IMCDA 2010 Race Report - Great Execution...Plan was OFF!
First and foremost always have to give thanks to our maker for seeing me through another IM and secondly to my family for putting up with the journey! All are there for me the entire way!!
Without EN my day could have been an unmitigated disaster! This was my 2nd IMCDA with EN and last year the plan took me to a PR of 11:46! This year's time of 12:18 was not one of poor execution, but rather a mistake in planning! 12:18 is still my 2nd fastest time of the 6 Ironmans I have done and I am very critical of how the day went down....
Race Morning 3:30am
Up and at 'em for some breakfast. Ate what I had planned, read the paper (Saturday's, because Sunday's was not there yet!), chatted with Rich (he stayed with us) and took care of business (shower, shave, de-carb
). My buddy Todd (first timer) picked me up at 5 am and we went down. Everything still going according to plan all the way to gun going off! Great vibe down there and lots of comments on my red toenails (daughter likes to paint my toes before a race), plus felt good to be helping Todd through the nerves.
SWIM 1:19:05 (Goal 1:10:00)
Was talking to a gal I met at K-Swiss booth when "boom" and off we go. I was about 1/2 way along the beach in the front. I went hard, created some space and had a great swim out to the turn bouy and then all hell broke loose. Not sure how I got sucked right into the bouy because I was a good 10-15 yds wide of the bouy line the whole way out! Literally took 10 minutes from one turn bouy to the next. Chaos. Not lots of jostling, just nowhere to go! There was such chaos at 2nd bouy that I dove down 10 feet under and swam out towards the hill to get some space. I basically swam under everyones feet 3x to get outside the crush! Kept my head about me! Got out at first lap at 37 minutes and was really unhappy with the time. Figured I would pick it up on 2nd lap to make my time! Not sure what happened on 2nd lap...form was good, but think my "head" was just not there! (more on that later)
Got out of the water and ran to the strippers. Probably ran past 40 people between water and strippers. Family said I looked pissed and determined on way to T1. Ran past all the men sitting on grass outside tent and went inside to other end of tent where there were 50 empty chairs.
T1 4:59 (goal was 4:00)
Not a lot to say here. I don't mess around. My transition bags are the epitome of Keep It Simple Stupid! Fumbled with watch and had to put my stuff into bag, costing me a few seconds.
BIKE 5:54:38 (Goal 5:45) Ride time includes pee stops.
I firmly believe this is where EN guidance pays the most dividends. Can not believe the folks out there crushing it on the bike and you can tell from their form/physique that the run will be ugly, let alone the 2nd bike lap.
Have not downloaded data yet, but know some things for sure. I was almost "money" lap to lap if not a negative split. Goal watts was 195-200 and I purposely rode 180-185 because I figured that it was going to be warm during the run and wanted a little extra gas in the tank. EN Mental FU at work. Rode the hills easy, except for English Pt. Goal watts just won't get me up that hill. Loved the guys with the antlers on their helmets, speedos on and vuveluveza horns making noise on English Pt. Saw several ENrs out there, but I am not real chatty while racing, so sorry if I did not say hello. Was in K-Swiss kit, so you probably did not notice. Did chat with Tom N for a bit out on Dodd Rd. Saw Rich at top of Rimrock where you turn to go on English Pt. "Don't be STOOPID" is what I heard as I went by him!!
Nutrition was spot onto plan. 5 servings of INFINIT at 300 calories/each. 2 PowerBars at 240 calories/each. This is what my race rehearsals had been and had served me well. Stopped to pee 3x on the bike, so seemed to be hydrated.
All in all, I nailed the bike to plan.
T2 3:47 (goal 3:00)
What can I say? Again I don't mess around. I was going to get sunscreened this year because I have not in the past and suffered some pretty serious sunburns. That alone probably took 80 seconds!
RUN 4:56:18 (Goal 4:00)
"No such thing as great bike followed by a poor run". Think about this all the time when planning my races. This was not the case for me. I came out of transition feeling like a MILLION BUCKS. Honestly was reining myself in for the first 6 miles to run at the 9:30 pace and was really looking for mile 6 so I could pick it up to 9:00. Took in some gatorade or cola at first 6 aid stations and then picked it up at mile 6 and continued through miles 7 and 8. Was really holding the 9:00 pace with no problems!!! Was totally stoked, executinig, doing my thing, well on way to new PR and possible 4 hour marathon which was my PRIMARY race goal.
