Ironman USA Lake Placid - TriathlonFull Ironman

As we headed over to the Swim start I see Coach earl and I ask for some last minutes words of wisdom. He tells me I'm a stronger swimmer than I give myself credit for and that if I have "to go to 80%" it's OK. We got into the water with about 10 minutes to go. Swam a little, treaded water, joked around. Seeded ourselves way to far to the front. Holy cow. getting caught up in the draft was a good, good thing. Started out about 15 feet behind the line and a little bit off to the right. I should have been 50 feet behind the line and way over to the right.

It was a melee. Punches, kicks and elbows were given and received. I was swum over and I swam over people. Stayed about 2 body widths away from the line. Once I "claimed my own space" it was all good. I apologize to everyone I made "Contact" with.
On the second loop, as I was heading towards the finish. I was feeling good. I thought I was seeing the line everytime I looked to the left (I only breathe to the right) There was no one around me and then suddenly I see a kayak. I lift my head and I realize I am about 25 yds away from the line. I was completely off course! I was following an imaginary line in my head. I managed to get back on the line and I finished in 1:26. Holy Cow. I expected a 1:40-1:50. It was like I had a rocket up my a$$.

Best part of my swim was running towards transition and seeing all of my Family and the Trilife coaches and supporters. I can't tell you how Good it was when I came out of the swim and how important it was later on in the race.


Swim LOTS. Swimming is something I am now going to focus on. And I would have sighted more. Only I could see an imaginary line that lead me completely off course.
AND I have to work on trying to pee on myself when in open water.

Thank God for Wetsuit strippers. Unfortunately, I was once again was not able to pee on myself, So I had to wait in line at the port a john. I didn't know there was a pee trough in the men's tent. I had no volunteer to help me and not only did no one help me but they didn't put my bag back so it ends up someone stole my wetsuit, goggles and swim cap. I can replace the goggles and wetsuit but not the swim cap. Damn.

Can I say it? Pee on myself. I guess I can.

I come out of T1 and my family is there screaming their heads off. Took it very easy on the first loop just like the coaches said. I saw Ross on the first big uphill and gave him a 4. If I had an easier gear on my bike I would have been a 5. I felt good until the left turn out of Upper Jay headed towards Wilmington. I suddenly and with great prejudice FELL apart. I saw Coach Kim and showed her a 2. Kim screamed at me to take off my arm warmers. Maybe I was overheating or maybe I just needed to be yelled at but I did start to feel better. By the time I started the Haselton Out and back I had gone from a 2 back to a 4.
I felt good on the Out and Back and saw a bunch of TriLifers on their way back. I saw Coach Scott on the way out and on the way back he was calling out great advice "Relax your shoulders" "Keep breathing" "Take your arm warmers off" Unfortunately, he was calling it out to some woman on a bike about twenty feet in front of me. LOL Yes, Scott totally missed me going by. I caught up to the woman and told her she owed me $20 for the "Free" advice my coach had given her.

Caught up with Marisol at the beginning of the Climb out of Wilmington. She slapped me on the a$$ and sent me on my way :). Ran into XTERRATRI from the BT site and she said That Marisol had told her to slap my ass. Shortly after that we passed ISIS and the BT sign area lol. Somewhere on the climb I saw Coach Lance. Other than Hello, we haven't said a word to each other in 10 months. Yet, There he was with some other TriLifers losing his mind. He was great, yellin and screamin and giving me encouragement. Every time I saw a coach or some of the support crew it was such a boost. I have to point out that the Gina, Jenna, Stacey, Damn Renee group was phenomenal out on the course.

Going up papa bear was like something out of a movie. It was great seeing all of the Trilifers on the route and I don't know who that woman with the drum was but she was great.

Stopped at Special needs Earl was there telling me to take a deep breathe and be smooth. The volunteers were great. I reloaded my bottles and was pleasantly surprised to find they were still cold. A big Thank you to Connie and Michellle for the FREEZER envelope. What would I do without them?? Finished up Loop #1 in 3:21. That was cause for concern cause the best I had done prior to race day was 3:35.

Loop #2 is a blur. I think I spoke with Ross on the way out. I had to pee after making the right from Jay towards upper jay. I was all alone on the flat stretch so I figured I would try to do it off the bike. I stood up adjusted myself but it wouldn't come out. All I managed to do was ride with my privates out for about a half mile. Luckily, shortly after putting it away I hit an aid station. I stopped to use the Port a john and got the biggest kick out of the kids fighting to hold onto my bike and get me water. They refilled my aero bottle and had me pointed in the right direction by the time I finished up. At the next aid station I missed a hand off of a bottle of water and since I was at the end of the aid station I figured I would just continue when I heard yelling and footsteps behind me. The kid I bobbled the hand off from was running his little heart out trying to get me some water. I slowed down and he caught up to me and gave me the bottle. I thanked him profusely and then went on my merry way.
I felt like I could have gone faster but I was worried about being able to run. In the end I wish I would have pushed it a bit harder. By The time I got to Papa bear there was almost no crowd left.Betsy was there and told me Ropss wanted everyone taking in salt.I had been taking an endurolyte every hour and my Infinit has a lot of sodium so Ifigured i was good. I finished the second loop in 3:56.


