I am finally getting a chance to write my IM CANADA race report. It's been a busy month. After 8+ months of intense Ironman training, I had to catch up on work duties and home duties. In the meantime, I did run Disneyland Half a week after IM Canada and almost PR'd. I am currently in taper mode for Long Beach Marathon. OK, on to the last IM Canada from Penticton, BC.
This was my main event with Team in Training's Ironteam L.A. for 2012. We arrived a few days before the race and I was impressed by the beauty of Penticton. I was worried about heat since IM Canada 2011 was a scorcher. I was also worried about the hills and all the climbing involved. Well, my fears were overblown, the course is excellent and the weather cooperated this year. Unfortunately this is the last IM Canada race in Penticton. It has been sold to the group that puts on the "Challenge" triathlons. A detailed race report will no longer be very useful since the Challenge Penticton race will probably be very different. So I will give a quick summary and then my thoughts on the race experience.
Swim 1:37:59
The Ironteam got on a bus and left our team hotel very early Sunday morning. We arrived with plenty of time to check in our special needs bags and adjust our bikes. I had a nice warmup jog and a quick swim prior to race start.
The swim was very nice. There is the usual contact associated with the mass start of an Ironman. You learn to just ignore the contact and keep swimming. Eventually, the field separates out, you can swim, and it all works out. The water temp was just right and I felt very comfortable in my full wetsuit. IM Canada is a 1 loop lake swim. Fortunately, there was no chop on race morning. ( Unlike the chop during our practice swim a few days prior to race day and unlike my horrible IM CDA swim.) One unique thing about this swim was that the water was so clear that you could see the bottom of the lake! At the turnaround buoys, you can see divers on the lake bottom taking photos of the swimmers! The glare of the morning sun made sighting a little challenging on the return to shore, but one can sight off the tall building by the lakeshore.
Transition 1 9:08
I didn't realize I took so long. Maybe I was busy listening to the conversations of those around me. Also, I didn't have a volunteer to assist me, so I had to complete the transition on my own. I am also a proponent of taking enough time in T1, so that I don't overlook something important that will hurt me on the 112 mile bike ride. I also made sure to apply sunblock.
Bike: 6:07:22
What a great ride! The first part out of town was very pleasant. Maclean Creek Road is when the first climb starts. This is a short steep climb which is then followed by a long down hill stretch into Okanagan Falls. During this climb, there are still a lot of cyclists and there is traffic on the opposite side of the road. I came close to another cyclist as I was climbing and I guess I scared him and he yelled at me. Oops, "Sorry." The next 25 miles from the Falls to Osoyoos is flat. Time to hit the rolling buffet. I ate my Honey Stinger Waffles. Yummy. The weather was still very pleasant that morning. Then you hit Richter Pass. The Big Climb. Actually a series of 4 climbs over 6+ miles. 1300 ft elevation gain. You have a steep climb for a mile or so, than there is a flatter climb, followed by the next steep climb, flatter climb, etc... Eventually you get to the top and the reward is a fast, very fast downhill stretch. I was probably going 30 to 40 mph during the downhill. After that, it's the 7 Bit**es! A series of rollers... I just counted them down 1 by 1 until I did all 7. Believe me towards the end, you're hating these bit**es. I used the momentum I achieved in the downhill stretch to carry me all or part of the way up the next uphill stretch. This allowed me to pass quite a few people. The next section of the bike course is an out and back. This section requires will power, since fatigue is starting to hit and the Bike special needs is at the out part of this section. Now it's getting warm. Somehow, I got stung by a bee on my back. It's probably because I had my bike jersey zipped half-way down to cool off. I also dumped water over my cooling sleeves and over my head and back of jersey to cool off. I ate some salty chips from my special needs bag, reloaded on the Honey Stinger waffles, and it was off to Yellow Lake. Yellow Lake is the last big climb before returning to Penticton. It is 1500 ft of climbing over 12 miles. By this point in the race, the legs are tired, so the climb feels more difficult than Richter Pass. The good news is that the road is lined with fans cheering you on, a la Tour de France. The energy of the spectators will get you over the top. The reward is another long fast downhill stretch into Penticton. Time to prep for the marathon!
