Nemo's IMWI 2010 Race Report....Beware the Chair!
Please excuse the length and the delay! This is the RR I put together for family and friends, so if you just want to get to the Race Day stuff, scroll to the end!
Pre-race week
As I entered the final weeks of my training, I knew that I was not physically where I wanted to be going into an Ironman. A year of managing a calf injury with 8 full weeks standing down from all biking and running, another 8 weeks of easy biking but still no running, and then finally a very slow and conservative return to running meant that by the end of my season I simply did not have the fitness level I had when I did Ironman Wisconsin in 2008. However, I was still very excited about racing in Madison because it would be an amazing opportunity to finally meet in person and race with Endurance Nation teammates who I have been friends with online for nearly 3 years. It’s hard to explain how close and connected the members of this virtual training team have become to each other, but in some ways, the weekend would be a reunion of folks who were meeting face to face for the very first time. To get a better idea of what I’m talking about, I encourage you to read the Endurance Nation blog post about the race here: http://www.endurancenation.us/blog/2010/09/13/race-recap-ironman-wisconsin-part-i/
Wednesday
Joe and I flew to Madison and checked into our hotel. I decided not to stay downtown this time around because I wanted to be able to get away from the nervous energy that tends to surround the race venue. Homewood Suites in Middleton turned out to be a perfect spot for this purpose. It was only minutes from the bike course (which made getting around for pre-race riding and race day bike course spectating pretty easy), had easy access to the Madison Beltline with just a 15-20 minute drive to the race site, was right next to a shopping center with a Target, grocery store, and Trek bike shop, and had with a small well equipped kitchenette which allowed me to prepare my own pre-race dinner and not rely on restaurant food. After unpacking our bags and getting settled, Joe took a shower and a short nap while I put my bike (Fiona) together and then snuck out to meet two of the EN Chicas who had arrived, Linda and Kitima. About an hour into our little social hour the phone in Linda’s hotel room rang and she received a request from the hotel front desk to “keep the noise down”!!! HA! It was only 6pm but I guess we had disturbed another guest with our laughter who was trying to sleep. Ooooops! Haven’t done that since college! We broke up the party and got ready to head out to dinner at a sushi restaurant with several more EN members who arrived that day. Joe and I ordered waaaaay too much food, but the team pulled together and helped us finish it all!
Thursday
While Joe slept in a little, I went in to Madison to do a practice swim of Lake Manona with several members of the EN Team. One member who lives in Madison but was not racing (Michele) and her friend Johnny had volunteered to paddle kayaks/paddle boards on the lake while we swam to keep us all safe (there are no more organized open water practice swims at Ironman races). I was very happy to find the water temperature cool enough for my long sleeve wetsuit, but not too cold. It was just perfect. After showering up at the hotel, Joe and I went out to grab some lunch and then we went back into Madison for registration. The timing was perfect because there were absolutely no lines at registration. After bumping into several other EN team members (they were starting to pop up all over the place!) I zipped through registration effortlessly and we then returned to the hotel to relax a bit before heading out on the bike course for a quick shake down ride to check my assembly job. I took note of a little clicking noise when I peddled and decided to ride a little bit longer again the next day to make sure everything was alright. The long day of admin work was topped off with the Team Dinner in Verona where 70+ Endurance Nation teammates and their family members finally had an opportunity to put a face with the name they have been seeing on a PC screen for so many years. It was awesome!
Friday
We had a nice leisurly morning and then went into Madison to attend the EN 4 Keys Talk where the coaches provided advice and instruction on race day execution. We grabbed lunch downtown with EN Chicas Tracy and Kris and then returned back to the hotel where met up with a group to ride the more technical sections of the bike course together. That clicking noise was still bothering me, so when we returned from our ride, Joe and I headed to the Trek shop to get it checked out. The mechanic was able to fix the clicking (seems to have been a loose bolt in the crank arm) but he noted the headset was also loose. Fiona is a Felt B2 with a bayonet headset which is a bit unique and the mechanic wasn’t experienced with it. He recommended I take Fiona to the local Felt dealer, Machinery Row, in downtown Madison to be fixed. So we ended up taking a little more admin time than planned getting it all sorted out, but that’s exactly why I do the shake down rides and why I want my bike at the race site with me as early as possible.
