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First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur
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I've posted a couple race reports in the past and figured I'd share my first Ironman race experience. I've always found everyone's race reports useful in the past regardless of how their race went. This is my 4th year doing triathlon and it's been the most fun year I've had.

Forewarning - it's a little long and it was also written for my coach so that's why it might sound targeted.

Ironman Louisville Race Report


Pre-Race
I left Providence on Thursday afternoon and arrived in Louisville that evening. Travel was pretty uneventful aside from having to change to an earlier departing flight due to some delays in DC. I was able to get on an earlier flight and everything from there went smoothly. McKenzie was flying out on Friday because she had a work commitment she couldn’t miss and would be getting in late Friday. Everything went well with her travel and I was happy to see her when she arrived.
When I got to Louisville I unpacked and put my bike together and then called it a night and went to bed. Friday morning I woke up and saw that it was 44 degrees out and decided to wait a couple hours until it got to 48-50 to go for a ride. I rode 15 miles out and back on River Road and just past the initial climb where the rolling hills start. The rolling hills in Kentucky are more gradual than what I regularly ride in Rhode Island as they’re more steep/sharp/punchy. In any case, I was looking forward to the bike course as I knew it would be constantly changing. After the ride I went to packet pick-up and then came back to the hotel and kept it low-key the rest of the day/night. On Saturday it was a little bit colder and I decided to go and get my quick ride/run in so I could have more time off my feet the rest of the day. After that everything was good to go, charged and packed and we headed to drop my bike off along with my bike and run bags. We went out to lunch, stopped at a market and then went back to the hotel to watch the Kona coverage. I went to sleep around 9:00 and was looking forward to the race the next day.


Race Day
I woke up at 4:45, pounded some coffee, water, three bananas with Nutella, and a cliff bar. I did my business on the porcelain throne and then we left the hotel at 6:00 so I could put my nutrition on my bike and pump up my tires. It was raining already and the temp was around 47 degrees. I knew it was going to be cold so I wore a few layers and had a rain jacket on. I wore all of that until about 10 minutes before the swim start.


Swim (13:59)
I made my way to the middle-end of the 1:00 and under swim section and then learned that the swim was going to be shortened to a .9 miles because the current was so strong. I was bummed to hear this as I was looking forward to seeing how I would do in the swim with all of the yards I’d been putting in the last eight weeks. It took me about 10 minutes from when the first age grouper went off to get in the water. Once I got in the water I started passing people and was sighting every five to six strokes so I could keep my eye on the next bouy. I felt like Michael Phelps during the swim. Thank you current. When I was about 100 yards from the swim exit I realized I fucked up and was too far right in the river and was actually moving further away from the exit. I had to swim diagonally upstream to the swim exit for that last hundred yards and was reluctant to have not washed down to the Mississippi River. I was upset for not sighting and positioning myself correctly but made the decision at the swim exit to not let the time lost dwell on me.


T1 (5:55)
Out of the water I ran to the wetsuit stippers, they pulled off my wetsuit and I made my way to the changing tent. My plan was to take my time in the transitions during this race as I didn’t want to forget or miss anything that could make the bike or run more miserable due to the weather. For the bike I was planning to just wear socks and gloves and had toe covers on my shoes. I saw a lot of people putting on jackets, arm warmers, hats etc. and once I began that ride I was actually pretty glad I didn’t overdress.



Bike (4:48:24)
After our discussion I knew what I needed to do to execute a good ride and was looking forward to this. At the start of the ride my legs felt fantastic, the first 10 miles out from T1 were flat and fast. 250 watts and 24.5-25 mph for the first 10 miles and I was at the start of the rolling hills in no time. The first half of the ride flew by. I was pushing it on the ascents and taking it easy on the descents. I was passing a lot of people, taking in fluids and calories and generally feeling good. Around mile 68 I came to a section that had short punchy hills and was passing people that were starting their first lap out in LaGrange. Most of the people were riding two abreast and in groups. It was disheartening to see all of this but I realize most people aren’t “racing” and are looking to just finish. As I was coming up on a couple guys riding two abreast I was shouting “on your left”, there was plenty of room for me to pass them inside the yellow line and everything looked fine until one guy decided to swerve over to the left in front of me. He took me out and I ended up on the road with my bike on top of me. My right foot had unclipped but my left foot was still clipped in with my bike on top of me. As I was laying there I was thinking that my race was done as I wasn’t sure if my bike had any damage or if I was hurt. I was able to unclip my left foot after what seemed like a minute, get my bike off of me and then clip back in and go. Once I got going again I realized my front shifter buttons on my Di2 had broken off and the cables where kind off hanging out of the aerobars. I was still able to shift from them but it took the right pressure and angle to do it. I only ended up with some scrapes on my legs/arms and was happy to know I was still ambulatory. I kept pushing and at around mile 90 is when I started to feel like my power was dropping a bit. As I was approaching four hours on the bike I was pretty ready to get the last part of the ride done and get onto the run. The last 15 miles of the ride were the worst for me as my legs were beginning to burn a bit. Thankfully it was partly downhill and flat to the bike end. I focused on keeping power up as best I could and was cruising back into Louisville at 215 watts and 24 mph. Gotta love a tailwind back into town! I was so happy to get off the bike and start the run. I was pretty happy with a 4:48 bike time considering the conditions and the crash I had and knew the power I put out was decent as well.



