Ironman Florida - TriathlonFull Ironman

For the swim I eased in (and eased out and in too) started far right and worked into the masses via the assist of the side current. I had no problems sighting ahead or off the crowd and got banged around a bit but managed to keep calm. There was the normal buoy clusterfack. At the end of the first lap, Chris Dorris saw me and screamed "Hey Hoss" and we one arm hugged and kept on moving for the second lap. I checked my garmin and it read 36:xx and I thought I was having a massively better swim than I expected (45:xx was the goal for the first lap). I then changed to a completely positive outlook. The swim would not kill me like I had catastrophized.

Back in the water but my left goggle seaped and my eye got irritated but I was not stopping until I got it done. Then I got kicked pretty hard in the head on the turn buoy and I had to right myself quickly. Fought a strong current the final 300 yards but managed to get in around 1:18 which was 12 mins off my expectations in a positive way. This was further validation that I was off to a great start to IMFL.


Learn to swim faster haha

Skipped the strippers figuring I can strip myself faster and ran to get my bag in T1. Instead of going all the way into the changing tent I rushed to a corner of transition by the morning bags and changed there. Wasn't getting naked so I figured what the heck. Soon after a couple other folks joined me. Did my best to get some warm clothes on a damp body, packed up, and gave my bag to one of the volunteers that I had been chatting to while changing on the ground pleading for them to get it to wherever it belonged. Later, I learned that the changing garage was horribly packed and I made a great decision. Total T1 time was about 7-8 mins which was super since I gained even more time on my predictions. Also my quick call to only go with a long sleeve cycling shirt, CEP socks that I had practiced with the night before, and one glove actually was perfect. I couldn't get the other glove on in time but it didn't actually matter much. I had something to wipe snot off with.

Out of T1 I must not have hit my garmin multisport, as I ended up showing a 5:1X T1 instead of a T1 and bike, but I still had my joule to get my power data. However, I had no hr data for some reason, but who cares when you are not trained up on hr.

I think I went pretty quick even with losing some time for trying to get dry clothes on a damp body.

The early bike was a bit strong as I tried to get my pace up to the desired 21.3mph and I was thinking I could recover some once it was up there. Howerver, the wind was in my face and it took awhile (20-25 miles?) to get there. A couple of packs came by and I did my best to pull ahead of them so not to be swallowed up by them. Mostly rode back and forth with young guns all day (Dustin from New Orleans, who looked like a young tattooed Gorilla Monsoon, and another guy Jeffery who would never reply to anything I said. Both were in their mid 20's. Note to self, I saw 2 other guys on litespeed blades and we all kind of gave each other the thumbs up.

Unlike Arizona, I was keen on drinking and taking in fluids and nutrition. Although I didn't stop to pee but once more in T2 the rest of the race, I did slow 3-4x to get water and gels. I was not going to let that be the reason I didn't have a good day and it really seemed to help. Also, my sore taint was not a big deal on the day. The one thing that bugged me was I was a bit lonely as no one was talking and I had no idea where the ghost was. He usually is ahead of me due to his better swim skills but today I just couldn't find him, as it was his first IM so he took the bike extra cautiously. I did see another teammate Scott about 10 mins ahead of me but I wasn't thinking I had much of a chance catching him and it didn't really matter as I was following MY PLAN.

The only other mentionables on the bike was a potential penalty scare and a huge gator laying in the pond about 20 yards off the road around mile 85. Hope no one stopped to pee or crap there. With regards the former, the ump pulled up on me as I was blowing up a big peloton and I was scared they would think I was drafting so I took a massive push to pull ahead of them and I think the ump figured out what was going in as they left me alone. But when they rode past I still saw the red card in her lap and wondered could that have been for me. I reassured myself no that it wasn't and carried on.

In looking back at my bike, I think the trainer and long rides I did prepared me well for the flattish terrain. I worried about cold but stayed warm and about sunburn but didn't seem to get any. The wind was not a huge factor to me but I heard loads of folks moaning about it. I just think I was hyperfocused on the task at hand and took little notice.


Carry gels to save the slowings

As I approached T2, I whooped up the crowds and got the hollaring. I was excited to be done the bike well ahead of the schedule (5:08? when the goal was 5:15), adding even more time to my run cushion. I had like 20 extra minutes now on my goal time. I got my bag and went into the changing tent real quick, stayed in my trisuit, and was out really fast with a good volunteer and no crowds. Hit the sun lotion ladies and the port-a-loo and ran out of T2 ready to kick ass.

Skip the changing room.

There I saw Julie who knows me very well by now and threw my arms up in victory. I was ready to crush the run. However, she said "GO STEADY!" x2 and I immediately accepted that she was right and went into the easies pace I could hold for 20ish miles. Ryan "Gadget" of TeamSportsBeans screamed Slayer, and took some shots but I refused to leave my easy pace. Early on I felt a side stitch but this was even more reason to go steady to prevent it from becoming full blown.

I was keen to let people go and many flew by. Many of them I saw, at the end of the race, walking. I also heard the Jester at one of the aid stations mock my slow gait and another aid station worker say "look how slow he is running." Funnily enough, I took those remarks as complements. I was following the plan for success and kept saying to myself "nothing to prove." I kept track of hours as I wasnted the race broken down into 4x1 hour portions which helped make it feel more doable.

I ate some grapes and I alternated water and perform for the first 18 miles and had gels about every 5k or so (only one tasted horrible around mile 17? and I didn't have anything to wash it down-YUCK!). I switched to cola with 7.5 miles to go. Great to see Taylor's family and Jim on the course, loads of folks screaming my name due to the race bib having it on there, tri-ghost and Scott M and Scott G saying nice things, and Julie knowing it was a good day at the turnaround. There were these bar-room girls near the turnaround and I got one to flash me but it wasn't much of a thrill given how I felt. I took strength from other family and friends' signs on the course. I pretended they were for me.

Late in the game, my ankles, feet, knees, hips, just about everything was beat down and I did not have much to descend pace until the final mile. I was afraid something might give out so I monitored my gait closely until the final mile where I started chugging hard. Ultimately I got down the finisher's chute and highstepped like I tend to do on a good day. I nearly broke 10:30 but I just took too much time on the run. Looking back, that seems like the one place that I could improve but I think it was a perfect day for me. Everything came together.Shanks was smart to keep expectations reasonable so I could achieve them.



Try and push the pace a bit more in the later stages

I saw Julie at the finish line and she carried me back to the room where I stayed in bed shivering and moaning the rest of the night. She got me some provisions and we rejoiced. Sinclair came by and patted me on the back. It was mission accomplished. I suffered greatly for my performance but it was all worth it. So many people to thank for making it happen.



Long run fitness could be improved


Just a brilliant event by WTC and performance by Slayer. Awesome coaching, sherpa, friends, and teammates.