This is my first race report, I’ve just realized it’s an epic so sorry about that, however I’ve learnt a ton of stuff from reading other people’s reports and at least now I have a record of the race for myself!
Pre Race
Having raced IMTX and Kona in 2016 I hadn’t planned on racing a full Ironman in 2017. My focus was on qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga. My training had therefore focused on this distance. My training had not been the most consistent due to work and life in general however I’m a slave to the PMC and I’d kept my CTL up there and increasing… if only barely. However I was going into IMTX 2017 with my lowest CTL (95.1) of all my previous races. Since Jan I’d averaged around 12 hrs a week across all 3 disciplines with 3 swims, 3 – 4 runs and 4 – 5 bikes a week.
My A race was the 70.3 at Galveston and coming into this I felt stronger and lighter than ever, however for whatever reason, even though I qualified for Chattanooga I did not have the race I was looking for. I was 20 – 30w down on my expectations on the bike and my run also suffered slightly. I think one of the reasons for this was that I had changed my position on the bike putting me in a more aggressive position but this had ended up putting too much load on my quads and so I wasn’t able to generate the power I had expected.
I was due to be away at work over IMTX and only when this changed did I consider entering. I was concerned that I’d not done any rides over 2 ½ hours or any runs longer than 90 mins but I figured it would be interesting to see how I coped as these long days are the worst to complete with a family life. In the 3 weeks between Galveston and Texas my coach added a 5 hour and a 3 hour ride to my regular training scheme which I coped OK with. He didn’t give me any runs beyond 90 mins though so this was a big uncertainty.
Race Morning
Slept off and on all night, ate a Clif bar at 3am, then got up at 4:30, had a bagle with cream cheese and a cup of coffee then headed on down to transition for 5:30, sorted bike bags etc. Was very relieved to find both tires inflated and without damage as I’d forgotten to check them yesterday. Due to the uncertainty at work I held off registering until the Thursday before the race so I ended up with bib number 2772, there was only 1 person higher than this so it made finding your bags / bike very easy! I felt my stomach rumble and realized that I had forgotten to eat the energy bar and banana I had planned for my breakfast and I also didn’t have any food or water on me…. Not very smart starting an Ironman hungry and thirsty… I managed to get a bottle of water at least and I drank this plus a can of RedBull on the way to the swim start.
I was surprised by how many people were already waiting with hats / goggles on when I got there so I rapidly sorted my stuff out and got prepared. I was aiming to be close to the front at the start but not too near as last year I got really beaten up at the start as I positioned myself too far forward. I had just reached the position I wanted and was just about to start stretching etc when the gun went off….. I had thought the race started at 7am when it actually started at 6:40….. crap…. I stuffed my goggles / hat on and then we were off… It was so fast I didn’t even manage to start my watch!
Swim – 1:07:39
I needed a better start than last year where I was getting so beaten up after 300m I started panicking that my race was over. A friend told me they planned to swim to the left of the buoys as this was allowed as long as you swam to the right of the turn buoys and it would be quieter. So I did this and although I wouldn’t say the start was contact free it was certainly better than 2016. However I never felt I could get in a rhythm and I don’t think ever get a good position, you can’t see your hand in front of your face in the water so trying to follow feet is a nightmare. I tried for a while but gave up and just searched for clear water. Felt OK most of the way but the canal seemed to go on forever, plus it was choppy and nasty water. I certainly was tiring by the end. Closing in on the steps I started feeling cramp in my calves which I have never felt before…. Luckily it wasn’t too bad and it didn’t hold me up. I missed the timing clocks on the way out of the water and as I didn’t start my watch I had no idea what my time was, this was a good thing as I would have been disappointed as I had aimed for sub 1:05. Transition was smooth, with great volunteers as always.
Bike 4:44:28
I’d had long debates with myself over what power I should ride at. I thought I was capable of 250- 255 (0.75 IF) (which is what I averaged in 2016 and which I had held for +/- 4 hrs in my single long training ride). However reading a lot of reports / advice I decided that it would be better to drop this down and save it for the run so I decided to target 240w (0.71 IF, 3.2 w/kg).
