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Ford Ironman St. George - TriathlonFull Ironman


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St. George, Utah
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
Total Time = 13h 00m 40s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Pics from race week:
https://www.facebook.com/...085.364093.681736084

Race report:
I was mentally prepared to SUFFER big time based on reports from last year's IMSG. My build was okay, but not my best IM prep as some life events disrupted things. I was still able to get in the workouts, but several of my bike workouts were on rollers/trainer which wasn't ideal. At any rate, I did a 50K in late March and the O'side 70.3 in early April as part of my training and showed up in St. George well-rested on Weds. Did a short bike/run on Thursday, and a quick swim on Friday. I had tons of energy Friday, but of course had to wait another day. Forecast was for HEAT, so I knew pacing was key!
I'm generally an 11:30-12 hour IM finisher (depending on the course), but added an hour to that for my time goal for this race. 13 hours flat I figured.

I was up at 3:30am race morning after a fitful night of sleep and wasn't feeling too chipper. Normal for IM morning.

Swim:
Lined up front outside next to STer Mike Plumb. Water was up to 62, so no problem there. Climbing over bodies in the first 200 yards before things stretched out enough for me to get some clean water. Conditions were light winds, crystal clear skies with air temps in the upper 50's/low '60's at that point. The swim just seemed to go on and on, but I finished in a predictable 1:10. I probably swam 2.7 miles with my outside line around the buoys, but had barely any contact.

Bike: The first 20 miles feature smooth pavement and a few rolling hills, but it's generally one of the fastest sections of the course and I was feeling good. Started out with just one bottle of water on the bike intending to get some Perform at the first aid station, which I did.

Not long after, you pass above the town of St. George and come into Santa Clara. I started eating my Pop Tarts at that point, and was really enjoying the bike ride knowing it was going to be less and less enjoyable soon. The day was heating up FAST. The aid station in Ivins was classic! A big dumpster with a goal post in front of it invited riders to toss their bottles over the goal post into the dumpster. I scored the first pass! There were folks squirting us with hoses which was great, and little kids were there with Super Soakers. All good! The pavement turned to chip seal which on an aluminum frame like mine, kept the good vibrations going enough to rattle my fillings, but not as bad as IM Australia last year.

Made it up the first pass to Veyo thinking the bike course wasn't as bad as I had anticipated, but was by no means easy. "The Wall" just before Veyo was the steepest climb, but I was fine with my compacts and 11/28 on the back. I will say that I think the 56-mile Magic Mountain Man bike course was harder (more steep, relentless climbs) to be honest, but this was a close second. The ride from Veyo back to St. George was mostly downhill, but had some headwind that required pedaling in anything less than a 6% grade. I mainly coasted or soft-pedaled all the way in preparation for lap two. Hit up Special Needs and got my PBJ and another Powerbar and more gels. The bastard pros zoomed past me on their final lap in my final 3 miles of my first loop. Why couldn't I be fast enough to already be done with the bike? By this time, I had downed a PowerBar and a gel and started into my 2nd loop. By now, it was midday and stinkin' hot for the long climb up the canyon. I remember thinking this must be what racing Kona is like. The cruel irony was that you rode past a beautiful stream and reservoir (Gunlock) with some inviting waterfalls. I fantasized about just riding right off the side of the road into that nice, cold water as I cooked in my own skin. The field by now was pretty stretched out and there wasn't a lot of talking going on. Everyone was in their own private hell. I didn't look forward to the marathon at this stage. The final descent back to town featured some gusty cross/headwind that was enough to make me have to lean into it. Again, Kona-esque.

Run: I had my longest IM bike ride in the 6 I've done coming in at 6:48. Actually figured it would take me 7 hours. When I got to T2 and started my run, from step one, I was hating life figuring this would be the toughest marathon I've ever done! It ended up being just that. Mathias Hecht was finishing the race as I began. So demoralizing! I started with a VERY conservative pace and was able to run the entire first half of the marathon, even the uphills, though I did WALK all the aid stations so I could be sure to get down plenty of liquid and dump ice into my hat and down my shirt. I passed my friend Matt around mile 5 for me and he was around mile 6 1/2. At some point, I passed him, though I didn't see him on the pass, but I made it back to the turnaround back in town in about 2:15 I think- VERY slow for me, but again, given the terrain and weather, no surprise.

Soon after, things went downhill FAST for me. Soon after heading back out for loop two, I hit a mental and physical low point where, as happens a lot in IM racing, I wondered if I could finish. I doubted why I was doing this, and felt like I was experiencing a glimpse of what Hell might be like if such a place existed. Pure torture, massive discomfort, all by choice. I saw people puking, laying on curbs completely spent, etc. But deep in my memory, I had been to this low place before in IMs, and knew I could dig my way out as long as I just kept moving forward.

I hadn't wanted to walk, but it soon became evident I'd HAVE to walk as my stomach started to churn a bit. I think it's a lot like racing with the flu. Your body temperature is sky high, and your body is telling you to lay down, cool off and stop putting things in your stomach. Your body has trouble absorbing nutrition in that situation, so it all sloshes around in the gut. The reality is if I wanted to be able to keep moving, I had to ignore that, keep pouring liquids down my throat, and trying to keep my core temp down. So, I allowed myself to walk every uphill on lap two at the fastest pace I could muster, and then run all the flats and downhills (more like shuffle them). I hoped my stomach would calm down. Finally, after about mile 22, I was up to running again. Probably the mental boost of knowing it was basically all downhill (with the exception of one cruel loop by the Elks Club at mile 24) was enough to boost my rock-bottom spirits and get my ass running again. In the last 3 miles, I completely forgot how crappy I felt and though my legs ached, I was able to muster my fastest run pace of the entire marathon and ran through the last two aid stations hitting the final turn down Main Street with a grimacing smile. I could see the finish line and started to enjoy the finish high-fiving people, and hit the finish chute with no one around, so I took my time, did a cartwheel, pop-and-locked, and lept across the line as Reilly called me in for my 6th IM finish. I was so buzzed to see that I finished in EXACTLY 13 hours and change, which was my time goal for this race. I was kind of shocked given that my 4:53 marathon was 55 minutes slower than my IM marathon PR from IMCDA just two years earlier.

So, post race analysis, I'll give IMSG an A for execution. The best-supported IM I've done, most volunteers, best aid stations, craziest town/crowd support, etc. I just wish they could give COLD bottles of Perform. That stuff at room temp is, as all sports drinks are, horrendous. What a fantastic venue for an IM. Great town, very scenic swim, bike AND run course, and if you really want to challenge yourself, which I presume is why most people do Ironman, this course will do it. Only 1,620 starters this year, actually LESS than last year I believe. Will it sell out for 2012? We'll see.
Swim
  • 1h 10m 37s
  • 4224 yards
  • 01m 40s / 100 yards
Transition 1
  • 04m 25s
Bike
  • 6h 48m 21s
  • 112 miles
  • 16.46 mile/hr
Transition 2
  • 03m 49s
Run
  • 4h 53m 30s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 11m 12s  min/mile
Post race



Last updated: 2011-06-14 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:10:37 | 4224 yards | 01m 40s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance:
Suit:
Course:
Start type: Plus:
Water temp: 0F / 0C Current:
200M Perf. Remainder:
Breathing: Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 04:25
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
06:48:21 | 112 miles | 16.46 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance:
Wind:
Course:
Road:   Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 03:49
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
04:53:30 | 26.2 miles | 11m 12s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance:
Course:
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers?
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5]

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2011-06-14 12:12 AM

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Subject: Ford Ironman St. George
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