Post by Aussie Rob on Sept 9, 2008 13:01:10 GMT -5
I write this recap in an effort to combat the empty feeling im having this afternoon. The last 12 months has been all building to IMWisco and now that it's over, im not sure what to do with myself...
Weekend went as any other IM weekend goes i suspect. Lots of running around organising stuff and not really resting like i heard you're supposed to. Was kind of stressful for me on friday, but i got my head straight and chilled more on saturday. They say not to change anything for the race, so true to form, Tim, Dave, and myself all imbibed beer thursday, friday, and saturday night....it's all carb loading right?
Pre race - Got to bed early saturday, asleep by 9:30pm, although woke up at 2am unable to go back to sleep. Managed to snooze from 3:00 to 3:50 though so that was good. Breakfast consisted of banana, bagel, coffee, and 500cal gatorade/carbo-pro drink. Met up with the crew at 5am and walked over to transition....everything quiet and smooth. Paired off from the group and listened to some tunes ("grinspoon - guide to better living" if you're wondering). Got all my nuts together and chilled for a while down at the swim start. Saw Tim, talked a bit then gave a good luck man-hug (yes, it was manly!) as if it were the last time i'd see him or something. Weird.
Swim - Got in the water and asked about 15 dudes what they wanted to swim. Seeded myself around the 1:05 guys 20 feet on the right side of the boat ramp about 3 rows back. Heard ACDC, then the cannon, then U2, then myself saying "holy nuts we've started!"....and began swimming. Stayed wide for the opening stretch, and had a few dudes and some tough chicks nail me a few times. All in all though the start wasn't that bad. After the first turn though i figured it didn't look much rougher on the buoy line....so i made my way in and basically swam the buoys for the remainder of the swim. I had planned on swimming really easy, but that went out the window after the start and i just swam a steady pace....which felt a lot like my HIM pace. Went well enough although got kicked hard in the mouth on the second lap and that kinda pissed me off a little. Exiting the water i glanced at the clock - 1:07:xx - sweeeet!
After an uneventful T1, i ran barefoot to my bike and put my shoes on right at the mounting line. Too far to run in worn out cleats. Hopped on the bike and told myself...."don't be an idiot!" which was basically my mantra for the entire first loop on the bike. Not being an idiot for me means letting the super bikers in the aero gear go and don't chase even though i feel like i could. Several peoples words went through my head around this time. Reddy "spin the hills!". Vale "remember, you have to run a marathon after this". Lentini "dude you're gonna want an easier gear". I've gotten a ton of advice from so many different people this year....and it all culminated into me actually listening for a change and NOT being an idiot. As a result, i finished the first loop feeling great and fresh. So good in fact that i didn't want to spoil it by getting wet, so i stopped three times to pee rather than going on the bike throughout the entire ride. I figured comfort > speed for my first IM. The second loop was even better. Saw Don Asher a lot on this loop and asked him if i could go faster (this was his 4th time at moo) if i felt good....he gave me the all clear, so i did. Everyone started coming back to me; the guys who passed me early on the ride, the ones that passed me while i was stopped....i felt like i was flying. Wind on the second loop kinda sucked a little, but it turned into a tail wind back into town so that was sweet. Talked to the crowd a lot, and other competitors....swore at the devil on one of the steepies both loops which garnered a few laughs from spectators, basically had a good time on the ride. Got off the bike feeling like i'd just ridden to the falls and back on a monday. 5:44:xx bike.....5:38:xx actual ride time (not including pee breaks/special needs). Wish i had an aero helmet or something....one like Durno's would have been really good.
