Ironman Wisconsin - Triathlon


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Madison, Wisconsin
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
67F / 19C
Sunny
Total Time = 15h 56m 11s
Overall Rank = 2127/2990
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 91/147
Pre-race routine:

Woke-up at 4:00am
Bathroom + Meditation + Checked Facebook/responded to a few posts.
Made hot Ionix Supreme + e+ in mug + ate 1 piece GF Udi's bread, almond butter, 1/2 sliced banana; both tasted extremely delicious.

Put on swim suit, short, long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, socks, slip on shoes.
Double checked Morning Clothes bag: goggles, ear plugs, timing chip, flip flops, Clif bar for 2nd breakfast,
No Special Needs bags for me this year.
Carried wetsuit + Morning Clothes bag to Monona Terrace.

Didn't exactly follow plan once at MT, but all turned out well -- T2 first to drop off tampon and pistachios (didn't need/use either).
Bathroom stop #2 then Bike Check -- inflated tires, filled water bottle, put Gatorade Endurance bottle on bike (water + powder), kissed Violet.
Body marking to find Deb then bathroom stop #3 -- 3 poops this year. :)

BEST NEW IDEA: Went to T1 Women's Changing Area to do dynamic stretching/yoga and put on wetsuit. It was quiet, calm, warm.
Headed to water, took stairs (vs. helix), dropped off MC bag, waiting in chute w/ fellow athletes; In water by 6:45-ish.
Event warmup:

Leg swings + Gentle yoga (down dog, Cat/Camel, Thread the Needle) + few moments of stillness + deep breaths + thanks to, strength/protection from God.
Swim
  • 1h 39m 22s
  • 4224 yards
  • 02m 21s / 100 yards
Comments:

One chocolate cherry Clif gel before entering water around 6:45am. Calmly found spot between shore and ski ramp, then treaded water. Felt very comfortable and confident.

This year's swim was much tougher than 2013 because I apparently lined up in a high traffic area. I didn't feel people were purposely kicking me, it simply happened because there were so many of us.

The entire length of the first stretch I wasn't sure what to do or where to go. It was tough to sight and get a solid sense of direction, which then impacted establishing a rhythm.

Turned at the first buoy, MOO'd as tradition dictates -- just learned this over the weekend -- with relative ease.

The back stretch was much easier, spacious. I head-butted a kayak (or his paddle) because I was off-course, which was a little humiliating and painful. Ha!

I was very successful at staying calm and collected, actually talked out loud to myself a few times, "Stay calm, Amy. Breathe. It's all cool." It helped a lot.

Also, focused on my form, reaching and rotating hips through the water. Got a like stomach ache near the middle of the swim when breathing on my left. Could have been coffee earlier in the week, or water I swallowed while swimming. It was annoying, but subsided when I breathed on the right.
What would you do differently?:

NEXT IRONMAN: After getting pummelled in the first length, my next IMWI I'll line up differently, perhaps closer to the shore and/or further back in the pack.
Transition 1
  • 18m 2s
Comments:

Walked up the entire helix and to T1. Purposely took my time, let people pass me and looked around. Felt a little funny or guilty, but not enough to run.
What would you do differently?:

NEXT TIME: Jog to the beginning of the helix, walk up, then jog to T1. I'd love a sub 15 min T1.
Bike
  • 7h 41m 2s
  • 112 miles
  • 14.58 mile/hr
Comments:

I took into account all the advice of going out EZ and followed it. The first 30 miles were a 'breeze', easy and effortless. When I started the first loop, I had to remind myself I knew what I was doing and was more than strong enough to finish it all.

The mental chatter and fear of "doing all this twice" was loud at times. In these times, I shifted my focus the beautiful weather and scenery.

Spent 90% of the bike in aero, ignoring the burning pain and pressure in my Lady Garden. After some time, it eventually became numb. This was the first time I didn't let the groin discomfort affect my form. I was very proud of myself for being strong through this physical pan. It was a first for this extended period of time.

After the first loop, I felt strong and encouraged I could confidently finish another 56 miles. I picked up the pace into the final 20 miles. I was excited to finish and switching to the bike.

Stopped 4-5 times to pee, stretch my legs and refill bottles. I didn't rush, but I didnt' take my time either.

NUTRITION: I followed my spreadsheet very closely, alternating 'chew' food w/ a gel or chews. Ate 5 mini Clif bars (mostly peanut crunch which tasted amazing), 2 Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane gels, 2 Salted Caramel gels, 2 larabars (Chocolate chip cookie out of T1 and Key Lime Pie at half way); kept fresh water and Gatorade Endurance on the bike the entire time, refilling each when I stopped. This approach worked very well and I'll do it again!
What would you do differently?:

NEXT TIME: Dedicate focused training on tempo and intervals to have a faster bike split + buy a Garmin to track progress and know my cadence, speed, averages while racing.

