Ironman Lake Placid - TriathlonFull Ironman

Gun went off and I went for it, pushing for first 100 yds, it was amazingly clear for first minute, then it was a madhouse, everyone swimming over everyone trying to get to the cable. After a few minutes fighting for my life in the madness, I decided to go for it and get to the inside of the cable. I made it and it was reasonably clear water with just a few swimmers around me, but no more fighting. Until the first turn bouy, it was a fight to get through that one and for the rest of the time to the next turn bouy, then I went inside again. I was feeling smooth and came up on the end of lap one. I came out of the water and saw 42 mins on the clock, thought, shit, I wasn't that slow, then started wondering wait, the pros started 10 mins before us, maybe that is the clock time. Then I thought, shit, I wasn't that fast, but, hmmm, maybe I was, that is smokin'. I felt a little dizzy running to lap 2 entry, then it was a little fight to get back to the inside of the cable, the cable was really nice, never needing to sight, just swim. The second lap I felt a little queezy, like seasickness from all the wave of people swimming around me. I get sea sickness very easily, but its never been a problem on the swim. I usually don't push on HIM or IM swims, and I felt I took in quite a bit of calories this morning, more than normal. Just tried to keep going and reduce that queezy feeling. Got to final leg back and got caught up with a block of 4-5 swimmers, I automatically went into racing them and wanting to get to the finish before them, so I held pace, but my second lap ended up being slower than first somehow, even thought I felt I was pushing harder the final leg. Got out of water and raced to crossed the line, then I felt like I was going to get sick, and did have some nastiness come up my mouth as I was slowly jogging to T1. I thought I was going to upchuck on all the spectators cheering, but held it together somehow.

Probably not burn a match on swim. The few minutes I probably saved weren't worth it, but it was a good learning experience of where my fitness and swim threshold probably is for IM swim.

Better than IMCDA, but not by much, especially considering I didn't take a 10 min pitstop this time, not sure where the time went. Probably just collecting myself. Didn't put any sunscreen on, only morning before swim, will learn to regret this later.

Put sunscreen on.

Hills leaving town were harder than expected, even though I had plenty of warnings and race plan to adjust for it. I just couldn't hold back enough to keep HR down. Got to Keenes decent and let it go, flying down to Keene. I did a test ride the day before and it scared the livin hell out of me and I only got up to 40 mph, but at least I now knew what to expect, especially the bumpish road in spots. I got to the bottom and checked my max speed, I hit 50 mph, first time ever and felt pretty good about it, which was scary in and of itself. I was cruizing now, holding a nice speed, but still felt HR was too high, but just couldn't hold back. I really wanted to beat my IMCDA times, but I knew my training had some serious setback this year and I didn't have as many long rides/runs/bricks in. Then hills on the end of lap 1 were hard, harder than expected, and this was lap 1. I knew this was going to be a harder day than IMCDA at that point. It was getting rather hot too, didn't expect that so much either. Lap 2 was about the same, only the final 15 miles in the hills were complete torture, I was suffering bad and going very slow. I dropped my chain on the way out of town, quickly jumped off and put it back on without a problem. But then my bike started to make a rubbing sound, not being any kind of wrench, I just tried to ignore it. Keenes decent I took with even more anticipation, passing everyone in sight, thinking, I'm not even scared this time, that worried me a little. I was also worried about that rubbing sound, but that didn't stop misslematt from hitting 50 mph again. My HR was constantly beeping along the course, and it really started to piss me off half way around. I finally adjusted it so it stopped. My quads were screaming like never in my life before and I still had a marathon to go, NOT GOOD. I was also wondering if my knee issue would creep up on my on the last climb or run. But I just kept pushing to the finish, ever so slowly. The 3 bears were not as hard as the long gradual uphill for me, not that they were easy, but they don't last long enough to care. Well, I did PR the bike, so at this point I was hitting my PR every segment of the race, so I'll take it and move on to the marathon. And nothing was going down well, perform wasn't going down well especially. I couldn't eat my powerbar on my first lap, took one bite and that was it. I only could take water mostly and perform once in while, think it related to the higher heart rate and heat. The lack of sunscreen was burning my arms and shoulders, probably increasing my core temp.

Ride more long rides, training was just short due to knee issues this year. It all went back to training AND not adjusting my race day plan accordingly. Not a good race plan to go in undertrained, on a harder bike course and go for a PR. Suncreen in T1. Maybe/probably not wear a time trial helmet in warmer than 80 degrees, I just get hot too easy. Better bike prep/checks prerace.

