So my training is pretty much complete. My fitness is at it's peak and the only thing I can do now is maintain what I have. That means no more long rides, no more long runs, no more putting my body through pain until race day. On that note, I wanted to get a feel for what my teammates that have done Ironman went through during their taper phase and so I sent out an email to them, this is what I received from Gabe (a four time Ironman, who consistently places in the top 5 overall in his races):
"I have made some major IM mistakes, so I have some thoughts that might help. If your goal is to finish, rather than do some particular time, keep that in mind through the race. My best performance, and my most enjoyable IM, was in Wisconsin when I just told myself not to worry about the clock and to try and enjoy the event. I talked to other competitors, made jokes, tried to thank spectators and volunteers. I found this kept me loose. There is a tendency to focus intensely on the road in front of you and to think about heart rate, lactic acid, etc., but I found that by focusing so much on those things in past races that I suffered much more and missed the really entertaining parts of the race. I self-destructed in a Lake Placid race because I was so intense during the whole race that I eventually had a major break down physically and mentally at mile 13 of the marathon, and ended up sitting down and crying on the side of the road. I eventually got up and managed to finish, but I learned a valuable lesson. I viewed Wisconsin as more of a mini-adventure than a race, and kept a great mental attitude all day even in pouring rain, wind, and cold. I also like to pack a little treat in my special needs bags or in the bike-to-run transition bag. My favorite was a ball of Stove Top Stuffing. Great source of sodium and carbs, and tastes great even cold. I have also used Altoid mints--kind of weird but a shot of peppermint is pretty refreshing mid-race. A buddy of mine would put caffeinated gum in his bags, but don't try that unless you have done it before.
From a nutrition standpoint, remember to consume food and liquids in a manner similar to the way that you have trained. This is IM 101, but I have fallen victim to this problem on the run several times. I almost never take in water on long training runs, but I would get into the race and drink every single mile. This led to stomach issues because I just was not used to having that much liquid intake while running. In Wisconsin, I drank every mile, but only a sip or two. This seemed to work out fine and kept me hydrated. Of course, the key to that strategy is to make sure you drink enough on the bike so that you start out well hydrated. Same with food: I only took in food every few miles, and then only took things that I knew would digest well (bananas and fig bars for me). That's another tip: if you use a lot of gels and other sweet things and start to get nauseous during the race, try switching to more natural foods. This worked for me in a Lake Placid race where I literally threw away my fuel belt mid-marathon and started eating grapes and oranges. The soda also works pretty well, but I always wait to go there as a last resort and hopefully when there is not much left in the race.
As a final note on the run (where the race really becomes interesting), I have found myself walking through aid stations even if I felt like I did not need to. This strategy of walking when I wanted to, rather than when I had to, resulted in walking much less often and for shorter distances. (almost everyone walks at some point unless they are a pro, so no shame is involved).
The best advice is to do your own thing, race your own race, and never stop moving forward. We'll be tracking you on the internet. Go get 'em!"
Friday, August 8, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Almost done with one year of training
I can't believe race day is just over 3 weeks away. It seems like 3 weeks would be a lot, but that's going to go by so fast. The whole year has gone by so fast. I'm putting the final touches on my training now. Did an easy paced 15 mile run today pretty effortlessly and have been having swim practice everyday in Hartford. Cycling, I'm just ready, plain and simple. This is not a joke or anything, but I woke up at 11 AM on Sunday morning, and got bored almost immediately. I decided to head out on my bike for a fast paced 30 mile ride, and already had a route planned. Well that 30 mile ride turned into a 120 mile ride around Connecticut. Did that in 6 hours and 30 minutes. Total peace of mind. I could get a flat on the course in Louisville and still be able to finish under 6:30, which leads me into my next topic, race day strategy.
I will try and just enjoy the swim, and not kill myself. Anything under 1 hour 30 minutes will be fine with me. My coach wants me to go 1:05, but I seriously highly doubt that. On the bike, I'm "not going to eat the paste." That's an Ironman saying for the kid in preschool that eats the paste in the corner of the room and then other kids follow him or her. Then they puke a half hour later. Well the same thing happens during an Ironman, some people "eat the paste" and hammer the bike, and set a personal record, with times like 5:45 off the bike, averaging almost 20 mph. Then they realize they have a marathon to run. Then the puking starts. Then the ambulance picks them up. And for the ones that aren't on their way to the hospital, I run by them at mile 10 while they're walking at a 20 minute pace and I'm running at a 10 minute pace. Do the math....for them to beat me by 45 minutes off the bike, I make up a total of 100-300 minutes on them on the marathon. I'm not using this strategy to beat these people at all, I'm using this strategy to stay in the race. I predict my finish time to be well within my goal of 13 hours if I do this.
On another note, I have a teammate that just did Ironman Lake Placid, and we've been talking about what it's going to be like to be an Ironman throughout the year. This was his first. This is him on the JumboTron getting a little emotional after he crossed the finish line.