Things started off well, the out and back along the Woodland Parkway had a few of us passing and repassing each other. I focused on getting nutrition and salt in as I was worried about my cramping at the end the swim. The course then did some twisty bumpy bits, I hit a bump and lost my rear bottle… double crap. I have used Infinit nutrition for the past 18 months and I love it, I load 2 bottles with my entire nutrition for the bike (I aim for 350 calories per hr) and I have 1 spare cage for water (I also add extra Base Salt into the mix). So having lost the bottle I’m down 840 calories and 3,000mg of sodium… not good. Luckily for me the course then gets on the Tollway and I don’t have to think about anything but what calories I needed from the aid stations… It’s not easy trying to read the labels on Gatorade bottles on tri bars at 25 mph but I managed it and figured out that I’d need to drink nearly 5 bottles of the stuff…. I gave up after 2 and switch to Clif blocks and gels and drank water. They hadn’t taken the seal off my second bottle so I spent an interesting time trying to peel the seal off the bottle whilst on the tri bars… It was lucky the road was straight and pretty empty! I think I roughly got in what I needed in gels and Clif Bloks but my memory is a bit hazy over this.
All these relatively minor issues were a good distraction from the task in hand. The Tollway seemed deserted on my first loop and it seemed to take forever to get to the first turnaround. I felt fine however so all was good. I tried to keep my power steady but those “Houston Hills” (ie flyovers) did take some climbing! I had reverted to my original bike position after Galveston and I felt much more comfortable and wasn’t searching for watts which was a relief. The picture below is from Kona but I’m in exactly the same position now except that I’m now using a Rudy Wing 57 helmet and am trying to keep keep my head down!
The course had us doing 2 x 40 miles circuits of the Hardy Tollway which runs roughly north – south. It’s a concrete road which is very good in most places (for everyone’s complaints we are spoilt for good roads in Houston) however the expansion joints did cause me concern. I’m very aware that I’m due a major bike mechanical at some point due to the law of averages plus my P2 is over 5 years old and so I always carry 2 tubes and 3 CO2 cartridges plus a very small multi tool. I did see a number of people with flats or other issues, I always feel terrible for these folks as it just as easily could have been me.
The second loop on the Tollway was busier, however not nearly as crowded as I expected. One thing I noticed, or didn’t notice was the total lack of officials… I can’t remember seeing any officials on the Tollway, in fact, due to the way it was laid out I can’t see how an official’s motorbike could have ridden northbound on the Tollway without interfering with the athletes. By the end of my second loop the aid stations were becoming a real hazard, the wind was blow empty bottles and trash across all the lanes and there was stuff everywhere, kudos to the volunteers who had to clear this mess up!
After 80 miles the cold front came through and my speed dropped like a stone, I was averaging 24.2 mph up to that point but it dropped to sub 19 mph on the same power (see my power file here http://tpks.ws/w1YM9). Typically this was about the time I was worried that my lack of long rides would hit me and I think it did a bit, I certainly remember thinking a few times throughout the ride that I might be pushing too hard. This is where riding with power data is at its most useful (particularly when its flat). You know when you are pushing too hard and when to back off, I also feel it gives you the confidence that you can push your target wattage without blowing up even if you don’t feel great.
I had been steadily working my way through the field but the longer you go the closer your competitors speeds are to your own. I was disconcerted to see when I turned off the Tollway that I had about 5 or 6 riders tagged onto the back of me. I didn’t look too closely so I don’t know if they were “too close” but it looked to me like we were in a pace line with me at the front, still there is nothing you can do apart from slow down which nonsensical, plus I had dropped them all by the end of the bike so who cares. I was happy to see that I maintained consistent power throughout (AP 238, NP 244, IF 0.71, VI 1.03, W/kg 3.18). I had aimed at 4:40 (24 mph) so was pretty happy with 4:44 considering the wind on the last 30+ miles. Saying all this I was VERY happy to get off that bike!
T2 went smooth, again fantastic support from the volunteers.
