History: Power sports participant by background (Football, Wrestler, Sprinter). Took up running about 8 years ago due to my sister, and to try to fight back middle aged weight gain. (I've never been small). Toyed with Triathlon in 2011, got as far as the HIM distance and decided I just hated swimming too much. Started focusing on biking while recovering from a broken metatarsal, and realized that I'm really a much better biker than runner. Started back with Du's, then realized that I'd really lost training focus. I could BS a marathon on minimal training (slowly), but by Oct last year, I'd let my weight balloon up to 280lbs! Decided I needed something new to focus training on, so why not a full IM?!
Gear, etc: Trek Madone 2.1, converted to a Tri bike with Profile Designs T3 Al base bar and T1 aerobars. P2Max power meter. DeSoto Riviera Trisuit (More on this later). Brooks Ghost 8 shoes.
Pre Race: Flew from Portland, OR to Nashville, TN with the entire family on Thursday, then drove to Chatt Friday AM. Check-in was smooth, although my wife pretty much melted in the heat. Back to hotel (we stayed about 20 min away, as the hotel was about $100 / night cheaper). Got my gear organized, put my bike together and took it for a quick spin around the hotel parking lot. Then, I got to wait and stress. I'd much rather that registration was available on Saturday, but I can see some logistical reasons why they spread it out. Saturday was a quick trip downtown to drop off my bike/gear and attend the race briefing. I started really getting concerned about the heat while sitting outside at the briefing. The sun was just insane, I could feel myself baking. Raced for the AC in the car and back to the hotel.
Race Morning: Up at 3:20, had some coffee, the requisite Hostess Fruit Pie, and "took care of business". My wife dropped me off around 4:45, and by some minor miracle I didn't forget anything. (I once forgot BOTH bike bottles the morning of a HOT Du). Pumped up the bike tires, then wandered randomly looking for the water they promised would be at the start. Never found it, so I filled my bike bottles at a lukewarm water fountain, put them on the bike and got on the shuttle for the swim start. Once I got there, one of the (many) helpful volunteers pointed me towards the start, so I started wandering that way. Nowhere near the water, I ran into a HUGE line of racers and family. I really wanted to find the gear drop off area (because I hate surprises), but after walking for 5 minutes and still not getting to the start, I decided to bag it and go back and get in line. Laid down on the grass and stressed about the swim...and waited...and waited...Suddenly, the sun was up, and people were getting up and getting ready. Got everything ready, put my clothes in the bag and started wandering towards the start. As we got to the arch, they were announcing "if you still have your gear, go past the arch and drop it off, then come back". Ok, a little bit of unnecessary stress, but nothing I couldn't deal with. Back to the arch, and now it's time to...
Swim: C goal: Don't Panic, Don't Drown, Make cut-off. B goal: 1:40, A goal: 1:30
I'm not a strong swimmer, so I was initially concerned with the water temperature reports. I'd had panic attacks in my first 3 races this year, but looking back at it, I'm pretty sure that those were due to my wetsuit being too tight in the chest. Against Slowtwitch wisdom, I'd done a number of long (3-4k) straight sets in the pool, just to build up my confidence at the distance, so I went sans wetsuit. Best decision ever. The water temp was 83 degrees, and felt like a warm bath. Jumped into the water, and was off. There were tons of buoys, so sighting wasn't an issue. Thanks to some feedback from here, I swam further out into the river, away from the scrum near the buoys. I'm pretty sure the Riviera Tri suit provides a little buoyancy, because I felt really comfortable in the water. Just concentrated on keeping my breathing steady and just kept swimming. Only issues came when I passed someone (how the hell did THAT happen) and they kept grabbing my ankle for the next 3 strokes, and at the swim exit. I was not a huge fan of the battle to get to the stairs to get out, but I didn't drown. Volunteer helped haul my fat ass out of the water, I hit the Garmin and...
Swim time: 1:22:13! Holy crap! Let's hear it for current assist!
T1: Took a nice stroll up to the changing tent. Bike crap on, including Pearl Izumi arm coolers. I added these to my race kit after getting cooked at a hot endurance Du, and they ended up being key today. Found my bike, and headed out.