I want to give him a shout out and say that "Doug - You're an Ironman." Be proud my friend, you put in so much work and I'm glad to call you my teammate. Please take a minute to read his blog and his race report: http://jackandrachelland.pbwiki.com/IMLP%20report
I will try and just enjoy the swim, and not kill myself. Anything under 1 hour 30 minutes will be fine with me. My coach wants me to go 1:05, but I seriously highly doubt that. On the bike, I'm "not going to eat the paste." That's an Ironman saying for the kid in preschool that eats the paste in the corner of the room and then other kids follow him or her. Then they puke a half hour later. Well the same thing happens during an Ironman, some people "eat the paste" and hammer the bike, and set a personal record, with times like 5:45 off the bike, averaging almost 20 mph. Then they realize they have a marathon to run. Then the puking starts. Then the ambulance picks them up. And for the ones that aren't on their way to the hospital, I run by them at mile 10 while they're walking at a 20 minute pace and I'm running at a 10 minute pace. Do the math....for them to beat me by 45 minutes off the bike, I make up a total of 100-300 minutes on them on the marathon. I'm not using this strategy to beat these people at all, I'm using this strategy to stay in the race. I predict my finish time to be well within my goal of 13 hours if I do this.
On another note, I have a teammate that just did Ironman Lake Placid, and we've been talking about what it's going to be like to be an Ironman throughout the year. This was his first. This is him on the JumboTron getting a little emotional after he crossed the finish line.
I want to give him a shout out and say that "Doug - You're an Ironman." Be proud my friend, you put in so much work and I'm glad to call you my teammate. Please take a minute to read his blog and his race report: http://jackandrachelland.pbwiki.com/IMLP%20report
Monday, July 28, 2008
33 Days and Counting......
Almost a month away. Almost 11 months since I decided to change my life forever.
Training isn't that monotnous lately, and I've gotten to the point where I'm satisfied with my cycling. Swimming- I finally took the "plunge" and hired a coach. I have 3 weeks to work in the pool and that should be enough time to make small tweaks. To be honest, whether I go 1:15 or 1:35 in the water, I don't really care too much. The running side is the only part that is a little concerning. I have somewhat neglected that lately, and I only have time for 1 to 2 more long runs before I start to shut it down to rest.
Today I worked out with my friend Rohan, the guy that climbed Mount Everest earlier this year. We started with a 20 mile ride, which is not long in distance relative to what I'm used to, but we had a serious climb up to Castle Craig in Meriden. It was tough, and I won't face anything like that in Louisville, but because of time constraints (sunlight) climbing is the most bang for my buck. After that, we did a 5-6 mile run, and that felt fine, no worries there. Only worried after the 20 mile mark. I will be doing a 12 mile trail run wednesday or thursday, and a 18-20 mile trail run on Saturday or Sunday. That will probably be the last of my running before Ironman.
In other news, and big news at that, Muff is switching his flight to come home from London to get to Louisville in time for the race start. Insane. I am ecstatic about that. I have pictured the finish line for almost a year, at least a few times a day, but the only thing I've pictured more was seeing my friends out there cheering me on. I had a taste when Ty and Melissa came to Providence, and the feeling is overwhelming, for lack of a better word. I can't describe it. Additionally, I talked to my teammate Dave Couture who just completed Ironman Lake Placid on July 20th in under 13 hours (You rock Dave!) and he said that there's nothing like seeing your friends and family cheering you on at Ironman, and then hearing your name at the finish line, in his words, it changes your life forever. I also received another handwritten card in the mail today with some amazing words of support, telling me how honorable a thing this is. It's amazing to hear, and I cannot say how much I appreciate reading it, but at the same time, and with all these words of support, I just know that my true support is my friends. I wish I could have everyone that means so much to me out on the course with me that day, but I know that's not possible. I just want everyone to know that this Ironman effort would have never been born without losing a friend, and without having the best friends anyone could ask for. We will all be Ironmen that day in Louisville, not just me. I would have never gotten this far without them....
33 more days.
Training isn't that monotnous lately, and I've gotten to the point where I'm satisfied with my cycling. Swimming- I finally took the "plunge" and hired a coach. I have 3 weeks to work in the pool and that should be enough time to make small tweaks. To be honest, whether I go 1:15 or 1:35 in the water, I don't really care too much. The running side is the only part that is a little concerning. I have somewhat neglected that lately, and I only have time for 1 to 2 more long runs before I start to shut it down to rest.
Today I worked out with my friend Rohan, the guy that climbed Mount Everest earlier this year. We started with a 20 mile ride, which is not long in distance relative to what I'm used to, but we had a serious climb up to Castle Craig in Meriden. It was tough, and I won't face anything like that in Louisville, but because of time constraints (sunlight) climbing is the most bang for my buck. After that, we did a 5-6 mile run, and that felt fine, no worries there. Only worried after the 20 mile mark. I will be doing a 12 mile trail run wednesday or thursday, and a 18-20 mile trail run on Saturday or Sunday. That will probably be the last of my running before Ironman.
