JoJo Thirasilpa's IM Austria 2018 Race Report – “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”
Water Temperature: 21C / 70F (wore wetsuit)
Weather: Mixture of cloudy to partly sunny throughout the day (High 23C / 73F)
Introduction
While I recognise that my race performance viewed in absolute terms is nothing special, I know that without what I have learned from Coach Patrick, teammates and the various materials available through the website I could have had a very different first experience of long distance triathlon. I am humbled by the quality (and quantity) of advice I received from veterans whose Z1 power and pace are my Z4. This contributed materially to a great - indeed even fun (which a multiple IM finisher I met the next day was quite surprised to hear me use as an adjective to describe an Ironman) experience and believe that I lived up to the 4 principles I committed to in my race plan. And, of course, as my first Ironman triathlon, it is something that I won't forget.
These were the principles I set out in my race plan.- Stay
in the box; focus on what is in my control
- Make positive / affirmative choices; no passivity
- Believe in your training – make good decisions based on the day
- Have a great time and be grateful to everyone who helped me get this far and on the journey to come
Logistics
Travel to Klagenfurt from London (met @Abbey Bonner @KARL BONNER as we were boarding flight) was drama free (apart from an additional training run at the Vienna Airport to make the connection). I am continually astonished by the sheer amount of logistics involved in getting to the start line at a middle / long distance triathlon. This is where all of the checklists and prior race reports are essential to simplifying process and execution with respect to getting oneself and equipment to the right places at the right time.
Pre-Race Nutrition
After some very unpleasant stomach issues during my last triathlon, I spent a lot of time thinking about what to eat in the days leading up to the event as well as during the event. Generally, I tried to follow a low residue / low fibre diet in the 48 hours prior to start. I won't bore you with all of the minutiae, but lunch and dinner on Saturday were the same - gnocchi and mushrooms with some cream cheese (in addition to parmagiano regiano cheese); usually I tolerate dairy well. Race day breakfast was 100g of Rice Krispies (which is an astounding volume if you have never measured before) and 1 1/3 of a Cookies and Cream Power Bar. I also had 2 cups of cappuccino.
On the morning, due to some parking related snaffus, I arrived at the venue about 30 minutes later than planned. Nevertheless, I managed to deal with all of the race morning logistics and get in a short 5 minute swim as the cannon went off for the Pro start. After a kiss and a hug from my family, I joined the queue in the last group (the >1:40 group) based on my most recent simulation at the local lake. I was one of the last to enter the water and after a few steps to get into waist deep water, I started swimming.
Swim – “Smooth as Silk – Mostly”
Key execution focus points:
- Focus
on form – brush thumb to thigh every stroke and high elbow catch
- Count strokes
- Just keep going
The water is very clear in Lake Worthersee and this made for a very pleasant swim. I experienced almost no contact, which made for a fairly uneventful swim up until the last km, where the swim finishes through a canal leading up to the swim exit. I imagine spawning salmon experience something similar to that canal swim – the visibility is dramatically reduced relative to the lake – and the swimmer density increases. There was only one landmark I would recognise during that final portion – a foot bridge over the canal which was a 5 minute walk from the swim exit – once I saw the bridge, I knew that I would make it through the swim. I was a bit disoriented as I stumbled out of the water at the swim exit and the volunteers played pass the parcel to get me onto terra firma. As I started to jog towards transition, I looked down at my watch and was flabbergasted to see 1:30:xx. Given my fastest swim in the local lake for 3.8km is 1:47, there are a few potential explanations: 1) I need to speak to the management of the local lake about the accuracy of their measurement; 2) there is a fairly strong current flowing in from Lake Worthersee through the canal toward the exit or 3) my sighting is terrible, and if I am swimming on my own, I dramatically lengthen any swim course. I suspect that it is a combination of #2 and #3.
Learning points:Overall, I evaluate my swim execution as competent. While undoubtedly I could swim faster, I believe this is more a function of technique / fitness than anything I could affect on race day. My swim volume was dramatically higher this training cycle (average of 5,600m in the 4 weeks prior to the race vs 2,500m for my last event which was an HIM, but in retrospect, I was basically non-compliant on the swimming portion of the training program previously). To get faster here, in addition to getting additional assistance from a coach with my technique, I need to apply the interval training methodology to my swim training. I currently have 3 swim speeds (they are all slow, but relatively speaking): fast, medium and slow, with 95% of my training volume at medium, warmups and cool downs at slow and basically nothing at “fast”. This is an obvious area for improvement and is completely within my control.