Nothing interesting again in transition, and started the run feeling like a monday brick. Noticed the time at the end of the bike was about 2pm on the money, giving me 4 hours for the marathon. It was here that i thought about sub 11 for the first time, but had no idea if i was even capable of turning in a 4 hour marathon. So i ran feeling light and loose, and noticed my HR was WAY high as i put in a 7 minute first mile. Decided to back it down, but my HR didn't really come down properly until about mile 4. Saw my wife at mile 5 and told her i felt great and was smiling. I carried my own nutrition on the run and was topped off at the end of the bike so i didnt look at an aid station for the first 6 miles. Everything was golden until about mile 12 when i started to hurt....you all know the kind. Hips, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings....all fatiguing and letting me know about it in the form of a dull pain. When i saw Joan again at mile 13 i wasn't smiling.....she asked how i was and all i could say was, "hurt". Cardio was fine, nutrition was going great, was still hydrated (i'd grabbed some water/gatorade at each station starting at about mile 9)....just my muscles were breaking down. The second half was basically me telling myself "f**k you, you're not walking" while thinking of nothing but 11 hours.....6pm. By this stage, whatever liquid the aid stations were selling....i was buying. I told myself i could walk as long as i was drinking....so thats what i did....walked only when i was drinking. Gibb, who had been slightly ahead of me all race started coming back to me, and when i caught him at mile 20 he told me he better not see me again....well....he's too tough for that and saw me again about 10 mins later. We ran together for a couple of miles before he gutted out another gear and pulled away. The last 3 miles for me were hell. I hurt so so bad, and kept remarking how i didn't think it could hurt as much as it did. I didn't walk though. After all the training, early mornings, cold weather, hot rides, time away from the family.....bullshit i was gonna walk. I was miserable though, and even the sight of the capital on state wasn't enough to cheer me up. I didn't smile again till the chute, and by the time i got to the line i was ultra stoked! 4:03:xx marathon for an 11:08:xx finish! I'd missed sub 11, but i knew without a doubt that i couldn't have gone any faster on that run....so thats what counts.
Post race - im broken. Legs are completely shredded. No better today than i was yesterday, which was no better than post race. It's good though.....im sooo happy. I found my absolute current limits, and thats satisfying as hell for me. Huge thanks to everyone i trained with all year, especially Reddy. I didn't know dick about IM till i met him, and i doubt i'd have been nearly as successful yesterday without him....my unofficial coach. Tim, Dave, Durno, Paul, Ryan, M, Katy, and all the other regulars i trained with....thanks a ton to all of you who pushed me all year, and motivated me to train even when i didn't want to. It's been an amazing journey, and i consider you all real friends....with or without triathlon. That is the most valuable thing to come out of this race.
Bring on KY 09!
Weekend went as any other IM weekend goes i suspect. Lots of running around organising stuff and not really resting like i heard you're supposed to. Was kind of stressful for me on friday, but i got my head straight and chilled more on saturday. They say not to change anything for the race, so true to form, Tim, Dave, and myself all imbibed beer thursday, friday, and saturday night....it's all carb loading right?
Pre race - Got to bed early saturday, asleep by 9:30pm, although woke up at 2am unable to go back to sleep. Managed to snooze from 3:00 to 3:50 though so that was good. Breakfast consisted of banana, bagel, coffee, and 500cal gatorade/carbo-pro drink. Met up with the crew at 5am and walked over to transition....everything quiet and smooth. Paired off from the group and listened to some tunes ("grinspoon - guide to better living" if you're wondering). Got all my nuts together and chilled for a while down at the swim start. Saw Tim, talked a bit then gave a good luck man-hug (yes, it was manly!) as if it were the last time i'd see him or something. Weird.
Swim - Got in the water and asked about 15 dudes what they wanted to swim. Seeded myself around the 1:05 guys 20 feet on the right side of the boat ramp about 3 rows back. Heard ACDC, then the cannon, then U2, then myself saying "holy nuts we've started!"....and began swimming. Stayed wide for the opening stretch, and had a few dudes and some tough chicks nail me a few times. All in all though the start wasn't that bad. After the first turn though i figured it didn't look much rougher on the buoy line....so i made my way in and basically swam the buoys for the remainder of the swim. I had planned on swimming really easy, but that went out the window after the start and i just swam a steady pace....which felt a lot like my HIM pace. Went well enough although got kicked hard in the mouth on the second lap and that kinda pissed me off a little. Exiting the water i glanced at the clock - 1:07:xx - sweeeet!
