IMLP: Race Report

Here’s what I posted on my blog after competing in the 2008 Ironman World Championship in Kona:

As I look back at my race in Hawaii, I'm now realizing how cool it really was. While I was there, it was cool, but it was also another race. Now that it's over, I realize how special the race and the island really are. Not everyone will agree with me on this. Not everyone likes the race after they compete. But, I loved it. I actually miss Kona. It went by soooo fast (including the race). And, I've already decided that I'm going back...someday (I have to qualify again first). I'm also going to do another ironman in the next couple of years. Hawaii was my first solid day at the ironman distance, after 5 attempts...so now I actually see what I can do at the distance.

Mission accomplished! What can I say….I’m thrilled. In short, I finished 21st overall (including pros), 8th amateur, and 3rd in my age group.

Although I did race in Kona last year (I luckily slid into a slot by finishing 5th in my age group at Rhode Island 70.3), I had set my long term sights on 2010. As soon as I got back from Hawaii last year, the road to 2010 began. I started working with my new coach, Chris Thomas of Lifesport; got re-fit on my bike at Fitwerx; got an SRM and Computrainer (thx Jenn) so I could train and race w/power. But, most of all, I made a diligent effort to refocus on my training….after all, it’s very easy to get complacent after 6 years of racing ironman.

My preparation for this race was much different than in the past. My rides and runs were much more focused on power, pace and tempo. But, the one thing I didn’t have, which I’ve had in the past, is the volume training. I went into IMLP with only one true ride of over 100 miles. Most of my rides were 80 miles and under. Although, I’m definitely much stronger on the bike now. And, I think I only had 2 runs of 2 hours…but I’ve felt very good on those runs. So, part of me was very curious to see how IMLP was going to unfold.

As raceday approached, although I wasn’t too nervous….I was having trouble sleeping. I’ve had this problem in the past. I probably should have gotten an Ambien prescription for the days leading into the race, but I forgot to….so I did my best to limit my sleep deprivation. Physically, my body was raring to go…my legs felt good. I was staying w/Tim Tapply while in LP. Tim did great….he actually won the age group and finished 3rd amateur overall. It’s funny, sometimes being around other athletes really stresses me out. But, Tim didn’t stress me out at all….which was good.

RACE MORNING

I woke up at 3:45am, after not falling asleep until 1am (getting less than 3 hours sleep is great when you have a 9-10 hr day ahead of you!). I got my nutrition in me, then got back in bed for a half hour to rest. Tim and I headed down to transition around 5:30. The place was buzzing w/people. Very methodically, I set up my bike, checked my T1 and T2 bags and got in line to use the bathroom one more time. Tim and I had walked through transition the day before to get a lay of the land and visualize coming in (something I can’t emphasize enough). I waited in line for the bathroom w/some other BTT teammates…and just tried to stay relaxed. I got bodymarked….then headed down to the swim start w/Jenn. I got the wetsuit on and then tried to find some space amongst the crowds to sit down, visualize and just get mentally prepared. I headed into the water just after the pros went off (6:50). Of course, I got kicked in the chin before the race even started. I wasn’t happy and let the guy know it. I tried to get some good placing along the swim start. I knew that this was going to be a very physical swim….with 2500 people in such a small place. With so many people in the swim, it was nice to look to my right and see teammate Jason Soules (w/Carolyn Cullings seeded just behind). At least I’d know who was throwing the punches and elbows from the right side! The national anthem was sung….and it’s time to go.

