This race report was taken from my website http://www.10-hours.com. It is offered with the hope that if I can do this then you can also. Just remember to keep training and you will destroy your limitations.
On Saturday March 7, I completed Ironman New Zealand – my sixth Ironman. In so doing, I had an experience that transcended any experiences that I had previously experienced as an athlete. To be sure, Ironman New Zealand was the pinnacle of my athletic career to date. Racing with the Aussies and the Kiwis gave me memories that will last a lifetime. Their love of sport and the way they push the envelope made the race exhilarating. As I crossed the finish line, I looked at the clock and it clearly read 9:55. I had broken the elusive 10-hour mark, one of my primary goals in Ironman racing.
In thinking about that, I realized that the race lasted much longer than the 9:55 on the clock. For me, this race did not begin at 7:00 a.m. on race morning. Rather, it began on January 1, 2003, which seems like forever ago. On January 1, 2003, I was 325 pounds and had a plethora of health ailments. Notwithstanding all of that, I decided that one day I would be an Ironman.
At the race meeting on Friday morning, the race director stressed the fact that Ironman is an individual sport and that any assistance is inappropriate and would result in immediate disqualification. Clearly her point was well taken. However, as I contemplated the individual pursuit notion, I recognized that my journey was not undertaken or completed alone. I had tons and tons of help along the way.
I am incredibly fortunate that so many people have embraced my dreams. It would be impossible to name everyone that has played a role in my success in this short note. However, a few folks really stand out and without their help, I likely would not have achieved the success that I have enjoyed in triathlon. Accordingly, I would like to highlight their efforts.
As I mentioned above, in January 2003, I weighed 325 pounds. Lucky for me, a buddy introduced me to Dr. Sofia Fontis, a local weight loss doctor. Sofia taught me to eat right and I have no doubt that she saved my life. I owe her a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. Shortly after I began to work with Dr. Fontis, I met my first coach, Preston Miller.
Little did I know that the day that I met Preston Miller at Gainey Village Health Club and Spa my life would change dramatically for the better. At that time, Preston coordinated the triathlon activities at the Village and he encouraged me to join their group. Since that day, Preston has been an inspirational icon in all aspects of my life. Very quickly, Preston and I hit it off and he has become one of my best friends. Here is a picture just after Preston and I started working together.
After I had lost almost 100 pounds, I began to work with Melissa Spooner http;//endurancehalthandfitness.com. Melissa is a licensed nutritionist and at first worked with me on my diet. Later, she became my coach. Melissa believed in me and we worked very well together. My highlight with Melissa was completing the 2007 Ironman Arizona in 10:10. Any success that I enjoy today is a product of the work that Melissa and I did years ago.
As I tried to get back into a routine of fitness and healthy living, my body rebelled. Lucky for me, I met Nate Koch who runs Endurance Rehabilitation http://endurancerehab.com. Nate and his group have taken care of me since 2003. I feel very confident in saying that there is not a better physical therapy clinic in the United States. Nate is a former trainer for the St. Louis Rams. He practices cutting edge medicine and he has all of the newest and best tools. His group has taken a personal stake in my accomplishments and they have gone out of their way to ensure that I am able to achieve my goals. For example, before I left for New Zealand, I tweaked my calf. In an effort to ensure that I was healthy for this race, Bill Tjaden came in on Saturday at 5:00 just to see me. He chose that time because it was convenient for me – not for him. It enabled me to get in a long training day and then get treatment before I had to complete a long run. Are you kidding???? Who does that? This is what caring is all about.
When I think of all the people that have had an influence in my breaking 10 hours the very first person that comes to mind is Lewis Elliot http://www.lewiselliot.com. Lewis is a pro triathlete and the brother that I never had. Since the very beginning of my involvement in this sport, Lewis has mentored me and shown me essentially anything that I needed to know. Lewis cares about age group athletes and their success and it shows. I know Lewis will be happy that I no longer will be asking him “dude do you really think I can break 10 hours?”
ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT HILLARY BISCAY http://www.hillarybiscay.com. In September 2008, I began working with Hillary. At that time, I was coming off a number of injuries suffered in a myriad of crashes during 2007 and 2008. I was really beat up physically and mentally. Mentally, I was really confused about what I was doing and why I was doing it. I had just had my first DNF at Ironman Couer d’Alene and was really frustrated as my fitness was really lacking.
I was so excited when Hillary agreed to work with me. So much so that the day she said yes I hopped in my car and drove down to see her in Tucson. I left that meeting so rejuvenated and ready to hit it again. At that meeting, I realized that I was going to achieve all of my goals and that I was going to have fun doing it.
Hillary just gets it. And I trust her implicitly. She stacks my plate full but I do not question what she puts on it. I know she has thought about each workout and where it fits in the big picture. She has a unique relationship with each of her athletes and I know that she cares very much about our individual success. Working with Hillary has changed my life and there is no one out there that I would put ahead of Hillary as a coach for me.
Hillary fully understands that I have little talent and is willing to deal with that because as one of her friends, Olympian Doug Friman, recently told me “hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard.” Just like when I was playing football, I am willing to do anything that coach asks. I am so excited to see where we go together. I know we will annually strive to get to Kona. In addition, going forward two goals that we are going to work towards are the 2010 Boston Marathon and the 2010 Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa.