T1 time: 8:56
Bike: C goal: Make the cut off. B goal: 7:30. A goal: 7:00
This was the leg I felt most confident about, but I was still nervous going in. I was still about 240# on race day, so any steep hills cause my power to spike. I just don't have enough gearing to keep my power on target. Plus my long ride/gear/nutrition test ride got cut short due to a broken arm pad support. Added to this, I'd been fighting lower back pain following my "professional Retul fit", such that I was having a hard time going more than 40 miles without severe pain. So, Tuesday before the race, I flipped my seatpost 180 degrees and swapped saddles (ISM Prologue to Cobb V-Flow Max). My test ride on this set-up amounted to 6 miles before I got rained out by a massive thunderstorm. I admit, this could have been a terrible idea, but I appear to have gotten lucky.
Target power was 165-170W, and I really had to fight with myself to keep the power down on the way out. Bike course was relatively crowded for the first lap, and I found myself putting in a few 220-250W surges to try and keep from drafting. I decided to mostly live off course, so I was taking in 1 shot block per 5 miles, and downing most of my BTA bottle of gatorade every 15-ish miles (aid station spacing). I'd practiced refilling the BTA bottle on the fly using regular water bottles, but the screw tops of the supplied bottles kept closing while I was trying to refill, so I ended up doing a quick stop and go at the aid stations just to get the bottle full.
Hit special needs at mile 53, and grabbed my second "Chemical Pie" of the day. I'm sure I looked like an idiot riding in aero with a fruit pie in my hand, but MAN it tasted better than the shot blocks! :-)
By the second lap, the heat was really coming on and I was getting a little sugared out. Dumped my 'back-up' bottle of Gatorade into my BTA bottle, and used that cage for water. New procedure at aid stations was grab H2O, spray on arm coolers, grab gatorade, stop and fill BTA, grab 2nd bottle of H2O on the way out to cut the sugar.
Course was a 'lollipop' with a very short (11 mile) stalk and a 45 mile loop. First half of the loop was net uphill, with a short, steep-ish hill at the end, then the back half was net downhill with a longer, less steep climb at the end. Lots of rollers, which are normally my friend, except for the idiots riding ALL OVER the bike course. I got really tired of having to brake on downhills because of people riding far left for no reason. (I'm looking at YOU, M33 guy in the UT jersey). By the second lap, things had opened up a little, but I was definitely falling off my target power. Checked my progress and realized I was ahead of schedule, so I just tried to ride smart and keep my HR from spiking. The 'south' hill felt much steeper the second time around, but once it was over, there were a good number of downhills to recover on during the back half of the course. The heat had really caused my feet to swell, so past mile 80 I found myself pulling my feet out of the pedals to shake them out.
Passed the mile 100 sign and realized I had the bike leg in the bag. Turned for home and started fretting about the run.
Bike actual: 6:43:14! (On 164W weighted average) 17 minutes ahead of 'A' goal
T2: Tossed the bike to another wonderful volunteer, grabbed my stuff, helmet, gloves, sweat hat off during waddle to changing tent. Sat down, pulled off bike shoes (thank GOD), sneakers on, hat on, belt on. Stop to apply Vaseline to some tender spots, and head for the exit. As I'm headed out, I realize a lot of the guys I rode in with are just sitting there. Come on people, it's hot, but you're here to race!
T2 time: 6:17
Run: C goal: FINISH. B: Goal: 6:30. A goal: 6:00
This would be my 26th full marathon, so I know what to expect, right...?
WRONG! This is an entirely different beast starting out this tired. On the plus side, as I'm coming out of transition, a spectator yells "It's only 4PM". I start doing the math and realize that I can stroll this and still make the cut-off. I clamp down on that thought and get to work.
Manged a decent trot out of T2, until I hit the first hill. HR goes through the roof, so I drop it down to a "power walk". Being 6'3" does have the advantage of a long stride, so I'm making decent progress. Trot down the backside of the hill, then walk on the flat. Hit the aid station, ice goes in hat, water on arm coolers, then snack on whatever looks appetizing. The first 4 miles are absolutely brutal. No shade, 97 degrees, it looks like an episode of 'The Walking Dead'. Hordes of corpses shambling in the same general direction. Overall, though, I actually feel pretty good. I'm still moving forward, and just need to keep it together to finish.
