This was my first full ironman race. Mistakes were made, snot was blown, and salt was utilized. I love reading these reports, but realize they can get long. This one is long, but come along and indulge with me.
Background on Me
I got into running as a way to get healthy (i.e. lose lots of weight) when I was 19 (now 30). Typical story – couldn’t run two blocks at first, but kept at it and eventually started to run multiple miles. I paired running with a balanced diet (crazy, right?) and active work schedule (worked construction during college break). I stayed with it, lost a lot of weight, and a few years later signed up for my first marathon. I kept running, eventually got into cycling for cross-training, ran a bunch of marathons, and then eventually got into triathlon. There is more to that story, but that is for another time.
My first race, a sprint, was in the summer of 2012. I did okay, but loved the experience. I was hooked. I signed up for another sprint right away, and then my first Olympic the following month. I kept doing those race distances and then completed my first half distance race in March 2014 (IM Oceanside). I was humbled and challenged at the half distance. I had a poor swim and was already tired, had a slow day on the bike and then blew up on the run. I had already signed up for my first full by this time, which had my mind racing throughout the 70.3. “How am I going to do two of those?”
Race PRs – Open Marry – 3:03 (2007), 70.3 – 4:43 (Soma - October 2014), Olympic – 2:20 (September 2014)
Training
After Oceanside, I took a bit of a break for a few weeks and started to slowly get back into things. The thought of doing a full distance was scary. I was freaked out to say the least, but I kept putting off my training. I did a late June Olympic race that became my big motivator. I did okay, but felt that I should have done so much better. I realized that I needed to start training more if I actually was going to survive and do well in Arizona.
In early July, my training really began. I did not have a coach or a set training plan, but I got into a good routine with swimming a few days a week, running often, and doing a ride or two during the week and a long ride(s) on the weekend. I reviewed swim workouts, bricks, run workouts, etc. and I put together a lose plan for the week. To balance work/life/training, my midweek schedule consisted of mainly shorter (40-60 minute) sessions that I would do twice a day. The two-a-days worked well for me and I also began to focus again on my diet. With that combination, I began to get into good shape and saw improvements with my performances.
In late July I did the same sprint I started triathlon with and got my first podium. This really boosted my training and helped me kick on. I kept training and putting in the time, began to put more time on the bike, and then got a PR at an Olympic I had done 3 years in a row. I felt strong and again saw gains.
With the increase in training, I had a few setbacks. I had nagging shin and Achilles pain that was manageable, but was annoying nonetheless. This was certainly due to my lack of structure and sudden increase in volume/intensity. I was a bit stupid here, but I got through it.
To prep for IM AZ, I signed up for the Soma 70.3 and wound up getting 3rd in my AG and did a 4:53. I still had areas that needed improving, but I felt pretty good on the day. I felt I was in good shape for the full. In the lead up to race week, I did a few long race sims and everything was in place. I was ready for my first and had some goals in place.
Race Week
As it was my first full, I wanted to do it right and experience the moment. I got out to AZ on Tuesday night, swam with a group Wednesday morning, biked the course after that, and then went to Tribe for the Cervelo talk by Damon. I did a short run Thursday morning, did another loop of the course after, did registration, and then the underpants run sponsored by Tribe. I took Friday/Saturday off for the most part, with some stretching/foam rolling/normatec demo/light swimming and just making sure my bike was all setup. Also got to meet some STers at the gathering at Tribe (Tribe was awesome all week.)
Race
The morning was exciting. I was nervous, scared, hopeful, confident, and ready to just be done with the damn thing. Woke up at 4am, immediately ate some breakfast and had coffee. Had my morning constitutional and was ready to go. So many feelings and thoughts running through my mind. I got my gear check done as soon as I could, but made one big mistake: My family had rented a MyAthlete Live tracker for me, which I charged the night before to make sure it worked for them. Not thinking straight, I placed the tracker in my run bag, rather than my bike bag. This did not resonate until I was a ways along the swim…
Swim – 1:13:05 (65th AG)
Going into the swim, I had a goal time of 1:05. I am not a great swimmer (decent) and this is my weakest discipline. This was my first time doing a 2.4 mile OWS and my first big mass start swim. I did plenty of long OWS (~2 miles) and a few mass starts, but nothing on this scale. I was nervous, but once the cannon went off, the nerves seemed to fade as well. I swam quick to start and felt like things were going good. I was calm and was breathing well, so I wasn’t too concerned about time early on. It was tight at times, lots of contact, and it was difficult to get into a good rhythm, but I just wanted to stay calm and get it done. By the half-way point, I looked at my watch and saw 35:xx. Rather than get down on myself, I said screw it, stay calm, don’t over do it, and I’ll make up the time on the bike/run. Soon enough, I was at the stairs, sat on the first step, and I was finally out of that nasty lake. I was tired, but not gassed. All in all, a good first full IM swim.