Just sat down and took a rest and collected myself, that bike course kicked my butt! Guy sitting next to me was not moving or talking, volunteers kept asking him if he was ok, but he wouldn't look up or respond. I felt for him, and I was much better, but I slowly moved through the process. Again, not sure where the time went, geez, first segment that was not as good as IMCDA, so this was the start of the end of the PR day.

Nada.

Started off and it felt really hard mile 1 compared to IMCDA. At IMCDA I felt like a rockstar the entire marathon and slow jogged steady for all 26 miles. This was different, first couple miles tried to settle into my 11 min mile pace goal, but was very difficult to hold even this pace, on one hand I couldn't believe it, on the other, the hills on the bike and lack of training just were becoming reality. My HR was not settling and I was hot, so around mile 3 I decided, maybe if I cool down, get some liquids/nutrition, then pick it back up. I also started to get a blister from the "new" ironman socks I bought this week, which were super thin. My shoes were Asics Speedstar, so they didn't have any cushion and it was all killing my feet. So I walked a mile or so and tried to pick back up the pace, I couldn't hold it for much longer than 1/4 mile and the walkers looked like a pretty cool group of cats at this point. So I walked and walked and walked. And was past by walkers, I couldn't even walk fast at this point, but I continued to move forward, even if I was the slowest moving object on the course. I got back to town and couldn't wait to get to my special needs bag which had another pair of runners, Asics DT Trainers, they had a little more cushion. The special needs girls were a big help, I felt paralyzed while they took off my shoes and put on my new ones. Wow, what a difference a little more cushion makes, that was a mental pickup, finished the first loop and tried to pick up a jog again, but still couldn't hold it. On the way back out, I was wearing very thin, watching a few joggers being taken back by the voluteers in the golf carts, will that be me? I can't stop, never give up matthew, but my mind was fighting me hard to call it a day. At about mile 16 I really hit the wall and I finally stopped moving forward to collect myself. I was feeling nauseas. Two walkers passed, first one said, keep moving forward, second one said, if you feel dizzy, sit down. I thought aobut those options for a second and sat down. Then a couple volunteers came up to me to see how I was doing, they came from the aid station 100 yds up the road, I guess the walkers told them about me. I couldn't respond, I now was that guy in the T2 tent, they asked repeatedly, i responded i was ok, just taking a break. They asked if they could help me down to the aid station and they would get me some coke and sit down and rest there. I waited a minute and said ok, I got up started to walk with the volunteer, he asked where I was from, Virginia, he said, that he took a trip to Charleston and loved it, he drove through Ohio, Penns, etc. Hearing Ohio, I said where are you from, Toledo, Ohio area, really I said I'm from Napoleon, Ohio (which is about 40 miles away), he said Bowling Green (30 miles away from Napoleon). I instantly got excited, I was being helped by a BUCKEYE at my lowest point, there he was. He notice my turn around and said, wow, you composure sure did change quickly. I got to the aid station, took a cup of coke, drank it and was ready to take on the last 10 miles, I was going FINISH this Ironman#2. I wasn't sure how the coke would hold in my stomach, but it was ok. I started taking in coke and chicken broth, the IM brews. They seemed to help, but it was now too late to help with anything other than finishing, so I just kept walking. It got dusk and I could start to strongly smell the pines, it was refreshing. It got dark and lonely, but I kept going. A few walkers next to me were in a bad place as well, one guy I walked probably last 6 miles was puking at least once every mile, this reminded me just to keep going at a pace that I could hold without upsetting the apple cart. Another guy next to us started joining him, but not as regularly. I got back to town and it was great to see so many fans still out cheering for us, they've been out here all day and they are still going strong. Well, one lady was screaming at each of us going by with 3 miles to go and saying, you are an IRONMAN, she was lit off here butt, but it was a good time. Then I came up on the final hill up, 4 men walking and bunch of youngesters screaming at us to run, a girl jogged by us and they yelled out "You all just got CHICKED"! I made it to the final mile and started to do the Ironman shuffle, I wanted to try and bring in the last mile and I did. I came into the oval and saw my wife and daughter, that was great, I crossed the finish line and heard Mike Reilly say those special words. Got my pic taken, went to the UConn study and finalized the paperwork. Maya and Samantha came by. I did it, Ironman #2 is in the books.

Train to stay healthy and race smarter. Take coke sooner, I think this could have turned me around quicker.

none


training, injuries, burned too many matches on swim/bike, that cost me on marathon. Nutrition, heat and hydration. So just about everything.


I'd like to come back, but it won't be 2013. IMLP is a special place,that is for sure. I got to the starting line healthy, but undertrained due to some knee injuries, and most important to me, I finished Ironman #2. Great learning experience overall too.