I am very fortunate to have a great triathlon club to train with. Our group at Tri-Scottsdale/Gage Racing http://www.triscottsdale.org is among the best in the country. The fact that I get to be pushed every Tuesday and Thursday on the bike is priceless. Our Saturday sessions with Jeff Bassett, Brian Henry, Billy Dean, Shawn O’Connell, Brad Stocker, and others are just awesome. And our Sunday runs are epic. Also, the time that I spend with Sun Devil Masters and Jonny Tunstall, the best masters coach in the land, is a blast.
In addition, I am fortunate and thankful to have some of the best facilities in the land available to me. As a long time member of Gainey Village Health Club and Spa, I have been able to utilize the best and latest equipment. I would have never gone sub 10 without my friends from Tri-Scottsdale and the facilities available to me at Gainey Village Health Club and Spa.
No one has supported me more than my wife, Suzanne, and our three boys, Nathan, Joel, and Max. I am not sure I understand why my wife supports my obsession. However, I guess what is important is that she does. Without the unwavering support of my wife and kids I would not be able to participate in this sport that I love.
After Ironman Arizona in November 2008, I had a good visit with my coach Hillary Biscay. As we stood close to the finish line she reemphasized that I am so close to achieving all my goals of breaking 10 hours and qualifying for the big show – the Ironman World Championships. At that time, I just was not so sure about how close I really was to achieving those goals. After all, I had just finished IMAZ in 10:30 – my slowest Ironman in two years and I had just ran a 4:14 marathon, my slowest marathon in years.
Notwithstanding that, I came home and wrote “I am so excited about training with [Hillary]. It was very cool that she came down and hung out and cheered all day. Seeing her gave me a huge lift. Very soon I will run 3:45 and book a flight to Kona.” Well – this weekend at Ironman New Zealand I ran 3:36 and yes I am going to KONA. I have put off writing this race report for several days now as I wanted it all to sink in so that I could accurately express how I felt about the past week.
I arrived in New Zealand a week before the event. I traveled with Ken Glah’s Endurance Sports Travel http://www.endurancesportstravel.com/. Ken is a multiple Ironman winner and he made the event worry free. His group makes a destination race a very easy thing to do. Ken’s group provides course reconnaissance and transportation to everything.
In addition, on the trip, I made several friendships that will likely last a lifetime. Hanging with James Stromberg, Al Tarkington, Tom Holland, and Devin Kiernen made the event so much more fun. Although we were together for a very short period of time we bonded instantly and I felt an intense kinship with these mates. In addition, having Tri-Scottsdale athletes Elizabeth Rich and Jamie andKraig Burgess on the trip made the experience even better. It was great sharing the experience with such nice people. For me, traveling with Ken’s group is the only way to do a destination race.
During the week that I was in Taupo before the event, I mainly trained with Jim Stromberg. Jim is a rockstar who went 10:00 in his first Ironman. On our first ride together he hammered me on the bike and left me all alone in the middle of New Zealand. After I got over getting dropped, Jim and I became very familiar with the course, T1, T2, and anything else of importance to my success. I rode all of the important climbs numerous times and I ran every major hill on the course a number of times as well. I ran the greater than 400 meter transition and hill that follows from the lake into T1 a couple of times and I simulated going over the bridge out of T2. I was ready for what the day would bring.
RACE MORNING
On race morning, I awoke at 4:00 am. And much to my dismay, I tasted vomit as I rolled over and turned off the alarm. Well – my initial thought was crap I am sick, etc. However, there was no vomit in the bed or on my pillow so I am not sure what happened but I guess at some point my stomach was a bit upset. No worries I thought as other than that I felt very calm and awake. I was ready to get it on. It was GAMETIME.
The windows to the room were open and I heard and smelled the rain that was falling. Rain would keep the temperature down and that would be very helpful to me. I had never even ridden in the rain before so I was a bit anxious.
I got dressed in my snazzy Tri-Scottsdale kit and I got my bags together. Before heading out I re-read a note that Joel my seven year old had written to me. It said “daddy please go fast I really want to go to Hawaii.” I had read that note dozens of times during the week. However, as I read it again I just chuckled at its simplicity – go fast and go to Hawaii.
I remarked to Suzanne – “no pressure.” Then Suzanne and I walked the ˝ mile over to the bus transport location and then on to transition. It was lightly misting now and I figured the weather would clear out.
In the bus, I drank breakfast - 900 calories of INFINIT. As we approached T1, I felt very comfortable. Normally, the Type “A” personality and anal nature in me comes out and I am forced to check and double check everything. This time it was different. I walked into transition, pumped my tires, and placed my INFINIT bottles on my bike and headed back out of transition. I remember when I took my wife to the hospital to deliver our first baby I swung back by the house to make sure that the garage door was down. Accordingly, I thought that episode in T1 was way too easy.
THE SWIM - 1:03
As I walked down to the swim start I realized that the weather had indeed cleared. The racing conditions were perfect now. As I got closer, I could hear the Maori Haka war chant. I thought it was very cool. The Maori arrive on their battle canoe and do a war Haka. Little did I know it was a harbinger of things to come as the swim this year was a bloodbath!!!! A huge 105mm cannon started off this scrum involving approximately 1650 of my closest friends. This swim was by far the most physical effort that I have ever been involved in. I literally got the crap kicked out of me.
