Fueling for an Ironman takes a lot of calories; you can expect to burn through nearly 10,000 during the race.  That equates to almost 5 days worth of energy for the average healthy diet.  While there is no hope of actually storing up that energy in the form of food or supplements (your body can only absorb about 300 cal/hr), you can try to top off the tanks but you have to get started early.  I woke up at 3:30AM for a 650 calorie pre-breakfast of Fig Newtons, a whole-wheat English muffin, and a bottle of Infinit sports drink.  I snoozed for about an hour and then got up and immediately ate again adding a 800 more calories over the next 2.5 hours with a PowerBar, an everything bagel and 2 more bottles of Infinit which I sipped on up until race time.  As I stuffed in all the fuel I could stomach, I ran through my over analyzed pre-race checklists one last time before feeling content that I was well prepared and all I needed to do was show up and race.  I left the house a few minutes before 5AM and made the short drive to transition half asleep.  I dropped some last minute nutritional items off and obsessed over every inch of the bike one last time before making the mile walk to the swim start.

Upon my arrival at the boat docks, I was greeted by cheerful body markers sporting hip Team In Training hats in their signature purple and white.  I weaved through the first few eager volunteers, coaxing me toward them with the unmistakable fragrance of indelible ink.  I spotted my good friend and lucky volunteer from last year to mark athlete #726.  Said goodbye to several other familiar faces and walked to the end of a very, very long line to start the race.  I kept my hazy, half-asleep mind as clear as I could while I waited, confident in my preparation and not allowing myself to be worried about last minute details.  After an hour of watching the dawn turn to daylight, we heard the cannon explode with a clap of thunder signifying the start of the race.

It would still be nearly 30 minutes until I would make it to the start line, but now was the time to transform into race mode.  Tension escalated and nervous chatter filled the air as we neared the snaking descent down the ramp toward the boat docks.  The meandering pace of the line quickly turned into a sprint as race officials struggled to get the athletes in the water as quickly as possible.  Like last year, I was greeted by my old Team in Training coach at the waters edge (a TNT mentor too) and handed out hi-fives before performing the ritual cannonball into the Ohio River.  The cool morning made the entry into the 80F water feel that much more inviting, and every little bit of comfort helps when swimming a river downtown in a major metropolitan area.

Swim start

My strategy for the swim this year was to focus on efficiency.  While my volume was down from last year, I have spent a considerable amount of time working on a more economic stroke.  The staggered start made for a very spacious river and I quickly settled into a comfortable rhythm.  I navigated easily through the pack as we headed up river in a protected channel, trees blocking the traces of sunlight.  As we began to make the left hand turn out into the middle of the river, there was a total log jam as people were standing up on some sort of sandbar.  I dared not put my feet down and had to claw my way through some bodies to avoid touching down in the muck.

The sun revealed itself with a blinding light making it somewhat pointless to try sighting the final turn buoy, so I kept my head down and followed the people around me, trusting the herd was heading in the right direction.  The big red triangle was spotted and I swung out wide as I passed to get out in the middle of the channel and take advantage of as much current as I could.  Last year I swam very close to the bank on the way back, noticing the majority of the swimmers out in the middle.  Not sure why, I later found out the current was much stronger there and helped their swim times out considerably.  Determined I would take advantage of this strategy in 2009, I proceeded out to the middle but quickly found myself alone.  I normally am very good at staying on course so I wondered where the rest of the increasingly crowded field was?  Oh, there they are, way over there … swimming right up against the bank where I was last year!  It made no sense to me, maybe the currents were different this year, but it was too late so I decided to stay put and do my own race, angled slightly toward the shore, slowly closing the distance.  The rest of the swim I enjoyed some peace and quiet while I setup my strategy for the rest of the day.  With about 10 minutes left, I ramped up the pace to ensure a strong finish.  As the sight of transition came into view, the noise of the PA system was audible, crowds were forming on the boardwalk and the warmup to the day came to a close.  Time to go to work.

I gladly grabbed the hand of a volunteer at the swim exit to pull me onto dry land and made the run towards transition.  Typically my heart rate is rather high at the end of a swim and can linger there for quite sometime unless I take the time to calm back down before getting on the bike.  I was slightly slower in T1 compared to 2008 perhaps because it was so crowded in the changing tent.  I spotted dad waiting for me with some other volunteers, ran inside and dumped everything out on the ground because I couldn’t find a seat.  Had him walk me through the checklist I put in my bags to ensure I didn’t miss anything.  If you’re going to make a mistake during the day, transition to the bike is one place you definitely do not want to do it.  I rushed, but made sure I had all of the safety gear, nutrition and comfort items with me as I buckled up the chin strap on my aero helmet and ran towards the mount line.

My goal for the bike was to equal my 5:43 time from last year or perhaps even give a few minutes back so that I would be able to crush the run, so slow and easy was my mantra.  The crowd of athletes coming out of transition onto River Road made it impossible not to draft.  Running 3 and 4 wide in a single lane of traffic with an occasional car coming in the opposite direction made for a very nervous start to the race.  The first 12 miles were very flat so the pack stayed pretty close together.  This brought the average pace up easily over 22 mph but since I was content to view my heart rate data as my best guide for pacing, I felt OK to keep the speed up.  Once into the hills the pack started to thin out and I could start getting focused on my own race.

As I passed my first time check a few minutes ahead of schedule and way under my target heart rate, I thought through my race strategy again to make sure I wasn’t setting myself up for disaster by going out too fast.  I was topped off on nutrition and hydration, legs felt good, heart rate was very low so I decided to stay at a 20+ mph pace.  Since it was a deceivingly mild day, I worked hard at staying fueled up.  It was easy to be tricked into thinking that since I wasn’t sweating profusely that I wasn’t burning as many calories.  I knew though that I would never make it up if I went into the run with a deficit so I tried to stuff myself.

