I did it; I am an Ironman. I went 140.6 miles - 2.4 miles in the ocean, 112 miles on the bike and then a 26.2 mile marathon. It is crazy to think back at how I once considered this impossible. What a great feeling – to take something that is incomprehensible and accomplish it.
The first question I have to answer is why did I attempt it? I cannot say. It was a gut feeling that I had to try. If I did not attempt it I would always feel that something was missing. And when I realized I had to try, I just needed to get on with it.
Was it the hardest thing I have ever done? No, not even close. Sure there is a lot of pain and it is a long day, but the goal is so big that it motivates you through it. On the other hand, the training for the Iron is a different story. It takes a lot out of you and mentally wears you down.
Let’s talk about the training. First, understand that I was doing a lot of training anyway. I have a lot of free time so training 1-2 hours a day was normal. With the Ironman training you have to add about 5 big rides of 100+ miles followed by :30 to :50 minute runs (Bricks) and you need about 4 big runs of 20 miles. The runs were not bad, but the bike training can mentally break you. It is a long, lonely grind. I found myself going places, getting dropped off and riding home so that scenery was new and I had to stay alert with the maps. I often rode alone so I could work on pacing myself and on the mind set of being alone for the race. The swim is really nothing. Amazing for me to be saying this given 50 yards was a real effort two years ago but honestly the swim training was a trivial effort.
You never really put the training all together before the race. Even my longest work out (120 miles on the bike and 1:30 for the run) was still only about 2/3 of the race day effort. But I will say when I finished all the long workouts I really felt ready for the race and confident that I was prepared. Thanks – Coach Lance.
So, let’s talk about race day. Because the start, finish and transition areas are in different locations race day logistics was more of an effort then usual. We had to pack 6 bags for different parts of the race and they needed to be dropped off prior to the race, then we were bused out to the end of Wrightsville beach for the start of the swim. We were all there before sunrise and I was able to hang with my friends and fellow racers – John Wilkins, Pat Webster and Mark Luckinbill. In the faint morning glow, we all walked 200 yards through the dunes out to the water’s edge. It was a very surreal experience. Start time was slated for 7am but we had to wait for the sunrise and at around 7:07, 500 very cold people ran head long into the very cold ocean.
I actually got comfortable with the temperature pretty quickly. I generate a lot of heat and the wetsuit is a pretty good insulator. This was not the case for many of the others. It was really hard to see where to go, it was still dark and there were a lot of people splashing and battling for room. I just settled in and tried to find a rhythm. The incoming tide moved us along quickly and things spread out. I felt myself getting strong and was even able to catch a draft along the way. Time went by quickly and so did the channel markers. Before I knew it I was turning inland and heading for the swim exit. I was tracking behind another swimmer and we were taking a hard line for the hotel. Unfortunately, we had the wrong landmark and swam about 40 yards out of the way. I thought we were in trouble because the current was strong and we had over swum the turn which meant we might have to battle the current. I still had enough in reserves to kick it to the finish and probably lost less then a minute. At the dock, I clocked a 49:33, which was startlingly fast. My speed in a wetsuit never ceases to amaze me. After getting out of my wetsuit I reached the timing mat in 51 minutes which turned out to be the 30th fast swim overall and 3rd fastest in my age group. Unbelievable! After a long and painful run I was at the transition tent and I grabbed bag #1 and started to change. I had a dry pair of tri-shorts and I put on a long sleeve compression shirt. I was feeling warm and opted out of the extra clothes. The gloves, hat vest, leg warms were all left in transition. This worked out OK but could have been a disaster. [Diesel Tip: Overdress on the long course. You can undress as the race goes on, but not the other way around]
After an 8 minute transition, I was on the bike and rolling. My heart rate was high from the swim and I slowly let it come down. My heart rated settled in around 140 and I just tried to stay relaxed as the miles counted down. Some gear bounced off the bike at the railroad tracks so I did a costly turn around to go get it. I had to drink a lot of fuel so I drank every fifteen minutes like a
machine. Because I was drinking so much I had to pee a lot, like every 10 miles. I mostly peed off the side of the bike as I was riding but that is still eats up time because you cannot pedal. Next time I am going to pee and pedal through.