I got hit from the very beginning until nearly the very end. I certainly did not think it was going to be like this as the swim is a one loop affair with bouys on the right. However, it seemed that the majority of the field was committed to starting on the bouy line. Like the majority of the field, I stayed to the far right side along the bouys. I was on the front line. Just before the gun went off I looked to my left and saw Keish Doi, an All American triathlete who always qualifies and who has beat me solidly the last couple of races. Not great I thought – I didn’t count on that slot being gone.
My goal for the swim portion is always the same – get out in around an hour and I am happy. The week prior to the event the current in the lake was very strong and it had been consistent - strong against you to the turnaround then a monster downstream current home. The current is a function of a river that runs through the lake and the mechanical damn that controls water levels in the lake.
My plan was simple – go as hard as possible out to the turnaround and then hold on for dear life on the way home. I made it to the turnaround in 27 minutes. I was so excited – I thought I was going to swim 57-58 minutes. However, that was not to be as the gate that controls the water flow was not opened to the river and the wind that had picked up caused some chop which slowed down the return journey.
I got out of the swim and made one heck of a transition. I ran the Ľ mile and scaled the hill. I had made it out of the swim around that magical 1:00 time and expected the changing tent to be fairly open. WRONG!!!! Not on this side of the equator. Folks down here can swim and there was nowhere for me to change.
I threw my stuff on the floor and made a quick change. I went to put on my sunglasses but noticed one of the arms had broken off. This was unexpected and not good. The volunteer shouted at me “no worries mate just carry on.” That was not an option as I wear contacts and I knew I would never make it through the bike without eye protection. I played with the arm and it popped back into position.
THE BIKE – 5:09
I ran to my bike and I headed out. In New Zealand, we have to keep our helmets on our bikes and we can leave our shoes on them also. I had my shoes in my pedals. I got up to speed, slipped my shoes on and I was off on the bike. Just like Ironman Arizona, I felt good and had plenty of power. However, within the first three miles Keish Doi flew by me and I was now very concerned.
As I mentioned previously, Keish always qualifies for Kona but he usually passes me on the second lap of the run. Here we were not 10 minutes into the bike and he passed me. I thought back to the crowded tent and a wave of disappointment came over me – I was not having the race I thought I was having. Then I considered that maybe Keish was just having a good day and so was I. After this mental struggle I just quieted my mind and did my thing.
The bike course at Ironman New Zealand was awesome. It is a two loop affair and it has a couple of solid climbs and a couple of 10K segments that carry 2 percent grades. There is also a downhill segment through town that feels like the Tour de France.
Despite the negative feelings, I decided to keep to my plan and ride firm but not hard. Unlike some other Ironman events, the draft busters were out in force and that made me very very happy. Cycling is my strength and I was very concerned about huge draft packs like I had seen at Ironman Arizona.
The wind was actually blowing fairly strong but in the opposite direction that it had been all week. As I approached the far turnaround 45k into my ride sheets of rain started coming down. This was my first time to ride in the rain and I thought it was kinda fun.
I rode the first loop in approximately 2:29. I was on a sub 5 pace and right where I wanted to be. Very few people had passed me on the day. I had passed Keish and he was no longer riding with me. As I neared the end of the first loop a guy passed me and when he did he exclaimed “Cheers.”
I thought to myself did he just pass me and say “cheers?” Normally if someone passes me at Ironman I do some evaluating as to my stroke, etc. I ask am I working hard enough, etc. However, I found this so charming and disarming that I just chuckled – I love New Zealand and its people. For the rest of the ride I exclaimed cheers when I passed.
As I made the first climb of the second loop my right quad seized up really bad. I mean so bad that it felt like I ripped something. I was so scared that I did not get out of my saddle on the climb. I geared up and spun and spun.
After the hill, I stood up and realized that the pain was no more than a serious cramp. I took note and decided to be very careful. I spun high RPM for the 80K. Rain and gusty winds were intermittent for the final 90k. When we got 10K out and started the downhill I let it go again. I felt unbelievably strong and was anxious to start the run. As I was pedaling the last couple of K’s I really though about what was ahead. I considered the course and my strategy and tried to get myself into the right frame of mind to run a killer marathon.
I flew into transition and dismounted. If you have never run off the bike after a 180K ride the first few steps are interesting. I survived those steps, grabbed my bag, and headed to the tent. My plan was to change into running clothes for the marathon. However, as I was getting ready to change my clothes, I realized that there were tons of women in the tent. I thought for about a second and dropped my tri suit and made a quick change into running clothes. Why the change? I did not want to wear a number belt because I was certain that the pressure from it and the tri suit was leading to stomach distress.
THE RUN – 3:36
The last couple of months of my training have been all about the run. I even had a four week run camp where I ran 90 miles Sunday to Sunday. Hillary increased my weekly run load by a third and she made it a priority to increase my run economy after IMAZ and I believe that we were successful in that effort.
As I exited T2, I glanced at the clock and it said 6:19. I would have to run 3:40 to break 10 hours and have a shot at the Ironman World Championships. Normally I believe that past performance is a fairly good indicator of capability. However, in training for this IM I completely discounted any previous efforts. I did this because my last couple of marathons off the bike had not been great. And I did not believe they were indicative of my fitness.
Rather, in measuring my expectations, I went by what I had been doing on my training runs where I had been holding sub 7:45 miles after 6 hour rides. That being the case, if I executed what I had been working on with Hillary in training then I had a legitimate shot at 10-hours and the Ironman World Championship.