THE SWIM

The cannon went off…and so did the hordes. The first 500 meters were crazy. My plan was to seed myself towards the middle of the start line and just swim straight out (most swimmers gravitate to the buoys and the visible cable beneath the water that connects them). I’m sure this plan helped me…but I still got pounded. I tried to sit on some feet and draft…but got bumped off by some swerving swimmer every time I thought I had good feet to follow. Unlike the other events, it’s hard to tell if you’re having a good swim from a time perspective while you’re out there. So, I was curious to see what my time was on the first loop. As I made my way back to end the first loop I told myself to relax and not get rattled if my time was slow. The swim will not end my race. I looked up as I exited the water and saw that it read around 28:45. Not great….but not too bad either. So, I hustled through to start my second lap. I used my old lifeguarding skills of surfdashing and dolphin diving through the shallow water. It’s definitely faster to do this…but it also gets the heartrate up quite a bit….and I was feeling it as I started swimming. The second lap was like the first….I got into a rhythm and did my best to avoid contact. I did notice that it started to rain while I was swimming. I exited the water and immediately ran to a wetsuit stripper (people waiting at the end of the swim to pull off the wetsuits). Time: 59:08.

T1

The run to T1 is long. I tried to move quickly to the Oval (where T1 is set up). I was happy to have walked transition the day before….it helped. I ran straight to my transition bag and into the changing tent. While trying to move quickly, I settled down to make sure I didn’t “rush” anything…and forget something stupid. I ran out of the tent and grabbed my bike and off I went.

THE BIKE

As soon as I got on my bike, I realized that my heartrate was not registering on my SRM (bike computer). Since I didn’t want to have to keep looking at my watch to see HR on the bike, I quickly paired the HR to the SRM so I could see both Power and HR in the same place. However, I noticed another issue right away. My small chainring was not shifting correctly. This concerned me….and the small chainring may not be as important on a flat course like IM Florida….but on a hilly course, like IM Lake Placid, it’s huge. As I climbed out of town I realized that I really only had use of my two easiest gears….everything else was skipping out of gear. THIS BIKE IS GOING TO BE FUN! The other thing I noticed right away is that my stomach was a bit bloated and I was having trouble drinking the Powerbar Perform (sports drink). On the climb out of town, I passed my buddy Tim, and my buddy Matt passed me. As I crested the top of the climb out of town, I prepared myself for the 8 mile descent into Keene. I decided I was going to be a bit more aggressive on the downhill section. Easier said than done….with wind and wet roads. I was flying downhill, hitting the low 40s….and got a bit of the “death wobble” with my disc wheel. I decided that 40 mph was fast enough. As we ended the descent, we turned left and hit a much flatter section into Jay. I was able to lock and load in the aerobars….and really focus on my power and hr. My plan called for HR between 132-139 and power between 220-250 watts on the first loop. I thought I did a pretty good job of keeping within the limits…especially on the climbs. Since I was having trouble with the Powerbar drink, I decided to grab water instead and take extra salt capsules…which seemed to work. One thing I’ve realized over several years of racing….and much heeded advice…is to have a Plan “B”. As I hit the second half of the first loop, I began my climb back into Wilmington. This is where I started to feel the effects of the small chainring. Although it was nice to have the easiest gears, I would spin out, unless I shifted to the big chainring….which also wasn’t cooperating. I would have to manipulate the gears to shift in and out. It was a bit unnerving. Especially when I dropped my chain for the first time….on an incline (I wound up dropping my chain 2 more times). I finished up the first loop and headed out on the second loop. As I was climbing out of town again, Tim passed me (Matt was still out front and putting time into us). I tried to keep Tim in sight as we screamed down the hill for the second time. As we hit the flat section, I was able to slowly reel Tim in. I passed Tim and stayed out front for the next 10 miles. But, he passed me around mile 90 and that was the last I saw of him on the bike. This is about the same time that my “lack of bike miles” started to affect me. My HR was still good, but my power went way down. I was having trouble holding 190-205 watts. However, I knew that I was still in a fairly good position…so I did my best to limit the damage and get through the remainder of the bike. I dropped my chain on the last 10 miles back into town…and this one really frustrated me as I had a hard time getting my cleat clipped back in….and I was on a hill. Between my mechanical issues and my lack of "miles" over the last 20 miles….I definitely left some time out on the course. Oh well. I finished up my bike and started to think about my second transition. Bike Time: 5:23:41

T2

Back into the changing tent…shoes on….and straight to the bathroom. I lost a few seconds here…but I had to go. I downed some Advil, and ate half a banana and headed out.