In other news, and big news at that, Muff is switching his flight to come home from London to get to Louisville in time for the race start. Insane. I am ecstatic about that. I have pictured the finish line for almost a year, at least a few times a day, but the only thing I've pictured more was seeing my friends out there cheering me on. I had a taste when Ty and Melissa came to Providence, and the feeling is overwhelming, for lack of a better word. I can't describe it. Additionally, I talked to my teammate Dave Couture who just completed Ironman Lake Placid on July 20th in under 13 hours (You rock Dave!) and he said that there's nothing like seeing your friends and family cheering you on at Ironman, and then hearing your name at the finish line, in his words, it changes your life forever. I also received another handwritten card in the mail today with some amazing words of support, telling me how honorable a thing this is. It's amazing to hear, and I cannot say how much I appreciate reading it, but at the same time, and with all these words of support, I just know that my true support is my friends. I wish I could have everyone that means so much to me out on the course with me that day, but I know that's not possible. I just want everyone to know that this Ironman effort would have never been born without losing a friend, and without having the best friends anyone could ask for. We will all be Ironmen that day in Louisville, not just me. I would have never gotten this far without them....
33 more days.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Choices
After the high of the 70.3, I've decided that it's probably best if I not race before Ironman. The risk of injury is too high, and more importantly, I want to keep the long course triathlon memory fresh in my mind. So I think it's a good decision to not race until August 31st, although this will probably drive me crazy.
Training's going as planned, or I hope. Did a 16.5 mile run on Monday, and that went ok. I wore my heart monitor to make it easier to judge my effort, and am considering wearing that during the race, although it was sort of digging into my chest at times. Interestingly enough, my local pool will be closed for the next two months leaving me without a pool to train in. This is a blessing in disguise because I am going to join the gym in Hartford and hire a swim coach (who is also a member of Team Heat). I definitely think it's one of those situations where I'll be paying for pain, but worth every penny. Furthermore, I will finish my swim training on the weekend of August 10th with a super long open water swim in Maine. After I complete that swim, I'll start my taper and try and rest up. It's crazy to even think that I have about 2 weeks left of building on my fitness and then the work is pretty much over....I will have completed all my real training. That's the point where I look in the mirror and tell myself "you did everything you can for a year, now it's time to rest up." That scares me. On that note, I don't think my running is where it needs to be. I still need some long distance runs and that will be my focus for the final two weeks. In terms of the bike, I'll be doing another 100 mile ride this Friday with Rohan, and this route will be different than last time, supposedly with more hills. I'm looking forward to it. Literally, I'm looking forward to everything. The seconds are going by like hours now. I committed to this race almost a year ago, and it's been the first thing I've thought about when I've woken up, and the last before I fall asleep. It really has been life changing so far, but I feel like I need to cross that finish line before it's complete.
In the words of Chris McCormack: "Ironman is a test of what you've been blessed with, everyone's got two legs, two arms, but Ironman tests what you're really made of - your will. That's immeasurable until you do one of these. I went into my first Ironman as Chris McCormack and I came out a different person; only an Ironman knows the feeling...it's an incredible challenge, an incredible event.....and it changes ya. Being an Ironman is just cool."
Training's going as planned, or I hope. Did a 16.5 mile run on Monday, and that went ok. I wore my heart monitor to make it easier to judge my effort, and am considering wearing that during the race, although it was sort of digging into my chest at times. Interestingly enough, my local pool will be closed for the next two months leaving me without a pool to train in. This is a blessing in disguise because I am going to join the gym in Hartford and hire a swim coach (who is also a member of Team Heat). I definitely think it's one of those situations where I'll be paying for pain, but worth every penny. Furthermore, I will finish my swim training on the weekend of August 10th with a super long open water swim in Maine. After I complete that swim, I'll start my taper and try and rest up. It's crazy to even think that I have about 2 weeks left of building on my fitness and then the work is pretty much over....I will have completed all my real training. That's the point where I look in the mirror and tell myself "you did everything you can for a year, now it's time to rest up." That scares me. On that note, I don't think my running is where it needs to be. I still need some long distance runs and that will be my focus for the final two weeks. In terms of the bike, I'll be doing another 100 mile ride this Friday with Rohan, and this route will be different than last time, supposedly with more hills. I'm looking forward to it. Literally, I'm looking forward to everything. The seconds are going by like hours now. I committed to this race almost a year ago, and it's been the first thing I've thought about when I've woken up, and the last before I fall asleep. It really has been life changing so far, but I feel like I need to cross that finish line before it's complete.
In the words of Chris McCormack: "Ironman is a test of what you've been blessed with, everyone's got two legs, two arms, but Ironman tests what you're really made of - your will. That's immeasurable until you do one of these. I went into my first Ironman as Chris McCormack and I came out a different person; only an Ironman knows the feeling...it's an incredible challenge, an incredible event.....and it changes ya. Being an Ironman is just cool."
Monday, July 14, 2008
My First Taste of Ironman - Providence Race Report
As you may or may not know, I raced in Providence this past weekend at Ironman Providence 70.3. Just to clear it up, this was a HALF Ironman, which consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and then a half marathon run (13.1 miles). This and the full Ironman distance are considered "long course" triathlon. It was put on by the Ironman organization.
