DO WORK

3hrs to race:

Woke up and felt pretty good. Achilles was tight but a little walking around and light stretching, and things opened up. Ate my typical 2 bananas and a peanut butter and banana sandwich. A Red Bull for some energy....and I left for the race at 5:30 a.m..

1hr 20 min to race:

Arrived in transition. Did a once over on the bike. Filled up the aero bottle. Pumped up the tires. Said good luck to my teammates and found a quite spot to chill out. I was extremely calm this morning. Not like me to be so calm the day of any race...especially this one. I think this would have worked in my favor but made one stupid error this morning.

10 minutes before the start was when I decided to get into my wetsuit and head out to the front. Idiot is what you call me! Ben from Blue Seventy was there to help dial me in...and thank gosh he was. Thanks Bud!!!!

Once we got the suit on...I had 5 minutes to get to the start and I had at least a 200 meter swim to get there. I jumped in the water and rushed up to the start. Once I got there...I had about 2 minutes max to chill out and get my thoughts together. Next time I need to be down there a lot earlier. I'm always one to procrastinate to the last minute and I think this time it messed with my head a little.

Swim:

Cannon went off and I tried to settle myself into a rhythm. Things were fine for the first 10 minutes or so. After that...I went through several phases of wanting to pull out. My head just wasn't there and I kept telling myself the day wasn't worth it. Even though I wanted to stop and struggled with my feeling for the first 30 minutes, I stuck it out and knew once I got on the bike....I could chill out and relax.

The swim was pretty rough this time. I spent the first 20 minutes getting pretty banged around and wondered if I was doing something wrong. Where was the power I had spent so much time working on...where was that speed. As we turned the second buoy and headed back home....I pulled off to the outside and swam solo all the way back in. This gave me some time to relax and settle into an easy pace. My calf was also trying to cramp up on me. Not sure where this came from. The cramp never set in as every time it came up...I just stopped moving my legs and it went away...

When I looked at the clock...I was extremely disappointed and knew I could have swam better. I guess today wasn't my day in the water.

Total Swim Time: 1:02:24 / 1:38 min per 100 meters

Bike:

The bike today was the HARDEST bike of any race...I have every done! The winds were so tough...so strong. The dust in the air was everywhere. The tumbleweeds were blowing across the road. It was crazy!

I actually enjoyed the tough conditions. I knew there would be several people suffering from the conditions and hoped that my experience in the wind would pay off. While I cannot stand the wind and would rather ride in 120 degree weather...I can usually ride pretty strong in tough conditions.

Other than your normal 112 mile bike....there really isn't much more I can say. I checked myself the entire ride...making sure I stood several times to stretch...kept my PE somewhere manageable...and never rode out of my element. I am relatively pleased with my bike split. Everyone suffered on the bike....not just me...EVERYONE. In the end, you have to take what the day gives you.

During the ride..somewhere around mile 80...it looked like I would come in around 5:10....But you can't race a time....that was what it looked like I was going to do. Now comes reality...When I made the turnaround out on the Beeline....the winds picked up so much. So many people were falling of the pace. If I had pushed that extra 10 minutes...I think I would have paid a pretty big price. I decided to check myself again and just relax...stay aero and keep the turnover. Get back to transition with plenty in the tank.

My caloric intake was

• 2 bottles of Gatorade Endurance / 500 cal per bottle. (1000 Calories of Gatorade)
• 11 Powerbar Gels / 2 every hour (1100 calories of Gel)
• 16 oz coke (200 Calories of Coke)

Total Calories on the bike: 2300

Total Bike Time: 5:20:34 / 21.0 mph

Run:

Run was going to be interesting. I have been battling an Achilles injury for some time now and my running mileage just hasn't been what it should be. Anyway...with brand new Newton Running Shoes...I was giving myself every opportunity to race well.

When I left transition...I felt great! I held a manageable pace on the bike and could feel my legs come alive. I couldn't have felt better. I told myself...Do not run hard. Run through mile 1 in 7:30. That's exactly what I did too. I ran between 7:15's and 7:45's all the way through 12 miles. I hit mile 10 in just a hair above 75 minutes.

It was during the second loop that my lack of run durability set in. To run well in an Ironman...I truly believe you need the strong "run durability" to handle the pain during the marathon. I do not necessarily believe you need to log a long off season of running. I just think those key long runs are so IMPORTANT going into a big race like this. During my prep...I missed about half of my long runs due to the Achilles injuries. But what are you going to do. Just make the most of what you've got.

When I hit mile 12...I could feel the pain in the legs start to set in. I decided now would be a time to make my first stop. I pulled off and went to the restroom...grabbed a couple cookies and fluids and walked through the entire aid station.

It was here that I felt a sharp pain in my knee. I should have kept running is what I told myself! I stopped for a couple minutes and stretched it out. Once I started running again...I could barely muster up a 9 min/mile. I was so disappointed. My legs hurt so bad. When I tried to run a little harder....the legs just wouldn't go.

I gave it everything I had. I was really hoping to push it a little further...and go a little faster... but I took what the day had and left it all out on the course. I think I knew my day was done around mile 14. It was at that time I realized the pace just wouldn't be enough to hit my goal. I never stopped again... Probably because I feared I wouldn't start back up...:-)

Total Run Time: 3:52:50 / 8:53 min/mile

Total Race Time: 10:24:12

• 100th Overall / 19th Age Group

Congratulations to all that finished. It was one of the hardest days I have ever seen and had the pleasure of racing in.

Currently, I have an offer on the table to do Ironman CDA or Ironman Lake Placid. I will talk with Dave and see what he suggest. After that...we'll take it from there. I still have Ironman Florida to look forward too, and as we all know...I've got some unfinished business to take care of out there and that will be my A++ race for the year... :-).

I want to say thank you to my wonderful Sponsors inside the umbrella that is "The Timex Multisport Team". Starting with Timex, Blue Seventy, Trek, Bontrager, Profile Design, Rudy Project, TriggerPoint, Spenco, Powerbar, Gatorade, Headsweats, Wigwam and Michelin Tires.

Another extremely important sponsor is the one I have with Red Bull. Sometimes I feel it's the life blood of my training. Some athletes prefer to use coffee....I use Red Bull. I can literally say...it has saved me in several races and helped me get through some very hard training days. Thanks to all at Red Bull for your support!

Another sponsor I have to say thank you too...is Newton Running. I had the pleasure of running in a brand new pair of Newton Racing shoes. Those things were awesome. Zero Achilles problems and zero blisters! What an amazing shoe and company. It is truly a pleasure to be affiliated with the Newton brand. Next Ironman...I'll make sure and run a little faster :-) Going forward...I think the running issues will be ok now that I'm in the Newton's.

Another person I owe a great deal of gratitude too...is my mentor Dave Latourette. He has helped me for about a year now and molded me into a better athlete and person. His knowledge and passion for the sport and his athletes is something I truly respect and admire. I wish I could have held the run together...just a little longer for you Dave. That goes for everyone who has helped me along the way. Doing well is not something I want to do just for myself...I want to do well for the people who help me most.

This is a process and something I will build on. While it wasn't what I wanted...it was another PR and something I can take to my next event. I learned a lot and have plenty to build on that will make me a better athlete for the years to come....

Until next week....