At the half way mark, I had another costly stop for special needs. I mixed three more bottles of fuel and used the port-a-john for #2. 4 minutes later I rolled out of transitions and was greeted by Dawn, Rose, John, Kerry, Missy and Melinda – friends from our YMCA Tri-Club that had come to see the race and cheer us on. It was WONDERFUL to have their support.
I never felt tired on the bike and with the rest stop factored in I was at 20 mph for the five and a half hours that I was in the saddle. I have to say that coming into the transition from bike to run, I was actually feeling that this Ironman stuff was kind of easy. But I knew I still needed to run a marathon. The first thing I noticed when I started running was that my back was really tight and sore from being on the aerobars for over five hours. I knew that the back would not be a factor in the big picture but it made the run less enjoyable. I started knocking down the miles. I walk through each rest stop to take in water, fuel, food, electrolytes and by mile 6 or 7 my back was starting to loosen up. I came through downtown Wilmington feeling great and all my friends were there to great me with cheers and signs. I handed out a few high fives and then ran with a smile for then next few miles. Not too long after that, Lucky came by me with some encouraging words like: “You’re having a great race, don’t get stupid and blow it”. He turned, as he was running away, and said “here is some advice; don’t try to keep up with me”. It was good advice.
Kerry met me on the way up the bridge just before the end of the first 13.1 mile loop and she offered some encouragement. I was feeling really steady and started to think ....is a 10:50 possible? Could I pick it up and go 10:45? But, remembering Lucky’s advice, I cleared my head of these evil thoughts and said another 13.1 miles is a long way to go – stick to the plan. I came into the turn around, grabbed my special needs run bag and put on some bandages where my feet were starting to bleed. It took some time, but I did not want to risk it. I headed out of transition, turned the corner and head up the first bridge and oh boy…..The party was over.
I could tell that I was shifting to the reserve tanks. First the calves started to cramp and then the groins got really tight. I was not in big trouble yet but I knew I would have to manage the course if I was going to finish the race on my own terms. I started doing 1 minute walks through the aid stations and I went with more electrolytes and mixed in some caffeine. I also started to stretch a little to try to keep the groins loose. My good friend, Margo Pitts, was working the aid stations and she offered some encouragement and snapped a few pictures. I was starting to work hard and it was taking a toll on me mentally, I was no longer thinking that this was easy. My family met me on the second pass through downtown and it was great because I needed a little boost. With two miles left, I had to climb the last bridge which I had planned to walk over to avoid cramps but I could see the battleship at the finish line and I knew there were a few age groupers ahead of me. I kept the Diesel in drive up the bridge and started picking up speed on the downside. I opted out of the last aid station at mile 25 and just kept cruising. I knew that if I had a major melt down I could crawl home from here (it has been done before). I picked up a few spots as I came into the Battleship parking lot, my kids then joined me at my side as I turned into the finishing shoot. With 60 yards left, the toes on my left foot then cramped up into a painful ball so I had to start hopping, the cramp released, so I ran…40 yards to go… then the toes cramped again so I hopped some more…. 30 yards to go… I hopped, I ran, I finished. I am an Ironman (11:07:04)
The Ironman was definitely the highlight of the season and maybe the last ten years. But the season was successful in many other ways. I finished the North Carolina Triathlon Series in fourth place, up from tenth last year. I had 6 top five NCTS finishes including 3 podiums and 1 win at the MAP race. My wetsuit swim was competitive and turned out to be my best event in the Ironman and I had two overall top 10 bikes in the NCTS. I handed out a few spankings too: 1 Lucky, 3 Mark, 2 Puckett, and 4 Troeseter (Note: I am only recording spankings for people who have beaten me in the past, apologies to JW, Podium Rich, and one unnamed master clydesdale who I am intentionally snubbing)
But still the best part of the season was not the racing. It was the friendships. I have never been around a more diverse group of people with whom I have so much in common. I have never in my life had so many people whom I call friends. I love being part of this group and sharing these experiences. This is what makes everything about triathlon so special. – The Diesel
The first question I have to answer is why did I attempt it? I cannot say. It was a gut feeling that I had to try. If I did not attempt it I would always feel that something was missing. And when I realized I had to try, I just needed to get on with it.
