Jeremy Behler IMAZ Race Report - First IM
As I write this race report on Sunday, one week after the race, I’m enjoying my second day of feeling ‘normal’ again. It took my three days before I could walk regularly, and another day until I could walk normally without any soreness in my legs…basically a 4-5 days for recovery.
This report is detailed as a number of my friends/family aren’t familiar with triathlon specifics, but also because I also look back on these reports to plan/adjust my plans for future races. Be forewarned.
Pre Race
WEDNESDAY
We left Wednesday night (the race was on Sunday). I had shipped my bike with Tri Bike Transport, a company that ships your bike and gear to major triathlons. While not the cheapest option, it’s certainly the best if it’s not a race you are driving to. They ship the bike complete, so no need to worry about re-assembly, a misaligned derailleur, loose cables, etc. I basically had to pack my regular clothes for the week along with my race clothing (bike gear and nutrition were shipped with the bike). Our flight arrived at 10:30PM Local (12:30AM Cincinnati time) and after the long bus ride to the rental car depot and our drive to Tempe it was around midnight local when we arrived at our place. We rented a loft at the corner of 6th and Mill, only a few short blocks from the race expo and transition area. This was tremendously convenient throughout the week as we were able to walk to most destinations.
THURSDAY
Thursday I had two workouts planned. The first involved a 30ish minute swim. I met Endurance Nation (EN) teammates David Ambrose John Stark at Starbucks and they drove us to Canyon Lake, an incredibly beautiful lake about 40 minutes outside of Tempe. Tempe Town Lake, the venue for the race swim, is not open to the public for swimming so Canyon Lake was our best alternative for open water swimming. David and John had both completed multiple Ironman races so it was helpful to chat with them on the way out and get their advice/perspective. The swim at Canyon lake was cold, probably in the low 60s. This was similar to the conditions in Tempe Town Lake, so a good prep for race day. We met David Lesh, another EN teammate who drove in from California for the race. The water was a cold, but with a wetsuit it was comfortable after a few minutes of warm up. David A. and John were staying in Scottsdale so I got a ride back to Tempe with David L. IMAZ was David’s first Ironman so was good to talk to him about his preparation, goals, etc. David had never run a standalone marathon either, so the race involved even more unknown We talked about goals for the race, and we were both knew what we didn’t know, with our main goal of enjoying the race and executing well. That said, we both had time goals that we beat handily (more on that later). Once we were back in Tempe I went to the race transition area and picked up my bike from the Tri Bike Transport booth. I got back to the loft had a small lunch, loaded my bike up and drove out to the Beeline Highway to ride part of the course. I rode 10 miles out on the Beeline highway course, and another 3-4 miles past the turnaround before heading back. I could tell from the ride it would be a fast course if the winds were calm. The 8 miles before the turnaround are a slight uphill with a false flat at the end. By Cincinnati standards this wouldn’t be called a hill…no need to shift into the small ring or get out of the aerobars/saddle. Thursday evening we went to dinner with many of my EN teammates…none of whom I’d met in person. It was great talking with all of them, many of whom had raced IMAZ before and had great perspective on race execution. I sat across from Al Truscott, who had raced IMAZ multiple times and set the course record for his age group in 2010. (Al went on to win his age group this year in a great come-from-behind performance.)
FRIDAY
I went to check in at 9AM am and picked up my athlete bracelet, gear bags, etc. I hit IM store and did damage that’s probably common amongst first time Ironman athletes. Mark Saunders, who signed up with me last year and had been training for the race arrived Friday morning. He had torn his calf in October, so unfortunately had to scratch from the race. His flights and lodging were already booked so he and his family were still planning to spend the week in Phoenix. We met them for lunch at a Mexican restaurant before returning to the loft for a short nap. I went for a short 30 minute run on the course that went by the lake and over one of the bridges. Our pre-race athlete meeting was at 7:30, then we met Jim and Jennie Pustinger for some wood fired pizza near our loft. Jim is also from Cincinnati and was racing IMAZ as his first Ironman. He and I had done Steelhead 70.3 last year as well. We got home around 10 and I packed up my gear bags:
· Bike Gear bag –helmet, shoes, sunglasses, and race number that I put on after the swim
· Run Gear bag – visor, socks, and running shoes that I put on in T2 after the bike
· Bike special needs – ‘insurance’ items that I have the option of accessing at mile 60 on the bike..contained backup nutrition, extra tire, tube, and CO2.