Earlier in the day I had sent a text out to a handful of folks suggesting we meet at a restaurant in Middleton for dinner (the University of Wisconsin opening football game was Saturday morning and I figured the downtown restaurants would be pretty crazy). I called the restaurant to see if they had a table for 8-10 but they didn’t take reservations- eh, it’s a small group, I figured we’d be ok. Well when Joe and I finally rolled up to the restaurant we were surprised to see about 15 people already there waiting outside! We quickly determined the place I had picked wouldn’t be able to hold us all and we relocated down the street a few blocks to a pizza restaurant where 20+ EN Folks eventually turned up!
Saturday
With no plans until the afternoon, I managed to get caught up on a lot of lost sleep staying in bed until 8:00am (I think the last time I did that I had the flu!). I finished packing my transition and special needs bags and had Joe double check my work using the checklist I had made. With the bags in order we headed to the race venue to drop off Fiona and the T1 and T2 bags for the next day. Walking into the transition area to rack Fiona was the first time all week I got that nervous “Oh my God, what am I doing here!” feeling. I ran into EN Chicas, Marianne and Heather, who were also racking their bikes near me and seeing their smiling faces really calmed me back down. Joe and I then headed over to Lazy Jane’s to join EN Chicas, Beth and Michele for a nice big including a big delicious scone to carbo load! After lunch we took an easy stroll around the Farmer’s Market on Capital Square, picked up a few green beans for dinner, and then joined a few other triathletes at an Iron Prayer service filled with fellowship, prayer, and song. It was a great way to get my heart, mind, and soul all on the right page before going to bed that night. Joe cooked our dinner at the hotel and we walked through our plan and strategy for approaching race day before turning into bed early. In many ways, Joe had as big a day in front of him as I did!
Sunday- RACE DAY!!
Although it was a restless kind of night, still the alarm seemed to go off way too early at 4:00am. My pre-race meal included coffee, a Boathouse smoothie, a banana and an English muffin. I suited up and we joined the rest of the Homewood Suites crew to carpool into Manona Terrace at 5:00am. I made my trip in and out of transition putting water bottles on Fiona and pumping up her tires short and efficient and then found many of the other EN Chicas outside transition for a quick pre-race picture. All the racers looked excited and all the sherpas looked tired! Joe and I then headed down to the first level of the Manona Terrace where I knew it would be much quieter with less nervous energy circling and there would be no lines for the indoor bathrooms. We found Marianne, Heather, and Kris relaxing down there as well. Before I knew it, it was time to pull on the wetsuit and head out to the start. Whew- this is it! I kissed goodbye to Joe and headed into the water.
The Swim (1:23:29)
I started along the shore line with the plan to swim the diagonal to the farthest turn buoy just like I had done in 2008. As I stood on shore waiting for the gun to go off I thought again “oh my God, what am I doing?”. Thankfully I wasn’t there too long before the gun mercifully went off! I knew that many of the folks around me would be first timers or those who were a little scared of the open water swim, but I figured that would work to my advantage since I could get out ahead of many of them. The strategy worked well and although I got a few good blows to the head, swam over by a few folks, and had to work my way around a few breast strokers, it really wasn’t too bad. I was soon in the middle of the scrum and just settled into taking advantage of the draft as much as I could. The Ironman swim isn’t really a swim- it’s more of a water polo match with everyone working towards the same goal. The current created by 3000+ people all swimming in the same direction will pull you along if you can get comfortable being that close to other people (and getting the occasional leg grab, punch to the stomach, or kick in the head). My only real problem with the swim was that I really had to pee, twice! I can’t pee and swim at the same time, so each time I had to find a little open water on the outside and just float for a minute or so relaxing until nature finally took over. It takes more time, but the relief is well worth it.
Transition 1 (10:00)
I exited the water and started my way up the helix (a circular ramp up the parking garage) to transition when EN Chica, Gina, came up from behind to say “how are ya feeling?” What a treat to once again be able to run up that helix with a good friend! I entered the changing room with a goal to be as smooth and efficient with my transition as possible, and I think I achieved that goal. I grabbed a chair, opened my bag, and dumped my gear on the floor grabbing just the things I would need and setting aside the “in case it’s cold” gear (it was already mid 60’s). I stopped at a volunteer to get slathered in sunscreen, took a pee break in the port-o-pottie, and then ran with my bike shoes in hand to Fiona who was waiting for me in her primo spot right outside the bike exit! As I ran through transition I got several shout outs from EN Team members who were in bike transition volunteering and that gave me a huge lift! I reached my bike rack and heard the volunteers shout my number to get my bike off the rack so I bent down to put on my shoes while they brought me Fiona. The volunteer said “Have a great ride Nemo” and I nodded, figuring the volunteer was just reading my name on my race bib. But then he put his hand on my back and I thought “that’s an awfully friendly volunteer”, so I looked up to see EN Teammate, Matt Sullivan there with a big smile and Fiona ready to roll! I gave him a huge hug, grabbed Fiona, and headed down the helix and out onto the bike course.
