I don't post much, but this was my first IM and thought I better write it down.
Pre Race:
I volunteered at IM CDA ’03 knowing I was signing up for IM CDA ’04, so I had over a year to mentally prepare and physically train. I am definitely on the low end of the triathlete earnings scale, so paying for a training program was out of the question, and I don’t do well training out of books, so I decided that I would just swim, bike and run…a lot.
To complicate matters (with regards to training!), I proposed in November and we set the wedding date for May 2004. This resulted in me not training for 9 full days while we were in Hawaii for our wedding/honeymoon one month before the race when I should have been doing my biggest volume. I did however bring my bike and ride the Ironman Hawaii course, so all was not lost (with regards to training!).
As if I didn’t already have enough pre-race anxiety, in the weeks leading up to the race my wife and I decided it would be a great idea to buy a house. So needless to say I was a bit on edge for most of the month of June.
So taking into account the realities of life, I ended up averaging about 10 hours per week of training. Yes…10 hours. Being a slave to the cubicle I spend a lot of time reading these dang online forums, so I was feeling a little under-trained reading about everybody’s 20 hour plus weeks. Not to mention my grand total of about 3 swims since the World’s Toughest Half in April.
Race:
At best I planned on coming out of the water at about 1:20. Somehow I remained calm, cool and collected and came out in 1:09 and change. Great start to the day.
Bike:
I promised myself that I was going to hold back and not let the testosterone take over my brain. That plan went out the window after about ½ mile as it was such a beautiful day and I was feeling so dang good. Finished the bike in 5:23 feeling great (20.8 mph avg.), but I knew the pain real pain was still to come.
Run:
Like just about everything else, I had no plan for this except to just take what the day gave me. The day told me to walk the aid stations starting with aid station #1. I did this for the entire first lap and still ended up clocking a 2 hour (or so) half marathon. As the second lap of the run wore on I started walking a little bit before I reached the aid station, and then for a little while after, until I finally found myself walking the entire mile between two of them. I felt good in general, just a little bit out of gas. I think this is where the lack of training and long runs bit me in the butt. Ended up clocking a 4:48 marathon.
Summary:
Final time was 11:29 and change. I finished strong and aside from the expected general body soreness, really feel great. I am truly hooked on this Ironman drug and can’t wait for the next one. It was a great day, great course, with even greater volunteers.
Pre Race:
I volunteered at IM CDA ’03 knowing I was signing up for IM CDA ’04, so I had over a year to mentally prepare and physically train. I am definitely on the low end of the triathlete earnings scale, so paying for a training program was out of the question, and I don’t do well training out of books, so I decided that I would just swim, bike and run…a lot.
To complicate matters (with regards to training!), I proposed in November and we set the wedding date for May 2004. This resulted in me not training for 9 full days while we were in Hawaii for our wedding/honeymoon one month before the race when I should have been doing my biggest volume. I did however bring my bike and ride the Ironman Hawaii course, so all was not lost (with regards to training!).
As if I didn’t already have enough pre-race anxiety, in the weeks leading up to the race my wife and I decided it would be a great idea to buy a house. So needless to say I was a bit on edge for most of the month of June.
So taking into account the realities of life, I ended up averaging about 10 hours per week of training. Yes…10 hours. Being a slave to the cubicle I spend a lot of time reading these dang online forums, so I was feeling a little under-trained reading about everybody’s 20 hour plus weeks. Not to mention my grand total of about 3 swims since the World’s Toughest Half in April.
Race:
At best I planned on coming out of the water at about 1:20. Somehow I remained calm, cool and collected and came out in 1:09 and change. Great start to the day.
Bike:
I promised myself that I was going to hold back and not let the testosterone take over my brain. That plan went out the window after about ½ mile as it was such a beautiful day and I was feeling so dang good. Finished the bike in 5:23 feeling great (20.8 mph avg.), but I knew the pain real pain was still to come.
Run:
Like just about everything else, I had no plan for this except to just take what the day gave me. The day told me to walk the aid stations starting with aid station #1. I did this for the entire first lap and still ended up clocking a 2 hour (or so) half marathon. As the second lap of the run wore on I started walking a little bit before I reached the aid station, and then for a little while after, until I finally found myself walking the entire mile between two of them. I felt good in general, just a little bit out of gas. I think this is where the lack of training and long runs bit me in the butt. Ended up clocking a 4:48 marathon.
Summary:
Final time was 11:29 and change. I finished strong and aside from the expected general body soreness, really feel great. I am truly hooked on this Ironman drug and can’t wait for the next one. It was a great day, great course, with even greater volunteers.