Hi Thomas
Swim: Last year, I was in the front pack for over half of the swim, this year I was there for about 500 yds then got popped off and slowly caught a few other guys who got popped off later in the swim and made a group of 3 guys. I think this swim was a stronger swim than last year for me since I did more a lone, but the execution was worse. I went out too fast for the first 400 yards and got tight and lost the pack early. Can't do much open water swim training in Iowa during the winter. Last year, we did our spring camp in Kona so we were able to swim OWS every day. This year we didn't have that option in Tucson. I'll swim open water a couple times a week once the lake warms up. Yes, we have a plan to address the swim.
Bike- Much stronger bike for me this year as well. I worked as hard as the race plan allowed for the first 75 minutes of the ride to bridge the 3 minutes I was down out of the water. (First 75 min was over 15w harder than last year's effort to bridge). I caught the group then moved to the front right away to make sure that everyone was there and no one had got away. Yes, the plan was to bridge hard if I didn't swim first pack. I tried to back off the pace a few times, but the group seemed keen to let me to a majority of the work and I wanted to minimize the losses to Andrew. I thought Andrew could go 7:50 with the perfect weather we were having, so I didn't want to just sit back and wait. I put in a number of hard surges (harder than what got me away from the group last year) but was never able to get away. Matt Russel was the only other rider who put in a real attack around mile 80.
I had nothing left to give on the run. There were many dark moments on the last lap. I have never felt this rough the day after a race...I feel like I usually do 3 days after a race, which doesn't make me look forward to the next two days. I'm hoping to recover in time to race Chatty 70.3 in 3 weeks. Will see...
Compare and contrast the swim this year versus last year. You seemed to make the front group for an extended period of time before falling off last year, this year it appeared you didn't make it at all. Or was it a concerted effort not to go as hard in the swim? I know you are swimming extremely well in the pool but how would you assess that translating in open-water? ? Does Dibens have a plan to improve this? Do you do any open-water swim training?
How was the bike this year compared to last. This year seemed like there was considerably more fire power in the group and I am curious how that changed the dynamics? You were not with the group at the beginning and had to catch up so my question is was that a concerted effort on your part to do that or was the lead group not well organized and you caught up at your regular effort? Were you concerned at all with Ivan on the bike, it definitely looked like to me he got the softer ride. Last year Tutukin was off the back of you by 20 minutes on the bike, at IMTX 70.3 3 weeks ago he was 7 minutes down. These time differentials don't' make sense and I am surprised none of the male pros take matters into their own hands and attempt to shake a rider like Tutukin.
How deep did you go in the run? I know that competition always brings out the best in us and can numb the pain, but do you think this race will require a longer recovery compared to previous Ironman races?
Swim: Last year, I was in the front pack for over half of the swim, this year I was there for about 500 yds then got popped off and slowly caught a few other guys who got popped off later in the swim and made a group of 3 guys. I think this swim was a stronger swim than last year for me since I did more a lone, but the execution was worse. I went out too fast for the first 400 yards and got tight and lost the pack early. Can't do much open water swim training in Iowa during the winter. Last year, we did our spring camp in Kona so we were able to swim OWS every day. This year we didn't have that option in Tucson. I'll swim open water a couple times a week once the lake warms up. Yes, we have a plan to address the swim.
Bike- Much stronger bike for me this year as well. I worked as hard as the race plan allowed for the first 75 minutes of the ride to bridge the 3 minutes I was down out of the water. (First 75 min was over 15w harder than last year's effort to bridge). I caught the group then moved to the front right away to make sure that everyone was there and no one had got away. Yes, the plan was to bridge hard if I didn't swim first pack. I tried to back off the pace a few times, but the group seemed keen to let me to a majority of the work and I wanted to minimize the losses to Andrew. I thought Andrew could go 7:50 with the perfect weather we were having, so I didn't want to just sit back and wait. I put in a number of hard surges (harder than what got me away from the group last year) but was never able to get away. Matt Russel was the only other rider who put in a real attack around mile 80.
I had nothing left to give on the run. There were many dark moments on the last lap. I have never felt this rough the day after a race...I feel like I usually do 3 days after a race, which doesn't make me look forward to the next two days. I'm hoping to recover in time to race Chatty 70.3 in 3 weeks. Will see...
Thomas Gerlach wrote:
Matt, Compare and contrast the swim this year versus last year. You seemed to make the front group for an extended period of time before falling off last year, this year it appeared you didn't make it at all. Or was it a concerted effort not to go as hard in the swim? I know you are swimming extremely well in the pool but how would you assess that translating in open-water? ? Does Dibens have a plan to improve this? Do you do any open-water swim training?
How was the bike this year compared to last. This year seemed like there was considerably more fire power in the group and I am curious how that changed the dynamics? You were not with the group at the beginning and had to catch up so my question is was that a concerted effort on your part to do that or was the lead group not well organized and you caught up at your regular effort? Were you concerned at all with Ivan on the bike, it definitely looked like to me he got the softer ride. Last year Tutukin was off the back of you by 20 minutes on the bike, at IMTX 70.3 3 weeks ago he was 7 minutes down. These time differentials don't' make sense and I am surprised none of the male pros take matters into their own hands and attempt to shake a rider like Tutukin.
How deep did you go in the run? I know that competition always brings out the best in us and can numb the pain, but do you think this race will require a longer recovery compared to previous Ironman races?