The Custom Coach Speaks

GOALS FOR EAGLEMAN:
* Stay within 2 1/2 mins from the main PACK of swimmers
* Sub 2:14 bike while still conserving some energy for the run
* Sub 1:15 run split
* Top 8 overall
* 3:57 – 4:03 overall time depending on conditions

Actual Times:
Swim Time/Place: 27:29 / 9th
T1 Time/Place: 1:14 / 9th
Bike Time/Place: 2:13:02 / 6th
T2 Time/Place: 1:36 / 9th
Run Time/Place: 1:18:46 / 6th

SWIM:

After they introduced the 2008 world champ (Torenzo Bozzone), 2008 Eagleman champ (Paul Amey), and Ritchie Cunningham, they had us all enter the water and immediately said “40 seconds to the start”. We had to swim out the start line and some people were already there while some of us weren’t and the race director said “Go”. It caught most of us off guard and some people were well ahead before we even got to the start line. I didn’t concern myself with this and just went as hard as I could go for the first couple of minutes and eventually settled in behind Chris McDonald and Paul Fritzsche for the remainder of the swim. I was able to settle in and feel pretty relaxed about half way through the swim but they stepped up the intensity when we turned the last buoy heading to the swim finish and I nearly fell off. I came out of the water with a group of five which was right where I wanted to be.

BIKE:

I got out of transition with McDonald, Fritzsche, Kozub, and LaMontagne. After the first couple of miles we lost Kozub and LaMontagne and my legs felt good even though my heart rate was having troubles getting under 170 bpm. I averaged 168 bpm for the first 15 miles of the bike and it started to settle down from there. After the first 6 miles McDonald threw in some surges for 3-4 miles at a time at 27+ mph and I just decided that I was going to go until I blow. He continued to do this for the first 30 miles or so. I took a few pulls at the front but after a while decided that it wasn’t in my best interest to do so since I had confidence in my run. I felt really comfortable at around 25.5-25.7 mph but when things got above 26+ for sustained efforts my lower back started to bother me. I would stand every once in a while to relieve the pressure and then catch back up to the group. Later in the ride with about 10 miles to go Caiazzo caught us and then started pushing the pace. We eventually caught up to everyone except Torenzo, Ritchie, and Lovato and it was going to be a footrace for 4th-8th place. Out of that group I knew that Amey and Caiazzo could both throw down sub 1:15 run splits but I felt I could do the same if my legs were there. I was very happy to be able to bike with a strong guy like McDonald, especially with the 5 bike length rule. I could tell that my watts have been increasing over the last couple of months due to my benchmarking workouts and this just let me know what I can do in competition.

Run:

I had a slow transition and was about 15 meters behind a group of 6 guys all battling for the money (4th-8th). This was exciting because I was certain I could run 5:35-5:45 pace based on my recent benchmarking. I got out on the run and instantly felt massive cramps in my stomach. I think that it was from overworking my hip flexors on the bike and probably due to not taking in enough fluids. I went out in 5:34 pace holding my stomach and then saw Amey drop out so I knew I was now in 8th place. I didn’t think there were any really fast runners behind me so I decided to slow the pace for a while to see if the cramping would pass. I stopped for a second to walk and rub my stomach out to see if it would relieve some pressure and after a 6:24 and 6:05 mile I was back in business. At this point I was a bit behind and put in a 5:38 mile and it felt comfortable. I was making ground on McDonald and after the next 5:50 I passed him and was now in 7th. After making the pass my left hamstring cramped to the point where I thought my day was over. I stopped to walk and rub out my hamstring and knew that I need to take in more water and sodium to finish the race. I started running again and a half mile later my right hamstring cramped so I stopped again to repeat the process. This mile took 6:50 and put me further behind. I made it to the aid station and sucked down fluids and took a few salt tabs and made my way down the road. I passed McDonald again at mile 6-7 and saw Kevin Lisska up ahead. I clocked him at about 45 seconds ahead at mile 8 so put in a 5:44 mile to narrow the gap and passed him at around 9-10 miles and went by quickly to try and deter him from coming with me since I knew I could fold at any second. I got a 30 second lead on him and saw that Fritzsche was 40 seconds up the road and decided to play it safe and not shoot for 5th place. I was happy with 6th place and knew that if I pushed it I could seize at any moment so backed off and ran 6:13, 6:27, and 6:12 for the last few miles. This was the first time that I won any prize money in a pro field and even though I didn’t break 4 hrs I was very happy to have finished as well as I did with the troubles that I had on the run. I know I’ve got a much better race within me in the near future.

In the process I also got a Clearwater slot which I was very happy about because now I don’t have to worry about getting that the rest of the season.

SUMMARY:
* My run is good right now. I think I can run sub 1:15 off the bike in one of my upcoming 70.3s. The Eagleman run was basically a worst case scenario run for me and was still in the 1:18s. I’d like to run 1:13 at Clearwater in November.

* I like the 70.3 distance much better than the Ironman distance. It actually seems like racing vs. pacing.

You always hear the stories about Yeti’s, U.F.O’s, etc. But the only pictures or films of them are shaky and blurred at best. Well I have seen one…I think?!

I spent last weekend in the North Carolina Mountains holding a self-imposed training camp on my self and fellow coach Nick Frank. We bricked it big two days strait and ran moderately hard the last day. Saying we rode in the mountains does not quite tell the whole story, where we rode or more accurately how far we climbed does.