· Run special needs – ‘insurance’ items I have the option of accessing around mile 16…contains extra socks, backup pair of shoes, band aids, etc.
SATURDAY
Saturday morning we had the opportunity for a practice swim in Tempe Town Lake. We walked down to the transition area with the Pustingers with all of our gear. I ran into David L and his wife Katie. We did a short swim, probably around 1,000 yards. The water was cold, similar to Canyon Lake, but not nearly as clear. Tempe Town Lake is very murky with silt and you cannot see your hand until it’s right in front of your face. The most helpful part of the practice swim was being able to navigate the swim exit – essentially a set up makeshift bleachers that have 8-10 rows. A volunteer helps you out of the water and you take the steps up the 10 feet from the water to the path above. After that we met the Saunders clan for lunch in Scottsdale (more wood fired pizza – lots of it) then headed back to the loft for a nap. The ASU/Arizona football game was Saturday night, just a half mile from our loft. I hoped the reveling outside wouldn’t be disturbing and thankfully it wasn’t. Meredith met a high school friend for some tailgating and I grabbed a small spaghetti dinner as takeout from a nearby restaurant. I was in bed by 9 and asleep around 10.
SUNDAY – Race Day
I woke myself up at 2AM and downed a couple smoothies to give my body time to digest 6-700 calories and be able to start the swim with an empty stomach. I went back to bed but my anxiety/excitement didn’t allow me to fall back to sleep. I got out of bed again at 4 and had a light breakfast – a banana and HEED. I put on my race gear (shorts, singlet, calf sleeves, sun sleeves) and a jacket and left for the transition area. As I walked out the bars along Mill Ave were sweeping up the mess and I passed a few remaining drunken ASU students from the game. It struck me as funny that they were ending a long night that was hard on their bodies, and I was just staring a long day that would be hard on my body…in a very different way.
I arrived at the transition area a few minutes before the 5AM opening. I struck up a conversation with a guy in front of me who was doing his 2nd IMAZ. He mentioned that he was 50 lbs lighter than last year and 110lbs lighter than 2 years ago when he got into triathlon because he was worried he couldn’t be the active father he wanted to be. There were all types of inspiring stories like this.
Transition opened at 5am and I quickly got to my bike and checked everything (shift into right starting gear, set up nutrition - Perpeteum, Heed, water with endurolytes, turn on GPS, checked tire pressure, etc). After that I went and found a quiet spot to relax and walk through the race in my mind. Around 6:30 I put my wetsuit on and made my way to swim entrance. The Pros went in around 6:40 but I saw a few running up late, just a couple minutes before the start. They opened water to Age Groupers around 6:45 and I was at the front of the line. I jumped right into the chilly water and swam to the staring area.
SWIM
They wouldn’t allow us past the bridge until the pro field went off. Once they did there was lots of jockeying for position. I found a kayak to hold onto that was in the middle of the course. As the National Anthem was played and the pre-race music started the kayaks pulled away and I positioned myself about 3 people back.
After what seemed like an eternity, the cannon went off and chaos ensued. My plan was to go hard for 4-500 yards then settle into my race pace. The first few minutes involved a lot of kicking, pushing, bumping, and hitting but after 4-500 yards I was able to find some clear water. The sun was rising directly ahead so I sighted off of buildings and landmarks along the shore. I felt like I was moving at a decent pace, but it seemed to take a long time to get to the Rural Road bridge. After another few hundred yards I spotted the turnaround buoys. Once I started back I resisted the urge to look at my watch…it was WAY too early to get excited or disappointed in my initial pace. After the turnaround the field spread out further and I don’t recall having any major contact with other swimmers. Once I got back to the Mill Ave bridge I knew I was close the finish. Soon after the second bridge I saw the final red buoy where I made a left turn for the swim exit. As I approached the exit I looked for exit lane with biggest volunteer to help me out. He pulled me out onto the first step. I stood up, walked up the bleachers, and jogged to the wetsuit strippers. I accidentally kicked a guy in the head who had laid down to have his wetsuit stripped with his head in the running path. I stopped at the last wetsuit strippers, they pulled off my sleeves and I lay on back while they pulled off legs. After that I ran the 150 yards to get my bike gear bag where I saw Meredith. Mark and the Saunders clan cheering like crazy along with thousands of other spectators. I took a quick look at my watch and saw 1:02:XX, essentially right at my goal time.