I would have made more of the 5 am bike practices. lol

Had a volunteer. Felt like I was moving much faster. Stopped for some sunscreen but didn't feel like it took that long.

Probably should have stuck some sunscreen in my T2 bag so that I didn't have to wait for the sunscreen from the volunteer.

Mile 1 I was feeling good. Happy to be off the bike. In fact I felt good all the way until mile 2. LOL I suddenly felt a pain on my right side. Not a stitch but more like I had a rock traveling through my intestines. (could have been the 5 imodium I took in the morning so that I could leave the condo.) It really hurt. I saw Ross and figured he would give me some solid Ironman Run advice. A secret stretch or some fluid combination to ease my pain. He asks for my number, I tell him I’m a 2 and there is something wrong. I have a bad pain in my side. I’ll never forget the following pearls of wisdom that he gave me. “So what? It’s an Ironman. It’s supposed to hurt. Keep running” Thanks Ross That was EXACTLY what I needed to hear.LOL I suffered thru the first turn around and then I let out a burp that took about a minute to finish and I suddenly felt better.LOL. On my way back Ross tells me he wants me to be the “King of the sponges” and to focus on staying cool first and calories second. I walked up the hill from River Rd and half way up IGA hill. I turned by Mirror lake drive and my whole family was going crazy. I stopped to give my Mom a kiss and I see a sign that says we love NYPD Ironmen. Matt’s (Mforger18) family had made up a sign and put our numbers on it! Then I passed by the TriLife tent and everyone was just going bananas. At that point I have to admit that my Eyeballs got a little sweaty. All the support on the course. The coaches, the tent, the old teammates out on the course, the half team on their bikes, my family, it just got to me. My eyeballs got a little sweaty. Old Marines aren’t permitted to cry but on occasion our eyeballs do get sweaty. I finished the first loop in 2:10.

The second loop was going well until mile 15.5. I stopped to pee and once again with extreme prejudice I fell apart. It was demoralizing. I really was hoping to finish in 4:20 or less. I couldn’t move. I was walking more than I was running. I saw Vickie at Mile 18 and couldn’t believe her foot! She had cut open her toe and the entire front half of her shoe was drenched in blood. She is hard core. I saw Ross and asked if I should start with the coke and the chicken broth. He said yes. I am addicted to Pepsi and Coke as it is and I have to say that was the best flat coke and chicken broth I have ever consumed. I think my problem was I was taking Gatorade and water at every aid station and a gel at every three miles. I should have started with the coke and chicken broth right after the first loop when I started feeling a little more beat up. Within a few minutes I was able to pick up my pace to a blistering 9 minutes per mile.LOL I walked halfway up IGA hill then started running. At the top of the hill I see the back of Scott’s head. Once again he misses me on the course. Whoever he was talking too screamed out my name but I was so out of it I was just on automatic pilot. At 3 hours and 56 minutes into the run I was at mile 21 and my watch died. I finished in 4:43. I managed to run a roughly 9 minute pace for the final 5 miles of the run and that includes walking halfway up the two hills.

As I ran up Mirror Lake drive for the last out and back I Couldn’t hear anything I was just focused on my running and getting into the chute ALONE. I waited a year to hear “Robert Maldonado, You are an IRONMAN” and I didn’t want anyone else getting in the way or getting in my picture. As I reach the turn around I notice most people in front of me are walking and there was a big gap in front of this guy in white. I give it everything I have, I sprint, well at least it felt like a sprint to me, I pass the guy in white, I enter the oval and there is no one in front of me and no one behind me. I go over the timing mat and the announcer says “Robert MCDONALD, 39 years old from Brooklyn, NY. Congratulations” WTF?? Did he just say Mcdonald? And what? No “You are an Ironman?” Is he F’n kidding me??? What is it? Is he tired? I tell my volunteer athlete catcher that I need to speak to the announcer. The guy thought I was delirious. I tried to talk him into bringing me over to the announcer but he wouldn’t go for it.



Satrt with the coke and Chicken broth sooner.

Walked around for 10 minutes. Got a 10 minute massage. Had some pizza and some Chocolate milk.


I was my biggest limiter. I could have and should have trained harder and focused on becoming faster.


Just a great race. The volunteers were phenomenal. The crowd support was incredible. It is a beautiful venue and I enjoyed every minute of it.