We are fortunate to live with in quick driving distance of some of the best cycling in North America and because of this unique terrain there are many challenging organized rides some of which have national reputations. Two of these are “The assault on Mount Mitchell” and “Blood Sweat and Gears.” Both of the rides have known for being tough days, deservedly so. They both boast that their total ascent is approximately 13,000 ft. Anyone who has done these rides know 13grand is a whole lot of work. Well, being a person who likes challenges, I decided 13,000 was not enough so I have developed my own Loop…”The Loop of Truth!” I call it that because if you complete it you will know the truth about your fitness. It has 11 climbs over 102 miles and goes up for 17,500 feet. We should get pilots licenses after that much ascent! The loop is so demanding we have only completed it once without a major mechanical. It has claimed 5 tubes, 1 tire and one chain. One of our friend’s feet blew out of his pedals on the steepest climb, causing him to fall off his bike. On Saturday Nick almost flipped his bike going up an extremely steep climb…That’s good stuff!

Up hill is the only place you truly find out about your self, there is no hiding. You can’t sit in. This is what I learned. My endurance is optimized, I was able to ride long and still come off and run well, I am very fit. I was able to recover between every climb and still hit the next one hard (we rode LT watts and every climb). I am a 41 year old age grouper. Nick crushed me on every climb! He was Bigfoot. Every time I thought I had him in my sights he disappeared. The only images I had of him were distorted from my heavy breathing and blurred form the sweat pouring in my eyes!

I had a great time, and I feel good about where I’m at, but in no way am I satisfied. Just because I’m and age grouper doesn’t mean I am content to take second place. I am planning to work even harder over the next few months and Bigfoot better watch out because the sound he hears in the distance is me and I am coming for you.

video management, video solution, video streaming I just got back from the biggest 4 day camp that I know of, “Death Camp!” This is where I push my limits and discover just where my fitness is. I have designed the camp to get progressively harder each day; the routes are set up in a way that there is no way to avoid working…Hard! Simply follow the map and by the end of each day you will be tired.

This year I did more than just ride the route, Nick and I pushed each other to the breaking point on most climbs each day. It was not unusual for us to both have 1 hour plus of Lactate Threshold work cumulative each day. It was good having Nick there this year because there is no way I could have taken myself to that point with out the challenge.

Totals for the camp were big approximately 300+ miles of riding 13 miles of running and a quick swim. But that doesn’t tell the story we climbed almost 45,000 feet over some extremely steep roads.

One might think just being able to complete this camp would be fitness test enough…and they would be correct but the true tell tell sign for me is recovery. When I say recovery it is 3 fold;

1) How fast do I recover between hard efforts? Can I continue to ride hard climb after climb?

2) How fast do I recover day to day? Can I hit Lactate Threshold and sustain it day after day?

3) After completely smoking myself, how long (days) does it take to feel fresh again?

The answer to these questions is the mark of my fitness and is the best gauge of how my training is going. My answer is I am very fit; I rode hard day after day with less residual fatigue than expected and after only 3 days of recovery I feel like I am ready to roll again.

The point of this post is to understand how to interrupt your training. Don’t just assess how far or hard can I go but rather; how often can I go and can I keep coming back? If you recover fast you are fit if not then you are missing something in the recover chain (fuel/hydration, stretching/rolling, rest) and that is where having a knowledgeable coach is vastly important.

The people who sign up for triathlons have similar personality. We are all type A achievers.

Most of my clients have college educations, good jobs and good incomes. That’s no accident. In order to achieve success there has to have been sacrifice along the way. Studying instead of partying, extra hours at work, because the job needed to get done and 40 hours just wasn’t enough. All of these things are sacrifices…and sacrifice is not comfortable.

One of my favorite sayings is you don’t know where the edge is unless you step over it. I don’t advocate continually burying yourself but the occasional test of your abilities may yield some very good information. One example of this would the first organized Mountain road bike race that I attempted. Half way through the race I felt destroyed but ego is an amazing thing and I did not want to get dropped so I decided that I would go as hard as I could for as long as I could. The result was I made it to the finish with my group. After being dropped several times I was able to will myself back on and keep digging. What did I learn? 1) I can go much longer at greater intensity than I ever imagined. 2) It is possible to recover from misery…over and over. 3) It’s OK to sacrifice my comfort.

These lessons have served me well. When things get tough or if the weather doesn’t cooperate, I can look back and know that I have the capacity to get the job done. I think all of us have this capacity but like any other trait it can be developed to a greater degree over time.

Develop your resolve by continually challenging yourself; not just with a goal race but occasionally taking yourself out of your comfort zone, don’t be intimidated by sacrifice. There is a word for what will result “Toughness” and if you have big goals then you will definitely need an extra helping of it!

Since the last time I blogged I have Taken 6 weeks off, moved into a new house and remodeled my kitchen. It seems like I just did Ironman Arizona last week but in reality it’s been just over 3 months.

Every year I start the new season with a plan of, “How I’m going to get to Kona.” My plan usually starts with targeting one of my limiters then gradually builds into a full blown Ironman training session. Having an early race and trying to qualify sets my goal well in advance and makes planning my season almost effortless. Not so this year. I already have my spot, the plane tickets and my lodging. As comforting as it is knowing how my season will play out I am finding motivation some what difficult.

I think the reasons for this are three fold. 1) my A race is way out so I have plenty of time. 2) After coming off my most productive season, I am no where near race shape…and I don’t like being “the slow fat kid!” 3) I did 3 Ironman fairly close together and I am having trouble shaking off the residual fatigue from last year.

So what is the answer? My training partners could tell you. When on a ride, if I feel bad or if I’m struggling, I don’t sit in and wait for the feelings to pass. I go to the front put my head down and pull harder. I don’t know if it’s the best thing to do but it usually works for me. My Momma didn’t raise smart kids’ just strong ones!

