IM KY 2007
IMKY has been my main triathlon focus for most of the past year since we signed up just after it was announced. Training had been going very well for the entire year. We were training very consistently while being sure to get our recovery and making sure not to peak too soon or get burnt out on training.
We entered Vineman 70.3, to help gauge our training, test out our nutrition plan, visit Kylie’s family and for another opportunity to qualify for Kona. Kylie had a great race at Vineman with an hour and twenty four minute PR! As many of you know, my race did not go as well as I was hit by a car with a mile or so left in the bike ride.
Originally the plan following Vineman was to get in a few more weeks of solid training before tapering for Louisville. As it turned out, I was unable to workout at all for over three weeks while recovering from my injuries. Even once I got back to training, swimming hurt due to the pulling on the core muscle of my right side, biking irritated my right quadriceps and running was the worst of all. In the end I did three swims, three bike and three runs between Vineman and IMKY.
If Kylie wasn’t going to race IMKY I would have cancelled my trip as I was unsure that I could finish, let alone attain the goals I had set for this race. Since I was going to Louisville anyway, I decided to start the race and see how it went. As difficult as it would be, I was ready to drop out immediately if I had any pain indicating that I was further injuring myself. At this point, I was happy just to be able to try to finish.
Kylie and I flew out on Thursday and checked into the Hyatt, which as it turns out was a GREAT location for this race. Our window over looked the finish area at Fourth Street Live. We walked down to the Galt House, went through registration and checked out the expo.
On Friday we went to swim at the swim start area and discovered that due to the recent flooding upstream, the current was MUCH stronger than normal and many people were not able to make any headway against the current. The race director absolutely made the right decision changing the swim course. If the swim had been on the original course on Friday, MOST of the field would have failed to finish the swim.
We then picked up our bikes from Tribike Transport. I highly recommend this service. While a bit more expensive than flying with your bike, not having to disassemble/reassemble your bike, pack it, lug it through airports and into cabs, etc makes it totally worth it. Early that afternoon we rode the run course. As we started the ride we bumped into RRoof when he recognized our PX bikes and jerseys.
On Saturday morning we did another practice swim, a short run toward the new swim start. We then got our bikes prepped and dropped them off at T1 as well as our T1 and T2 bags.
On Sunday we got up early, ate and left to go to the start area around 5AM. We checked on our bikes in T1, topped off the air in the tires and walked to the start. We ended up in about the middle of the field and sat down to wait. Eventually the pros went off and 10 minutes later the line started to move as the age groupers went off one by one. Things moved quickly and soon enough after a quick kiss we jumped off the dock and were on our way.
The swim was much different than any previous IM I have done. While there was less contact because you are not in with a bunch of people all going the same speed, navigation was a little more difficult trying to get through all the swimmers that started ahead. I swam near the island on the way out as it protected us from the current. Once past the island the current was definitely noticeable. I stayed to the left of the course through here and turned at the turn buoy. I probably should have stayed wide and then cut in so I did not have to fight the current as much. Once heading back I stayed to the right as long as possible to take advantage of the current. I had some mild discomfort along my right side due to my injury but not too bad. Fast swim times were predicted due to the current but it looks like it was only a couple minutes at most. I have done three IM wetsuit swims in the low 55 range and a non wetsuit in Kona was 59.
Swim: 56:23, 58th OA, 6th in AG
We had a long run out of the swim, across a bridge and into T1. I tried to be smooth getting on the HRM and singlet over my wet torso and then got my bike and ran the couple hundred meters out to the bike start.
T1: 4:21
The bike started out pretty flat and fast along the river and out of town. I had a compression sleeve on my right knee to help support it during the race but it actually felt too tight and seem to be aggravating things so I pulled it down over my calf for the rest of the bike. Initially, I was passing a lot of people and it seemed pretty crowded but there was no draft packs at all as people were all traveling at different speeds. Was hoping to see Kylie on the out and back but we just missed each other.
Out on the La Grange Loop it was exciting to see all the spectators and it certainly pumped me up each time through there. Overall the loop was great for cycling as the road quality was excellent and the rolling hills were quite challenging especially on the second loop if you went too hard on the first one. The final 25 miles of the ride were fast as it was generally downhill and on new asphalt. I started to have some knee pain in this final section as it was the further than I had ridden in total since Vineman. I was worried about not being able to run and took it quite easy through this whole section and frequently stood up to change the stress on my knee.
Bike: 5:17:32, 52nd OA, 10th in AG
Finally finished the bike and did the long run into T2, grabbing the GPS off my bike before giving my bike to the volunteer. Changed quickly but stopped for sunscreen and to use the portopotty.
T2: 5:37
Out onto the run, I had the regular IM leg discomfort, but fortunately my right knee pain did not feel as bad as on the bike. Temperatures were not nearly as bad as I had anticipated they would be, I think the high was only 90 degrees, which wasn’t too bad. I kept an eye on my pace and heart rate and kind of laughed as a number of people went flying by me in the first mile at sub 7 minute pace. Once onto 3rd Street I got into a groove and felt better with each mile. I concentrated on holding my heart rate and was passing a lot of athletes. Around mile 6 one athlete I passed came up behind me and we worked together, taking turns leading for the next 6 miles. Around mile 14 I started to feel some leg pain again and also began to feel really fatigued. I was on the verge of walking when I turned to start my 2nd lap and almost ran into Kylie heading out on her 1st lap! I ran with her for a bit congratulating her for having such a great bike ride, and letting her know I was really suffering. I went ahead a bit and then walked through the next aid station, where she promptly passed me. I started running again, telling myself that I could not let her pass me and that I could walk each aid station as long as I ran between. This seemed to work as I eventually got back to running well between aid stations. With a few miles to go I saw the clock they had set up and it read 10hours exactly, I realized that if this was from the time of the pro start I could still go sub 10 if I picked it up. So I dug down and started to pick it up until two miles left where I picked it up even more - I ended up running the last 2 miles at 6:10 pace 
I arrived at the line spent but absolutely ecstatic with how the day turned out.
Run: 3:28:27, 30th OA, 2nd in AG
Final Time: 9:52:19, 32nd OA, 4th in AG
My goals for IMKY originally were to go 9:30 and to qualify for Kona. While I did not achieve my time goal, I did qualify for Kona. Given my injuries sustained at Vineman, to actually still be able to finish IMKY, let alone go sub ten and win an AG award, I could not be more pleased with how the day went.
Other than the leg and abdominal pain this was my most “comfortable” IM to date. I consciously held myself back all day as I was worried how long things would hold out with the injuries and lack of training over the previous five weeks. My average heart rate was the lowest it has ever been for the bike, which certainly made the run easier.
This was the first IM I have used an all liquid nutrition plan on the bike and I had no GI problems at all, which was a fist for me.
All in all, I LOVED this race and am looking forward to Kona!