It's been a while since I've posted. The last couple months have been a whirlwind of activity; both in terms of work, training, and racing. First, I learned a LOT at the New England Multisport expo at MIT on March 30th. Discussions and seminars I attended there will certainly make me a better triathlete and coach in the future. I'd first like to thank the guys from Total Immersion (TI). Their one hour seminar was eye opening for me in a number of ways. My swimming has already improved. I hope to share with you all some items I learned in time.
Second, I've been traveling a LOT for work. First I was in California, then New Orleans, then Shepardstown, then Tajikistan, then Turkey. Hell I've traveled the world practically over the last 8 weeks. I've managed to keep my training up the best I can but lets just say the word "erratic" comes to mind. For those of you who know me, erratic and Kevin don't go in the same sentence together unless we are talking about my temper--that's a whole another story.
Third, my first race of the year was a debacle all together. I've been trying to erase the water-logged and muddy memory of the Kinetic Sprint all together. Let's just say that April and sprint race don't sit well with KonaKev. As for erasing the 7 week memory, I really couldn't no matter how hard I tried until this past weekend's TTT in Shawnee State Park, Ohio--more on that later. Then of course squeezed in the middle of all this was the "big event" I organize every year for the RATS and that of course being the Tour de Skyline (TdS). It was another crazy and hectic year with the weather not cooperating very much. The weather on DAY 1 was so bad and miserable that if you didn't descend the mountain to start you most likely got turned around by a very insistent Park Ranger who wanted us off the cold and wet mountain. All in all the TdS was a success I along with only 3 or 4 others did the entire 220 mile ride.
My next post will bring you up to speed with what happened at TTT and the Reston Sprint triathlon. those represent the 2nd and 3rd races of the year for me. Now that we are getting to June the training and race calendar really begin to heat up.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Never underestimate The Marathon...
...if you do, you'll crash and burn. I'm proof in the puddin' as they say. Today I "attempted" DC's own National Marathon. By all accounts, a great event. Great course. Great race direction from Keith Dowling and his crew. They could have used a few more porta potties but don't we say that about every race?
Coming into today I would say I've had a trying offseason in the least. It seems like an eternity ago I was cruisin' down A'li'i Drive. First the pneumonia that had me out of commission with ZERO workouts for 6 weeks. True it was good that was January and not July. Nevertheless, it's taken me a while to get back in the swing of things. I've had some issues with my groin/hip flexor/lower abdominals that has kept me guessing a lot. I've also been very busy with work but it's good to be busy over the winter and early spring so I can open thing up once the warm weather hits. Enough whining and self loathing, back to the debacle that was today's marathon.
My first mistake is forgetting what a marathon is all about. Even as a seasoned Ironman I have the most respect for the event. I still contend that a hard raced marathon is more mentally and physically demanding than an Ironman. I know it seems counter intuitive but to me it's just a fact. Today, I didn't give the marathon it's due respect. Yes I got the requisite 2-3 20+ mile long runs in but I didn't have the volume and all the lactate threshold work that goes along with training for the event. Second mistake was that I did a zero taper. This past Tuesday I hit the RBC bike ride with a vengeance. My glutes and hamis are still sore. I then backed that up with some hard 200s and 400s on the track. Not exactly the taper that your supposed to do pre-marathon. I figured, hell, I'm an Ironman, I can grit it through: wrong! Third mistake, I didn't think about my nutrition the last few days out. Back in my days before triathlon I was meticulous about my training and nutrition. It's amazing that in 3 yrs and 11 months from my last stand alone marathon how quickly you forget all this. I figured, no matter, I'm an Ironman. I can tough it out: wrong again!
The morning of the race was uneventful. I carpooled down with some RR and had a good time seeing some familiar faces. I got so wrapped up that I didn't manage to take care of business before the race (#1 and #2). Not good. 25 minutes waiting in line was apparently not enough. Oh well. As the race started all was good. I managed to see Fabrice and Erica in the great corral system that had been set up. I also ran into Greg Gould a coworker of mine which I've never done before. As the race started I quickly got in a good rhythm. the pace for the first 2-3 miles was in the 7:10-7:20 range. I was breathing easily and relaxed. The pace was even faster than I thought possible. Coming in I thought I'd go somewhere between 3:15-3:30. It looked like I was going to meet that with no problems. Then the GI issues started. Breakfast or dinner was not agreeing with me today. I usually never have these kind of problems. And also because I could take care of business before the race I had to hit just about every porta-potti I saw over the first 6-7 miles. Regardless, I was still in sub 3:30 order. Then the sore hamis and glutes that I thought I could tough through started showing fatigue over the very hilly portion of the course (miles 6-8). This was my 11th Marathon if you include my 3 Ironmans. I mention this because I started getting the mile 20 cramps at mile 9. Not good. It was about here that I decided a 1/2 sounds just about right today. Thus, I managed to keep cruising at around 7:20ish for the last 4 miles and I called it a day. Yes, I'm sad. My first DNF technically even though I completed the 1/2. Look on the bright side, I'll recover quick and starting getting ready for the tri season and I'll actually be able to go hard at next week's Cherry Blossom 10 Miler which represents a special milestone for me. It was 10 years ago that I started in endurance sports. The CB 10 Miler in 1999 was my 2nd race ever. This year will mark my 10th in a row! Now I'll be able to give it it's due. Sorry Brent, it looks like I won't be going to Boston with you, unless I decide to comeback for some revenge this fall. Maybe then I'll treat the marathon with the REAL respect it's due.