T2 10:17
Again I don't recall what took me so long. I changed into my run outfit. I applied sunblock. I used the Port-a Potty briefly.
Run: 4:52:55
This a single out and back to Okanagan Falls. I ran great during the first 13 miles. I caught up with one of my coaches on the run and we kept pace to the turnaround. I hit the special needs and ate another bag of salty chips, a Gu gel, Honey Stinger waffle. Unfortunately Coach decided to stay near this turnaround to run and encourage other Ironteam members as they came by later in the day and night. So I was left to run the remainder of the marathon on my own. At this point, I started to suffer from GI distress. I felt very gassy and eventually had to hit the Port-a Potty. I didn't feel like eating or drinking so that started to impact me as well. Severe fatigue hit and I started to feel dizzy. In analyzing what happened, I think I came off the bike in good shape. I didn't feel like drinking more Ironman Perform, since I had been drinking that on the bike. So I had taken water and Pepsi during the run. I also ate watermelon from the aid stations. ( cleanliness?) So I think I probably suffered from hyponatremia and possibly some sort of GI malabsorption. This led to one of my slower marathon times. I ended up taking longer and longer walk to run ratios. I initially walked the aid stations only. Then I started walking up hills and every aid station. Eventually I walked up hills, sometimes, downhill, and about every half mile. At mile 24 or so, I ran into my head coach, who asked me how I was doing. I said, "Not good." He encouraged me and said it's all downhill to the finish. Unfortunately as I approached the finish line along the lake side, the IM run course takes a left turn and you have to run an out and back. Running away from the finish was psychologically painful. A bystander encouraged me and said if I hurry, I will come in under 13 hours. Eventually I reached the turn-around and ran back and over the finish line! Mission accomplished. I gave a military salute as I crossed the finish line.
Total time: 12:57:39
Final thoughts:
1) Great course. Great fan support. I would have loved to return to Penticton for a future Ironman.
2) I loved my Team in Training Ironteam experience. Great coaches, mentors, and teammates. I raised over $6000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I will return for another season with Ironteam in 2013.
3) I need to fine-tune my nutrition. I probably need to eat more on the bike, because I have a hard time with my digestion during the run. I probably need to force myself to keep drinking the electrolytes / Perform drink and avoid Pepsi. ( I had a similar GI problem during Full Vineman in 2011).
4) Finally, I am now 3 years after ACL reconstruction. My ACL has been fine. I am running well. I still get more soreness in my Right ( repaired) knee. I missed my knee checkup with my Ortho surgeon, since I was so busy over the summer. I still have IM #7 and #8 coming up in November, as well as my Fall and Winter marathons. I will probably check my knees in the Spring.
Showing posts with label Ironman Race Report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ironman Race Report. Show all posts
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Ironman # 5 Coeur D'Alene
Race Report:
I am training for IM Canada this year, so CDA was a training race. It will be my main race for 2013, so it was also a good scouting mission for CDA 2013. Since I'm in the midst of Ironman training, I did not taper for CDA, so my slower times probably are a factor of that and the windy, choppy conditions during the swim and bike.
Coeur D'Alene is beautiful. I felt like I was in a National Park. The lake looked very peaceful and serene. I checked the water a few days before race day and it seemed cold, but tolerable. The town is small, but has nice restaurants, bars, and cafes. The surrounding roads and countryside are bicyclist and runner friendly. The town seems to really support Ironman athletes. The weather was warm, but not too hot. We did have thunderstorms rolling through the days leading up to race day. Perhaps because of the storms, it seemed a bit humid, but definitely not as bad as Louisville.
Race Day:
Swim: 1:54:34
This was the toughest part of the day for me. I had been slacking off on my practice swims, concentrating on cycling and running instead. I got a few ocean swims in, so I thought I was prepared for a nice pleasant lake swim. I did not take into account very cold and choppy water conditions. I started off to the far right side of the course and towards the back of the pack. That was appropriate for me since I know I am a slower swimmer ( usually around 1:30 for 2.4 miles) The cold water shock hit me and the mass start caused an initial "stressful" situation. The good news is that I was able to gather myself and not panic. It got better after the first quarter mile. The first loop of this 2 loop swim went well. The chop did not seem bad during this first loop. It was frustrating though as I came on to the beach, that a few swimmers were turning to the right, towards T1 since they had finished 2 loops already!