T1 – 7:12
A bit slow, but at least a minute was lost going to grab that damn tracker. Well worth it, as a minute is better than having my family thinking I never made it out to the bike or being pissed and never hearing the end of it. Room to improve.
Bike - 5:39:32 (42nd AG)
My goal for the bike based on the pre-rides was 5:20. I’m a decent biker, but I didn’t want to push anything as I was banking on a solid run. I didn’t want to blow up on the run, so my bike plan was a bit conservative for my first full. If I went 5:10 and blew up, I’d be pissed at myself. Whereas if I stayed within myself and paced the bike, I knew I’d have a good run.
I felt good starting the bike and began making my way down Rio Salado. And then I felt some decent gusts of wind. Pre-riding the course twice, I never felt wind like that down in Tempe. I was immediately wondering what the Beeline would be like.
As I made my way out towards the beeline, the wind was always there and was already kicking up some dust and debris. This was going to get interesting. The first loop was windy, packed, but manageable. There were some decent gusts, but it was still early in the race and my legs were fresh. The roads were packed and there were a few pelotons pushing through the wind. It was difficult to keep proper separation and clusters of riders were everywhere. At one point, I counted a group of ~20 riders all 3 abreast riding together. The officials could have cited any of them, but it seems like even the officials recognized the congestion/wind combo created some difficulties here. At the turn, the hammer went down and I was flying. I was riding an 11-23t cassette and this stretch of road was the only time I’d be using that 11. This was the most fun of the entire day as we were getting a bit of a gust behind that could really push the speed.
On the second loop, either my legs were not as fresh or the winds kicked up, or both. It was brutal. It was windy, dusty, and the gusts were pushing riders all over. It was still pretty crowded as well. Rinse and repeat, a quick stop at special needs for some new bottles and a banana, quick legal nature break, and back to Tempe.
The third loop was more of the same, but the mantra was simply to not get a flat. There were so many riders on the side of the road getting flats and this was the worst time, in my opinion, to get one. If I could get through that final loop without a flat, I’d be stoked and excited for the run. On the way out on the beeline, I saw a body laying down on the other side of the road and bike thrown a ways away. There was obviously a crash, and the rider was not looking good as we went passed. EMTs had just arrived and I just hoped that the rider was ok. Kept going, made a final legal nature stop to be fresh on the run, and just got it done.
Throughout the ride, I was so congested and had debris in my right eye. I was constantly blowing snot rockets and clearing things out as my nose would just leak out crap if I didn’t push it out. It was nasty, but I always made sure I didn’t tag my fellow racers. I couldn’t get the crap out of my eye, but tried to rinse it a few times and just dealt with it.
I’ll never understand the one rider that passed me on the right while I was making a pass. I made a reasonably close pass on a rider and as I started to move to the right, this guy shoots by and doesn’t even say anything. I tried to relax, but I just can’t stand that crap. It was not like I was hanging in the middle of the lane or anything like that. He knew better, but people do stupid things.
All in all, I was pleased with the bike and so happy to be done.
T2 – 4:02
Compression socks are hard to put on, but they work for me.
