Ironman Florida Race Report / With A Souvenir
Race morning went well. I woke up at 3:15 and couldn't get back to sleep. I laid around for about :15 minutes....gathered my thoughts and was up to start the day. Couple bananas, a peanut butter and banana sandwich, couple gu's, EAS Muscle Armour and some Catapult....I was ready to rock. Not really.....
I stepped outside to find the weather had done exactly what I thought it would...Plummet to sub 40 degree temperatures with winds in excess of 20mph. While I expected this.....I wasn't prepared for how I would react. I spent the first part of the morning shivering because of the cold. I left for the race venue at 5 a.m. hoping to find a expo store open where I could get a jacket of some sort, toe warmers or whatever would do the trick and keep my core temperature down. Fortunately Dragon Sports was open and there to accommodate everything I needed. I grabbed a tight wind jacket....one that wouldn't flap around in the wind, some toe warmers and gloves.....total price $215. Being warm on the bike.....Priceless!
After my shopping spree, I headed over to my bike, pumped up my tires and was off to the swim start. As I crest the top of the hill, I noticed a 2 foot shore break that wasn't there all week. I looked out over the horizon and notice the sea looked like someone took a pair of scissors to the water edge out in the distance. I asked someone what that was and they said this....."You ever heard someone talk about 6 foot swells out in the ocean....well that's them". My thought was holly cow.....this is gonna be fun, and with 2000 other people....Great!
We hit the water and I started right up at the front. I tried to break and jump into a group but that wasn't the case. Everyone had the same general plan. Once we got out past the 2nd buoy, it was settle in and try not to get smashed into someone else. The swells were throwing people everywhere. If you saw pictures, they wouldn't do it justice. To spot the buoys, you had to wait until you were on top of the swell. All I can say is the swim training paid off because had I not been ready for those types of conditions, my swim time would have been horrible.
The swim went well and I was out of the water in 1:03. Transition took a while as It took myself and race support 1 min to find my freaking bag. I also spent a good 4 minutes putting on knee warmers, arm warmers and my jacket. Oh yeah, when I got to the bike, I tried to get the gloves I purchased on.....they were a pair of those super thick winter gloves and which ran me $59.95. I couldn't get the freaking things on my hand. I ended up tossing them in the garbage on the way out of transition. Yeah, I know......60 bucks down the drain.
Off on the bike and the wind was just like back home in Dallas. There's not much to say about the bike other than I stayed in control the whole time. I rode the entire leg holding back. I didn't want my race to end here. I was happy with my execution and nutrition. The way I laid up my water bottles with one on the front was perfect. I wouldn't have changed a thing other than take off that 100mm front wheel I was running. A 50mm front wheel would have been the best choice and will have a spare next time I race.
The drafting was horrible. I heard about a talk during the Pro meeting in which they informed everyone that there will not be enough support to monitor the drafting. There was only so much man power that could be attained. When I say drafting, I don't mean pace line drafting, I'm talking peleton where people were riding side by side in groups of 30-40. It was so horrible I couldn't believe it. I spent the first 50 miles cursing peoples names under my breath. No wonder people go fast on the bike here.....there's absolutely no concern for the rules.....Blatant cheating.....no other way to put it. Needless to say, I was disgusted to see it taking place. I'd say 90% of the field drafted yesterday and did it knowingly.
The bike went just the way I wanted and finished in 5:24. Perfect execution for what I hoped would be a superior run.
I took a couple minutes in T-2, drank a Red Bull and gathered my thoughts. I didn't scream out like most people do. I enjoyed the small break off my feet (90 seconds or so) and was off and running.
The run was going awesome. I went through mile 1 in 7:14, mile 2 in 7:35, mile 3 in 7:45, mile 4 in 7:55, mile 5 in 8:00, mile 6 in 7:55. After mile 4, I realized that my pace needed to be 7:55-8:05 for in order to run the entire race. I ended up running up to a female pro who was holding the pace I needed to be at. She was sitting well, not breathing hard and not making a whole lot of noise.....so I figured I join in, slow down and get into a rhythm. I hit the 6.55 mile turn around in :49 minutes. That wasn't the only thing I hit!