I have 3 solid weeks of training under my belt now so it is game on. I will now go to the front and put my head down! I plan to hit it hard with some very targeted up tempo sets in both my run and biking for the next several weeks. I am not satisfied with where I left off so I plan to try very hard to pick up some much needed speed this spring.

I’ll let you know what happens!

In 2004, I did my first Iron distance race, “The Great Floridian” in Claremont, Florida. I picked The Great Floridian because it was the only race I could get into late in the year (Oct). I was new to Ironman racing and did not realize that I needed to sign up a year in advance. So, while just starting to train for the Floridian, Ironman North America opened a new race in Arizona for April 2005. The registration opened in July’04 and I was one of the first to sign up. Surely I would love this distance and want to do another!

To prepare I called my brother in-law’s brother (John), the only person I knew who had done an Ironman before. As John talked me through the training processes over the phone, I wrote it down on the back of a napkin. (Wow!! I sill had a few things to learn!!) a seven week build followed by a 3 week taper. At that time I knew very little about nutrition and even less about recovery. The training alone almost destroyed me.

On race day I was a nervous wreck but I toed the line with 300 others and away we went. My race went like a lot of first timers; I swam where I hoped, rode too hard, and bonked my face off just a little way into the run. The rest of the race was an exercise in suffering but I managed to finish where; I promised God that I would never do this again! Total time 11:55:ish actually hitting my time goal (don’t have any idea why I picked that number but I did)

Upon completion of The Great Floridian there was no way in hell I would ever subject myself to that kind of agony again. I even called The Arizona race director and asked for a refund. He said I could get one but it would only be a third of what I paid so I decided to just skip it. I was happy to finish and I put a check mark in the Ironman box and planned to take some time off before starting the next challenge.

Going into the winter, racing was totally out of my mind and my only training was on a social basis. I had a friend who was doing a Marathon in January so I decided to keep her company and give myself a reason to stay fit. One Saturday I went on an organized bike ride with some friends and when we finished I saw a girl (Michele; this is her fault!) putting on a pair of running shoes to do a transition run. As I pulled out of the parking lot I pulled up beside her as she ran and I asked, “What are you training for?” She replyed, “Ironman Arizona.” I told her I too was signed up but had no intentions of going. She was totally pumped up and very exuberant, she kept saying come on you should do it, it will be great! I told her to have a good run and headed home. I drove 15 miles…just enough time to do some thinking. “I don’t have any thing else going on”, “I’ve been running “, “why not?” “ OK, I’m in!” Once I got home I wrote out my next training program; this time on a calendar! There were only 7 training weeks left before race day and I decided I was up for it but…I was going to go very easy! There was no way I wanted to feel that bad again.

During my training and along the way I learned some valuable lessons. If I fueled properly I could run fairly well off the bike, even after 6+ hours. If I drank consistently and avoided dehydration, I did not get that Flu like feeling and if I slept for 8 hours every night I recovered much better.

I got to the race in good shape and did exactly what I had set out to do, slow swim, easy bike and run the whole Marathon. Most of this was made possible by utilizing the same fueling protocol that I developed during training (Ah-ha I was starting to learn!) Oddly enough I felt great most of the day. It was then that I realized that maybe you don’t have to suffer like a dog every time. Total time 10:55:ish, I had hit another time goal and I was jacked up about it! As in any race there were things I did wrong, hyperthermia in the swim (sleeveless wetsuit) and slight stomach distress on the run (protein in my fuel) but nothing that caused a disaster or that I could not fix. As I do after most races, I spent the next few days running numbers and trying to figure out what my real potential could be. A little off the swim, more bike miles, better run volume coupled with the right course on the right day = sub 10 hours. I figured it would take me about 2 years (don’t ask me why 2?…it just felt right).

One thing I did not foresee however were a few bike crashes, multiple broken bones, and one nasty bout of shingles. I raced at least 3 times while trying to heal. I did ok but not up to my potential.

Fast forward 3years, 6 more Ironman including a trip to Kona and my P.R. was 10:19 at Coeur d’Alene. Don’t misunderstand me I was thrilled with that race and thought I was very close to my potential but I was still struggling with my run. Surely I can run better than 3:50? My time was solid but I never felt good during the second half of the bike, I puked coming out of T-2 and cramped early in the run. Doesn’t it make sense that if I fixed these things I could go faster? After IM CDA I raced Kona and in the hot windy conditions of the Island my nutritional problems were only compounded and I blew to pieces. Outside of my first race that was the worst day I have ever had racing. I knew I needed to make some changes so I called Nick and went over all my fuel and all my changes over the last few years. One of the best tools I have is smart experienced training partners. Nick has a talent for reverse engineering a problem and in just a few minutes he had the answer. Gatorade….Gatorade! Who knew that it mixed with the other products I was using would shut down my stomach? It seems that I was just putting to many particles (High Osmolality) in my gut and after 4 or 5 hours it started to slow down, thereby causing me to slowly dehydrate and bonk. Fueling can be one of the trickier things to diagnose; fortunately I race often and use myself as a guinea pig. So for my next race I would hydrate on water only, the thought being; it’s the same amount of fluid but no particles at all and that should help dilute (Low Osmolality) my current fuel mix (carbohydrate).

Sunday November 23, it was time again, my third race in six months and I had come full circle. I was back at Arizona the site of my resurrection. I was excited but I was in a strange place mentally. I had raced enough that all the prep actually seemed second nature. The distance didn’t worry me and all the things that most people get stressed about were an after thought. I had a very good year, reached all my goals and really had no pressure to perform, but something was nagging me, “I want to go faster!” I came to race and I want to race hard. The only problem was I did not know what I would have left in the tank this late in the year.

