IMKY 2008 - for better or worse?

I actually didn't have time goals.. Just have some fun. I looked at my training pace and figured I could be anywhere from 15 hr to 16 hr.  so  coming in at just over 15hrs was good for me {15:07}.

I couldn't keep anything down from mile 40 on the bike till the end of the bike. and for someone that blew off most of my long runs in favor of just doing 1hr runs and did only 2 or 3 bricks I was very happy with my slowest marathon time ever !!  

I somehow did better than my best case scenario that I dreamed would be possible only on a perfect day.

In reality, I took much longer on the swim than I should have.  I'm chalking it up to zig-zag swimming.  I'm not disappointed in the swim.  I'm actually proud as hell that I swam non-stop for nearly 90 minutes in the Ohio River and was calm the whole time.

I held back on the bike, and it paid off big time.  I figured I could ride between 18-19mph, and I was close to that.  Feeling great off the bike was the goal.  I wanted to give myself the best chance to run the marathon.

The run is what completely blew away my expectations.  With the injuries I've dealt with, and the limited running I did this year, I'm absolutely thrilled to have run the entire time and to have posted the 43rd fastest marathon of the day (pros included!)

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around what I just accomplished at my first IM, and first marathon.  I'm my toughest critic, and I expect a lot from myself.  To have outperformed my target time is a thrilling experience for me. 

 ~B

What a Great Day! ! ! I thought my best would be a 1.30 swim / 6.30 bike / 5.00 run. I wanted to do a sub-13 hour race. But, by two days prior, I decided that was a bit too much to hope for.

Well, unbelievably I beat all those times for a 12:39:54! ! ! !

I never went through the ups and downs of emotions. That was due to all of my support team, as well as all the great folks that came out for the race. My support team saw me 3 times on the bike, 4 times on the run and then at the finish line! ! !

I can't wait till IMC 2009. . . .

I did a MUCH worse time wise than I expected. The difference was the bike. I was two hours slower on the bike than I wanted and it simply took too much out of me for a good run.

But having said that, I am quite proud of how I finished, or that I finished at all since it was my first IM. I kept telling myself on the bike and the run that although I am not going to get the time I wanted, I am having to deal with a much tougher day than anticipated, so to dig deep and get 'er done would be the accomplishment I can be proud of.

Congrats to all who competed in IMKY on tough day conditions-wise. Well done BT'ers.

 way to overcome, dude!  THAT is IRONMAN style.

~B

My experience was the worse that could have happened for me.  I had expectations of finishing in the 13 - 15 hour range based on my training.  I ended up finishing in 16:00:53. 

I started out fairly well with a 1:26 swim and a 6:44 bike.  I started to run into problems on the bike around mile 80.  My stomach shut down and I couldn't take anything other than water in.  I knew I was in trouble.

I had the dreaded longer marathon split than bike split at 7:31.  I walked probably 95% of it.  I couldn't get anything down other than water.  At the aid station just after mile 20 I collapsed.  I sat there for 30 minutes on the curb waiting for EMS.  The volunteers got me water, Gatorade, ice on the back of my neck and a powerbar.  I was able to eat the powerbar and felt much better.  At the 30 minute mark of sitting there, I got back up and said "F, this I'm finishing this thing".  I walked the rest of the way in. 

Overall, I'm very happy to have finished, and will give all the gory details in my race report later.  I will get my revenge on Ironman next year in Couer d'Alene. 

1st Ironman

Goals : Swim - 1:20.00, T1 - :10.00, Bike - 6:50.00, T2 - :10.00, Run - 6:15.00, Total - 14:45.00

Actual :Swim - 1:14:50, T1 - :04.44, Bike - 7:00.01, T2 - :10.38, Run - 5:49.01, Total - 14:19.14

25 mins under my goal time.  Bike was slow but I stopped both loops to put on sunscreen and use restroom.  Overall I'm very happy with my performance and I'm very happy with how well I could move around the next day.

I gotta tell ya Mark, I think you held back too much on the bike.  I've biked enough centuries with you to know that you are a stronger biker than that.  Certainly if you had pushed harder on the bike you run would not have been as strong but I guess that's the balance we all have to find in an IM. That is, how hard to push the bike?

My game plan was simple - probably stupid, but simple.  I pushed as hard as I could on the bike and rationalized that the faster I got off the bike, the more time I'd have to run (walk) the marathon. 

~Mike

Secret goal was 14:30 and if all went to hell in a hand basket 15-17 hours.  Unfortunately, somewhere within the first few miles of the bike, I picked up my "hand basket".  My stomach was not happy and it got worse throughout the bike.  Gels and Infinit, I could not eat them.  No puking, but eating them made things even worse.  Legs felt ok, but there was just nothing in the tank to burn. Switched to bananas, salt tabs and water.  Stomach was still angry, but at least I had some calories.  Things got better after SN and i got TUMS, was able to eat a little more, but the damage was done by the time i got to the run.  I just felt weak and walked most of the run.  I ate at every station to make up some calories, but there was just no overcoming it.

I finished in 15:18, but had nutrition gone better I feel that 14:30 was within reach.