Bestbikesplit had me around 4:44-4:45 at .76IF (243AP/250NP) and I ended up at .76IF(237/250NP). I also went pee three times during the ride and all three times were amazing. Nutrition was ~325 calories/hour and 28-32oz fluid/hour (Gatorade/gel blocks and a gel)


T2 (6:08)
Coming into T2 I saw McKenzie which felt great. When I got in the changing tent I threw my socks and shoes on, grabbed my race belt, hat and a gel and b-lined it to the porto-potty. I had to pee pretty bad so unleashing the fury felt fantastic.



Run
At the start of the run my left foot was a little numb from the cold but overall I was feeling super solid. I kept telling myself to take it easy for the first 15 minutes and ease into it as we discussed. I only looked at my watch a handful of times during the run and pretty much ran off of feel. I felt like superman and the miles were flying by. I was taking water and gatorade at each aid station and a gel every three to four miles. When I made it to the turnaround of the first out and back I was feeling great and couldn’t believe how fast that went by, I did begin to feel the urge to pee but I told myself I wasn’t going to stop to pee during the run. When I made it back to town at mile 13 I decided to look at my watch and saw 1:35:01. I was really surprised and happy to see that and knew that I could go under 3:10 if I picked up the pace. Over the next seven miles I began to feel fatigue in my legs and my heart rate had picked up a bit. I saw that I was running 7:10-7:15 miles and figured I could try and raise the pace a little more for the last part back into Louisville. Miles 19, 20, 21, and 22 clicked off and I saw that I ran that chunk in just over 28 minutes. I also started taking coke at mile 21 (I wish I would have started sooner!). It was my first time drinking coke from the aid stations during a race and it tasted like the nectar of the gods. Miles 22-24 were the worst. I knew once I got to mile 24 I could empty the tank with everything I had left but for some reason miles 22-24 felt like they lasted an eternity. When I saw the sign for mile 24 I gave my best effort to pick it up even more. At mile 25 I was in the hurt locker. My legs were fatiguing, my breathing was labored, and each stride was painful, although for some reason I felt like I could just keep going. Mentally, I was numb and completely in the zone that last mile -- which ended up being my fastest of the day at 6:58. I saw the finish line, crowd, heard the music and the announcer, and was completely in the moment when I crossed the finish line. What an amazing feeling. No words to really describe it. I was so happy to be done and was super pumped to know I gave the entire race a great effort.



I didn’t think negative splitting the run in an Ironman would have been possible for me, but it happened. 1:35 for the first 13 and 1:32:58 for the second 13 (3:07:58).


Final time - 8:22:24. Very happy with this considering the swim change, minor crash and pee break in T2. I think with the full swim I may have been at nine hours give or take a few minutes. I also spent way too much time in transition (12 minutes) and can easily cut out 90 seconds on each end. I’ll need to figure out how to pee while running too haha.


Post-Race

I made my way through the finish and found McKenzie and was SO happy to see her. I asked her how I did and she said “third”. I was happy when she told me that and asked her what the two guys ahead of me in my age group did for time. She looked at me and said “No Jake, third age grouper overall, you won your age group!”. I couldn’t believe it and was overwhelmed with everything. The entire season was built around this race and ended up working out wonderfully. I was questioning the races I did early in the year and my ability to do well. At Oceanside I knew I wasn’t in full fitness and looking back I can honestly say I feel the difference in fitness from then to now. The Firmman Half a few weeks ago was the first eye opener for me in regards to where my fitness was at. Going 4:10 there was a huge confidence boost especially with the power I put out on the bike and my run pace. Trusting the process throughout the season and being consistent really made this year big for me in regards to getting faster.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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You negative split the run and won your age group in your first Ironman?