Talk to you tomorrow. I'm heading up to Boston for the Multisport World Conference and Expo. It should be an excellent learning experience. They are going to hold some awesome clincs and seminars. For more information see: http://www.newenglandmultisportexpo.com/clinics.html
Coming into today I would say I've had a trying offseason in the least. It seems like an eternity ago I was cruisin' down A'li'i Drive. First the pneumonia that had me out of commission with ZERO workouts for 6 weeks. True it was good that was January and not July. Nevertheless, it's taken me a while to get back in the swing of things. I've had some issues with my groin/hip flexor/lower abdominals that has kept me guessing a lot. I've also been very busy with work but it's good to be busy over the winter and early spring so I can open thing up once the warm weather hits. Enough whining and self loathing, back to the debacle that was today's marathon.
My first mistake is forgetting what a marathon is all about. Even as a seasoned Ironman I have the most respect for the event. I still contend that a hard raced marathon is more mentally and physically demanding than an Ironman. I know it seems counter intuitive but to me it's just a fact. Today, I didn't give the marathon it's due respect. Yes I got the requisite 2-3 20+ mile long runs in but I didn't have the volume and all the lactate threshold work that goes along with training for the event. Second mistake was that I did a zero taper. This past Tuesday I hit the RBC bike ride with a vengeance. My glutes and hamis are still sore. I then backed that up with some hard 200s and 400s on the track. Not exactly the taper that your supposed to do pre-marathon. I figured, hell, I'm an Ironman, I can grit it through: wrong! Third mistake, I didn't think about my nutrition the last few days out. Back in my days before triathlon I was meticulous about my training and nutrition. It's amazing that in 3 yrs and 11 months from my last stand alone marathon how quickly you forget all this. I figured, no matter, I'm an Ironman. I can tough it out: wrong again!
The morning of the race was uneventful. I carpooled down with some RR and had a good time seeing some familiar faces. I got so wrapped up that I didn't manage to take care of business before the race (#1 and #2). Not good. 25 minutes waiting in line was apparently not enough. Oh well. As the race started all was good. I managed to see Fabrice and Erica in the great corral system that had been set up. I also ran into Greg Gould a coworker of mine which I've never done before. As the race started I quickly got in a good rhythm. the pace for the first 2-3 miles was in the 7:10-7:20 range. I was breathing easily and relaxed. The pace was even faster than I thought possible. Coming in I thought I'd go somewhere between 3:15-3:30. It looked like I was going to meet that with no problems. Then the GI issues started. Breakfast or dinner was not agreeing with me today. I usually never have these kind of problems. And also because I could take care of business before the race I had to hit just about every porta-potti I saw over the first 6-7 miles. Regardless, I was still in sub 3:30 order. Then the sore hamis and glutes that I thought I could tough through started showing fatigue over the very hilly portion of the course (miles 6-8). This was my 11th Marathon if you include my 3 Ironmans. I mention this because I started getting the mile 20 cramps at mile 9. Not good. It was about here that I decided a 1/2 sounds just about right today. Thus, I managed to keep cruising at around 7:20ish for the last 4 miles and I called it a day. Yes, I'm sad. My first DNF technically even though I completed the 1/2. Look on the bright side, I'll recover quick and starting getting ready for the tri season and I'll actually be able to go hard at next week's Cherry Blossom 10 Miler which represents a special milestone for me. It was 10 years ago that I started in endurance sports. The CB 10 Miler in 1999 was my 2nd race ever. This year will mark my 10th in a row! Now I'll be able to give it it's due. Sorry Brent, it looks like I won't be going to Boston with you, unless I decide to comeback for some revenge this fall. Maybe then I'll treat the marathon with the REAL respect it's due.
Talk to you tomorrow. I'm heading up to Boston for the Multisport World Conference and Expo. It should be an excellent learning experience. They are going to hold some awesome clincs and seminars. For more information see: http://www.newenglandmultisportexpo.com/clinics.html
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The 29th Ironman World Championship Race Report
Race Week
OK. So it’s been a month and I haven’t written my race report. Apparently I’m not as type “A” as everyone else in this Club. With the likes of people like Shawn Clark and Stacy you’re a loser unless you don’t crank out the RR in less than 24 hours. For me, I need to do a little introspection to get my full take on the event. And with this race that was certainly needed. I would characterize this race as an “event” more than anything else. There is so much wrapped into it with the international crowd, to the laid back nature of the Hawaiians, to the crazed press corps, to the ever-exercising participants. As the tri geek that I am I was in continuous visual overload. I could certainly see that I wasn’t the only one. My roomy and fellow Kona participant Stacy Taylor was amped up all week.
Most of you probably followed my blog all week and that only scratches the surface of what it was like to be there. The experience was everything I thought it would be and more. The greatness of our sport is its accessibility. Not only to participate but to follow the daily happenings of the pros and the realization that they are just like you but they have the fortune of making triathlon their career.
Pre-Race
I woke up about 5AM which wasn’t much earlier than I had been. I think I was still on East Coast time or something. I drank my 2 bottles of Ensure and was feeling pretty fresh. The morning of wasn’t much different then the 4 days prior. I got down to “Dig Me” beach a little earlier but I felt very relaxed and confident that it was going to be a good day. Loads of people were already lined up on the sea wall. I got my last minute stuff all sorted out. I pumped up the tires. The guy on one side of me was from Japan and the other side was German. Neither spoke any English. Yup, it was a world championship for sure. Another thing was unique about Kona. The bib numbers are sorted by AG, so everyone on my rack was in my age group. I think there were over 200 in our age group.