I manage to keep this up (trot the downhills, Ice, water, snack) through until mile 9, where the massive hills on the backside of the course start. I've been keeping my HR in check until now, but the climb from the mile 9 aid station spikes it pretty badly. Recover a bit, then trot the downhill. Make it around the hills to mile 11, then it's time for a pee break. This is my only beef with the DeSoto suit. It's a PITA to pee in. Finally manage to get a leg rolled up enough to make it work, then back onto the course.
Lap 2: Thankfully, the fiery orb of death is sinking behind the buildings at this point, but I still bit back a little bit of a sob turning away from the finish (where I can hear them announcing finishers) and heading out for lap 2. I haul my butt up the initial hill and start to trot down the backside and I feel my calf and hamstring start to twang at me. At this point, I go into full on survival mode. No way I'm getting dragged off the course for a medical issue. I drop my walking pace slightly, and just keep going. I notice that I'm getting a little light-headed, and realize I've ignored the Gu's on my race belt, and that maybe I'm behind on nutrition. Fingers are also swelling, and I'm too out of it to remember if that means I've got too much salt or too little. I cut back on the Gatorade, and start hammering down Gu's and water. About mile 17, I hook up with a couple guys and we make a little walking club for the next 8 miles. My calf starts threatening my on the uphills, but never goes into full cramp mode.
Suddenly, there's the mile 25 sign! I'm going to do this! Up over the pedestrian bridge, and then onto the final 1/2 mile. From somewhere, I pull out a slow jog and roll towards the lights.
I have to say, the finish is everything I thought it would be. Crowd support was insane, I'm all smiles down the chute, then those final words...
"You are an Ironman"
Race overall: C goal: FINISH, B goal: 16:00, A goal: 15:00
Race actual: 14:46:13
Final thoughts:
I needed a better nutrition plan. I winged it, and it worked, but that was a bad plan.
I love the DeSoto Riviera suit! (And I got more compliments on it than I expected. I've got the 'technicolor lego brick' version)
I see why WTC pulls in so many participants. The whole operation is smooth, professional and well supported.
The volunteers were amazing. Standing out in that heat all day to support us. A heartfelt thanks from me.
Thanks to everyone on this site for various tips to get me here.
Gear, etc: Trek Madone 2.1, converted to a Tri bike with Profile Designs T3 Al base bar and T1 aerobars. P2Max power meter. DeSoto Riviera Trisuit (More on this later). Brooks Ghost 8 shoes.
Pre Race: Flew from Portland, OR to Nashville, TN with the entire family on Thursday, then drove to Chatt Friday AM. Check-in was smooth, although my wife pretty much melted in the heat. Back to hotel (we stayed about 20 min away, as the hotel was about $100 / night cheaper). Got my gear organized, put my bike together and took it for a quick spin around the hotel parking lot. Then, I got to wait and stress. I'd much rather that registration was available on Saturday, but I can see some logistical reasons why they spread it out. Saturday was a quick trip downtown to drop off my bike/gear and attend the race briefing. I started really getting concerned about the heat while sitting outside at the briefing. The sun was just insane, I could feel myself baking. Raced for the AC in the car and back to the hotel.
Race Morning: Up at 3:20, had some coffee, the requisite Hostess Fruit Pie, and "took care of business". My wife dropped me off around 4:45, and by some minor miracle I didn't forget anything. (I once forgot BOTH bike bottles the morning of a HOT Du). Pumped up the bike tires, then wandered randomly looking for the water they promised would be at the start. Never found it, so I filled my bike bottles at a lukewarm water fountain, put them on the bike and got on the shuttle for the swim start. Once I got there, one of the (many) helpful volunteers pointed me towards the start, so I started wandering that way. Nowhere near the water, I ran into a HUGE line of racers and family. I really wanted to find the gear drop off area (because I hate surprises), but after walking for 5 minutes and still not getting to the start, I decided to bag it and go back and get in line. Laid down on the grass and stressed about the swim...and waited...and waited...Suddenly, the sun was up, and people were getting up and getting ready. Got everything ready, put my clothes in the bag and started wandering towards the start. As we got to the arch, they were announcing "if you still have your gear, go past the arch and drop it off, then come back". Ok, a little bit of unnecessary stress, but nothing I couldn't deal with. Back to the arch, and now it's time to...
