IronmanCDA - TriathlonFull Ironman

Not sure what the water temp was, cold, but refreashing for a long swim. No problem. From my few OWS the week before at home. I knew after the initial freeze, would get use to the cold and actually relish it-helps from overheating.

Mass starts! I would guess 200 yards of beach covered by black rubberized athletes and about 15-16 deep most of the length. An incredible sight.
Waded out fairly fast, forgetting to hold back. EXCITEMENT!. It was like movies of Salmon Runs. Bodies all around. Thrashing and Splashing. Only got smacked in the lip once, not bad. Tried to get a rhythm going, 3 strokes and breath. For the first lap, had to constantly adjust to people crossing in front of your line or feeling somebody crawling up your ankles. I don't use much foot kick , but others were doing it and it sounded like Depth Charges going off, ker CHUNK! Saw one guy go by me wearing black Speedos. Quickly looked the other way.

The first turn was ok, kinda knew that the outer third would be angleing in to the turn. Very congested area. Can't remember what my first split was. ? around 40 minutes. I was happy with that. Second lap, was a little more open area for swimming. But still had people with different lines of direction cutting me off or bumping into me.

After making the last turn and heading for the finish. It really starts to sink in that "Hey, this is ok, I'm going to make it with alot of time saved". And it was Fun! Sorta....

Haven't had many OWS in Training. More of that would help. Very happy with the way things went. Right on track with pace that I figured would happen from swim training. FIRST TIME GOING 4224 FREAKING YARDS....

Overall Swim: EXCELLENT, not just Good.

After the run up the beach exit, looked for strippers, got top off and laid/flopped down like a European Soccer player. Bottoms came off ok.
Got bag, Tent was crowded and steamy. Slowy tried to organize thoughts on what I had to do. (needs work and better bag organization).

Left my De Soto 4 Pocket Tri Shorts on. don't think I would have got my bike shorts on my wet butt. Had a hard time getting bike jersey on. Since I already had stuffed the pockets with cookies and other stuff. Thinks fell out. Forgot a dry washcloth Towel for feet. So socks were a little slow going on. Helmet on, Sunglasses were foggy from the humidity of the Swedish Sauna Tent.

Place stuff in the bag differently on order of what is going on in order. Like roll up the shirt so it just rolls down my back. Wasn't to concerned. But now that I reflect. 5 minutes here, and another couple minutes at T2, I would have been under 15 hours.

So I guess it does matter some.

Started off ok, tried to keep excitement level down an enjoy the ride. Seemed fast and since it was city streets and turns, didn't pay much attention to HRM. Focus on road course. Seemed like MPH was around 18.

Someguy goes by me and says something about color of bike. Name on bib is Stan....HEY! is that FlyBoy? On the first hill out on CDA Lake Drive, seemed like an easy climb and the quick downhill to the turnaround went ok. Flyboy came back around a little later and left me in his dust.
Got out to Riverview Drive and got through the two climbs ok. Second one is the one that sucked worse. Knew I would hate it on second lap.

I was nipping at the Perpetuam and water, took some gatorade also. Felt alittle bloaty. Wasn't super hot yet on first lap, but Knew the second lap was going to be in mid-day SUNSHINE! The nice down hill section was so curvy and irked me that I constantly had to scrub speed so as not to crash.
Got out to state line turnaround ok. Went through Greyhound Park ok. That was a cool area to ride through. Centennial Trail was a little windy. Was doing aero position quite abit. Only at around 30 mile mark did my hamstring do it's "hey I'm here thing!" But dissappeared and never bothered me again.
When I got across railroad bridge (no pass area) and two blocks later where there was a right turn, than a left turn back to back. I was gaining on a Texas Bike jersey guy and was starting to pass him and as we came out of the last turn, he started move to the left and moved rapidly left so as not to collide with him...(I can't remember if I was in Aero or not) but my speed was fast and I got a wobble in the steering, and was heading for the curb and not able to recover!!!!!

Lots of rocks, gravel and curb filled my vision. WAM! left side of front tire hit the curb, I did a half barrel roll and landed on my left shoulder blade and my head hit the ground hard, bike came over the top of me, one shoe came off my foot and detached from the pedal. (Whole time my mind is saying Sh**, Sh**, goddamit). Couple of the Course road guards come running over asking if I was ok. Took a look at my bike expecting bent rims, chain off, total Kaos. Got up and picked up bike, "HEY!, everything looks ok, spin wheels, ok. Guys are asking if I'm ok. Had some scratches on knees, and knew that my shoulder blade had scrapes. Shirt was all dirty. Broke a couple of ZippFizz Capsules in my pockets. ( lost 5 minutes there).

Got on bike started off slowly, went up and down the gears. Had to stop. Gear bag was flopping off of tiedown. (another minute).

Off I went down to Poleline Road. Adrenaline was pumping, where was the Texas Jersey guy. I wasn't really irked at him. I probably should have yelled out on "your Left". Calmed down and got back into sync. My mind was spinning around KARMA. Earlier on Riverview I had seen a guy with a nice RED TREK that had a broken Deraiulller talking to an official. He was done. So Last week's good deed of helping change a newbies tire during training paid off.