After I had that all sorted out, there was about 40 minutes to go until the race. I wandered off to check out the pro bikes and sure enough everyone who is anyone was there. Macca was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Later I learned that’s because the morning he showed up a tire was flat so someone got him a new wheel and tire ready to go. Over by the bathroom sitting all by her self in a meditative pose was none other than the 6-time wonder Natasha Badman. She looked pretty ready to go.
I stood by the ramp down to the water to see the pros start with Kona Stacy. It is here where we got videoed on the Ac tive.com Ironman blog. After the pro gun Stacy and I said “good luck” and a goodbye kiss and hug to one another and we made our way out into the water. I felt pretty relaxed out there treading. I was as ready as I was going to be. Stacy wanted to be way out to the side. I was hoping to find someone I could draft off—yeah right!
Swim (1:20:30; 1350th)
A couple things about this swim put me at a distinct disadvantage over the rest of those competing. One, put simply, I’m not a good swimmer. Second, I have NEVER done a triathlon is salt water/ocean. Three, I have never done a mass start Ironman swim before. You’d think I’d have broached these last two concerns prior to coming to the World Championships, don’t you think?! Oh well, I tried and make the best of it. I eased out into the water a few minutes aft the pros started and put myself right in the middle of everything. Not to close to the start line. I was probably about 20 yards back of the kayakers and surfers watching the line. When the gun went off the washing machine hit the large load dirty cycle. The proverbial washing machine created consistent turbid foam for nearly the first half of the swim. There weren’t a lot of punches or feet pulling but put simply, it was very crowded. I had people right in front, back, and both sides the entire swim. I have never experienced that before. Every one is a while I would look for the mast of the catamaran where we were to make the turn back to the pier. I saw it from way out. It appeared a lot closer and seemed to take a while to get there. It was only once I got to it that realized how massive of a boat it is. This is what made it seems to take forever.
The trip back seemed to go quicker than the way out but I was starting to develop a lot of pain in the neck and under the arms. This kind of thing had happen before in wetsuit races but never without. What I was feeling was the trapped air between my jersey and my skinsuit mixed with the saltwater had rubbed me completely raw in a few areas. Just last night my wife told me a I have a 1”x4” pe4rmanennt scar now on my lower back where all my skin was rubbed off. Lesson learned: when you are going to be doing a LONG swim in the ocean pretty much apply lubricant to your entire upper body. I noticed people doing this to what I thought was an excess before the swim, now I know better. I guess they learned their lesson the hard way as well.
I have to admit that the swim seemed long to me and my time reflected this. I was 6 minutes slower than Louisville which was disappointing because I felt like I certainly worked harder here. Both were non-wetsuit races to I guess the mass crowd start and the effects of saltwater are responsible for the slower time. On the bright side, it was beautiful to be able to see 50ft in any direction and to look at the reef and wish while you cruise along. I certainly haven’t had that fortune at any previous race.
T1 (3:17)
One thing can be said for the transitions at Kona—compact. Because it’s on a pier and that there are nearly 1800 competitors, there’s not much room left to waste. Other then about 30 porta-potties the pier is full of bikes. Nothing too cramped, but efficient. As a comparison to Louisville there was very little running with the bike prior to mounting. I made an effort to rinse off the salt water in the hose tent they have. I wish I had spent a little more time in there. The injuries suffered during the swim only got worse throughout the day.
Bike (5:29:11; 753rd after the bike)
As is always the case, I said to myself within seconds of mounting the bike, “now the race starts.” I managed to keep the mind and body in check and just motored the first 6-7 miles in town. I was checking out the crowds and all the people. It was a true festival of excitement in every sense of the word. Once out of town the first thing I came upon was a bruised and battered Natasha Badman on a cell phone with one foot inside an ambulance. I guess this was only the beginning of a crazy day for the pros. As I headed north on the Queen K past the airport is when the real surreal moonscape takes the fore. You could never feel lonely but I was steadily passing a bunch of faster swimmers/slower riders the whole way. I’d try and strike up a little conversation here or there as I pass like I do in most big/long races. It’s a way to keep me going easy and not pushing too hard. The difference here at Kona was that only about ½ the people in the race speak English. A couple times I got back, “I don’t speak English” with a heavy German accent. Oh well.
As I got out to Waikoloa it became less crowed and more windy. This was only the beginning of the windiest day I have ever had on a bike! It is also where there are some slight climbs and descents. As for the course as a whole I didn’t find the topography all that challenging. I’d say a ride through rural Loudon County is considerably more hilly. But the fact that the land is so barren means that the effect of the wind is greatly amplified. As I made the turn by Kawaihae for the last 20 or so mile to Hawi the winds temporarily subsided until I got about 6 miles from Hawi. It was in the 14 mile stretch where I ran into the pros coming back. First I saw Chris Lieto doing a lot of work by HIMSELF as should be the case. He was followed at this point by Torjborn Sinballe about a ¼ mile back and then about another 1/8 of a mile there was a PACK with Cam Brown, Macca, Alexander, and a lot of others. If these guys were 10 meters apart then I would truly be shocked. About 10 minutes later right before I started the 90 degree right turn for the last 5 miles to Hawi I ran into the woman’s leader at that time which was still Michellie Jones. Now my beef here was that the cross winds were getting wicked. I almost got blown off my bike 3 times in this 5 mile stretch. I knew she was coming up because there was a helicopter overhead and there were two minivans, one on each side of here completely protecting her from the wind. Now, giving her the benefit of the doubt I would say these may have been the medical cars talking to her about her inner ear problems. I hope so because she was getting protected from some vicious winds.