Loop 2. Cold and Colder. The problem with being a slow swimmer in cold water is the negative feedback loop you get into. The slower you are, the more time in the cold water and the colder you get as your core temp starts to drop. The more your core temp drops, the slower your neurons fire which will slow down your mentation, your reflexes, and your muscular movements. This leads to even slower swimming, leading to more time in the cold water and further drops in core temp....
Throw in the wind and the chop and now things get really challenging. The chop makes it more difficult to site and see buoys. It makes it difficult to breathe. I swallowed quite a bit of water. I found myself altering my stroke and raising my head out of the water in order to breathe and in order to site. All this makes for a very slow 2nd loop. By the time I got out of the water and into T1, my fingers were numb and I had difficulty putting on my bike gear. This led to a 10 min T1.
Bike: 6:43:24
After getting on the bike, I still felt cold and had difficulty taking deep breaths. I might have gotten some water in my lungs. I didn't feel very well, but I hoped things will improve. You go through the town of CDA and then an out and back along the lakeshore ( which also happens to be the run course). There are a few rolling hills on the out and back. This first part you just get into your cycling rhythm and start taking in some hydration. You go through CDA again and then you hit US 95 around mile 15. Now it's time to get to work on this long out and back on US 95. You have a significant climb around mile 17-19 and another one at mile 23-26, but they were manageable. Then several more rolling hills until the turnaround around mile 36. The way out we had a significant headwind that made for tough climbing. The good news is that it made the return trip to CDA easier and faster. The weather was still cool during this first bike loop. I enjoyed riding through some beautiful country. Back into CDA there was a lot of cheering crowds and excitement. Then it was time for the out and back along the lakeshore into Special Needs. I sat down and ate some chips and nuts. Took in a Gatorade G1 and some FRS. Then it was back in the saddle again. Go through CDA and back to US 95 for the second loop. This time the climbs seemed much harder. The sun was coming out and it was getting warmer as well. You're hitting the hills at around mile 76-78 and 81-84. Turnaround around mile 91 and I forgot to mention this during the first loop, but you hit the hills from the other side on the way back into CDA. So you get one last big climb around mile 101-104. Then it's a fast downhill into CDA. Unfortunately there is a narrow section where you have to bike on the shoulder of the road and it is a no passing zone!
I felt great and had a lot of energy going into T2. Spent 5 min and then it was time to run.
Run: 4:48:00
The run was very scenic and had a lot of crowd support. The aid stations were well staffed and supplied. I enjoyed the run very much and it is my favorite Ironman marathon so far. The temp was in the low to mid 70's by now. I tried to run in the shade whenever possible. I used water at the aid stations to cool down. One bad thing was they ran out of sponges very quickly. I got a sponge at the first aid station, but all the subsequent stations ran out. I was fine until mile 4, just the usual legs of "brick" sensation. Around mile 4 a significant incline / uphill section begins. At this point I had pain at the base of my right 5th toe with every step I took. Even walking was painful. I was sure I had a blister, but I did not want to stop. I took more walk breaks and tried to put less pressure on my right foot by altering my gait. I also prayed the rosary. This has been something I do during my marathons and prior Ironman races. It usually helps me ignore pain and discomfort and distracts me from the monotony of running "endless" miles. It took a while, but it worked. My foot pain was gone by mile 12. I was actually able to start running again, and walking just the aid stations and the steep inclines. The run course is 2 loops, with special needs around mile 13. I again had chips, Gatorade G1, FRS, and Peanut Butter GU. I ran a negative split during this 2nd loop. The last 4 miles I imagined running with my daughter who is on her High School XC and Track team. If anyone overheard me talking to my imaginary running partner during those last 4 miles they might have thought I had heat stroke. But I ran the fastest last 4 miles ever for any of my marathons... easily 8 min/miles. I finished the Ironman on an emotional and physical high. Not bad considering the day started with a "crappy" swim. I checked my feet after the race and to my surprise they were fine... no blisters!