Coming out of the swim I think I stopped to pee in the portolet after having done so once during the swim.
Bike – “Lap Button, Eat, Drink, Pee, Rinse, Repeat”
Key execution focus points:
- Stay on top of nutrition (1 bottle of Enervit / 1 sleeve Clif Shot Blok Margarita minimum per hour); evidence of sufficient hydration should be ability to pee every 2 hours minimum)
- Target NP125
- Stay aero for as much of the ride as possible
I was very concerned about potentially missing the cut-off on the bike (partially because I expected to spend 15 minutes longer in the water). To quote from my race plan:
“Generally I am focussed on process – outcome will be what it will be. The significant exception is on bike time as there is a risk I miss the cut off if I lose focus, have a material mechanical problem, etc. Given my expected swim time, I should have ~8:10 to complete the bike. BestBikeSplit estimates 6:55 at my target NP / IF. However, on my most recent race rehearsal, it estimated 5:35 for a 6 hour ride (96 miles) on a route with half of the elevation change of IM Austria. The main cause of the difference was that my VI was higher than what BBS modelled (1.08 actual vs 1.02 modelled). Given that I have never done an IM distance race or used BBS for a race, I’m not sure how concerned I should be about this.”
Learning points:I rate my nutrition plan execution as excellent. I drank a little bit more than 1 bottle per aid station which averages to about 2 per hour and estimate that I peed 7 times (the first time I used the portolet at the first aid station, after that I said “f*** that, it takes too long” so did it on the bike (sorry dear steed!). I also went through 2 bottles of water “flushing” bike and self. After several aid stations, I also realised that I didn’t need three bottles, so jettisoned one at the next aid station (@Paul Hough – you were right!)
I rate the actual bike execution as satisfactory with lots of room for improvement. I rode the first 28 miles / 45km in 1:42 which gave me comfort that the cut-off risk was modest (barring a major mechanical or health issue). For most of the ride, I kept my Garmin on a page that had just 3 pieces of data: Lap NP / Lap AHR / Lap Time. The only time I became aware of distances was when I checked the aid stations against the sticker (organiser supplied) I taped to my bike with km markings where the aid stations were. Following advice posted by a number of veterans, I hit the lap button early and often - indeed any time the terrain changed (which was often) and sometimes, just for fun, in a long flat drag. My target NP was 125 vs. actual of 126, although my VI was 1.08 – partially a function of the 5,700ft of elevation gain, but this is something to work on in the future. Also, in the second half of the bike, I had a very difficult time sustaining 125w (!) except on the hills. On the flats and downhills, it seemed that the numbers were somewhat lower most of the time – which doesn’t actually compute as I write this, so maybe this was just my misperception of what was actually happening.
Per recommended protocol, I stopped at bike special needs even though I didn’t need anything. I took a minute to stretch, took a few extra sleeves of Clif Shot Bloks (just in case) and a packet of Salt Stick Fast Chews (which I did not use). The stretch and just getting off the saddle for a minute (and the announcer calling me out as I ended the first lap) gave me an emotional boost.
One
area where I was tested was the temptation to chase a particular outcome. As I approached the end of the bike, I
switched my Garmin to a screen that had average HR for the ride as well as
total time, which was approaching 7:00.
My first thought was - if I really push, I might be able to finish under
7:00. After a moment of reflection, the
absurdity of this proposition smashed me in the face. Firstly - who cares about a 7:00 bike
split? Secondly - and much more
importantly - I decided it would be better to use my mental energy over the
last 10 minutes of the bike to rehearse T2 (not that it made much difference to
transition time!), mentally prepare for the small matter of the marathon ahead,
and focus on getting some final nutrition in and maintaining my heart rate at a
nominal level.
EDIT: I should add that I had trouble staying in the aero bars - especially during the 2nd lap in conjunction with my inability to maintain power. I would estimate that I spent 35 - 40% of the ride sitting up. While this was a focus point during race rehearsals and long rides for the past 6 - 8 weeks, there is clearly more to be done here. Also, I have not had a bike fit on my TT bike since I bought it in 2012, so that is now on the agenda as well.
Run – “Stuck in First Gear, But Enjoying It”
Key execution focus points:
My AHR from the bike was 145 (consistent with my final race rehearsal and long rides before the race), so I used this as my target coming for the run. Per protocol, my pace target was 11:19 per mile for the first 6 miles, then 10:49 for miles 12-18 and whatever I could manage beyond that (without slowing down).