Swim: C goal: Don't Panic, Don't Drown, Make cut-off. B goal: 1:40, A goal: 1:30
I'm not a strong swimmer, so I was initially concerned with the water temperature reports. I'd had panic attacks in my first 3 races this year, but looking back at it, I'm pretty sure that those were due to my wetsuit being too tight in the chest. Against Slowtwitch wisdom, I'd done a number of long (3-4k) straight sets in the pool, just to build up my confidence at the distance, so I went sans wetsuit. Best decision ever. The water temp was 83 degrees, and felt like a warm bath. Jumped into the water, and was off. There were tons of buoys, so sighting wasn't an issue. Thanks to some feedback from here, I swam further out into the river, away from the scrum near the buoys. I'm pretty sure the Riviera Tri suit provides a little buoyancy, because I felt really comfortable in the water. Just concentrated on keeping my breathing steady and just kept swimming. Only issues came when I passed someone (how the hell did THAT happen) and they kept grabbing my ankle for the next 3 strokes, and at the swim exit. I was not a huge fan of the battle to get to the stairs to get out, but I didn't drown. Volunteer helped haul my fat ass out of the water, I hit the Garmin and...
Swim time: 1:22:13! Holy crap! Let's hear it for current assist!
T1: Took a nice stroll up to the changing tent. Bike crap on, including Pearl Izumi arm coolers. I added these to my race kit after getting cooked at a hot endurance Du, and they ended up being key today. Found my bike, and headed out.
T1 time: 8:56
Bike: C goal: Make the cut off. B goal: 7:30. A goal: 7:00
This was the leg I felt most confident about, but I was still nervous going in. I was still about 240# on race day, so any steep hills cause my power to spike. I just don't have enough gearing to keep my power on target. Plus my long ride/gear/nutrition test ride got cut short due to a broken arm pad support. Added to this, I'd been fighting lower back pain following my "professional Retul fit", such that I was having a hard time going more than 40 miles without severe pain. So, Tuesday before the race, I flipped my seatpost 180 degrees and swapped saddles (ISM Prologue to Cobb V-Flow Max). My test ride on this set-up amounted to 6 miles before I got rained out by a massive thunderstorm. I admit, this could have been a terrible idea, but I appear to have gotten lucky.
Target power was 165-170W, and I really had to fight with myself to keep the power down on the way out. Bike course was relatively crowded for the first lap, and I found myself putting in a few 220-250W surges to try and keep from drafting. I decided to mostly live off course, so I was taking in 1 shot block per 5 miles, and downing most of my BTA bottle of gatorade every 15-ish miles (aid station spacing). I'd practiced refilling the BTA bottle on the fly using regular water bottles, but the screw tops of the supplied bottles kept closing while I was trying to refill, so I ended up doing a quick stop and go at the aid stations just to get the bottle full.
Hit special needs at mile 53, and grabbed my second "Chemical Pie" of the day. I'm sure I looked like an idiot riding in aero with a fruit pie in my hand, but MAN it tasted better than the shot blocks! :-)
By the second lap, the heat was really coming on and I was getting a little sugared out. Dumped my 'back-up' bottle of Gatorade into my BTA bottle, and used that cage for water. New procedure at aid stations was grab H2O, spray on arm coolers, grab gatorade, stop and fill BTA, grab 2nd bottle of H2O on the way out to cut the sugar.
Course was a 'lollipop' with a very short (11 mile) stalk and a 45 mile loop. First half of the loop was net uphill, with a short, steep-ish hill at the end, then the back half was net downhill with a longer, less steep climb at the end. Lots of rollers, which are normally my friend, except for the idiots riding ALL OVER the bike course. I got really tired of having to brake on downhills because of people riding far left for no reason. (I'm looking at YOU, M33 guy in the UT jersey). By the second lap, things had opened up a little, but I was definitely falling off my target power. Checked my progress and realized I was ahead of schedule, so I just tried to ride smart and keep my HR from spiking. The 'south' hill felt much steeper the second time around, but once it was over, there were a good number of downhills to recover on during the back half of the course. The heat had really caused my feet to swell, so past mile 80 I found myself pulling my feet out of the pedals to shake them out.