Run 3:18:52
Every one of my 4 IM up to today had been in the heat >85*F and humid as hell. This one started in the mid-70s… bliss! I had aimed to run 8 min miles for the first 13 miles and then see from there, however after the first mile I thought screw this and dropped my pace to 7:30. This felt fine and I completed the first loop feeling fantastic. A guy (Charles) ran up to me and told me he was in my age group and they we were 5th or 6th in our age group. This felt about right although I hadn’t seen anyone from my age group apart from this guy all day! We ran together until about mile 9 where I passed him at an aid station and never saw him again, not only that but I can’t find a Charles in the 40 -44 age group category anywhere….weird! The crowds on the waterway were amazing and I was high fiving everyone, feeling fantastic thinking “this is easy”… I even managed to take a couple of gels which I normally struggle to do. When I left the crowds on loop 2 reality set in, almost exactly on 13 miles I felt terrible, my pace slowed and my legs felt like lead weights. I’ve heard it so many times that in races you go through these bad patches and I kept telling myself that this was one of those, however I hadn’t gone through one quite this bad before and was seriously worried that my lack of proper preparation, especially long runs was about to take it toll. I therefore reset my objectives and aimed for 8 min / miles to the finish. By this time I’d lost all faith in my watch as it had told me I ran mile 8 in 5:18... As this was highly improbable I had no confidence that the distance / time on my watch was accurate so I just used it as a guide for pace.
The next few miles were rough. I focused on getting coke and water and maintaining 8 min/ miles. This I did and I gradually managed to pick my pace up to 7:40 which I held roughly to the end (see run file here: http://tpks.ws/1VDv5).
In the past I’ve felt after the race that in the back half of the run I’ve faded mentally and stopped pushing as hard as I can so I was determined this time to ensure I reminded myself of this, to race to the line and not just drift as I think I’ve done in the past. I was disappointed to see 2 people from my age group fly by on the last loop, I tried to follow but I had no chance, however I kept pushing and my pace held even though the suffering escalated. With about 2 miles to go I realized there was someone on my shoulder, with less than a mile to go I ascertained he was also in my age group… crap I thought, we are going to have to race to the line. I tried upping the pace but he kept with me, we ran shoulder to shoulder until the final 180 degree turn into the finishing straight where he started sprinting, he got a few strides on me and I thought “I’m done” but its longer than I thought and so I went for it flat out and I did think at one stage I was gaining on him but to no avail, he beat me by a good few strides and was going away at the end… Ah well. It was a fun way to finish and certainly kept the pace up and had me focused to the end. Due to the rolling start I started 1 minute after him and so actually placed above him (A big negative for the rolling start format). The sprint did it for me though and I threw up just over the finish line (luckily not on camera)… sorry all! Again the volunteers were fantastic, I cannot thank them enough.
Overall Time 9:17:56
Post Race
As I mentioned due to my stupidity, lack of preparedness and tech issues I had no idea what my overall time was. The clock said 9:33 when I crossed the line and I thought that about right, however only when I saw my coach did he tell me that it was 9:17. I was stunned, even more so when I realized about my crappy swim!
After race was pretty poor as always, burittos and pizza, the massage was great though and very much needed. I was freezing cold at the end which was a novelty and ended up wearing every piece of clothing I had.
Takeaways
I think I need a good, long taper to race well. It feels un-natural to slack off so much pre-race but it worked. I don't think my lack of long runs / rides didn’t cost me in this race (I suppose I may have gone faster with them but I honestly doubt it). For future races I think I’ll follow a similar strategy ie keep the duration short and then throw in a couple of long runs / rides 3-4 weeks out. This, although may not be optimal for training purposes it helps a lot when juggling family / work.
Run slower… I’ve dropped my long run pace from 7:50 in 2016 to 8:30 this year, this makes the training runs much nicer and has not slowed me down in the race (My fasted open marathon time is 3:07 ish). Don’t get too attached to the PMC and your CTL, it is possible to race better / faster sometimes with a lower CTL.
Take care when adjusting your bike position, even though it looks faster if you can’t put the power in you won’t go fast
Ensure you strap you rear bottle in better and read the race schedules properly! (Schoolboy errors).
Lastly
Many thanks to my family who have been amazing supporting me throughout the last 5 years of me time training and racing. They put up with a lot so I can do this crazy sport I love. Also thanks to my coach Johnny Shelby at Third Coast training for all the support and advice.
