Wow, it's been an action-packed 2+ months since IM Louisville 2011. I had some post-race withdrawal symptoms. I didn't want to swim. I didn't want to bike. I only ran for fun. ( That's OK after 9 months of training with Ironteam.) I competed in Malibu Olympic distance Tri and L.A. Tri Olympic distance in September. I actually enjoyed swimming in the Pacific Ocean. I have to thank my Ironteam Coaches: Brad and Rob for getting me comfortable in the Ocean and dealing with waves. I've come a long way from my first Tri at Desert International Distance Tri in 2009. During that race, I had a panic attack and almost quit, but managed to finish the swim by swimming from one surfboard to the next.
October was Ironman World Championships in Kona! I was an Iron Doc once again working the medical Van. Race day was preceded by a week of Sports Medicine lectures at the Ironman Medical Conference. I spent half the day in lecture and the other part of the day running on Alii Drive and biking the Queen K. Oh yeah, I bought a new Trek Speed Concept 7.5 while I was in Kona! Sweet ride. I picked up an LG Aero helmet as well. Race day was capped off by cheering on the last Finishers at midnight. It was great to take a pic with a very happy World Champion as she greeted the last few Finishers.
After Kona, I ran the Columbus marathon where I came within a few minutes of my PR. A couple weeks later, I got a PR at the RnR L.A. Half Marathon. I cycled in between all that running. ( Skipping the swim workouts.)
This led up to IM Florida in Panana City Beach. I arrived a few days early to get settled in. I swam in the Gulf of Mexico a couple days before the race, which basically was my first swim since Kona. Went through the ritual of preparing all the bags and checking them in along with my bike. Got a couple pre-race massages and just tried to relax.
Race day: Swim 1:30:56
A beautiful dawn led to a beautiful swim. The waves were calm. Although 2500+ athletes swimming and jockeying for position made for a whirlpool effect. I had a great first lap considering that I'm a slow swimmer (40 min), but fatigued a bit during my second ( 50 min ). IMFL is a beach start, and what makes it interesting is that after the 1st lap of this 2 loop swim, you get out of the water and run on the beach before re-entering for the second lap. One good aspect of this is that you can get water / Ironman Perform between the 2 loops. Now for the downside of the Gulf of Mexico swim. Jellyfish Stings! Yep, I got stung a couple times... a minor one in the Right armpit area and a major one on the Right forearm a few minutes after the first. This happened during the second lap. I didn't notice many jellyfish on the first lap, but they were abundant during the second. Maybe we woke them up. Anyhow, I just tried to stay calm, ignore the pain, and finish the swim. After the swim, I went through transition and got my bike. I just ignored the stinging sensation in my right arm. Next time, I will wear a full wetsuit, instead of my sleeveless one.
Bike 6:05:53
A very nice bike ride. IMFL is a very flat one-loop course. This means lots of time in the aero position. I wasn't use to this, since I train on hilly terrain and usually spend only about 50% of the time in aero. I paid the price in terms of a sore neck and back. My hamstrings were also more sore than my previous Ironman races. I rode my old reliable Cervelo road bike since that has carried me through 3 previous Ironman races. I'm not accustomed to my new Trek Speed Concept yet, so I will unleash the Speed Concept in 2012. The only other difficulty with this course was the wind. Strong winds made for a tough ride. But Ironman is suppose to be challenging, right?
Run 4:49:26
A pleasant run, but rather boring. IMFL is a 2 loop run through mostly residential neighborhoods. There is some nice fan support in certain areas, but pretty desolate in others. The volunteers were wonderful of course. Since, I was doing IMFL without Ironteam and my family couldn't come out because of work / school, I really appreciated the random fans who cheered my name which they picked out from my Bib. The most memorable cheer was from a woman who called my name and said "You have a nice Butt!" The run started in the afternoon with Temp of about 70, but finished in the evening with Temp of about 60. I know I can run faster, but I felt fatigued during the run. Perhaps running a marathon and a half marathon at PR pace in the weeks leading up to Ironman wasn't a great idea. Not exactly the taper the Coaches would recommend. But perhaps also the fatigue had a strong mental component. I ran my previous Ironmans with Team in Training. I had Coaches and Teammates to support me on the course during the race. I had thoughts of Honored Teammates and Patients whose battles with Leukemia and Lymphoma had inspired me to undertake the challenge of the Ironman. In Florida, I was racing for myself, for a PR. Perhaps that was it, Inspiration was lacking and my Will faltered.
Total: 12:44:42 PR
I ran across the finish line and the announcer called my name and said: " He is a Doctor!" ( Instead of the "You are an Ironman.") I found that amusing. I sat down, had some pizza then quickly got my bags and bike. Dropped off the bike at TriBike Transport and then headed back to the hotel for a warm shower and a TV to catch up on College Football. Ironman #4 was in the books.
Now a new season of Ironteam 2012 begins. I will be fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society while training with Ironteam. Here are my "Ironman" races for 2012:
Ironman 70.3 California 3-31-12
IM CDA 6-24-12
IM Canada 8-26-12
IM FL 11-3-12
IM AZ 11-18-12
Wish me luck.
