Of note: deferral date has passed. The above options are the only 3.

If it’s not a big deal I’d go and do the swim and bike then party in Louisville! But that’s assuming hotel and other costs aren’t a huge deal. How often do you get a catered 112 mike bike ride?!

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Honestly that’s what I’m leaning toward. Really the only above option that doesn’t appeal to me is walking the whole marathon. I mean I’d do it I guess but it wouldn’t exactly be a fulfilling Ironman experience walking a 7 hour marathon. Travel isn’t a huge deal. 7 hour drive.

I cannot imagine walking that marathon on purpose unless it was a race plan. No chance I’d want to do it with an injury. I’ve had to walk in the ones I’ve done and it makes for a LONG day! Might as well call it after the bike and hang out and watch the run.

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I did my first Ironman and knew an Achilles injury was going to be an issue but didn't want to never of done one. I was trying to build up the running very slowly but I hadn't been able to do much and about 3 months out I couldn't get any done. In the end I did as much running as most people around around my time and a lot more than some. Away from the pointy end of the race some will walk most of it, other will shuffle between aid stations. For me the pace I was going at didn't really resemble anything like how I train. I think it was so much slower it just didn't aggravate the injury.

One of the things that slowed my running was getting the nutrition wrong.

If your injury entirely stops even a few miles of slow jogging then obviously disregard this. In my experience you don't know how the strategy went when you get off the bike, you get a good idea shortly into the run. So I think you learn a lot for your next race if you do a nutrition strategy as if you plan to finish and then start the run. For me the rest of the run was just slogging it out and I can completely imagine an injury that doesn't allow that. But if you can get a few done you will of learnt a ton more than stopping immediately at T2. Just a thought.

Yea I can’t run more than 15 minutes without aggravating the IT band. It would be walking the whole thing most likely.

If you don't care about expenses getting there, I would swim and bike hard to get that experience. I did a 70.3 that way and was glad I did it versus not showing up at all.

I've had years of running injury so I've got huge sympathy for you.

If it isn't a huge risk I would think about doing T2 and then try running for 10 minutes. Or at least having the kit there and see how you feel in the first few steps, even if you don't get to 5/10 minutes. I do think even that tells you a lot of what you need to know about how the fueling went.

Yea I think I can gain a lot of experience even if I don’t finish the race. Both from a logistics/race day standpoint and fueling. Will prob do that. Considering that I’ll definitely have more IM races in my future I don’t feel super compelled to walk the whole 26.2 just to get the finish this time around.

If I didn't know that I had future IM in my future, I would go with option 3. That being said, it sounds like you do as soon as you can get you IT band issue taken care of. I would go with option 2 then and just see if you can't get that 10min run in after the bike for personal race info.

Bummer to hear the IT issue won't go away for you to be able to race. I feel for ya in putting in all the training to know that you won't be able to finish this time. Good luck with the rest of your training, hopefully the injury resolves itself soon.

If you plan to race more Ironamns then nothing is going to prepare you for time trialling 180km like time trialling 180km. That first IM is where you where you learn how to race IM so it will only help your next. If you aren't going to recoup the money I'd at least get to T2 and choice is yours if you want a medal and shitty towel or not...

Would I do it? Yes. I know, because I did.

A couple of months before IM I hurt my back. As a side note, I last hurt my back about 25 years ago. It's never bothered me. I couldn't run for the 8 weeks or so leading up to IM, couldn't bike either.

I went anyways. I went from having time goals to just being a bucket lister. It's difficult to get into the right mindset, but if you can manage it then it's still a blast as long as you aren't doing more damage. My back felt ok all day, but the lack of training was an issue later and I ended up with hip flexor cramps so I walked a lot. It's still fun, as long as you can let go of any goals you might have had.

If I was capable of running the entire marathon, I wouldn't enter a race knowing I would be walking.

You said somewhere else you are driving. Is your hotel room cancelable? If so I'd almost definitely bail. Just my personal preference, doesn't mean you should.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

Yea. It’s a 7 hour drive and can cancel hotel until 48 hours prior. Would be about $1500 in total travel. Obviously I’m losing just race fee if I bail. Honesty I’d bail but a work buddy and I registered together and our wives were supposed to Sherpa us together. I’m trying to decide if I feel bad about about bailing to just go and swim/bike.

I had IT band issues before my first IM back in 2001. I got a cortisone shot right above the knee about two weeks before the event. I was able to run during the event pain free. Never had another cortisone shot and never had another IT band issues again (root cause was identified as running long on a crowned trail without switching sides often).

Yea I got a cortisone shot in my IT band 10 days ago. Knee feels great...until about 15 minutes into a run. It’s just taking forever to go away. It was so bad I could literally not walk down stairs for 4 days after the injury.

go. swim your best. bike your best. walk and support others who are struggling.

My first inclination if this was one of my athletes and they didn't care about the costs is to go do the S/B.
If you do care about the costs cx the hotel and go ride your bike or swim.

Walking the marathon is the dumbest idea I've heard all weekend. Granted this is also the only the 2nd ST thread I've seen all weekend. Not sure if I stop reading ST for the day or not.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
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If it was me, I would go and pace the swim and bike just like I would if I were planning to run the marathon and execute the nutrition plan just the same. Chances are that in doing so, you're going to learn a few things for the future. Maybe with a few more weeks rest, you'll be able to run some. I would probably run lightly whatever I could and walk the remainder (provided that your intended swim/bike times will allow sufficient time to make the midnight cutoff). Maybe even consider breaking up the run using something similar to the Galloway method, but flipped. Run 1 minute, Walk 4 minutes, or something to break it up.

Regardless of what your injury will allow you to do on the run, 140.6 is still a major accomplishment and something you've probably worked very hard for.

If it were me knowing I could not run the marathon due to injury, I would pull out entirely. Knowing my wiring, if I chose to just do the swim and bike portion, I would still attempt to run/walk the marathon out of pure stubbornness even if it was not in the game plan from the beginning. I've had to walk the majority of the marathon once and it is NOT a fun day.

I would save the memory of my first full for when I was healthy and could look back as a glowing day of fun and excitement, not a day that I'd view with an asterisk next to my name due to injury...

Either way you should go and enjoy the town and cheer on your buddy. Chances are you will leave with even more fire in your belly for the next one you sign up for.

Good luck.

+1 to swim and bike hard
I have a 70.3 (my 3rd) in 29 days. Two weeks already without running and won't run again until race day.
I'll do a MRI on race week and if my tibia is ok, I'll run/jog the way I can handle.
But if there's any risk in agravate my injury, I'll delivery my bike with, I hope, a best 60' and 120' and go for beers.

Best of luck

I’m worried about what you’ve said. Rolling in to T2 and trying to run through an injury in the moment. If I do the swim/bike I don’t think I’ll even pack running gear. I know myself too well.

Do the swim-bike then see if a decent runner can carry your chip for the rest of the run (you'll have to come into T2 around the same time you at least you get there before him). Then see if marathon investigation catches the deed ;) (two run times that are identical).