Ironman Arizona - TriathlonFull Ironman

If you are doing this race head to the swim start early. By 6:30 almost all the athletes are in line and if you want to move toward the front it could be difficult. This was the first year IMAZ used a rolling start. Athletes self seed with the use of signs that have times on them, i.e 1:00, 1:10, 1:20 and so on. I was expecting to swim between 1:15 and 1:20 and placed myself right in that group. Once the race is started athletes walk up to a platform that has two steps up and then metal steps that lead down to the water. I was admittedly nervous about this start. There is no warm up area to acclimate to the water. This year the water temp was 63 degrees (last year at CDA it was 64 and I had no issue but was able to get in the water prior to the start to acclimate). Secondly you have 2700 athletes that are going down a set of stairs and basically jumping on each other and immediately starting to swim. Your race time starts as you cross a timing matt at the top of the stairs. When I seeded myself I did so in a way to be able to go down the first set of stairs at the far right side, I did not want to get caught up in the lanes in the middle, to much congestion. I think there are 6 or 8 lanes total. Mike Reilly was at the top of the stairs giving out high fives and I gave him a high five and headed down the steps. I had been told that there are some rocks at the bottom of the stairs and to jump out and not go to deep. So I jumped in and my head went under the water and when I came up the shock of the cold water left me gasping for air. I immediately had that panic feeling of not being able to breathe. For some people, jumping into the cold water had little to no effect...for me it was awful. The thoughts that raced through my head were "you are not going to make this" "get to a kayak and hold on until you can calm down" "keep moving so someone doesn't jump on you" "your friends are here to watch you do this race and you are not going to make it out of the swim". Then "calm down...breast stroke...suck in air...you can do this...". It took me about three minutes to get from the stairs to the Mill Street bridge maybe 150 yards. I finally got to the point that I felt like I could start freestyle swimming and slowly made my way forward but my heart was racing...I bet it was at 180bpm. I just kept telling myself relax get your heart rate down and get into a rhythm swimming. I had told my wife and friends that I would swim along the concrete wall that spectators stand on to watch the swim and would wave to them if I saw them. As I moved past the bridge I could see the bright yellow shirts they had on about four hundred yards ahead. Still feeling the anxiety of jumping into the water I swam along and briefly waved until they saw me and then kept moving not wanting them to sense anything was wrong. I fought the feeling of not being able to breathe almost up to the first turn buoy. As I approached it I started to tell myself...ok you are almost halfway there you got this. I made the turn and had the only contact that I would have during the swim two other swimmers instead of making the 90 degree turn made about a 120 degree turn and swam into me...I used my legs to balance myself and between the cold water and the swimmers both of my calfs locked up with charlie horse muscle cramps. Back to breast stroking and bending my toes forward to relieve the cramps...while I was doing this and coming up on the second turn buoy a guy swimming in front of me started to puke..loud enough that I could hear him straining to get whatever out of him. I swam out and around him to avoid whatever it was that he was spewing into the water...gross. I didn't stop to check on him because each time I used my legs for balance they cramped up. The remainder of the swim went this way...my legs would cramp so I just let them drag and kept trying to get rid of the negative thoughts in my head by repeating that I could do this and just keep going. Focus on the bridge once you get there it's only a left turn and a short swim to the stairs...and eventually I made the turn and started lining myself up with a set of stairs in the middle. It seemed the outside stairs had more people swimming for them. I swam straight to the stairs and put my hand up for the volunteer to pull me out just like the advice I had been given. The volunteer grabbed me and pulled and the next thing I knew I was standing on the stairs unable to move because the cramps were back in both calfs. I shouted out I can't move..leg cramps...the volunteer helped me up the stairs and I hobbled to the wet suit strippers. They quickly pulled off my wetsuit and I started the path to transition. I jogged slowly and my calfs eased up as the blood started moving again and then right up ahead were my wife and friends...I flashed them a big grin gave them a high five and said I made it! I never did tell them how close I really was to not making it.

Practice jumping into cold water and start swimming right away. I need to get this figured out before next year. This was the worst Ironman swim that I have ever experienced. I think the rolling start works but it would sure be nice to be able to warm up and acclimate to the water before starting the race. I felt strong enough about this that I sent Ironman an email about it...someone is going to have a big problem jumping into water at this or colder temps. Changing to a rolling start at this race without a warmup area has created a problem. In my opinion the mass start at IMAZ is a much better idea...plenty of room and the ability to get in the water and warm up.

