The contact was worse this year than the last two years. I am sure that is due to starting more toward the center rather than wide right. It didn't let up until the second turn, by which point I was swimming inside the buoy line. That might have made for a slightly longer swim, but I had gotten tired of the contact.

The swim back toward the Terrace was much further out into the lake and into the wind. I got a few mouthfuls of water, but it wasn't as bad as I expected.

I'm not a great swimmer, so I wasn't too disappointed with this effort. It was an IM PR, and 4.5 minutes faster than 2011. While I swim faster than this in a pool, the contact plus siting mistakes take their toll.

Plan was to chow something down during T1 but stomach was full of Monona swill.

Windy!

I ended up riding by about 300 people. I'd rather not be so far behind after the swim, but it is fun talking with people for a few moments while riding with them. I saw my training buddy, Chris, around mile 20 (he had hammered out a 1-hour swim!). Tried to convince him to ride with me, but he wasn't interested. Things gradually thinned out the further we got into the course, but even the more widely spaced riders gave me something to focus on as I tried to reel them in. That's helpful from a mental perspective, if nothing else.

I like to talk out on the bike course, and the number one comment I got from people was frustration with the wind, particularly on the climb into Mt. Horeb. The headwind + hill made that climb seem interminable. At least the rode surface was smooth this year.

The highlight of the ride for me was the climb up to Old Sauk. Dad and Mary were watching there again, and this year Mary ran up the hill with me on both loops. Max HR occurred here when trying to keep up with her. Fun!

Got passed by one guy on this ride. He was in my AG and passed me like I was standing still around mile 10. I knew Brunold was going to win the AG (barring a mishap), so I figured this guy was going to push me back to 3rd, at best. He ended up struggling on the run, but I still can't believe how fast he was riding!

Bike fitness was not quite what I had hoped for this year. Tests leading into race were below 2010 levels. I focused too much on endurance this year and not enough on strength. Live and learn.

Came off the bike feeling pretty good (once I was able to walk again!). Had a quick transition and then headed out to run, where I soon saw Dad, Mary, John, and Danny. Those guys were out on the run course with me all afternoon, which was GREAT. It was a real boost and a lot of fun to see them at a few spots on each loop. Thanks guys!!

Early on during the run someone told me that I was 8th OA amateur. Within the first ~3 miles I caught three of those in front of me, and I didn't see anyone coming up from behind that looked like they were picking up much ground.

That put me into 5th OA (as far as I knew), which was ahead of my previous best of 7th. The main issue now was whether I could avoid breaking down like I had in every other IM marathon. And, unlike previous years, there were no early signs of cramping in my hammies or calves. Looking good!

I caught site of the Madison Monster -- Brunold -- once I hit the Lakeshore Path. He was looking solid, per usual, and I told him so as he stormed by in the opposite direction. Shortly after that (or was it before? I forget) I caught the guy that blasted by me around mile 10 on the bike, moving up into 4th.

Next it was up-and-down Observatory hill, high-fiving my Dad at the bottom. Then, on the way into State Street, I saw the two other AG guys that were in front of me, and they looked to be holding a pace similar to mine. They were coming back from the turn around just as I got to State Street, so they had a sizeable lead. There is no such thing (for me) as picking up the pace during the IM marathon, so the only way I would catch anyone was if I faded less than they did on the back half.

Other than a quick 2-minute restroom break, I spent the rest of the run focused on trying to stay fueled to minimize the coming fade as much as possible. To that end, I walked about 5 steps at every aid station to suck down a coke, a perform, and a water. I also made it up-and-down Observatory for the second time without walking. That was the first time I'd managed that, and it gave me another boost of confidence.

Around mile 20 I noticed that I was finally closing the gap on one of the remaining AG athletes in front of me. It's all a bit of a blur now, but I think I finally passed him around mile 22-23 as we exchanged a couple words with each other.

At that point the next guy was too far ahead to catch, so the only remaining carrot was time. It seemed that I had a chance to crack 9:30, but I was having a hard time thinking clearly enough to figure out if I could do it! I thought I had a shot, so instead of relaxing I picked up the pace as much as I could and ran, letting form and nutrition go for the last couple miles.

Seeing 9:39:xx (pro time, subtract 10 min) on the finish clock was a sweet ending to a nearly perfect race.

Prior IM run times:
3:28 (IMKY'09)
3:30 (IMWI'10)
3:20 (IMWI'11)

Goal this year was the same as it was the prior two years at IMWI -- have a decent run. The third time was the charm. The difference this year was that my legs were finally resilient enough to endure the sustained pounding delivered by 26.2 miles of pavement. It took four years of running to get there.

This year also answered the question that had been in the back of my mind after previous IMs -- had I faltered on the run due to riding too hard? I strongly suspected the answer was a 'no', and am now sure of that. I rode the same effort this year that I had the previous two years at IMWI.

My only regret for the day was that I didn't get a picture with my run support crew, Mary+Dad+John+Danny, after the finish. Nuts.

Hung out with Mary, Dad, John, and Danny around the finish area. Felt great and was able to eat solid food right away. Grabbed the gear once transition opened and headed back to Aunt Mary's house to see the rest of the family.


This was a nearly perfect end to three straight races at IMWI. The icing on the cake was seeing my training buddy Chris have a stellar day with a 10:15, cutting about 50 min off his PR!!

The fun course, volunteers, and spectator support along with proximity to my family make IMWI my favorite race, by far. Unfortunately, I'll be watching it from afar next year. Going to miss it.