Ironman Florida - TriathlonFull Ironman

I absolutely loved this swim. The cannon went off and I was in a crowd of people stampeding to the water. I can say the first 1/2 mile out was rough. Getting kicked, trying to avoid being stampeded from behind, being pushed. It was a little tense until rounding the first buoy and then it started to spread out some. We had to worry about the "pink meanie" jellyfish - apparently the sting hurts! Swam back to the end of the first loop feeling great. Saw Kim and Mary. Had a sip of fresh water. Headed out for round two. I felt great for the entire swim. No fatigue. I was able to keep a mild-moderate pace and keep my heartrate down. I felt best prepared for this segment. Came out of the swim smiling and eager to hit t1 and the bike segment.

Nothing. The only thing to do would be to train harder to go faster. Otherwise I felt as prepared as I could for this portion.

T1 was a madhouse when I got there. Got my gear bag and found a small portion of carpet to get changed. I began with full arm and leg warmers as well as a hat and vest. I knew the cool air and wind would make me cold and I wanted to avoid the cold as much as possible.

I took way more time than I needed. With more practice I could have shaved 5 minutes or more off my t1. I wasnt out of breath from the swim, so

I was prepared as much for the bike course as my training would permit. I kept the first 30 mi easy and built up over the net 82. The wind was a little difficult for me, and I tried not to let it interfere. I was happy that we went against the wind on the first half of the bike. I didnt push it really hard and may have been able to push harder. I had no idea what to expect form the run and didnt want to blow it all on the bike. My biggest issue was overhydration. I thought I had prepared well living in south fla for the humidity and the heat - and it looks as though i overprepared for that as during the race i didnt sweat at all, and kept peeing every aid station. I was overhydrated. And although I realized it about 3/4 the way through, there wasnt much I could do about it. I tried peeing on the bike, but no success. I had to stop at every aid station along the way. I got a little frustrated going into the wind on the out and back by special needs due to the rough bumpy road. I was waiting for the sound of something on my bike breaking. Almost to the turnaround I heard a loud clunk in my back wheel - i thought i popped a spoke or something. Turns out one of my co2 cartridges popped out - unscrewed - from the bumps. I spent time in special needs re-mixing my infinit 4hr bottle for the back half of the run. By the time I got back to front beach road, i was tired. To make things a little worse, the headwind on the beach for the last 5-6 miles was tough for me - both mentally and physically....but.... i made it through the bike segment without a scratch on me - or my bike. Just down one co2 cartidge - not bad.

Be more aware of my hydration level. Try to ease up on the water in dryer climates. Figure out a slightly different nutrition strategy so as not to have to mix a multi hour bottle during the race. Work on increasing the intensity of my workouts. Continue with long training rides to keep my body ready for the big 112.

Once I gladly handed my bike off to a volunteer, I walked into the changing area. My stomach, although not nauseaus, was painful - i could feel gas/colon cramps brewing in there. There were mild intermittent pings of pain that would then go away after releiving a little gas on my own through the back door. I sat down in the changing area - not many people left to head out on the run by this point. I changed into my run gear, but left my leg and arm warmers on me as I knew it would be cold later. I walked out of t2 and saw Kim and Mary. I stopped for a few minutes to visit before beginning a powerwalk and easing my way into the run.

My problem started on my way from t2 to the run start. I had some gas pains and some mild nausea that prevented me from running for the first two miles. This was the lowest point of the race for me, mentally... i kept looking at the people finishing their second loop and knowing I had a full marathon to go. I was alos a bit worried that I wouldnt be able to finish if my GI issues didnt improve. There were a few hints of throwing in the towel, but I managed to suppress them and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Eventually, things improved. From there on out it was run a mile or two, walk a few minutes, and run again. I averaged about a 13-14 min/mi pace. My legs actually felt fine for the first half of the run, it was just my stomach/gas that prevented me from doing somewhat better. Only mild relief with gas-x. But at least I was able to run a good 60-70 % of the distance. My leg warmers didnt work out as well as I wanted them to - kept falling down - this was ok as my legs really werent that cold. When I came to mile 13, my spirits got better. I managed a decent run for a couple miles. I knew I could finish if I kept at it. I only had 13.1 miles to go. I passed special needs without stopping (not getting my light running jacket that in hindsight I wish I had taken). Towards the end of the race (last 6 miles) i met up with a guy and a lady that were walking and we walked together until mile 25. That helped pass the time and keep me from focusing on the fact I was getting a little chilled, extremely sore on the feet and hamstrings. At the last 3/4 of a mile, I began a very slow jog. I knew the end was near and I could start to hear the finish line. The slow jog turned into a fairly decent run as I made my way past alvins island and into the chute. I slowed down to let the runner in front of me finish on his own without me hogging his lime light. I then hear the announcer say.... "weeeee've got a nother one coming.....Gregg Kuehnel (with a horrible mispronunciation) from boynton beach.... YOU are and IRONMAN!" ACDC was playing and I was living the moment giving high fives to the spectators and crossing the finish line in style.

Need to understand the GI issues better - was it from overhydration on the bike that caught up with me on the run? I had biked a few 100 mile rides and never experienced this even with 1 hr post-bike runs. So im not sure exactly what played out there. I think overall my run and further intensity training can be increased. This is also the first time i ever completed the 26.2, so my body wasnt quite familiar with what to expect. Perhaps a marathon or two on its own will help.

Once I had my medal, shirt, hat and picture taken, I met up with dad, Kim and Mary - got congratulations all around and headed inside the hotel to sit down. I was starting to shiver - which I hadnt done on the course. My hands and arms were cold - i was slightly hypothermic. I wrapped in a blanket. I then had the BEST massage of my life - two massage therapists worked on either half of my body for 15 minutes. Pure heaven. I lay there exhausted, wrapped in a blanket. I then sat in the hotel for a bit and chatted with the family before heading out to watch the last few minuted of the run finish. Such an awesome sight. Hard to put into words all of the emotions I experienced crossing the finish line, feeling the moment, the music and the lights. All of it was just awesome. Watching the last few people trickle in close to minute and the last 10 second count down. Then, all done. We walked back to the hotel. I sat down for a few minutes before attempting a shower. Got in, turned on the water, realized I couldnt stand in one place for a long time, plugged the drain, and just sat in the tub with the shower


I think my biggest performance inhibitor would have to be overall experience and training volume. Although I think I did ok from a training stantpoint, I would work on intensity, etc. I also think my overhydration may have played into my GI issues...to be determined with future experimentation during training.


The whole weekend and Ironman experience was the BEST! The volunteers couldnt have been more helpful as well as the residents of PCB. I loved every minute of it!!!