Ironman USA Lake Placid - TriathlonFull Ironman

I had never 'swam'(face in the water) before January of this year. I had a wonderful swim coach (who completed her first IM at Placid while in her sixties!) who got me very comfortable in a short period of time.
When the cannon went off I was behind EVERYBODY and just watched them all go. It was a neat scene and I was glad I wasn't part of it! I waited another two minutes and then started moving (wading). Just before I dove in I looked up and saw most everybody was past the start line and figured I would have clear water at least until there. I swam to the dock and found quickly myself just to the right of the cable. I stayed on the cable and only really sighted once, trying to use the boathouse to reference how far I had gone. In training I had swam just to the right of the cable and there were times this felt like a training swim with ALOT of people around. The contact was not that bad, probably because I had expected alot more from reading previous reports. I actually swam on top of the cable for quite a while, often right under the buoys! I didn't sight on the way out, not wanting to get anxious looking for the turn! When I finally did take a peek I was thirty feet from the turn buoy! I hadn't wanted to be so near the inside at the buoy, but I hadn't been kicked yet and figured that was part of the experience...so I decided to stay right on the line and enter the fray. I was kind of disappointed when the contact increased only a little. Made the turn, sighted a little to get to the next turn, and then tried to get back on the cable. On the second turn I had been pushed off some. I only found the cable intermittently on the way back, but didn't need to sight as everybody was swimming in the same direction. I was ecstatic when I saw the swim exit and ran out of the first lap smiling! I knew the race clock had started with the pros so I checked out my wristwatch, which I had started with the Age-Groupers gun and was pleased to see 42ish minutes. That means I had swam 1.2 miles in less than 40 minutes (because of the way I started). My previous best HIM swim was 45 minutes so this was a much better swim for me. I decided to continue to take it nice and easy, knowing that my sub 1:30 goal time was in the bag if I just stayed relaxed. The second lap was similar to the first, although I was on the line alot less and there was alot more contact it went pretty well. I did finally get kicked and was actually kinda glad. At one point I looked back and saw a busload of folks right on my toes. Makes sense...if I could find a two-hundred pound dude who almost never kicks and knows the course, well, I'd be on his feet too! Finished off the second loop and felt awesome coming out of the water. My swim coach was volunteering as a stripper. I looked for her, but when I didn't see her, I found two other ladies and they ripped my suit right off and got me on my way.

Probably nothing, but maybe not wait so long to get started. Between waiting on the beach and adding the extra distance I cost myself several minutes, but it ended up being a great start to what would be a great day.

Tried to move right along, knowing I would need every second to get under 12 hours, but had trouble running through the crowded chute. Saw two of my best friends in the world, Jeremy and Matt, who's nutso cheering made me smile, relax and soak it all in. I made the turn towards transition and saw my parents screaming there heads off! So cool, as I didn't think they would be in town yet. Moved into transition and found my bags. The tent looked crowded so I just stayed outside. I had tied my bags really tight to keep the rain out the day before and had alot of trouble getting this one open. Finally I ripped it open and grabbed my shoes, glasses, helmet, and an Ensure. All the rest of my nutrition had been taped on my bike and I was wearing the same shorts/top throughout. I handed my stuff off to a volunteer and then went to get my scoot. Another volunteer ran and grabbed my bike and I moved down to the mount line.

Not tie my bag so tight...