After an uneventful T1, i ran barefoot to my bike and put my shoes on right at the mounting line. Too far to run in worn out cleats. Hopped on the bike and told myself...."don't be an idiot!" which was basically my mantra for the entire first loop on the bike. Not being an idiot for me means letting the super bikers in the aero gear go and don't chase even though i feel like i could. Several peoples words went through my head around this time. Reddy "spin the hills!". Vale "remember, you have to run a marathon after this". Lentini "dude you're gonna want an easier gear". I've gotten a ton of advice from so many different people this year....and it all culminated into me actually listening for a change and NOT being an idiot. As a result, i finished the first loop feeling great and fresh. So good in fact that i didn't want to spoil it by getting wet, so i stopped three times to pee rather than going on the bike throughout the entire ride. I figured comfort > speed for my first IM. The second loop was even better. Saw Don Asher a lot on this loop and asked him if i could go faster (this was his 4th time at moo) if i felt good....he gave me the all clear, so i did. Everyone started coming back to me; the guys who passed me early on the ride, the ones that passed me while i was stopped....i felt like i was flying. Wind on the second loop kinda sucked a little, but it turned into a tail wind back into town so that was sweet. Talked to the crowd a lot, and other competitors....swore at the devil on one of the steepies both loops which garnered a few laughs from spectators, basically had a good time on the ride. Got off the bike feeling like i'd just ridden to the falls and back on a monday. 5:44:xx bike.....5:38:xx actual ride time (not including pee breaks/special needs). Wish i had an aero helmet or something....one like Durno's would have been really good.
Nothing interesting again in transition, and started the run feeling like a monday brick. Noticed the time at the end of the bike was about 2pm on the money, giving me 4 hours for the marathon. It was here that i thought about sub 11 for the first time, but had no idea if i was even capable of turning in a 4 hour marathon. So i ran feeling light and loose, and noticed my HR was WAY high as i put in a 7 minute first mile. Decided to back it down, but my HR didn't really come down properly until about mile 4. Saw my wife at mile 5 and told her i felt great and was smiling. I carried my own nutrition on the run and was topped off at the end of the bike so i didnt look at an aid station for the first 6 miles. Everything was golden until about mile 12 when i started to hurt....you all know the kind. Hips, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings....all fatiguing and letting me know about it in the form of a dull pain. When i saw Joan again at mile 13 i wasn't smiling.....she asked how i was and all i could say was, "hurt". Cardio was fine, nutrition was going great, was still hydrated (i'd grabbed some water/gatorade at each station starting at about mile 9)....just my muscles were breaking down. The second half was basically me telling myself "f**k you, you're not walking" while thinking of nothing but 11 hours.....6pm. By this stage, whatever liquid the aid stations were selling....i was buying. I told myself i could walk as long as i was drinking....so thats what i did....walked only when i was drinking. Gibb, who had been slightly ahead of me all race started coming back to me, and when i caught him at mile 20 he told me he better not see me again....well....he's too tough for that and saw me again about 10 mins later. We ran together for a couple of miles before he gutted out another gear and pulled away. The last 3 miles for me were hell. I hurt so so bad, and kept remarking how i didn't think it could hurt as much as it did. I didn't walk though. After all the training, early mornings, cold weather, hot rides, time away from the family.....bullshit i was gonna walk. I was miserable though, and even the sight of the capital on state wasn't enough to cheer me up. I didn't smile again till the chute, and by the time i got to the line i was ultra stoked! 4:03:xx marathon for an 11:08:xx finish! I'd missed sub 11, but i knew without a doubt that i couldn't have gone any faster on that run....so thats what counts.
Post race - im broken. Legs are completely shredded. No better today than i was yesterday, which was no better than post race. It's good though.....im sooo happy. I found my absolute current limits, and thats satisfying as hell for me. Huge thanks to everyone i trained with all year, especially Reddy. I didn't know dick about IM till i met him, and i doubt i'd have been nearly as successful yesterday without him....my unofficial coach. Tim, Dave, Durno, Paul, Ryan, M, Katy, and all the other regulars i trained with....thanks a ton to all of you who pushed me all year, and motivated me to train even when i didn't want to. It's been an amazing journey, and i consider you all real friends....with or without triathlon. That is the most valuable thing to come out of this race.
Bring on KY 09!