IMAZ Race Report - Scott Alexander
Wanted to finally get down my thoughts and some semblance of a race report before I forgot too many details. This report is a little long, but not as long as my usual race reports, so bear with me! (I'll try to insert some pics later)
Left Dallas Wednesday afternoon, and drove 9.5 hours to El Paso TX. Stayed in the luxurious Red Roof Inn in a “safe” part of town. Cracker Barrel for dinner, and a maple Krispy Kreme for dessert (love me some maple!).
An early morning on Thursday, to complete the 7 hour drive to Phoenix/Tempe. Stopped in Tucson to visit the Trisports store, where I spent some money ($$cha-ching$$). Made it to the hotel about 1pm, where one of my oldest friends from my NorCal home, Rob, was waiting. Didn’t even bother checking in and headed straight to the expo to get registered, and get it out of the way. After registering, did the merchandise tent walk-thru and bought a jersey, and talked some smack to Stark and Ambrose (aka “Ambrosia”). Finally checked into the hotel, and took Rob for some good healthy southern cooking…Chick-fil-a (which he doesn’t get in NorCal). Relaxed a few hours and headed back to the team dinner in Tempe. Stood jealously around as I watched Endurance Nation (EN) teammates and friends drink the beers I’ve been holding back from for the last month – as I always do a month-long pre-IM sobriety ‘cleanse’. It’s always nice to connect so many faces with the names I’ve seen on the forums for so long. It was great to meet everyone, sometimes for the first time and frequently again. Unfortunately, there were so many people, that I didn’t get to meet everyone. Headed back to the hotel and hit the hay.
Friday morning, met the EN team at the Beeline highway for an out-and-back on the last stretch. Pleasant temps, hardly any wind, and cruised up to Shea Blvd playing cat-and-mouse with Ambrosia. Then back to the gas station. Went back and walked thru the expo area, checked out some great looking tri-women all around (one of my favorite hobbies), then made my way back to the hotel again to meet up with my dad. He already drove down to Phoenix from NorCal and already played a round of golf before he came to see me! WTH, thanks dad! Caught up a little, then grabbed some (more) food. Tried to get to bed as early as possible, but it just didn’t seem to be happening.
Saturday was mostly uneventful. Walked Dad and Rob around the race area to show them the race logistics, viewing points, areas of interest, etc. Turns out I didn’t remember as much as I thought I did from April 2007, when I first did IMAZ. That, and the course slightly changed from my first time in April 2007, including transition in/outs, a little of the bike course and some of the run course too. Dad and Rob stand in line with me to check-in the bike, again uneventful. Dinner at Ruby Tuesday; sliders (love those mini-burgers!). Bedtime by 10pm.
Now for the race stuff…
Sunday 12:30am: woke up and had two small protein smoothies. Back to sleep – not that I could really sleep at that point.
4:30am: alarm clock goes off for the ‘official’ start of the day. Blend myself a smoothie for breakfast then change into the clothes for the day. Hit the bano a few times, while I could do so in the comfort of my own “home”. Then left for the event and the long day ahead… Was able to find event parking at the closest parking garage ($10).
Walking into the venue I ran into Stark and Ambrosia at the first set of porta-potties; where I was a hero of the day for bringing my own roll of toilet paper. After “loaning” some to Stark, I used some more, and then left the remainder for the other folks in line. I consider that good tri/race karma and encourage every one to do it in the future, if you don’t already!
Turn in special needs bags, add water to my profile bottle, top off the air in the tires, and then met Dad and Rob at the edge of the transition area. They hung out with me until I had to take off my warm clothes, don the wetsuit, two latex caps, neoprene booties, goggles and ear plugs and made my way to the start line. At this point I had an emotional breakdown, just remembering the last time I started an IM: in CDA in 2009, where I DNF’d my first ever race, and found out the day after that my mom had been diagnosed with Stage IIIB lung cancer. Dad asked if it was my nerves, I lied and told him it was.
Head to the swim start area and was real slow getting in by the influx of all the swimmers. Got to the waters edge, jumped in and started to swim to the bridge, where I’d position myself over to the right of the canal. Unfortunately, due to all the swimmers, and the late start, by the time I got to the bridge, the cannon went off so I could never get over enough. Didn’t hear the national anthem or even get a chance to “warm myself up”- per my usual pre-race ritual before the melee commenced! I don’t think I’ve ever been beat up so badly in a swim. I got kicked in the cajones and punched in the head/neck several times from overzealous strokers.