Run – (3:42:28 – 26th)
While I had my few niggling injuries during training, I never had any issues with my knees. They’d be sore here and there, but usually it was always my right knee. During the first mile, I felt a pretty sharp pain in my left knee, right by my meniscus. If I’d try to stride a bit, the pain would increase. So to manage, I got into a bit of a shuffle and just tried to push through. The first two miles were all about just getting my legs moving, working out the pain/issues, and trying to get into a rhythm. By mile 4, I was holding a moving pace of right around 8 min miles. My race plan was to not run anything faster than 8 min miles for the first half. I also broke the race down into 4x10kms as that helps me mentally deal with the next few miles. It is silly, but it works for me. For the first 10k, things were going well. I worked the knee pain out a bit, got into a good stride, and just focused on keeping good posture.
In no time I was working my way up Curry and was into my 2nd 10k. About 10 miles in the guys at BASE gave me a vial of there salt and I started using that every mile or so. Once I hit the split, I realized that this was going to happen. I was actually going to do this. I would lose control of my breathing momentarily as I would get a bit caught up in the moment. It was emotional, but I had a long way to go. I just knew that I had it in me to get this done and finish this strong. I started my next 10k at the split to account for the .7 mile difference.
I kept moving at pace and just tried to stay focused on my form, keeping my posture, and turnover. When I hit mile 20, I got caught up again and had to calm my breathing down again. I volunteered at this aid station the year before and remembered how awesome of an experience that was. It was an experience that got me to where I was now and this was a lot to take in at the time. I thanked every volunteer I saw, took in what I needed, and just kept at it. I was now into the final 10k of the race. It was actually happening.
The pain started to intensify and I just tried to manage it. Everyone seemed to be walking, which made it difficult at times to keep going. But I kept moving, despite run/walking a few of the aid stations. I honestly don’t remember much of the last 5k. I was gassed, in pain, emotional, breathing heavy, and just grinding. I was definitely red-lining and my inexperience at this distance was kicking in. But by that point, I was so close and just willed myself on.
As I got closer to the chute, the noise intensified and I could see the lights. I remember saying something to the guy at the loop about going left earlier was the worst feeling and going right was the greatest. And then I was there. The lights were bright, music blasting, and everything was perfect. That moment was something else and something I didn’t want to end. I saw my family, slapped some strangers hands, and finally heard my name in the same sentence as Ironman. I know it is cliché, but that 20 seconds or so was incredible to me.
Overall Time: 10:46:19 (AG - 26th; Overall - 214)
Post-Race
I will whine a bit here as I think IM AZ dropped the ball big time here. It gets pretty cold in Tempe in November later in the day. The temperature drops quickly and the weather all week was cold. Once I finished, my body temperature dropped dramatically. Crazy right? There was nothing hot/warm at all for athletes aside from the plastic wrap they give you. No coffee/tea/hot chocolate/soup/etc. The pizza was cold and looked old and there were no other hot food options. Portable heaters are not that pricey, I just didn’t understand why there was nothing in the finish area to keep us warm. I saw a bunch of guys shivering and shaking and in worse shape than I was. Regardless, I was able to get my clothes a bit later and warmed up and went on to watch others finish.
Outlook
I was overwhelmed by finishing initially and said never again. That changed quickly over the next 24 hours… I went to get some finishers gear, saw the awards ceremony, and realized I want more from this. I want to improve. I want to get better at this distance. I want to see if I have a KQ time in me. If I’m off my rocker, then the next one may be it, but I know I have room to improve. I know I need to shave a good hour+ to get close to a KQ time, but as I’ve learned over the last 10+ years, anything is possible. From March until now, I made significant gains and improvements without any real structure or plan. I’ve got a good base now for the distance and I feel that if I really focus on my goal, I can achieve it.
My initial analysis is that I need to improve dramatically in each discipline. With more training and instruction, I should be able to get my swim down to the goal of 1:05 I had. I’m a decent enough swimmer and that is not a crazy fast time. The bike and run is where I could make significant gains. I need to get my bike down to the low 5-hour range. Realistically, I can get my run down to a 3:20. I’m in better running shape than I was when I ran a 3:03 open marry and I have the experience now for racing that distance.
So I’m thinking to get a more structured training plan with an increase in volume (especially on the bike), maybe look into coaching options (I’m driven and self-motivated, but additional accountability helps), and a power meter. I raced the bike using HR alone, which I think worked for my goals on the day, but a power meter seems like a useful tool for long races.