The turn around was a quick 180 degree turn into a Big Metal Ford Sign. Picture the Ford emblem with the oval side hanging out over the edge of the course. When Ms. Unknown Pro and I hit the turn....she went to the outside and I went on the inside. Full speed and I nailed it with my fore-head. Completely flipped me upside down, landed on my back and head. I was told I was out for about 10 seconds. I was wearing the rubber style Fuel Belt visor that sits really low on your brow. I did this so I'd be focused on the task at hand, not distracted by people cheering or scenery....therefore allowing me to keep my eyes glued to the ground and what was immediately in front of me. I now have this beautiful gash as a souvenir. When I realized what had happened, I was hesitant to even touch it, as I was worried what I would find. What I found was a hand covered in blood after feeling around my head. Lots of people stopped for a quick second to see if I would be ok but pressed on as they were all in good shape for a really solid time. I would have done the same. What people did say as they passed me or I passed them was.....Hey man, did you know your bleeding?" My thought was, No Dude.....I got this gash in my forehead and I have no idea what happened.
After I hit that sign and laid on the ground for a minute or so before I managed to to get back up and start it up again. I figured I would run and figure out what to do in the process... I went through each aid station pouring water over my head to wash of the blood off my face. I even met back up with a couple fellas I was running with. Everyone was like....Mark....dude....are you ok. My response to each one of them was a resounding "NO".
Just past mile 10 I saw Ben with Team Timex. I immediately went over to him and asked how bad it was. He said it didn't look good and asked me how I was feeling. I literally broke down right there as my race had taken a huge turn. I was running strong with confidence all the way out to the turn around point. After that I was having trouble keeping it together. I was a little dizzy, shaken up and in a completely different territory than what I expected.
Ben and I chatted for about 5 minutes. He looked at my eyes for a concussion and I did the whole walk a straight line thing. While I did not plan on running into that Ford sign....I did, and now I needed to decide whether or not finishing was worth it. Still a little lopsided, I managed to get it together and find a way to finish up the remaining 16 miles. I think talking with Ben for 5 minutes helped me calm down and get out my feelings. It really helped that he was there and willing to talk with me.
To me....the work I did all summer, the preparation I put in, the sacrifices my family has made...I have made....my coach has made....were worth it. I told myself.....just slow down....don't push it. I couldn't push it anyway since every time I tried upping the pace I started getting dizzy. So from mile 10 to home I opted to just relax and finish the day.
In the end, I am very happy that I finished. I learned a lot about myself during those last 20 miles. What I can do mentally, and what I can do under the most extreme of conditions, is something you cannot be trained.....only learned. To know I can put together a respectable race given the unfortunate event that happened....gives me the confidence that becoming a better athlete is firmly in the cards. I tell you what! After today race, it's going to a true pleasure when I bring it all together. That alone was worth the last 3 hours and 15 minutes.
I want to say thank you to my very special wife, Julie Gingrich who endures my pain, my struggles and my up and down emotions on a day to day basis. The support she gives me is a support I couldn't get from anyone else. Although she couldn't be with me today, she was in my thoughts several times throughout the week.
I also want to thank my coach, Dave Latourette who has spent the last 6 months molding me into a much more well rounded athlete. Since were working on a 5 year plan, there will be many more Ironman's and countless amounts of racing to hit that elusive perfect day. Thank You again Dave, as I am so happy where I am physically. I just wish I could have given you a better time. I'll just have to keep my head up at the next race.
Last but certainly not least.....Thank you to all my sponsors. EAS who supplies all my nutritional needs, Blue Seventy who lined me up with my swim wear. That sleeveless suit was awesome and I had a blast out there in the rough water. Speedo, who put together a race top and bottom at the last minute with a great chamois inside the shorts. I love the suit and how it wears......just awesome. To Oakley Eyewear for some of the best shades around, Fizik for the saddles, Fuel Belt for the visor extras that are needed to hold your nutritional needs, Continental for the tires, Rotor Components for the awesome Q-Ring, and last but not least.....Blackwell Research for a set of stealthy 100mm race wheels.
Next year I will be keying on Ironman Brazil for a mid season A race. Not because of a Kona spot which I wouldn't even accept if they handed it to me.....But because this year they enforced the 10 meter rule on the bike and from what I hear....they were strict about it. Not to mention it's a beautiful place and I've wanted to see that part of the country for a while. I brought up the Kona spot because I want to make it clear that Kona is not my goal....my goal is to become a superior Ironman athlete and Kona doesn't fit in that deck of cards right now......not that I would have qualified yesterday.....just letting you know where my interests are right now.
