believe it to be true. I don't think I'll race as much in 2018, but I still intend to log many hours training. It helps to now have Kona 2018 as a motivator too...
Comments
@Satish Punna Yes, Clermont was really the first step in this journey. I enjoyed that camp thoroughly, esp trying to keep up with you on the bike! Hope all is well.
@tim cronk Ha thank you. No, no pro for me. I prefer my current routine of work, training, and social life too much to make that commitment. I'm simply not close enough to those guys and am not willing to work as hard as I'd need to / sacrifice as much to close the gap. More fun to jump into their schedule for a couple weeks each year and get my ass kicked
I just wonder, if Every Man Jack didn't have black suits, would you sweat a little less, stay a little cooler?
Those final miles in an Ironman are easy to give up on. As you know, at that point in the race everything in your body is telling you to slow down. It's tempting to give in. I was lucky to have the carrot of coming in under 9 hours, and made sure to remind myself constantly that this might be my only chance to make that happen. That helped me hold on to that 7min pace at the end. I think that's a good reminder at how powerful the mind is at the end of an Ironman. A friend of mine who's a professional has told me that in the final miles of every Ironman he does, he makes a pact with himself... if he holds on to his goal pace for those last 4-5 miles, he can retire at the finish line and never have to endure that suffering again. He says that he owes all of his wins and podium finishes to that pact.
Regarding the black suits, I'm really not sure what to think. Garneau says that it's "cool black" technology that makes it just as cool in the sun as white fabric. I honestly am not sure if that's true or false since I'm obviously unable to do the same race on the same day in different colors. Our black bike kits do feel a bit warmer than white kits on hot days, but that could be in my head... either way, it's hard to complain to Ritch Viola about it when he goes 9:20 in Kona in the kit
Another great write-up ... you've got writing talent too. (Now that you're in NYC, let's see a Manhattan background picture on your blog page)
Looks like you ride the Giro Aerohead ... how do like it compared to other helmets you've used?
At the start of 2011 I got into triathlon, but pretty much remained just a good runner until I started to take the sport more seriously in 2014. This can be seen with my 70.3 times -- swims were typically 32-34, bike 2:40-45, runs 1:24-25.
My last open marathon was in 2013 at NYC Marathon. Ran a 2:57. Think I'm good for about a 2:45 on the same course since NYC mary is a bitch
I like the Giro Aerohead a lot. A friend who has access to the wind tunnel each season through Ventum tested out a handful of different helmets and found the Aerohead to be the best. I got it for that reason, but also found it to not overheat in hot races and I LOVE the visor design. Magnets hold it in place. It snaps right in and is very secure, yet is easy to pull off and put on. So much better than the other helmets I've had.
I love reading about your races and racing alongside (or rather well behind you) this year in PR and Chatanooga was great. Congrats on your continued progress and success this year.
Sub 9 is rarified air....and have so assume a sub 3 IM marathon is not too far away either.
Enjoyed seeing you at both PR and Worlds. Always nice seeing familiar faces before and after races. Think you'll do PR again this year? I'm debating it. Good to get my ass kicked by an early season race especially when ending the season on a high note.
Your race is a good reminder that IM usually feels the same to all of us in those closing miles, we just suffer at different speeds. Your 7-min last few miles probably felt as bad as Lange's 6-min closing miles or my 9-min miles.
Satish's comments above also brought me back to Clermont several years ago. Such a great group of people and athletes. You and I were similar speeds in the pool and on the bike, and I distinctly remember the two of us working rather hard to keep up with Satish. But I knew you weren't a typical athlete when P asked me to run with him after a long century ride. "Easy run, totally conversational." I wasn't buying it. But then we reeled you in, and I was hopeful that you and I could peer pressure him into slowing down and truly keeping the run conversational. In hindsight, me vs. P vs. Mohr on the run after a hard bike = ruh roh. But it did turn out to be an easy conversational four-mile run - for you and P. You two chatted the entire time. No talking for me, however. I was five meters behind the whole time, desperately trying to maintain sub-7 pace, red-line Z4/5 the whole way. I didn't know at that moment that you had sub-9 in you, but I did know you had the potential to do just about anything you wanted to do in this sport.
Congrats again. Hope 2018 brings you even more success. And fun.
Mike
It was great to see that the same challenges hit the guy who IS the pointy end as happens further back in the pack.
Let's find a time to do a drink this winter with Colin now that you are stuck in NY...
That Clermont camp was awesome. Great group of athletes. I remember it like it was yesterday!
@Scott Dinhofer For sure! Hope the vegan/vegetarian diet is going well!
@Jeremy Behler Sadly I'm out on PR as well. Had issues booking hotels and now the buddy I was going to do it with signed up for Florida 70.3. Hope the island gets up and running again. Very sad situation there.
@Francis Picard Thanks man.