Course Description: Two big loops with a 5.6 mile and a 1 mile out and back. First couple of miles while leaving town there are some sharp turns. Once past the ski jumps it is about a five mile climb out of town, then about six miles of smokin' fast descents down into Keene. The next section is generally flat with a few rollers and includes the first out and back to Ausable Forks and then back to Jay. Once in Jay the climbing begins with the toughest grade on the course for over two miles. Then there are some tough rollers until the Haselton Rd. out and back which is generally uphill on the way out and down on the way back. Once the course returns to 86 it is a steady climb with a very few rollers for th last 13 miles into Placid. Just after Papa Bear (about mile 54) there is a right turn that goes back down to Mirror Lake Drive where the Special Needs bags are. A couple of sharp turns through town and then back out for the second loop.
This ride was close to perfect for me. Before March I had never ridden longer than thirty miles and only rode 1 X (with Sonic!) in all of 2009! I had ridden the course 5-6 times before the race and really felt like I knew what pace would be right during each section. Special thanks to Vincent,Christian, Pat and Trizee for training the loop with me and giving me some great pointers. It was raining pretty good for the first hour on the bike. I had done four races getting ready for IMLP and crashed, flatted (3 x in one race), or both in all of them. So I took it easy in the rain. I was really focused on the road ahead and the other riders while getting out of town. I heard lots of my friends/family yelling but didn't dare look up! Focused on nutrition on the climb out of town and started hearing voices in my head. Not the bad kind, but the voices from race reports I had read or people I had trained with. I felt really good but kept hearing "there are lots of guys who talk about what a great bike split they had while walking on the run...". The run is where I have the most experience, so I didn't want to negate my strength by pounding the bike. Didn't start with any bottles in my cages (on purpose) and grabbed some water and Perform at the first aid station (mile 4ish). Starting getting some hydration going and then I was going past the camp and my three sons were going nuts cheering for me! It was awesome! I started moving out towards the left knowing I would be passing some folks on the coming descents. I knew the course and neither my weight or my bike were gonna let me slow down anyway... It was really starting to rain and a couple of the veteran guys were reminiscing about the rain soaked 2008 race. "Only worry about the things you can control" said the voices in my head. So I smiled and prepared to fly! I flew through the descents and passed a boatload of folks. It was funny to see guys move left to blow past someone get taken by surprise when I yelled "on your left" and absolutely smoked by them. I hit 48 and averaged 38 for a mile of the descents, during this first loop. After the descents, the rain quit and I just tried to establish a good cadence and rythym from Keene to Ausable Forks. This went well and I continued to pass other riders but stayed within myself. I kept hearing Travis saying "if you're feeling good click back a gear". Finished up the out and back and made the turn onto 86 and the climbs. I had practiced these in training and found that by dropping about 1.5 mph from near max effort on this uphill, my heart rate came down nearly 30bpm. Good tradeoff. I relaxed up the hill and again used the inclines to focus on hydration and nutrition. At this point my parents went driving in the opposite direction, honking and waving like fruitcakes! Rebecca was in the back and they were all heading back to camp for the BBQ. I continued to relax all the way up the hills, resupplied at the aid station on the out and back, and then continued to climb towards Whiteface. I really wanted to push, but reminded myself no to. I still passed alot of folks, which surprised me, as I am not a great climber. Just before getting to the Bears my friends Matt and Jeremy were out on 86 just going nuts while I went by. They had coordinated with their Dad (Thanks Pa) who volunteers with the ATV group on River Rd. every year, to get out there. What a lift those guys were. Both are competetive runners, and the really understand times and pacing, so they knew I was having a good day. This made me realize I was having a good day and really made me enjoy what was going on. Papa Bear was awesome as tons of folks were cheering, especially for my ARMY jersey. Saw Travis at the top and wanted to thank him for the bike and advice, but figured there would be time for that after the finish. Made my way through town and got going for the second loop. Same format as before, focus on nutrition/hydration on the ascents and keep my heart rate down. Felt tired and was worried about going to that 'dark place' I had read so much about. After doing some math I realized I hadn't taken enough calories and immediatley ate an entire bag of Shot Bloks (thanks Nate for the introduction to those). Started feeling better almost immediately. Went by the camp just after noon wich meant I was on my way to a fantastic time for me. My friends and family had asked me to guesstimate when I would come by camp, and I had told them a perfect day would be around 9am and just after noon. I had gone by the fist time at 9:00 on the nose and the second time at 12:05. This, combined with my family and friends going nuts as I went by, put a big smile on my face, knowing that half the work was done and I might be able to go under 12 hours! I decided to really hammer the descents this time, getting all that free speed in case I needed a few minutes at the end. I again got over to the left and just hammered down those hills. The crosswinds were bad, but not as bad as a previous training ride, so I was okay. I maxxed out at 53.5mph with a fastest one mile average of over 40mph. Fun times! The rest of the ride was more a struggle with boredom than anything else. I felt fine for most of it, but the riders were more spread out so my mind could wander a bit more. I really wanted to start hammering but relaxed and just stayed steady. The climbs didn't seem any worse the second time around and I'm glad I learned to do some hills lately (thanks Shawn). With about 10 miles to go I decided to put a little more effort in and try to have near even splits for the second lap. I passed a ton of folks on those last miles of ascents and didn't ease up once in town. Alot of people seemed annoyed that I was hammering through town and calling out 'on your left' instead of just easing into transition. I kept thinking, "you made need these seconds". Boy, was I right!