For the next 4 weeks, I'm taking it down and I mean way down....sooooo
......Be cool......and keep you head up! I'll write again in the next few days...
I stepped outside to find the weather had done exactly what I thought it would...Plummet to sub 40 degree temperatures with winds in excess of 20mph. While I expected this.....I wasn't prepared for how I would react. I spent the first part of the morning shivering because of the cold. I left for the race venue at 5 a.m. hoping to find a expo store open where I could get a jacket of some sort, toe warmers or whatever would do the trick and keep my core temperature down. Fortunately Dragon Sports was open and there to accommodate everything I needed. I grabbed a tight wind jacket....one that wouldn't flap around in the wind, some toe warmers and gloves.....total price $215. Being warm on the bike.....Priceless!
After my shopping spree, I headed over to my bike, pumped up my tires and was off to the swim start. As I crest the top of the hill, I noticed a 2 foot shore break that wasn't there all week. I looked out over the horizon and notice the sea looked like someone took a pair of scissors to the water edge out in the distance. I asked someone what that was and they said this....."You ever heard someone talk about 6 foot swells out in the ocean....well that's them". My thought was holly cow.....this is gonna be fun, and with 2000 other people....Great!
We hit the water and I started right up at the front. I tried to break and jump into a group but that wasn't the case. Everyone had the same general plan. Once we got out past the 2nd buoy, it was settle in and try not to get smashed into someone else. The swells were throwing people everywhere. If you saw pictures, they wouldn't do it justice. To spot the buoys, you had to wait until you were on top of the swell. All I can say is the swim training paid off because had I not been ready for those types of conditions, my swim time would have been horrible.
The swim went well and I was out of the water in 1:03. Transition took a while as It took myself and race support 1 min to find my freaking bag. I also spent a good 4 minutes putting on knee warmers, arm warmers and my jacket. Oh yeah, when I got to the bike, I tried to get the gloves I purchased on.....they were a pair of those super thick winter gloves and which ran me $59.95. I couldn't get the freaking things on my hand. I ended up tossing them in the garbage on the way out of transition. Yeah, I know......60 bucks down the drain.
Off on the bike and the wind was just like back home in Dallas. There's not much to say about the bike other than I stayed in control the whole time. I rode the entire leg holding back. I didn't want my race to end here. I was happy with my execution and nutrition. The way I laid up my water bottles with one on the front was perfect. I wouldn't have changed a thing other than take off that 100mm front wheel I was running. A 50mm front wheel would have been the best choice and will have a spare next time I race.
The drafting was horrible. I heard about a talk during the Pro meeting in which they informed everyone that there will not be enough support to monitor the drafting. There was only so much man power that could be attained. When I say drafting, I don't mean pace line drafting, I'm talking peleton where people were riding side by side in groups of 30-40. It was so horrible I couldn't believe it. I spent the first 50 miles cursing peoples names under my breath. No wonder people go fast on the bike here.....there's absolutely no concern for the rules.....Blatant cheating.....no other way to put it. Needless to say, I was disgusted to see it taking place. I'd say 90% of the field drafted yesterday and did it knowingly.
The bike went just the way I wanted and finished in 5:24. Perfect execution for what I hoped would be a superior run.
I took a couple minutes in T-2, drank a Red Bull and gathered my thoughts. I didn't scream out like most people do. I enjoyed the small break off my feet (90 seconds or so) and was off and running.
The run was going awesome. I went through mile 1 in 7:14, mile 2 in 7:35, mile 3 in 7:45, mile 4 in 7:55, mile 5 in 8:00, mile 6 in 7:55. After mile 4, I realized that my pace needed to be 7:55-8:05 for in order to run the entire race. I ended up running up to a female pro who was holding the pace I needed to be at. She was sitting well, not breathing hard and not making a whole lot of noise.....so I figured I join in, slow down and get into a rhythm. I hit the 6.55 mile turn around in :49 minutes. That wasn't the only thing I hit!