For at least the first half mile, I couldn’t swim more than five strokes without running into someone that was stopped in front of me-forcing me to stop too. FINALLY got some clear water and started getting into a good rhythm. Counted strokes, 100 at a time as much as I can. Overall it felt like I was cruising pretty well. Latched onto a few kayaks on the back stretch in order to relax a little and relieve myself.
Swam towards the swim exit, found a clear step, grab the railing, put one foot up on the most bottom step, and reached up for a volunteer who pulled me up the rest of the way. Walked up the staircase, and a few steps afterwards to orient myself. Connected eyes with a wetsuit stripper, who I ran to, and fell on my back holding onto my shorts. I appreciate the volunteers, of course, but it’s funny to have the doe-eyed first time volunteers telling me how to get my wetsuit off. Walked a few more steps with wetsuit in hand, and then picked up the pace to a decent jog, where I must have passed over two dozen people in the chute from swim exit to T1.
SWIM: 1:38:16 (2:35/100 pace)
2007 TIME: 1:49:51, so a swim PR by 11.5 minutes.
Volunteers screaming my number to each other still didn’t help them get my bag any faster! Grabbed my own bag and headed to the change tent. Walked in with my stuff, to find the entire tent was jam packed AND it felt like it was a Texas summer in there – hot and humid – aka nasty! Back-stepped a few and sat on a chair outside, where I dumped my bag. Threw on my helmet, socks and shoes; but forgot to pre-roll my arm sleeves, so struggled to get them on my still-wet arms. Packed my swim stuff into the bag, handed it to a volunteer and ran through the uber-nasty change tent. Stopped at the sunscreen slather-ers, got some on my shoulders and lower back (love that “racing stripe”) and ran to my rack spot. At least I wasn’t the last bike on there!
TI: 7:54
2007 TIME: 5:42, so lost over 2 minutes from before.
Ran with the bike up to the mount line, where the usual cluster of people completely stopping and clogging up the lanes. Managed to get through the squirrels and quickly onto the road and into aero position.
My plan was to go the first out to the turnaround at about 65%, then kick it up to between the 70-75% range for the remainder of the bike leg. Since my power meter/bike computer seems to have an issue lately where it resets the mileage after mile 40 (every long ride for the last few months), I cannot separate out each lap statistically, but I’ll break it down to the following…
First lap: The way out was a slight headwind, but the way back was a SCREAMIN fast tailwind. On the way back on the Beeline Highway, I was going 34+ mph and was easily spinning out of gears. If this was the wind pattern for the rest of the day, even if the headwind on the way out got more intense, I’d surely take it and love it! Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. On the way back in, I noticed the huge crowds – they were awesome and way larger than I remember from 2007.
Second lap: My idea of kicking up the intensity failed pretty miserably. I couldn’t generate any power into my legs, and my back tightened up a little, so the whole way up the Beeline to the turnaround I was out of aero position. I managed to stretch my back out enough doing that to be aero on the way back. Hit special needs after the turnaround, where I grabbed my coke and a rice krispy treat. Loved the sugar boost! Then hit the porta-potty and got on my way.
Third lap: The wind kicked up in my face just about every way I was pointed, and stronger than the second lap. I was able to stay in the aero position longer this lap though, which helped my overall speed on this lap.
Didn’t drink all the nutrition in my bottles, but never felt hungry and never had to resort to the Lara bars I had with me as my “in case of emergency” nutrition.
For you powermeter users, overall, I ended up with a .584 Intensity Factor (as opposed to the .70-.75 I was shooting for), and a 1.03 Variability Index (that’s pretty steady pedaling if you ask me).
BIKE: 5:26:57 (20.55mph avg)
2007 TIME: 6:04:41 (18.43mph avg), so almost 40 minute PR and ~2mph faster.
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BIKE SPLIT 1: 37 mi. |
37 mi. (3:27:20) |
21.94 mph |
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BIKE SPLIT 2: 74 mi. |
37 mi. (5:22:21) |
19.30 mph |
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BIKE SPLIT 3: 112 mi. |
38 mi. (7:13:07) |
20.58 mph |
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TOTAL BIKE |
112 mi. (5:26:57) |
20.55 mph |
Once I hit Rio Salado at the end of my 3rd lap, I pulled my feet out of my shoes and rested them on top. Made me realize my toes were still cold and numb from the swim, as they were tingling when placed on the sharp edges of the top of the bike shoes.
Handed my bike off to the volunteers, with my shoes still on them, as I ran through transition in my bike socks. The volunteers found my bag for me easily this time and did the football handoff. Made it inside the tent this time where it wasn’t nearly as nasty as before. Helmet off, hat on, Garmin on wrist, sunglasses on head, bike socks off, running socks on, running shoes on, GU flask and s-caps in pocket. Stuffed the bag with my bike helmet and bike socks and left with the sunscreen slather-ers chasing me through transition trying to get my shoulders – thankfully they did, because it was sunny and a little hot!