Bike (7:06:58)
The IMWI Bike is a lollypop kind of course. You go out the stick, around the candy twice, and then back down the stick again. In 2008 the course seemed a bit crowded going out the stick but it pretty much opened up once you hit the candy (and the hills). Not so this year. 3000+ athletes on that course with over 1000 of them being first timers made the bike really crowded for much longer. It didn’t seem to let up until the second loop and for several sections of that first loop it actually felt a bit unsaf because there was so much traffic. I kept to my plan of riding easy watts and let all the folks who were anxious to be the first to the top of every little hill go ahead and take that small victory. I knew I had to conserve my legs for the run, especially this year, and so I was in no big hurry on the bike.
I did however have a few problems on the bike. First, I believe I messed up my nutrition plan. All year long I’d been using the alarms from my Garmin watch to remind me when to eat & drink at equal and exact intervals. That worked great riding on the flat and strait roads on the Outer Banks. But take that plan onto a very hilly course and you run into problems because the 15 minute alarm always seemed to go off exactly at a time when I could not afford to safely remove my hands from the handlebars to drink or eat. The 4 pee breaks I took on the bike seemed to indicate I was doing well in the hydration department, but the two nutrition bottles I cleaned out after the race each with at least 200 calories remaining inside them tells another story.
Second, my handlebar tape on the aerobar decided to come apart around mile 20 of the ride. I tried to fix it while riding and quickly realized this was something I could neither fix en route nor ride another 90 miles with. I stopped and made an attempt to rewrap the tape using the existing electrical tape but the tape was loosing its stickiness. I knew if I could get to the Cross Plains aid station around mile 40ish that the Uphill Grind folks (a much loved Wisconsin bike and coffee shop) would be there and they might have some tape. So I rode holding the tape together until I reached Cross Plains where I handed them my bike and used the time to take another pee break while they wrapped the bars with new tape.
I rolled out of Cross Plains looking forward to seeing Joe, who was supposed to be on a corner shortly after that rest stop- however he wasn’t there. I was a little bummed but figured he just mis-timed the meet up. Besides, there were several dozen Endurance Nation folks all along the course to lift my spirits. What I didn’t expect was the surprise that came next! As I made the last climb on the loop I was greated by about half a dozen EN Dudes dressed in nothing but pink Speedos who ran next to me as I climbed the hill. I knew these guys would be at mile 18 of the run, and I was looking forward to seeing them there- but I had no idea they would be out there on the bike course too! The sight of them was simply shocking! It was like those crazy people on TV who run next to the pros at the Tour de France- hysterical!!!
I did get to see Joe twice on the bike course later in the day when I really needed it most. As I got closer to the end of the ride my neck and shoulders were starting to tire in the aerobars and I kept thinking “just a little farther- you don’t need your shoulders to run”. I was so happy to see that Mile 92 sign! Somehow in my head that meant just 10 more miles. Don’t ask my why- but at that point in the race math just becomes really hard, ok!? I was more than happy to make that last climb up the helix again onto the upper deck of the parking lot and hand off Fiona for what will was likely our last ride together for the season!
Transition 2 (4:19)
I hobbled into transition to find another Chica, Kathy, sitting there as well. She looked great and I knew she was gonna have a good day at her first Ironman! The knot in my bag took a little extra effort to untie, but I eventually got it and dumped the contents on the floor, changed into running shorts, grabbed what I needed, and moved quickly out the door to the volunteers for another round of sunscreening. Just one more stop in a port-o-pottie and I was out onto the run.