The last 5 miles to Hawi were absolutely brutal. I was fully tucked in aero, certainly pushing somewhere around 230 watts and I was going 14 mph! As soon as we made the turnaround at Hawi was the special needs bag pickup. I got my bag and sat up putting stuff away in my jersey. I looked down at my speed and was going 42 mph while in top gear. Then I got down to business and for 5 miles I avg. 46 mph with a couple peaks over 50! I have never done that anywhere before. It was nuts.
My nutrition strategy on the bike was about the same as the two prior Ironmans. No solid food. 12-13 gels with water (1 every 20 minutes with 10-12 ounces of water) and 4 Endurolytes per hour. Supplemented by the occasional Gatorade or coke diluted with some water. Everything was going along fine until I took the Ensure at the turnaround. I had never done that before but I was craving it. I think that may have been a mistake. After that I felt bloated. I thought I needed it because after fighting that wind for nearly 60 miles, whether it be cross or head on, I was more tired than I should have been. To this day I haven’t nailed it down whether it was the two Ironmans in 6 weeks, or was it the improper fueling that did it. Trial and error and time will tell I guess.
I never felt a precipitous decline in power or output on the way back I was just getting a little tired and I knew I was sweating a lot because my outfit was virtually completely encrusted with salt. Usually from 80 miles on is when I feel my strongest on the bike. At IM Loo this is where I made up a lot of time and avg. over 24 mph. That wasn’t happening here. I was somewhere right around 20 which is pretty much what I avg. all day. As for the chaffing which started during the swim only got worse to the point that I was bleeding in my lower back and on the back of my arms. Another issue that was rearing up, most people know me know that I most of the time don’t use sunblock. Most of the time I get away without it because I don’t usually burn all that easy. This time I knew that the tropical altitude of the sun was going to be a doozy so I sun blocked before the race, and then again before the bike. But before I even got to T2 I could tell I was burning. Thank God I put on what I did because if I hadn’t I would have been roasted. I don’t care who you are ALWAYS wear sunblock in Kona!
On the Queen K just past the energy lab I saw the helicopters coming my way. I knew that meant that the lead men were on the Queen K heading fro the Lab in the other direction. I came upon them and it looked to be one hell of a race at that time. I saw Chris Lieto STILL leading, followed by Macca about 100m back, and then another 100m to Crowie. Having the lead three men within 200 meters had to make for some exciting racing. That gave me a little lift to an otherwise pretty sobering ride through barren lava fields. As I came back to town and down Palani I could see my entire posse in their RATS yellow yelling and screaming. That was a big emotional lift.
T2 (3:38)
I got off the bike and the legs felt quite good which left me excited because I wasn’t feeling all that well over the last 20 miles or so on the bike. I reapplied more sunblock and I was on my way. Thanks to Jeroen pointing out that I passed somewhere around 600 on the bike. It felt like a lot but not necessarily that many. It sounds more impressive than it is. It just means I suck at swimming.
Run (3:54:40; 725th at the finish)
When you exit the transition and make your way up Palani to the turn at Kuakini there are people everywhere. It’s like being in the biggest big city marathon. There is just so much stuff going on. I got to see my posse again as well as tons of other people calling out my name.
You make your way down to Ali’i and then out toward Kehahoe which is where we were staying. You pass lava Java and all the other places that make Kona special. As I got to about 5 miles where you make a turnaround I just didn’t have that killer instinct. I just didn’t possess that mental edge necessary to push oneself to the limit. That same drive and ambition that was free flowing from the well at IM-Louisville just 6 weeks prior had run dry. I wasn’t doing anything differently. I didn’t think it was any hotter or any more humid than at Loo. In fact, the weather conditions were probably better here at Kona. As for my pace and strategy it was the same as well. I was cruising at 8 min mile pace and then walking through the aid stations. I did feel a little more bloated so I wasn’t craving the calories as I should have. I just flipped a mental switch in my brain and I said, “the hard part was getting here...enjoy it.” So that’s what I tried to do.
Because my approach had changed I became chatty with the people around me. As I made back to downtown around mile 9 and was about to head up Palani to the Queen K I saw my load posse again. They were doing their best to cheer me up. I didn’t let them know that I wasn’t really racing anymore. I just said, “I’m gonna keep on truckin’.”
As I made the turn up Palani to the Queen K I knew there’s no way I’m running up that. I still have the Energy Lab to deal with. I walked up the hill and began to run again. My pace never really fell off per se. I still managed to finish with a sub 9min pace. I just walked longer out the back of all the aid stations. As I made my way out to the Lab here came the women’s leaders. The first girl I saw I said to myself, “who was that!” Apparently the announcers were doing the same thing. Not far off of Chrissie’s feet was a hard charging Sam Maglone. She was working hard to catch up. The only other women’s leader I noticed was Desiree Ficker and she was walking. It was clear she was having bad day.