TOTAL SWIM – 2.4 Miles in 1:01:40 (1:37/100M pace). Coming out of the water I was in 190th place overall (out of 2900) and 30th in my age group (out of 338).
Link -Swim GPS Data
T1
I grabbed my bike gear bag and ran to the changing tent and quickly put on my helmet, sunglasses, and race number. I carried my bike shoes to bike, found my bike quickly on the rack, put on my shoes, and ran out of transition. I always try to keep it simple in transition as this is free time.
TOTAL T1 – 4:20. I made up some time and got onto the bike in 155th overall (up 35 spots) and 23rd in my age group (up 7)
BIKE
With only 150 people in front of me (including the Pros who started 10 minutes earlier), the bike course was not very crowded. The first quarter mile is through a chute with spectators lining both sides. After that, the first 8 miles are through town with a couple miles at a time before the next turn. The roads were smooth and the winds light making for some fast riding. My plan was to keep my watts low for 30 minutes and get settled in before dialing up to my race pace. As I settled in I started to get passed by some guys really cranking. Many of these guys were bigger guys and I figured I would either pass them on the run or they’d burn out over the next 100 miles. I checked everyone’s calf to see if they were in my age group (all of our ages were marked on our left calf), but forced myself to stay focused on maintaining consistent watts. About midway up the Beeline Highway the pros passed on their way down and they were hauling. After the turnaround it was smooth and fast…27-35 MPH for 5-6 miles. I stayed aero the whole time and was amazed at the number of people I was passing that had passed me a few miles ago on the uphill (Just like Rich and Patrick said!). As I got back into town I crossed over Tempe Town Lake and passed by Sun Devil Stadium. I approached the turnaround and saw (actually heard them first) Meredith, Mark, Whit, and the Saunders crew. They took me a bit by surprised and I took the turn a bit hot but averted a tragedy and kept the tires down. From there I was out for lap 2 of 3. By now a lot of folks on course as the slower swimmers were on the bike. It was much more congested and there was a lot of passing required. Watts were steady from the first lap but speed was slightly lower as the winds were picking up a bit. As I got the turnaround on lap 2 I was averaging high 21.8 MPH with my watts slightly below target. I knew a solid bike split was possible but tried to keep from focusing too much on the time and instead focus on my execution and holding my power steady. I continued taking 120 calories of Perpeteum every 30 minutes. As I came into the final mile of the 2nd lap I saw the support squad median this time yelling and screaming, and as I turned around and started my 3rd lap they were there again provide a final psychological push for the 3rd and final lap. By the time I got to the Beeline Highway on the last lap the wind was really picking up and I noticed my speed was much lower. Interestingly, I was a bit faster on the uphill indicating the winds shifted and were coming from the southeast. After the turnaround I really felt this headwind. My speeds were 5-10 MPH slower than first lap. I also saw some major drafting going on (drafting is illegal in Ironman racing). I only saw one guy in penalty tent, but saw dozen’s more blatantly drafting to mitigate the impacts of the strong headwind. My Perpeteum ran out after 4 hours so I grabbed a Perform from an aid station on the final lap. As I approached the turnaround for the 3rd time I was able to take a right turn instead and headed through chute. The chute was about 15 feet wide and lined with people on both sides cheering and screaming…a very cool experience I tried to take in.
