IM CDA Race Report

Swim start:
It was a very strange experience this year. Standing on the beach with Jen looking out at what could have been the ocean with 2200 other people, cold and anxious. Then Mike Reily came’s on and says that anyone not wanting to swim could just do the bike and run. This would not count as unofficial finish, but would allow those that wouldn't be able to complete the swim to participate at some level. I believe Jen's response to this was along the lines of "there's no way in hell I'm not doing this swim. I don't care if I don't make the cut off. I'm at least going to try". This kick ass attitude is what got her through a very challenging day. She kissed me and headed to the back of the crowd. It got me a little chocked up. Weird how emotional these things can make you. With so many months of prep and training coming down to the 10 sec countdown before they blow the cannon. Very intense, even after you do a few.

First ½ mile of the swim was directly into the wind which was blowing at 15 to 20 mph. The swells felt like they were 10 ft tall at times, but were probably only 2 to 3 ft. Was never able to get into a groove as my goggles kept filling with water and I had to breast stroke a lot to sight the buoys. Around the first buoy on the backside of the rectangle the sun was in our eyes and swimming became even tougher due to the waves coming in sideways. On the way back in it was like body surfing. Still wasn’t able to get in a groove though. Waves were coming in at an angle that kept pushing me towards the sea wall. The second lap felt better since I was warmed up and new what to expect on the way out. My second split ended up being a minute slower even though it felt faster. Oh well… HR average for the first lap was 151, second lap was 148. Almost 7 minutes off my PR, which was CDA 2005.

T1:
Out of the water I wasn’t too tired, just a little dizzy. I jogged through the bag area and into the tent. I swear I spent 60 seconds just trying to get my bag open. I struggled to get my arm warmers on over my wet arms. Still a little out of it, I ran out of the tent to the bike with gloves in hand. It was still a little chilly out so I wanted to make sure I wasn’t too cold on the first part of the bike.

Bike:
I headed out of town up the main street. It’s a little up hill so I stayed up out of my aero bars to try to bring my HR down. Once I was on the flats I settled in and prepped myself for all of the people that would start passing me. Scott had mentioned this in some pre-race advice he had sent me. As people started going by I kept saying to myself “I’ll see you on the run”. By the end of the first lap my pacing paid off. After special needs I was feeling great and really started passing a lot of people. The only issue I was having was the constant urge to pee. I think I took in a lot of lake water in the swim and I couldn’t pee fast enough, or long enough on the bike to get it all out. After nearly filling my shoe and still directing way to much focus to how bad I had to go I finally stopped on the side of the road ~ about mile 60 and just let it out. Wow what a relief!! By mile 85 I had to stop again. Total I calculated I lost about 3 mins total to stopping and peeing. Not sure what I could have done differently there. At least I knew I was hydrated.

T2:
Coming in off the bike I was feeling great, but bummed that I was so far off what I thought I could do. I stayed within my HR ranges and effort level and felt really good, just a lot slower then expected. Jogged into transition and grabbed my bag. Into the tent where I was one of only 4 or 5 people. The volunteer was awesome. I was in and out pretty quick. Had to stop and pee again though, WTF! Took a GU and headed out on the run.

Run:
First mile of the run everything felt good, but I couldn’t get my HR down, Wanted to keep it ~145 to 150 for the first half of the run, but couldn’t get it below 158. The first mile split came in at 8:44. I slowed a bit through town and was able to bring my HR down to 150, but my pace also slowed to ~9:00. My nutrition got screwed up somewhere around mile 4. I was trying to take a gu every 30 min like I had in training, unfortunately the aid stations and my pace screwed up my timing. By mile 10 my pace had slowed to 10’s and my stomach was cramping. This was about the time Rob P. came running by and offered some words of encouragement. He looked strong. I passed Scott and he shouted out a reminder to “keep eating”. By mile 13 the cramps where so bad I couldn’t run. I was pissed because my legs felt so good! I slammed a gu and a cup of water and with a couple minutes the cramps were gone. Then the light bulb came on. I wasn’t eating enough. I started hitting the gu hard at every other aid station. In between I was taking a coke with a water chaser. After a couple miles I was back running 9:00’s. I saw Erin P. after I rounded the last out and back and she was cruising. I had 40+ mins on her off the bike and there she was. I told her as she passed going the other waythat I was going to make her work to catch me. This was more to fire myself up. I thought for sure she would get me. My last 3 miles were sub 8:30’s, I was running scared.

Overall I was disappointed with my time. I had high hopes of breaking 11 hrs. But on the bright side I did PR by 20 minutes in less then ideal conditions. I felt good for most of the day, and I had fun! This is really the first race that I can look back and say I truly enjoyed. I think it was a combo of all of the people that came to watch, knowing others racing, and being much more fit them I’ve ever been.

Key learnings this year:
- Eat more frequently on the run.
- Carry my own nutrition.
- More open water swim practice (sore shoulder)
- Peeing on the bike may not be for me.
- Need a new knot for my transition bags. The “Pad Thai” knot only works on the bag when you get take-out from the local Thai restaurant. Not so cool in T1 when you’re wet, dizzy and easily distracted.

Long Time No Post.

Sorry about that, here's a run down of the last 2 weeks:
The move is complete! Tough going from a big house to a small house. Just when you think you don't have very much crap... It's amazing how much can fit in the back of a closet. We are liking the condo though, all of our neighbors seem really nice. I think we made a good choice in location.