Once I got to the energy lab I met up with a buddy I made during the parade from the Oakland area (my old stomping ground). He has done the race a number of times. We both were feeling about he same. We just decided once we got back on the Queen K for the last 6 miles or so that we would just keep each other company. Sometime I would surge ahead of him and then he would leap frog me. We did this the rest of the way. With about 4 miles to go I was starting to feel better. I think this was more of a mental thing than a physical one. I asked, “we’re going to break 11 aren’t we?” He came back real quick, “no doubt.” With that we began to pick up the pace and barely walk through aid stations. In fact, I skipped the last two all together. As I was coming down Palani I saw the back of Rutger Beke who I had saw earlier coming back from the lab while I was heading there. He was still walking. I told him as I passed, “I really respect you for finishing this race.” He quipped back, “Thanks man. It means a lot.” He’s a real class act.
When I made my way back to Ali’i I knew I have about 600 meters left. I looked for my family. Not all of them were there. Apparently the system sending out splits was delayed and they thought I had about another ½ hour. My oldest son Kurtis was ready to go, other than he didn’t have any shoes on. Oh well, it is Hawaii after all. He proceeded to run down and cross the finish line with me which was pretty special because I didn’t do that in my two previous races.
Initially right after the race I felt pretty good—much better than at IM-Loo. That’s for sure! About 30 minutes later I felt like crap. I always want to stay around and welcome all the late finishers in but I can never make it. I’m either too hungry or too exhausted to care at that point. I did hand out long enough to wait and see Kona Stacy finish with her daughter. Both of them were really beaming with excitement and fulfillment. I’m proud of both of them. After that I grabbed my bike and hobbled down to meet my folks who drive me back to the condo.
All in all I’m OK with my race. I was really bummed at that point and the next day because I thought Kona deserved a better effort from me. I thought Stacy was going to hit me a couple times within the first 24-48 hours after the race. She got tired of hearing me whine and complain. I don’t blame her. I do want to go back someday. I hope to have the fortune to do so again. I’m doing IM-Loo again next year and maybe I’ll accomplish my main goal for next year which is to break 10 hours. If I do that I may be on my way back to Kona.
I can wait to share the rest of my story with you all. To here more you’ll have to come to the Kona special on December 1st Dave Cascio’s. See you there!
OK. So it’s been a month and I haven’t written my race report. Apparently I’m not as type “A” as everyone else in this Club. With the likes of people like Shawn Clark and Stacy you’re a loser unless you don’t crank out the RR in less than 24 hours. For me, I need to do a little introspection to get my full take on the event. And with this race that was certainly needed. I would characterize this race as an “event” more than anything else. There is so much wrapped into it with the international crowd, to the laid back nature of the Hawaiians, to the crazed press corps, to the ever-exercising participants. As the tri geek that I am I was in continuous visual overload. I could certainly see that I wasn’t the only one. My roomy and fellow Kona participant Stacy Taylor was amped up all week.
Most of you probably followed my blog all week and that only scratches the surface of what it was like to be there. The experience was everything I thought it would be and more. The greatness of our sport is its accessibility. Not only to participate but to follow the daily happenings of the pros and the realization that they are just like you but they have the fortune of making triathlon their career.
Pre-Race
I woke up about 5AM which wasn’t much earlier than I had been. I think I was still on East Coast time or something. I drank my 2 bottles of Ensure and was feeling pretty fresh. The morning of wasn’t much different then the 4 days prior. I got down to “Dig Me” beach a little earlier but I felt very relaxed and confident that it was going to be a good day. Loads of people were already lined up on the sea wall. I got my last minute stuff all sorted out. I pumped up the tires. The guy on one side of me was from Japan and the other side was German. Neither spoke any English. Yup, it was a world championship for sure. Another thing was unique about Kona. The bib numbers are sorted by AG, so everyone on my rack was in my age group. I think there were over 200 in our age group.
After I had that all sorted out, there was about 40 minutes to go until the race. I wandered off to check out the pro bikes and sure enough everyone who is anyone was there. Macca was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Later I learned that’s because the morning he showed up a tire was flat so someone got him a new wheel and tire ready to go. Over by the bathroom sitting all by her self in a meditative pose was none other than the 6-time wonder Natasha Badman. She looked pretty ready to go.
I stood by the ramp down to the water to see the pros start with Kona Stacy. It is here where we got videoed on the Ac tive.com Ironman blog. After the pro gun Stacy and I said “good luck” and a goodbye kiss and hug to one another and we made our way out into the water. I felt pretty relaxed out there treading. I was as ready as I was going to be. Stacy wanted to be way out to the side. I was hoping to find someone I could draft off—yeah right!
Swim (1:20:30; 1350th)
A couple things about this swim put me at a distinct disadvantage over the rest of those competing. One, put simply, I’m not a good swimmer. Second, I have NEVER done a triathlon is salt water/ocean. Three, I have never done a mass start Ironman swim before. You’d think I’d have broached these last two concerns prior to coming to the World Championships, don’t you think?! Oh well, I tried and make the best of it. I eased out into the water a few minutes aft the pros started and put myself right in the middle of everything. Not to close to the start line. I was probably about 20 yards back of the kayakers and surfers watching the line. When the gun went off the washing machine hit the large load dirty cycle. The proverbial washing machine created consistent turbid foam for nearly the first half of the swim. There weren’t a lot of punches or feet pulling but put simply, it was very crowded. I had people right in front, back, and both sides the entire swim. I have never experienced that before. Every one is a while I would look for the mast of the catamaran where we were to make the turn back to the pier. I saw it from way out. It appeared a lot closer and seemed to take a while to get there. It was only once I got to it that realized how massive of a boat it is. This is what made it seems to take forever.