I packed my bags prepped and racked my bike and then asked my wife several times, “is that it? Did I get everything? The answer was yes I had just done this so much it had become streamlined and easy. Amanda and I rented a movie and ate a huge dinner of pasta. By 10pm we were sleepy so we set the alarm for 4:30 and went to sleep. Sleeping is one event I never struggle with. The next thing I knew the clock was sounding and I was up making coffee and peanut butter toast, the same breakfast I have every day.

We met my parents in the lobby and walked the few blocks together to the swim start. Not much to tell here, checked my bike and bags put on my wetsuit, kissed everyone goodbye and got in the water. I like to warm-up for about 15 minutes. Arizona’s swim is one loop out and back in a straight line with very little contact so I got up front on the Buoy line and waited for the cannon. The cannon cracked and we were off. I found a good rhythm and just tried to concentrate on my technique and swimming straight for the first 15 minutes. I felt good like I was on auto pilot so I turned my thoughts to how I wanted my race to play out. I thought about my fueling, hydrating and bike pace. Before I knew it I was finishing.

Swim 1:05:05
Goal time 1:10:00

Next my plan was to get in and out of transition quickly. Before the swim I put wax in my ears, this is a good little trick if you want to avoid dizziness when swimming in colder water. I have done this in previous races but today the wax did not cooperate. I started pulling it out and expected it to come out intact but instead it disintegrated. The bulk came out but my ears were still plugged!! I spent a couple of minutes looking for something to get it out. I found a 2 inch long stick and started digging in my head with it. Finally it was out! I grabbed my bike and off I went.

T-1 5:05
Goal time 5 minutes

My plan going in was to ride 230 avg. watts. I always come out a little hot and have to focus to bring both my watts and Heart rate down. By 56 miles both watts and heart rate were dropping. I felt good for 70 miles and the water was working I was still having some slowing of my stomach (I think I have the answer) so I backed off trying to keep everything moving.

“Photo courtesy of Clarke Rodgers www.sportzfoto.com”.

Bike 4:59:00
233 watts avg.
Goal time 5:10:00

Went through T-2 with no issues. Finally things were working. I have reduced this down to grabbing shoes, fuel and a hat.

T-2 2:07
Goal 5:00

Out on the run my mantra was go faster than you want for 3 miles then see how you feel. I felt great immediately running strong and with ease my stomach was perfect, no distress at all (thanks Nick!) and I was actually feeling better with each mile. By the second loop I was starting to fatigue but still moving at a good pace. When I saw Amanda I told her, “lap 3 is going to sting!” By 20 miles the party was over and my legs were killing me but by that time I could smell the finish and I was on pace to P.R. big time. All I had to do was run 10min miles and I would go under 10 hours. I’m not sure how but the last 6 miles were my fastest all day 8:09 avg.

“Photo courtesy of Clarke Rodgers www.sportzfoto.com”.
Run 3:42:39
Goal Time 3:45:00

With less than 200 meters to go I was passed by someone in my age group. “Oh well” was my first thought but I knew I was in the mix for Kona. I have seen my training partner Dan Campo turn himself inside out to sprint for the win on more than one occasion and that was what I put in my mind. I got on the guys shoulder and started to push, after 100 meters were running hard, I was breathing like a freight train and as we approached the finish chute I blew! He kept going and I jogged it in. Once across the line we both collapsed. I went and sat in a chair and he got hauled off in a wheelchair. I guess he wanted it more. Another lesson learned, next time I don’t stop unless I fall down!

Finish time 9:54:13
Goal 10:05:00

I ended up 12th (11 Kona spots) in my age group and much faster than I had hoped for. It was the race I had been dreaming about since Arizona 2005. Racing was the easiest part of this journey. The thought that went into training and nutrition was the real work. There is no way I could have done it alone. I would like to thank John, Nick and all my training partners for the endless analysis, sweat and punishment. Male 40-44 rolled down exactly one spot and I will be headed back to the Big Island one more time!

I’m 6 days out from Ironman Arizona, and 2 weeks through my taper. This is the only race this year that I have taken a full on 3 week taper and it hit me hard. I was nervous to reduce my volume to such low levels but after watching John set a P.R. on a very easy last month, I decided to give it a shot. My biggest concern was, being so late in the year my body might think the season was over and shut down until spring. This seemed to be the case last week. After reducing my overall volume to 50% of my Fall training peak, I could barley keep my eyes open, I was listless, and both my training partners and my wife noticed a extreme change in my mood and demeanor. I just keep telling myself, “It’s ok…just be patient!” Well it seems as if that may pay off. I am wide awake this week. I feel rejuvenated, and ready to give it a shot. There are no guarantees in Ironman racing but I do feel prepared physically.

Once the physical preparation is over, I turn my thoughts to mental prep. I go over in my mind how I want to race from swim to run and how I want to fuel. Sine I have already set my fueling system up I will think more about timing and what to do if problems arise. I truly believe that the biggest limiter for most fit athletes on race day is their stomachs. Hopefully mine wants to corporate this time.

I never make predictions but I will set out my goals. Below are the numbers I would like to hit and anything faster is either; a good day, house money, or bad pacing. Anything slower is out of my hands.

Swim: 1:10:
T1 and 2 totals: 10:
Bike: 5:10:
Run: 3:45:
Total: 10:05:00 (and another shot at Kona)

My fingers are crossed!