Finish: 13:41:40
Overall I am satisfied with my effort considering the challenges I faced and the fact that this race was just a long training day. I am looking forward to tackling CDA again in 2013.
As an aside I just heard about the competitor that died from the IM CDA swim. My condolences to his family. Ironman is never easy and the swim was very challenging. I train in the Pacific Ocean and deal with waves and surf. I have swam Alcatraz twice. This CDA swim reminded me of the cold waters of Alcatraz.
I am training for IM Canada this year, so CDA was a training race. It will be my main race for 2013, so it was also a good scouting mission for CDA 2013. Since I'm in the midst of Ironman training, I did not taper for CDA, so my slower times probably are a factor of that and the windy, choppy conditions during the swim and bike.
Coeur D'Alene is beautiful. I felt like I was in a National Park. The lake looked very peaceful and serene. I checked the water a few days before race day and it seemed cold, but tolerable. The town is small, but has nice restaurants, bars, and cafes. The surrounding roads and countryside are bicyclist and runner friendly. The town seems to really support Ironman athletes. The weather was warm, but not too hot. We did have thunderstorms rolling through the days leading up to race day. Perhaps because of the storms, it seemed a bit humid, but definitely not as bad as Louisville.
Race Day:
Swim: 1:54:34
This was the toughest part of the day for me. I had been slacking off on my practice swims, concentrating on cycling and running instead. I got a few ocean swims in, so I thought I was prepared for a nice pleasant lake swim. I did not take into account very cold and choppy water conditions. I started off to the far right side of the course and towards the back of the pack. That was appropriate for me since I know I am a slower swimmer ( usually around 1:30 for 2.4 miles) The cold water shock hit me and the mass start caused an initial "stressful" situation. The good news is that I was able to gather myself and not panic. It got better after the first quarter mile. The first loop of this 2 loop swim went well. The chop did not seem bad during this first loop. It was frustrating though as I came on to the beach, that a few swimmers were turning to the right, towards T1 since they had finished 2 loops already!
Loop 2. Cold and Colder. The problem with being a slow swimmer in cold water is the negative feedback loop you get into. The slower you are, the more time in the cold water and the colder you get as your core temp starts to drop. The more your core temp drops, the slower your neurons fire which will slow down your mentation, your reflexes, and your muscular movements. This leads to even slower swimming, leading to more time in the cold water and further drops in core temp....
Throw in the wind and the chop and now things get really challenging. The chop makes it more difficult to site and see buoys. It makes it difficult to breathe. I swallowed quite a bit of water. I found myself altering my stroke and raising my head out of the water in order to breathe and in order to site. All this makes for a very slow 2nd loop. By the time I got out of the water and into T1, my fingers were numb and I had difficulty putting on my bike gear. This led to a 10 min T1.
Bike: 6:43:24
After getting on the bike, I still felt cold and had difficulty taking deep breaths. I might have gotten some water in my lungs. I didn't feel very well, but I hoped things will improve. You go through the town of CDA and then an out and back along the lakeshore ( which also happens to be the run course). There are a few rolling hills on the out and back. This first part you just get into your cycling rhythm and start taking in some hydration. You go through CDA again and then you hit US 95 around mile 15. Now it's time to get to work on this long out and back on US 95. You have a significant climb around mile 17-19 and another one at mile 23-26, but they were manageable. Then several more rolling hills until the turnaround around mile 36. The way out we had a significant headwind that made for tough climbing. The good news is that it made the return trip to CDA easier and faster. The weather was still cool during this first bike loop. I enjoyed riding through some beautiful country. Back into CDA there was a lot of cheering crowds and excitement. Then it was time for the out and back along the lakeshore into Special Needs. I sat down and ate some chips and nuts. Took in a Gatorade G1 and some FRS. Then it was back in the saddle again. Go through CDA and back to US 95 for the second loop. This time the climbs seemed much harder. The sun was coming out and it was getting warmer as well. You're hitting the hills at around mile 76-78 and 81-84. Turnaround around mile 91 and I forgot to mention this during the first loop, but you hit the hills from the other side on the way back into CDA. So you get one last big climb around mile 101-104. Then it's a fast downhill into CDA. Unfortunately there is a narrow section where you have to bike on the shoulder of the road and it is a no passing zone!
