Ironman USA Lake Placid - TriathlonFull Ironman


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Lake Placid, New York
United States
Ironman North America
Precipitation
Total Time = 11h 26m 22s
Overall Rank = 453/2340
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 39/268
Pre-race routine:

Slept well. Up at 3:30. Had coffee and bagel; showered; had a bowl of chicken noodle soup; dressed in race kit and got things ready; had a small bowl of peaches and a fruit smoothie. Walked to transition area with Hilary.

Saw Penn State, Lauren, Ocean Annie, Julia Parr, and Maine Rob prior to the race and wished them all well.
Event warmup:

Did some arm circles and then swam easy for a few minutes.
Swim
  • 1h 08m 47s
  • 3862 meters
  • 01m 34s / 100 meters
Comments:

I wanted to try and get in a faster (~1:05) group and see if I could hold on, so I seeded myself near the front. Big mistake. I was getting pummeled at the start and within 100 meters I was struggling with my breathing. I decided to get out of there and swam (fought my way) perpendicular to the mass of swimmers and headed for the buoy line. Once there I held a buoy long enough to get my breathing under control and then started swimming inside the buoy lane. I easily worked my way through the field and came out of the water after the first lap in 34:xx.

I found a strong kicker to draft off of early on the second lap and was enjoying the draft when I realized we were headed towards the SN bags. Not a good place to be going. I dropped off his/her feet and made my way back towards the buoy line. After the turn I found myself alone. I swam that way, while occasionally passing someone, until the exit.
What would you do differently?:

Start further back, as I have in other races, and work my way through the crowd.
Transition 1
  • 07m 16s
Comments:

I took the time to put on a rain coat in T1. The transition area was becoming a mud pit and my cleats became caked with mud.
Bike
  • 5h 38m 6s
  • 112 miles
  • 19.88 mile/hr
Comments:

The course is beautiful and challenging. The first half of each loop is very fast and the second loop features a number of rollers that build in elevation gain, but there's no true mountain climbs.

I spent the winter and spring riding hills. Short, steep climbs; long mountain climbs; and rolling hills. Many of those rides were in the rain. I also did a three stage TT race in the mountains, and a mountainous HIM in building for the race. With those miles in my legs, the LP course was very manageable for me.

I was never out of my comfort zone, and despite the miserable weather I had a great time.

My goal was to even split, and I thought I could ride ~5:45:00. My first loop was 2:47:57 and second loop was 2:50:09.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Transition 2
  • 03m 55s
Comments:

I opted to keep my shoes on as I didn't want to get my feet muddy in transition. Most of transition was paved, but there was a small patch of mud to run through, and it was muddy in the tent.

I did find a part of the tent that was over concrete to use to change shoes.
Run
  • 4h 28m 18s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 10m 14s  min/mile
Comments:

A few years ago I twisted my spine and herniated three disks. I've since had my spine fused from L3-S1. Unfortunately I have some nerve damage that continues to affect my legs. Primarily my left hamstring and right hip flexor. This in turn affects my running stride and I actually come to a brief stop when my left leg lands, thus I have a very inefficient running stride. My long run pace is in the 9:45 - 10:00 pace.

My goal for this marathon was to run a 10:00 pace and walk the aid stations. I told myself I wouldn't start walking until I got to the first volunteer and would resume running when I got to the last waste basket. No other walking allowed.

I stuck to this plan for the entire marathon. My hip flexor bothered me on the hills, and my hips ached in general for much of the run, but I was able to stick to my plan.

I slowed a little between miles 19 and 23, but ran the final hills and the last mile hard. My second loop time was within three minutes of my first loop.
Post race
What limited your ability to perform faster:

I feel I raced to the best of my potential for the day. This was my fourth IM and I PR'd it by ~14 minutes. It was by far my best race day execution.

Event comments:

As always, the volunteers and spectators were amazing, but even more so due to the miserable weather conditions.




Last updated: 2007-11-15 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:08:47 | 3862 meters | 01m 34s / 100meters
Age Group: 57/268
Overall: 720/2340
Performance: Good
Suit: Zoot
Course:
Start type: Deep Water Plus:
Water temp: 71F / 22C Current: Low
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 07:16
Performance:
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Below average
Biking
05:38:06 | 112 miles | 19.88 mile/hr
Age Group: 12/268
Overall: 225/2340
Performance: Good
Power = 198 Avg / 589 Max NP = 232 Cadence = 111 Avg HR = 144 Avg / 172 Max
Wind: Some
Course:
Road:   Cadence: 111
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:55
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
04:28:18 | 26.2 miles | 10m 14s  min/mile
Age Group: 87/268
Overall: 830/2340
Performance: Good
HR = 151 Avg / 167 Max
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers?
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5]