The rest of the ride would go by uneventfully.  It was a strong effort, but not hard.  I was very surprised by my fitness and my average heart rate in the mid 140′s.  I was becoming a believer in the critical importance to bike fitness in the overall success of an Ironman.  My training volume in this category increased nearly 20% alone, while actually declining 2 and 3% in swimming and running respectively.  Some mild lower back pain and saddle soreness, which is to be expected after 5+ hours on a bike, I came back into transition feeling great, ready to take the run course hostage.

I blazed into an empty transition after a very satisfying bike leg with a fresh set of legs and a cheerful group of supporters looking on.  Pleasantly surprised to see my dad working in T2 after passing him barely 2 hours ago out on the course more than 30 miles away.  Went through the same drill again, this time able to grab a seat as dad ran me through the checklist.  Two years in a row I put my socks and shoes on before realizing I didn’t put Body Glide on my toes even though I made a point to put it at the top of my checklist this year!  I made the corrections, ran through the sunscreen station and hit the exit.

Bike to run transition

With a record setting day in my sights, good legs and an extra surge of adrenaline after seeing friends and family in transition, I headed out for the final 26.2 miles with confidence soaring.  I would once again use heart rate data as my guide, but since the run is a much different animal than the bike, I forced myself to go slow even though it felt like I was speed walking and got passed by a lot of people (for now .

I planned on running about :30/mile slower than last year, but running through as many aid stations as I could to avoid the time loss from all the walking I did last year.  I made a quick pit stop at the first aid station for bathroom break 2 of 3 to check hydration.  Everything came out OK, so off I went with only 25.2 miles to go!  The first lap of 13.1 miles went according to plan.  I was able to keep a steady pace of slightly under 9:00/miles and virtually no walk breaks.  I felt great, but knew I had my goal of under 11 in the bag by over 15 minutes if I just held this pace so I was in no mood to risk everything.  The hardest part the first 2 hours was to swallow my pride and watch as people continued to fly past me and keep my modest pace.

First loop of the marathon. Still smiling

Starting the second lap is such a cruel mistress.  The noise and excitement build as you near the turn around and eventually pass within 100 yards of the finish line, wistfully watching the pros head straight into the chute to be crowned an Ironman.  Turning your back on the promised land and heading out for another loop is tough because you know torture and despair are waiting to be found in the closing miles of the Ironman marathon.

The boost you get from the crowds wears off much quicker this time around and the course gets quiet and lonely fast.  The fleet footsteps of over eager runners who didnt pace well turn to the ‘Ironman shuffle’ … an audible scraping of tired feet across the pavement.  Any remaining energy is internalized and directed toward moving forward at all costs.  My pace would inevitably slow, but not due to cramping, exhaustion or GI issues; my feet and hip flexors just started to hurt something awful.  Its a frustrating feeling knowing your cardiovascular system is in peak condition, but your joints are wearing down.  I plodded along for the next few miles in a zombie-like 1,000 yard stare, offering only grunts and groans as replies to any words directed at me.

I knew it was coming, I just didn’t know when.  The ‘Come to Jesus’ moment.  It struck me down last year around mile 15 and only spared me an extra 2 miles this year before appearing, but it did come.  My stomach went on strike.  I couldn’t eat even though I was starving, I couldn’t drink even though I was thirsty; everything that was in there was sloshing around making me sick, but I wanted nothing more than to shove something else in to calm it down.  I briefly considering leaning up against a tree and making myself vomit, but after passing someone who was in the process, the idea lost all merit.

I had been going back and forth, taking in as many calories as I could and then backing off for a few miles, not able to find gastrointestinal equilibrium.  I decided to make an extended pit stop, take pee number 3 of 3 and flush my system with small amounts of water for the next few stops to try and reset my stomach.  As much as sticking to your race strategy is important in this type of event, being able to think on the fly and make adjustments if something isnt working is just as important.

I battled through the next few miles as I made my way toward the 20 mile mark and the final turn at the far end of the course.  It was a dark time; I had hit bottom, the wheels were coming off. I kept digging and digging trying to find something left until mile 22.  Suddenly, I broke through … the clouds began to part, my stomach was calming down, and I spotted my brother at the far end of the route who run up along side me offering encouragement.  I was hopeful that I was close enough at this point that I could run on fumes for the rest of the day and blaze it back to the finish on some mysterious energy source.  My fatigue induced hypnosis was exchanged for intense concentration as I began to pick my pace up.  As I began to pass people one by one, I gained more and more momentum to the point where the rest of the field was almost running backwards.  I was weaving through the crowd, dodging weary competitors who were still searching to strike their own oil well of determination.

The final few miles clicked away, as the skyline of downtown Louisville grew larger on the horizon and the noise of the crowds at the finish began to make its way to my ears.  At this point, I might as well have been on a ski jump, picking up speed as the finish drew near, I belted out the fastest two miles of the entire race at the very end.  I made the final turn toward home, triumphantly holding up 2 fingers signifying my second lap and confirming my admission to the finishing chute, snapping the tape a full 42 minutes faster than my previous attempt.

Finish

I collapsed into my parents arms who were there again to greet me at the finish.  I hesitantly accepted a seat in a wheelchair trying to figure out the best way to relieve the nausea that had set in.  Wrapped in a mylar blanket, I tried to communicate intelligently while attempting to take in some fluids.  I was wheeled over to where more friends and family were waiting where a fantastic reunion ensued which served to tie a big bow around an epic day.

Post race

Ironman Louisville 2010?  I dont think so.  I mean, how can you top this day?  Sunny skies, a record low temperature, smooth waters … that wont happen again, what is there to improve upon?  IF I do another Ironman, and I suspect that I will, it wont be in 2010 and it likely wont be in Louisville.  This is a sport of extremes, of setting goals and surpassing what you thought possible.  Why limit myself to competing in one venue?  Whether it be a classic like Ironman Lake Placid or another international affair, Ironman Switzerland has a certain appeal to it, Ironman athletes tend to set the bar high, so staying home for my third attempt seems counter intuitive.

