Ironman Hawaii, 2013

It had been 5 years since racing on the Big Island, so to say the entire family was excited to return is an understatement. Our trip started out with just my three kids and me. My wife, Tina, would join us in Hawaii on Friday the day before the race as she had a work trip to Scottsdale. So, Friday, Oct. 8 the kids and I headed to Denver for an overnight stay before our 6am flight the following morning. Flights were uneventful and we touched down on the Big Island around 11am to warm sunshine and cool breezes!  Aloha!  From the airport, our first stop was, as always, Killer Taco. We’ve done this our last couple trips here and it has become tradition. There is just something about a “Long Black Pig” (Kailua Pork Burrito with black beans) from a locals place just after touchdown. After filling out guts, it was off to packet pickup at the King Kam hotel. This now takes all of about 5-10 min thanks to all the awesome volunteers and organization of check in. 

This year we decided to stay in Keauhou, about 6 miles south of the race start. This was a wise choice as I don’t enjoy being around all the hustle and bustle which takes place in Kona. I prefer to relax and just chill away from everything.  Once we found out condo, the kids were excited to check the place out and then go for a swim.  This gave me the opportunity to build my bike and go for a 20 min ride followed by a 10 min run. I rode down to the “pit” which brought back memories from many years ago when we used to run in and out of the pit, before heading down Ali’i drive. My brother Brian arrived later that night, which made this trip even better. Hadn’t see him in a long time so was good to have him there and know we’d catch up.

Thursday came and started with a short 15 min swim with my daughter, Julia at Dig Me beach.  This quickly became the most enjoyable swim of my life, to be in the water with Julia, see her eyes light up, and watch her swim with everyone who is getting ready for race day was just exhilarating. She insists she will race here one day (she’s 14) so to see the look on her face while out there was awesome. Out of the water and on to the Underpants Run! 

Ready for the Underpants Run!

We missed it the last time here, but this year there was no way my kids and I were not going to participate. There is something to be said about running with 1000 others all in their underwear. Not sure what can be said, but there is definitely something.

Rockin the W with Team Wattie

Following our run it was off to the Wattie breakfast, which was my first opportunity to meet a good number of teammates. The breakfast was hosted by Dotsie Bausch from SpiderTech so we also learned a good deal about how SpiderTech taping works. I’ve never taped before, but now I know what to do if and when I need it. Following breakfast, back to the condo, kids to the pool, me to the couch! Spent the rest of the day chillin until my 4:00 ART treatment with Dr. Bill. Learned a bunch here, and his assessment of “your body seems very ready to go” instilled a little more confidence in me leading up to race day.  That evening it was off to the Wattie “party” (no, not much partying for me) with my bro and we just spent an hour or two getting to know some of my Wattie teammates and enjoying an adult beverage or two.

After a very good night’s sleep, I decided to pack all my gear early in the morning so not to have to worry about it later in the day before bike check in.  I’m not sure anyone enjoys this, but it’s a necessary process to be sure all you gear is packed and your nutrition/hydration needs are ready.  Tina arrived at 2 today, so it was nice to have something to break up the day and take my mind off the race. All the training and mental prep is done, at this point all that’s left is to over-think, so took my two girls to a movie, picked Tina up, and then cooked dinner which I typically eat around 4-4:30. After dinner, went with my son Justin to check in my bike and gear. I showed up with 5 min to go before the 5:30 check in cut-off. This is intentional, as I’ve seen people standing on line in the hot afternoon sun waiting to get there stuff checked-in.  When you are one of the last to check in, there are no lines, no crowds, no long wait in the hot sun, just drop your stuff off, talk with your volunteer guide, and get a visual where all your stuff is so you can get it easier on race day.  Plus, it’s really cool to see the pier loaded with 2000 bikes and ready to go for race day. Now home to watch some TV and get some sleep (yes, I actually do sleep the night before an IM).

Saturday, Race morning. Up at 4:15 and have a few butterflies, but not too bad. Eat my peanut butter and honey bagel, banana, and drink my coffee and then it’s down to the race site. I say goodbye to the wife and kids and head to the back of the King Kam for body marking and to drop off my special needs bags.  Again this all goes smoothly and I’m in the transition area making sure all my equipment is ready to go.  Once everything is ready, I still have some time to kill so I just get away from the crowds and head to the back of the hotel and just chill. About 20 min before race start I head to the King Kam beach and hope in the water. This year instead of jumping off the pier into the water, I decide to swim around it from the beach. I like this much better! Gives me a short warmup and I can grab a tire on the pier right up front to hang onto until the start.  While holding onto the tire I meet a gentleman from Switzerland who is racing IM for the first time. However, he’s no stranger to big races – He’s Marcus Keller who raced in the Sydney Olympic Triathlon back in 2000.