TOTAL BIKE – 112 Miles. 5:11:01 Avg Speed 21.61MPH Avg Power 168 pNorm 172 VI 1.03 IF .664 TSS 228.3 Coming off the bike I was in 148th (up 7) overall and in 17th in my age group (up 6).
Link - Bike GPS Data
T2
As I pulled up to the dismount line I hopped off my bike and handed it to the volunteers who took it and my shoes to the racks. This is a nice option that most other triathlons don’t offer, as I didn’t have to worry about racking my bike and was able to head straight to pick up my run gear bag and into the transition tent. As I sat down two volunteers helped me out, with one putting an ice pack on my neck while I put on my socks, running shoes, and visor. I took my endurolyte tabs in a ziplock back and put them in my jersey before heading out for the run.
TOTAL T2 1:52. Going into the marathon I was in 139th place (up 9) and 17th in my age group (flat)
RUN
I expected my run to be my best discipline. During training, I had a hard time controlling my pace off the bike as I had a tendency to go out too fast. My plan was to run 8:30 minute miles for 6 miles then 8s for balance and come in around 3:35 for the marathon. As I started the run along Tempe Town Lake headed west there were lots of spectators and very few other runners at this point. I quickly arrived at the first aid station at 0.5 miles, took a couple sponges and a cup of water and was on my way. About halfway to the first bridge I felt myself running nice and slow but realized I hadn’t checked my pace. I looked down at my watch and to my dismay I had totally forgotten to check the area where I had focused so much time on. I was averaging a 6:30 pace through .75 miles vs. my goal of 8:30. Shit. I immediately started walking to get my heart rate down. I walked a good 45 seconds, but by then my heartrate had slowed and I knew I’d pay more attention to my pace so I started running again. I hoped in my mind that I’d caught myself early enough to not booger the marathon after a solid bike and swim. I ran an 8:00 pace to next aid station before walking 30 seconds, most of which included a stop in the porto-potty. The course crossed back over the Mill Ave bridge before passing by the transition area and along Tempe Town Lake’s south short to the east. This area had lots of spectators again and was very motivating. I continued the same routine at each aid stations..water, sponges, ice, a Gatorade and Endurolytes at every very other while walking for 20 seconds. The course then crosses back across Tempe town lake and eventually gets to a decent hill followed by a relatively steep downhill and an aid station. Each aid station had a theme where the volunteers tried to keep us motivated. By far the best aid station was at mile ~6 of the course that had a police theme. The men were wearing police uniforms a-la Reno 911 but more importantly the women wearing fishnets short skirts that would give you an ‘atta boy’ spaking with their billy club each time you passed. From there it was back across the lake and through main spectator area. This section was lined with people on both sides which again is a very cool experience. I saw the support squad here on each lap. By the time I completed the first lap there were a lot more runners. I was averaging 8 min mile which was better, but still a bit fast vs. my goal because of the first mile. It was about 2PM, so by now it was getting hot, and there was very limited shade on the course. Around mile 10 a volunteer on the side of the path said …”#1375 you are in 13th place”. Wow I thought. I didn’t expect to be that high…should I push it and try to get top 10? I fought the urge and stuck with my plan. After all, this was my first IM and who know’s how my body would feel after 5 or 10 more miles. It’s better to run 8:30s or even 9:00s than to burn out and walk 17 minute miles. As I approached the 3rd aid station again I heard a lot of cheering behind me. Shortly afterward I was passed by Leanda Cave, the eventual women’s race winner. I admired her running efficiency as she passed me like I was standing still yet was smooth as could be. After crossing back on Mill Ave I got passed by the trailing pro women. I recognized Amanda Stevens and Lindsey Corbin. I also passed a couple male pros who were blowing up, but they were 8 miles ahead of me and on their final lap. Toward the end of the 2nd lap I was starting to feel the fatigue set in. I was running 8:30-9:00 pace and just wanted to maintain that pace for another 10 miles to the finish. As I approached the 3rd aid station the volunteer told me I was in 15th place. I don’t remember seeing anyone in my age group pass me, but may missed someone in an aid station. I saw Rich as I crossed the Mill St bridge for the final time as he gave me some words of encouragement. By 21 I started to hit the proverbial wall and by body stated telling me to slow down. With only 5 miles left I knew I could push through. I passed teammate Matt S. on the uphill and exchanged a few words I don’t recall. I kept my eye on calves to see if I was making up/losing ground. I knew Kona roll downs don’t typically go deep in AZ, but who knows…I remember hearing IM Wisconsin went 16 spots deep. Kona wasn’t even on my radar screen until now, so I was thrilled to even be in a position to think about it. As I approached the last mile I tried to enjoy it as much as possible. I was about to finish during the daylight and a good 20 minutes faster than I thought possible. As I ran through the final pass I fed off the energy of the crowd. It was really amazing, again with spectators lining both sides, yelling name (it was on my race number). I approached the final split and turned left to finish the race. By now any pain was gone and adrenaline was taking over. I ran through a parking lot, made a left turn and into the final chute, I looked back and didn’t see anyone so trotted the final 100 yards and enjoyed the final moments and Mike Reilly announce my name and “You are an Ironman”. Actually, in all the excitement I never heard him, but others said they did.
