First off, what a great race! The weather was nearly perfect, and the race was well organized and supported. Some of you may remember I did IMCDA last year in 2010, and had a breakout race, improving my IM time from 14:03 at IMLP in 2007 to 10:18. I felt good going into last year’s race, but had some rather tough cramping issues on the run from about mile 6 through the finish. Basically my stomach shut-down. After much thought and review of my race day, I came to the conclusion it was due to several factors:
1. Pushing too hard on the bike.
2. Riding too hard given the temperature on the bike (we had a cool spring in MI, so I wasn’t used to the heat).
3. Starting my run too fast (felt good so might as well start at 7:10’s right?)
4. I never experienced stomach shut-down before, so I didn’t realize that was happening.
So with that done, and with much thought and discussion with my wife, we agreed I could take 1 more shot at chasing my goal of a Kona slot. I knew I was close last year, but I still needed to tweak my approach to get me over the hump and address the issues I had on race day. With that said, I again developed a detailed plan of attack for IMCDA 2011 focusing on both equipment and training. I pretty much analyzed every piece of equipment I would use on race day and determined if there was any potential for improvement, whether it would be for comfort, speed or both. There were a couple of changes to be had on my bike. After speaking with the guys at Fraser Bicycle, I decided on upgrading to a Shiv, reviewing my fit coordinates and making a few other adjustments to my race set-up in order to keep a clean and efficient bike on race-day. The Shiv is one awesome machine, and with my new fit coordinates and shorter cranks, I was able to get lower in the front, while also preserving the FTP gains I was making in training. Definitely a win.
Since my nutrition was an issue last year, I really began to study what I really required on both the bike and run. All I can say here is through much trial and error, and some very detailed post workout nutrition analysis I was able to hone in on a strategy that was effective in moderate temperatures, since that’s all we had in our cool Michigan spring this year.
The other area of focus was my training. I began working with the coaching staff at Fraser Bicycle. This was quite a change for me since I was always self-coached and had never had any formal coaching in my life, so I was skeptical whenever they had me do something that was different than I did before. There was always logic behind their approach, and through their training guidance and instruction, I saw improvement in my swim, bike and significant gains in my running. I can’t get into the details of their plans since it’s their training approach, but I will say it worked.
With that said, on to IMCDA 2011….
Countdown to Race:
The days leading up to the race were typical for an Ironman. We arrived on Thursday mid-day and got settled. After that, I competed my registration, picked-up my bike and went for a swim and a quick. Nothing remarkable about that except the water was cold, reported to be about 56-57F, which was the coldest I ever swam in. It took a few minutes to get used to, but once your feet, hands and face went numb, it really wasn’t too bad. Key point for race day: allow enough time to get in the water early. I needed to be acclimated first. The rest of the days leading up to the race were relatively uneventful, just taking care of all the final details of getting ready to make sure I was physically and mentally prepared for my assault on IMCDA.
Race day:
As usual with IM starts, I was up at 3:45 to eat. I stuck with my tried and true breakfast of Cheerios, Banana and 2 Natures Pride Toaster Pastries (i.e. organic Pop-Tarts), and along with my 2 cups of coffee I took my First Endurance Multi-V to get everything moving. Once dressed, I headed to the Transition area at 5:00 AM was done with everything by 6:00. This was perfect, since I had about an hour to relax and get ready. At 6:30, I put my wetsuit, said good-bye to my wife, son and dad and headed to the start. By 6:45 I was standing in the lake getting adjusted to the cold, and started to collect my thoughts. I was ready. I had a plan, and today would be the day to make it happen.
Swim:
The cannon went off in typical fashion at 7:00, and the first few minutes were awesome, just like every IM swim start is. Rarely do we go for a swim with 2,500 of our closest friends. After the typical bumping and jostling, I found some clear water and focused on my form and a steady pace. Last year I got caught up in the congestion at the first turn and lost significant time, so this year I decided to stay wide at the turn, and keep swimming in clear water. In the end, I’m not sure if it saved much time, but I was nice to fly around the turns and maintain some clear water. My swim last year was 1:09:50, and my goal this year was 1:06. First lap was done at 33 mins flat, and I came out of the water at 1:06:04. Perfect pacing, and I felt good. At this point I was 246 overall and 39 in the M30-34 AG.
T1:
After the swim, the first few steps on the beach were interesting since I couldn’t feel me feet. I did my best to scramble up the beach and headed into the change tent. Last year I spent 5:07 in T1, which I knew was way too much time to waste, so I streamlined my process and got my time down to 4:09. Quickly, I was off on the bike.