It’s now close to starting and the energy is amazing.  I keep telling myself, do your race and good things will happen. I’ve learned not to get caught up in the race atmosphere and this has proven to help me race consistent over the last number of years.  I am anxious to start however, as I’ve been in the water for about 20 min and am getting cold!   Boom! The cannon goes off and all the training and preparation is finally being put to use.  I start off to the right and actually swim on the inside of the buoys, something I’ve done for years (it’s legal as you only have to honor the turn buoys on your right) as it gives me the opportunity to still catch drafts off other swimmers, but also allows me an “out” and open clean water if I need it. The life guards try to keep you as left as possible, but when we are all swimming at you, they do move over a bit. 

I feel comfortable out to the turn around and then decide to pick it up a bit on the way back. Swimming in I notice I’m passing everyone who feet I’m trying to stay on. This is both good and bad. It means I’m swimming faster than a lot of people, but it also means I may have taken the first half too easy.  I did have a goal here of swimming under one hour, as I’ve never done it here, but every other IM I’ve done, I’m always under an hr. So, coming into transition I look up as the clock – 59:32 – I do a little happy dance in my head!

This shot taken by CEEPO out on the Queen K

Into the changing tent I go and man is it crowded, I’m not used to this.  At other IM, there are much fewer in the tent, but then I realize, this is not “other IM”.  Into bike shoes and off I go. I get to my CEEPO Viper with my Reynold's Aero 72 wheels without issue and head out on the bike.  The quick trip we make into town is like the Tour de France – crazy big packs but the roads are narrow and there are a lot of people racing. I laugh, tell myself to be smart as it’s a long bike ride and things should change on the Queen K.  Once on the Queen K the packs are still there and it’s not until a Marshall comes by that things get broken up. I go by the 1^st penalty tent and it’s full!  Yahoo!  There was lots of drafting going on early and I’m glad the marshals were giving penalties.  The ride out on the Queen K is a fast one; we either had a tail wind or no wind. Even though it was fast, I still told myself, “nothing happens until the 2^nd ½ of the bike, so ride easy now and stick to you plan,” which is exactly what I did.  I rode easy and was through 56 miles in 4:18, wow that’s a 4:36 bike split if I hold this pace.  Knowing that things would most likely change on the way back, I also knew this gave me a pretty good cushion to get off the bike in less than 5 hrs.  The ride up to Hawi, was a bit windy, but nothing like I’ve ridden in the past, a little headwind but bearable. On the turn around, we did pick up a slight tailwind, but it wasn’t the type of ride back to the Queen K  that I remembered from years past. I remember spinning out a number of times in the past, but the wind was shifting and there was no spinning out to be had today. Once we turned back on the Queen K, that great tail wind we had earlier, was still there, but now a head wind.  For the next 30 miles, it was just keep you head down and power though the wind. With about 15 miles to go in the bike, I actually started feeling powerful and picked up my pace. In this final 15 miles, I passed a good number of riders I remember going by me earlier in the day who may have been pushing the pace too hard early on.  I enjoy this part of the bike, because I know if I’m passing them now, there is a very good chance, they are behind me the rest of the day.  Bike – 4:54

Early in the run on the way out the the Queen K.