I arrived at my parents' beach house at about 10 AM Saturday morning and quickly left for Providence, where I had to check-in, get weighed in, pick up my race packet, and also drop off my run bag with all my run gear in it. The registration took a long time, as there were almost 2000 competitors so you can imagine the lines. Finally, after about two hours, I met with one of the officials, and he checked me in, gave me my race packet, put on my athlete wrist band, and then I had to go to medical to get weighed in. They do this because if you lose a certain amount of body weight by the end of the race, you are required to go to the medical tent for an IV drip following the race. When that was finished, I walked about a half mile to where transition two was to drop off my run gear. I did that, and then I was off to the swim start, which was in Narragannsett, about 50-60 miles southeast. I got to the swim start and checked my bike in at my designated spot in the transition area, and I was finally all set and ready for the following day. At that point, I headed back to the beach house and tested out a long sleeved wetsuit and went for a practice swim at the beach near my parents' house. At that point, it was time to start fueling up for the race, and I threw down about 3000 calories, mostly through pasta and pretzels (for sodium). And I should mention I was excitedly nervous, never have been in a race this long before.
I got up at 3:45 AM, and headed to Narragansett to where the swim start was. I got there, made last minute adjustments on my bike, made sure my tire pressure was perfect, and double checked all my nutrition. It's not an understatement to say if you mess up on your nutrition in long course, your race might as well be over by midway through the bike leg. At that point I checked when my swim wave would go out, and my start was at 7:05, more than hour after the first wave went out. This meant I had some time to really gather myself, listen to my music, and watch 40 minutes of the race before I became a part of it. Finally, 7:00 rolled around and I headed to the water. 3...2...1....and the cannon (yes, cannon) blew and I was off. It was underway, i was really doing this. Seeing how far 1.2 miles looks like in the open ocean is extremely intimidating, but I actually felt great. In the past, it's taken me a good quarter to half mile to get settled into my stroke, but this day, I just felt that I was doing everything I should be doing, all the while pretending nobody was around me (even though it was a human washing machine in there). About halfway through, I knew this swim was special. I exited the water, saw my mother, said 'How am I doing?" and she said "awesome, you're ahead of more than half of the wave." I checked my watch: 36 minutes. 1.2 miles in 36 minutes. To put this in perspective, at Griskus Olympic, I swam 1 mile in 37 minutes. It was great. So then I ditched the original plan of walking at the transition areas and I ran up the beach to the race officials that help you get your wetsuit off. If you've never put on a long sleeve wetsuit, it's not easy to get off by yourself. Found the biggest, strongest volunteer I could find. Ran up to him and he yelled "Down!" I sat down, and he literally peeled the wetsuit off of me in 3 seconds. They need that at all my races! Just like that I was running to my bike. Dumped my bike gear back out, threw on socks, my cycling shoes, helmet and sunglasses. I also packed three extra tubes and extra CO2 cartridges. Finally, put 3 PowerBars in my back pocket, a gel flask, and 25 electrolyte pills. And I was off on my 56 mile trek to Providence....
During the first 5 miles, it was pretty flat along the coast line and I'm thinking "do I push it now, or save a lot of gas for the run?" I decided on pushing it a bit, but not to overly extend myself. I started passing people in the waves that started before me, which meant I was making up a good amount of time, and I just felt on. I was down in my aero bars for 90% of the time, and the hills that were thrown at me were nothing I couldn't handle comfortably. Nutritionally, I tried to drink 3-4 ounces of Accelerade every 15 minutes, eat half a PowerBar every 30 minutes, and 3 electrolyte pills every half hour. I took gel sporadically and didn't seem to really need it since I was easily handling solid food. There were 3 aid stations on the course, and the volunteers were amazing. I guess that's part of the Ironman experience. I really thought that if I ran out of any nutrition that I brought myself, I could easily replace it at the next aid station. We finally rolled into Providence, and I was pretty ready to get off that bike. My lower back and hamstrings were feeling it a bit. I rolled into T2, dismounted the bike and ran with it to my transition spot to put on my run gear. It was seamless. All of a sudden, it hits me.....I have a 13.1 mile run ahead of me in this heat and humidity.
