AlaskaMan 2018 recap and 2019 Rollcall

Triathlon Forum
1

I just found this site today, you guys seem cool!

I live here in Girdwood, Alaska. Back in July 2017 a friend told me about this crazy race that was coming through town that day. I hadn’t heard anything about AlaskaMan before that. I walked a block from my house out to the Seward Highway just as the bike leader was coming by all decked out in aero gear.

Late that afternoon I decided to go hike up on Alyeska to watch the competitors make their way up the mountain. I ran the trail building operations at Alyeska for 5 years and actually built all the trails used in the race. Those horrible long steps on Stairway to Heaven… that’s all me, lol. (it was a pain the arse to build those by the way. Had to rappel all material out of the Tram).

So I’m cruising down through the Silvertip area as racers are struggling to keep moving. Serious zombie action. I was stunned to realize that they had already swam and biked from Seward… now this slog up the mountain. I was intrigued.

I’m just another typical Alaska mountain guy who likes to get after it. Never done a triathlon or really thought about it. Spent a lot of long days in mountains. Did a few mountain races, used to run cross country in high school… I was 37 at the time and figured time to step up my game.

Signed up for 2018 AlaskaMan and started training in earnest. I work in commercial construction. I timed the ending of a job in November rented the house out and moved to the Big Island for 6 months over the winter to get after it. What better place to ‘train for Alaska’ then Kona, I reckon?

I filmed the process of homesteading a piece of raw property with wife and two girls, 3 and 8, on top of my self imposed training schedule. Fun times… you can dig through all the videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/jvmovie

Or if you want to jump straight to race day go here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbUmiDvJDBM

In summary the day was calm and clear and hot as hell on the run. Thank god I’d done a bunch of heat training in Hawaii or I would’ve actually died I think. In the video you can see that I am at death’s door on the final ascent #stairwaytohell.

By far the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. My heart was speeding up but my legs were slowing and I was getting tunnel vision and almost passing out. I think I nailed my nutrition as best possible but it is hard when you are sweating so much for so long.

I was 40th out of the water then gained 20 spots on the bike. Then lost 20 spots on the ‘run section’ of the run and gained 20 back on the ‘climb section’ of run. 20th overall in 15 hours and change. I was most worried about the swim but it was actually quite pleasant. The bike was fun. The run… the run was bad… but like a good bad, you know what I mean, lol

Yes, I’m signed up for 2019 coming up in 2 months. This year it is 3 weeks earlier than last year and it looks like they shortened the swim portion?

You guys ready??

2

I have 2 friends doing it together. They are heading up from Florida. I am looking forward to hearing all about it.

Going to check out your videos now and send them this link.

Thanks for posting!

3

If they have any questions give a shout! I’m sure Aaron might jump in if he sees this…

Race specific things I will do different:

-On the swim I stayed hard left of everyone thinking we were going to be corralled by guide boats on the right. I ended up on my own way left while the boats did not keep left as much as anticipated. Most the crowd punched straighter line then me, I probably swam 10 more minutes then needed.

-I was not too rushed in T1, just happy to have not drowned.

-I’ve never had a HR monitor or power meter so I did everything by ‘feel’. Not aware watts or power zones at the time and therefore not aware of general bike tactic of staying in 75% +/- of FTP. I was punchy on the climbs and probably all over the place power wise. I still don’t have power meter BUT have been on Zwift all winter riding power that way at least. Gonna try and get something in the next month…

  • I do have a Garmin Forerunner 35 as of 2 months ago so I have been learning HR zones and all that. Only managed 5 week block in Kona this winter and I really worked on keeping zone 2 on the flats. But on any hill (and there are lots of them!) the HR was through the roof. Made some weekly hard efforts but it is amazing how high end stuff is naturally stifled by the heat.

  • My support crew dropped the ball on meeting me at first designated spot. I wasted time calling them. Oh this was after I got a flat tire and messed with that for good 15 min.

-I think I took too many breaks on bike. 6 counting flat tire. At conservative 5min avg a break that is still 30 min!

-I started the run around 8 hours in. Felt good first 3 miles then bonk central! Then bonk , hit a wall, bonk again, stay strong, bonk. I made habit of drinking from every stream I come across. Beaver Fever be damned. (I been drinking from these streams for 30 years so I could get away with it) You should have seen the look on some of the guys as I slurping the most refreshing water ever!

-On the mountain the heat was oppressive. Luckily up high there was snow to pack in my hat and shorts and arm pits. Heat stroke was real threat.

Any way, I’m babbling

4

Babble away. I sent them to link so I am sure they will take any advice you have. They have been trying to find cold water to swim in but it’s hard here in Florida. They did get the hood, gloves, etc… since the water temp can be brutal there. How was the bike temps? Did they fluctuate depending on elevation? You said the run was hot. Good to know.