That is my report. I will not be doing Arizona again for a while as I'd like to get a change of scenery. Thoughts, suggestions, critiques, a-hole comments welcomed. Cheers.
Background on Me
I got into running as a way to get healthy (i.e. lose lots of weight) when I was 19 (now 30). Typical story – couldn’t run two blocks at first, but kept at it and eventually started to run multiple miles. I paired running with a balanced diet (crazy, right?) and active work schedule (worked construction during college break). I stayed with it, lost a lot of weight, and a few years later signed up for my first marathon. I kept running, eventually got into cycling for cross-training, ran a bunch of marathons, and then eventually got into triathlon. There is more to that story, but that is for another time.
My first race, a sprint, was in the summer of 2012. I did okay, but loved the experience. I was hooked. I signed up for another sprint right away, and then my first Olympic the following month. I kept doing those race distances and then completed my first half distance race in March 2014 (IM Oceanside). I was humbled and challenged at the half distance. I had a poor swim and was already tired, had a slow day on the bike and then blew up on the run. I had already signed up for my first full by this time, which had my mind racing throughout the 70.3. “How am I going to do two of those?”
Race PRs – Open Marry – 3:03 (2007), 70.3 – 4:43 (Soma - October 2014), Olympic – 2:20 (September 2014)
Training
After Oceanside, I took a bit of a break for a few weeks and started to slowly get back into things. The thought of doing a full distance was scary. I was freaked out to say the least, but I kept putting off my training. I did a late June Olympic race that became my big motivator. I did okay, but felt that I should have done so much better. I realized that I needed to start training more if I actually was going to survive and do well in Arizona.
In early July, my training really began. I did not have a coach or a set training plan, but I got into a good routine with swimming a few days a week, running often, and doing a ride or two during the week and a long ride(s) on the weekend. I reviewed swim workouts, bricks, run workouts, etc. and I put together a lose plan for the week. To balance work/life/training, my midweek schedule consisted of mainly shorter (40-60 minute) sessions that I would do twice a day. The two-a-days worked well for me and I also began to focus again on my diet. With that combination, I began to get into good shape and saw improvements with my performances.
In late July I did the same sprint I started triathlon with and got my first podium. This really boosted my training and helped me kick on. I kept training and putting in the time, began to put more time on the bike, and then got a PR at an Olympic I had done 3 years in a row. I felt strong and again saw gains.
With the increase in training, I had a few setbacks. I had nagging shin and Achilles pain that was manageable, but was annoying nonetheless. This was certainly due to my lack of structure and sudden increase in volume/intensity. I was a bit stupid here, but I got through it.
To prep for IM AZ, I signed up for the Soma 70.3 and wound up getting 3rd in my AG and did a 4:53. I still had areas that needed improving, but I felt pretty good on the day. I felt I was in good shape for the full. In the lead up to race week, I did a few long race sims and everything was in place. I was ready for my first and had some goals in place.
Race Week
As it was my first full, I wanted to do it right and experience the moment. I got out to AZ on Tuesday night, swam with a group Wednesday morning, biked the course after that, and then went to Tribe for the Cervelo talk by Damon. I did a short run Thursday morning, did another loop of the course after, did registration, and then the underpants run sponsored by Tribe. I took Friday/Saturday off for the most part, with some stretching/foam rolling/normatec demo/light swimming and just making sure my bike was all setup. Also got to meet some STers at the gathering at Tribe (Tribe was awesome all week.)
Race
The morning was exciting. I was nervous, scared, hopeful, confident, and ready to just be done with the damn thing. Woke up at 4am, immediately ate some breakfast and had coffee. Had my morning constitutional and was ready to go. So many feelings and thoughts running through my mind. I got my gear check done as soon as I could, but made one big mistake: My family had rented a MyAthlete Live tracker for me, which I charged the night before to make sure it worked for them. Not thinking straight, I placed the tracker in my run bag, rather than my bike bag. This did not resonate until I was a ways along the swim…
Swim – 1:13:05 (65th AG)
Going into the swim, I had a goal time of 1:05. I am not a great swimmer (decent) and this is my weakest discipline. This was my first time doing a 2.4 mile OWS and my first big mass start swim. I did plenty of long OWS (~2 miles) and a few mass starts, but nothing on this scale. I was nervous, but once the cannon went off, the nerves seemed to fade as well. I swam quick to start and felt like things were going good. I was calm and was breathing well, so I wasn’t too concerned about time early on. It was tight at times, lots of contact, and it was difficult to get into a good rhythm, but I just wanted to stay calm and get it done. By the half-way point, I looked at my watch and saw 35:xx. Rather than get down on myself, I said screw it, stay calm, don’t over do it, and I’ll make up the time on the bike/run. Soon enough, I was at the stairs, sat on the first step, and I was finally out of that nasty lake. I was tired, but not gassed. All in all, a good first full IM swim.
