IMLP race report
This was my first IM and I felt pretty relaxed during the week, going into town for stuff, then going back to the condo for some quiet. I made a pre-race shake the night before and placed it in the fridge. It was chocolate soy milk, Greek yogurt, frozen strawberries and peanut butter. I didn’t get to sleep very well despite being in a great condo (thanks Carie and Derek) and then woke up at 1:30 am to consume the shake. It didn’t settle right, which somewhat impacted sleep and made breakfast at 4:00 am a no go. I spit up a few times and felt like I was going to puke, but it didn’t fully happen. I took a banana with me, but could only get part of that down while preparing in transition. I sipped on Gatorade the entire time.
I happened to see Nate P. while walking to transition. It was nice to see a familiar face and just the chat with him helped calm some nerves
. My wife took bags to special needs and I went into transition, put bottles on, pumped tires, cut my thumb accidentally and got out of there. I went and hung around other EN’s at swim start while shivering from the cold. Since I was shivering and chatting, I paid less attention to my stomach, which finally settled down.
Swim: 1:09:10
I positioned myself in the middle somewhat toward the front. The water kept pushing me under the start line as I waited for 15 minutes, just getting a feel for the water. The swim was pretty uneventful. I got pinched off 5-6 times, but not too bad and it was easy to get going again. I just tried to stay steady and look for feet. Some were straighter than others. First lap was good and the second thinned out even more. I was feeling more tired on the second loop so just focused on form. Stood up out of the water and happened to get out with Nate. He looked at his watch and said that we were fast. I didn’t want to know the exact time as I was afraid I’d start chasing time vs. attacking it in segments.
Transition #1: 7:41
That’s a lot of people in a tent. I tried to be organized in my approach. Swim trunks off, cream, socks, shoes, sunscreen, helmet, glasses, salt tabs in jersey, race belt out. It didn’t do too bad, but now I need to adjust to my new tri shoes and get rid of the socks. Also need to work slowly on the conversion to tri shorts for the bike.
Bike: 6:43:49
Felt I was consistent on the bike at JRA pace. When I break the ride into intervals, I was pretty good with a low VI for most sections of the ride. As soon as I turned on the computer, the battery light for the hub started blinking, which increased my anxiety for the ride. I just tried to remember that it can go like this for days, so I’ll have power for the whole ride. The PT kept losing readings for the ride, but most of it was captured. Climbed EN style all day and just let people go past. It was great to hear encouragement by the faster EN folks who passed me about staying steady. One non-EN guy even said, “Don’t eat paste” as he went past.
Decided to just keep it at JRA for the first loop and try to negative split the second. I missed the 2nd aid station, so I went without water for 30 minutes, which held up my nutrition plan. I just kept it easy and readjusted when I got to the next station. S-caps worked great whenever my stomach started to feel full. I finished my SN bottle on the second loop and the gulp of Pepsi at SN was great (except that the bottle exploded all over me). I was worried about the run, so pushed a little on the second loop but only in small sections. I tried to just to keep my head tucked and eyes on the LYC as the head wind got stronger by the day, but Coach P’s technique of butt out of the saddle caused me some numb toes going out of Ausable Forks on the second loop. Took my foot partially out of the shoe for the climb on Rt. 86 and it worked, but reoccurred going up the Bears. Played the climbing, descending game with people all day and just kept the EN mantra’s in my head.
I had planned on NP of 160 based on estimated FTP of 235. Ended up with NP of 154 (which would be .67 of FTP of 230). I left some watts on the table, but I think this let me run the marathon vs. having to walk. Here is some data that I broke into sections by looking at the graph of the ride (didn’t hit interval button during ride).
Start to Keene descent:
Duration: 39:12 (39:47)
TSS: 27.2 (intensity factor 0.645)
Norm Power: 152
VI: 1.02
Distance: 9.954 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 278 148 watts
Cadence: 43 156 79 rpm
Speed: 5 39.6 15.4 mph
Keene descent:
Duration: 6:23 (6:31)
TSS: 2.6 (intensity factor 0.491)
Norm Power: 115
VI: 1.94
Distance: 3.942 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 336 59 watts
Cadence: 44 124 82 rpm
Speed: 23 44.4 37.3 mph
Forks to the Bears?:
Duration: 2:21:34 (2:24:21)
TSS: 105.8 (intensity factor 0.671)
Norm Power: 158
VI: 1.02
Distance: 38.751 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 295 155 watts
Cadence: 32 163 83 rpm
Speed: 4.4 41.1 16.5 mph
Hills to Special needs:
Duration: 10:43 (12:11)
TSS: 5.3 (intensity factor 0.563)
Norm Power: 132
VI: 1.24
Distance: 2.954 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 226 107 watts
Cadence: 33 178 82 rpm
Speed: 0 32.6 16.6 mph
Back out of town:
Duration: 35:20 (36:01)
TSS: 27.8 (intensity factor 0.691)
Norm Power: 162
VI: 1.01
Distance: 8.797 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 272 161 watts
Cadence: 38 159 82 rpm
Speed: 5.3 38.6 15.0 mph
Keene descent #2:
Duration: 6:37 (6:40)
TSS: 3.5 (intensity factor 0.567)
Norm Power: 133
VI: 1.49
Distance: 3.959 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 315 89 watts
Cadence: 45 124 89 rpm
Speed: 22.6 42 36.2 mph
Forks to Bears #2:
Duration: 2:26:53 (2:30:18)
TSS: 106.5 (intensity factor 0.659)
Norm Power: 155
VI: 1.01
Distance: 38.363 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 377 153 watts
Cadence: 39 183 83 rpm
Speed: 4.3 39 15.8 mph
Preparing to dismount:
Duration: 6:08 (6:31)
TSS: 2.5 (intensity factor 0.495)
Norm Power: 116
VI: 1.24
Distance: 1.665 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 181 94 watts
Cadence: 60 178 82 rpm
Speed: 6.9 24.3 16.4 mph
Entire workout (148 watts):
Duration: 6:36:08 (6:45:57)
Work: 3511 kJ
TSS: 283.5 (intensity factor 0.657)
Norm Power: 154
VI: 1.04
Distance: 108.808 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 377 148 watts
Cadence: 32 183 83 rpm
Speed: 0 44.4 16.6 mph
Transition #2: 5:49
I felt good and prepared getting off the bike. I changed out of bike shorts and into run shorts and fresh socks. Turned on Garmin, used the bathroom and headed out.