Was it the hardest thing I have ever done? No, not even close. Sure there is a lot of pain and it is a long day, but the goal is so big that it motivates you through it. On the other hand, the training for the Iron is a different story. It takes a lot out of you and mentally wears you down.
Let’s talk about the training. First, understand that I was doing a lot of training anyway. I have a lot of free time so training 1-2 hours a day was normal. With the Ironman training you have to add about 5 big rides of 100+ miles followed by :30 to :50 minute runs (Bricks) and you need about 4 big runs of 20 miles. The runs were not bad, but the bike training can mentally break you. It is a long, lonely grind. I found myself going places, getting dropped off and riding home so that scenery was new and I had to stay alert with the maps. I often rode alone so I could work on pacing myself and on the mind set of being alone for the race. The swim is really nothing. Amazing for me to be saying this given 50 yards was a real effort two years ago but honestly the swim training was a trivial effort.
You never really put the training all together before the race. Even my longest work out (120 miles on the bike and 1:30 for the run) was still only about 2/3 of the race day effort. But I will say when I finished all the long workouts I really felt ready for the race and confident that I was prepared. Thanks – Coach Lance.
So, let’s talk about race day. Because the start, finish and transition areas are in different locations race day logistics was more of an effort then usual. We had to pack 6 bags for different parts of the race and they needed to be dropped off prior to the race, then we were bused out to the end of Wrightsville beach for the start of the swim. We were all there before sunrise and I was able to hang with my friends and fellow racers – John Wilkins, Pat Webster and Mark Luckinbill. In the faint morning glow, we all walked 200 yards through the dunes out to the water’s edge. It was a very surreal experience. Start time was slated for 7am but we had to wait for the sunrise and at around 7:07, 500 very cold people ran head long into the very cold ocean.
I actually got comfortable with the temperature pretty quickly. I generate a lot of heat and the wetsuit is a pretty good insulator. This was not the case for many of the others. It was really hard to see where to go, it was still dark and there were a lot of people splashing and battling for room. I just settled in and tried to find a rhythm. The incoming tide moved us along quickly and things spread out. I felt myself getting strong and was even able to catch a draft along the way. Time went by quickly and so did the channel markers. Before I knew it I was turning inland and heading for the swim exit. I was tracking behind another swimmer and we were taking a hard line for the hotel. Unfortunately, we had the wrong landmark and swam about 40 yards out of the way. I thought we were in trouble because the current was strong and we had over swum the turn which meant we might have to battle the current. I still had enough in reserves to kick it to the finish and probably lost less then a minute. At the dock, I clocked a 49:33, which was startlingly fast. My speed in a wetsuit never ceases to amaze me. After getting out of my wetsuit I reached the timing mat in 51 minutes which turned out to be the 30th fast swim overall and 3rd fastest in my age group. Unbelievable! After a long and painful run I was at the transition tent and I grabbed bag #1 and started to change. I had a dry pair of tri-shorts and I put on a long sleeve compression shirt. I was feeling warm and opted out of the extra clothes. The gloves, hat vest, leg warms were all left in transition. This worked out OK but could have been a disaster. [Diesel Tip: Overdress on the long course. You can undress as the race goes on, but not the other way around]
After an 8 minute transition, I was on the bike and rolling. My heart rate was high from the swim and I slowly let it come down. My heart rated settled in around 140 and I just tried to stay relaxed as the miles counted down. Some gear bounced off the bike at the railroad tracks so I did a costly turn around to go get it. I had to drink a lot of fuel so I drank every fifteen minutes like a
machine. Because I was drinking so much I had to pee a lot, like every 10 miles. I mostly peed off the side of the bike as I was riding but that is still eats up time because you cannot pedal. Next time I am going to pee and pedal through.At the half way mark, I had another costly stop for special needs. I mixed three more bottles of fuel and used the port-a-john for #2. 4 minutes later I rolled out of transitions and was greeted by Dawn, Rose, John, Kerry, Missy and Melinda – friends from our YMCA Tri-Club that had come to see the race and cheer us on. It was WONDERFUL to have their support.