I felt great and had a lot of energy going into T2. Spent 5 min and then it was time to run.
Run: 4:48:00
The run was very scenic and had a lot of crowd support. The aid stations were well staffed and supplied. I enjoyed the run very much and it is my favorite Ironman marathon so far. The temp was in the low to mid 70's by now. I tried to run in the shade whenever possible. I used water at the aid stations to cool down. One bad thing was they ran out of sponges very quickly. I got a sponge at the first aid station, but all the subsequent stations ran out. I was fine until mile 4, just the usual legs of "brick" sensation. Around mile 4 a significant incline / uphill section begins. At this point I had pain at the base of my right 5th toe with every step I took. Even walking was painful. I was sure I had a blister, but I did not want to stop. I took more walk breaks and tried to put less pressure on my right foot by altering my gait. I also prayed the rosary. This has been something I do during my marathons and prior Ironman races. It usually helps me ignore pain and discomfort and distracts me from the monotony of running "endless" miles. It took a while, but it worked. My foot pain was gone by mile 12. I was actually able to start running again, and walking just the aid stations and the steep inclines. The run course is 2 loops, with special needs around mile 13. I again had chips, Gatorade G1, FRS, and Peanut Butter GU. I ran a negative split during this 2nd loop. The last 4 miles I imagined running with my daughter who is on her High School XC and Track team. If anyone overheard me talking to my imaginary running partner during those last 4 miles they might have thought I had heat stroke. But I ran the fastest last 4 miles ever for any of my marathons... easily 8 min/miles. I finished the Ironman on an emotional and physical high. Not bad considering the day started with a "crappy" swim. I checked my feet after the race and to my surprise they were fine... no blisters!
Finish: 13:41:40
Overall I am satisfied with my effort considering the challenges I faced and the fact that this race was just a long training day. I am looking forward to tackling CDA again in 2013.
As an aside I just heard about the competitor that died from the IM CDA swim. My condolences to his family. Ironman is never easy and the swim was very challenging. I train in the Pacific Ocean and deal with waves and surf. I have swam Alcatraz twice. This CDA swim reminded me of the cold waters of Alcatraz.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Ironman Louisville 2011
Race morning I went through my usual routine, except I didn't have a BM. Perhaps it was getting up before 4am Eastern time ( which meant 1 am Pacific time), which made it hard for my body to adjust. I figure I will go before race start, so I wasn't too worried yet. I was much more careful with my pre-race meal and the preparation of my hydration. I prepared 3 bottles of Ironman Perform drink with bottled water and refrigerated it overnight.
I headed out to transition with my Greater L.A. Ironteam and coaches. Dropped off my bike and Special Needs bags. The weather was mild and very pleasant. I was very pleased. In 2010, I was already sweating profusely walking to transition because of the heat and humidity. This time I felt much more at ease. Having survived 2010 under very difficult conditions, I knew that if I took the Ironman, one component at a time: I WILL DO THIS. We walked over to the swim start, got body marked and waited in line. This year they did not allow people to camp out overnight and hold other athletes places in line. But since we arrived very early, around 5:30 am, we were near the front. I tried to use the port-a-potty, but I still did not have any urge. Later... But later they were very strict about athletes remaining in line. Some of my teammates went right there while standing in line. Others fled to the grass and took care of business there. I snuck off next to some bushes and pee. Before you know it the elites were off, and then the rest of the field. I probably entered the water in the first 5 minutes.
Swim 1:49:43
I jumped in the water and tried to stay calm as the madness surrounded me. I tried to stay to the right to avoid the crowd of swimmers that were swimming closer to the island on the left. The previous year I swam to the left near the island and was constantly being hit and kicked. This time, I got hit less, but it still happened. At one point I kicked someone in the head and my heel stung from the impact. I hope the swimmer was OK. As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a recent concussion and still had some dizziness. So I took it real easy on the swim. I knew that the swim was the shortest part of the day. I still had a long bike ride and a marathon ahead of me. I finally past the island and swam out to the farthest buoy for the turnaround. The first part was upstream, now I get to go downstream. At the athlete's dinner, they had advised us to stay near the buoys for the strongest downstream current. But elsewhere on the internet I had heard that the current was stronger further out, towards the middle of the river. The prior year I took the buoy course. So this time I decided to try further out towards the middle.