Thanks for reading!
Pre Race
Having raced IMTX and Kona in 2016 I hadn’t planned on racing a full Ironman in 2017. My focus was on qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga. My training had therefore focused on this distance. My training had not been the most consistent due to work and life in general however I’m a slave to the PMC and I’d kept my CTL up there and increasing… if only barely. However I was going into IMTX 2017 with my lowest CTL (95.1) of all my previous races. Since Jan I’d averaged around 12 hrs a week across all 3 disciplines with 3 swims, 3 – 4 runs and 4 – 5 bikes a week.
My A race was the 70.3 at Galveston and coming into this I felt stronger and lighter than ever, however for whatever reason, even though I qualified for Chattanooga I did not have the race I was looking for. I was 20 – 30w down on my expectations on the bike and my run also suffered slightly. I think one of the reasons for this was that I had changed my position on the bike putting me in a more aggressive position but this had ended up putting too much load on my quads and so I wasn’t able to generate the power I had expected.
I was due to be away at work over IMTX and only when this changed did I consider entering. I was concerned that I’d not done any rides over 2 ½ hours or any runs longer than 90 mins but I figured it would be interesting to see how I coped as these long days are the worst to complete with a family life. In the 3 weeks between Galveston and Texas my coach added a 5 hour and a 3 hour ride to my regular training scheme which I coped OK with. He didn’t give me any runs beyond 90 mins though so this was a big uncertainty.
Race Morning
Slept off and on all night, ate a Clif bar at 3am, then got up at 4:30, had a bagle with cream cheese and a cup of coffee then headed on down to transition for 5:30, sorted bike bags etc. Was very relieved to find both tires inflated and without damage as I’d forgotten to check them yesterday. Due to the uncertainty at work I held off registering until the Thursday before the race so I ended up with bib number 2772, there was only 1 person higher than this so it made finding your bags / bike very easy! I felt my stomach rumble and realized that I had forgotten to eat the energy bar and banana I had planned for my breakfast and I also didn’t have any food or water on me…. Not very smart starting an Ironman hungry and thirsty… I managed to get a bottle of water at least and I drank this plus a can of RedBull on the way to the swim start.
I was surprised by how many people were already waiting with hats / goggles on when I got there so I rapidly sorted my stuff out and got prepared. I was aiming to be close to the front at the start but not too near as last year I got really beaten up at the start as I positioned myself too far forward. I had just reached the position I wanted and was just about to start stretching etc when the gun went off….. I had thought the race started at 7am when it actually started at 6:40….. crap…. I stuffed my goggles / hat on and then we were off… It was so fast I didn’t even manage to start my watch!
Swim – 1:07:39
I needed a better start than last year where I was getting so beaten up after 300m I started panicking that my race was over. A friend told me they planned to swim to the left of the buoys as this was allowed as long as you swam to the right of the turn buoys and it would be quieter. So I did this and although I wouldn’t say the start was contact free it was certainly better than 2016. However I never felt I could get in a rhythm and I don’t think ever get a good position, you can’t see your hand in front of your face in the water so trying to follow feet is a nightmare. I tried for a while but gave up and just searched for clear water. Felt OK most of the way but the canal seemed to go on forever, plus it was choppy and nasty water. I certainly was tiring by the end. Closing in on the steps I started feeling cramp in my calves which I have never felt before…. Luckily it wasn’t too bad and it didn’t hold me up. I missed the timing clocks on the way out of the water and as I didn’t start my watch I had no idea what my time was, this was a good thing as I would have been disappointed as I had aimed for sub 1:05. Transition was smooth, with great volunteers as always.
Bike 4:44:28
I’d had long debates with myself over what power I should ride at. I thought I was capable of 250- 255 (0.75 IF) (which is what I averaged in 2016 and which I had held for +/- 4 hrs in my single long training ride). However reading a lot of reports / advice I decided that it would be better to drop this down and save it for the run so I decided to target 240w (0.71 IF, 3.2 w/kg).