I was off on the run, and my legs were there. I did not feel like I rode 56 miles at all, maybe felt as if I rode 15. Then all of a sudden, I hit the first aid station. I felt good at that point and only took water, and three sponges soaked in ice water. That cooled my core right down. Then I turn a corner on the first mile and my god, I see a hill like i've never seen before. If you're from Southington, and you know Southington Mountain, or Winding Ridge, that area....this hill made Southington Mountain look like a bump. It was more like San Francisco. I had no idea how long it was, but I decided to run up it, while everyone else was walking. Finally after about a half mile, the hill leveled out, and then I saw the reality of this run. With so many waves going out before me, there was a ton of people already on the course. To put it lightly, it looked like hundreds of living dead people: people down on the ground puking, saw one lady crying, others just wanting to finish and choosing to walk. And I'm thinking at this point "wow, I still feel half way decent, I'm gonna pick as many people off as I can right now." So I pushed the pace. It was a two lap course, and running down that huge hill at mile 6 was rough on my knees and quads! Hurt like hell, but I pressed on. At that point, I had switched to gatorade for me, ice and water for throwing over my head, and sponges for inside my shirt. I circled at the turnaround, and I look up and there's my mother, my brother, Tyler and Melissa cheering me on, screaming like they were in the race themselves. Seeing them brightened my outlook like I never would have thought, all of a sudden I had some extra energy. About 100 yards later, I saw another guy in my age group, we chatted while we ran, and I told him this was my first half Ironman, and he said he couldnt' believe I was doing so well, and he told me to get right behind him to draft him, so that I could "hide" under him from any wind that would slow me down. I couldn't believe he did that; here's a guy that's competing against me in my age group, and he's telling me to draft him so that I could be faster and save more energy. I guess that just explains a lot of people in this sport. After about 3 miles of doing that, he told me to "just go" he couldn't hold my pace anymore, he wished me luck and I took off, probably going about 7:30 pace per mile at that point. Then I started to break down a little bit, and that's when I made the decision to switch from Gatorade to Coca-Cola. This is a big move and you're only supposed to do it when you're desparate for more energy because it's a huge sugar high and if you don't keep drinking it, you'll crash fast. But aid stations were every mile and I figured if i stuck with Coke, then I could just take more in at the next aid station. My god, I never tasted anything so good in my life. The elixir of the gods. About 30 seconds after my first Coke, I felt fresh again! Now....where can I get another Coke??? Next aid station I go! Then I saw mile 11 marker, and I knew I had to push it. I had enough energy to push it. Down the hill I went, bam, bam, bam....could feel every step in every bone in my body down that hill. Pain is not the right word for that. Finally got to the bottom, hit the final aid station, got two more cups of coke to fuel me for the last mile. At that point, i saw the state capitol building and I knew I was almost there. And then I heard the roar of the thousands of people at the finish line....I was so close, but my legs hurt like hell. At that point, I just talked to Jared out loud for about 15 seconds, just asked him to help me out for this last stretch if he could. I started down the finish line chute with people screaming....somehow saw my "fans," threw up a fist pump and headed for the finish! I didn't cross the finish line, I jumped up in the air and threw up a haymaker fist pump. I cannot describe that feeling. I had just crossed the finish line at a half Ironman in 5 hours and 9 minutes, 21 minutes faster than my goal. I then was still on cloud 9, and saw my buddy Rob. He's the guy that just did Ironman New Zealand in under 12 hours, and he's an absolute animal. He only beat me by 2 minutes. He was going crazier for me than I was, he was so glad for me. Huge hug from him and then I turn to my left, and I couldn't believe it, but it was Jon Blais' father. Jon Blais is a household name in triathlon. Sadly he passed away last May from ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease. His final goal in life, after he was handed this death sentence, was to complete Ironman. He was featured on NBC during the Ironman Hawaii coverage, and if you ever get the chance, look up his story on YouTube, it's very sad, but very inspiring. I took that chance to introduce myself to Jon's dad and said "Your son is one of the most inspiring people ever" and he appreciated it and gave me a congrats high five. Then about 30 seconds later, who's there to meet me but one of my best friends Tyler. Seeing him was amazing, this was such a great day in my life and he was there to witness it. Then the pain kicked in and I considered heading to medical to get an IV, but thought maybe a massage would do ok instead. Stood in line to get a massage and it felt outstanding. Also gave me some time to reflect on what just transpired. Unbelievable. I later found out that I missed qualifying for the Half Ironman World Championships in Clearwater, FL by a bit more than 5 minutes, but I didn't care. Just to say that in my first Half Ironman, I did better than most guys that have been doing this distance for years. I came in #29 in my age group out of a field of about #200 and came in #250 overall out of almost 2000 competitors. Very respectable. I now have a few days off from training, and it's time to start thinking about the BIG ONE - Ironman Louisville, double the distance, double the pain, but double the glory - if and when I finish. Just 6 weeks away.......
Thank you all.
I arrived at my parents' beach house at about 10 AM Saturday morning and quickly left for Providence, where I had to check-in, get weighed in, pick up my race packet, and also drop off my run bag with all my run gear in it. The registration took a long time, as there were almost 2000 competitors so you can imagine the lines. Finally, after about two hours, I met with one of the officials, and he checked me in, gave me my race packet, put on my athlete wrist band, and then I had to go to medical to get weighed in. They do this because if you lose a certain amount of body weight by the end of the race, you are required to go to the medical tent for an IV drip following the race. When that was finished, I walked about a half mile to where transition two was to drop off my run gear. I did that, and then I was off to the swim start, which was in Narragannsett, about 50-60 miles southeast. I got to the swim start and checked my bike in at my designated spot in the transition area, and I was finally all set and ready for the following day. At that point, I headed back to the beach house and tested out a long sleeved wetsuit and went for a practice swim at the beach near my parents' house. At that point, it was time to start fueling up for the race, and I threw down about 3000 calories, mostly through pasta and pretzels (for sodium). And I should mention I was excitedly nervous, never have been in a race this long before.
