Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon - TriathlonFull Ironman


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Wilmington, North Carolina
United States
Set Up Events
50F / 10C
Precipitation
Total Time = 9h 52m 43s
Overall Rank = 22/674
Age Group = M 30-34
Age Group Rank = 4/68
Pre-race routine:

Up a little after 4:15 to have breakfast. Katie then drove Colin, Chris and I down to T1. We dropped off our swim-bike bags, put our hydration on our bikes, then boarded the trollies down to the swim start.
Event warmup:

No real warmup, unless you count hanging around before sun-up with a bunch of people in neoprene.

We did arrive in the Wilmington area on Thursday, and we got in a bike that afternoon and a swim on Friday with Chris and Colin.

Being my first iron-distance race, I really didn't know how things would turn out. I felt that if I had a pretty good day, finishing in under ten hours was a definite possibility.
Swim
  • 47m 41s
  • 4224 yards
  • 01m 08s / 100 yards
Comments:

This swim is billed as the fastest iron-distance swim, and it didn't disappoint. My IM swim is probably in the 1:05-1:10 range, so this was in the 20-25 min faster range. The fastest person was out of the water in around 36 minutes.

I felt solid during the swim. I knew it would be fast, but I was quite surprised when I got out of the water and saw 46 min. My navigation was good, and I simply followed the faster feet in front of me.

There was a decent run to the timing mat after the wetsuit strippers, which added a little time to the swim, then another 300 or so yards to T1.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing - being 112 overall in the swim is better than I expected, with or without the current.
Transition 1
  • 04m 14s
Comments:

I made a pretty boneheaded move by deciding to forgo arm warmers and gloves. All I did was put my swim gear into my T1 bag, grab my socks, and run to my bike.

Compared to other transition times, it was pretty speedy, considering the run from the swim.

9th fastest overall T1.
What would you do differently?:

Again, pretty happy.
Bike
  • 5h 07m 16s
  • 112 miles
  • 21.87 mile/hr
Comments:

I made the decision at the start of the day to not wear arm-warmers or gloves on the bike. The forecasted rain had not materialized, and I thought I'd be fine. This decision almost led to a DNF.

The first 20 or so miles of the bike course headed out of the Wrightsville Beach area, and cut across north of Wilmington on route 140. There was already a headwind at this point, and it got progressively stronger during the day.

As the course progressed, the roads became more rural. However, as this happened a cold drizzle began, which lasted from around mile 25-60. I became increasingly cold, and began loosing dexterity in my fingers. It seemed like it was all I could do to hold on to my aero bars. Trying to handle a water bottle or get nutrition was next to impossible. I actually stopped twice to get nutrition out of my rear pockets because I was unable to do so while riding.

By mile 40-45 I was in a pretty dark place and was thinking of calling it a day. My left biceps was starting to turn a little blue and I was shivering. I felt that if the weather didn't improve I'd have a hard time finishing up the bike. However, I had the forecast in my mind and knew it called for clearing by noon time. The winds were increasing as the ride went on, and my speed began decreasing, with my 4-mile splits dropping to over 12 minutes.

By the time that I passed the special needs stop at mile 51 I was pretty much all by myself, having passed quite a few riders in the earlier miles of the race. I didn't stop for special needs - all I had was a tube, a Co2 and cliff blocks, which I didn't need.

After another ten miles the weather finally began to try clearing. The showers were ending, and I caught a glimpse of blue sky, brightening the mood. I was no longer as cold as before and my spirits were lifting. I also knew that they headwind that I had been riding into for the first three hours would soon become a tail wind, and this happened around mile 75, at which point my pace picked up quite a bit.

Instead of clocking 11:30-12:15 4 mile splits, I was in the 9:15-10:45 range, hitting 25-26 miles per hour without much effort. Speaking of effort, my 70% power is 230 watts, and my goal for the race was in the 225-230 range. However, I decided to be a bit conservative, especially once I got that nice tail wind and was cruising along at 25+ while averaging around 200 watts. My power average for the bike was 211 watts.

With about 25 miles to go the clouds turned to partially sunny skies and I got back feeling in my extremities. My mood turned positive again, and I began thinking about the run.

The last portion of the bike went by quickly, as I began passing competitors from the half, which joined up with our route. I stretched a little in the last few miles and peed for the 7th and final time - I think I became an expert on that during this race!

I didn't meet my goal time of 5:00 on the bike, but with the fast swim time I came into transition right around the 6:00 mark, well on pace for going sub 10:00.
What would you do differently?:

Wear toe covers, arm warmers and gloves for the bike ride. I definitely was pretty miserable for a good two hours from mile 25-65.

I also didn't really put in the proper training for a strong bike ride. I did one true 100 mile ride and two other combination rides with Katie where I rode after riding with her that totaled a bit over 100 miles. With proper training I know I can easily go under 5:00.
Transition 2
  • 02m 20s
Comments:

A race volunteer grabbed my bike and I headed into the changing tent. I didn't have much to change - just throwing on a clean pair of socks, my shoes, a hat and my race belt.

8th fastest T2 overall.