Well when I finally exited the water I felt fresh and not as tired as 2010. But when I checked my results later I realized I was 7 minutes slower than 2010. Again my post-concussion syndrome was partly to blame and perhaps my swim strategy was flawed. In comparison, my 2.4 mile swim time at Vineman 4 weeks prior to Louisville was 1:21:52
I also learned afterwards that a swimmer had died from cardiac arrest that morning in the water. One of my Ironteammates was directly affected since she came upon the swimmer floating under the water and was involved in the rescue attempt. Unfortunately that swimmer died. ( My teammate completed the swim and bike, but was pulled at mile 20 of the marathon course. ) My coaches were worried since I was the last swimmer from my L.A. Ironteam to exit the water. With my recent concussion and the increased number of rescue boats that were out on the water after that mornings death, they had feared that I had encountered a medical problem. They were so relieved to see me exit the swim.
T1 10:14
Although I felt fine. I still took my time in T1. I didn't want to forget anything important before embarking on a 112 mile bike ride. I also hit the port-a-potty for a pee.
Bike 6:21:00
This is where I made some real progress. I tried to keep a steady pace and slowly passed my teammates one by one. The weather cooperated and it was quite cool and pleasant during the first couple hours of the bike. But slowly it warmed up. I tried to stay cool by drinking water and also dumping water on my arm coolers and over my helmet at each water station. At special needs I had a nice snack of BBQ potato chips. I took a salt tablet every couple hours. I also took Motrin twice during the course of the bike ride. Clif Shot Bloks, PowerBar Gel Blasts, and a Tiger's Milk Bar, along with the Ironman Perform drink made up my nutrition on the bike. Unlike Vineman, I did not have any GI issues on the bike.
The best part was that the last 40 miles or so, I felt strong and was picking up speed while those around me were slowing down. It was a great psychological lift to zip past a bunch of cyclists at that point of the race. Special props to the Team in Training Cheer Squad that was out in force to cheer the competitors on. Perhaps I will post some pictures at a later date, but you can check out pictures at the Greater L.A. Ironteam Facebook page as well.
T2 7:51
I was 3 minutes faster than 2010, but in 2010 I came in from the bike exhasted from the heat and humidity. This time I felt ready to run a marathon. I hit the port-a-potty for a quick pee.
Run 4:48:54
I started off at a 9 min / mile pace and then eased into a 10 min / mile pace for the first 13.1 miles. But then the GI issue propped up. I felt gassy and started looking for an unoccupied port-a-potty. I finally came across one around mile 14 and finally had a BM (it was a little loose). My Run Split will show that from mile 13.1 to mile 15.33, I was running a 15 min / mile pace. In reality, I spent at least 5 minutes in the Port-a-Potty and then ran a 11 min / mile pace. I believe I also hit the Run Special Needs during this run split and had a half-bag of Hot-Wings flavored potato chips, a Motrin, and changed my socks as well.
The rest of the run, the leg fatigue started to hit and I ran 11:30 min / mile pace. During the run, I drank mostly water and cola, because I was sick of the Ironman Perform drink. I ate some grapes, but did not think that I could tolerate anything more substantial. Towards the end I was getting light-headed and dizzy, I knew that I could be dehydrated and low on sodium as well. So I started to drink chicken soup and I drank an entire bottle of Ironman Perform. I did feel better after rehydrating on the Perform drink.
A highlight of the run was seeing my teammates multiple times throughout the out and back 2 loop course. Their smiles lifted my spirits. I was reminded that even though I was suffering, I needed to enjoy the moment. I was reminded about my Honored Teammates who have had to overcome Cancer. They have had to fight something more serious and go through more suffering than an Ironman Triathlon. I thought about my family and friends who have supported me on this Ironman journey. These thoughts carried me home to the Finish line on Fourth Street Live. This time I heard my name called out: "Here comes Alexander C. from ..... You are an Ironman."