My run was the highlight of my day. I started out steady and held that most of the way. Unfortunately, just as I climbed the bridge out of transition, which by the way is a monster hill, the sun came out and I was very very hot. I tried not to think about it and I just eased into my race pace. As I reached the 3K mark I glanced at my watch and noticed that just shy of 15 minutes had elapsed. Right on I target I thought. At the same time, I noticed that the clouds were back and threatening weather was everywhere. I was anxiously anticipating some rain – the harder the better I thought.
I was running in a good pack when one guy told me he ran 3:32 last year. I figured I would just shadow him and let him lead me to Kona A couple of times he surged ahead and I let him go. However, the two times this happened I caught up to him within a couple of K. I was quietly gaining confidence.
At about the 8K mark, I passed Jim Stromberg. Jim told me good job but he indicated he wasn’t going with me as he did not want to blow. This gave me pause. Was I running too hard? I didn’t think that I was so I kept going.
As I headed out for my second lap I did a quick inventory as to how I felt. I realized that I was going to need more calories so I switched to coke and I hit my special needs bag and sucked down a quick 400 calories of EFS gel. I also did some quick math and realized that if I ran another 21K hard then I would break 10 hours. Moreover, I recognized that I was well on pace for a PR.
For a K or so I thought about these things and then I was able to just transport my mind from my body and I just ran. I clicked off K after K. I ran into water stops, I was able to get calories through coke and I dumped a ton of water on my head in an effort to cool off. Where was the rain?
I kept glancing at my watch and I noticed that I was still running 5:10K’s or 8:10 miles. I was very happy. Someone told the guy in our pack that he was in 11th in our age group. I knew I was in it but I also realized the hardest part was ahead. I knew the 20 mile wall was ahead and it had gotten me twice. I also knew that there is a serious hill on this course at mile 20 and I had to respect that hill.
As I passed 28K, I surged ahead and decided to just run and see what happened. I started passing lots of people and the K’s started ticking off. I was hurting bad now and I started coughing. Every time I coughed my heart rate surged – this sucked I thought. I wanted to run harder but I was hurting bad.
Then just as it started, the coughing stopped and my pace increased. I reached the 32K mark and glanced at my clock. I needed to run the final 10K in about 55 minutes to go sub 10:00. I had a very unique and private talk with myself and then took off. K by K I kept pushing. I got strength from the fact that no one was passing me.
I was really hurting as I passed the 37K mark. I was eating as much as I could but I was spitting up the calories as fast as I consumed them. Then at 38K Keish Doi passed me. I was very concerned that my wheels were falling off. I kept looking back but I could not focus on who was on what lap so I just ran.
As I got to the 39K mark, I got passed again by another guy in my age group. I tried to stay with him but there was just no way as he was really running fast – like 6 minute pace. Now I was freaking out. That was 2 in 5 minutes. How many more are back there I thought. As I passed 40K, I glanced at my watch and barring a true catastrophe I realized that I had sub 10 in the bag. However, I was worried about Kona. At I got to 41K I could see and hear the finish line. I heard Mike Reilly clearly announce 3 finishers from my age group – darn I thought. So darn close.
I turned the corner and entered the finishing chute. I glanced back and no one else was coming. It was all mine. I gestured several times to the crowd and then I ran down the chute. With a final arm pump – ala Lewis Elliot and I finished. I had completed Ironman New Zealand in 9:55. The only thing left to worry about was Kona!!!!
The Wait
In the tent, I asked where I finished and I learned that I had finished 14th in my age group. I knew the 40-44 age group was the largest age group and that we had 10 spots in the Ironman World Championships.
I was far from upset. I had given everything I had and then some and all I could do now was wait for rolldown the next day.
After a very slow walk to the hotel and a shower I went back to the finish and watched some friends finish. Later, we headed back to the hotel and ate a ridiculous amount of food.
On Sunday, I hobbled over to Kona registration and learned that there were indeed 10 spots and that 7 had been claimed. As I got this information, one of the guys that out distanced me at the end walked in and learned the same. He told me he was taking a spot. Now I am no math genius but I could figure out that there were only two spots left and I was 3rd in line.
I left the building and went to drown my emotions in a meat pie. Suzanne and I had a quiet lunch and then headed back over to registration. My buddies from the event – James Stromberg and Brad Boozer joined me in the crowded room. Elizabeth Rich was also there as she finished 2nd in her age group and she was also hoping for a slot. Unfortunately for Elizabeth her age group only had one slot and the girl that won that age group claimed it.
The tension in the room was palpable. I had been to a number of these but this was the closest that I had ever been. Mike Reilly walked in and he went over the rules. Then he started. When he got to the Male 40-44 age group I thought I would puke.
As I discussed above, the #11 finisher claimed his spot – 2 left. The #12 finisher claimed his spot. Now I thought I was sunk. Mike called out #13 and instead of a loud cheer it was silent. Mike repeated and again silence. One more time and still silence.
Mike crossed the name and moved on. Before he could call my name I yelled “YES.” The room erupted and Reilly started playing with me. I jumped up, pumped my arms and ran down to Reilly and gave him a hug – I was KONA bound.
I registered and then Suzanne and I headed out to eat with James, Brad and Elizabeth. I am so excited to have achieved this goal and I cannot wait to get to Kona. What a day and what a trip – it just doesn’t get any better than that.