I never felt tired on the bike and with the rest stop factored in I was at 20 mph for the five and a half hours that I was in the saddle. I have to say that coming into the transition from bike to run, I was actually feeling that this Ironman stuff was kind of easy. But I knew I still needed to run a marathon. The first thing I noticed when I started running was that my back was really tight and sore from being on the aerobars for over five hours. I knew that the back would not be a factor in the big picture but it made the run less enjoyable. I started knocking down the miles. I walk through each rest stop to take in water, fuel, food, electrolytes and by mile 6 or 7 my back was starting to loosen up. I came through downtown Wilmington feeling great and all my friends were there to great me with cheers and signs. I handed out a few high fives and then ran with a smile for then next few miles. Not too long after that, Lucky came by me with some encouraging words like: “You’re having a great race, don’t get stupid and blow it”. He turned, as he was running away, and said “here is some advice; don’t try to keep up with me”. It was good advice.
Kerry met me on the way up the bridge just before the end of the first 13.1 mile loop and she offered some encouragement. I was feeling really steady and started to think ....is a 10:50 possible? Could I pick it up and go 10:45? But, remembering Lucky’s advice, I cleared my head of these evil thoughts and said another 13.1 miles is a long way to go – stick to the plan. I came into the turn around, grabbed my special needs run bag and put on some bandages where my feet were starting to bleed. It took some time, but I did not want to risk it. I headed out of transition, turned the corner and head up the first bridge and oh boy…..The party was over.
I could tell that I was shifting to the reserve tanks. First the calves started to cramp and then the groins got really tight. I was not in big trouble yet but I knew I would have to manage the course if I was going to finish the race on my own terms. I started doing 1 minute walks through the aid stations and I went with more electrolytes and mixed in some caffeine. I also started to stretch a little to try to keep the groins loose. My good friend, Margo Pitts, was working the aid stations and she offered some encouragement and snapped a few pictures. I was starting to work hard and it was taking a toll on me mentally, I was no longer thinking that this was easy. My family met me on the second pass through downtown and it was great because I needed a little boost. With two miles left, I had to climb the last bridge which I had planned to walk over to avoid cramps but I could see the battleship at the finish line and I knew there were a few age groupers ahead of me. I kept the Diesel in drive up the bridge and started picking up speed on the downside. I opted out of the last aid station at mile 25 and just kept cruising. I knew that if I had a major melt down I could crawl home from here (it has been done before). I picked up a few spots as I came into the Battleship parking lot, my kids then joined me at my side as I turned into the finishing shoot. With 60 yards left, the toes on my left foot then cramped up into a painful ball so I had to start hopping, the cramp released, so I ran…40 yards to go… then the toes cramped again so I hopped some more…. 30 yards to go… I hopped, I ran, I finished. I am an Ironman (11:07:04)
The Ironman was definitely the highlight of the season and maybe the last ten years. But the season was successful in many other ways. I finished the North Carolina Triathlon Series in fourth place, up from tenth last year. I had 6 top five NCTS finishes including 3 podiums and 1 win at the MAP race. My wetsuit swim was competitive and turned out to be my best event in the Ironman and I had two overall top 10 bikes in the NCTS. I handed out a few spankings too: 1 Lucky, 3 Mark, 2 Puckett, and 4 Troeseter (Note: I am only recording spankings for people who have beaten me in the past, apologies to JW, Podium Rich, and one unnamed master clydesdale who I am intentionally snubbing)
But still the best part of the season was not the racing. It was the friendships. I have never been around a more diverse group of people with whom I have so much in common. I have never in my life had so many people whom I call friends. I love being part of this group and sharing these experiences. This is what makes everything about triathlon so special. – The Diesel