We all have an emotional pre-race routine in the weeks leading up to a big event. Some of us naturally ooze with confidence based on delicately crafted training plans and preparation, or maybe we are simply optimistic for a positive outcome. Others are filled with apprehension over missed workouts, a nagging injury that might show itself or perhaps a last minute item left off of some checklist. Attitude can go a long way towards winning or losing depending on how you measure it against your expectations.

In the days leading up to most races, I doubt. I am nervous, set my expectations low, don’t think I did nearly enough to prepare for the event. Come a day or two before the race though, I compartmentalize those fears, focus on what it will take to achieve my goals in the race and on game day, I execute. Nine times out of ten, I blow my expectations away and cant believe I was able to accomplish so much.

Muncie was a little different. I came into the race bloodthirsty … craving a savage beat down of the course. Not just wanting to PR, but to break the 5 hour barrier. Wanting to avenge the 3 hour thunderstorm from the previous year and lay down a huge bike split on dry roads. For weeks, I had the confidence that my training was going to take me across that finish line to glory.

The swim was largely uneventful for me. It ended up being wet suit legal at 77F, but I had no intentions of wearing one so I didn’t even pack it. Turns out EVERYONE else brought theirs and I was one of about 3 people in my wave that wasn’t wearing one. Being a strong swimmer, I wasn’t concerned and just wanted to do at least as good as last years time. I weaved efficiently through the pack, did a fair job sighting, passed people in the two waves ahead of me and got out of the water feeling great about my shot at a sub 5 hour race.

My heart rate was racing well above Lactate Threshold and into the 170s, but it didnt matter. The flattest, most well protected part of the course was just ahead and I wanted to crush that section so I didnt let my silly heart rate monitor slow me down averaging 23.3mph over this 5 mile section! Right about when we were to pull a u-turn and head out onto the main highway for the remainder of the race, I did some quick math and something wasnt adding up. For where I was at in the race, I somehow couldnt account for 5 minutes. I felt great in the swim, my transition was blistering but both my Garmin and my bike computer told the same story. At that point, the only conclusion was that I swam 5 minutes slower than I had planned?!

That did not sit well with me and my hopes for revenge against this course were slipping away. I told myself that I would just have to make it up on the bike then. This of course is the point in the story where many a well intentioned triathlon goes to pot because the athlete wastes his legs and saves nothing for the run.

I essentially began to ignore my heart rate monitor all together and was just racing on feel. I felt like I could keep this pace up for another 2 hours, so I just went with it. Try as I might, the deliciously flat bike course had some nasty winds again that day, bringing with it a thunderstorm for the second year in a row. I forced myself to keep the pace up hoping that at the mile 28 turnaround, I would be treated to a tail wind.

Oddly enough, I was treated to said tail wind. My average speed of 21.8 at that point started climbing again, and climbing and climbing as the tail wind persisted. I was ecstatic and was even able to drop the heart rate into the 150s for a bit.

Thats when the rain started. For the second year in a row, the skies above Northeast Indiana decided to open up around and unload wind, rain, thunder and lightning. At this point I only 30 minutes or so remaining and I knew I was on pace for a good bike split. This just motivated me even more to return to mother earth and get off those slick roads. As I powered home, the finish line strangely appeared at mile 54.6? Looking at my race data from last year, my Garmin reports the exact same number: 54.6. I swear that course is short. I wasnt complaining as I ended up shaving 10 minutes off of last years time and more importantly rebuilding my spirits after the terrible swim that I put in. I blasted through another record setting transition and headed out to see what was left in my legs.

And there they were. The legs were right where I needed them to be. During the bike and now into the run, even though my heart rate was a little high, I was relying less and less on that data and more on how I actually felt. I felt like I could keep going at a 7:30 pace all day. I found a few people to pace off of and headed off into the downpour for the next 13.1 miles.

I went sockless with my Zoot racing flats for the first time in a race (yes I train with them) and even decided to leave my fuel belt behind and just pick up gels along the way. In hindsight that was a gamble and goes against the ‘nothing new on race day’ rule, but as was a theme for the day, I was out for blood and all about speed.

I set my goals up of being able to make the turn at 50 minutes on the out and back course and trying to put down a 1:40 minute half marathon, but my legs kept telling me to keep the pace up. Even when the hills came, my legs were there. I decided not to change up the formula and when I hit the halfway mark at 49:00 flat, I knew this was going to a great race. I found a new, faster pacer around mile 7 and followed them through to mile 10 where I took the duty of pulling him along for a few miles until he fell off. I found a new one with about 2 miles to go that was running a little bit faster than I wanted to go, but at this point, it was time to start emptying the tank. I caught her over the next mile and with 1.1 to go realized I was going to smash my goal time by almost 15 minutes. The thoughts of moonwalking across the finish line escaped me as I crested the hill which revealed the finishing chute and I blasted ahead to record a 4:45:26 dropping 17 minutes off of my 2008 time.

Sometimes you can be your own harshest critic, and other times you can be your own biggest fan. Perhaps even both at the same time: being critical enough to demand success but being smart enough to be humble in the success you are able to achieve. While I am proud of my efforts, I always know there is an unseen x-factor in any race which keeps me from injury, accident, stomach issues, cramping, equipment failure, any number of which can take my goals and replace them with reality. I am truly grateful for the success I achieved through Gods grace alone. Onward to IMKY and the sub 11 hour Ironman.

Woke at 3:30 and ate two bagels and had most of a bottle of Infinit. Went back to bed until about 5:00 and then headed down to the race course. Walked through transition to drop off my special needs bags, put bottles on my bike and make one last equipment check before walking down to the swim start.