T2: 5:14
2007 TIME: 7:28, so shaved over 2 minutes there.
Turned on my Garmin as I left the change tent, and it took over .25 miles to hit the satellites, at which point I was clipping along way faster than I wanted to-which is always the case.
My plan was to do the first loop (of three) at 9:15-9:30s, then drop down into the 8:30-8:45 pace – which usually I can run ALL DAY long at. I’d hold that pace for at least the second lap and half of the third, then drop down the last half-loop at whatever pace I could still hold.
Well, that plan went to hell – and quick! After the first .25 miles running, my shins totally seized up. Seized so bad I couldn’t flex my ankles. So, long story short, I basically waddled the first lap. Well, unfortunately, my usual IM “run” is a walk – even though I know it’s not due to going to hard on the bike this time. So I walk…the.whole.first.lap. It was sunny and a little hot too, so being out there extra long definitely wasn’t my ideal plan. Had several EN and Fit2Train (F2T) teammates pass me on the loop.
At the beginning of the second loop I saw a cute girl run by, a cute enough one to motivate me to run again! So run I did, I jumped into her draft (although she wasn’t tall enough to create a draft for me), and I stayed with her, clipping along at about 9:15-9:30s, from aid station to aid station, where we’d walk through, eat/drink and pick it up again on the other side. I started taking in a few waters and a cup of perform at every aid station, while using my own Accel Gel once an hour, along with some s-caps. During this second lap, I was able to pass seemingly the same EN and F2T teammates that passed me on the first loop.
The third lap, as usual, the wheels started to come off. A monstrous blister formed on the ball of my left foot, which made any running I was doing a bit of a limped walk. Long before now, I had no worries of not finishing, so I knew I just had to bide my time and trudge along. Made it to the last stretch and picked it up beyond a walk – you’ll never see me walking across a finish line unless something is seriously wrong.
Ran down the finish chute while pumping my arms up and down trying to get the crowd cheering for me. Mike Reilly proclaimed I was an ironman (again), and dashed across the finish line.
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RUN SPLIT 1: 3.2 mi. |
3.2 mi. (7:54:10) |
11:11/mile |
|
RUN SPLIT 2: 11.9 mi. |
8.7 mi. (9:47:41) |
13:02/mile |
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RUN SPLIT 3: 20.1 mi. |
8.2 mi. (11:16:09) |
10:47/mile |
|
RUN SPLIT 4: 26.1 mi. |
6 mi. (12:40:39) |
14:05/mile |
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TOTAL RUN |
26.2 mi. (5:22:18) |
12:18/mile |
RUN: 5:22:18 (12:18/mile pace)
2007 TIME: 5:43:43 (13:07/mile pace), so 21 minutes faster and ~:45/mile faster.
OVERALL TIME: 12:40:39
2007 TIME: 13:51:25, so a 71 minute PR on this course, and a 26 minute PR at the IM distance.
Ran into the catchers arms past the finish line, where he placed a solar blanket around my shoulders. The volunteers had problems getting my timing chip off under my compression socks, so I had to bend over and do it for them while being held up.
Found my Dad and my friend Rob on the barriers and walked over to greet them; where I proceeded to pop the top on my first post-race Guinness – my prize! Hung out with them a little before dad decided to call it a (long) day and head back to the hotel.
Went back to my car, where I had a complete change of clothes – they were warm and didn’t stink of Tempe Towne lake and sweat. Win-win.
Rob and I went to the Rula Bula pub to hang out with my EN teammates. This is where I heard the unfortunate news of EN teammate, Chris Gleason, passing away at the Philly marathon, earlier that day. Shared some food, beers and stories of the day with my EN teammates.
Then teammate Jeremy, my friend Rob and I shuffled down to the finish line to watch the final finishers. This being the first time (out of five ironman finishes) that I’ve been able to stay awake long enough to do so. Quite inspiring and I encourage everyone to do it.
Made the drive back to El Paso on Tuesday, then back to Dallas on Wednesday. What a long few days those were!
Comments
Scott, great race and great PR under challenging conditions!
Scott, sorry I missed this earlier but great PR and overcoming adversity. I'd take sub 5:30 IM bike all day long at an IF of less than 0.60!
Great Job on the PR. I did find in amusing that your 'One Thing' turned out to be a cute girl. Motivation for sure!
Gordon