I got up at 3:45 AM, and headed to Narragansett to where the swim start was. I got there, made last minute adjustments on my bike, made sure my tire pressure was perfect, and double checked all my nutrition. It's not an understatement to say if you mess up on your nutrition in long course, your race might as well be over by midway through the bike leg. At that point I checked when my swim wave would go out, and my start was at 7:05, more than hour after the first wave went out. This meant I had some time to really gather myself, listen to my music, and watch 40 minutes of the race before I became a part of it. Finally, 7:00 rolled around and I headed to the water. 3...2...1....and the cannon (yes, cannon) blew and I was off. It was underway, i was really doing this. Seeing how far 1.2 miles looks like in the open ocean is extremely intimidating, but I actually felt great. In the past, it's taken me a good quarter to half mile to get settled into my stroke, but this day, I just felt that I was doing everything I should be doing, all the while pretending nobody was around me (even though it was a human washing machine in there). About halfway through, I knew this swim was special. I exited the water, saw my mother, said 'How am I doing?" and she said "awesome, you're ahead of more than half of the wave." I checked my watch: 36 minutes. 1.2 miles in 36 minutes. To put this in perspective, at Griskus Olympic, I swam 1 mile in 37 minutes. It was great. So then I ditched the original plan of walking at the transition areas and I ran up the beach to the race officials that help you get your wetsuit off. If you've never put on a long sleeve wetsuit, it's not easy to get off by yourself. Found the biggest, strongest volunteer I could find. Ran up to him and he yelled "Down!" I sat down, and he literally peeled the wetsuit off of me in 3 seconds. They need that at all my races! Just like that I was running to my bike. Dumped my bike gear back out, threw on socks, my cycling shoes, helmet and sunglasses. I also packed three extra tubes and extra CO2 cartridges. Finally, put 3 PowerBars in my back pocket, a gel flask, and 25 electrolyte pills. And I was off on my 56 mile trek to Providence....
During the first 5 miles, it was pretty flat along the coast line and I'm thinking "do I push it now, or save a lot of gas for the run?" I decided on pushing it a bit, but not to overly extend myself. I started passing people in the waves that started before me, which meant I was making up a good amount of time, and I just felt on. I was down in my aero bars for 90% of the time, and the hills that were thrown at me were nothing I couldn't handle comfortably. Nutritionally, I tried to drink 3-4 ounces of Accelerade every 15 minutes, eat half a PowerBar every 30 minutes, and 3 electrolyte pills every half hour. I took gel sporadically and didn't seem to really need it since I was easily handling solid food. There were 3 aid stations on the course, and the volunteers were amazing. I guess that's part of the Ironman experience. I really thought that if I ran out of any nutrition that I brought myself, I could easily replace it at the next aid station. We finally rolled into Providence, and I was pretty ready to get off that bike. My lower back and hamstrings were feeling it a bit. I rolled into T2, dismounted the bike and ran with it to my transition spot to put on my run gear. It was seamless. All of a sudden, it hits me.....I have a 13.1 mile run ahead of me in this heat and humidity.
I was off on the run, and my legs were there. I did not feel like I rode 56 miles at all, maybe felt as if I rode 15. Then all of a sudden, I hit the first aid station. I felt good at that point and only took water, and three sponges soaked in ice water. That cooled my core right down. Then I turn a corner on the first mile and my god, I see a hill like i've never seen before. If you're from Southington, and you know Southington Mountain, or Winding Ridge, that area....this hill made Southington Mountain look like a bump. It was more like San Francisco. I had no idea how long it was, but I decided to run up it, while everyone else was walking. Finally after about a half mile, the hill leveled out, and then I saw the reality of this run. With so many waves going out before me, there was a ton of people already on the course. To put it lightly, it looked like hundreds of living dead people: people down on the ground puking, saw one lady crying, others just wanting to finish and choosing to walk. And I'm thinking at this point "wow, I still feel half way decent, I'm gonna pick as many people off as I can right now." So I pushed the pace. It was a two lap course, and running down that huge hill at mile 6 was rough on my knees and quads! Hurt like hell, but I pressed on. At that point, I had switched to gatorade for me, ice and water for throwing over my head, and sponges for inside my shirt. I circled at the turnaround, and I look up and there's my mother, my brother, Tyler and Melissa cheering me on, screaming like they were in the race themselves. Seeing them brightened my outlook like I never would have thought, all of a sudden I had some extra energy. About 100 yards later, I saw another guy in my age group, we chatted while we ran, and I told him this was my first half Ironman, and he said he couldnt' believe I was doing so well, and he told me to get right behind him to draft him, so that I could "hide" under him from any wind that would slow me down. I couldn't believe he did that; here's a guy that's competing against me in my age group, and he's telling me to draft him so that I could be faster and save more energy. I guess that just explains a lot of people in this sport. After about 3 miles of doing that, he told me to "just go" he couldn't hold my pace anymore, he wished me luck and I took off, probably going about 7:30 pace per mile at that point. Then I started to break down a little bit, and that's when I made the decision to switch from Gatorade to Coca-Cola. This is a big move and you're only supposed to do it when you're desparate for more energy because