Beach 2 Battleship
November 1, 2008

Pre-race:
I awoke to the gradually increasing volume of my phone alarm. The day had finally arrived, I sat up in bed reached for the phone and turned of the alarm with a grin. The start of my first iron distance triathlon was just hours away. At 7:00 AM a year’s worth of training, coaching, laughing, and suffering would culminate with 140.6 miles of racing.

I started the day with a hot shower, I never really feel awake and fully prepared to face the world unless I start my day with a shower. After dressing I noticed something was wrong with my power meter head. The screen was completely blank; this was a bad sign as the Ergomo logo should have been there. I picked up the head for a closer look. You could imagine my surprise when I had to put it down instantly as it was too hot to hold. Great I though, perfect start to the day. I tossed the power meter head into the mini fridge and moved on to breakfast. Breakfast went according to the plan – instant oatmeal, bagel, banana and flat Cherry Coke about 800 calories to start the day. I was able to reset the power meter head but I didn’t think it would last the entire race. My wife Erin body marked me with a sharpie and sprayed me with sunscreen and we were ready to roll.

We met Erin’s parents in the hotel hallway at 5:30 and we were off to the race site. My father in law was competing in the ½ iron triathlon that would start shortly after the full. We piled into the car and made our way to T1, it was 45F with a slight breeze. After a few pictures we made our way to our bikes pumped up the tires and wished each other good luck.

Swim: 54:51

I caught a ride from T1 to the swim start with a few of my training partners John and Carrie who were also racing in the full and half respectively. When we arrived at the beach we were joined by The Custom Coach Steve Watkins and his wife Amanda. The mood is almost always light with these characters so I was fairly relaxed as we made our way down the water. Steve brought neoprene swim caps and socks for John and I to borrow and I was thankful. Amanda took our bags with our jackets and shoes. John gave me some ear wax and told me to stuff my ears to keep water out. Steve was snapping photos and then gave me some last minute tips on sighting and told me to put my race swim cap over my goggle straps so the goggles would not be knocked completely off my head if I was kicked in the face. The race director got on the PA and ordered us into the start corral. I was starting to get tense at this point. Somebody noticed. I felt a gentle whack on my back and turned to a warm smile from Amanda “Relax, it will be fun” she said. We entered the corral and I followed John to the front left of the pack. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon when we got the one minute warning. We wished each other luck. The horn sounded and I sprinted off behind John into the dark cold water. 9 hours 52 minutes and 15 seconds later John would cross the finish line 5th overall.

The swim was in a channel with the incoming tide so everybody expected some fast times. Rumors were the swim could be 10-20 minutes faster that normal and the first swimmer would be out of the water under forty minutes. I am not a strong swimmer and expected to swim around 1:15 without the tide. There was more contact on the first 2/3 of this swim than in any other race I had done. I was kicked in the face twice, crawled over at least three times, and always seemed to have somebody on my feet or be on someone’s feet – literally! In the beginning I sighted mostly on the pack but after 10 minutes or so I was able to see the water tower on the beach near the bridge and stayed locked on that until I could see the turn marker. After the turn marker I sighted on the condo building at the swim finish and was able to get to the dock without any major incidents. The neoprene cap, ear wax, and neoprene socks worked great as I was never cold and I had no water in my ears. Up the wooden ladder, past the crowd of athletes waiting for a wetsuit stripper, and across the road into T1. I glanced at my watch and it was 52:30. I could not help laughing at my time; there will be an asterisk next to that one in scrap book. I was relieved the swim was over.

Swim to Bike Transition 6:18

I changed into my cycling gear outside the men’s tent. I have heard some stories about what a mess it can be in the tent. Arm warmers, light jacket, helmet, sun glasses, shoes and away I went.

Bike 5:39:17

As I ran out of the corral I heard Steve saying “run up past the line away from the garbage and go easy!” It felt good to be on my bike. My HR was just under 160 and quickly dropped to 150 when I settled into a rhythm. I pushed the button on the power meter and it came to life, unfortunately it only lasted 2 minutes before it flashed low battery and shut off. I would be riding this on HR from my watch. I like to watch the power meter numbers and see how my HR, cadence, and power numbers compare during a ride. It was not to be on this one, getting mad was not going to fix the power meter so I rotated my watch around to see it better in the aero position and rode on.

Riding a bike across metal grate draw bridges on temporary green astro turf carpets was a new experience. The pucker factor was low on the first bridge but jumped up to high on the second bridge. As we rode north out of town the sun began to add warmth to the morning and I settled into a comfortable 150 bpm rhythm and watched the countryside roll by. What a great day to be on my bike! I stated eating and drinking after 30 minutes and felt very comfortable. Shortly after mile 30 I stopped for a bathroom break and took off my jacket. The zipper on the jacket had broken and it was coming unzipped from the bottom up. If you saw me go by it probably looked like I was wearing a white cape. The zipper was so wadded up in the jacket I had to take my helmet and glasses off to pull it off over my head. After wrestling myself out of the straight jacket I continued rolling, eating, and drinking to the special needs stop.

Special needs was a busy place when I rolled in and found the pile where my bag should have been. The only problem was the bag was missing! I looked around for a minute and finally a volunteer came running over with the bag – they had been waiting for me with the bag on the roadside and I had missed them! Oh well, reload on fuel and fluid and away I went. I was still riding very comfortably until mile 70 when my stomach started to disagree with the second Cliff Bar I had just put down. I slowed my HR to 140 and waited for about 30 minutes before adding a shot of gel and more fluid. I could feel my stomach churning so I continued at 140 bpm and kept fueling on shot blocks and gel. My stomach smoothed out and by mile 90 I was starting to get generally uncomfortable on the bike. My legs were a little sore, my back and neck were aching so I started switching between riding aero and sitting up on the base bar.
I ended up putting down 80 oz of fluid and about 1,700 calories on the bike.