I met up with Kenny and Jackie, fellow Team In Training alumni, right before the race started and we all went in the water together. After learning that our old coach was working the swim start, I had a good feeling this was going to be a truly epic day. We exchanged pre-race jitters, said a prayer and then began the 2.4 mile start of our journey.It was a long swim and the first time I had done the entire distance. Normally Ironman events start with all 2000 athletes treading water, anxiously waiting for the sound of a cannon. At that point the ‘washing machine’ starts up and the first 15 minutes becomes a frenzy of elbows and kicks to the head. Unique to Ironman Louisville only, the time trial start (one athlete at a time) significantly thinned the pack out from the start and made it easy to navigate around other swimmers.

I kept an easy consistent effort and focused more on a good breathing and sighting rhythm to conserve energy for the day ahead. I made it to the turnaround and headed back with the current expecting to pick up the pace a little bit. I stayed as close to the buoys as I could, but thought I was lost a few times because so many people were swimming way off course out in the middle of the river. About halfway through I started to get really hungry which surprised me a bit, but in hindsight didn’t feel that it impacted me over the course of the day. I continued my cruise until about two buoys to go and I could see transition, the crowds, and could hear the announcers and the music playing. I then started to wake up my legs; I even threw some backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke in there so I could say Ive done a 3800 meter IM!

Coming out of the water was like being born. The lights, the noise, people grabbing at you, yelling your name … it was really disorienting. I took a few slow steps onto solid ground, checked the time clock and broke into a trot towards T1. I saw my mom and dad who were working the changing tents, grabbed my bags and ran through my to do list for the transition to the bike. It was really helpful to have everything printed out in the specific order that I wanted to use each item. My dad was helping me and I had him read me the list, everything checked out OK, gave my momma a kiss and headed to pick up my bike.

The bike segment exceeded my expectations by almost 45 minutes. Renting Zipp 808 race wheels and getting lots of practice on the course played a large part of that. The other part was purely luck that my knee felt great and my saddle didnt hurt which normally cause me to stop a few times on long rides. I kept the cadence extra high, around 95 – 100 rpms and tried my best to let anyone who wanted to pass me go by. There were a few times where I got into a little bit of a game with people, but overall I did pretty good with convincing myself to slow down and ride my own race. Starting within the first 1/3 of the field and having a good swim time allowed me to have an open road ahead of me. The first lap through Lagrange was fairly wide open. Very little bike, or vehicular traffic allowed me to take things nice and easy.

The second lap was not as much fun. It started to heat up, the rest of the field was just now making their way into Lagrange and the roads got very congested. It was passable, but instead of just 1 or 2 wide in the road, we had 3 or 4 wide, plus cars which were trying to get through. At one point, some guys pulling a boat ended up stuck on the course trying to get out of everyones way, but they got swallowed up by impatient cyclists (me included) who sped around passing on both sides. Other than a few minor occasions, the traffic control was very good for a race of this size spread out over such a large area. I kept right on top (and maybe a little ahead) of my nutrition. I packed enough fluids for 6 hours, was drinking my 1 hour bottles in 45 minutes so I did get concerned I would run out before the end of the bike segment. I was getting a little hungry early on picked up some PowerBars to help. Once I finished a bottle of Infinit, I would pickup either water or Gatorade to ensure I was getting enough fluids as the heat really started to intensify in the 4th and 5th hour of the ride. I would take Endurolytes (salt tabs) every time I just took water by itself to ensure my sodium was staying at a high level. This part of the race was by far the most fun and I started to think … whats the big deal about Ironman anyways!

As I got back to downtown Louisville, I was on pace for another speedy transition from bike to run. I dumped everything out of my run gear bag, got my myself all done up and ready to head out and then I decided to check my list to make sure I had everything. It was only then that I noticed I hadnt touched the Body Glide. Running my first marathon without any extra protection on my feet was going to be an absolute disaster, so I had to take my shoes and socks back off, apply the Body Glide to my feet and then head back out. That certainly added to my slow transition time. That and going blind for a few moments from the sun screen people who blasted me in the eyes.

The sufferfest truly began on the run. I knew it would as the rest of the day had just gone too well. It was hot, my pace for the first half mile was waaay to fast and I had to really restrain myself to slow down. I started climbing the bridge, hit the aid station at mile one and decided to play it safe and take my first bathroom break of the day. Did the best I could with the light available in the Port-O-Let to see how well hydrated I was (aka look at the color of your pee, lighter the better) … turns out I was falling behind, so I opted for water or Gatorade at every stop no matter what. I carried 2x 2 hour bottles of Infinit with me and 15 salt tabs as my primary source of nutrition but with the heat, and the onset of dehydration I knew I was going to be taking a little bit of everything from the aid stations.

The first of the 13.1 mile laps was hard primarily because of the lack of shade. Getting my stomach to calm down was a bit of an issue as well. I started feeling a little sloshy in my attempt to catch up on fluids so I had to switch to only water every other stop. Then I started into a rotation of Infinit and water, Gatorade and water, water and salt tabs. This seemed to be providing me the right amount of fluids and calories. I kept cool with ice sponges, ice cubes down the front of the jersey and ice water over the head. This made for some squishy shoes!At the end of the first lap I was feeling OK. Stopped by special needs to pick up two more bottles of Infinit but ignored the dry socks, V8 and granola bars … none of that sounded appealing at the time. Heading for lap two you come right up to the finish chute and then bust a right turn at the last moment followed by an audible ‘awwwww’ from the crowd as you go.

We got a little break from the direct sun for the second lap, but it was every bit as hot. The walk breaks started to get longer and longer as the day ran on. My brother found me at a few points on the course to give me some encouragement along the way. This was a big help, somehow I always seemed to be running when he found me … didnt catch me during any of those walk breaks! I started to get a bit delirious at times, getting a bit confused and irritated at the volunteers shoving everything in your face as you passed through the aid stations. I realized about mile 15 this was my ‘come to Jesus moment’ that I had heard about. I knew my body was starting to revolt and my mind would have to carry me in the rest of the way. I moved to two Gatorades at each stop to make sure I was getting hydrated. My mood immediately improved by the next mile. A few bathroom breaks would confirm a dip in my hydration coinciding with my mood swing. As mile 16 clicked by, this was the first time I realized that I was going to become an Ironman. I started to pick the pace up a little bit attempting to finish really strong and was quickly greeted with 2 miles of reminders that I still had 10 miles left to go.

