IMAZ (April '08) - Race Report

Here is my post race report from IMAZ April. It's a little late since I have been busy moving from Mississippi to Colorado Springs, CO. I'm just getting settled in and wanted to get this done. So here goes...

The short version is: I went. I raced. I finished.

My times:
Swim = 1:27:00
T1 = 7:15
Bike = 7:41:24
T2 = 6:52
Run = 6:18:04
Total = 15:40:33

A BIG thanks to all of you for your thoughts, prayers, emails, texts, messages on the race board, and especially for calling my wife during the race! She loves talking to people (anybody, anywhere, anytime, about anything). While Ironman is a long day for the racer, I think it can be even longer for those in the crowds supporting their significant other. She told me at one time she had over 20 calls to her, which made her happy and made the event much more enjoyable. Support is HUGELY (is that a word?) important, and not just for the racer! Thank you so, so much!

Here are some race details...

Swim = The water was smooth and cool, but not cold. We treaded water for about 15 min before the start. Temp was about 65-70, or so. It actually felt good. There was a lot of bumping for the first 10 min, but not bad. I had to shift lanes a few times, but it was not nearly as bad I envisioned. I tried to swim slow and pace. At the turn around, I was at 38 min, still too fast. So I slowed down even more on the way back. Wanted to make it out in 1:30, so I was just fine when I got out and not tired at all. Thank God for wet suits!

T1 = Got hung up some in T1. Could not find my bag, but one of the volunteers did. The volunteers were GREAT!!! My feet were pretty muddy/dirty so I took some time to clean them. After all, I still had a long, long day in front of me. And I like clean feet, at least on me anyway.

Bike = the course is an out/back loop of about 19 miles each way. The road is flat with one long, slow incline at the end. It is much like the Natchez Trace, only with MUCH more wind. The headwinds going out were brutal! Turns out they were about 22 mph at first. I tried not to fight it and just keep going as easy as I could. I tried to stay out of the single digits, but fell to 8-9 mph on occasion, on flats no less! I must have beaten plenty of people in the water, because I got passed by PLENTY of people on the bike, as usual. When I passed my first person, I was going a blazing 10 mph! Finally, I reached the turn around. The tailwind was awesome! I was literally coasting at 25 mph at times! I barely had to pedal on the way back at all. Even at 25, the pros were lapping me like I was standing still. They must have been going 35! I heard so many Zipp wheels pass me it was incredible! I could not have managed race wheels in that wind. And so it went for 2 more loops. Slow out, fast back, slow out, fast back, etc... I felt ok until the 3rd loop. Then I started to tire and the "gremlins" started playing mind games with me. But I knew once I made it to the final turnaround that I had made it to the run. All I had to do was coast back in. Oh, by the way, on the last "out" part of the bike, the first aid station had run out of all fluids. I was refueling from aid station to aid station, so I was basically out of fluids for another 10 miles or so. Then I saw the next aid station on the left side of the road. This was for the folks coming back in. Then I saw a biker in my lane swerve over to get a bottle of water. Aha! Great idea! So I waited until the coast was clear, and then swerved over to get one. I think I scared some poor lady to death when I came up from behind her in the wrong direction hollering "Water!" She gave me water and then a sermon about not crossing over like that. I didn't wait around for it, thanked her, then swerved back into my lane and kept going. On the way back, I actually started feeling pretty good for some reason. So I pushed it a little bit and passed a few tired bikers on the way back in. It probably cost me some energy, but it felt good to finally pass somebody!

T2 = No problems here. The sunscreen/slather ladies covered me in sun screen to save my hide from getting scorched. They seemed to enjoy their job. I said something like, "You must have drawn the short straw to get this job." She replied, "Oh no, we WANTED this job. We love it!" Got to love someone that loves their job. Thanks ladies! You saved my bacon, or rather saved me from frying like bacon!

Run = Course was relatively flat with a few inclines. I decided to run the flats and walk through the aid stations and inclines. I was fine through the first two loops, but started to fade even more on the 3rd loop. At 21 miles, I did the math in my head and knew that I would not beat my goal of a sub 15 hour IM. Best case at that point was about 15:15, and only if I busted my gut and pushed for 5 more miles. Decided between that and walking the last 5 miles and enjoying the balance of the day. Decided that the extra 25 min it would take me to walk were fine. Finishing in 15:15 or 15:40 did not matter to me at that point. I had developed a big blister on the ball of my left foot about the size of a silver dollar. So I hobbled home.

Two funnies: 1) at the first run aid station, I wanted to dunk my head into some ice water to cool down. I found a garbage can full of water with no ice. I took off my hat and glasses and dumped my head into it down to my neck. When I pulled it out, I realized that I had just dunked my sweaty, nasty head into the DRINKING water! I told them I was sorry and took off running. Wonder what that tasted like? Eeeewwww! 2) Later in the night, they were serving hot chicken broth. I took a cup, said something to somebody, forgot it was hot chicken broth, then promptly dumped it on my head thinking it was ice water! Ouch! And stupid!

The highlight of the whole race was at the end. Just before the finishing chute, my wife was anxiously waiting for me wondering what had happened to me. We walked along as I told her I was fine and what happened. So I was able to walk with both her and my son (who turned 15 on race day) as we walked through the crowds. It was a magical moment to walk through the crowds and hear them cheer while holding hands with them. All 3 of us got our pictures made crossing the finish line together, which was pretty special.

While I am thankful to complete my first Ironman, I am not really pleased with my time. So I feel like I have some unfinished business and extra motivation to do better at IMAZ in Nov. I'll call it IMAZ II (the sequel). I will take off a few weeks and start over from scratch. Must bike and run much, much more to get ready!

Fyi...Over 300 participants did not finish (DNF) at all. Some reports say it was the 3rd highest percentage of DNF's at any IM event ever in North America. I don't know that for sure. While I am thankful and humbled to have finished, I hurt for those that did not. I had just met one guy the night before at a party and saw him on race night. He had passed out on the side of the road. The medical folks were helping him get back on his feet. Temps were in the mid 90's. Winds were not as bad as Darryl and Eugene faced at IMAZ last year, but had to hit 20+ mph or more at times. I won't whine as bad next time I get a little breeze on the Trace. Think of it as good practice time!

Many thanks to all of you again! Your support was greatly felt and appreciated!

Gary