The trip back seemed to go quicker than the way out but I was starting to develop a lot of pain in the neck and under the arms. This kind of thing had happen before in wetsuit races but never without. What I was feeling was the trapped air between my jersey and my skinsuit mixed with the saltwater had rubbed me completely raw in a few areas. Just last night my wife told me a I have a 1”x4” pe4rmanennt scar now on my lower back where all my skin was rubbed off. Lesson learned: when you are going to be doing a LONG swim in the ocean pretty much apply lubricant to your entire upper body. I noticed people doing this to what I thought was an excess before the swim, now I know better. I guess they learned their lesson the hard way as well.
I have to admit that the swim seemed long to me and my time reflected this. I was 6 minutes slower than Louisville which was disappointing because I felt like I certainly worked harder here. Both were non-wetsuit races to I guess the mass crowd start and the effects of saltwater are responsible for the slower time. On the bright side, it was beautiful to be able to see 50ft in any direction and to look at the reef and wish while you cruise along. I certainly haven’t had that fortune at any previous race.
T1 (3:17)
One thing can be said for the transitions at Kona—compact. Because it’s on a pier and that there are nearly 1800 competitors, there’s not much room left to waste. Other then about 30 porta-potties the pier is full of bikes. Nothing too cramped, but efficient. As a comparison to Louisville there was very little running with the bike prior to mounting. I made an effort to rinse off the salt water in the hose tent they have. I wish I had spent a little more time in there. The injuries suffered during the swim only got worse throughout the day.
Bike (5:29:11; 753rd after the bike)
As is always the case, I said to myself within seconds of mounting the bike, “now the race starts.” I managed to keep the mind and body in check and just motored the first 6-7 miles in town. I was checking out the crowds and all the people. It was a true festival of excitement in every sense of the word. Once out of town the first thing I came upon was a bruised and battered Natasha Badman on a cell phone with one foot inside an ambulance. I guess this was only the beginning of a crazy day for the pros. As I headed north on the Queen K past the airport is when the real surreal moonscape takes the fore. You could never feel lonely but I was steadily passing a bunch of faster swimmers/slower riders the whole way. I’d try and strike up a little conversation here or there as I pass like I do in most big/long races. It’s a way to keep me going easy and not pushing too hard. The difference here at Kona was that only about ½ the people in the race speak English. A couple times I got back, “I don’t speak English” with a heavy German accent. Oh well.
As I got out to Waikoloa it became less crowed and more windy. This was only the beginning of the windiest day I have ever had on a bike! It is also where there are some slight climbs and descents. As for the course as a whole I didn’t find the topography all that challenging. I’d say a ride through rural Loudon County is considerably more hilly. But the fact that the land is so barren means that the effect of the wind is greatly amplified. As I made the turn by Kawaihae for the last 20 or so mile to Hawi the winds temporarily subsided until I got about 6 miles from Hawi. It was in the 14 mile stretch where I ran into the pros coming back. First I saw Chris Lieto doing a lot of work by HIMSELF as should be the case. He was followed at this point by Torjborn Sinballe about a ¼ mile back and then about another 1/8 of a mile there was a PACK with Cam Brown, Macca, Alexander, and a lot of others. If these guys were 10 meters apart then I would truly be shocked. About 10 minutes later right before I started the 90 degree right turn for the last 5 miles to Hawi I ran into the woman’s leader at that time which was still Michellie Jones. Now my beef here was that the cross winds were getting wicked. I almost got blown off my bike 3 times in this 5 mile stretch. I knew she was coming up because there was a helicopter overhead and there were two minivans, one on each side of here completely protecting her from the wind. Now, giving her the benefit of the doubt I would say these may have been the medical cars talking to her about her inner ear problems. I hope so because she was getting protected from some vicious winds.
The last 5 miles to Hawi were absolutely brutal. I was fully tucked in aero, certainly pushing somewhere around 230 watts and I was going 14 mph! As soon as we made the turnaround at Hawi was the special needs bag pickup. I got my bag and sat up putting stuff away in my jersey. I looked down at my speed and was going 42 mph while in top gear. Then I got down to business and for 5 miles I avg. 46 mph with a couple peaks over 50! I have never done that anywhere before. It was nuts.
My nutrition strategy on the bike was about the same as the two prior Ironmans. No solid food. 12-13 gels with water (1 every 20 minutes with 10-12 ounces of water) and 4 Endurolytes per hour. Supplemented by the occasional Gatorade or coke diluted with some water. Everything was going along fine until I took the Ensure at the turnaround. I had never done that before but I was craving it. I think that may have been a mistake. After that I felt bloated. I thought I needed it because after fighting that wind for nearly 60 miles, whether it be cross or head on, I was more tired than I should have been. To this day I haven’t nailed it down whether it was the two Ironmans in 6 weeks, or was it the improper fueling that did it. Trial and error and time will tell I guess.