The ice bath, nutrition, hydration rotation continued as I willed my way through the next few miles. As I made the turn for home with 6 miles left I realized that I was going to smash my goal time even though the walk breaks were getting increasingly longer. As I approached the last time check with about 1.8 miles to go I realized the quicker I got to the finish, the quicker I could stop all this nonsense so I decided now was the time to drop the hammer. I dropped the pace from the 10:15 / mile Ironman shuffle to a 8:30 / mile drive for home. I was just as surprised by everyone around me the amount of energy I was able to muster up for this last stretch. The crowd was taken back when they learned I was on my second lap blazing a trail to the finish and they started to really get behind me. As I ran faster, they cheered louder and louder so I ran faster and faster! This continued until I could see the final two turns toward the finish. I left everything I could out on the course and soaked up every ounce of this journey. The finish chute was like walking up to the Pearly Gates, and by that point in the race I couldnt have told you the difference. Thousands of screaming fans pouring their energy in, begging you to cross that finish line. The icing on the cake was my mom and dad were finish liner catchers which made crossing into Ironman glory that much more special.

My 7:20 wave got moved up to 7:10 shortly before the race started as the weather report indicated a strong line of thunderstorms were due to move in to the area. They wanted to get everyone out of the water before the storms rolled in. The clouds on the west side of the reservoir that I was facing while I waded in were quite ominous and would unfortunately back up their nasty demeanor. As soon as our wave went off the wind started picking up and the water became extremely choppy making it increasingly difficult to time your breathing correctly to avoid a mouthful of water. The swells were almost to the point of causing some nausea.? I still havent figured out how to draft properly. I took off fast to get out in front of my wave and settled into a comfortable pace, but ended up in a no mans land for most of the swim. I was pretty happy overall considering the conditions.

I took my sweet time in transition as the rain was going to be starting any minute and all of my personal belongings were going to get soaked. The weather forecast the night before called for the storms to hit after 2PM, so I never took any precautions. I burned some time wrapping my cell phone up as much as I could. Im truly shocked that my time is as good as it was right around 2 minutes. Reminder for next time though that I need to plan ahead and bring some plastic bags as part of my kit no matter what.

On to the bike. A 3 hour thunderstorm. Blinding rain, borderline sleet/hail at some points … the only way to tell where you were going was to ride on the white stripe and hope for the best. It was absolutely demoralizing. Add to this I couldnt hold aero for more than 10 minutes the entire time because my butt was hurting so badly. I kept having to get up and stretch and lose speed while I found a position which I could bear for a few minutes. This ride was a true mental torture test, while I rationalized the effects of pain on my body and tried to determine what I was willing to put up with. I never stopped, I never got off, but I thought about it for many many miles. It wasnt until about mile 42 that I decided to drop the hammer and power it home just so I could GET OFF THE BIKE!! I have no clue how I was able to hold an average above 20mph considering the conditions. I had wrote off any hopes of going sub 5 hours and was just going to turn this into a training day.

I was just so happy to be off of the bike, and not real excited about putting wet shoes and socks on so once again I took my sweet time getting out of T2.
After the first mile ticked away and I realized I could hold 8 minute miles I was starting to think this sub 5 hour race might not be out of reach anymore. I decided to just run as fast as my body wanted to and see what pace I could hold. I planned on running 8:15s and being content with that, but turns out my body felt like 7:45′s instead. I took the time for a bio-break at the second mile and hopped right back on the course with a few 7:30 miles just for fun. Around the halfway point I did the math again and figured that after doing 6.55 in 45 minutes I could take up to an hour to do the second 6.55 and still come in sub 5 hours.

Did I mention that I failed out of engineering school because I was bad at math?

Anyways, I didnt figure it out until later on that day, so I ran the whole way back plotting my strategy around the fact I could run well into the 9′s and still make it under 5. I tried to hold the same pace as I went out on, but the rains had stopped, the temps jumped nearly 10 degrees and the humidity started to zap precious energy. The heat, the hills and my faulty mathematics all started to conspire against me. I walked a few of the aid stations after mile 8 and walked a little bit of one of the hills. My nutrition strategy was working well and I was taking in ALOT of calories, but my legs were just starting to seize up and my 5 hour goal started slipping away. I charged home to an eager yet soggy crowd thinking I might have cracked the barrier, only to realize later on that I didnt start the race at 7:20 like I was supposed to. They moved us up to 7:10 so that 4:52 that I thought I had pulled off, was actually a 5:02! DOH! Oh well, it was still 12 minutes faster than my only other half ironman, and considering the elements how in the world could I complain.

The supporters for this race were absolutely amazing. There was a 1:1 ratio of volunteers to participants and you could really feel it. I never passed an aid station that wasnt packed with cheerful staff extremely organized and encouraging you the whole way.

It has been awhile since I was in the washing machine that is the open water swim start of a triathlon.? With all of the scientific planning for training, nutrition, aerodynamics … the chaos of hundreds of pairs of arms and legs flailing away can be quite a jolt to the uninitiated.? There were 10 minutes before our wave went off, those of us who jumped into the Schuylkill River early were joking around to shake off the remaining pre race jitters. Only 180 people were in my wave and I waded out close to the front for the beginning of the deep water start.? The countdown began … “1 minute … 45 seconds … 30 …”?My normal frenzied internal energy was a relative calm as the horn sounded.? After about the first 200m of elbows, I was able to find a clear path towards the middle of the river by myself and start to cruise.? I felt good throughout the entire swim though I was never able to catch onto anyone and draft off of them. I only breast stroked a few times, and only to sight as it’s a little tricky approaching the bridge.? I started to catch people as I made the J turn across the river and back to the opposite shore for the swim exit in 11th place in my age group.?

?