Run: 4:53:50
My Garmin acquired the satellites as I went past the bike shop, but I forgot to start it until after Lisa G’s (lost 0 .7 miles). I focused on trying to be between 10:00 and 10:30 for the first 6 miles and did pretty well, especially since it’s downhill. The plan was to go with perform and coke, but after the first aid station of perform, that plan was out the window. I’d survive on coke, water and S-caps for the run. I had to stop at one point to take off my sock and shoe due to a piece of rock out of my shoe (I bet this took 17 seconds…) After the first 6 miles, I couldn’t drop the pace and expect not to walk. Started just running on RPE and looking at the watch at the end of each auto lap mile. I walked the aid stations, but these walks started to continue about 30 feet past the aid station. I just kept telling myself that if I ran to the next aid station, I earned the right to walk. At mile 17 I made a new deal- If I ran to every aid station, then I could power walk the hill at the ski jumps. It worked. Once up that hill, continued running, but picked up the pace a little (If I wanted it to be over I had to run faster). It didn’t last too long, but it worked a little. I also made the same deal for the hill into town up until the stoplight. It worked. I crested the hill and started running. I entered the oval and on the turn saw the clock say “12:59:58……12:59:59…..13:00:00”. I say “shit” in my head, but then decide I had an awesome day, great first IM, and don’t care about time since I met my other goals. Crossed the finish line and didn’t trip!! Mile splits were: 10:02, 9:57, 10:33, 10:40, 10:39, 10:52, 10:43, 11:11, 11:12, 11:10, 11:44, 10:52, 11:14, 11:34, 11:05, 11:48, 11:47, 11:49, 11:51, 11:13, 12:40, 11:33, 10:04, 12:37, 11:12, 10:00 (pace last . 5 miles).
Entire workout (5.5 mph):
Duration: 4:46:23 (4:47:33)
rTSS: 104.4 (0.683)
NGP: 10:55 (147.5 m/min)
Distance: 25.456 mi
Elevation Gain: 1052 ft
Elevation Loss: 966 ft
Grade: 0.1 % (81 ft)
Min Max Avg
Speed: 1.4 8.6 5.5 mph
Pace 6:60 41:59 10:59 min/mi
Altitude: 1640 1880 1725 ft
Final Time: 13:00:17
The EN vibe at races is amazing. It was great to hear people spectating yell for me and to see other people on the course. I smiled throughout the bike and even for most of the run. The volunteers are the nicest people I've ever met, although please don't trust them when they say they got you covered with sunscreen (back is blistered and oozing 
). The EN mantra’s worked all day for me as well as the 4 Keys. I talked these to myself all day: Control what you can control; There’s no high’s or low’s in Ironman, just stay steady; execute your plan; You earn the right to walk by running; keep moving forward. I accomplished my goals for my first Ironman, which was to smile and enjoy the day, finish before dark, and to run the marathon (I’m taking this one as those two hills at the end sucked and I think I power walked them faster than I was running at the current time).
Comments
Nice job on the race Keith, and I burn with sunscreen on so I need to get dunked in it.
Steve
Huge congrats on your race. There is NOTHING like completing your first IM. I hope you feel amazing( minus the sunburn, sore legs and likely general overall fatigue- HA!)
Carrie
Keith,
Great job and just like boston qualifying 13:00:17 counts for 13 hour right? It's amazing what kind of deals you will make with yourself during the IM and you kept on running.
Gordon
Congratulations on your first! Wow, you made a lot of deals with yourself that day. But sometimes thats what it takes to finish.
At the end of you great race report you write the following: “The EN mantra’s worked all day for me as well as the 4 Keys. I talked these to myself all day: Control what you can control; There’s no high’s or low’s in Ironman, just stay steady; execute your plan; You earn the right to walk by running; keep moving forward. I accomplished my goals for my first Ironman, which was to smile and enjoy the day, finish before dark, and to run the marathon”.
Do you know how many people do IMs and never learn what you knew and executed in your first Ironman? As Coach Rich often says, “9 out of 10 people have don’t know how to race an ironman”. You rocked it on your first shot!! Well done. Welcome to the Ironman Family!
Very impressive steady run splits - that's so hard to do the first time out!
Keith - I can confirm this as everytime I saw you, you were grinning from ear to ear! a testament to your really strong race execution. well done and congrats!!
Congratulations again. It was great hanging out with you and your wife this past weekend. Rest up. I Look forward to racing along side you next year.