Learning points:
I rate my run execution as OK, but again with room for improvement (clearly there is significant fitness upside too!). My first 6 miles average pace was 11:14 per mile with an AHR of 143. Miles 6 – 18, I couldn’t really get any traction on increasing my pace without my HR breaching 150. So I decided to take what my fitness would give me and slowed my pace slightly to 11:21 per mile with an AHR of 142. Generally I felt pretty good and was enjoying the strong crowd support. Also seeing my family and Abbey and Karl lifted my spirits. I saw a number of people walking and generally suffering and thought about sharing some of the good karma I was experiencing (able to smile most of the day, no gastro or cramping issues). At the end of my first lap, I came along side an athelete who had the two wristbands indicating he was just a mile or so from the finish line clutching his stomach. He mentioned that his stomach wasn't feeling well, but after some encouragement, he started jogging again and I saw him off to the finishers' chute and turned my mind to the final lap.
Apart from giving “dankes” and “thank yous” to the numerous and highly enthusiastic groups of spectators, I focussed on walking long enough at every aid station to ensure that I could at least get in a cup of Enervit, a cube of Clif Shot Bloks and a Salt Stick Fast Chew. My compliance on the cup of Enervit was absolute – the Bloks and sodium were more variable. One thing I had not anticipated was that the distance between run aid stations varied a lot, but I stopped at each one to ensure that I didn’t get dehydrated or cramps from lack of sodium. Next time I need to have a better mental map of the aid stations!
As I passed The Line at Mile 18, the sun kept making its progress towards the horizon and the shadows continued to lengthen. I focussed on maintaining my pace and managed 11:25 per mile through the finish. As I was nearing the end (the last mile or so), I saw Abbey and Karl and they called out to me “Don’t leave anything on the course!” and “Think of your One Thing.” I had been in a frame of mind to basically cruise to the finish, but when I heard those words, I decided to push with whatever was left to get through to the end. This resulted in a 10:34 last mile, the fastest of the day (just for me obviously!) I estimate that I passed 15 – 20 runners as I finally turned into the finishers’ chute and across the line.
Summary
The combination of low residue / low fibre diet served me well and I was generally very happy with how I executed my nutrition plan (an objective indication of this is that as of this morning I was 5 lbs heavier 36 hours post race than I was pre race - since the race finish I have only eaten 2 slices of pizza and a very big breakfast - oh and several large beers). At a high level, I rate my overall race execution as decent for a first time effort and I think I learned a number of valuable lessons that I can apply to my training in the future as well as execution in my future races. One significant point for improvement that shouldn't require too much work - just increased focus and mindfulness - is my transition times. A combined 25 minutes must be a world record (and not in a good way!)
One final anecdote (from a number of other very positive snippets of the day) I will share: after the finish as I was wrapped in a thermal foil with a finisher’s medal around my neck walking with my family to collect my bike and kit from transition, I was stopped by a young man who asked if he could have his picture taken with me. Two thoughts occurred to me: 1) When are they going to tell me that I’m on Candid Camera? 2) This must be a case of mistaken identity. After his friend took our picture, he said to me: “Thanks. You’re awesome.” I regret not telling him that he could choose a path that would lead to the same destination, but I suspect that he may have come to that conclusion on his own.
Many thanks for taking the time to read my race report – I would be grateful for any suggestions on what I could improve in the future.
Comments
It was a privilege to witness your first Ironman and great to meet you & your family after so long communicating via Strava. From what I saw you seemed to be very much in control (& most importantly) enjoying the experience. Abbey and myself also had a really good time.
For me, the first IM was just about getting it done and, like you, I really enjoyed it, I think this has been key to me wanting to do more and I feel it is directly linked to "doing it the EN way"; as I know of many people who had a torrid time & have said “never again”. As mentioned above, the speed & strength aspect can now start to be added (should you wish) to the areas you have highlighted over the course of the next few years. So for example, I concentrated very much on my bike power last year as I let my FTP drop significantly in my first year because I was just concentrating on distance (because it was all an unknown). This year (starting with run durability in Nov) was all about the run whist still trying to maintain good bike power. Take bite sized chunks and plan it out as there is no “quick fix” and I think you will be rewarded.
I hope your journey home was a little less frantic than the one on the way out & that the rest of your year continues on a positive trend.
Congrats again.