?As good as I felt during the swim, it quickly changed once I hit land. I felt extremely queasy in transition and took my time getting changed. My heart rate was jacked up for the first lap of the bike. I was trying to settle into a comfortable rhythm but it just wasn't happening. I was recently fitted on my triathlon bike and only trained twice since then prior to this race due to the California trip, so I was still getting used to the new position and using some new muscles. I was getting passed like crazy on the hills and wasnt real happy with my time overall considering the money I have spent on a new bike, shoes and the fit since last years race. I figured I would have improved more than just 1 minute over that performance!!!? Looks like I need to spend more time in the saddle and build up strength in the legs. Muscular endurance is a limiter for me in this part of the race.

Transition from bike to run couldnt have been any better. I cut 39 seconds off of last years effort and was sitting in 15th place in my age group.? I prepared well with my feet out of the shoes ahead of time, and performing a side saddle dismount. I thought at the time I was going slow … had a minor problem getting my socks on … but the time clock said differently.

My shins were a little sore and I didnt really feel that I had the juice starting the run. I was going to carry my own bottles of Infinit to practice racing with it for Ironman. After strapping up with my fuel belt, I took about 10 steps before I realized there was no way I could sprint with that extra weight. Yea OK … it’s only a little over a pound (20oz), but it was a very strange sensation even though I routinely do long training runs with it on. I saw my mom on my way out of transition took one bottle out and threw the belt with the other bottle towards her and headed out.

Since 30-34 yr old males we were in the 3rd wave of the day (the first being pros and most of the second getting passed in the water) I had virtually nobody around me the entire run. I actually passed a few people early on, don’t ask how old they were, and held off getting passed by anyone in my age group for over 4 miles. I tried to hold a steady 7:15 pace and was concerned when my first half mile was showing a projected 7:30.? The beginning of the run was in grass though, so once I hit the pavement I quickly saw my pace drop to 7:05's. I found this to be manageable and locked it in.? It was a bummer in once sense that the majority of the crowds were surrounding the bike course this early in the race so the run was pretty barren. Then again, I think it helped provide a very relaxed feeling of being on a training run through the park. I heard my parents while I was passing through transition blowing these duck noisemakers we got the day before. These things are great, because you instantly know who it is and where they are.

The nutrition plan worked well taking in Infinit every 15 minutes and supplementing with a little bit of water … most of which was going on my head. Even though it was overcast and shady, the humidity started to increase since there were showers in the area. I was great until around mile 4 and then I had to start digging in deep to keep up the pace. Every aid station provided water to dump on my head to cool me off. This seemed to work well … something I will have to learn to do well for Ironman.? About mile 5 I ended up getting gobbled up by the chase pack. Not because I was slowing down, on the contrary … I was cranking out sub 7's for the last 2 miles. My lead that I built up from the swim just ended up finally being eroded. 3 guys in my age group passed me up exhaling some encouraging words. This actually gave me a pretty nice boost … normally I get ate up early in the run, so this is a sign my running is improving.

The finish chute for this race is really long and as you come around the bend the energy of the crowd begins to reel you in. Everything I had worked so hard for last year came flooding back. This year was more of a tune up race and more about Team In Training and being a mentor so I didnt think I had a lot invested coming in. Days before the race I actually was surprised that I wasnt more pumped up about it. Any remaining doubts about how much this race meant to me were removed as I saw the finish awning spanning overhead and heard the announcer calling my name for a sub 2:20 finish.

What would you do differently?:
My swim is exactly where I need and want it to be, the bike leg shows room for a significant improvement if I can get my average into the 22mph range.? I also want to continue to improve running skills. I have dropped over 13 minutes off my 10K time in the past 4 years. My goal is to get down to 6:30/mile which will get me on a Boston Qualifying pace and put me into the top podium places in my age group.

?I love this race and hope to make it back for many more in the future.? The fan support is amazing, the course conditions and the weather have been great the two years I have participated and Philadelphia itself is a great east coast city to spend a few days in.? Up next, the Muncie Endurathon Half Ironman coming up in 15 days in July 12th.

]]>

What a fun race! I was blown away by how many people showed up to run. Unlike anything Ive been part of before. The smaller 5K, 10K races I have done around town dont draw nearly the same number of entrants or fans. Almost the entire 13 miles of the course had people lined up holding signs, handing out orange slices, drinking beers and slapping hi fives.

The conditions were nearly perfect for the race, 50F overcast, just cool and windy enough to keep your body temperature nice and comfy. We pulled up to the starting line with just enough time to fight through the crowd to the 7 minute mile pace group, but not enough time to go to the bathroom one last time. Luckily about 3 miles into the race I forgot all about it after seeing a guy who had managed to learn to pee while running. Apparently a port-o-let or a strategically placed tree would just take too long for this dude and while I was about 20 yards behind decided to let er rip.

I promptly dropped a gear and headed up ahead to start the first of many climbs in Iroquois Park. My heart rate was a little high, I was about 5 to 10 seconds per mile ahead of my goal pace but I felt good inside so I decided to go with it.? Since this was my first open half marathon, I wanted more than anything to run a smart race, but once youre in it, you just want to push ahead as fast as you can.? The park has a great collections of tough ascents, as much as 300ft, but rewards you with some equally steep and speedy descents to give our legs a little break.

About mile 5 we exited the park and had a pancake flat race ahead of run back towards downtown Louisville.? This aid station would be 1 of my 2 stops during the day, just long enough to make sure I got a good supply of water to wash down the gel packs I was taking.? This was the time to really lock into a groove, work on my technique, breathing and latch on to someone holding my own pace.? I hopped on the wheel of a 30 something woman running right about 7:10's which would work for me and got into my breathing every 5 or every 7 steps and just tuned out for the next few miles locked into a groove.

I noticed alot of funny things during this time … signs like “You rock my face off!” A pair of signs asking the question “What kind of animal do you NOT want to play cards with” then revealing the answer 50 yards down the road “A Cheetah! Get it ahahah!”? Finally a guy with a t-shirt on proclaiming that “If you can read this, you are definitely NOT from Kenya.”