Eat more, take salts, drink more. I had everything I needed on my bike...some of it went to transition! Doh!

I came into transition and heard, but didn't see my family on the way in. Dismount went pretty smooth and I jogged to my bags. Went to a port-a-pot and took care of business while I got my shoes off. Then, continued on to the tent and starting putting on my socks and sneaks. Put a shot blok and a salt packet in my shorts pockets. Grabbed an Ensure, handed off my bag to a volunteer, and started heading out. Right by the door was a couple of jars of vaseline so I smeared some on my underarms, where it was starting to chafe. While I was doing this one of the race officials asked where my number was. I thought it was on but it was gone. It must have ripped off my race belt during the bike. I ran back to the chair I had used and couldn't find it there so I went back to the official and asked what to do. He pointed me in the direction of another official and told me to tell her my number. I ran over and got her attention, telling her I lost my number. She confirmed my number and then told me I was all set and so I was off.

Not lose my number...

First couple of miles is a fast downhill, then flat for a couple, then a 1/2 mile downhill by the ski jumps, where it turns on River Rd. Out and back on River Rd. is relatively flat with a few hills sprinkled in for fun. The climb back into town is back up the two big hills you went down on the way out. The second hill is extended by the out and back, which is mostly uphill on the way out. This portion goes right by the finish area and can be a real mental downer if unprepared...
This was pretty uneventful for the first 14 miles. I kept my heart rate exactly where I wanted it and felt fine the whole time. It was great coming back into town and seeing/hearing so many of my friends and family cheering for me! And then the cramps started. I had been prone to leg cramps before so I knew I could deal with it. I immediately took the salts in my leg pocket and then did some quick math and realized how low my caloric intake was. Oh shit! I stayed calm and ate everything I had, Shot blocks, a gel, and the salts. At the next aid station I started pounding fluids and bananas. Within a mile my stomach was pissed but I won that battle. I may not have had time to train my legs the way I should have, but dammit my stomach is one of the best in the business. I had to walk/jog miles 14 and 15, giving back all the time I had put in the bank on the first lap. I stayed relaxed knowing that if I couldn't get te cramps under control, those minutes wouldn't matter because time wouldn't matter anymore. It would just be about finishing at that point. I told myself I was okay with that, but only if I couldn't perform, not because I'd stopped trying. I hadn't advertised going under 12 hours as a goal. Rebecca knew. Matt and Jeremy had figured it out too, and when I passed their Dad on River Rd. he confirmed that by saying "Matt says you can still go under 12, just don't slow down". So many people wanted me to have a great day, to hit my goal. I couldn't at least give it my best. I told myself a couple of times I would be okay with a 12:10ish. But I knew I'd always wonder if... And I knew my friends and family wanted it almost as bad...so I told myself to HTFU, thought of Gunny and how much he liked to run his soldiers into the dirt...and I asked him to run me into the dirt. So I ran. Not fast, but I ran. Everytime I tried to pick up my pace I would get a cramp. Sometimes my left hamstring, sometimes the right, and sometimes my left calf muscle. I kept switching my form up to relieve whichever one felt like it would seize up next. I had to walk again up the big hill by the ski jumps, but not for long. At the top I picked it up as much as I could. It was so frustrating because I wasn't tired, my heart rate was down in the 120s and 130s and the runninng felt easy. But everytime I sped up, the aforementioned muscles would go bad. I had been doing the math from about mile 15 and knew I was going to be close. At this point I switched my Garmin from a HR display to a Pace display. I hoped I would be able to kick some at the end because I knew I would be slow up the long hill going back into town and the first half of the out an back. I used the watch to stay on a pace