Got back into town and out to Special Needs. By this time. Perpetuam is hot and gross. Gatorade is blah. Pouring water over head constantly. Learned that I can ride with two bottles stuffed in jersey.

Back through town and when I turned on to NW Blvd, almost lost it in the turn with too much speed, had to go wide, almost hitting a cone.

Got back out to Riverview. First hill was longer this time, (how did that happen?) Saw a dead deer on the side of the road. Second hill SUCKED. Averaged 4mph, lowest gear. Had nothing. Many thoughts of F**k it! Walk the bike. But kept my head realizing walking up hill in bike shoes is worse.

Even the downhills were any fun any more, feet started getting hotspots and were sore on the pedals. Butt/crotch was getting raw from being wet on the saddle. Bloaty feeling. But just kept pedaling and focusing on the little successes.

People would go by and say "Spencer, did you crash?" Would shock me back to good feeling of comradeship (hate that word though-sounds communist)or friendship. Kept thanking road guards and fans, trying for all the good KARMA Good VIBES. Got into town and to T2. (Never Peed once during ride)???Some concerns.



On first lap, on Riverview Drive, I tried to fill a water bottle with Zippfizz, forgot to take some water out and the thing volcanoed on me with sticky fizzy crap. Never had the sense to stop and refill. Plus two of the vials broke on the crash.

Should experiment more with E-caps or salts of sometype. Probably need to put a bottle rack behind seat.

Need more long rides in training. My last month and a half of training was a whimper with the dumb hamstring. Work on Aero Cornering. RIDE LOTS and LONG. But my ave MPH was what I do during training, so I was ok with it.

Came in got off bike no problem, I remember to spin a little coming in to town. Got bag and had some problems getting fresh De Soto Tri Jersey on. Helper helped me. Changed into Run shorts. Fresh socks/first time socks. Went running out still carrying a water bottle...

Have shirt rolled so that head arms go in holes and than just roll jersey down.

I kinda sat around a little to much, tired/confused/not concerned feeling.
But still had that glorius feeling of Two Down, one to go.

I knew it was going to be a survival mode run. I had the time to make it to midnight barring anything that was catastrophic. Had hot spots or what I thought was rocks in my shoes, Checked. Nothing. Blisters?

Didn't keep mile splits. To discouraging to think about. Got back through park and into town and the city streets. Got mile 3 and realized I needed to go #2. Bananas/pretzels BBCookies finally got through the system.
Sitting in the porta john all hot sweaty and worrying about seizing up in the legs is not fun. But felt so much better and lighter. Just glad I didn't have the Runs. (didn't Soil myself- what a relief).

Out and back could not sustain a long run. Lots of walking and it wasn't fast. Lot of self though motivation, keep going, run to that tree, run to that sign. Than walk. Sip, get ice, sip chicken broth (pretty good). I had given up on gatorade, GU. Ate pretzels.

On second lap, my walking stride improved and so I was able to pass other walkers. Kept the run walk method going. Realized I would do around 6 hours. Saw MadCow and OldAG92 on the course.

Lot of thoughts of this is my one and only Ironman Race. So nice to count down the miles and finally

The last mile or less. Started to gauge the other in front. Didn't want to finish with somebody else in my picture. And worried that somebody would out sprint me at the line. (happens in marathons alot-bastards!)

Seemed like everybody faded some, I caught some guy with 5 blocks to go, high fived people in the street and found that last reserve of an Olympic 800m runner coming into the finish. NO MORE PAIN, hooting and WOO HOOing down to the line. Heard Mike Riley call out my name and WAM. Finished.

Two helpers did the lock me up by the shoulder so I wouldn't collapes. Knew they meant well, but I was ok, got let go wandered over to wife and dog by fence, was a little hyperventilating from the final SPRINT!!!! :)





Nothing. More training. I havent' trained in anything over 72 degrees. And here it was 94+.

Tried to figure out how to get my stuff and meet wife. Found the pizza, had a slice. So many people look like hell. I'm sore and hurting but not like some. So I did something right or didn't push harder?????

Got my bags and bike and wobbled gingerly over to the courthouse parking lot. Wife had to crawl into bed of truck to secure bike.

I had some yawns and my neck/jaw line started to cramp....Weird.


Training in heat. Still think I could be a little better with less body weight.


First one. Lots of thoughts of being the last one....But now two days later? Hmmmm, need to start thinking about how to sign up for IMCanada.

Had great accomadation down at the Casino (although its 25 miles away). Recommend it if you are into casino and don't mind the drive.

I was worried somewhat about my lack of training coming down the homestretch. But Barring anything drastic like injuries or broken equipment. I wanted this pretty bad. Go slow, run my race/pace, don't worry about the stud 59 year old women smoking you. And Have FUN.

Would I do IMCDA again. Absolutely! But first IMCanda, since that gives me more summer training.