That was a nice distraction as we were making the turn to head into Churchill Downs.? That was a fun detour through the infield since everything is setup for the upcoming Derby week and opening day at the track which is today.? After running out through the paddock and getting back onto 4th street we hit the Jelly Belly Sport Beans aid station which are supposedly the same thing as energy gels so I decided to grab a bag and pop a few for a little extra boost of sugar.

At this point my buddy had told me, you just have to gut it out.? The last three miles is where you just put the pedal down and let it go.? I was on pace to smash my 1:40 goal, but I didnt want to leave anything in the tank so I put everything I had left on the table and decided to rip the last 5K.? I had trouble finding the right gear, but right as I past the University of Louisville and the college kids that had come out, I got a boost that would end up putting out a 21:45 over the last 3.1 miles of the course.? I finished with a time of 1:34:49 setting a tantalizing goal out ahead of me that I might be able to qualify for the Boston Marathon with a little bit of help.? First things first … I have an Ironman to get ready for.? No rest days for me, Im back on the bike for 2 hours tomorrow.

The prologue to the 2008 training season is now over with the completion of the Papa Johns 10 Miler and therefore the completion of the Louisville Triple Crown of running.? There is still the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon at the end of April, but by that point Ironman training will be in full swing.? Ill spare you the suspsense and say that this season has turned out to be incredible so far, and this race today would be no exception.

This was the first time I have run an open 10 mile race so I was not sure of how to pace myself. The 10K I ran two weeks prior left me very sore so I decided I would take it a bit slower than the 7:15 pace McMillan suggest that I run. I had a goal time of 1:15 and focused more than anything on keeping my heart rate right around my Lactate Threshold. I held this pace right at 7:30′s or below for the first 5 miles, or as close as I could as going through the park sent the heart rate spiking. About mile 6 we were coming out of the park and I kicked the pace up a bit from 6 through 8. It was this point in the race where very few if any people passed me for the rest of the day. If my pacing strategy held out, mile 8 is where I should have been able to drop the hammer and start flying past people. It absolutely 100% worked! I kicked the pace from the 7:15′s I was running to sub-7′s for the last two miles and I was passing people left and right. Strategy worked perfectly.

I finished with a new PR of 1:14:03, though any time would have been a record as I have never raced a 10 miler before.? I will definitely do this one again though.? It was a good mix of a fast out and back with a challenging hill section in the middle.? At the end you get to run into Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium and run a lap around the astroturf!? They even have a camera aimed at the finish line with your picture displayed up on the jumbotron as they announce the names of the finishers.? The post race band and free pizza were an added bonus as well.? Onward to the opening of the tri season now with the Headfirst Performance Sprint Triathlon out in Shelbyville on April 13th.

My goal was to break 45 minutes which would be about 4 minutes faster than I ran it in 2007.? Using the McMillan Running Calculator? I plugged in my time from the 5K I ran two weeks earlier to see what pace it would suggest for me to run the 10K.? Lo and behold out pops 44:05 at a swift 7:05/mile pace!? What the heck … I cant run that fast!? Thats nearly a minute a mile faster than I ran it last year; even after coming off of a personal best in the 5K I was still unsure that I could break into the 44's.? The McMillan website has been good to me in the past offering suggested training paces for all types of workouts and projects peak performance at given distances.? I decided to split the difference at 44:30 and make that my goal at a pace of 7:09/mile.Conditions were perfect for an early season road race: overcast, cool and dry.? I had a mini taper going on that week since I had been traveling for work and did not have much time to get any workouts in.? I warmed up around downtown, stretched, handed over a layer of clothing and headed out to the start line.? I decided to find a place pretty close to the front to avoid the traffic jam with people crowding the narrow timing mats.? The first mile of these races is more about traffic management than actual racing but I quickly found a clear route on the outside and settled into my groove.? The first few quarter miles clicked off at 7:10/mile pace which felt a little slow, but I wanted to stick to my game plan and hold a steady pace.

As the marker for mile 1 came into view, I noticed that my watch was still in the 6's!? Not by much, but enough that I would put in a 7:14 for the first one of the race.? Not bad, it still felt like I could pick up the pace, but I held strong knowing its always easier to negative split the race and run the second half faster than go out too fast and run out of gas.? The hill that takes you from Broadway up to Baxter Avenue followed shortly and was enough to get my heart rate up into the 180's for the first time in the day.? This was OK because I actually run hills pretty well and I picked my cadence and got up on my toes to really fly past a bunch of people.? As I crested the top I snagged a drink at the water stop and enjoyed a few sloshing gulps before getting back into my groove.? It was about this point in the race where I had brought my average lap time down to a 7:08/mile pace, a smidge better than my goal time.? I looked around for people running about the same pace as me and tried to form a silent partnership with a few people who would stick with me to the end, pushing me along to the finish, not letting me back off of my target time.? I noticed a younger girl and a teenage guy who had been around for the past few minutes.? We gave each other a slight recognition in the form of a head nod and a grunt that we would pace each other.

I noticed my pace starting to pick up on my quater mile pace splits, 7:07, 7:03, 6:58 … I was cracking into the six minute miles!? I was putting out some serious effort to keep this pace going with my new found teammates, but it was sustainable.? I checked my heart rate monitor … 185, about 97% of my max, I still felt I had the legs to get there, so I hung on to the pack.? We hit the halfway point 22:00 for my 5K … 13 seconds faster than 2 weeks ago … and I still had another 5K to go!? It was awesome that I went out so fast, but at the same time a bit scary because I had to actually pick the pace up a bit if I wanted to negative split the race.? Going for 44:30 was no longer my goal.? Realizing that I signed on with 2 people who would run sub 7 minute miles the rest of the race, I could crack into the 42's.