that would get me in under 12, knowing that my HR was irrelevant at that point. I drank perform and grabbed bananas but refused to walk the aid stations. Walking didn't help the cramps and just cost time. With no race number the spectators couldn't call out my name, but I had on my US ARMY jersey, and that said it all. So many people cheered for me and helped me up that hill. Near the turn onto Main St. both my hamstrings cramped and I could barely walk. But the crowd got behind me and I started to run...and then I saw (more like heard) Jer and Matt... going absolutely ballistic, telling me I could still get under 12 but I had to GO! I looked at my watch and realized I was out of time, and it was now or never. I told myself no more walking and if the legs went and I ripped something that would be ok 'cuz I could walk it in from there if I had to and still be an Ironman. But if I wanted a shot at being a sub 12 hour Ironman I had to run. That was the most agonizing 1.5 miles I have ever ran...not because of the pain, but because I was afraid to let myself down,let my family down, let my friends down, let down my swim coach who had gotten me into position to do it, let down the athletes I have coached, and mostly, let down my service and those three soldiers who no longer had the option to swim, bike, or run in this world. I thought I would hit the turnaround, the cramps would ease as I went downhill, and I would really start moving. But I found that my leg cramps were fully involved now. I just shut it out and 'embraced the suck' like I learned in Ranger school and on many sleepless nights in Afghanistan. I don't remember much of the last 3/4 mile. I saw Becky at the last aid station and then closed my eyes, gritted my teeth and went as hard as I could. When I entered the oval Jeremy's voice carried over all the others screaming that I was gonna make it, but I had to sprint. I saw a flash next to me and realized he was running along the fence yelling and hollering. I remember also thinking I hope I don't hafta run down this guy in front of me an ruin his picture, just to get under 12 hours! As I hit the final straightaway I saw 11:58 and knew I had done it. I saw (heard) Matt from the bleachers, leaning so far over the rail I could've high-fived him from the center of the track. But I didn't. I let him lift me and pushed through to the finish, lifting my arms and hearing Mike Reilly's voice..."James Brown from Plattsburgh, NY, YOU are an IRONMAN".

Eat alot more in the first half of the run.

Was greeted/caught by my swim coach who was volunteering at the finish. Got a medal and a T-shirt and then was called over to the side by another volunteer. She said a woman REALLY wanted to see me. It didn't take me long to think of who would be making a scene...my Mom. I got some big hugs from my Mom and Dad, and then from one of my former athletes, Erin. She came over beaming and announced, "that was my coach". What a great feeling. I even felt like a little like Rocky for a second. All I needed was a flag instead of a space blanket and to be yelling Adrian instead of Rebecca. I so wanted to hug and thank the one person who had helped me really get to the finish line. She was there through all the training and all the mishaps. She gave me rub downs, got me to bed on time, let me use what little free time I had to train, shaved my legs, you name it. And then she was there with our boys and all was right in the world. Shortly thereafter we were joined by Jer and Matt, who had almost no voice left so the simply crushed me with their hugs. Alot of folks made me an Ironman, but those two got me under 12.
I went to the med tent as my face had gone numb at about mile 20. Ate some broth and some water, got a rub down where I had been cramping and tried to keep moving, albeit slowly


New to triathlons
No training in 2009
Weight


IMLP is amazing. Even though my hometown is so close I had never been home to see it. The scenery is amazing and the crowds are awesome. More than anything the volunteers are just wonderful. I tried to thank as many as I could and I hope they know how much they helped. I know some of them wil find out when they come back to do IMLP 2011. I hope to volunteer and give back some of that energy. I won't be racing due to military obligations, but I hope to again in the future.