it's a huge sugar high and if you don't keep drinking it, you'll crash fast. But aid stations were every mile and I figured if i stuck with Coke, then I could just take more in at the next aid station. My god, I never tasted anything so good in my life. The elixir of the gods. About 30 seconds after my first Coke, I felt fresh again! Now....where can I get another Coke??? Next aid station I go! Then I saw mile 11 marker, and I knew I had to push it. I had enough energy to push it. Down the hill I went, bam, bam, bam....could feel every step in every bone in my body down that hill. Pain is not the right word for that. Finally got to the bottom, hit the final aid station, got two more cups of coke to fuel me for the last mile. At that point, i saw the state capitol building and I knew I was almost there. And then I heard the roar of the thousands of people at the finish line....I was so close, but my legs hurt like hell. At that point, I just talked to Jared out loud for about 15 seconds, just asked him to help me out for this last stretch if he could. I started down the finish line chute with people screaming....somehow saw my "fans," threw up a fist pump and headed for the finish! I didn't cross the finish line, I jumped up in the air and threw up a haymaker fist pump. I cannot describe that feeling. I had just crossed the finish line at a half Ironman in 5 hours and 9 minutes, 21 minutes faster than my goal. I then was still on cloud 9, and saw my buddy Rob. He's the guy that just did Ironman New Zealand in under 12 hours, and he's an absolute animal. He only beat me by 2 minutes. He was going crazier for me than I was, he was so glad for me. Huge hug from him and then I turn to my left, and I couldn't believe it, but it was Jon Blais' father. Jon Blais is a household name in triathlon. Sadly he passed away last May from ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease. His final goal in life, after he was handed this death sentence, was to complete Ironman. He was featured on NBC during the Ironman Hawaii coverage, and if you ever get the chance, look up his story on YouTube, it's very sad, but very inspiring. I took that chance to introduce myself to Jon's dad and said "Your son is one of the most inspiring people ever" and he appreciated it and gave me a congrats high five. Then about 30 seconds later, who's there to meet me but one of my best friends Tyler. Seeing him was amazing, this was such a great day in my life and he was there to witness it. Then the pain kicked in and I considered heading to medical to get an IV, but thought maybe a massage would do ok instead. Stood in line to get a massage and it felt outstanding. Also gave me some time to reflect on what just transpired. Unbelievable. I later found out that I missed qualifying for the Half Ironman World Championships in Clearwater, FL by a bit more than 5 minutes, but I didn't care. Just to say that in my first Half Ironman, I did better than most guys that have been doing this distance for years. I came in #29 in my age group out of a field of about #200 and came in #250 overall out of almost 2000 competitors. Very respectable. I now have a few days off from training, and it's time to start thinking about the BIG ONE - Ironman Louisville, double the distance, double the pain, but double the glory - if and when I finish. Just 6 weeks away.......
Thank you all.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Ironman Providence 70.3 is here....
So it's here, my first long course triathlon. I'm writing this in Southington, and I will leave for Providence tomorrow, with the race starting at 6 AM on Sunday morning. I'm a bit nervous, this is the longest triathlon I've attempted and it's an Ironman-branded race, which are the biggest triathlons. There will be close to 2,000 competitors and thousands of spectators. The distances are as follows (exactly one half of what I will attempt in Louisville on August 31st): 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and then a half marathon.
Tomorrow, I plan on leaving at 7 AM. The day is packed with different mandatory and voluntary events for the athletes. Mandatory things: bike check-in, fill all my transition bags, pick up my race packet, and go to the race briefing(s). I will also go to the Ironman Expo and drive the bike course. In terms of the course, the swim is in Narragansett Bay, ocean water obviously, the bike is from Narragansett to Providence, and it's somewhat hilly, but rolling hills. The half marathon is supposed to be borderline-brutal, but I think I can handle it considering I ran a 1:31 at Fairfield and that course was extremely tough. Of course I have no plans of running that fast after swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56, but hopefully I'll have my nutrition spot on and I'll be ready to go.
I'm pretty nervous at this point. I'm about to start packing and I'm sure I'll be thinking about the task at hand. I've been looking forward to this race for a long time now, and this is a true test for Ironman. If you'd like to track my progress on Sunday, you can visit http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/rhodeisland70.3 and click on the Athlete Tracker link. I don't know my bib number until tomorrow, so you'll have to search by name. Time to get it done!
Tomorrow, I plan on leaving at 7 AM. The day is packed with different mandatory and voluntary events for the athletes. Mandatory things: bike check-in, fill all my transition bags, pick up my race packet, and go to the race briefing(s). I will also go to the Ironman Expo and drive the bike course. In terms of the course, the swim is in Narragansett Bay, ocean water obviously, the bike is from Narragansett to Providence, and it's somewhat hilly, but rolling hills. The half marathon is supposed to be borderline-brutal, but I think I can handle it considering I ran a 1:31 at Fairfield and that course was extremely tough. Of course I have no plans of running that fast after swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56, but hopefully I'll have my nutrition spot on and I'll be ready to go.