The next few quarter mile splits came back on an even faster and faster pace 6:50,? 6:46, 6:39.? At the same time though, the fatigue was getting to me.? It was with about 1.5 miles left to go that I had an eat your Wheaties moment.? One of the greatest feelings of accomplishment that I get out of racing in endurance events, is when you reach that point where your body begins to talk of a mutiny.? Your body has had enough and its planning to walk out on strike and shut down on you.? Using your mind to convince your body to keep going is the true skill that lies within a endurance athlete.? The mental toughness is so much more desirable of a characteristic that I strive for in my training.? It was at this point in the race with barely 10 minutes to go that I had to decide to kick in the extra gear and get my moneys worth out of this race.? For the first time I dropped the two runners who had been so good pulling me along for the last 30 minutes.? I felt I needed to return the favor for everyone and surge ahead to stoke the fire.? It worked and I ripped out a 6:38 mile with just a couple of blocks left to the finish.? At this point the pack surged ahead and would leave me for the day, but I did what I needed to do to secure my personal victory.

I would finish 4 tantalizing seconds away from breaking into the 42s, but at 43:04 I was a minute and a half faster than my goal and over six minutes faster than the 2007 race.? Yet another PR that fell today by quite a hefty margin. Alot of people told me that endurance training is a multi-year adventure before you really start to see what your body is capable of. I have only been building on the aerobic engine block since late 2006, but I continue to be amazed what why my body can do if I train it well. Running has always been a drain on my confidence, but with the results from the last two runs and the dramatic fashion in which I destroyed my previous personal bests, this is no longer the case. If I can keep these types of performances up, then challenging for podium spots at triathlons is a more realistic possibility.

]]>

I came into this race with an understanding of how this distance would be different from the Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons before it, but no real practical knowledge … i.e. experience. I had a well drawn out battle plan, but it was now time to execute. Scouting the course, dealing with some last minute technical issues, mingling with the other first time HIMers I found myself usually calm before a race like this … going over mental checklists for the 400th time, trying to run through everything once more and then shut the brain down and turn on autopilot. Perhaps its because the swim is first and thats where I feel most comfortable. About the only thing I was telling myself was “relax … it’s going to be a loooooong day.’ I zipped up my wet suit, waded into the iron rich, murky brown water, caught my breath and entered the washing machine.

The swim was everything I hoped for. After the first 200 meters of getting kicked, grabbed, elbowed, and climbed on top of (the water was very shallow) I made the first turnaround and drifted off to the outside to be by myself. At this point the hammerheads that went out to fast on the swim were already paying the price as I steadied into my rhythm. Breathing check, swimming in a straight line check, technique check … everything according to plan. After lap one I was pretty much by myself and didn’t have to compete for resources which made me very relaxed. I didn’t see another person, outside of the few stragglers from the previous wave which I was lapping, until right at the very end. I exited the water with the 14th fastest swim of the day with a very optimistic outlook.? I did alot of prep work on my transitions since my last tri and I think it really paid off. I cut almost a minute off my transition time by adding a bento box, getting a good spot on the rack, and practicing the flying mount. I did several transition practices as well to get better.

As great as it is to exit the water at the front of the pack, getting passed by a boatload of people in the first few miles of the bike is not fun! Every muscle in my body is screaming out wanting to go faster, but Ive trained enough, studied enough, practiced enough to know that hammering right out of the water was a recipe for doom. Regardless of what my mind was saying, I did go out fast dropping a 21.8 mph average on the first 18.65 mile lap; still two more to go however. The second lap the wind started to pick up. Since we were riding in between corn fields on country roads which are necessarily straight and square you had miles of straightaways which the wind would blow right in your face. Add to this my gears were starting to jump a little bit, and wouldn’t stay in the one I wanted to cruise in. This lead me to gear down to a smaller cog effectively making me put out more effort than I wanted to. My heart rate was under control at this point though so I used that as my guide and let it go.

By this point I was well into my nutrition and hydration strategy and it was working great! Every 15 minutes I would take either 8oz of water with an energy gel, or 8oz of Gatorade to keep me going. I also would pop salt tabs to stay on top of my electrolytes since it was heating up outside. I did get a bit bloated from time to time but had to fight through it because I knew I had to keep the fluids and calories coming in and it wasn’t going to get any easier to put nutrition down on the run. Lap three came around by the time I got passed by the first (but not only woman). I let it go in stride though as it did give me a change in scenery for a few seconds as they were completely blazing a trail on their bikes. While my nutrition strategy was working well, my pacing was a bit off as I dropped down to 20.8 mph on lap two, down to 20.0 on lap 3. This would be all part of the experience which would make it self known come time for the run.? (I would later find out my back tire was significantly bent after the race and was rubbing for who knows how long … this could have lead to the drops in time)

For now, the task at hand was survival as the run is my weakest link. I would end up giving up a 5 minute lead going into the run 3rd in my age group, to finish 3 minutes behind him. None of that was my concern when I headed out though, as I was still in a focused autopilot mode. Heart rate was in the right zone, legs needed a little help waking up, but that was to be expected. The temperature was getting into the low 90s at this point and nutrition/hydration would become more key than ever.

To that degree, I nailed the entire triathlon. No cramping, a little stomach distress, but I was always able to take in calories and fluids when I needed them. I think I just left to much on the bike as most people do in their first half. Despite repeated attempts to race my own race, my body told me it was OK … go for it! In hindsight though, Im not sure how much it really would have helped. Averaging 9:15 minute miles over a half marathon after a 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike can be looked at respectably in some circles. The only really bad part about the run, was that it was a two loop course which brought you within 100ft of the finish line before you had to turn around and head back another 6 miles before you could celebrate on the other side of the timing mat.? Another hour would tick off before I made it back to finish 4th in my age group as the heat was getting to everyone and slowed me down to a very enjoyable walk at each aid station.

All in all it was an unbelievable experience, and such a great end to a very successful triathlon season. I feel blessed to be able to accomplish this goal and look forward to a little time off before training for Ironman Louisville starts early next year.