TOTAL RUN 26.2 Miles. 3:47:19 (8:40 avg pace).
|
Split |
Time |
Distance |
Avg Pace |
|
Summary |
3:47:29.2 |
26.33 |
8:38.3 |
|
1 |
7:19.7 |
1.00 |
7:19.8 |
|
2 |
8:07.0 |
1.00 |
8:06.9 |
|
3 |
8:13.0 |
1.00 |
8:13.0 |
|
4 |
7:54.0 |
1.00 |
7:54.0 |
|
5 |
8:07.9 |
1.00 |
8:07.9 |
|
6 |
8:33.0 |
1.00 |
8:33.0 |
|
7 |
8:24.0 |
1.00 |
8:24.0 |
|
8 |
8:32.0 |
1.00 |
8:32.0 |
|
9 |
8:42.0 |
1.00 |
8:42.0 |
|
10 |
8:31.9 |
1.00 |
8:32.0 |
|
11 |
8:29.0 |
1.00 |
8:28.9 |
|
12 |
8:09.0 |
1.00 |
8:09.0 |
|
13 |
8:32.9 |
1.00 |
8:33.0 |
|
14 |
8:25.0 |
1.00 |
8:24.9 |
|
15 |
9:11.0 |
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Comments
---Ann.
It was great hanging out with you at the finish line - this is the 6th IM I've started, and the first time I've stayed the whole time to see the midnight cut-off...simply awe-inspiring!
My goal for IM #2 is to return to the finish line after the race to see the last finishers...I was too wrecked after IMLP...
Jeremy - it was so great to met you two in Tempe, and you might have noticed I was ecstatic over how well you executed race day. Simply awesome.
Woh my God that is awesome. Congrats on an outstanding first IM! Im so envious of those numbers.
Great job man. Your podcast just got me through 40:00 of a 60:00 treadmill session.
6'2" 170 lbs and 21.6mph on 168W? I know it's flat but that is insanely fast for the wattage, especially for your size. You must be laying on the top tube. What wheels?
What's next for you?
Thanks everyone.
http://youtu.be/ZuTrAPC_WPA I was riding on Zipp 808s with a rear disc cover.
@ Chris....I've always been able to extract a lot of speed from every watt...not totally sure why. I've had a couple powertaps and they seem to calibrate well so I know the watts are accurate. . I'm aero but not super aggressive...4.5 inches of drop - see link
As for what's next...despite my desires to challenge for a Kona spot, I'll take a year off from 140.6. I'm doing Boston Marathon in April then will do Rev3 70.3 in September.. I didn't make the call soon enough to get in on any of the late season WTC races.. I'll Jump back into IM distance in 2013.
You and me both. I'm about 2 inches taller and about 10 pounds heavier and I couldn't hit 17mph on that kind of wattage.
@Matt...was great meeting you. I have you, Al, and the other veterans I spoke with in Tempe to thank. My execution wouldn't have been nearly as strong without your perspective.