Ironman USA Lake Placid - TriathlonFull Ironman

This "swim" went ok. A couple minutes slower than I expected. Surprised more people don't get hurt. I started a few rows back sort of left center with MD and Shane. I just never made it over to the line and even though we were towards the front a little I was jammed up immediately. Nowhere to go. Couldn't turn left and couldn't turn right. Couldn't go forward and couldn't slow down. Didn't really have control of my pace. I decided it wasn't worth the effort to get around people and just sort of stayed wide throughout. I probably should have swam a little harder and aggressively looking back but had a hard time rationalizing the effort level to gain 3 or 4 minutes. I'd probably start even closer to the front if I had to do it again. Getting swam over is less effort then trying to swim over people and I was hardly putting effort out.

Had to protect my territory a couple of times with some overly aggressive people. That's when it helps to be 185lbs. Felt bad for some of the girls I saw getting tossed around like rag dolls though. A couple of my friends had bad experiences too.

I'm not really sure if this swim is all that accurate of a portrayal of you swim fitness than it is about where you start and your tactics. It is a big experience to be a part of and I do like mass starts over wave starts because you know who is in front of you. I think this race has just outgrown the swim course. Better race tactics could have helped here.

Overall I just wanted to get out and not feel tired or beat up and I accomplished that.

Start faster to get out with a faster pack.

Crowded change tent added a bit of time.

820th OA
102nd AG

Swim faster.

Getting out of transition was crowded. It's like a mini penalty having an average swim. Spent the better part of the first 20 miles just trying to get by people. The descent on the first loop was crowded but just stayed over near the cones to get by. Second loop there was nobody and basically had free reign. Never went crazy fast with the bit of headwind but hit 51mph on the first and 54mph on the second. There was a bit of wind but nothing bad. The hills aren't really too bad on this course but get hyped up. I just rode the hills around 250 watts mostly and was never in any discomfort. It just felt like an easy long ride and I sort of just zoned out. It seemed to go by pretty quick overall. The second loop was beautiful when the crowding thinned out and I was able to just enjoy the scenery.

Got about 2400 cals in. Drank some perform and water along the way supplemented with EFS gel shots and CarboPro.

I did adjust my effort level the second loop by quite a bit. Looking back I made a poor judgement on what watts I should have been at. I should have closer to 195 the first loop and then worked towards 200 maybe but I was really riding by feel and not to the numbers really. It did feel real easy and HR is in range. Even though it felt easy it probably cost me and as it started warming up on the second loop I had to make the call to dial it way back.

1st Loop
2hrs 36min - Too fast and I actually didn't really notice because I expected the bears to slow me way down having never ridden the course but they didn't that much. Decided based on knowing the top splits from last year I must be way overdoing it because if I repeated this I would be at the front and I'm not quite that strong so backed way off.
Average Watts - 207
Normalized Power - 226
Average Heart Rate - 144
Cadence - 76

2nd Loop
2hrs 49min - Yep. I backed off a lot once I started thinking about the marathon. Kind of rookie mistake that I won't make again.
Average watts - 187
Normalized power - 207
Average Heart Rate - 139
Cadence 72

Total Ride
Average Watts 196
Normalized Power 217
Average Heart Rate 142
climbing 6,489 ft says the joule

The totals look about right but way too lopsided on the loops. If I even rode it then it may have been just right.

Overall I don't find this course too difficult in itself but I think the discipline of pacing the bike is easy to put lip service too and still not do properly. I'd imagine lots of people think they are going easy when they aren't because I was getting passed on some hills that I was putting out decent wattage only to fly past most of them later on the flats.

Goal was to set myself up to be in a position to put in a good run and I really wasn't too focused on the bike time. I just knew when I saw my lap 1 time that I was screwing up because a 5:12 would have been over my pay grade on a rookie Ironman.

Equipment:
2011 Cervelo P2, 50/34 compact w/ 11/23 in the back
HED Jet 6 FR front w/ HED Jet 6 FR Powertap SL+ in the back and disc cover

Start more conservatively. Force myself to slow down.

Easy T2. Was pretty smooth except stopped to pee after holding it the entire bike.

375th OA
49th AG

Kaboom.

Didn't have the day I could have but powered through. My legs actually felt fine but my gut was shutting down. Tried to take a bunch of salt tabs and it helped a little. The course nutrition just wasn't doing it for me and looking back I will bring my own belt next time I think or at least have something in special needs just in case. I was really forcing calories down and it was making me feel nauseas but I knew I needed the calories so did it anyway. Maybe I should have just gone lighter. Not sure. I do know I stopped at 5 portobody and felt really bloated the entire time.

I walked a ton. I walked every aid station plus a bunch. It felt a lot slower than the time said at the end. I folded to the mental demons a little telling me to walk. The mental game is tough.

Was cool to see the family and friends coming through town. Really cool coming down the stretch and seeing the fork in the road that says "2nd loop" and "to the finish" and while you feel bad for the people taking that left when you take that right towards the finish suddenly there is no pain, no nausea and you have goose bumps. Great feeling.

I never really faded a ton or anything. I just started slow and was slow the entire time. Looking back I can't pinpoint right now if it was a mixture of overall fitness, biking too hard, heat, run specific fitness, nutrition on the run (the fizzy coke, disgusting gels and gross perform), just an off day or what. Will need to correct it to do put in a good marathon time though.


Update: coach thinks the run issues were all nutrition related and not bike pace based on my training. going to go into it in more detail soon.

Run faster. Bring nutrition. Weigh less. Bike easier. Not walk every aid station. It's too slow.

Ate some pizza.


My fitness. On a good day maybe I go 10:45. On a horrible blowup maybe I go 11:30. In general I was probably right around what is expected for my fitness I think.


Overall it was a great trip with some great friends. I had a blast. When I signed up last year I had know knowledge that I would have a new baby May 23rd and then be laid off from work on May 27th. It was tough keeping my head in the game during the big months of April, May, June and July but I feel like I persevered and am proud to get it done. I don't think I will go long again for awhile. I'd like to get faster. I have some benchmarks I want to hit running before heading back to 140.6. I think I'd want to get to the point where I had a legit shot at going under 10 which may never happen depending on life circumstances. For a first effort I'm satisfied and glad I did it because not sure if life will let me put in the training time to ever really do one again. I think I need to be going <4:40 on some 70.3 races in the northeast before I try again. While it's cool to do one, I've done it and just wouldn't bother again unless I thought I could chop about an hour off my time. It's too life consuming.....BUT IT IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! I'll probably be back in 2 years for more after I get some more speed and power...if life lets me train consistently until then.