On Saturday March 7, I completed Ironman New Zealand – my sixth Ironman. In so doing, I had an experience that transcended any experiences that I had previously experienced as an athlete. To be sure, Ironman New Zealand was the pinnacle of my athletic career to date. Racing with the Aussies and the Kiwis gave me memories that will last a lifetime. Their love of sport and the way they push the envelope made the race exhilarating. As I crossed the finish line, I looked at the clock and it clearly read 9:55. I had broken the elusive 10-hour mark, one of my primary goals in Ironman racing.
In thinking about that, I realized that the race lasted much longer than the 9:55 on the clock. For me, this race did not begin at 7:00 a.m. on race morning. Rather, it began on January 1, 2003, which seems like forever ago. On January 1, 2003, I was 325 pounds and had a plethora of health ailments. Notwithstanding all of that, I decided that one day I would be an Ironman.
At the race meeting on Friday morning, the race director stressed the fact that Ironman is an individual sport and that any assistance is inappropriate and would result in immediate disqualification. Clearly her point was well taken. However, as I contemplated the individual pursuit notion, I recognized that my journey was not undertaken or completed alone. I had tons and tons of help along the way.
I am incredibly fortunate that so many people have embraced my dreams. It would be impossible to name everyone that has played a role in my success in this short note. However, a few folks really stand out and without their help, I likely would not have achieved the success that I have enjoyed in triathlon. Accordingly, I would like to highlight their efforts.
As I mentioned above, in January 2003, I weighed 325 pounds. Lucky for me, a buddy introduced me to Dr. Sofia Fontis, a local weight loss doctor. Sofia taught me to eat right and I have no doubt that she saved my life. I owe her a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. Shortly after I began to work with Dr. Fontis, I met my first coach, Preston Miller.
Little did I know that the day that I met Preston Miller at Gainey Village Health Club and Spa my life would change dramatically for the better. At that time, Preston coordinated the triathlon activities at the Village and he encouraged me to join their group. Since that day, Preston has been an inspirational icon in all aspects of my life. Very quickly, Preston and I hit it off and he has become one of my best friends. Here is a picture just after Preston and I started working together.
After I had lost almost 100 pounds, I began to work with Melissa Spooner http;//endurancehalthandfitness.com. Melissa is a licensed nutritionist and at first worked with me on my diet. Later, she became my coach. Melissa believed in me and we worked very well together. My highlight with Melissa was completing the 2007 Ironman Arizona in 10:10. Any success that I enjoy today is a product of the work that Melissa and I did years ago.
As I tried to get back into a routine of fitness and healthy living, my body rebelled. Lucky for me, I met Nate Koch who runs Endurance Rehabilitation http://endurancerehab.com. Nate and his group have taken care of me since 2003. I feel very confident in saying that there is not a better physical therapy clinic in the United States. Nate is a former trainer for the St. Louis Rams. He practices cutting edge medicine and he has all of the newest and best tools. His group has taken a personal stake in my accomplishments and they have gone out of their way to ensure that I am able to achieve my goals. For example, before I left for New Zealand, I tweaked my calf. In an effort to ensure that I was healthy for this race, Bill Tjaden came in on Saturday at 5:00 just to see me. He chose that time because it was convenient for me – not for him. It enabled me to get in a long training day and then get treatment before I had to complete a long run. Are you kidding???? Who does that? This is what caring is all about.
When I think of all the people that have had an influence in my breaking 10 hours the very first person that comes to mind is Lewis Elliot http://www.lewiselliot.com. Lewis is a pro triathlete and the brother that I never had. Since the very beginning of my involvement in this sport, Lewis has mentored me and shown me essentially anything that I needed to know. Lewis cares about age group athletes and their success and it shows. I know Lewis will be happy that I no longer will be asking him “dude do you really think I can break 10 hours?”
ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT HILLARY BISCAY http://www.hillarybiscay.com. In September 2008, I began working with Hillary. At that time, I was coming off a number of injuries suffered in a myriad of crashes during 2007 and 2008. I was really beat up physically and mentally. Mentally, I was really confused about what I was doing and why I was doing it. I had just had my first DNF at Ironman Couer d’Alene and was really frustrated as my fitness was really lacking.
I was so excited when Hillary agreed to work with me. So much so that the day she said yes I hopped in my car and drove down to see her in Tucson. I left that meeting so rejuvenated and ready to hit it again. At that meeting, I realized that I was going to achieve all of my goals and that I was going to have fun doing it.
Hillary just gets it. And I trust her implicitly. She stacks my plate full but I do not question what she puts on it. I know she has thought about each workout and where it fits in the big picture. She has a unique relationship with each of her athletes and I know that she cares very much about our individual success. Working with Hillary has changed my life and there is no one out there that I would put ahead of Hillary as a coach for me.
Hillary fully understands that I have little talent and is willing to deal with that because as one of her friends, Olympian Doug Friman, recently told me “hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard.” Just like when I was playing football, I am willing to do anything that coach asks. I am so excited to see where we go together. I know we will annually strive to get to Kona. In addition, going forward two goals that we are going to work towards are the 2010 Boston Marathon and the 2010 Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa.