Would I stop as often (4-5 times)?? Not sure...
Transition 2
  • 12m 37s
Comments:

I didn't do any of the five points above; I rode up helix EZ and volunteers took my bike at the top.

Katie helped me in T2. :) I was thankful to be off the bike and nervous, yet looking forward to getting on the run. Took tri top and running shirt, but I didn't need the shirt at all (ended up giving it to Jody at the second loop).
What would you do differently?:

NEXT TIME: Train so that I can run from one aid station to the next w/o the 2 min walk between. The aid stations are spread out perfectly to facilitate this with ease.
Run
  • 6h 05m 1s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 13m 56s  min/mile
Comments:

Wow, the toughest mental challenge I've ever experienced getting through. I went into IMWI unsure how I was going to finish the race, but I knew I'd finish. My gluts were shouting for me to stop w/ fatigue.

The first 10 miles was mentally filled with doubt on how I'd feel for the second half. At mile 12, the top of my left foot starting hurting. At some point, I realized it wasn't a stress fracture at all, but sore muscles between the bones instead. This reassured me tremendously.

So my form wouldn't be totally throw out of whack, I took one Aleve at mile 15. It made me nervous to do so because I hadn't ever practiced with it, but I felt optimistic it would help. Thankfully it did. It took the edge off almost immediately (psychosomatic I'm sure).

With the added miles, my body ached in fatigue, yet I kept telling myself "Of course it hurts! You were prepared for this 'sensation'. Now push through and stick to your plan.", which I did -- running 5 minutes, walking 2 minutes, running to the next aid station, walking through it (refueling if needed), REPEAT. I loved this approach and would do it again.

NUTRITION: Started the run with a settled stomach. Energy was good, but I knew I needed to hydrate more. For the first 3 miles, I focused on drinking more water until I had to pee. Then food tasted better. Had grapes first, potato chips, only one gel, banacn twice and 2 mini Clif bars eaten in halves over time. At dusk, I enjoyed chicken broth (5-6 times) and Red Bull (4-5 times) when my energy or mood needed lifting. Alternating, Red Bull and chicken broth worked great, as well as keeping a 10 oz water bottle with me during the entire run -- I ditched it at mile 25 for great finisher pics. ;) Overall, nutrition on the run and for the entire race was great!
What would you do differently?:

NEXT TIME: Train so that I can run from one aid station to the next w/o the 2 min walk between. The aid stations are spread out perfectly to facilitate this with ease.

The extra planning I put into play helped me know what to expect and plan for vs. winging it. The combination of intuition and planning was a huge success I'll do again!

Post race
Warm down:

Kim Kelly, Sue Keith, and Deb Reiser were all at the Finish LIne waiting to catch me. I was extremely happy to see them and let them take care of me the rest of the way.

We walked to the side, found Jody, then Jill Sommers. I didn't stretch until Jody and I went to Monona Terrace for bag and bike pick up. I did some gentle quad, hip, calf and side stretching which felt good.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of extensive run training. My longest run pre-race was 13.1 at IM Racine. This gnawed at my mind and planted a seed of doubt. Sore feet (esp top of L foot), hip fatigue, hamstring fatigue, and hip flexor retaliation all played a part in the slow pace.

Actually, 13:94 pace was on track with my expectation for the run. I'm curious and would love to know what my running pace was, too.

Event comments:

It's been one week out from the race as I wrap up my Race Report. As I began the run, I hated what I was doing and doubted why I was there. As I write today, I'm excited for my next IM to learn more and become more efficient, effective in race execution.

Yes, it sucked royally at times. Yes, it was one of the toughest mental challenges I'm endured in some time. Yes, I will do another IM in the near future... after a few years off. ;)

http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/wisconsin/...




Last updated: 2015-08-03 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:39:22 | 4224 yards | 02m 21s / 100yards
Age Group: 100/147
Overall: 2242/2990
Performance: Good
-none-
Suit: Xterra Vortex
Course: Lake Monona - one BIG loop from Monona Terrace
Start type: Deep Water Plus:
Water temp: 71F / 22C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Good Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 18:02
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
07:41:02 | 112 miles | 14.58 mile/hr
Age Group: 94/147
Overall: 2193/2990
Performance: Good
-none-
Wind: Some
Course: HILLY + fun
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 12:37
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
06:05:01 | 26.2 miles | 13m 56s  min/mile
Age Group: 91/147
Overall: 2130/2990
Performance: Average
Course: Mostly flat with the exception of Observatory Hill in the UW campus; two loops. My favorite part is the gravel path along Lake Mendota. It's peaceful and quiet. The sound of gravel underfoot is soothing.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %?
Overall: Good
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