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September 29, 2005
Square Lake 1/2 Ironman
This was my first 1/2 Ironman and it was an experience, let me tell you. I actually enjoyed it tremendously, minus the last few miles before I DNF'd. Below is my race report with the comments from my coach (his comments are in italics / my responses are underlined):
Swim: 29:33, 1:24 per 100 yds - fastest all year for me Awesome!
Bike: 2:36:15, 21.7 mph avg. A great pace! Do you think if you backed it down about 5% you would have had a better run? - I think that I could have had a better run if I did back off the bike a bit. I kept telling myself to back off, but I got caught up trying to keep pace with another racer.
T1: 1:53
T2: 2:01
My goal through the race was to do come in under 5:10. I was on pace for a 5:06 coming off the bike if I held a 9:00/mile pace on the run. I purposefully took the transitions a bit easier, as I used them as a chance to catch my breath. Good idea to take a quick breather in T1 and T2. Your T-times were still respectable and I don’t think they would have played a role in slowing you down.
The conditions were 90 degrees, humid, and 20 - 25 mph winds. The winds were not an issue on the swim, but on the bike the return leg down 95 to Square Lake Park was directly into the wind. It was about 8.5 miles of the course. You had an additional 6 - 8 miles of cross winds as well. You hit the jackpot for weather fierceness. Racing in heat and wind separates the men from the boys.
The run was the hilliest I had ever experienced. There was no shade and the wind was in your face from mile 3 - 6.5 and at your back from 6.5 - 10. It’s ok to walk the big hills, did you run them? I ran all the hills. I certainly could have walked up them.
Nutrition was the following:
Breakfast: Bowl of cereal. Calories - 300, Carbs 50g How much time between your meal and the start? It should be 2.5-3 hours. Nutrition is very individualistic; did you feel like snacking before your start? Did you have a BM before the start? I ate my first meal at 4:45 and started the race at 7:45. I was a bit hungry before the start, but not too bad. I did have a BM before I left the house. I peed several times before the start of the race.
Bike: Two 20oz. bottles consistion of Powerbar Endurance mix, 1 serving of Hammer Gel, and 2 scoops of Hammer Endurolytes. Calories: 268 per bottle, Carbs: 65.5 per bottle, Sodium: 427 mg Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember you telling me about this drink set up. Have you been training with it before your race? I did train with this mix starting a few weeks prior to the race. In hindsight I should have stuck with my proven nutrition plans. It is loaded and could allow you to go without solids during a hot ½ half.
I also ate 2/3rds of a cliff bar: Calories: 200, Carbs: 35g, Sodium: 175 mg This may have been the straw that broke your stomachs back. Just a little bit to many calories for your stomach to handle in the heat.
Total - Calories: 736, Carbs: 90.5g, Sodium: 1136 mg
The bike leg felt pretty good. I kept reminding myself not to push it too hard. I probably went out too hard on the return leg of 95 on the first loop. The second loop I had to stop and re-adjust my shorts as I started to have some chaffing issues, but that was only for 30 seconds. My second return trip down 95 I was completely alone. I would say the wind had picked up a bit from the first lap and I was starting to get stiff in my back. My legs felt tired, but not exhausted. Your back could have been from your new bike position. If it starts to bother you, take a moment and stretch. Your leg fatigue could have been from going just a bit too hard on the second loop. It’s always a trick to know just how fast you can go before you start to compromise your run.
The run started out o.k. I could tell I had too much liquid in my stomach,(this is a direct result of taking in too many calories on the bike) but I was also thirsty as heck.(your stomach was backed up and was not processing calories because it was too full. If this happens in the future, start taking in some salt and drink ½ Coke ½ water over ice. This should help kick start your stomach) I peed just after mile 1. There were aid stations every mile and I walked through them. I would sip on some Gatorade and drink a few sips of water at each (if you start to have stomach issues, first back off the Gatorade, the fructose is very hard on your stomach to process and can lead to GI issues). I was able to keep my pace at 9:00 through mile 5. I then started to walk more and more, but was still pushing it through mile 6.5. I walked from mile 7 until 9. I sat down at mile 9 and hoped that I could get up and keep going. I got up and started walking, but 200 yards later I stopped for good.(this is where your test of mental fitness comes to the forefront. You need to find some form of motivation that will help you go on. A saying, a song, a memory, something to focus on and take your mind off your suffering. This is where you learn to push through and finish even in the harshest of conditions.)
As I turned into the wind at mile 3 I immediately started to shiver from the wind as if I was standing out in the cold(dehydration). I knew I was sweating a lot and I did not have a shirt on, but I don't think that really mattered. As I started to walk more after mile 5 my legs really started to cramp up and get tight(salt would help here to alleviate these cramps). By mile 9 my legs were very stiff and my stomach was turning over and over. While I could have tried to finish, it would not have been because of any athletic skill, it simply would have been mind over matter(to some extent, isn’t that what it’s all about? No matter where you finished, it would have been a PR). Frankly, I have proved that I have that strength before and did not feel I needed to push my self to the brink. With that said, pulling out of the race was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I felt o.k. with it at first, but now that it is the day after I am pretty upset about it. I keep turning over in my mind the quote: "Pain is temporary, Quiting is Forever..." Well, I definitely have the drive to go out and do another 1/2 ironman and prove that I can finish the race in a respectable manner. Now I am turning my attention to the TC marathon.
- Marc
I am one of your biggest fans, and I know first hand just where you were that day both mentally and physically. I respect the decision made out there. Any DNF is a hard pill to swallow, but the true test of ones character is what you do with it. Do you sit and dwell on what could have been or do you analyze your race and learn from those things that went right and those things that went wrong? I think you know the answer. Let’s now look forward to TCM and a good “off season”. Next year is going to be great and you now have a little motivation for your next ½ iron.
Posted by kermisch at 03:59 PM