Once I passed my family and grabbed my T1 bag I headed to the change tent. Wow...its crazy in here...no seats...its dark and hard to see..ok lets just change right here.I dumped my T1 bag and started changing. The volunteers were doing a great job but there were just to many athletes for them to help...I heard one of them saying "This is crazy" and I had to agree. I got changed as quick as I could put on arm sleeves and gloves packed up my wetsuit and handed it to a volunteer at the door and off to the bike...still cold but starting to feel better.

Nothing. The only way to get through this faster is to not change.

I ran up to the mount line with my bike and immediately noticed the congestion at the mount line. I made a quick mental note to be observant. It would be easy to get tangled up with another rider but still plenty safe as a long as everyone was paying attention. As I neared the end of the bike exit, I saw my wife and friends again...same routine big grin, wave and yelled see you this afternoon. We had previously agreed that since the bike is so hard to watch they would go rest, eat...watch football, take a nap, while I rode and they would catch me as I brought the bike back in. Ahhhh...now there was no pressure just ride the course that I had put so many miles into practicing. I had ridden at least 2000 miles on this course over the months leading up to the race and I knew the conditions could change quickly. You might have a headwind on one loop outbound and a tailwind on the return and the very next loop headwinds both ways. I had loaded down my bike with three bottles of Tailwind, not something I would normally do but I wanted to basically skip the aid stations if I could or only grab a bottle of water and toss it before the end of the station. My reasoning was that a three loop course would be more congested than other Ironman races, in the end it wasn't all that much different.I though this would get me through the first two laps along with a bottle of Ensure that I planned to drink after making the halfway point of the second lap. I started to feel pretty good and was finally warming up from the swim around 15 miles into the bike. I was very aware that my muscles in my legs felt like they could cramp if I pushed them to hard. The first loop out I had a headwind outbound and a tailwind back. I kept to my plan and skipped the aid stations and forced myself to keep drinking the Tailwind. The temp was cool enough that I wasn't thirsty but I knew this is where I was getting the calories that I needed so I had to be persistent in drinking. A changing point of this race for me was halfway through the first loop. Some of the motivational things that a friend of mine from Connecticut said to me prior to the race flowed through my mind. He had encouraged me to really go after this race and reminded me of all the prep work that I put into this race. I knew he was watching online and it really inspired me to focus on what I was doing. The rest of the entire race I would repeat the things he had said to me to push myself harder and harder. I know this sounds dramatic but it was like the music you hear at movies when the lead characters are making it through challenging situations. I think we need things like that to spur us on to improve and not settle for something less...in my case it worked. As I came back into town on first loop I could see it raining across the valley. I knew we were going to get wet but never guessed it would rain as hard as it did. The second loop came with a headwind outbound and then a headwind on the return. I made the turn around point and opened up the Ensure. I was getting to the point that I really needed to pee but each aid station I passed people were waiting in line and I didn't want to stop and wait. I decided that I was going to try and pee on the bike...not something I had ever done before. So I put the hammer down on the downhill and tried to separate myself from other riders and once I had enough space stood up and after a little concentration was able to pee. At the next aid station I grabbed a bottle of water and rinsed my shorts and leg off like I had seen the pros do. Not nearly as gross as I thought it was going to be. I repeated this later and never did get off the bike during the bike segment. It was really starting to rain as I came back into Tempe and lots of the spectators had run for cover. The volunteers were drenched and continued to help and tell athletes to slow down at the corners which was good advice because it was a little slick. The pavers at the turn around in Tempe were probably the worst so if you are doing this race and its wet use caution. Third loop was pouring down rain but I was feeling stronger by the minute and made it my fastest loop. There were times that it was hard to see because of the rain but the course for the most part is straight so you can just put you head down and go. I saw several athletes that had taken garbage bags or plastic bags and were using them as rain gear but they also acted like parachutes and created a huge drag. Before I knew it I was back in Tempe and there were my great supporters to cheer me on...another big grin and wave and I'll see you in a little bit on the run! I slowed as I came up to the dismount line, unclipped and swung my leg over the bike as a volunteer grabbed the bike from me...instant cramp in my right thigh. I straightened my leg out and ran peg leg style to T2.

Nothing.