Passed the mile 100 sign and realized I had the bike leg in the bag. Turned for home and started fretting about the run.
Bike actual: 6:43:14! (On 164W weighted average) 17 minutes ahead of 'A' goal
T2: Tossed the bike to another wonderful volunteer, grabbed my stuff, helmet, gloves, sweat hat off during waddle to changing tent. Sat down, pulled off bike shoes (thank GOD), sneakers on, hat on, belt on. Stop to apply Vaseline to some tender spots, and head for the exit. As I'm headed out, I realize a lot of the guys I rode in with are just sitting there. Come on people, it's hot, but you're here to race!
T2 time: 6:17
Run: C goal: FINISH. B: Goal: 6:30. A goal: 6:00
This would be my 26th full marathon, so I know what to expect, right...?
WRONG! This is an entirely different beast starting out this tired. On the plus side, as I'm coming out of transition, a spectator yells "It's only 4PM". I start doing the math and realize that I can stroll this and still make the cut-off. I clamp down on that thought and get to work.
Manged a decent trot out of T2, until I hit the first hill. HR goes through the roof, so I drop it down to a "power walk". Being 6'3" does have the advantage of a long stride, so I'm making decent progress. Trot down the backside of the hill, then walk on the flat. Hit the aid station, ice goes in hat, water on arm coolers, then snack on whatever looks appetizing. The first 4 miles are absolutely brutal. No shade, 97 degrees, it looks like an episode of 'The Walking Dead'. Hordes of corpses shambling in the same general direction. Overall, though, I actually feel pretty good. I'm still moving forward, and just need to keep it together to finish.
I manage to keep this up (trot the downhills, Ice, water, snack) through until mile 9, where the massive hills on the backside of the course start. I've been keeping my HR in check until now, but the climb from the mile 9 aid station spikes it pretty badly. Recover a bit, then trot the downhill. Make it around the hills to mile 11, then it's time for a pee break. This is my only beef with the DeSoto suit. It's a PITA to pee in. Finally manage to get a leg rolled up enough to make it work, then back onto the course.
Lap 2: Thankfully, the fiery orb of death is sinking behind the buildings at this point, but I still bit back a little bit of a sob turning away from the finish (where I can hear them announcing finishers) and heading out for lap 2. I haul my butt up the initial hill and start to trot down the backside and I feel my calf and hamstring start to twang at me. At this point, I go into full on survival mode. No way I'm getting dragged off the course for a medical issue. I drop my walking pace slightly, and just keep going. I notice that I'm getting a little light-headed, and realize I've ignored the Gu's on my race belt, and that maybe I'm behind on nutrition. Fingers are also swelling, and I'm too out of it to remember if that means I've got too much salt or too little. I cut back on the Gatorade, and start hammering down Gu's and water. About mile 17, I hook up with a couple guys and we make a little walking club for the next 8 miles. My calf starts threatening my on the uphills, but never goes into full cramp mode.
Suddenly, there's the mile 25 sign! I'm going to do this! Up over the pedestrian bridge, and then onto the final 1/2 mile. From somewhere, I pull out a slow jog and roll towards the lights.
I have to say, the finish is everything I thought it would be. Crowd support was insane, I'm all smiles down the chute, then those final words...
"You are an Ironman"
Race overall: C goal: FINISH, B goal: 16:00, A goal: 15:00
Race actual: 14:46:13
Final thoughts:
I needed a better nutrition plan. I winged it, and it worked, but that was a bad plan.
I love the DeSoto Riviera suit! (And I got more compliments on it than I expected. I've got the 'technicolor lego brick' version)
I see why WTC pulls in so many participants. The whole operation is smooth, professional and well supported.
The volunteers were amazing. Standing out in that heat all day to support us. A heartfelt thanks from me.
Thanks to everyone on this site for various tips to get me here.