I never felt a precipitous decline in power or output on the way back I was just getting a little tired and I knew I was sweating a lot because my outfit was virtually completely encrusted with salt. Usually from 80 miles on is when I feel my strongest on the bike. At IM Loo this is where I made up a lot of time and avg. over 24 mph. That wasn’t happening here. I was somewhere right around 20 which is pretty much what I avg. all day. As for the chaffing which started during the swim only got worse to the point that I was bleeding in my lower back and on the back of my arms. Another issue that was rearing up, most people know me know that I most of the time don’t use sunblock. Most of the time I get away without it because I don’t usually burn all that easy. This time I knew that the tropical altitude of the sun was going to be a doozy so I sun blocked before the race, and then again before the bike. But before I even got to T2 I could tell I was burning. Thank God I put on what I did because if I hadn’t I would have been roasted. I don’t care who you are ALWAYS wear sunblock in Kona!
On the Queen K just past the energy lab I saw the helicopters coming my way. I knew that meant that the lead men were on the Queen K heading fro the Lab in the other direction. I came upon them and it looked to be one hell of a race at that time. I saw Chris Lieto STILL leading, followed by Macca about 100m back, and then another 100m to Crowie. Having the lead three men within 200 meters had to make for some exciting racing. That gave me a little lift to an otherwise pretty sobering ride through barren lava fields. As I came back to town and down Palani I could see my entire posse in their RATS yellow yelling and screaming. That was a big emotional lift.
T2 (3:38)
I got off the bike and the legs felt quite good which left me excited because I wasn’t feeling all that well over the last 20 miles or so on the bike. I reapplied more sunblock and I was on my way. Thanks to Jeroen pointing out that I passed somewhere around 600 on the bike. It felt like a lot but not necessarily that many. It sounds more impressive than it is. It just means I suck at swimming.
Run (3:54:40; 725th at the finish)
When you exit the transition and make your way up Palani to the turn at Kuakini there are people everywhere. It’s like being in the biggest big city marathon. There is just so much stuff going on. I got to see my posse again as well as tons of other people calling out my name.
You make your way down to Ali’i and then out toward Kehahoe which is where we were staying. You pass lava Java and all the other places that make Kona special. As I got to about 5 miles where you make a turnaround I just didn’t have that killer instinct. I just didn’t possess that mental edge necessary to push oneself to the limit. That same drive and ambition that was free flowing from the well at IM-Louisville just 6 weeks prior had run dry. I wasn’t doing anything differently. I didn’t think it was any hotter or any more humid than at Loo. In fact, the weather conditions were probably better here at Kona. As for my pace and strategy it was the same as well. I was cruising at 8 min mile pace and then walking through the aid stations. I did feel a little more bloated so I wasn’t craving the calories as I should have. I just flipped a mental switch in my brain and I said, “the hard part was getting here...enjoy it.” So that’s what I tried to do.
Because my approach had changed I became chatty with the people around me. As I made back to downtown around mile 9 and was about to head up Palani to the Queen K I saw my load posse again. They were doing their best to cheer me up. I didn’t let them know that I wasn’t really racing anymore. I just said, “I’m gonna keep on truckin’.”
As I made the turn up Palani to the Queen K I knew there’s no way I’m running up that. I still have the Energy Lab to deal with. I walked up the hill and began to run again. My pace never really fell off per se. I still managed to finish with a sub 9min pace. I just walked longer out the back of all the aid stations. As I made my way out to the Lab here came the women’s leaders. The first girl I saw I said to myself, “who was that!” Apparently the announcers were doing the same thing. Not far off of Chrissie’s feet was a hard charging Sam Maglone. She was working hard to catch up. The only other women’s leader I noticed was Desiree Ficker and she was walking. It was clear she was having bad day.
Once I got to the energy lab I met up with a buddy I made during the parade from the Oakland area (my old stomping ground). He has done the race a number of times. We both were feeling about he same. We just decided once we got back on the Queen K for the last 6 miles or so that we would just keep each other company. Sometime I would surge ahead of him and then he would leap frog me. We did this the rest of the way. With about 4 miles to go I was starting to feel better. I think this was more of a mental thing than a physical one. I asked, “we’re going to break 11 aren’t we?” He came back real quick, “no doubt.” With that we began to pick up the pace and barely walk through aid stations. In fact, I skipped the last two all together. As I was coming down Palani I saw the back of Rutger Beke who I had saw earlier coming back from the lab while I was heading there. He was still walking. I told him as I passed, “I really respect you for finishing this race.” He quipped back, “Thanks man. It means a lot.” He’s a real class act.
When I made my way back to Ali’i I knew I have about 600 meters left. I looked for my family. Not all of them were there. Apparently the system sending out splits was delayed and they thought I had about another ½ hour. My oldest son Kurtis was ready to go, other than he didn’t have any shoes on. Oh well, it is Hawaii after all. He proceeded to run down and cross the finish line with me which was pretty special because I didn’t do that in my two previous races.
Initially right after the race I felt pretty good—much better than at IM-Loo. That’s for sure! About 30 minutes later I felt like crap. I always want to stay around and welcome all the late finishers in but I can never make it. I’m either too hungry or too exhausted to care at that point. I did hand out long enough to wait and see Kona Stacy finish with her daughter. Both of them were really beaming with excitement and fulfillment. I’m proud of both of them. After that I grabbed my bike and hobbled down to meet my folks who drive me back to the condo.
All in all I’m OK with my race. I was really bummed at that point and the next day because I thought Kona deserved a better effort from me. I thought Stacy was going to hit me a couple times within the first 24-48 hours after the race. She got tired of hearing me whine and complain. I don’t blame her. I do want to go back someday. I hope to have the fortune to do so again. I’m doing IM-Loo again next year and maybe I’ll accomplish my main goal for next year which is to break 10 hours. If I do that I may be on my way back to Kona.