Bike:
Going into the bike, I knew I had a good pacing plan. I had practiced it well in training and knew it was realistic and conservative. I won’t get into the details, but it was similar to the general advice you always hear on Slowtwitch, Endurance Nation, Going Long, etc.: Start conservative and this should be your easiest ride of the year. Since my running had been my strength lately, I paid very close attention to my pacing to be sure I had enough left in the tank to unleash a good run. After the first 40 miles, I evaluated my power, RPE and speed. Based on that, my pace was feeling about right, so I decided to keep it dialed back until the end of the first loop and then evaluate again. Last year, my bike split was 5:16, and going into this year, I felt I should ride between 5:05 and 5:10. At the end of the first loop, I was at 2:34, which was right where I wanted to be, even though I stayed at a more conservative power number. For the second loop, I decided I would allow myself to push it on the climbs a little more on the second loop, but still keep it on the conservative side. Again, I knew my run would be my strength, and any extra energy I had left over from the bike I would be able to make up on the run, so for me it made sense. All was going well on the second loop, until about mile 70-75. It was on the downhill after the golf course just before the tight right hand turn. I was flying downhill, probably between 30-35 mph, and I felt what I thought was a stone hit me in the chest. I assumed it was a stone that was kicked up by the passing car or a rider in front of me, until I started to feel an intense burning sensation on my right nipple. I couldn’t look down because I was going so fast down a curvy road, so I started to feel around and felt a “pea-size” ball in my top! It was a bee (I think)! I didn’t want to smack my chest and drive he stinger in any deeper, so I tried (and successfully) was able to pull it out with one hand and then shake it loose out of my jersey! I got it out, but man that hurt! All I had with me at that point was Perform, so I couldn’t rinse it out with sticky sports drink, so I just had to deal with it. Luckily I’m not allergic to bee stings, but if any of you are, be aware and plan ahead; it can happen! After about 20 minutes or so, the pain went away, and I carried on with the rest of my ride.
My nutrition plan was perfect for this weather, which started in the mid-50s and ended around 70. My plan was simple: drink sports drink every 15 minutes with the goal of 1 bottle per hour, and 1 serving of gel every hour. If I needed additional fluids, I would supplement with plain water from the aid stations and add salt tabs to maintain my electrolytes. This strategy was refined in my training that met both my fluid and caloric needs, while not overdoing calories and causing GI distress. Also, I wanted to keep a clean bike, so I went with 1 regular bottle cage on my aerobars and the Specialized Virtue bottle on the frame. I started with both bottles filled with First Endurance EFS drink. I chose EFS drink since it is so high in electrolytes, I didn’t need to worry about taking salt tabs until I drank all the EFS. Basically it kept the plan as simple as possible. Once the aerobar bottle was empty, I refilled with bottles of Perform from the aid stations. For my gel needs, I started with the First Endurance EFS Liquid Shot, and once that was gone, I used a Powergel. This got me about 310 cal/hr and 76g of carbs/hr.
Nothing too eventful in the closing miles, just time to get ready for the run! The wind picked up a little on the second loop, and even with holding slightly more power, my second split was 2:36 for a total time of 5:10 and an average speed of 21.7 mph. This was done on an average power of 211w (219w normalized). After the bike I was placed 44 overall and 10 in M30-34.
T2:
Similar to T1, I felt I lost too much time here last year (4:10), so I streamlined my process and got my time down to 2:00 this year. This even includes putting on my SLS3 compression socks.
Run:
Now it was time to race. Up until now my race had been all about keeping a steady conservative pace so I could run to my potential. The run course was changed for this year consisting of 2-loops of a simple out and back, but the added miles on the loop, extended the main hill on the run to the point where we now ran over the top, and down the backside where we turned around and immediately ran back up the hill and then down towards town.
Last year, I felt I started too fast, which I feel contributed to my cramping at mile 6, and ending in a 3:43 marathon. My plan this year, was to absolutely stick to my plan of keeping it easy (7:30) for the first half of the first loop, or about 6.5-7 miles. After that I would let RPE and how I felt dictate my pacing and I would speed up as I could. The nutrition plan for my run was simple; take in a little bit of everything (perform and water) at every aid station, a gel about every 45 minutes and salt tabs about every 30 minutes and adjust based on how I felt.
As I headed out on the first loop, I found it surprisingly difficult to stick to my pace. My target was 7:30, but every time I checked my watched I was close to 7:00 – 7:10. I felt good, so the question for myself was why not run faster? The answer was simple: You planned your race, now race your plan. The plan was developed with logic and thought prior to the race, so I stuck with it. I will have 18-20 miles to speed up if I feel good, and I will only “lose” 1.5 minutes +/- by keeping it conservative for now.