Ironman CDA is complete! Not the day I had hoped for, but a personal best non the less. Jen also completed the race with plenty of time to spare. She pushed through really a tough swim, a hilly bike course, and stomach issues on the run that would have made most people drop out. She's a stud! We had great support this year from friends and family. Thanks to all of those who came out and cheered us on. Also thanks to those who looked us up on line and sent us congrats! I'll post a race report soon.

We have both signed up for IM Arizona in April. There are currently 10 other Ironheads doing the race as well. We are sharing a house with two other couples that are racing. Should be a fun race.

For now the focus turns to local races, weekends doing fun stuff, and maybe a few beers.

We are officially renters, for the next 24 hrs anyway.

Today are current house transfers to the buyers officially, so we are renting for the next 2 weeks. We also sign the closing papers on the new place today, so by tomorrow it will be in our name. Not bad, only 24 hrs of not owning a home, or at least not making a mortgage payment. Now the coordination of the 3 ring circus begins! House cleaners, carpet cleaners, cable, phone, electrician, TV installer, and of course the movers. All are scheduled to not conflict with each other and to meet our deadline to be out of the old house by the 30th at 5pm. If one doesn't show up everything could be jeopardized. But fortunately Jen is the most organized person I know. We have lists, calendars and schedules that factor in packing for the race, the move and documenting everything we need to do to be ready. I always tease her about her lists, but we would be in trouble without them right now!! Oh, and I finally invested in the fancy garage floor coating that I have always planned on getting put never have. It's tricky because you have to paint it on and let it dry for 72 hours before you can put any heavy objects on it. The timing should workout with this house if I paint it on Wednesday night. No the ideal taper for the race on Sunday, but I have all the right tools to do it without putting back at risk. Let the fun begin.

An evening in the lake

Jen and I decided to head to Hagg Lake last night to get some time in our wetsuits before CDA and the swim this weekend. Headed out yesterday afternoon about 5:30, got there just after 6pm. The sun was shinning and a light breeze was blowing, it was a perfect afternoon! We crammed into our wetsuits and headed down to the water. It was nice, low 60's. As we headed out the water got a little cooler but not bad. The best part came as I stopped about midway into the swim. I treaded water for a minute and realized that I was about a 3rd of a mile from shore. It occurred to me that most people wouldn't do stuff like this. Work all day, drive 30 miles to swim out into the middle of a lake just because. What made this realization even better was when I turned around and Jennifer swam up behind me, stopped and smiled. It made me realize also how lucky I am to have someone that "gets it" too. There are not very many people out there that would bob around in a 60 degree lake with me on a Wednesday afternoon. After heading out a little farther we turned around and went back. There a couple dozen moments I've had in my life when I've stopped and taken in something that was extra-ordinary. This one was two fold as I not only appreciated the fact that I'm not normal (one of my biggest fears), but also how lucky I am to have someone else that is not normal too.

First Olympic Distance Race... Done!

Blue Lake Olympic Distance race yesterday. Wow... There are some somkin fast folks out there! Being one of the last qualifiers for the Nationals race next month, all the fast guys came out. Normally with a finish time of 2:09 I would have been in the top 15 at this event and potentially place in my age group. Yesterday I barely grabbed 28th overall (8 second lead over 29th) and 7th in 30 to 34 age group. But my race went exactly as planned. I definitely had nothing left when I crossed the line. The Ironheads team had an outstanding showing! The new Blackwell wheels were fast, and they sound really cool too!

Now the taper for CDA really starts. Pretty light week ahead as far as training goes. Two days of open water swimming (Lake O on Wednesday, Hagg Lake on Sunday) will be good. The more time in the new wetsuit the better. A few relatively light rides and runs. What are we going to do with so much free time...

Pack!! We got the official acceptance from the buyers of house yesterday for the repairs that came out of the inspection. So we are all set to close a week from today. Time to pack our crap. Should be easy as we donated a sizable amount of stuff to the Union Gospel. Pretty sweet deal. They come pick it up, old mattress and all. I am loving the minimalist way of life. Well, minimalist for us anyway :)

Well here I go...

This is my first attempt at a blog. Thought it might be nice to keep everyone up to date on what's going on since I am not always good about picking up the phone or sending email. I just thought it would be good to share what is taking up all of my time so you will now I'm not just ignoring you :) 2 weeks until CDA Ironman, man it's been a long 8 months of training! I have to say though I have never felt so prepared going into an Ironman (this is #5). Having Scott as a coach and joining the Ironheads has made this a completely different experience. Meeting all of these people that share the same enthusiasm that revolves around an active lifestyle is amazing. The wealth of knowledge that exists within this group is also mind blowing. I can learn more on a 4 hour ride with the IH group then I could from a year subscription to Triathlete magazine. Then to have Scott custom making my workout schedule, I am very lucky! The people I have met this year are examples of why this sport/lifestyle has consumed me. The support and encouragement are great. It complements the non stop support given by my family and friends. Jen and I are so very lucky, and trust me, we don't take it for granted. We realize it and are thankful for it! I will try to post updates an how our taper to IM CDA is progressing. Also keep you posted on our move (3 weeks from today) and continued down sizing. Busy, busy, busy...