Thanks,

5

Great video. Thanks for posting. I’ve done IMs and I live in Kenai…but nah. That looks ridiculous. I think hardest thing would be coming down the mountain at Alyeska. 2 times. I was sore just from hiking up and down that last fall. Hats off to you - that is a heck of a first triathlon.

6

The start of the bike was cooler temps down in the fog but then we climbed up and out of it and it was just about perfect T-shirt weather. We really lucked out on weather in general with a clear stretch. I recall the year before being optimal overall with high overcast, not too hot.

You locals know what it can be like around here if Mother Nature decides to throw a curve ball!

A race like this is funny because it throws everyones calibrations out the window. You might know your IM full or half times or 5k or 10k times for that matter but as soon as you start throwing in vertical in the mountains, the race and its history becomes its own entity.

And on that note it is kind of a bummer they keep making course modifications because the history and times are not set in stone yet. I’m not complaining as I understand the staggering logistics involved in pulling this off and in the long run the event will be as streamlined as possible.

Question for Aaron, the Map section of web site shows new swim route at 1.7 miles with new T1 but in the Bike Map section the small inlay still shows last years T1 configuration…

7

I did this race in 2017 and it was definitely an amazing experience! I never want to suffer like that again though…

8

I’m going on the theory that if I get my mind and body wrapped around a beast of a race like this, than a regular full IM should be easy right?!

9

I am excited to hear reports from this year. I am looking at doing this in 2020 with the spots to Noorsman,

10

A regular IM will probably be no problem for you to finish after a first race like Alaskaman. But you will want to go fast, which will still make it really hard.

11

I feel like the crux of the whole course was the double loop on the 5k nordic trail. Perpetual up, down, left, right left the runners feeling disoriented with the section having a ‘never ending’ sort of feel. I’ve been forcing myself to do long lead-ins to the section from my house so I hit it with tired legs. As of the 31st we can start getting up on the mountain and be able to throw in some nordic loop/mountain loop combos.

There is gonna be a lot of snow up there this year. With cool, slow start to summer temps and month earlier race, should be interesting.

5 weeks out now. Planning on sustaining volume around 12-15 hours a week next 3 weeks then taper last 2…

12

OMG Three weeks out! It is getting real…

Nice 15 miler out through the Nordic loop and up Alyeska the other night. Encountered a guy out on the loop who was ‘lost’. He was so glad I was there to tell him to just keep going even though it feels like you are going in circles.

I pointed at the sun that was mostly obscured behind clouds and said that is south, head that way at each intersection. I hope he made it.

I’m really hoping for some cooler weather this year. And I’m thinking of using hiking poles on the mountain section. Sounds like the euros are all about it.

Time to start organizing gear and printing waivers for support crew etc. I have an old friend who gonna run the required mountain section with me and also recruited another guy to pace in the 20 mile ‘flat section’ of the run.

13

Getting close…

14

Omg this last week I was planning on squeezing solid 12-15 hours as max out week then lead to slow taper over next 2 weeks. On Sunday or Monday was 8miles in on a run and took weird step that insta tweaked my lower back and hip region.

Next day felt a little off then day after was all bunged up . 3 rd day after constant stretching/ self chiropractics finally got a couple ‘pops’ and everything fell back into place .

Slowed my roll this week otherwise sitting at 6 hours as of Friday night. I hear zwift calling…

Then again part of me really wants to do the mayor’s half next weekend and chalk it up to ‘long interval’ training. Yay or nay?

15

Yay. Just remember it’s training and not racing and you’ll be fine.

Sent you a PM on Cirque Series Alyeska.

16

There is about 1% chance I won’t race pace it and blow out legs for a couple days. But that is what final rest weeks are for right?!

17

There is about 1% chance I won’t race pace it and blow out legs for a couple days. But that is what final rest weeks are for right?!
Yup!

“No…no! Do not chase that guy. Let him go. This is just a training run.”

“No! NO! Training run.”

“Fuck it, let’s go get that guy!!”

18

Decided not to do the HM tomorrow , going to Hope instead for Clinton Fearon. Then Saturday gonna bike from Hope to Moose Pass and get a feel for the course.

1 week count down!

19

Much to my dismay it looks like its gonna be stinking hot this week. Low 80’s on race day with nice smokey haze from big fires in Kenai.

Around 3:30 pm today I did Nordic Loop up North Face combo in the heat of the day. I can manage a decent run speed while keeping my heart rate under control in high Z2/low Z3 in these higher temps but as soon as the going gets steep, my HR was sitting in mid Z4. I felt comfortable enough, it is just the nature of the beast, though unsustainable for long period of time.

I still don’t have a power meter so my overall pacing tactic has to rely on monitoring HR. Going to chug through the swim, watch HR on the bike and run and then let it rip on the final climbs and hope there is enough in the tank to finish on two feet.

20

Saturday in Kona calling for 88f at 80% humidity.

Saturday in Girdwood calling for 88f at 90% humidity.

That is all .