Bike to Run Transition 3:39

I rode into T2 in relatively good shape. I was happy to see Erin and Steve in front of transition waiting for me to come in. Erin is easy to find on the course because she rings a cowbell when I come by. I thought to myself “I need more cowbell!” and tossed the bike to a volunteer and made my way onto the run course.

Run, Run, Walk, and Run Some More 4:36:32

As I ran out of the Battleship memorial I saw my father in law running in to finish. I yelled his name and he yelled back. He looked like he was hurting but after looking at my watch and doing some quick math I guessed he was around 5:30 which was a very good race for his first ½. Turns out he came in with a 5:26 and took third in his age group.

My run strategy was to walk the aide stations and get fuel and fluids in then run to the next station. The weather was perfect for running. Sunny and about 70F with lots of shade on the course. Steve was out riding around the course taking pictures and I was glad when he would come by and talk with me for a few minutes. I made the first 13 miles in decent shape. I was not flying but I was running. At mile 13 I started to hurt and was able to stick with aid station plan until about mile 15. By 15 I could feel my energy levels dropping and started to drink more flat soda and take in as much gel as I could. After mile 16 I was running less and walking more. By mile 22 I was walking. You will learn something about yourself between miles 17 and 26 of the run in an iron distance race. The sun was setting and it was getting cold, dark, and lonely on the course. I walked to mile 23 and was able to pull it together for the run home. I made the last three miles glued to the back of a friendly 49 year old veteran racer named Leigh from Raleigh who was on the first lap of her marathon. As we came down to the finish I got a few high 5’s from two other training buddies that were waiting for us to finish. I wished Leigh good luck and she congratulated me as I went for the finish chute and she turned around for another lap.

I came up short on fuel and salt on the run. From what I can tell I got in about 1,300 calories which was well short of the plan. My HR file shows the slow fade. Run fueling is something I will work to improve next time.

The Finish

Steve always tells me the best finish line in sport is the iron distance triathlon. I always believed him but never really understood it until I made the hard left turn and ran down that chute. I felt so many emotions at the same time. I could hear the music, the crowd, the MC calling my name. I could see the race clock, the flash bulbs, the finish line. I could feel my body aching and my head spinning. It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life. I didn’t know if I was going to cry or laugh or do both. When I came across the line there was a swarm of volunteers taking the timing chip off, giving me a finisher medal and shirt, wrapping me in a foil blanket like a baked potato. After I made it through the volunteers I was greeted by Erin, Steve, and the rest of my family and friends. I rested my hands on my knees and buried my head in Erin’s coat. I was glad it was over and happy to get a hug. I felt goofy and slightly impaired for a while after I stopped running so we visited the medical tent. After checking my vitals the staff tested my blood sugar and it was low. Nothing a few Mountain Dews and one candy bar could not fix and I was on my way. It was an incredible day for all of us, one that I will vividly remember for a very long time. You always remember your first time, right?

Acknowledgements

[caption id="attachment_150" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ryan and The Coach "][/caption]

No first time IM race report would be complete without acknowledgements. Triathlon is a selfish sport that will consume you if you let it. My wife has spent many nights and weekends alone while I train. She has given up dinner dates, weekend trips, and countless other things for triathlon. You are my number 1 fan. I love you!

The Custom Coach Steve Watkins for taking me from an athlete that barely could get through a sprint to an iron distance finisher in 12 months. Thanks sharing your triathlon experiences, teaching me fueling and pacing, pushing me home after every bike bonk, dragging me around run courses, and fixing my swim!

All my training partners who always show up for the weekend bikes rides, the early morning swims, and the long runs. I am very luck to train with some phenomenal guys and girls. I have learned a great deal about the sport from training and racing with you. Thanks!

My father in law Gene. He loaned me a road bike to get into riding a few years ago and after watching me limp through a few sprints last year decided to become a triathlete. You have given me a ton of support and good advice in this venture. Even though you continue to have delusional thoughts that you can beat me heads up at any distance there is no doubt we have a stronger relationship because of triathlon. Thank you.

Setup race director Jeremy Davis, the Police and Medical personnel that supported the race, and the volunteers! The support and energy from the volunteers was inspiring. The Police had complete control of the race course and kept it safe and fast. The Setup team came through with a 5 star logistical performance. Every gear bag, aid station, and course marker was where it was supposed to be when it was supposed to be there. From a participant’s perspective Beach2Battleship was executed flawlessly.

My wife and I went this past weekend to support a new race and to watch some friends race. I could not have been more inspired nor had more fun. Everyone who does long distance racing knows how elusive and fragile a good race is. I had the best seat in the house (road bike) to watch some perfectly executed race plans come together.

John and I have shared a lot of miles, sweat and break downs together. So it was awesome to see him blow up the course at Beaches2Battleship Iron distance! Below is the race summary in his own words.

B2B Race Report

Quick version:

5th Ironman (IMLP 3x; IM Moo 1x)

Swim: 57:xx
Bike: 5:01
Run: 3:45
Overall: 9:52 (5th Place Overall)

Detailed version:

Pre-race:
Since IMLP, I had cut back the training hours to around 15 per week (max). Work just gets too busy in the fall (damn accounting career!), which stinks because it is the best time of year to train in the Carolinas. I just planned on maintaining some bike miles, but keeping the run around 30 miles per week. I spent all last winter and this spring working on the run and I was not going to let it slide too far.