I am very fortunate to have a great triathlon club to train with. Our group at Tri-Scottsdale/Gage Racing http://www.triscottsdale.org is among the best in the country. The fact that I get to be pushed every Tuesday and Thursday on the bike is priceless. Our Saturday sessions with Jeff Bassett, Brian Henry, Billy Dean, Shawn O’Connell, Brad Stocker, and others are just awesome. And our Sunday runs are epic. Also, the time that I spend with Sun Devil Masters and Jonny Tunstall, the best masters coach in the land, is a blast.
In addition, I am fortunate and thankful to have some of the best facilities in the land available to me. As a long time member of Gainey Village Health Club and Spa, I have been able to utilize the best and latest equipment. I would have never gone sub 10 without my friends from Tri-Scottsdale and the facilities available to me at Gainey Village Health Club and Spa.
No one has supported me more than my wife, Suzanne, and our three boys, Nathan, Joel, and Max. I am not sure I understand why my wife supports my obsession. However, I guess what is important is that she does. Without the unwavering support of my wife and kids I would not be able to participate in this sport that I love.
After Ironman Arizona in November 2008, I had a good visit with my coach Hillary Biscay. As we stood close to the finish line she reemphasized that I am so close to achieving all my goals of breaking 10 hours and qualifying for the big show – the Ironman World Championships. At that time, I just was not so sure about how close I really was to achieving those goals. After all, I had just finished IMAZ in 10:30 – my slowest Ironman in two years and I had just ran a 4:14 marathon, my slowest marathon in years.
Notwithstanding that, I came home and wrote “I am so excited about training with [Hillary]. It was very cool that she came down and hung out and cheered all day. Seeing her gave me a huge lift. Very soon I will run 3:45 and book a flight to Kona.” Well – this weekend at Ironman New Zealand I ran 3:36 and yes I am going to KONA. I have put off writing this race report for several days now as I wanted it all to sink in so that I could accurately express how I felt about the past week.
I arrived in New Zealand a week before the event. I traveled with Ken Glah’s Endurance Sports Travel http://www.endurancesportstravel.com/. Ken is a multiple Ironman winner and he made the event worry free. His group makes a destination race a very easy thing to do. Ken’s group provides course reconnaissance and transportation to everything.
In addition, on the trip, I made several friendships that will likely last a lifetime. Hanging with James Stromberg, Al Tarkington, Tom Holland, and Devin Kiernen made the event so much more fun. Although we were together for a very short period of time we bonded instantly and I felt an intense kinship with these mates. In addition, having Tri-Scottsdale athletes Elizabeth Rich and Jamie andKraig Burgess on the trip made the experience even better. It was great sharing the experience with such nice people. For me, traveling with Ken’s group is the only way to do a destination race.
During the week that I was in Taupo before the event, I mainly trained with Jim Stromberg. Jim is a rockstar who went 10:00 in his first Ironman. On our first ride together he hammered me on the bike and left me all alone in the middle of New Zealand. After I got over getting dropped, Jim and I became very familiar with the course, T1, T2, and anything else of importance to my success. I rode all of the important climbs numerous times and I ran every major hill on the course a number of times as well. I ran the greater than 400 meter transition and hill that follows from the lake into T1 a couple of times and I simulated going over the bridge out of T2. I was ready for what the day would bring.
RACE MORNING
On race morning, I awoke at 4:00 am. And much to my dismay, I tasted vomit as I rolled over and turned off the alarm. Well – my initial thought was crap I am sick, etc. However, there was no vomit in the bed or on my pillow so I am not sure what happened but I guess at some point my stomach was a bit upset. No worries I thought as other than that I felt very calm and awake. I was ready to get it on. It was GAMETIME.
The windows to the room were open and I heard and smelled the rain that was falling. Rain would keep the temperature down and that would be very helpful to me. I had never even ridden in the rain before so I was a bit anxious.
I got dressed in my snazzy Tri-Scottsdale kit and I got my bags together. Before heading out I re-read a note that Joel my seven year old had written to me. It said “daddy please go fast I really want to go to Hawaii.” I had read that note dozens of times during the week. However, as I read it again I just chuckled at its simplicity – go fast and go to Hawaii.
I remarked to Suzanne – “no pressure.” Then Suzanne and I walked the ˝ mile over to the bus transport location and then on to transition. It was lightly misting now and I figured the weather would clear out.
In the bus, I drank breakfast - 900 calories of INFINIT. As we approached T1, I felt very comfortable. Normally, the Type “A” personality and anal nature in me comes out and I am forced to check and double check everything. This time it was different. I walked into transition, pumped my tires, and placed my INFINIT bottles on my bike and headed back out of transition. I remember when I took my wife to the hospital to deliver our first baby I swung back by the house to make sure that the garage door was down. Accordingly, I thought that episode in T1 was way too easy.
THE SWIM - 1:03
As I walked down to the swim start I realized that the weather had indeed cleared. The racing conditions were perfect now. As I got closer, I could hear the Maori Haka war chant. I thought it was very cool. The Maori arrive on their battle canoe and do a war Haka. Little did I know it was a harbinger of things to come as the swim this year was a bloodbath!!!! A huge 105mm cannon started off this scrum involving approximately 1650 of my closest friends. This swim was by far the most physical effort that I have ever been involved in. I literally got the crap kicked out of me.