I can wait to share the rest of my story with you all. To here more you’ll have to come to the Kona special on December 1st Dave Cascio’s. See you there!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Tomorrow is the Day
The bike is in transition. The bags turned in. The fluids locked and ready to go. The carbs have been consumed (Thai Rin--right next to Lava Java). The bike and it's parts were inventoried by a team from the "Kona bike count." I got a couple last shots and conversations with the pros. I saw Faris Al Sultan quietly reflecting by himself looking out at the water start mid-afternoon. Everything is set. Tomorrow is the biggest event in my athletic life. I'm looking forward to getting it on or as my friends from New Zealand and now Reston like to say, it's time to smack it! I don't know if this foretells anything but the volunteer who accompanied me in transition is the very same USAT official who dinged me for my position penalty at the Reston Triathlon last month. It's a small world, I know. The weather looks pretty favorable. Right now it's forcast for 86 with a 20% chance of showers and only 10mph winds. Things can change here in a hurry. I'm at least savy enough to know that I shouldn't worry about the things I can't change. Wish me luck tomorrow. I'll give it my best. Talk to you all after the race.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Full Kona Kunkel Klan has arrived
Today started off with the infamous Kona "underwear run." It was very funny and eye opening to say the least. I would say about 300+ folks showed for a brief 1+ mile run around the streets of Kona. We were led by our fearless leaders Paul Huddle and Roch Frey. I was one of the few wearing boxers--sorry no tidy whiteys for me since grade school. After that I managed to get another 1 mile swim in to the Coffees of Hawaii Espresso bar. I finally got to meet Albert (owner) and none other than Gordo Byrn got me my drink of Gatorade. They both got me fired up to join the boys from ironmantalk for Epic Camp New Zealand. God I'd love to do that. After that I got some breakfast at a total dive that coincidently had Heather Fuhr and Paula Newby Frazer at the next table. Seeing all these pros is mind boggling. From there I headed out to the airport to pick up the boys Kurtis and Cameron and my wife Joanne. We are now complete. The day ended with the welcome dinner and entertainment. It was awesome and funny. They showed a brief video that I would give anything to get a hold of. Lastly, for those of you who are going to track me online. You will receive a free video clip of me. It's the first time I think they've done this. Let me know how it turns out. Tomorrow is the day to check in the bike and rest up and just take it easy. For those of you who know that that's no problem---right? NOT!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Day 2: Registered, pro sightings everywhere, and Mom & Dad Arrive
Today was another crazy day in Kona. I started off with a 1 mile swim. Why 1 mile? because at a half mile the folks from Coffees of Hawaii had an Espresso bar on a catamaran. I can't think of a better place for a stop. As I was about 50 meters from shore I saw a pretty strong swimmer come by on my left so I decided to try and jump on hs feet for the last little bit and I was able to hang pretty well. As we exited the water and looked at who's feet I was on, they were none other than Norman Stadler (see pic at right). After that I hung out with Kona Stacy and went to packet pickup. On our way we ran into Desiree Ficker and I told here to "rock this race!" She said she's, "going for it!" At registration, I ended up being in line next to Kate Major. Yes, the pros have to go through the same lines and process as us mere AGers. We then headed over to Lava Java for some breakfast eats--quite good. I then rode from town to the airport on the bike to pick up my parents and get the minivan rental (for you training factoid junkies, I swam a total of 1 mile and bikes about 20). I can't believe how many people you see swimming, biking, and running all day long and all over the island. I really don't know if that's the smartest approach. I'll quote the late great Bill Bowerman here, "the hay is in the barn folks." Then I finally got mom & dad checked in to their hotel. Yes I brought my parents to Kona on frequent flier miles and I put them in a hotel using points because I'm a good son. It's my little way of thanking them for raising me and hell they've been married for 51 years. They deserve it. Also, my mom has never seen me race...anything!Tomorrow is another short swim followed by the annual underwear run. You know I've got to do that. I can't talk Stacy into it so she'll take pics. Then hopefully I'll make my way out to the airport AGAIN to pick up the rest of my nuclear family. Check in with you all tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Finally arrived in Kona
The two days since my last post haven't gone exactly as planned. My sliced toe still hurts and I managed to come down with a head and chest cold--not exactly what you want before the most important race of your life! I managed to get in today a little after 11AM and my favorite tri cheerleader Stacy Taylor was there to pick me up. We then headed back to the condo (nice recommendation Cascio), built the bike, and then headed out for a 20min swim and a 30min run to loosen the airline induced thrombosis legs. After that we headed to own for the parade of nations. If one thing in my academic career served me well , it was my extensive knowledge of flags. Everyone was looking at me watching the parade to let them know who was up next. Since the U.S. was last we jumped and then paraded with the U.S. delegation (U.S. makes up 761 of the athletes this year). Candy was flying all over the place. Natascha Badman headed the Swiss delegation. Ken Glah and Paula Newby Frazer were Grand Marshals. The parade ended at the Athletes Village where the expo kicked off. I managed to see Bob Babbit, Rock Frey, and got signatures and pics from Michellie Jones and Simon Lessing (see pics to the right). Stacy is keeping me and everyone within earshot in good spirits as she always does. Tomorrow is a swim and bike day before I ride the bike to the airport to pick up the rental car so that I can pick up my parents. My immediate family is supposed to come in Thursday so it's going to get crowded soon. Talk to you all soon!
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