Tom's IM Texas Race Report - "On Your Left!"
As someone said, things never really go as planned or quite as you imagined.
It's incredibly hard to believe that I was in a hospital 10 months ago recovering from a destroyed hip socket after a bad bike accident. I wasn't cleared by the doctor to start long runs until February. Wow!
Who qualifies for Kona with a 1:39:xx swim, a leisurely bike ride of 0.67 IF and running 9:30+ minute miles? Me 
. I'm still expecting a call telling me they got the paperwork wrong and I didn't really qualify.
I came out of the water and looked at the clock. Could I really be that bad - again. Yup! 1750th place, nowhere to go but up Got on the bike and started passing everyone. I was really tired from hollering "on your left" all day long. 5:01:xx bike split riding a 0.67 IF; that's one fast course. The run course was a flat 3 loop course and very fun to run. But, hot and humid. Lots of walking all around me.
They need to fix the finish line too. I came around the final corner with about 20 yards to go. I looked at the clock. 10:59:50. I finished in 11:00:08. Had that final corner been 50 yards longer I surely would have broken 11 hours. 8 or 9 seconds faster would have sounded so much better
I'm still laughing at all the newbie things I did.
First, the swim. It was actually a great venue, just too warm for wetsuits. (Who wears a speed suit and swims a 1:39:xx - me!) Looking at the map it looked like just over a mile up and then back in a made made lake and then a short distance in a canal to the transition area. Well the canal went on forever and I just gave up mentally and physically. I was just really tired of swimming. I should have walked the canal distance on Friday. Should have swam more in training too.
Next time!
Second was nutrition. For the past 5 or so IMs I've used Cytomax and gels on the bike, 2 bottles to start and then 2 in special needs. I then fill in the extra calories with on the course materials. Well this year Gatorade is gone and Powerbar is in. The stuff tastes like crap and I just couldn't tolerate the bars, gels or drink. I can handle most things, but this was quite unbelievably bad. Who eats power bars when its a 100 percent humidity? Beyond awful doesn't begin to describe Powerbar products to me. On the run course I carried one Cyto bottle to start and a couple of gels. When they ran out I tried the course stuff again. No go. I tried coke, but it was still carbonated. One swallow and out that went. I ended up running from mile 15 to the end on water in the stomach and ice in the hat.
Third was my watch. Before the race I did as I always do, power up the Garmin to connect to the satellites to make the connection faster in T2 and then power it down and throw in in the transition bag. Well this time I somehow forgot to power it down, so as I strapped on the watch in T2 and turned it on it said battery gone and powers off. I ended up running the entire marathon without a watch. Still chuckling at that one. Of course I ran the marathon completely against all of my training principles, running way too fast to start and holding on for dear life at the end.
Well, I'm thinking about Hawaii and as Coach P says, "don't get fat!". Hopefully a couple of good glasses of beer are still OK.
Got to thank my Iron Sherpas who sat in the awful humidity all day long catching short glimpses of me here and there. My daughter Kira was there with her boyfriend Oscar as well as our Houston host, Patrick. Neither Oscar nor Patrick had ever seen a triathlon before, let alone an ironman. Quite the subculture shock for both of them! They were all awesome picking up all my gear at the end, getting my bike to TriBike Transport to be driven home, and mostly putting up
with me. As to my wife who graciously allows me to train for one ironman a year, I'm going home to see how many family credits I have left in the bank
As a side note I also wanted to mention a guy a met when I was in Texas last month on the EN Rally. Big, strong, intimidating biker dude with a bald head and scraggly beard. He came out riding and running with us wearing a muscle shirt saying "Future Ironman". He probably ran 15 minute miles. Well, I'm in the Expo area the day after the race and there he is, hobbling around with his finisher medal around his neck beaming ear to ear. That to me is what Ironman is about. Very
cool indeed.
See you in Kona!
Tom
Comments
Major! Great job Tom!
It was only a matter of time! I knew you were going to get it one of these races. Congratulations!
awesome result, hard to argue with that...
Oh and freakin learn how to swim at least a little bit, would you?
Congrats! It's been inspiring to see your progress over the last 3-4yrs, especially after your accident last summer!
During his 5:01:49 ride, Tom passed, on average, a person every 14 seconds.
The undisputed champion of Road Kill!
That's a lot of..."on your lefts"...Someone needs to make Tom a T-Shirt that say's "on your left"
@Craig, So if Tom past someone every 14 seconds, how many "on your lefts" was it? I gues it was close to 1300...
great job Tom.
WOW! You NEVER talk about Kona when we ride and swim. Then I get your text Saturday that says "Kona!" and I just smile. Last July I was helping with your kids while you are in the hospital all busted up to last weekend having Kira there in TX while you qualify for Kona. That is HUGE! Not just an inspiration for us, but also for your kids which is most important.
I am sooo happy for you and my wife and your wife are already texting each other about Team Stark tagging along and sharing a place in October.
And I will make you a deal . . . . for the next few months I will let you suck my bubbles at Lake Del Valle for our OW swims if I can (try and) suck your wheel on the bike.
I think that would be a win-win. Let's get busy!
Way to go, brotha! Couldn't be more happy for you.
Great job Tom, way to get it done.
On our Wednesday rides/runs together I saw his fitness building each and every week since the day he was allowed to bike outdoors last fall. Those were the days...Tom sitting on my wheel...oh such good memories
Every week he would tell me how his running was improving. One mile, two miles etc 2-3 x a week on the TM to 5-6 days a week outside. He started with a massive hitch in his getty-up to a nice smooth stride by the end!!
The big shocker was 12 weeks pre race he was running 8:10's on our bricks... then 6 weeks pre race he was holding 7:30's on our bricks but getting worked over.... and then 10 days pre race he ran his brick that Wednesday in 6:30's. WHAT??? The little bugger dropped me like a bad habit. I LOVED IT!!! He was ready!!!
I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH HIS CAN DO SPIRIT!!! I am blessed to call him my friend and grateful he plans to continue slumming it with me in his training
XO Carrie
Great report Tom! And I think we need to hear it for all of the sherpas again! They are the unsung heros that may appear to do simple things, but how huge are those simple things they do on race day! Congrats!!!!!!
As a fellow member of the EN '10 Cripple's Corner, I raise my glass to you. I'm not recomending this, but there's nothing like a good whack on the head (or hip) to make you train that much harder. And it's doubly sweet, as you never really know if it's all come back until you get a chance to test it out on race day once again. A tear in my eye and a catch in my throat for you, brother.
can't guarantee it, but I'd put money on it that you and I and Patrick will be having a beer together in Kona! We should all bring x-rays and have a good laugh.
Good News: Tom hit noon Masters swim yesterday for the first time in in like forever. Lotsa fast 50's. We were both shelled at the end.
Not sure he appreciated it when I kept telling him to "swim faster." Going faster or holding the time on the next 50 as we were both starting to drop off. And he did pretty well. And he was still talking to me after. So I couldn't have been too hard on him.
{mental note taken for next time}