All that was left was a marathon - piece of cake!
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Run
  • 3h 51m 14s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 08m 50s  min/mile
Comments:

I was hoping to run the marathon in the 3:40-3:45 range, which would put me well under my 10:00 goal, leaving some wiggle-room for a slow down.

I started out strong and I had to slow myself down as a 7:30 pace seemed easy. I pulled back to around an 8:00-8:15 pace and aimed for a HR in the 145-150 range for the run. A few minutes after leaving T2 I saw Colin coming in on the bike, and about three minutes I saw Chris. They both looked good - a great day for NEMS so far!

Within the first mile of the run we had to run up the largest of the two bridges into the wind - I also had to make one of four bathroom stops at the first aid station just after the bridge.

I was feeling strong, and I hit the turn around at mile 6.55 in about 52 minutes. A few minutes after turning around I saw Colin coming in the other direction - he was looking strong, but yelled out that he had forgotten to put his watch in his T2 bag.

Half way back to the turnaround at T2 I saw my wife Katie, and her friend Dianne in the downtown area. It was great to see them and say hi. During the day they took the free water taxi back and forth to the battleship to get some great pictures of the three of us and cheer us on.

I got to the turnaround back at T1 in 1:49, so the second half of the first lap was already a bit slower. Still, my overall time with a half marathon left to run was around 7:49. I knew that even if I ran 10 minute miles I could still squeeze in under the 10:00 mark. However, I didn't want that to happen.

The second lap began again with the two bridges into the wind, and then into the downtown section of Wilimington. By the 15 mile mark my quads were beginning to hurt and my pace was creeping up to the 8:45 range, including a couple of bathroom stops. I probably spent about 3-4 minutes in the bathroom during the run, so my actual pace was a little faster, but I couldn't do much about that.

At the turnaround with 6.55 to go I was around 9:00-9:15. At that point I knew barring any huge setback that I would be under 10:00. That last 1/4 of the run was not much fun. My legs were burning, but my HR was actually quite low - only in the mid 130's. I think I need to learn to just push through that pain, as cardio wise I was fine.

I made it back through the downtown area, with Katie and Dianne once again cheering - the pictures afterwards didn't paint me with a happy face. My pace at this point was approaching 9:30, and I just wanted the race to end. I managed to head back over those two bridges, fighting the wind, then head towards the finishing area. We had to take quite a circuitous route around the tents and changing areas to finally finish.

Even though I faltered on the run, I still came in under my overall time goal, and I was pleased with that.

Colin kicked butt on the run, setting a marathon PR, and finishing about 25 minutes ahead of me in 9:27, and Chris came in four minutes after me in 9:56. Overall, Northeast Multisport represented quite well with the three of us going 7, 22 and 23 overall.
What would you do differently?:

Running a hard marathon seven weeks ago probably had a negative impact on my training. After that race in early September I didn't run much, and took a full week off from training. I got in one long run of 18 miles and a few runs in the 12 mile range. My run mileage in the leadup to this IM was only about 22-25 mpw, as I focused more on the bike.

I'm confident that I'll be able to get my IM run time in the 3:3x range with proper training.
Post race
Warm down:

I grabbed a warming blanket and I was helped by some volunteers into the warming tent and had some nice chicken broth. I also got a wonderful massage from two wonderful volunteers after warming up a bit.

Colin ended up in the medical tent, and Chris, Katie and I eventually met up with him and grabbed some food. Eventually, we got all of our gear and bikes, and boarded a trolley to the downtown area, where our rental truck was parked. We ended up having a super-healthy post race dinner at Waffle House!


What limited your ability to perform faster:

My schedule of racing for the year was quite full. This year I did my first half ironman, first marathon, and first ironman, and the marathon and ironman were too close together for proper IM training.

I know that with a solid IM build and dedication I should be able to go under 10:00 in a non-current aided swim.

Event comments:

I actually shed a few tears after I crossed the line, thinking of what I had just done. In June of 2010 I finished my first sprint triathlon, and about 18 months later I finished an IM in under 10:00. I know I'm capable of going faster, but I'm also looking forward to some rest this off-season, and spending more time with Katie, as my training has taken away a lot of time.

I don't have any solid triathlon plans for next season, but I'm happy with what I accomplished in my second year of racing.




Last updated: 2011-08-23 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:47:41 | 4224 yards | 01m 08s / 100yards
Age Group: 20/68
Overall: 112/674
Performance: Good
Suit: Xterra Vortex 3
Course: A straight shot down the channel for about 1.5 miles before a few turns in to the swim finish. The current was pretty strong, resulting in super fast times.
Start type: Run Plus:
Water temp: 69F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:14
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
05:07:16 | 112 miles | 21.87 mile/hr
Age Group: 1/68
Overall: 3/674
Performance: Average
Avg HR: 135
Wind: Headwind with gusts
Course: A large loop up into southern NC. The first 70-75 miles or so were in the north west direction, which meant heading into the wind.
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence: 85
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:20
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Average
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
03:51:14 | 26.2 miles | 08m 50s  min/mile
Age Group: 18/68
Overall: 59/674
Performance: Below average
Avg HR: 144
Course: This was a two loop out and back course that went over two sizable bridges and had about three smaller hills during each loop. The wind was probably a steady 20+ mph, which wasn't much fun on the exposed bridges.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5