Total Time: 13:17:42
This was 46 minutes better than Louisville 2010. Just like 2010, I was the second finisher from my L.A. Ironteam. I greeted Amy from L.A. Ironteam who was working as a finishline volunteer. I then saw Rachel our campaign manager and thanked her. I went back to the hotel to shower and then hit the convention center for some pizza and to pick up my morning clothes bag. I returned to the finishline to cheer my teammates as they in turn finished their Ironman races. The last 45 minutes I joined the crowd that was giving high-fives to the final finishers of the day. It was a wild scene, especially when one of my Ironteammate approached the finishline just as the clock struck 17 hours:00:00. The coaches were jumping up and down urging her to sprint for her Ironman Life. When she crossed the finishline a few seconds after 17 hours, a hush momentarily fell over the crowd. Then the announcer said that because of the delay of the swim during the rescue attempt that morning, the race end time has been extended for 10 more minutes. The crowd erupted, my teammate was an official Ironman Finisher!
Although this is not the most technical Ironman Race Report, this is what struck me as the important moments of my race day.
Special props to my Coaches who were there to support me not only on race day, but throughout this whole long training season. I couldn't have completed 2 Full Ironmans and 1 Half Ironman in 6 weeks without their coaching and advice. ( Throw in a concussion and Post-concussion syndrome in there as well between the 2 Full Ironmans just to add to the degree of difficulty.)
I headed out to transition with my Greater L.A. Ironteam and coaches. Dropped off my bike and Special Needs bags. The weather was mild and very pleasant. I was very pleased. In 2010, I was already sweating profusely walking to transition because of the heat and humidity. This time I felt much more at ease. Having survived 2010 under very difficult conditions, I knew that if I took the Ironman, one component at a time: I WILL DO THIS. We walked over to the swim start, got body marked and waited in line. This year they did not allow people to camp out overnight and hold other athletes places in line. But since we arrived very early, around 5:30 am, we were near the front. I tried to use the port-a-potty, but I still did not have any urge. Later... But later they were very strict about athletes remaining in line. Some of my teammates went right there while standing in line. Others fled to the grass and took care of business there. I snuck off next to some bushes and pee. Before you know it the elites were off, and then the rest of the field. I probably entered the water in the first 5 minutes.
Swim 1:49:43
I jumped in the water and tried to stay calm as the madness surrounded me. I tried to stay to the right to avoid the crowd of swimmers that were swimming closer to the island on the left. The previous year I swam to the left near the island and was constantly being hit and kicked. This time, I got hit less, but it still happened. At one point I kicked someone in the head and my heel stung from the impact. I hope the swimmer was OK. As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a recent concussion and still had some dizziness. So I took it real easy on the swim. I knew that the swim was the shortest part of the day. I still had a long bike ride and a marathon ahead of me. I finally past the island and swam out to the farthest buoy for the turnaround. The first part was upstream, now I get to go downstream. At the athlete's dinner, they had advised us to stay near the buoys for the strongest downstream current. But elsewhere on the internet I had heard that the current was stronger further out, towards the middle of the river. The prior year I took the buoy course. So this time I decided to try further out towards the middle.
Well when I finally exited the water I felt fresh and not as tired as 2010. But when I checked my results later I realized I was 7 minutes slower than 2010. Again my post-concussion syndrome was partly to blame and perhaps my swim strategy was flawed. In comparison, my 2.4 mile swim time at Vineman 4 weeks prior to Louisville was 1:21:52
I also learned afterwards that a swimmer had died from cardiac arrest that morning in the water. One of my Ironteammates was directly affected since she came upon the swimmer floating under the water and was involved in the rescue attempt. Unfortunately that swimmer died. ( My teammate completed the swim and bike, but was pulled at mile 20 of the marathon course. ) My coaches were worried since I was the last swimmer from my L.A. Ironteam to exit the water. With my recent concussion and the increased number of rescue boats that were out on the water after that mornings death, they had feared that I had encountered a medical problem. They were so relieved to see me exit the swim.
T1 10:14
Although I felt fine. I still took my time in T1. I didn't want to forget anything important before embarking on a 112 mile bike ride. I also hit the port-a-potty for a pee.