T1 – 7:12
A bit slow, but at least a minute was lost going to grab that damn tracker. Well worth it, as a minute is better than having my family thinking I never made it out to the bike or being pissed and never hearing the end of it. Room to improve.
Bike - 5:39:32 (42nd AG)
My goal for the bike based on the pre-rides was 5:20. I’m a decent biker, but I didn’t want to push anything as I was banking on a solid run. I didn’t want to blow up on the run, so my bike plan was a bit conservative for my first full. If I went 5:10 and blew up, I’d be pissed at myself. Whereas if I stayed within myself and paced the bike, I knew I’d have a good run.
I felt good starting the bike and began making my way down Rio Salado. And then I felt some decent gusts of wind. Pre-riding the course twice, I never felt wind like that down in Tempe. I was immediately wondering what the Beeline would be like.
As I made my way out towards the beeline, the wind was always there and was already kicking up some dust and debris. This was going to get interesting. The first loop was windy, packed, but manageable. There were some decent gusts, but it was still early in the race and my legs were fresh. The roads were packed and there were a few pelotons pushing through the wind. It was difficult to keep proper separation and clusters of riders were everywhere. At one point, I counted a group of ~20 riders all 3 abreast riding together. The officials could have cited any of them, but it seems like even the officials recognized the congestion/wind combo created some difficulties here. At the turn, the hammer went down and I was flying. I was riding an 11-23t cassette and this stretch of road was the only time I’d be using that 11. This was the most fun of the entire day as we were getting a bit of a gust behind that could really push the speed.
On the second loop, either my legs were not as fresh or the winds kicked up, or both. It was brutal. It was windy, dusty, and the gusts were pushing riders all over. It was still pretty crowded as well. Rinse and repeat, a quick stop at special needs for some new bottles and a banana, quick legal nature break, and back to Tempe.
The third loop was more of the same, but the mantra was simply to not get a flat. There were so many riders on the side of the road getting flats and this was the worst time, in my opinion, to get one. If I could get through that final loop without a flat, I’d be stoked and excited for the run. On the way out on the beeline, I saw a body laying down on the other side of the road and bike thrown a ways away. There was obviously a crash, and the rider was not looking good as we went passed. EMTs had just arrived and I just hoped that the rider was ok. Kept going, made a final legal nature stop to be fresh on the run, and just got it done.
Throughout the ride, I was so congested and had debris in my right eye. I was constantly blowing snot rockets and clearing things out as my nose would just leak out crap if I didn’t push it out. It was nasty, but I always made sure I didn’t tag my fellow racers. I couldn’t get the crap out of my eye, but tried to rinse it a few times and just dealt with it.
I’ll never understand the one rider that passed me on the right while I was making a pass. I made a reasonably close pass on a rider and as I started to move to the right, this guy shoots by and doesn’t even say anything. I tried to relax, but I just can’t stand that crap. It was not like I was hanging in the middle of the lane or anything like that. He knew better, but people do stupid things.
All in all, I was pleased with the bike and so happy to be done.
T2 – 4:02
Compression socks are hard to put on, but they work for me.
Run – (3:42:28 – 26th)
While I had my few niggling injuries during training, I never had any issues with my knees. They’d be sore here and there, but usually it was always my right knee. During the first mile, I felt a pretty sharp pain in my left knee, right by my meniscus. If I’d try to stride a bit, the pain would increase. So to manage, I got into a bit of a shuffle and just tried to push through. The first two miles were all about just getting my legs moving, working out the pain/issues, and trying to get into a rhythm. By mile 4, I was holding a moving pace of right around 8 min miles. My race plan was to not run anything faster than 8 min miles for the first half. I also broke the race down into 4x10kms as that helps me mentally deal with the next few miles. It is silly, but it works for me. For the first 10k, things were going well. I worked the knee pain out a bit, got into a good stride, and just focused on keeping good posture.