Also, I had a cold about two weeks before the race that took me completely out of training for 4 days. At the time I though it was perfect timing, and it ended up being some nice down time and I think helped a lot.

B2B certainly has some unique transitions. T1 is in a park about 2-3 miles from the swim start and T2 is at the Battleship Carolina about 10-ish miles away. We stayed at the Blockade Runner hotel out on Wrightsville Beach, so getting to downtown and registration took us some time. But, it was nice to be on the beach and so close to T1 and the swim start. It is nice and quiet in Wrightsville this time of year, but Wilmington itself is really busy.

Swim:
The swim start at sunrise was absolutely gorgeous, as it is at most IM events. It was really cold waiting for the gun to go off, and since you are way out at the end of the channel, there are almost no spectators. It should be warmer in the Carolinas this time of year, and almost always is. You would think that the wetsuit and booties would keep you warm, but I was still freezing.

Gun goes off and into the drink we go. Not sure what my problem was, but I swam all over the place. I swam right past the first right hand turn (only about 30 yards out in the water after the start!) and just didn’t have my head in the game. I had told myself that I was going to take the swim very easy, so I just ended up enjoying the current and hating the salt water!! I had to stick to the game plan. Finished on 57 min, which is 10 min faster that my last two IM swims, so I have to agree that it is a fast swim. The booties kept me nice and toasty and I was glad I wore them. Being cold burns too much energy.

T1:
Long run to this sucker, but the swim booties helped ease the pain. Saw all my friends, which is always awesome. It was chilly and I put on arm warmers, a long-sleeved jersey, socks and toe warmers. And I am glad I did, even though it took me a while. It was very chilly for about the first two hours.

Bike:
I spent the first 30-40 miles passing people and getting everything warmed up. I enjoy having other riders to chase as it helps keeps me thinking, though I am guilty of getting a bit excited. I was 116th out of the water and finished the bike in 5th place, so I had plenty to pass!! I have never raced a flat, full IM course, so I wanted to take it easy for the first half and see how the back would feel being in aero for so long. No problems to report.

There were many times I was out on country roads with NOBODY around. Man I wish I had my IPod with me!! I just rolled along and made sure I got down my fluids (Gatorade ~ 6 total bottles) and solid food. I probably have a little different fueling strategy than most people. During the ride I had (mostly in order) a Snickers bar, two Butterfinger Chewy bars, a Mountain Dew and Little Debbie apple pie (@ special needs) and numerous gels (maybe 10-15?). Also a bunch of Lava Salt tablets. I have done this for three IM’s and have never had any trouble, and it worked out fine again. I think I peed about 5 times on the bike, which I took as a great sign. Plus, it kept me warm! I started to get a bit bored about mile 80, but then you hit this sweet stretch of clean pavement which just feels so good! Also of note were the mile markers which I thought were ~5 miles behind much of the ride, which turned out to be true as mile markers 100 to 110 were only ~5 miles apart! I wish I had known as I would have pushed to go just a bit faster.

The course is flat and fast as promised with great road surfaces with minimal traffic. All corners were manned by volunteers and officers blocking traffic. At one point I had to cut through a parade. Not sure what that was about, but pretty funny. There were two bridges early in the ride with carpets over the metal surface, which were a bit sketchy, but no big deal. Neither were the two sets of railroad tracks, which were manned by medical staff just in case.

All in all, the bike was great. My 5:01 was second fastest on the day behind a blazing 4:3x the winner threw down. Next time I will try to lay it down hard and see how bad I can make the run hurt!!

T2:
Nobody really cares……

Run:
I really just want to run a whole marathon. Is that asking too much?? Ignore above comment about “…lay it down hard…” on the bike!!

The run starts off with a couple of bridges just as you are trying to get the legs going (You have to smile at that one). Then you head into downtown Wilmington where a bunch of the spectators were. It was cool running through there, and I got to see some friends. Lots of twists and turns on this course, with small inclines and declines here and there. So it is by no means a fast, flat course, but very fair and nice.

I was knocking off around low 8min miles which I was comfortable with since I walked a bit at the aid stations to fuel. I just kept thinking about holding that pace out to mile 18 and focusing on nutrition. I messed this up a bit at Lake Placid, which led to a slow bonk, so my plan was to have a hit off my GU flasks and water at every aid station until my stomach said to stop. Also hit the salts every 3-4 miles, and new to this race for me, was about ½ of a Mountain Dew (bottle, so app. 12oz) at the 13 mile point. Nice little kick! Everything worked out great and at no point did I have any issues. Not even any dark spots. I ran the full 26 with walks at aid stations just to fuel and a few times when the heart rate got a bit high. It was also awesome to have my buddy Steve out there on his road bike to keep me company for a few miles. He is one tough S.O.B and a great motivator.

Have I figured it out? Maybe, but maybe it was just a good day. Next race I plan to do the same thing and run a bit harder. Always learning. One thing is for sure. It is really rewarding to run the entire marathon.

I finished the run in 3:44, so I am getting better every race by ~5 minutes. I did not lose any spots on the run, so that was nice also.

Overall time of 9:52 (5th place overall). That is a PR by 41 minutes, and PR’s on all 3 segments. I am not a numbers chaser, so the 5th place finish means more to me.

Some thoughts:
- Fun race. I would highly recommend it. Wilmington has a cool vibe and is nice this time of year. The city really seemed to embrace the race, so hopefully it will be around for a long time
- Bike drop off was open until 8pm which was very handy
- I ate a little bit more on the bike than usual which I think helped
- Long runs really do help me get better
-So does fueling during the whole run!
- It felt like a normal Ironman, even though it was a first year race. Set Up does an awesome job, the volunteers were great, and the awards cruise on Sun was fun.
-They will fix the ferry issue that caused long lines.
- Can we have this race twice per year?? Maybe some Kona spots (just joking)?

