The Custom Coach Speaks

This years trip to Kona would be my second but the first time that I knew I would be going a year out, giving me ample time to train for it.

Last year I qualified for Kona 2008, at Ironman CDA. I had been trying to get there for a few years but this is an elusive sport and things just never seem to go in my favor. I had been so confident in 2007 that I actually booked a hotel room…Ouch! Never touch the money until all bets are in. After learning my lesson not to count my chickens… I decide to schedule two races in 08, Ironman CDA, as well as Ironman Arizona, giving myself two shots at hawaii. As luck would have it. I qualified at CDA then scrambled to rest and retrain for both Hawaii and Arizona.

Since simply getting to Kona was the goal, the actual race was secondary. I showed up in good shape but unprepared for the elements. Wrong helmet, wheels and fuel… I literally melted down. Oh well…it was just good to be there and finish.

Fast forward 4 weeks and who knew? I qualified at Arizona for the following year! For the first time, the pressure was off! I could plan a year in advance.

By the time I got home I was done, in more ways than one. All I wanted to do was nothing! I was tired physically as well as tired of the restrictive lifestyle. So for the first time in 4 years I stopped…I mean dead still!

By the time spring rolled around I was way out of shape and fooling myself into thinking I could get back fast. I got lazy did not detail my base, layered on too much intensity and by July I was cooked. So cooked that I was forced to take a month off.

August came very fast and before I knew it Kona was lurking. I was no where near, where I wanted to be but the reality was I needed to start over. So I rebased, rededicated and by race day I was better than I had been all year.

I was starting to gain some confidence and went to Hawaii wanting to do more than just finish…I was setting my sights on 10:20 as a conservative goal. This year I had expectations.

Swim: 1:13:54
I swam 1:12 last year and reckoned I was in the same shape. My swim plan is always the same; line up on the front row go out hard and hang on to every set of feet that comes by until finally I find a pair i can hold. Every thing went as planned so when I exited I was just 2min back on last years time and wrote it off to some big swells at the halfway point going out and coming back.

T1
nothing to tell went through grabbed my gear but stopped at my bike to empty my bladder and literally “pissed off the german next to me! I still cant do it on the bike so whats a couple of minutes in a long race.

Bike: 5:22:35
This was the beginning of the end last year so this year I decided to actually start off conservatively and ride by feel. Not my normal plan. Usually I go for it on the bike but, this race spooked me so much last year…that this time, easy does it.

In 08 I rode a 5:17: through the worst wind I’ve ever experienced, including a 4 min stop in Hawi; where I thought I might die. From there I bonked my way home and had to be pulled off my bike at T2.

For this year I thought as long as I could keep my gut moving, a 5:10: would be easy. No such luck! At Hawi I was on pace to hit that number and over the next 20 miles my avg. speed was still increasing. That would be the end of the good stuff! With 20 miles to go my watts fell by 40w and my stomach was working but at half capacity. I gave back all my gains on the way home.

T2
Times goals were gone now but I figured maybe I could still manage this race to a respectable time. I took a long time in T2 making sure to drink and rub down with cold towels. The temp had risen to over 95 degrees and I knew the run would be tough. I stopped to pee again the first time in 5.5 hours and it was very concentrated. I was very dehydrated.

Run: 4:21:32

I figured if I could get cooled off and take time at aide stations to drink well maybe I could get things back on track.

I started running easy but at least I was moving. At mile 3 I saw Amanda, said hey and that I was ok. As we talked she jogged along side and I could tell by her face I was moving very slow. 1 mile latter some clouds rolled over and I felt great. “Finally” I thought. I’m going to get this thing going yet. For the next few miles my pace was very good and I felt the best I had all day but by the time I reaches Palani the clouds were gone and so was I. I shuffled my way from aide station to aide station trying to at least salvage a sub 11 hour finish.

When I hit the Queen K Chrissie was heading in and setting a course record…as she said in an interview “I can’t imagine the people who are just going out while I’m coming in”

Ouch! That would be me!!

By the time I got to mile 23 I could barley walk. My stomach was off, I was dehydrated and my quads were locked.

I walked more the last 3 miles than the previous 23. Oh well, what can I do? With a mile to go I dug deep and finished hard but extremely disappointed.

The after math:
Just after the race I told Amanda, “I was done with this race for a while!” My body just does not respond well to hot races!

We had planned to hang out on Maui for several days, so I quickly put the race behind me and had a great time with Amanda. So much so that we are longing to go back ASAP! But do I have to race?

It’s been 2 weeks now and I have had plenty of time to think things over and this is where I’m at…

1) I am finally in good shape and I need to stay here.
2) I have to come into next season at a good weight and fitness level.
3) I am very frustrated with this whole year and a little depressed.
4) I have big goals for IM CDA 2010
5) I am dedicated to taking 5min off my IM swim and 10min off my IM run.
6) If amanda wants to and the Tri Gods are favorable I want another shot at that miserable, hot lava! God help me!