Run (6:24:29)
My plan was to run 11:00 min/mile pace for the first 6 miles of the run and then up that pace to 10:30’s only if I felt really good. Running out of transition I felt fantastic but I watched my Garmin carefully and reigned myself in several times to slow the heck down and also walked the aid stations to control my pace and get in nutrition. I was running 10:30’s which although just 30 seconds faster than I should have been going- would return to haunt me later. At the time I was really happy with the way I was executing. I was using ice from the aid stations to stay cool (it was now above 80 degrees) and controlling the pace per my plan (or at least I thought I was) and said to myself “awesome job- you are about to have a fantastic, well executed, run!” The IMWI run is a double out and back course and so my first sighing of the pink Speedo men at “Mile 18” would actually be at about mile 4. I was really looking forward to that party and had stashed a few $1 bills in my run gear to use for the occasion, if ya know what I mean! So I was fully prepared for what was to come, right? WRONG! Oh………My………..God!!!! There was no preparing for the scene that the men of Endurance Nation (along with a few EN Chica’s in pink) had prepared for us! It was awesome! I tucked my dollar bill into the speedo of someone wearing a big afro wig (I think it was Noodle) and ran away again as fast as I could laughing the whole way! I saw the guys (and Joe too this time) again on the flip side and stuffed in another dollar bill. I think I might have gotten Patrick this time J Anyway, I continued to run feeling great and really confident with my pacing until Mile 10 when everything hit me like a ton of bricks. My stomach completely shut down,I could not put any more fluid or calories in, and I started to shiver (keep in mind, it’s still around 80 degrees). I saw Joe again around mile 11 and told him I wasn’t feeling too good (although I think he could have figured this out without me mentioning it). There is only one thing you can really do when this happens, slow down and hit the system reset button (ie, throw up the contents of your tummy and start over). I’ve never been able to force myself to hurl, so I had to just wait for my body to make that part happen. As I got closer to the turn-a-round point at Mile 13.1 (which by the way, is just feet from the finish line- what torture), I started looking at the curb of the sidewalk. There’s a saying in endurance sports, whether ultra marathon or ironman, that goes “beware the chair”. If you sit down, even for a few seconds, it gets very hard to convince yourself to get back up again and get going. A few of us had joked about the saying earlier in the week because another EN Chica faced that same issue in a race a few years earlier. Well, I couldn’t resist the call of the curb and I sat down and put my head between my knees with my hands over my just trying to get my stomach to either settle or evacuate.
From about mile 11-14 I basically alternated a 30 step shuffle with a few minutes on the curb in the “emergency landing” position. During one of these rests a spectator came to check on me and said “you know, I’m a breast cancer survivor and today is my one year anniversary of recovery. I’m registering tomorrow to do this race next year to celebrate. I know you can finish this”. At that moment I remembered a fellow EN Member nicknamed Drillbit who was told earlier in the week that the cancer he had fought several years earlier had returned and he would be back in the fight again. The EN Team had sewn drill bits to our visors to support and remember him. I reached up and touched the drill bit on my visor and thought I would cry. I got back up and decided I would finish this race- no matter what it took.
Around mile 14 my body finally hit the reset button. Yup, I was one of those folks you see spewing stomach acid, water, and balled up chunks of sports gel all over the pavement. It might not have looked very pretty, but I felt a lot better after that point and I was able to move forward with more purpose, drinking sports drink at each aid station, and alternating run/walks. No more sidewalk curbs for me! I was very thankful to see so many other EN Chicas out on the course (most of them heading for the finish line as I was still heading out for a second loop) as well as the Pink Speedo boyz who amazingly were still out there after dark at Mile 18. In addition, every time I crossed a timing matt I knew the internet lit up with excitement from family and friends around the country who were following my progress at home. Whether you were there on the course or cheering for me from home, please know that your support really helped!
The Finish (15:09:15)
I finally reached the finish line and the first face I saw was Endurance Nation Coach Rich who immediately gave me a hug and asked me if I wanted to use his phone to call Joe. Unfortunately the phone went to voicemail (it’s really loud at the finish line!) but Coach Patrick was standing right behind Rich and said he thought he knew where Joe might be and then ran off to find him. I simply can’t say enough about the kind of support the Endurance Nation team gets from our coaches! Within a few minutes I was reunited with my Sherpa extraordinaire who gave me a very big hug. I was tired, and my tummy still wasn’t happy, but I was an Ironman, again!