Mile 9...went through aid station, 30 steps or so, cola, banana and onward. Along CDA Lakeshore Drive where the pilings are with the cable running bewteen them is where it hit me!!! Eyes went fuzzy, white spots, then blackness, then wooziness and then sitting on cable hanging onto piling for dear life. Not sure where I am and really faint. Looked at Garmin and HR is really low so decided right then to sit for 10 minutes before moving again. Did just that. Got up and kind of trudged to next aid station, took in 2 cups gatorade, 1 cup cola and trudged to next aid station. Did that for about 4 miles, but by then damage was done. Was up to running by 2nd trip through town, but pace was a bit slower than wanted at 10:00 or so. HR would either be around 190 or 105. Really strange. Though HRM was off so counted beats for 6 seconds and it was not off. Signs of dehydration or bonk or both??
Managed to run it out from mile 17 on at about 10:00 pace and ran miles 22-25 at about 8:50 pace. Running down Sherman Avenue and not being able to pick it up tells me I was totally empty! If you can't pick it up on the way to the finish with that crowd, downhill and the energy then you are cooked!! Really only walked about 4 miles, but that was 4 too many!
Finish 12:18:47
Met the wife. Went to medical where I had some broth, pizza and a cold beer! (pays to know people) Changed clothes and went to VIP area to get some more grub, couple more beers and wait for Todd to finish. Happiest part of my day was seeing him complete his journey with a smile on his face at 14:37.
ANALYSIS
Race weight was 173 or so with about 5% body fat. Numbers based on Tanita scale in village. May not be accurate, but last year was 178 or so with 7% body fat. I strongly feel the change in body comp has created a furnace that burns much hotter than it did last year. Both my race rehearsals went well with nutrition plan, but I only ran 5 miles. I obviously need to get in some more calories on the bike and use the first 6 miles of the run to kind of "front load" calories for run.
Obviously not happy with not gettng my goal of 4 hour marathon and 11:30 finish, but I had a great heart to heart with a good buddy on Tuesday morning which I related my desire to go find the "edge" of my endurance/fitness/nutrition. I have never been over the precipice in a race situation and now I have. There is more to take away from this than to have not been to the edge and continuing to wonder where it is.
Points:
1. Against the EN mantra, but I am getting some serious swim help!
2. I need more calories on the bike/run if I continue to be this lean.
3. Without the "plan" going in, the day could have been a huge disaster.
4. My fitness is at a level where on Monday morning I did not have the IM Shuffle and still feel okay today, though tired.
5. Moving your whole family into a house and trying to get out of town for IM in one week creates some stresses you don't plan for.
Comments
Bryan - I hear you about not knowing where your limits are until you go past them. I had them same experience of wheels falling off last October in HI, when I got severely dehydrated and collapsed.
Now, I'm not an internist or Cardiologist, but I wonder if you should get a check up, like an Echo or a treadmill test. I don't know what your HR max is, nor what your HR during a race usually would be, but bouncing between 100 and 190 is not at all normal and could well be a sign of a cardiac arrhythmia or even a conduction defect. It might have only been triggered by the combination of fluid loss, heat/sun, and exercise, but still, you'd like to know your ticker is basically sound and you're not at risk for a more dangerous event happening some day. Your family will thank you.
Those HR issues sound really strange to me as well. But then my garmin is pretty much useless as a HRM so who knows if was an equipment issue as well. It seems really strange that now that you weigh less you would need more calories.
I really liked the part about how you had the pull to have the medical staff get you beer, that is very impressive!
Hey Bryan,
Great report and thanks again for letting me stay with the Ogles. Definitely want to introduce Joanne and my boys to your family :-)
I'd like to do a podcast interview with you soon, sent you an email. Thanks!
You've had an amazing year, both personally and fitness wise. The race didn't confirm that progress, but sounds like it took a major event to stop you in your tracks. Glad you did the right thing. Ditto what Al and Chris said...a check up can't hurt...hell you got time.
Patrick
A low HR with dizziness/change in mental status can result from hyponatremia (low blood sodium levels).
Agree with Al and Chris on getting it checked out...
Otherwise, way to hang tough and finishing. Enjoy your new home in CA!