The turn around was a quick 180 degree turn into a Big Metal Ford Sign. Picture the Ford emblem with the oval side hanging out over the edge of the course. When Ms. Unknown Pro and I hit the turn....she went to the outside and I went on the inside. Full speed and I nailed it with my fore-head. Completely flipped me upside down, landed on my back and head. I was told I was out for about 10 seconds. I was wearing the rubber style Fuel Belt visor that sits really low on your brow. I did this so I'd be focused on the task at hand, not distracted by people cheering or scenery....therefore allowing me to keep my eyes glued to the ground and what was immediately in front of me. I now have this beautiful gash as a souvenir. When I realized what had happened, I was hesitant to even touch it, as I was worried what I would find. What I found was a hand covered in blood after feeling around my head. Lots of people stopped for a quick second to see if I would be ok but pressed on as they were all in good shape for a really solid time. I would have done the same. What people did say as they passed me or I passed them was.....Hey man, did you know your bleeding?" My thought was, No Dude.....I got this gash in my forehead and I have no idea what happened.
After I hit that sign and laid on the ground for a minute or so before I managed to to get back up and start it up again. I figured I would run and figure out what to do in the process... I went through each aid station pouring water over my head to wash of the blood off my face. I even met back up with a couple fellas I was running with. Everyone was like....Mark....dude....are you ok. My response to each one of them was a resounding "NO".
Just past mile 10 I saw Ben with Team Timex. I immediately went over to him and asked how bad it was. He said it didn't look good and asked me how I was feeling. I literally broke down right there as my race had taken a huge turn. I was running strong with confidence all the way out to the turn around point. After that I was having trouble keeping it together. I was a little dizzy, shaken up and in a completely different territory than what I expected.
Ben and I chatted for about 5 minutes. He looked at my eyes for a concussion and I did the whole walk a straight line thing. While I did not plan on running into that Ford sign....I did, and now I needed to decide whether or not finishing was worth it. Still a little lopsided, I managed to get it together and find a way to finish up the remaining 16 miles. I think talking with Ben for 5 minutes helped me calm down and get out my feelings. It really helped that he was there and willing to talk with me.
To me....the work I did all summer, the preparation I put in, the sacrifices my family has made...I have made....my coach has made....were worth it. I told myself.....just slow down....don't push it. I couldn't push it anyway since every time I tried upping the pace I started getting dizzy. So from mile 10 to home I opted to just relax and finish the day.
In the end, I am very happy that I finished. I learned a lot about myself during those last 20 miles. What I can do mentally, and what I can do under the most extreme of conditions, is something you cannot be trained.....only learned. To know I can put together a respectable race given the unfortunate event that happened....gives me the confidence that becoming a better athlete is firmly in the cards. I tell you what! After today race, it's going to a true pleasure when I bring it all together. That alone was worth the last 3 hours and 15 minutes.
I want to say thank you to my very special wife, Julie Gingrich who endures my pain, my struggles and my up and down emotions on a day to day basis. The support she gives me is a support I couldn't get from anyone else. Although she couldn't be with me today, she was in my thoughts several times throughout the week.
I also want to thank my coach, Dave Latourette who has spent the last 6 months molding me into a much more well rounded athlete. Since were working on a 5 year plan, there will be many more Ironman's and countless amounts of racing to hit that elusive perfect day. Thank You again Dave, as I am so happy where I am physically. I just wish I could have given you a better time. I'll just have to keep my head up at the next race.
Last but certainly not least.....Thank you to all my sponsors. EAS who supplies all my nutritional needs, Blue Seventy who lined me up with my swim wear. That sleeveless suit was awesome and I had a blast out there in the rough water. Speedo, who put together a race top and bottom at the last minute with a great chamois inside the shorts. I love the suit and how it wears......just awesome. To Oakley Eyewear for some of the best shades around, Fizik for the saddles, Fuel Belt for the visor extras that are needed to hold your nutritional needs, Continental for the tires, Rotor Components for the awesome Q-Ring, and last but not least.....Blackwell Research for a set of stealthy 100mm race wheels.
Next year I will be keying on Ironman Brazil for a mid season A race. Not because of a Kona spot which I wouldn't even accept if they handed it to me.....But because this year they enforced the 10 meter rule on the bike and from what I hear....they were strict about it. Not to mention it's a beautiful place and I've wanted to see that part of the country for a while. I brought up the Kona spot because I want to make it clear that Kona is not my goal....my goal is to become a superior Ironman athlete and Kona doesn't fit in that deck of cards right now......not that I would have qualified yesterday.....just letting you know where my interests are right now.
For the next 4 weeks, I'm taking it down and I mean way down....sooooo
......Be cool......and keep you head up! I'll write again in the next few days...
posted by Mark Gingrich at 11:13 AM
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