I got hit from the very beginning until nearly the very end. I certainly did not think it was going to be like this as the swim is a one loop affair with bouys on the right. However, it seemed that the majority of the field was committed to starting on the bouy line. Like the majority of the field, I stayed to the far right side along the bouys. I was on the front line. Just before the gun went off I looked to my left and saw Keish Doi, an All American triathlete who always qualifies and who has beat me solidly the last couple of races. Not great I thought – I didn’t count on that slot being gone.
My goal for the swim portion is always the same – get out in around an hour and I am happy. The week prior to the event the current in the lake was very strong and it had been consistent - strong against you to the turnaround then a monster downstream current home. The current is a function of a river that runs through the lake and the mechanical damn that controls water levels in the lake.
My plan was simple – go as hard as possible out to the turnaround and then hold on for dear life on the way home. I made it to the turnaround in 27 minutes. I was so excited – I thought I was going to swim 57-58 minutes. However, that was not to be as the gate that controls the water flow was not opened to the river and the wind that had picked up caused some chop which slowed down the return journey.
I got out of the swim and made one heck of a transition. I ran the Ľ mile and scaled the hill. I had made it out of the swim around that magical 1:00 time and expected the changing tent to be fairly open. WRONG!!!! Not on this side of the equator. Folks down here can swim and there was nowhere for me to change.
I threw my stuff on the floor and made a quick change. I went to put on my sunglasses but noticed one of the arms had broken off. This was unexpected and not good. The volunteer shouted at me “no worries mate just carry on.” That was not an option as I wear contacts and I knew I would never make it through the bike without eye protection. I played with the arm and it popped back into position.
THE BIKE – 5:09
I ran to my bike and I headed out. In New Zealand, we have to keep our helmets on our bikes and we can leave our shoes on them also. I had my shoes in my pedals. I got up to speed, slipped my shoes on and I was off on the bike. Just like Ironman Arizona, I felt good and had plenty of power. However, within the first three miles Keish Doi flew by me and I was now very concerned.
As I mentioned previously, Keish always qualifies for Kona but he usually passes me on the second lap of the run. Here we were not 10 minutes into the bike and he passed me. I thought back to the crowded tent and a wave of disappointment came over me – I was not having the race I thought I was having. Then I considered that maybe Keish was just having a good day and so was I. After this mental struggle I just quieted my mind and did my thing.
The bike course at Ironman New Zealand was awesome. It is a two loop affair and it has a couple of solid climbs and a couple of 10K segments that carry 2 percent grades. There is also a downhill segment through town that feels like the Tour de France.
Despite the negative feelings, I decided to keep to my plan and ride firm but not hard. Unlike some other Ironman events, the draft busters were out in force and that made me very very happy. Cycling is my strength and I was very concerned about huge draft packs like I had seen at Ironman Arizona.
The wind was actually blowing fairly strong but in the opposite direction that it had been all week. As I approached the far turnaround 45k into my ride sheets of rain started coming down. This was my first time to ride in the rain and I thought it was kinda fun.
I rode the first loop in approximately 2:29. I was on a sub 5 pace and right where I wanted to be. Very few people had passed me on the day. I had passed Keish and he was no longer riding with me. As I neared the end of the first loop a guy passed me and when he did he exclaimed “Cheers.”
I thought to myself did he just pass me and say “cheers?” Normally if someone passes me at Ironman I do some evaluating as to my stroke, etc. I ask am I working hard enough, etc. However, I found this so charming and disarming that I just chuckled – I love New Zealand and its people. For the rest of the ride I exclaimed cheers when I passed.
As I made the first climb of the second loop my right quad seized up really bad. I mean so bad that it felt like I ripped something. I was so scared that I did not get out of my saddle on the climb. I geared up and spun and spun.
After the hill, I stood up and realized that the pain was no more than a serious cramp. I took note and decided to be very careful. I spun high RPM for the 80K. Rain and gusty winds were intermittent for the final 90k. When we got 10K out and started the downhill I let it go again. I felt unbelievably strong and was anxious to start the run. As I was pedaling the last couple of K’s I really though about what was ahead. I considered the course and my strategy and tried to get myself into the right frame of mind to run a killer marathon.
I flew into transition and dismounted. If you have never run off the bike after a 180K ride the first few steps are interesting. I survived those steps, grabbed my bag, and headed to the tent. My plan was to change into running clothes for the marathon. However, as I was getting ready to change my clothes, I realized that there were tons of women in the tent. I thought for about a second and dropped my tri suit and made a quick change into running clothes. Why the change? I did not want to wear a number belt because I was certain that the pressure from it and the tri suit was leading to stomach distress.
THE RUN – 3:36
The last couple of months of my training have been all about the run. I even had a four week run camp where I ran 90 miles Sunday to Sunday. Hillary increased my weekly run load by a third and she made it a priority to increase my run economy after IMAZ and I believe that we were successful in that effort.
As I exited T2, I glanced at the clock and it said 6:19. I would have to run 3:40 to break 10 hours and have a shot at the Ironman World Championships. Normally I believe that past performance is a fairly good indicator of capability. However, in training for this IM I completely discounted any previous efforts. I did this because my last couple of marathons off the bike had not been great. And I did not believe they were indicative of my fitness.
Rather, in measuring my expectations, I went by what I had been doing on my training runs where I had been holding sub 7:45 miles after 6 hour rides. That being the case, if I executed what I had been working on with Hillary in training then I had a legitimate shot at 10-hours and the Ironman World Championship.
