Ironman Arizona - TriathlonFull Ironman

I had 2 main goals for the swim.

1. Keep my cool - at the HIM I did I let people whacking me, etc. bother me and I felt that was a angry swim. This swim was great. I was calm and cool stroking the whole way through. Also I started on the side of the swim. see fig 1


fig 1 - swim start

2. Wanted to go easy with a steady pace using little energy and not kicking much to avoid any swim cramps. Success!

I also did not sight on the way out. I just made sure I had others to my left/breathing side and then I knew I was not off course. I let others do my sighting. Plus it was into the sun so what would I see anyway?

On the way back I hugged the buoy line and swam very straight.

swim faster, but only if it is because my stroke is more efficient.

When I got out of the water, my friend Steve was there. He volunteered to pull people onto the stairs out of the water. Then Tanya (standswithfist) was there with 2 others like a speedy team of strippers helping me get my suit off.

I did leave my goggles behind and didn't realize it until I put my suit in the t1 bag.

Put everything on quickly and was off to get my bike.

Pretty good transition. Maybe I'll keep my goggles next time... but hey this is Ironman!

Well first off... I passed 1036 people on the bike so either my swim was not that great or I had a real good bike. I'll go with decent swim and real good bike.

The first lap was good averaging 20.22. Decent speed on the way out without going too hard and then of course the speed was slowed by the headwind that was kicking up on the beeline.


The second lap I really started moving and at the 56 mile mark I was averaging about 22.5 mph and had a top speed of 32.5. Then I turned into the wind again and it was like a fog that got thicker the longer you rode into it. That knocked my average down to 21.01 at the 83.6 mark.

Then came the dreaded torturous 3rd lap that knocked my speed average down to 19.28 for the 112 mile ride. The thing about the 3rd lap is it was much slower than the first and second laps were but I had to work so much harder because of the nasty headwinds that were 40+ mph they also swirled in spots. I also started to need to pee during this lap while trying to keep cramps from coming on that were caused by the hard work the wind was making me do. I was in my climbing gears and it was still so tough!


Swim faster so I could get through more of the bike as the wind built up!

I handed my bike off and told the guy he could keep it.

Then I ran over, grabbed my t2 bag, and headed for the portapotty.

After business was taken care of I headed for the changing tent. My training partner Jeff got into the tent at the same time. We sat down in chairs with one in between us.

I reached in my bag, grabbed my change of socks and started putting them on. A volunteer then came over and dumped my back and lined my shoes up, asked me if I wanted all of my powergel (there were 8... Jeff told everybody there was a huge pile of 15 or more) I put them in my jersey, tied my shoes, sprayed my spray on sun block, handed my sun block to Jeff and we both started off on the run.

It was a Ironman change... due to getting help I really couldn't have done it much faster... wasn't worried about that either.

1st lap - Starting out on the run I had nothing to go on. I ran the first mile and half but then started to do a run/walk as I turned into the wind again! I felt a little disoriented and with a slight dizziness so I felt this was the way to go. A guy named John from Houston was in the same boat so we went along picking when we were going to run and what we would run to. We kept going along and I saw Jess (tritakemeaway) run by. She yelled to me and all I could muster was "hey!" Then as John and I kept going we saw Peter Reid and he encouraged us too so we started running again for a little. His jersey had polka dots on it and a lot of people commented on the polka dots. As we kept going another guy from his tri club joined us. We had all decided that our time goals no longer mattered and we were just going to do this thing. Jeff caught up to us to. Then as the 4 of us made it to the bridge I started feeling good and picked my pace up some. I had joked that if I heard another polka dot remark I was going to leave them. I actually left because I was feeling better.

2nd lap - this led into the second lap and the crowd yelling your name and cheering you on gave me a big charge. I saw some friends and the VP from my work, who gave me the high five! I kept running and my pace was good I took a little less from the stations. I came across Pilgrim and said "hey Brian!" then I looked at him and said "you are not Brian, you are Brian's friend" and he said "nope, I am Brian" and then he told me I was doing great. Then again at the same spot I saw Jess running by and again she yelled to me and I said "hey!" but this was a better "hey!" I kept running and ran through the beach park smiling the whole way as the crowd cheered me on. Lots of kids giving high fives. FUN STUFF. But then at the next aid station I decided to take in some calories. My fate was sealed by a banana. I had to start the run/walk again because it did not agree with my stomach. After a little I felt better again and started my run again and at a even faster pace.

3rd lap - I kept going at a even better pace. I got charged up by the crowd again and was feeling great. I think I was running around a 7:30 pace or so. I came across Mike (ABQkid) and then caught up with Madcow (who I had seen a few times on the bike) and just kept going. I ran through the crowd area smiling away again, but then as the wind kept blowing into me I filled with lactic acid with about 3 miles to go. I was back into the run/walk with not much running. At about 3/4 of a mile to go I was caught up to by Dennis (DGunthert) who was wearing a BT tri suit. I had talked to him when I passed him earlier. As I was walking when he caught me and he told me to keep it going and that we were almost there. His words encouraged me and I started running. I walked up the little hill to the bridge and then ran across the bridge picking my speed up as I went even though a few minutes earlier my legs did not want to move. I continued getting faster and faster and when I turned the corner and saw the finish the SPRINT was on! I then had a split second choice as their was a guy in front of me... do I go left... do I go right... I chose right... well so did he, but he went the high five the crowd route while I was trying to sprint by. As I went by he put his arm out and instead of me getting clotheslined he span like a turnstile. And my day was done! IRONMAN

Well where should I start... no banana... no.... .... ... I could pick the run apart, but it was more of a adventure in running to get to the line and thus even though tiring and slightly painful at times I kept going and going!

My friend Steve was at the finish... he grabbed me as I crossed the line... congratulated me then I turned and there was Andy #1 from the AZ Tri Club who also volunteered. He had check on all of us before the race too. He also gave me a big bear hug! Steve then took me through got food for me, we collected my gear, and then went back to watch people finish.


I went over that earlier in the report... LOL


Great race that has great volunteers. Getting to meet new people from BT and race with them was great. I also had the bonus of being a local and having friends that I train with racing and cheering me. And other friends there. Plus having your name on the race bib is neat... the crowd constantly cheers and instead of saying go guy or keep it going your name is thrown in there and on a long effort like this it was great!

I also watched the last 10 minutes of finishers. Pilgrim really wanted to see them and just to see his excitement to watch them finish was inspiring. It was great to yell and clap for the final finishers.

I also want to thank my friends on BT that have encouraged me, inspired me, and even a time or too told me to get out and get my training done (that happened when it was cold). And a special thanks go to Gina76 who was awesomely supportive for me and it was neat to know that she and other BTers were watching and tracking my progress online and saw me finish. The congratulations are also awesome! Thanks everybody!