Unfortunately, I needed a quick “pit stop” in the porta-potty, which cost me another couple of minutes in the first 6 miles, which I didn’t factor in. As I neared the turn-around point I checked my watch and noticed this put my pace up to mile 6.6 at just under 8:00 min/mile. Damn, too much time lost! I paid close attention to those in my AG already heading back to town and I think I saw about 10 people or so in front of me. I knew going into the race there would only likely be 5 Kona spots in my AG, so now was the time to make a move. I couldn’t afford to hold back anymore. My original plan was to speed up to 7:15 – 7:20 min/mile at this point, but I knew had to push the pace and take a gamble. As I made the turnaround, I passed through the aid station one more time and took in a bit more fluids. I kept it steady and controlled until the top of the hill, and then I let loose. As I came of the downhill and onto the flats I was feeling good. Nice, controlled, good form, nice foot strikes and maintaining a comfortable pace of between 7:00 – 7:10 pace. As I ran, the following thoughts were going through my head: This is my race to lose. I paced steady all day, waiting for this moment, and here it is. All the sacrifice and hard work by both my wife and myself would come down to this. I want that Kona spot and it’s mine; no one will take it from me! With that I charged and kept that pace all the way back to town, and I picked off several others in my AG.
All was going good until just after the start of the second loop about mile 13.5. What I didn’t realize is that the distance between the aid stations was about mile 12.5 and mile 14.5, so about 15 minutes with no fluids. It doesn’t seem like much, but at about mile 13.5 I started to feel a cramp in my stomach, then it got worse. I thought all I need to do back off a little, get some fluids and take some salt tabs. I eased off to about 7:40’s, and finally arrived at the aid station. This one I walked, took in plenty of fluids, dumped water over my head and ice down my shirt. With all the fluids running down through my shoes, I have to say my K-Swiss Kwicky Blades were doing their job perfectly. All excess fluids were draining out, and they were definitely not absorbing any water or getting squishy. At least my feet were still happy at this point! By the end of the aid station, I was feeling good again and started running again. However, I wasn't in the clear yet, as just before the next aid station, the similar feeling started. Same thing: fluids, electrolytes and all good. As I left that aid station for the one near mile 16, my stomach was calling for pit stop #2. This could not be ignored for the remaining 10 miles. I knew I didn’t have time to waste so I “prepared” myself as much as possible before I hit the aid station and flew in and out as fast as possible; only lost about a minute and a half!
When I left, I felt much better, and again started clicking off miles around 7:20 pace. To avoid further cramping, I started popping salt tabs like candy. I had one about every 15-20 minutes for the rest of the race. Also, I couldn’t really take in Perform anymore or gels; I needed something extra. From this point I drank cola at every aid station, and a small sip of water with each salt tab. I kept this up until I reached the top of the climb just before the turnaround and tried to figure out my position. Since there was no way to tell who was on the first or second loop, I took my best guess as to who was on which loop. Based on my count I was still in about 8th place, with about 3 or 4 guys about 2-3 minutes ahead of me.
For a quick moment, I thought okay, hold on this pace, you’ll for sure break 10 hrs, set a PB and it will be a good day; nice work! Then I started thinking about the sacrifice of my family and how far I’ve come. I made sure I went into the race being as prepared as much as I possibly could, and then it clicked again: I was too close to giving up now. Again, this is my race to lose and my Kona spot, I won’t let anyone take it from me! And off I went on a mission to catch those in front of me and put some time in now, so I didn’t have to have a sprint finish.
I marked each person in front of me that I thought I needed to pass and took care of 1 at a time. By the time I hit the 24-mile marker I didn’t see anyone in front of me, and there was no one gaining on me. I started to feel a little more relaxed, but continued my focus and continued to push. As I passed the last aid station at about mile 25.5, I saw no one around. I finally started to feel a little relief and began to enjoy the final few blocks on the finishing straight. I was half way down to the finish line, maybe about a quarter of a mile to go, and I turned around and I saw 2 guys closing fast. They were racing each other, and in a full on sprint. I immediately thought, no way I am going to lose it this close and ran as hard as I could. Next thing I know my watch is saying I’m running a 5:40 pace, which is faster than I ever thought I would run in an Ironman, let alone the last tenth of a mile. Once I hit the last hundred yards, and I knew my position was safe, I slowed a bit and took in the crowds. They were amazing with the bleachers full and cheering and screaming spectators. Right then, I heard the famous words of Mike Reilly: “Tom, you are an Ironman!”
Final run split: 3:20 and a total time of 9:43. At that point I didn’t know where I finished. I thought maybe 5th, but either way I was ecstatic with my performance because I gave it everything I had. My day was not perfect, but I felt like I executed it perfectly, which I think, is the key to a great race. Right then my wife came running up and told me I was fourth! I couldn’t believe it, 4th in M30-34 and 36th overall and 21st Age-Grouper!
For me it was an unbelievable day and a dream come true. When I completed my first Ironman in 14:03, I never thought Kona was possible, then after my 10:18, I thought well maybe, if I get lucky…now here I was, I did it and I still don’t think it has sunk in yet…..
For me it was an unbelievable day and a dream come true. When I completed my first Ironman in 14:03, I never thought Kona was possible, then after my 10:18, I thought well maybe, if I get lucky…now here I was, I did it and I still don’t think it has sunk in yet…..
Now a few days of recovery, then time to get ready for Kona!
