Agree with some of the above. Check out http://www.triathlonacademy.com and get in touch with Troy Jacobson or one of his coaches. They can help you with your volume, weights, as well as helping you set up a nutrition plan. This is the important part, having a plan and sticking to it as much as possible. You have to be flexible, because things will happen, but try to stick to it as much as you can. Ride your bike more, this will set you up for a better run. Like I said, call or email Troy or one of his coaches. They give you alot of service for not alot of money.
Here was the race report I worte after getting back from Wisconsin this year:
Entry into an Ironman North America event: $375…
plane fair for you and someone to carry your beat ass home: $342…
oversized luggage surcharge for bike: $80 one way…
cab fair to and from airport: $45…
5-night hotel stay in cow-land: $381…
car-rental to get back and forth to the race site: $108…
money for food during the stay (conservative): $200…
…crushing (mostly) the competition in your first pro race, first marathon,
first IRONMAN…priceless!!
Well, I’m home. It was an interesting experience. I may as well have stood
Monona Lake with an armful of 50 dollar bills, throwing them into it one
at a time, while someone hit me in the legs repeatedly with a sledge hammer.
That would have accomplished the same expense and feeling in my legs as I
write this.
I don’t know which was the more overshadowing effect, this being my first
“official” race as a pro, or it being my first Ironman. I wanted to place
well, but I also wanted to not die. That is always the first objective.
Not dying.
I got to Wisconsin Thursday to find that the free shuttle to take me to my
hotel did not exist, so I hailed a cab, go in and unpacked, and decided to
ride over to the race site in the morning for the swim practice and
registration.
Friday morning I got my stuff together and rode my bike to swim practice
at the lake. The organization that went into every aspect of this race was
mind-boggling. They had you get a number on your hand at the swim, then
gave you a bag with the same number to put your stuff in. While you swam,
they watched it all lined up in rows. When you were done, they checked your
number and gave you your stuff back, along with free Gatorade and water
bottles.
Registration was very well run. We had several station to go to, all in
order. First, show your USAT card. Next, fill out the medical
questionnaire. Then get weighed in (more important for Clydesdales). Pick
up your packet. Get your athlete wristband, which entitled you to be in
the transition area and get free food at the banquet. Get your timing chip.
Luckily, I only had to walk up to the pro table, and everything was taken
care of for me.
Saturday morning, again swim practice, short spin on the bike, short run
to loosen up, then rest. Lots of rest. The pro pre-race meeting was were they
told us all of the things that we were allowed to do that the age-groupers
could not. Wendy Ingrahm is pretty hot. Chris legh is a pretty boy. His
girlfriend is mad hot, though, so I give him props.
The venue for the race was outstanding. It was held in a hotel (yes, all
three events, smart ass), with one of the conference rooms serving as the
changing rooms. The rooftop of the parking garage was the bike transition
area, and it was something to behold, with two thousand bikes lined up, nary
a hybrid among them. We had to run from the swim, up that spiral ramp to
the top floor, into the changing area to get our transition bags, change,
run out to the bike racks to get our bikes, then down the spiral ramp on
the other side out onto the bike course.
Since I was still on Eastern time and everybody there was on Central time,
getting up at 4am for the race wasn’t that bad. I warmed up as usual,
treating this just like any other race. I was pretty nervous, naturally,
and was happy to find out that wetsuits would be allowed for the pros (which
they had already kind of told us they would be). I got into my suit, headed
down to the swim start, entered the water, and started to warm up. I think
I was the only one swimming. Everyone else was just floating along talking.
When the cannon went off, the rest of the pros took off, and I dog paddled
behind. Some elementary backstroke in there as well 
I exited the water right at 1 hour, which is what I was really hoping for,
so that alone made my day. To bad there was still 138.2 miles to race.
My transitions were some of the fastest among the pros, which I was also happy
with. Within the first mile on the bike, I lost my gel flask going over
a bump. There goes half of my race nutrition right there. I tried to make
it up at the aid stations, but it was no use. The bike course was the hardest
I have ever been on. It was soooooo windy, especially on the second lap.
I’m not just saying that either, the wind picked up considerably as the day
wore on. At the start of the second lap was the special needs area, like
a feed zone in the tour. I was supposed to be able to just call out my number
and someone would hand me my bag, but being as how I was one of the first
people to go through it, they didn’t quite have their act together yet.
I had to stop my bike, and get my bag myself. Lost about 2:30 doing that.
As I made my way around the loop again, got to a big climb and dropped my
chain. Yes, Tommy the bike mechanic dropped his chain. All I could think
of was my boss asking me “do you know how to fix bikes?” Lost another two
minutes dicking with that. Got back on, kept my attitude positive, though,
and finished the loop very strong. Bike time of 5:12. Not quite what I
had hoped for, but it was still one of the fastest of the day, 12th I think,
among some pretty big names. The Aegis was awesome…sooo comfortable over
112 very rough miles.
I was riding along with some one for most of the second lap, just trying
to keep pace. He had caught me from the swim. I would catch him and pass on
the climbs (power to weight ratio :)), only to get bitched when the course
went flat to downhill. I just can’t push the big gears some of these guys
who outweigh me by 30lbs can. Finally, at mile 105-110, I let him noodle
away, hoping to pass him on the run.
Off my bike, and WOW! My legs haven’t felt that bad since my first
triathlon. My first two steps felt like I was going to fall onto my face.
I got my run stuff, after someone took my bike for me, and headed out to
the marathon. Some guy came into transition with me, and started the run with
me. Same story, lost him on the hills, only to have him go back on the
downhills. About mile 8. after the second large climb on the run course,
I surged up the hill enough so that when he was staying with me, the pace was
hurting him and not me. At the bottom of the hill, there was a turnaround.
I surged hard at the turnaround, and never saw him again. The rest of the
first lap, I felt awesome. I was picking people off, one at a time. I was
in 25th place. In my first ever Ironman.
By the start of the second lap, the fact that I had lost half of my nutrition had begun to take its effect.
I felt weird, to say the least. Dave had told me before the race that even
if my stomach had shut down, that I would still be able to finish the race
just based on the amount of training I had put in. He was right. I was
on auto-pilot the whole second lap. I knew if I stopped to walk, I wouldn’t
be able to start running again. If I put my head down, I would have fallen
over. If I looked up, I would have fainted. I was weaving all over the
place, but still running, still keeping a good pace, and still passing
people. I kept it up to the line, and literally fell over it and blacked
out.
I woke up in the medical tent later after two bags of IV fluid. To
my right, a guy was sitting next to me, the same one I had let pass me on the
bike. I had passed him on the run, and he was talking to me. He said he
was surprised That I was able to stay with him and hurt him on the hills.
Really nice guy from Boulder. I sat with him and his girlfriend at the
awards banquet. His name was Mike Larsen. He rides for Prime Alliance.
So I won the collegiate division by a lot. Collegiate National Champion. I wasn’t able to accept the Hawaii slot that goes along with that because of being a pro. Oh well. 14th out of 22 pros. Not bad.
All in all, the experience was amazing, and one I will remember for a
lifetime. Thanks to everyone who helped me along the way. Thanks for
following me online. Thanks for the calls and the emails after the race.
Now I’m going to get to a lot of resting and other activities. Hit me up
for Mt. bike rides, etc.
later,
tommy