Bike 6:21:00
This is where I made some real progress. I tried to keep a steady pace and slowly passed my teammates one by one. The weather cooperated and it was quite cool and pleasant during the first couple hours of the bike. But slowly it warmed up. I tried to stay cool by drinking water and also dumping water on my arm coolers and over my helmet at each water station. At special needs I had a nice snack of BBQ potato chips. I took a salt tablet every couple hours. I also took Motrin twice during the course of the bike ride. Clif Shot Bloks, PowerBar Gel Blasts, and a Tiger's Milk Bar, along with the Ironman Perform drink made up my nutrition on the bike. Unlike Vineman, I did not have any GI issues on the bike.
The best part was that the last 40 miles or so, I felt strong and was picking up speed while those around me were slowing down. It was a great psychological lift to zip past a bunch of cyclists at that point of the race. Special props to the Team in Training Cheer Squad that was out in force to cheer the competitors on. Perhaps I will post some pictures at a later date, but you can check out pictures at the Greater L.A. Ironteam Facebook page as well.
T2 7:51
I was 3 minutes faster than 2010, but in 2010 I came in from the bike exhasted from the heat and humidity. This time I felt ready to run a marathon. I hit the port-a-potty for a quick pee.
Run 4:48:54
I started off at a 9 min / mile pace and then eased into a 10 min / mile pace for the first 13.1 miles. But then the GI issue propped up. I felt gassy and started looking for an unoccupied port-a-potty. I finally came across one around mile 14 and finally had a BM (it was a little loose). My Run Split will show that from mile 13.1 to mile 15.33, I was running a 15 min / mile pace. In reality, I spent at least 5 minutes in the Port-a-Potty and then ran a 11 min / mile pace. I believe I also hit the Run Special Needs during this run split and had a half-bag of Hot-Wings flavored potato chips, a Motrin, and changed my socks as well.
The rest of the run, the leg fatigue started to hit and I ran 11:30 min / mile pace. During the run, I drank mostly water and cola, because I was sick of the Ironman Perform drink. I ate some grapes, but did not think that I could tolerate anything more substantial. Towards the end I was getting light-headed and dizzy, I knew that I could be dehydrated and low on sodium as well. So I started to drink chicken soup and I drank an entire bottle of Ironman Perform. I did feel better after rehydrating on the Perform drink.
A highlight of the run was seeing my teammates multiple times throughout the out and back 2 loop course. Their smiles lifted my spirits. I was reminded that even though I was suffering, I needed to enjoy the moment. I was reminded about my Honored Teammates who have had to overcome Cancer. They have had to fight something more serious and go through more suffering than an Ironman Triathlon. I thought about my family and friends who have supported me on this Ironman journey. These thoughts carried me home to the Finish line on Fourth Street Live. This time I heard my name called out: "Here comes Alexander C. from ..... You are an Ironman."
Total Time: 13:17:42
This was 46 minutes better than Louisville 2010. Just like 2010, I was the second finisher from my L.A. Ironteam. I greeted Amy from L.A. Ironteam who was working as a finishline volunteer. I then saw Rachel our campaign manager and thanked her. I went back to the hotel to shower and then hit the convention center for some pizza and to pick up my morning clothes bag. I returned to the finishline to cheer my teammates as they in turn finished their Ironman races. The last 45 minutes I joined the crowd that was giving high-fives to the final finishers of the day. It was a wild scene, especially when one of my Ironteammate approached the finishline just as the clock struck 17 hours:00:00. The coaches were jumping up and down urging her to sprint for her Ironman Life. When she crossed the finishline a few seconds after 17 hours, a hush momentarily fell over the crowd. Then the announcer said that because of the delay of the swim during the rescue attempt that morning, the race end time has been extended for 10 more minutes. The crowd erupted, my teammate was an official Ironman Finisher!
Although this is not the most technical Ironman Race Report, this is what struck me as the important moments of my race day.
Special props to my Coaches who were there to support me not only on race day, but throughout this whole long training season. I couldn't have completed 2 Full Ironmans and 1 Half Ironman in 6 weeks without their coaching and advice. ( Throw in a concussion and Post-concussion syndrome in there as well between the 2 Full Ironmans just to add to the degree of difficulty.)
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