I usually like to wait a while before dissecting my races. It seems that the further away I get the less bias and better prospective I have. Immediately following each race I’m too emotional and find it too easy to focus on the pain and not the cause.

I went to Kona to race conservative on the swim and bike then see what I had left and let that determine the rest of my race. I got up an hour before I need to leave the room made coffee and had a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of skim milk. This is the same breakfast that I have almost every morning of my life. I got dressed in the room gathered my special needs bags and headed to the start. I was nervous about how much time my pre race prep would take but upon arrival, body marking was quick, and there seem to be a volunteer for each competitor at the bike coral. I set my bike up pumped the tires and walked down to the water. It was 30 minutes before the start which gave me plenty of time to warm-up. At this point I was ahead of schedule and feeling very relaxed. I sucked down an E-gel drank some water and started to swim. By the time I was warm the atmosphere had really picked up. There was a hoola band on the dock behind us banging on drums and singing, then the Navy did a fly over with a huge plane, parachuting Seals into the swim. I gotta tell you I was feeling pretty pumped up! We sang the national anthem, staged up, and just then the NBC helicopter hovered over head 5,4,3,2,1,Baannggg!!!! The cannon fired and we were off. I went out strong then settled into a rhythm finding some feet and trying to go steady. It was over before I new it and I exited the water looking at my watch. 1:12:25 I was happy with result since I was not sure how the lack of wetsuit would affect me.

I went through T-1 in no hurry but trying to be efficient.

Once on the bike the atmosphere was electric with people every where and they were flying. Typically when I get on the bike I am with weaker riders and I am flying past them because my swim does not match my bike split, but at Kona it seemed everyone could hammer. I was all jacked up and I was on the gas. My plan was to ride 220-230 watts at about 140bpm but I was pushing 287watts and 150bpm. I knew this would not bode well and I spent the first 5 miles trying to get my self under control. At about the time I was calming down my rear cage broke ejecting half my fuel onto the course. Oh well I thought now it’s time for a new plan. I had enough fuel to get out to the 70 mile mark and figured I would find an alternative source of calories once on the Queen K. Things were going good my watts were under control but heart rate was still a little high so I tried to ride smart while finding a good rhythm in my legs. I went through the 20 mile mark well under an hour. Conditions were ideal and if they stayed that way I reckoned I was going to set a P.R. by several minutes. So much so that I backed off even more. At my current pace I would ride a 4:48ish. I thought any thing around 5 would be plenty fast. 30 miles came and my effort was right where it need to be and although I had eased off my average mph was still rising. About that time the wind picked up, no big deal I thought I’ve ridden in the wind on several occasions just keep the cadence up and and let the rest take care of it self. Something happened in the next 10 miles. I felt as though I was working very hard but my watts were not agreeing, they were still moderate. By mile 45 the wind was blistering at 20mph head on with side gust around 30-40 mph. As I was passing one girl the wind hit her so hard that I thought she was going down. She stopped pedaling and the situation only got worse. I started yelling for her to pedal! Pedal! I don’t know if she under stood that I was trying to help but bikes go straighter in wind when you apply force to them. The last 6 mile to Hawi and the turn around is up hill and it was taking everything I had to get over it. Finally I could see the turn and the aid station but I had no desire to keep pushing. I was spent. I pulled over to the side took a coke and sat still. Something was wrong with me but I did not know what. At the time I thought I had just ridden too hard because of the conditions. After analyzing my power files I realized that was not the case. In retrospect I was in the middle of a good old fashioned BONK! I sat for 4 minutes tried to mentally reset myself thinking you came to go easy so just roll out easy and keep it there. The rest of the way in I was sliding deeper and deeper into the abyss. This course was ripping my sole out and there was nothing I could do about it. After what seemed like an eternity I made the turn back to T-2.

I wheeled in and started to take my feet out of my shoes, but both my hamstrings locked and I could not move. My wife Amanda was volunteering as a bike catcher and just so happened to get me. I told her I need help and she got my bike out from under me. I remember she was smiling and excited, she asked me several questions none of which I can remember. I just kept repeating I feel bad! Real bad!

While everyone around me was running I walked very slowly to the change tent. I sat down thinking this could take a while. Some one put a cold towel on me and I felt better immediately. I put my shoes and hat on and ran out of the tent at an easy pace.

I made it 2 miles before I stopped dead still and contemplated crying. I was in a bad spot but able to start moving again. I walked an aid station and poured cup after cup of cold water all over me then dumped 3 cups of ice down my shorts. I also drank a couple of Cokes. Once I started getting my temp down I was feeling better and by mile 5 thought I might have a rally. But it was not to be, I could only run a mile before I would heat up and start to shut down so I continued the process for the rest of the marathon, Coke, ice, run repeat. I shuffled my through until Ali dr. and the finish.

At the finish I pulled myself together threw my hands up and smiled. I would do this again…it was worth it. A couple of volunteers grabbed me and started trying to make me walk. I refused I just wanted to bend down and stretch for a minute. Just then a member of the medical staff came over and asked if I was alright? I answered yes. The next thing I knew is I was on a gurney being hustled to the med tent! on the way I asked him, “what was your question to me?” He replied “Do you need a ride?” Oh. They checked me out and after 15 minutes I was released. I got my medal and went for a burger and chocolate milk.

Now all I need is a good day at Ironman Arizona and I can do it all again.