Things started off well, the out and back along the Woodland Parkway had a few of us passing and repassing each other. I focused on getting nutrition and salt in as I was worried about my cramping at the end the swim. The course then did some twisty bumpy bits, I hit a bump and lost my rear bottle… double crap. I have used Infinit nutrition for the past 18 months and I love it, I load 2 bottles with my entire nutrition for the bike (I aim for 350 calories per hr) and I have 1 spare cage for water (I also add extra Base Salt into the mix). So having lost the bottle I’m down 840 calories and 3,000mg of sodium… not good. Luckily for me the course then gets on the Tollway and I don’t have to think about anything but what calories I needed from the aid stations… It’s not easy trying to read the labels on Gatorade bottles on tri bars at 25 mph but I managed it and figured out that I’d need to drink nearly 5 bottles of the stuff…. I gave up after 2 and switch to Clif blocks and gels and drank water. They hadn’t taken the seal off my second bottle so I spent an interesting time trying to peel the seal off the bottle whilst on the tri bars… It was lucky the road was straight and pretty empty! I think I roughly got in what I needed in gels and Clif Bloks but my memory is a bit hazy over this.
All these relatively minor issues were a good distraction from the task in hand. The Tollway seemed deserted on my first loop and it seemed to take forever to get to the first turnaround. I felt fine however so all was good. I tried to keep my power steady but those “Houston Hills” (ie flyovers) did take some climbing! I had reverted to my original bike position after Galveston and I felt much more comfortable and wasn’t searching for watts which was a relief. The picture below is from Kona but I’m in exactly the same position now except that I’m now using a Rudy Wing 57 helmet and am trying to keep keep my head down!
The course had us doing 2 x 40 miles circuits of the Hardy Tollway which runs roughly north – south. It’s a concrete road which is very good in most places (for everyone’s complaints we are spoilt for good roads in Houston) however the expansion joints did cause me concern. I’m very aware that I’m due a major bike mechanical at some point due to the law of averages plus my P2 is over 5 years old and so I always carry 2 tubes and 3 CO2 cartridges plus a very small multi tool. I did see a number of people with flats or other issues, I always feel terrible for these folks as it just as easily could have been me.
The second loop on the Tollway was busier, however not nearly as crowded as I expected. One thing I noticed, or didn’t notice was the total lack of officials… I can’t remember seeing any officials on the Tollway, in fact, due to the way it was laid out I can’t see how an official’s motorbike could have ridden northbound on the Tollway without interfering with the athletes. By the end of my second loop the aid stations were becoming a real hazard, the wind was blow empty bottles and trash across all the lanes and there was stuff everywhere, kudos to the volunteers who had to clear this mess up!
After 80 miles the cold front came through and my speed dropped like a stone, I was averaging 24.2 mph up to that point but it dropped to sub 19 mph on the same power (see my power file here http://tpks.ws/w1YM9). Typically this was about the time I was worried that my lack of long rides would hit me and I think it did a bit, I certainly remember thinking a few times throughout the ride that I might be pushing too hard. This is where riding with power data is at its most useful (particularly when its flat). You know when you are pushing too hard and when to back off, I also feel it gives you the confidence that you can push your target wattage without blowing up even if you don’t feel great.
I had been steadily working my way through the field but the longer you go the closer your competitors speeds are to your own. I was disconcerted to see when I turned off the Tollway that I had about 5 or 6 riders tagged onto the back of me. I didn’t look too closely so I don’t know if they were “too close” but it looked to me like we were in a pace line with me at the front, still there is nothing you can do apart from slow down which nonsensical, plus I had dropped them all by the end of the bike so who cares. I was happy to see that I maintained consistent power throughout (AP 238, NP 244, IF 0.71, VI 1.03, W/kg 3.18). I had aimed at 4:40 (24 mph) so was pretty happy with 4:44 considering the wind on the last 30+ miles. Saying all this I was VERY happy to get off that bike!
T2 went smooth, again fantastic support from the volunteers.