I speak for many when I say... fu*k you.





Amazing job, and great report! Congratulations! McKenzie-wife? Girlfriend? Hetero life-mate?

Congrats again.
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [ In reply to ]
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Incredible accomplishment.
What a great job!
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Incredible race Jake. Wow!

Founder of THE TRIATHLON COLLECTIVE (Closed Facebook Group). A SBR discussion group without the white noise/trolling!
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [eganski] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks man! McKenzie is my wife. You have to lock it down when you find one who lets you do this sport haha!

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [Fred D] [ In reply to ]
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What the hell is your background athletically?

First Ironman and pushing that speed on the bike and that pace on the run?

How long have you been training.
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Amazing - and great write up! Congrats - hard work paid off handsomely.

Glad the crash wasn't too bad - how's the bike besides the broken shifter?

So does this mean you're off to Kona next year?
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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I played hockey competitively growing up and then dabbled in some bar hockey leagues in college. I started running in 2013 and then somehow fell into triathlon. Did my first 70.3 in 2016 and have been training "seriously" since then, so about three full seasons.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [Kickr] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks! Triathlon certainly rewards consistency and hard work.


Surprisingly, the bike is completely fine. I really lucked out. The rear storage box is pretty messed up too but everything else seems to be fine.

I actually passed on the Kona slot. Kona has never really been a motivator for me and to be honest, the conditions there would be the worst for me.

I think I'm gonna race in the elite "pro" category next year and see if I can keep getting faster.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Competitive hockey?
Yeah, no wonder the bike wreck didn't faze you.

Congrats on a great race!

Race reports are one of the reasons I love this site.
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats again Jake! Can’t wait to see what you can do in the pro field.

Also really enjoyed the race report! I guess I need to get around to writing one for mine. It took me a week before I could even stomach going back through the tracker. 😂
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [Sean H] [ In reply to ]
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I've been waiting for you to throw one up! You'll need to tell everyone how you can ride 205 watts and average 24mph (or at least tell me!). Get to it!!

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Excellent! You are obviously an incredible athlete.
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Pick a flat course? 🤷🏼‍♂️

😂
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [Sean H] [ In reply to ]
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Who's your coach? Maybe he should send that Lionel guy an email ;)

Congrats on the accomplishment!
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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amazing.

Well done OP!

What do you say when you read about so many DNFs and stories of people suffering on the course and here you finish in a remarkable sub 9 hours?!

Just awesome
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [JBell] [ In reply to ]
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JBell wrote:
Who's your coach? Maybe he should send that Lionel guy an email ;)

Congrats on the accomplishment!

It’ll be fun and interesting to follow what Lionel does this year that’s for sure.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [Reactions] [ In reply to ]
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Reactions wrote:
amazing.

Well done OP!

What do you say when you read about so many DNFs and stories of people suffering on the course and here you finish in a remarkable sub 9 hours?!

Just awesome

Thanks! The conditions were definitely not ideal but you just have to try and mentally prepare for that. I think a lot of people get in their own heads too much and too easily. You just have to embrace it.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Wow, pretty amazing. What was your race weight?
Great job and thanks for the report.

http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com
http://www.endureiq.com
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Fantastic report-great race Jake!
Been fun watching you train and race . Such talent-and you’ve got such a steep upward projection—wow.

Challenging conditions, a crash, and then negative splitting the M of IM?

Pretty special.

I wish you continued success as a pro. Congratulations on a truly epic race.
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [timr] [ In reply to ]
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timr wrote:
Wow, pretty amazing. What was your race weight?
Great job and thanks for the report.

I’m guessing I was around 171-172lbs on race day. I actually gained a little bit of weight from where I was earlier in the season(166-167) and felt so much stronger on the bike and run.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [dtoce] [ In reply to ]
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dtoce wrote:
Fantastic report-great race Jake!
Been fun watching you train and race . Such talent-and you’ve got such a steep upward projection—wow.

Challenging conditions, a crash, and then negative splitting the M of IM?

Pretty special.

I wish you continued success as a pro. Congratulations on a truly epic race.

Thank you, Dale! Looking forward to crossing paths with you at a race soon.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/4391866

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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Unfriggin real first race in unfriggin real conditions. Superb work - I stand in awe.
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Re: First Ironman at Louisville Race Report - 1st AG/3rd Amateur [jsaunders] [ In reply to ]
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Studly!!!!!!

Next races on the schedule: none at the moment
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