Shortly after the race, EN Chica Tracy asked me if I was planning to do another Ironman. Hmmmmm, well 2011 is out for sure since I promised Joe 2011 would be an IM Free year. And hmmmmm, I kinda went into IMWI this year thinking it would be my swan song from Ironman (Half Ironman training & racing is a lot more manageable from a work/life balance perspective -as in there are other big cool epic things I’d like to do besides Ironman- like maybe hike the entire Appalachian Trail). But hmmmmmm, there’s been a lot of talk recently about an EN Chica Revenge Tour in 2012 with many wanting to come back together to take care of a little “unfinished business” from this race. So in the end, the answer to that question is I’m just not sure, but I do know one thing for certain. If there’s an EN Chica comeback tour in 2012, I’ll be the first one in line for that ticket!
Comments
Awesome report Nemo, Congratulations for hanging tough when things got rough, not an easy thing to do.
I appreciate you being one of our inspirational leaders of the EN Wisconsin team, you made this journey much more enjoyable.
Nemo, you looked great out there. It was great to meet you and hang. I hope to see you in 2011 at mile 18!!
Great job Nemo! It is funny if you look at a few of the early bike shots of me you can see you clearly drafting off me
Was great seeing you and Joe out on the run. Was a wonderful experience to share with all of you.
-Dave
It is about 6.25 am on Thursday morning. The house is quiet except for the water running in the shower upstairs, hubby getting ready for work. Just finished reading your story...all of it actually. So, enjoyed reliving the days with you! Bummed I didn't make Friday dinner with the team, that would have been fun : ) I thought it quite humerous that we did end up seeing each other the first time as u passed me on the bike right out of Madison. Second time, at the port-o-poties starting the second loop. Third time sitting next to each other in T2, you looked great btw and was in and out like flash gordon
Then finally on the run, I think a couple of times. I rememer we chatted briefly because I noticed u were walking and the look on ur face told all....yep I'm sick 
I was dealing with my own stomach and dehydration issues as well! I passed Joe on the first lap in and he asked about you and I said u were coming behind me....he was so encouraging out there cheering for all the chica's! Way to hang in there Nemo, tough race, tough day! You finished though and can be darn proud about that! Thanks for all you did for the IMWI team in the previous months...organizing everything, buying gifts for RnP, all the advice on the forum, your kind encouraging words....list is endless. Take care friend, rest up and oh you will be back in 2012, cuz yes, another EN Chica tour....for sure!
Oh, Nemo! I had no idea you were so miserable! Extra big hugs!
At mile 14, Jo told me you were about five minutes in front of me and not looking good. So I had my eyes peeled for you, but didn't see you, so I thought you must have recovered and was on your way. I must have missed you at the aid station.
It has been an amazing year of racing and training with you and the chicas. And the doodes. Revenge tour! (And we can't just let this chica vibe fade. I don't think Moojo will let us, anyway.)
P
Very, very cool day, Nemo. You always get it done in such an impressive way. Congratulations on the day...but even more so on the perseverance with the come back, hanging tough to get it done all year long. We focus on a 14-hour slice of time, but so much more goes into getting to the line. Well done and then some!
Some people have Paris, but you, Kitboo, and I will always have the Madison "noise complaint."
Nemo,
So great to see you in T1 and you did give me a big hug! Great way to start the day for both of us. You looked so smooth on Midtown, effortlessly climbing. So sorry you had troubles on the run. Like so many others who had issues, you made to the finish! Very strong indeed. You just let me know when and where the Revenge Tour is and I'll be there with my speedo.
Congratulations!
Matt
Way to go Nemo! Completely awesome!
We apparently finished the swim within 8 seconds of each other---I didn't see you at all. Just doodes trying to swim and do Muay Thai at the same time.
You've had quite the comeback year, chica. A big congratulatory hug to you Nemo---for pulling yourself from the depths of GI shutdown and finishing strong!
I have one more go around this weekend and will take your story with me and gut it out the same way.
Thanks for being my little hero on drillbit day
Well done Nemo and all the other IMWI Iron people ! I loved reading all the reports but reliving all your experiences has given me butterflies in my stomach .......with IMCZ getting closer
One thing is certain we all at some time or other experience the same things .....but we all come back for more . I laughed at your husbands day as it is as big a day for them as for you , after IMSA my husband was sun burnt and dehydrated , you would have thought he had competed !
Enjoy your rest .
Great race report. It's really cool how you pull it together on the run. Awesome job. Bravo !
Awesome report. Shesh can you type. I think you just needed to spend more time tucking dollar bills and that would have settled the tummy!
V