My run was the highlight of my day. I started out steady and held that most of the way. Unfortunately, just as I climbed the bridge out of transition, which by the way is a monster hill, the sun came out and I was very very hot. I tried not to think about it and I just eased into my race pace. As I reached the 3K mark I glanced at my watch and noticed that just shy of 15 minutes had elapsed. Right on I target I thought. At the same time, I noticed that the clouds were back and threatening weather was everywhere. I was anxiously anticipating some rain – the harder the better I thought.
I was running in a good pack when one guy told me he ran 3:32 last year. I figured I would just shadow him and let him lead me to Kona A couple of times he surged ahead and I let him go. However, the two times this happened I caught up to him within a couple of K. I was quietly gaining confidence.
At about the 8K mark, I passed Jim Stromberg. Jim told me good job but he indicated he wasn’t going with me as he did not want to blow. This gave me pause. Was I running too hard? I didn’t think that I was so I kept going.
As I headed out for my second lap I did a quick inventory as to how I felt. I realized that I was going to need more calories so I switched to coke and I hit my special needs bag and sucked down a quick 400 calories of EFS gel. I also did some quick math and realized that if I ran another 21K hard then I would break 10 hours. Moreover, I recognized that I was well on pace for a PR.
For a K or so I thought about these things and then I was able to just transport my mind from my body and I just ran. I clicked off K after K. I ran into water stops, I was able to get calories through coke and I dumped a ton of water on my head in an effort to cool off. Where was the rain?
I kept glancing at my watch and I noticed that I was still running 5:10K’s or 8:10 miles. I was very happy. Someone told the guy in our pack that he was in 11th in our age group. I knew I was in it but I also realized the hardest part was ahead. I knew the 20 mile wall was ahead and it had gotten me twice. I also knew that there is a serious hill on this course at mile 20 and I had to respect that hill.
As I passed 28K, I surged ahead and decided to just run and see what happened. I started passing lots of people and the K’s started ticking off. I was hurting bad now and I started coughing. Every time I coughed my heart rate surged – this sucked I thought. I wanted to run harder but I was hurting bad.
Then just as it started, the coughing stopped and my pace increased. I reached the 32K mark and glanced at my clock. I needed to run the final 10K in about 55 minutes to go sub 10:00. I had a very unique and private talk with myself and then took off. K by K I kept pushing. I got strength from the fact that no one was passing me.
I was really hurting as I passed the 37K mark. I was eating as much as I could but I was spitting up the calories as fast as I consumed them. Then at 38K Keish Doi passed me. I was very concerned that my wheels were falling off. I kept looking back but I could not focus on who was on what lap so I just ran.
As I got to the 39K mark, I got passed again by another guy in my age group. I tried to stay with him but there was just no way as he was really running fast – like 6 minute pace. Now I was freaking out. That was 2 in 5 minutes. How many more are back there I thought. As I passed 40K, I glanced at my watch and barring a true catastrophe I realized that I had sub 10 in the bag. However, I was worried about Kona. At I got to 41K I could see and hear the finish line. I heard Mike Reilly clearly announce 3 finishers from my age group – darn I thought. So darn close.
I turned the corner and entered the finishing chute. I glanced back and no one else was coming. It was all mine. I gestured several times to the crowd and then I ran down the chute. With a final arm pump – ala Lewis Elliot and I finished. I had completed Ironman New Zealand in 9:55. The only thing left to worry about was Kona!!!!
The Wait
In the tent, I asked where I finished and I learned that I had finished 14th in my age group. I knew the 40-44 age group was the largest age group and that we had 10 spots in the Ironman World Championships.
I was far from upset. I had given everything I had and then some and all I could do now was wait for rolldown the next day.
After a very slow walk to the hotel and a shower I went back to the finish and watched some friends finish. Later, we headed back to the hotel and ate a ridiculous amount of food.
On Sunday, I hobbled over to Kona registration and learned that there were indeed 10 spots and that 7 had been claimed. As I got this information, one of the guys that out distanced me at the end walked in and learned the same. He told me he was taking a spot. Now I am no math genius but I could figure out that there were only two spots left and I was 3rd in line.
I left the building and went to drown my emotions in a meat pie. Suzanne and I had a quiet lunch and then headed back over to registration. My buddies from the event – James Stromberg and Brad Boozer joined me in the crowded room. Elizabeth Rich was also there as she finished 2nd in her age group and she was also hoping for a slot. Unfortunately for Elizabeth her age group only had one slot and the girl that won that age group claimed it.
The tension in the room was palpable. I had been to a number of these but this was the closest that I had ever been. Mike Reilly walked in and he went over the rules. Then he started. When he got to the Male 40-44 age group I thought I would puke.
As I discussed above, the #11 finisher claimed his spot – 2 left. The #12 finisher claimed his spot. Now I thought I was sunk. Mike called out #13 and instead of a loud cheer it was silent. Mike repeated and again silence. One more time and still silence.
Mike crossed the name and moved on. Before he could call my name I yelled “YES.” The room erupted and Reilly started playing with me. I jumped up, pumped my arms and ran down to Reilly and gave him a hug – I was KONA bound.
I registered and then Suzanne and I headed out to eat with James, Brad and Elizabeth. I am so excited to have achieved this goal and I cannot wait to get to Kona. What a day and what a trip – it just doesn’t get any better than that.
Last edited by:
Former Fat Guy: Mar 27, 09 11:50