Run 3:18:52
Every one of my 4 IM up to today had been in the heat >85*F and humid as hell. This one started in the mid-70s… bliss! I had aimed to run 8 min miles for the first 13 miles and then see from there, however after the first mile I thought screw this and dropped my pace to 7:30. This felt fine and I completed the first loop feeling fantastic. A guy (Charles) ran up to me and told me he was in my age group and they we were 5th or 6th in our age group. This felt about right although I hadn’t seen anyone from my age group apart from this guy all day! We ran together until about mile 9 where I passed him at an aid station and never saw him again, not only that but I can’t find a Charles in the 40 -44 age group category anywhere….weird! The crowds on the waterway were amazing and I was high fiving everyone, feeling fantastic thinking “this is easy”… I even managed to take a couple of gels which I normally struggle to do. When I left the crowds on loop 2 reality set in, almost exactly on 13 miles I felt terrible, my pace slowed and my legs felt like lead weights. I’ve heard it so many times that in races you go through these bad patches and I kept telling myself that this was one of those, however I hadn’t gone through one quite this bad before and was seriously worried that my lack of proper preparation, especially long runs was about to take it toll. I therefore reset my objectives and aimed for 8 min / miles to the finish. By this time I’d lost all faith in my watch as it had told me I ran mile 8 in 5:18... As this was highly improbable I had no confidence that the distance / time on my watch was accurate so I just used it as a guide for pace.
The next few miles were rough. I focused on getting coke and water and maintaining 8 min/ miles. This I did and I gradually managed to pick my pace up to 7:40 which I held roughly to the end (see run file here: http://tpks.ws/1VDv5).
In the past I’ve felt after the race that in the back half of the run I’ve faded mentally and stopped pushing as hard as I can so I was determined this time to ensure I reminded myself of this, to race to the line and not just drift as I think I’ve done in the past. I was disappointed to see 2 people from my age group fly by on the last loop, I tried to follow but I had no chance, however I kept pushing and my pace held even though the suffering escalated. With about 2 miles to go I realized there was someone on my shoulder, with less than a mile to go I ascertained he was also in my age group… crap I thought, we are going to have to race to the line. I tried upping the pace but he kept with me, we ran shoulder to shoulder until the final 180 degree turn into the finishing straight where he started sprinting, he got a few strides on me and I thought “I’m done” but its longer than I thought and so I went for it flat out and I did think at one stage I was gaining on him but to no avail, he beat me by a good few strides and was going away at the end… Ah well. It was a fun way to finish and certainly kept the pace up and had me focused to the end. Due to the rolling start I started 1 minute after him and so actually placed above him (A big negative for the rolling start format). The sprint did it for me though and I threw up just over the finish line (luckily not on camera)… sorry all! Again the volunteers were fantastic, I cannot thank them enough.
Overall Time 9:17:56
Post Race
As I mentioned due to my stupidity, lack of preparedness and tech issues I had no idea what my overall time was. The clock said 9:33 when I crossed the line and I thought that about right, however only when I saw my coach did he tell me that it was 9:17. I was stunned, even more so when I realized about my crappy swim!
After race was pretty poor as always, burittos and pizza, the massage was great though and very much needed. I was freezing cold at the end which was a novelty and ended up wearing every piece of clothing I had.
Takeaways
I think I need a good, long taper to race well. It feels un-natural to slack off so much pre-race but it worked. I don't think my lack of long runs / rides didn’t cost me in this race (I suppose I may have gone faster with them but I honestly doubt it). For future races I think I’ll follow a similar strategy ie keep the duration short and then throw in a couple of long runs / rides 3-4 weeks out. This, although may not be optimal for training purposes it helps a lot when juggling family / work.
Run slower… I’ve dropped my long run pace from 7:50 in 2016 to 8:30 this year, this makes the training runs much nicer and has not slowed me down in the race (My fasted open marathon time is 3:07 ish). Don’t get too attached to the PMC and your CTL, it is possible to race better / faster sometimes with a lower CTL.
Take care when adjusting your bike position, even though it looks faster if you can’t put the power in you won’t go fast
Ensure you strap you rear bottle in better and read the race schedules properly! (Schoolboy errors).
Lastly
Many thanks to my family who have been amazing supporting me throughout the last 5 years of me time training and racing. They put up with a lot so I can do this crazy sport I love. Also thanks to my coach Johnny Shelby at Third Coast training for all the support and advice.
Thanks for reading!