BamaDC's mentor group is Closed! (Page 44)

First and foremost let me say it was great meeting all of the BTers this week.  I continue to meet a class group of people at these races.  Martin (Livestrong191), Shellabree and her husband Scott, Dan and his wife(DanielG), Todd(Titeloops), TriBee all were people I met on this Tri with the exception of Todd who is in my mentor group.  It was a blast sharing stories, tips, tricks, and dinner.  I enjoyed the thread while getting ready for this race.

Now my race.  I am happy to say I am an Ironman this morning.  That feels great! I am also happy that I had a few challenges during the race I had to deal with that frustrated me and made me think of hanging it up and trying this again another day.  But I didn’t! 

I was very happy with my swim.  Not because of the time.  1 hour 38 minutes is slow. No this is the first swim I have done in a HIM or longer where I didn’t panic on the swim.  The swim we did Thursday with most of the people I mentioned above was very helpful.

So successful Swim.  Now on to my issues:

The bike.  Came out of the water got on the bike felt great took off and was in good shape going about 18.5 MPH to mile 25 right where you turn off of Hwy 421 on the way out.  I had a flat.  No problem with that it happens.  My problem was the spring from my skewer got lodged in the hub and I couldn’t get the wheel off.  Lost 40 minutes.  Tech car came by and fixed it for me.  I was upset but got back on the bike and got over it.  Kept telling myself to suck it up.  Get 12 miles down the road and guess what second flat.  Now I am in trouble because I don’t have a second spare.  I sit on the side the road and beg someone for a spare and a guy gives me his(remember this because I meet this guy again).  He leaves and I have 46 mm wheels and he has a regular stem valve.  Wont work can’t pump it up.  I am now stranded on the side of the road.  A person in a bus (a bus it was weird) pulls over and ask if I need help.  She gives me a phone number of a tech car and I call them.  They show up with a valve extender put it on the bike and I am up and running again after about 40 minutes.  I am now averaging 12 MPH on the bike! I am really down and thinking I am packing it in.  Again I tell my self I have lost 1 and 10 minutes or so suck it up and go.  I think to myself and don’t know that it is true, but I now focus and say would most people quit at this point.  So I use this as my motivation.  I get going again and running about 18-19.5 MPH and start passing the same people I have passed three times now.  I think to myself and again don’t know it is true but I tell myself these people are wondering how many times is this guy go to break down and keep on going. So I finish the bike from the 12 MPH avg to a whopping 15.3 or so. 

The run I knew was going to be an issue because of the IT band issues I have had during the 20 weeks of training.  I ran the first 13 miles and walked the last 13.  The pain in my knee was killing me and I struggled in my head again but fought thru it.  I start walking with another guy named Patrick who is having bad problems with his hamstring. We are talking and after about 7 miles later he makes the statement that he had to give this poor guy stranded on the road his spare.  I pause and tell him the story of a guy who gave me his spare and it turns out it is him!  That was cool and it perked me up.  I knew at that point it was destiny and I finished 15 hours and 29 mins.  I was a great day and I learned something about myself along the way. 

If I may, let's talk a little swimming

I've got a little bit of a coaching delimma and wouldn't mind getting some opinions. I put a little something in my logs, but I'll put it her too. Just to get a good opinion...

So, coaching delimma.

Coach #1 - Frank. He's a Level 4 under American Swim Coaches Association & Level 2 under USAT. I've been with him for a little over a year. I've paid for his Master coaching services but that's about it. His only obligation to me is to provide workouts, teach technique and push me...along with the other 15 of us that swim.

Coach #2 - Jeremy. He swam D1 at Auburn University from 2000-2004 and is a 3 time olympic and Bahamian record holder. He swam in the 2000, 2004, & 2008 Olympics. His dad and grandfather are both Olympic swimmers, one holding a medal from 1964. He's now interested in coaching at another YMCA here in the area. I know him more on a personal level from school and mutual friendships. He holds the distance record of a 30mi swim in 15hrs from Exuma to Nassau (open water)

As of late, Frank has gone from 3x per week to 1 and has hired in 2 other assistants for the other days. Jeremy is a freaking machine. The costs would be the same at both places. So, based on their background and abilities should I take the chance and follow Jeremy or stick with what I've known for the last year?