Ironman Wisconsin - Triathlon


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Madison, Wisconsin
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 16h 21m 10s
Overall Rank = 2239/2990
Age Group = 60 - 64
Age Group Rank = 29/45
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 2 am and drove do Madison. Breakfast at 4:30am: cereal, banana, and cup of coffee. Reported to transition at 5am. Pumped up bike to 125 psi, loaded bottles with fluids, put in food bars and gels. Got into bike/swim change room at 5:45am to put the wesuit on (the Monona Terrace hallways were crowded already since outside temperature was 49F only). Surprisingly, lake was still warm at 70F. I am glad I headed to swim start earlier, entered the water at about 6:55am just right before the cannon went off.
Event warmup:

Making a decision to do some stretching and warm up gymnastics in change room was a smart move to get the blood flowing. Swim entrance was a little bit chaotic due to thousands of athletes and spectators waiting. No room for comfortable warm up. Treaded the water for about 5 min.
Swim
  • 1h 49m 49s
  • 4224 yards
  • 02m 36s / 100 yards
Comments:

This mass swim start was totally insane. I have never seen so many people in one place trying to swim at the same time. I listened to the advice of guys who did it before and position myself in the back of the crowd away from buoys. I am glad I did it, because when cannon went off it was a mass of hands and legs attacking the water and lot of contact. I got kicked and punched a few times at the beginning, but it was not bad. This was my best long swim ever. Good pace, breathing, sighting, and time. 10 min faster than expected allowed me to take the time in T1.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing at all.
Transition 1
  • 11m
Comments:

Just right after swim, the volunteers helped me take off the wetsuit, so I could run the Monona Terrace helix up to the 4th floor comfortably. I really took my time in transition room. This T1 is totally different from what I have experienced in previous races. Nothing is allowed next to the bike. You do your change in a large room where a bag with your stuff is placed on the floor. The volunteer helps to get the items out of the bag and even assist you with dressing up if you want. I left the wetsuit, googles, cap, and swimming shorts on the floor and a really nice guy collected them back.. Then there is a run all the way around the huge parking lot to get your bike.
What would you do differently?:

I could probably run a little bit faster to the bike and spent less time in the change room, but this was not about the time. I wanted to start bike well prepared for the longest part of the race.
Bike
  • 8h 09m 45s
  • 112 miles
  • 13.72 mile/hr
Comments:

I took it easy on the first loop an a little bit harder on second. Stopped for refueling bottles, to change my socks, twice to portable toilets, and once to massage feet. My biking boots did not fit very well for this long ride. I need to figure it out if this about how tight the shoes were or type of socks used. Nothing to say about the weather, but perfect for ride. Again, I have to compliment volunteers - they are just awesome! I made the first loop 30 minutes before cut off time and returned to Madison with 15 min left. Thanks to very good swim!
What would you do differently?:

Train more long, hilly bike rides. Maybe get more sprockets installed on my LeMond bike or look for more advanced up to date tri bike. On the off season, spend more time on the gym strengthening muscles and take spinning classes.
Transition 2
  • 13m
Comments:

This transition is unique as the volunteer takes your bike back to transition for you. All you got to do is change to running gear and get out. But I did take my time there to rest and relax a little bit knowing that a full marathon is ahead of me. Really! This is totally crazy. I could barely walk after the bike! Drank some water and sit for about 5 min in the chair. Then dressed up to running shorts and shoes, put the fuel and number belt on. Used the bathroom one more time and was out on running course at about 5:25pm. A few minutes ahead of the planned time.
What would you do differently?:

Maybe take less time in T2, but resting my legs for a while was more important.
Run
  • 5h 57m 9s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 13m 38s  min/mile
Comments:

My plan was to run Galloway method all the course. 60 min run and 30 min walk. I did it for most of the run with some exceptions in the beginning. So the overall average pace was much slower than expected. My legs were so tired already after the bike, so I walked more often. I executed the plan perfectly on the second 13.1 mile loop. And it worked very well. I made first loop 1 hour and 3 min before the cut off time and 45 min at the second cut off. At this point I knew I would finish this for sure. This was an incredible feeling and sense of accomplishment when I finally run into finish line. I felt like a winner!Andrzej - "You are an Ironman" , I heard from the speakers accompanied with loud cheering up from a crowd gathered there.
What would you do differently?:

Not too much. The plan was to finish somewhere between 11 and 11:30pm which I did! Disciplined and persistent efforts paid off. Good hydration, salt taking, and nutrition.
Post race
Warm down:

There was not much time left for cool down as I had to pick up my bike and bags from transition before midnight. I was at hotel room at 12:30am and went straight to bed.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Swimming technique needs further improvement, get better bike gear, spend more time for strength training, do more long bike rides in a hilly terrain, practice Galloway running methods for different paces and distances.

Event comments:

This was my first Ironman ever. I could not ask for a better race to do it. My goal set back in 2103 to complete Ironman at the age of 60 has been accomplished. It took almost a year of preparation plus two years of doing triathlons on shorter distances including Ironman 70.3 in 2014. I want to give a huge credit to 3500 volunteers and people of Madison who make this race unforgettable. If you are not afraid of one of the most difficult Ironman triathlon bike courses around, I would highly recommend doing Wisconsin. All the pain will pay off with the cheer ups received as you go through the challenge.




Last updated: 2015-02-05 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:49:49 | 4224 yards | 02m 36s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/45
Overall: 0/2990
Performance: Good
Suit:
Course: Very well marked with large buoys on the left side of course. Many kayaks and boats with life guards. Whole course visible from Monona Terrace and large crowd on the shore making a lot of noise to cheer up the athletes.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Shot
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 11:00
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
08:09:45 | 112 miles | 13.72 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/45
Overall: 0/2990
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course: This course is very challenging with many climbs on the hills and fast rides downhill. Incredible support on the way from both spectators and volunteers. The people there are just awesome! You get boosts of confidence, a lot of fun, and loud cheers - especially on the toughest hills. Aid stations at every 15 miles with plenty of drinks, food, and volunteers ready to assist you.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 13:00
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
05:57:09 | 26.2 miles | 13m 38s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/45
Overall: 0/2990
Performance: Average
Course: Nice course around downtown of Madison and University of Wisconsin. Incredible support and cheering up from people all the way on the course almost to late night. Aid station at every mile - maybe too much, but plenty of choice with energy drinks, bars, and gels. Even chicken broth, which was very helpful to make the last miles of the course.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %3.3
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5