Now comes the most important part of the day, the run. I get off my bike and my legs feel surprisingly “fresh”.  Through transition, into the changing tent and here we go.  Again, I’m holding back on the 1^st ½ as I’ve seen people go out too hard and then fall apart on the 2^nd ½.  My hips are a little tight, but other than this, I feel decent. Great to see family and friends running up and down Ali’i Dr. We were fortunate enough on the bike to have good conditions, so hoping for the same on the run. The 1^st ½ of the marathon through town, I didn’t feel hot at all but I keep mentally preparing myself for being out on the Queen K. Without any shade and running through the lava, I know it can get very hot. I keep a steady pace up “Pay and Save” hill and then the left onto the Queen K. With my visor down (I keep it low to stay focused and avoid distraction) I try to pick up the pace just a little bit as we are on a downhill.  I do notice that one racer (with pink compression socks and singlet), who I assume is in my AG by his race number, keeps going back and forth with me. Knowing he’s in my AG I never let him get out of reach and we pass each other repeatedly on the way out to the Energy Lab.  Through the six miles to the Energy Lab I constantly do self-evaluations and realize, I’ve not felt hot on the run at all. I give a little thank you in my head to Stacy Sims (Osmo Nutrition) who put together a solid hydration and nutrition plan for me. Whether it’s the plan, the slight Vog (haze from volcanic ash) or the fact that I’m comparing the temp to IMTX back in May (that was stupid hot), I feel relatively comfortable. Into the energy lab and down to the turnaround I notice I’ve opened up a gap on my little pink friend. The climb out of the Energy Lab is not as bad as in the past (I mentally prepared myself for running out of the EL) but my pace does slow down a bit and at the top of the climb right before we turn back on the Queen K, Pinky come by me again. Damit, now I’m pissed.  Right away on the Queen K I pass him back and pick up the tempo, this time I’m going to drop him for good and hold my position ahead of him.  Well that lasted about 2 miles and here he comes again, along with 2-3 other runners to pace off of.  I don’t go with them, basically to regroup and just tell myself, keep him close and I’ll get him towards the end of the run. We stay the same distance apart and hit the final climb of the day before making the right hand turn and downhill into Kona. On the climb, I push it and close the gap a bit and tell myself, you’ll get him on the downhill. Well, wouldn’t you know it, he runs harder on the downhill. This guy is pissing me off. I close a little more of the gap towards the bottom an then when the road flattens out, I keep my pace and finally pass him (along with a number of other racers).  I won’t let myself slow down for fear he may come back, so with the turn onto Ali’i, I give a quick glance back and he’s nowhere to be seen, thank God!  However I now see two more within range, so no letting up, I have to pass them if I can. Fortunately I do, however this kind of killed the fun enjoyment of the Ironman finish, as I didn’t stop running hard until about 10 yrds before the finish. Nonetheless, I’m done, pumped with my time (a 4 min PR in Hawaii) and meet two volunteers who place both my lei and finishers medal around my neck!  Run – 3:21

A year and a half’s worth of work, starting with preparing for IMTX, is done. Time to check the results and start vacation!  My goal was to win my AG, and if not, at least race well enough to podium. This is why I pushed so hard to beat Pinky. All I kept thinking was “if he beats me and I finish 6^th in our AG, it’s going to hurt real bad.”  In the end, I didn’t win the AG or podium, I finished 8^th, but nonetheless, was/am stoked with my race and being the first American in my AG to cross the line is pretty cool. No collapses, stuck to my plan, just got beat by faster guys today. I’m sure it’s not the last time I’ll race them.

It's Beer-thirty. Vacation starts NOW!

As we all know, racing IM is not done alone, there are so many people to thank so here goes:

Marc-Andre’ and CEEPO – From and email I thought was a scam, to riding the most comfortable and stiff bike (I like stiff), thank you!

Stacy Sims (www.osmonutrition.com) – You screwed with my head when you gave me a nutrition plan, since I thought I had it dialed. Well, from winning my AG in stupid hot TX by 13 min, to PRing in Kona, you rock, Thank you!

Neal Oseland and Yanni Atzmon - you guys spent hours with me swimming, biking, running, and listening.  This race was also your race, Thank you!

Steve Pye and Derick Williamson – your advice and guidance on my training was priceless. You are two extraordinary coaches and friends. Thank you!

George, Anna, and Dave (www.pikespeakathletics.com) – you run the best masters group and are incredible coaches. One of my goals was to swim under and hr in Kona (in my seven previous, I’ve never broken it), and this year with your help, even starting the swim very conservative, I met that goal, Thank you!

Wattie – (wattieink.com) You’ve set up a team that certainly knows how to Rock It! To you, and all my teammates, Thank you!

Jim Miller and Ben Sharpe – Free speed, right? Appreciate your advice and suggestions, Thank you!

Rob Aguero (www.reynoldscycling.org) – Raced the Reynolds 72 Aero’s this year. First time with riding a different setup and clinchers in Kona, PR for the bike!  Thank you!

My Ohana! Justin, Julia, and Sara, you guys made this the best trip ever! Glad all the training paid off for all of us with another trip to Haweewee! Tina, my rock and grounding force. Dealing with all my Tri BS (and regular BS), to the time you told Justin, “daddy has to ride, I want to go to Hawaii!”, thank you for all the love and support, none of this is possible without you. I love you, and Thank You most of all!

Last but not least, every race you learn, so here’s what I learned from IM ’13:

1 – Don’t rent a condo without AC, unless you know is has a great breeze coming through to keep it cool.

2 – All the Wattie Teammates I met in Kona rock!

3 – I need to run more/faster. My run kept me off the podium

4 – Have a plan and stick to it, don’t race anyone else’s race, unless of course you race IMTX, then change the plan to just not melt. My last RR from TX I learned to know when to completely change your race plan. I know, confusing – stick to the plan, change the plan…basically be smart and confident in your race day decisions.

5 – IM Hawaii is just absolutely awesome. As much as you may hate the race while racing it, it is the best, there is nothing like it.

Mahalo and Aloha