I grabbed my T2 bag and headed to the changing tent. The cramp in my thigh subsided but the muscle still felt a little sore. I think because I was so focused on what I was doing on the bike I had not really noticed just how wet and cold I was. Inside the changing tent it was a wreck again...this time not as many people and there were chairs to sit on. Small streams of rainwater flowed through the tent and there was mud everywhere. Volunteers had taken towels and put them on the ground but they quickly were just soaked and muddy. Ironman put a heater of some sort in the tent and athletes were being helped over to it and covered in space blankets to try and warm up. I actually felt fine until I sat down. I reached down to turn the BOA's on my cycling shoes and my hands were shaking so bad I couldn't grip them. I grabbed my gloves and used them to help me grip the BOA's and finally got my shoes off. A volunteer saw me struggling and came to assist me...he basically help me strip and get my dry running clothes on then packed up my wet cycling gear. Other volunteers were tying space blankets around athletes while some of the athletes decided to sit and wait for the rain to slow down. No way was I going to sit and wait, I kew running would warm me up.

I headed out of the T2 tent and could still feel soreness in my right thigh from the cramp getting off the bike. I was supposed to see my wife and friends right outside T2 but they were't there and in a weird way I was actually grateful. I needed to stretch that thigh and stopping was only going to make it worse. I had changed my strategy coming into this race. Normally I do a run/walk method but for this race had decided that I would run until I couldn't and then start a run/walk. So off I headed with my legs feeling very tight. I wondered if I had pushed to hard on the bike and quickly dismissed those thoughts in favor of knowing that in the short term my legs would loosen and reminding myself to be tough and "unstoppable"...words from my friend. The course heads east from Transition for about two miles and then reverses and comes back by Transition following the southern edge of the lake. Just after the turn around at two miles is a section that is normally gravel and dirt. It was completely mud. Mud caked to the bottom of my shoes making them feel heavy and cumbersome. I had to hop around big mud puddles and muddy sections. Fortunately this area was only about a quarter mile long so I was out of it quickly. (By the second loop the rain had stopped and a path was trampled from all the athletes going through). By mile three my legs started to feel good and at 3 1/2 there was my fan club to cheer me on. I told my wife that I would say quick hellos but didn't want to stop for more than a minute. A few quick hugs and "you are looking strong" and off I went. I wouldn't stop running again until almost mile 14. My pace varied but I just keep pushing repeating over and over keep going you got this. I carried a bottle of Tailwind in a waist belt so I just ran through the aid stations. There is really only one hill on this course and I ran it on the first loop but had to walk it on the second loop. I saw my wife and friends a few times but stopped only briefly to let them know I was doing good. I starting walking short stretches at mile 14. By mile 16 the walks started getting longer. I had my Garmin set to show my average pace and had given myself a goal of averaging 9:30 a mile for marathon. Once I started walking the average pace quickly approached 9:30 so the longer that I walked the faster I had to run to maintain the average pace. From mile 18 through the end of the race I just focused on that average pace. My friends met me at mile 23. They were slapping me on the back and saying what a great race I was having and even took a selfie with me (I'll try to attach it if I can). It gave me a much needed boost to get to the end. I really had no idea of what my time was...I was hoping to be around 12 hours but had focused on each individual segment. As I ran down the road approaching the finish line I could hear Mike Reilly and knew my fourth Ironman was in the books. For a second I thought of how I felt when I jumped in the water that morning and thought I might not make it out of the water. Those thoughts lasted a millisecond because I wanted to enjoy the finish chute. I separated my self from other athletes and jogged easily down the chute soaking up every second. My wife and friends somehow found seats in the stands and gave me high fives as I came through....Mike Reilly says "Mike Finney You are an Ironman"....wow that feeling will never get old.

Try to run longer without walking.

My family and friends were waiting to meet me so I grabbed a chocolate milk and a piece of pizza and headed off to find them. Ironman had lots to eat after this race...broiled chicken...fresh vegetables...rice...subs and pizza. If you are not meeting anyone and have the time it both looked and smelled great. Once I found everyone, my wife told me that my official time was 11:27:40...what? Really! Wow!!! I could hardly believe it. A personal best by over an hour. My friend Dale had predicted it but I didn't really believe him. I did take his advice and go hard during this race and tried to use positive thinking to push me through. If not for his nudges I'm not sure if I would have been mentally prepared to try as hard. Thanks to everyone who supported me through all the training, racing and bad weather. I know everyone says this but it would be impossible to do this without all of the support. Just think we get to do it again next year....:)