IM LOU 2012
Let me start with a big thank you to Coaches Pat and Rich for some really spot on advice. I have previously done 8 1/2 iron distance races and a handfull of sprints and oly's. I have never been able to run the whole 1/2 and have had problems with dehydration and passing out after finishing several of the 1/2s. With that background I will report that my wife and other family members were not very pleased when I announced that I was doing an Iron Man in honor of my 60th year. Also this was to be my first marathon.
I stumbled on to the EN site around the end of April and really liked what I read. The training philospohy seemed like it was the right answers to the problems I have always had. So I signed up for the intermediate IM plan with 14 weeks to go till louisville. Really enjoyed the training and felt it working for me through the summer. My goal for the race was to finish in a vertical position and if it went really well to be able to run the whole marathon.
Went to training camp with Rich in July and really enjoyed the bike course and after riding it according to EN pacing guidelines I was able to actually get through the hour run and felt ok. I started to think I might really be able to do this.
Drove up to Lou on Thursday, checked in to the Galt. Amazed at all the bikes and spandex in and around the hotel. wow this is really a big deal. Met Ken Smith and Roy Ezell for a spin out on the loop on friday morning. Felt great to loosen up, nothing hard.
Enjoyed dinner with the team on Friday and absorbed a lot of great info from Patrick about how to deal with hydration and heat management. He was insistant on drinking 2 bottles of perform per hour on the bike and told us exactly what to do at aid stations on the bike and on the run. His advice was dead on for me.
Saturdy I went to the 4 keys talk and checked in my bike and did nothing else but try and get 720 grams of carbs in per the nutrition webinar. Also drank a couple performs during the day trying to preload sodium. Sunday morning got up at 2 and drank a smoothie made from 3 cups of applesause, 1 banana, and a cup of whey protein, also from the webinar. It was hard to get down but I forced it then slept till 4:15. Off to pump up the bike at 5 then walked down to the swim start. Waited in a really long line to get rid of the last of the applesause and by then I ended up at almost the very end of the swim line. Maybe 200 behind me. I think I finally hit the water around 7:40 after sipping another perform. Swim went well, after I got in the main channel I headed out near the middle of the river away from the crowd and enjoyed smooth water and no bumping. Swim time was 1:31 which is about what i guessed. Not fast but not stressed or working too hard. I am thinking about mile 18 of the run...
T1 was ok, cruised down River Rd and started drinking, stayed with the 2 bottles per hour and during the ride also did 2 roctanes and a power bar. I dont have a power meter and on race day my regular computer died on me so I just watched my heartrate and rode a comfortable pace. Avg hr was 120 which is z1 for me, No stress ... thinking about mile 18. The first set of hills were great. Guys around me would get out of the saddle and leave me then I would pass them on the downhill. After about 3 hills they would usually fall back and i wouldnt see them again. Just like the coaches said. Drinking all that perform reminded me on college days when i remember getting to the point where I would drink a beer then pee a beer. After hour 2 I think i peed a perform every time I drank one. OK coach I think I am hydrated. But the heat never bothered me at that pace and hydration level. I was one of the lucky ones to get a tack in my tire about 25 miles from the finis. Lost about 20 minutes fighting a really tight bead on a new tire, but I guess that is all part of the deal. Cruised on back to t2 still feeling good. Total bike was 6:44
I got a kiss from my wife as i ran out the chute which got my hr up a little but i slowed down to the top of zone 1 and headed off on the run. Followed Patrick's advice about ice in the hat, ice in the pants, ice in the hands and a cup of perform at each aid station. With all that every 10 minutes the heat never felt too bad. But all that melting ice soaked my shoes and socks which led to my feet sliding around and blisters getting worse through the run. I kept watching my hr and cruising waiting to hit the wall and start the long slow charity walk that was going on around me. It never happened, my box was the mile between the aid stops , walked through and ran the whole marathon at the same pace. I remember coming up on the dreaded mile 18 when Coaches said it would really suck.....nothing happened.... I then started grinning and realized that this plan was actually going to work. My quote of the night came from a 30 year old who was walking out on the loop as I was a couple miles from the finish. He told his buddy that "the marathon had really taken him by surprise" I just started laughing and thought to myself I wonder what he thought it would be like, its a marathon after 112 miles on a bike, how can that surprise you? He obviously needs a little EN coaching. About a half mile from the finish my blisters were on fire but that is all that hurt and I forgot all about them as I headed into the chute. Wow what a finish line....Run split was 4:50 Final time was 13:25 6th in my age group
Walked out of the finish line feeling great except for the feet. Showered, changed came back down and ate then watched the final 15 minutes before the 12 oclock end. Loved the crowd and seeing the 17 hour finishers gut it out. Very moving.
Thanks coaches for leading an old guy across the line. Really enjoyed meeting the rest of the team. After the blisters heal I might start thinking about next year.
Peace
Terry
Comments
Great to see you again in Louisville. You looked super strong when I saw you on the run, never would have guessd about the blisters. Way to celebrate your 60th birthday!
Ian
Very nice. First Ironman at 60. And great placement. Looks like you have an Ironman career ahead.
You executed like an EN NINJA should!
You are an IRONMAN.
Now you have got a PB to shoot at for next time.
Terry Congrats on your Awesome Accomplishment and fantastic execution. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to chat more in L'ville...best of luck to you and future successes!
Sounds like a total success for you: 6th in the age group and vertical and conscious the whole time! I think Ironman is your distance! :-)
---Ann.
Btw, I checked out M60-64 results and your run was STRONG...only the AG winner and the 4th place guy had faster runs than you. You followed the EN execution mantra to the letter and it paid off big time.
(aside...the guy who won must be some sort of freak of nature going sub-11 for 156 OA and winning the AG by 2 HOURS...yikes...)
Terry - Ah, the widom and restraint of age! If you keep with this, you'll enjoy the rare privilege of getting a PR when you're 64 or 5.