I'm pretty nervous at this point. I'm about to start packing and I'm sure I'll be thinking about the task at hand. I've been looking forward to this race for a long time now, and this is a true test for Ironman. If you'd like to track my progress on Sunday, you can visit http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/rhodeisland70.3 and click on the Athlete Tracker link. I don't know my bib number until tomorrow, so you'll have to search by name. Time to get it done!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Countdown's on to "Long Course"
This week I have two races, the first is Wednesday. It's a sprint, in Middlebury. It's one of the best races in CT, and that's one of the reasons why I'm doing it. Additionally, one of my good friends, Kristin Paradis, is also doing it, and this is her first race, so I wanted to be there to support her. I wouldn't be able to stand on the sidelines and cheer, so I registered last week. On Sunday, the real test is on, Ironman Providence 70.3. This is exactly half the distance of Louisville, although it is a very long and grueling race. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and then a half marathon run. To make this even better, a lot of my friends are coming to watch the race, and that makes the whole effort so much sweeter. My time goal is 5 hours and 30 minutes, but my real goal is to be comfortable the whole time.
Training wise, did an 11 mile run in the heat today, and it's not exactly effortless, but it's much less difficult than it used to be. 11 miles now feels like 3 miles used to feel to me. A half marathon feels like a 5k now. Also, this past Thursday, July 3rd, I did my first 100 mile bicycle ride with my friend Rohan, who recently climbed Mt. Everest. We started in Rocky Hill, went through Middletown, and took the back roads to the beach, Hammonasset State Park in Madison. From there, we went past the Clinton Crossings shopping outlets, and then through Killingworth, Haddam, Chester, and then back through Middletown, Cromwell, and then a full loop around Rocky Hill. It took us just over 6 hours, and I feel like I could have done it faster. Rohan had some hard workouts the day before, and he was struggling a bit to keep up with me, but I'm so glad I didn't do it alone. Nutritionally, I was spot on, I took in a total of 6 Powerbars, 4 bottles of Accelerade, a flask of Hammer gel, and one bottle of Gatorade Endurance formula. I made it a point to eat and drink every 20 minutes, and my body felt sufficiently fueled the whole time. We finished up around 12:30 PM, and I literally felt fine. This ride was easier than some of my 50 mile rides, and we averaged over 18 mph. I have to say, before the ride, I was a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect, but I'm not afraid of that distance anymore, and I do think I can run/walk the marathon after the ride in Ironman. If I can do the 112 miles in less than 7 hours, that will give me at least 8 hours to finish the marathon, and I can do that, I know I can. I've run a straight marathon before, and did that in 3:42, so even if I run a 16 minute per mile pace, I will finish the Marathon in Ironman. I feel like I'm on track and I'm not slacking. Mentally, there have been days when I dont' feel like training, but they're few and far between.
We've still been getting random donations in the mail, and it's crazy to me. The director of the soccer league I used to play in, The Hartford Industrial and Insurance League sent out a mass communication to all its players and coaches with our story. It's incredible people that don't know me or anything about Jared are caring so much. I even got an email from someone that went to prom with Jared's cousin like 10 years ago, saying that he wanted to donate, and he actually even met Jared once, about 8 years ago! What a small world. We will be sending out a communication via email and US Mail very soon, so be on the look out for that, and if you'd like to be added to the distribution list, please send us an email at jpgscholarship@gmail.com. Thanks again everyone!
Training wise, did an 11 mile run in the heat today, and it's not exactly effortless, but it's much less difficult than it used to be. 11 miles now feels like 3 miles used to feel to me. A half marathon feels like a 5k now. Also, this past Thursday, July 3rd, I did my first 100 mile bicycle ride with my friend Rohan, who recently climbed Mt. Everest. We started in Rocky Hill, went through Middletown, and took the back roads to the beach, Hammonasset State Park in Madison. From there, we went past the Clinton Crossings shopping outlets, and then through Killingworth, Haddam, Chester, and then back through Middletown, Cromwell, and then a full loop around Rocky Hill. It took us just over 6 hours, and I feel like I could have done it faster. Rohan had some hard workouts the day before, and he was struggling a bit to keep up with me, but I'm so glad I didn't do it alone. Nutritionally, I was spot on, I took in a total of 6 Powerbars, 4 bottles of Accelerade, a flask of Hammer gel, and one bottle of Gatorade Endurance formula. I made it a point to eat and drink every 20 minutes, and my body felt sufficiently fueled the whole time. We finished up around 12:30 PM, and I literally felt fine. This ride was easier than some of my 50 mile rides, and we averaged over 18 mph. I have to say, before the ride, I was a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect, but I'm not afraid of that distance anymore, and I do think I can run/walk the marathon after the ride in Ironman. If I can do the 112 miles in less than 7 hours, that will give me at least 8 hours to finish the marathon, and I can do that, I know I can. I've run a straight marathon before, and did that in 3:42, so even if I run a 16 minute per mile pace, I will finish the Marathon in Ironman. I feel like I'm on track and I'm not slacking. Mentally, there have been days when I dont' feel like training, but they're few and far between.
We've still been getting random donations in the mail, and it's crazy to me. The director of the soccer league I used to play in, The Hartford Industrial and Insurance League sent out a mass communication to all its players and coaches with our story. It's incredible people that don't know me or anything about Jared are caring so much. I even got an email from someone that went to prom with Jared's cousin like 10 years ago, saying that he wanted to donate, and he actually even met Jared once, about 8 years ago! What a small world. We will be sending out a communication via email and US Mail very soon, so be on the look out for that, and if you'd like to be added to the distribution list, please send us an email at jpgscholarship@gmail.com. Thanks again everyone!
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