In no time I was working my way up Curry and was into my 2nd 10k. About 10 miles in the guys at BASE gave me a vial of there salt and I started using that every mile or so. Once I hit the split, I realized that this was going to happen. I was actually going to do this. I would lose control of my breathing momentarily as I would get a bit caught up in the moment. It was emotional, but I had a long way to go. I just knew that I had it in me to get this done and finish this strong. I started my next 10k at the split to account for the .7 mile difference.
I kept moving at pace and just tried to stay focused on my form, keeping my posture, and turnover. When I hit mile 20, I got caught up again and had to calm my breathing down again. I volunteered at this aid station the year before and remembered how awesome of an experience that was. It was an experience that got me to where I was now and this was a lot to take in at the time. I thanked every volunteer I saw, took in what I needed, and just kept at it. I was now into the final 10k of the race. It was actually happening.
The pain started to intensify and I just tried to manage it. Everyone seemed to be walking, which made it difficult at times to keep going. But I kept moving, despite run/walking a few of the aid stations. I honestly don’t remember much of the last 5k. I was gassed, in pain, emotional, breathing heavy, and just grinding. I was definitely red-lining and my inexperience at this distance was kicking in. But by that point, I was so close and just willed myself on.
As I got closer to the chute, the noise intensified and I could see the lights. I remember saying something to the guy at the loop about going left earlier was the worst feeling and going right was the greatest. And then I was there. The lights were bright, music blasting, and everything was perfect. That moment was something else and something I didn’t want to end. I saw my family, slapped some strangers hands, and finally heard my name in the same sentence as Ironman. I know it is cliché, but that 20 seconds or so was incredible to me.
Overall Time: 10:46:19 (AG - 26th; Overall - 214)
Post-Race
I will whine a bit here as I think IM AZ dropped the ball big time here. It gets pretty cold in Tempe in November later in the day. The temperature drops quickly and the weather all week was cold. Once I finished, my body temperature dropped dramatically. Crazy right? There was nothing hot/warm at all for athletes aside from the plastic wrap they give you. No coffee/tea/hot chocolate/soup/etc. The pizza was cold and looked old and there were no other hot food options. Portable heaters are not that pricey, I just didn’t understand why there was nothing in the finish area to keep us warm. I saw a bunch of guys shivering and shaking and in worse shape than I was. Regardless, I was able to get my clothes a bit later and warmed up and went on to watch others finish.
Outlook
I was overwhelmed by finishing initially and said never again. That changed quickly over the next 24 hours… I went to get some finishers gear, saw the awards ceremony, and realized I want more from this. I want to improve. I want to get better at this distance. I want to see if I have a KQ time in me. If I’m off my rocker, then the next one may be it, but I know I have room to improve. I know I need to shave a good hour+ to get close to a KQ time, but as I’ve learned over the last 10+ years, anything is possible. From March until now, I made significant gains and improvements without any real structure or plan. I’ve got a good base now for the distance and I feel that if I really focus on my goal, I can achieve it.
My initial analysis is that I need to improve dramatically in each discipline. With more training and instruction, I should be able to get my swim down to the goal of 1:05 I had. I’m a decent enough swimmer and that is not a crazy fast time. The bike and run is where I could make significant gains. I need to get my bike down to the low 5-hour range. Realistically, I can get my run down to a 3:20. I’m in better running shape than I was when I ran a 3:03 open marry and I have the experience now for racing that distance.
So I’m thinking to get a more structured training plan with an increase in volume (especially on the bike), maybe look into coaching options (I’m driven and self-motivated, but additional accountability helps), and a power meter. I raced the bike using HR alone, which I think worked for my goals on the day, but a power meter seems like a useful tool for long races.
That is my report. I will not be doing Arizona again for a while as I'd like to get a change of scenery. Thoughts, suggestions, critiques, a-hole comments welcomed. Cheers.