THE RUN

Heading out on the first loop, it’s easy to go out too fast….it’s downhill. Even though I would have dialed my heart rate back, I was happy to see my friends Jesse and Pat, who calmly told me to slow down….which I did. However, I felt great. The plan called for me to keep the HR between 153-157 on the first loop…and I did a fairly good job of it. I passed a lot of people. As I was approaching the turn around of the first out and back section, I saw Matt, who was running well. I figured that he was at least a mile ahead of me. I saw Tim shortly thereafter. Tim also looked great. I figured that if he could hold form, Tim would win the age group, since he’s a really strong runner (and he did). As I approached the ski jumps, I saw Brian Shea of Personal Best Nutrition who told me that I was in 5th position in the AG. I still felt really good and wanted to move up as far as I could. I figured that I was running around 2:55 marathon pace….and it was effortless. Thoughts of holding this pace and finishing with a really strong time crept into my head…..and as quickly as they did, I pushed them right back out. I’ve had too many races go south. It’s not over until it’s over….KEEP FOCUSED! As I entered town, I really had to hold back. The streets were just lined with people. And, being from Boston, it’s like a hometown race. I heard my name yelled all day. On the out and back along the lake, I saw Tim approaching from the other direction. He had passed Matt. He told me that I was now in 4th position. I then saw Matt….who was still pretty far ahead. At this point, I got a little frustrated. I mean…I was running pretty damn fast….but I wasn’t gaining time on him like I thought I would. However, it was not the time to lose focus…there were still over 13 miles of running to do. So, I got back to it. On my way out to the ski jumps, I could tell that things were going to get tough. The legs started to fade a bit…and the stomach started bothering me just a bit. I decided that it was time to start taking some cola at the next aid station. As I approached the out and back for the second time, I saw Matt…and this time I could tell that I had gained some time back. I tried to make a push to catch him. FINALLY…..about a mile later, I caught sight of him. At the same time, Cait Snow, the eventual 2nd place female, rolled up on me. I had held her off the majority of the run. But, my wheels were coming off at this point…and she finally caught me. I told Cait that I’d run w/her as long as I could….but at least until I caught my teammate. A few minutes later, we caught and passed Matt. I then told Cait that I was done….but she coaxed me to keep going…which I tried. But, then I realized….if I kept her pace…I was going to fall off of it very quickly! So, I let her go…and tried to finish up my day as strongly as I could. As I climbed back into town and glanced over my shoulder a few times to see where Matt was. He was still there…about 100 yards back. Finally, as I made the last climb into town, I glanced back and he wasn’t there anymore. As I passed the crowds…I didn’t want to start thinking about the finish yet. There was just too much running to do…and I was struggling. As I made my way through the last turnaround (with about a mile to go), I finally was able to start getting excited about my finish. I started to acknowledge my teammates and friends lining the course…who were providing great inspiration all day. As I circled the Olympic Oval….I was pretty emotional. It’s such a long day….and I (like everyone else that competed) left a lot out on that race course. What a great feeling finishing and actually accomplishing what I had set out to do.

I had crossed too many Ironman finish lines with a much different feeling….so this was pure exhilaration. Run Time: 3:07:08.

Finish Time: 9:37:00

So, I punched my ticket to Kona for the third 3rd year in a row. I keep getting congratulated for getting the Kona spot…which is great. But, to me, Kona was secondary to having a good race at Lake Placid. Of course, I’m thrilled to get to go back to the Big Island. It’s one of my favorite places on the planet. But, LP was my ultimate goal.  I know that this is going to sound cheesy….but I’d be remiss not to thank a few people who helped me achieve my result on Sunday. First and foremost, my wife Jenn. She puts up with way more crap than she should ever have to. My coach, Chris, who not only got me to the starting line in the best shape I’ve been in and provided me with a rock solid raceday gameplan, but also talked me off the ledge a few times. Lastly, Matt Pokress. If not for our epic battle out there on the run, I don’t think I would have gone as fast as I did.