I did it, I completed the Michigan Ironman 70.3, BUT reminder friends, I am still not an Ironman.
Now yes, doing 70.3 miles in one day is a lot, but an Ironman is someone who completes 140... so stay tuned on my future plans, and hopefully you enjoy my recap of my 70 mile day.
4:45AM iPhone Alarm rings, time for coffee, triple check stuff, and mentally prepare
5:30AM Hit the road from Traverse City to Frankfort, MI (race location). Ate half a cliff bar.
6:30AM Arrive... start check-in and race prep process.
For those not familiar, a triathlon race is all three things (swim, bike, run) done back to back with transitions in between to change gear (hydrate, pee, eat, dry your feet, etc.). I brought a crate (thanks Ric for the idea) which helped keep me organized in transition. I made friends while getting ready, including a lady who failed several attempts and kinda had me doubting myself... to a lady who done a ton of them, and when I told her this was my first... emotionally told me, this would be her last. We hugged, and I wish her well, and she reminded me, like everyone else has, to smile and have fun, I said "right back at ya".
7:45AM Head to swim start.
I gave Jenn a final wave, zipped up my wet suit (thanks Jason), finish my breakfast cliff bar, and walked toward the swim start. I made a friend in line who was holding the 50-55 Min Sign... so they start the swimmer by how fast we think we will do it, so fast swimmers swim with fast swimmers and slow swimmers can worry less about people swimming over them.
8:00AM BANG... swimmers in...
This was nerve racking, as the swim part had me the most anxious, and I know it would be at least 30 minutes before I got in the water. At about 30 minutes the first swimmers were getting out, with huge cheers and applause, I was still waiting, and if you know me, know I had to pee.
8:35AM WAITING
The nerves set in and I was in the next wave and near the front. They gave a break before we jumped in, which was maybe the most nerve ranking part. I practiced, I practiced a lot, in the pool (Thanks Twyckenham Community Pool!) and in lake (Thanks Kathy!). I did a few mile swims, so I know I could do the 1.2 miles, but I thought I had 1.5 hours to swim it, but found out the cut off was 1 hour 10 minutes which worried me.
8:40AM SWIMMER #535 IN
I got it, right away I felt comfortable, I was breathing well, only getting kicked a few times, and stroking through some seaweed... my prep time and focus here really helped. What I wish I had prepared for more was counting the markers, as each marker I swam to I was like... is this where I turn?... to learn I had one more and one more. I did throw off when and how I pushed to the finish. I was not prepared for how often I would get kicked, maybe cause I didn't think I would pass many people... but I did! No stops, no rest stroke, I swam the entire thing.
SWIM RESULT: 1.2 MILES
Target: 50-60 minutes, I told Jenn it would be crazy if I did it in 45.
Official: 46:17
Well I killed that goal... I for sure could have gotten it under 45 if I pushed a little more and had my pacing better but I got out of the water feeling good. I got out so fast that Jenn wasn't ready to snap a picture! Ha.
TRANSITION 1
Here my focus was on taking my time, calming down, and making sure I was ready to bike 56 miles. I stopped to pee, ate half a bar, took a salt pill, drank water, and got ready for the bike. Top athletes do this in 2 minutes, I did it in over 8 minutes... which shows I took my time, I wanted to be sure no mistakes.
9:30AM BIKE START
Got a good mount and right away noticed my repair bag was mounted poorly and rubbing on my leg. I had changed the location cause I put my race number on the bike and thought the placement was fine. I kept riding, 1 mile, 2 miles, 3 miles, and man I was feeling good and going mostly 20 MPH (target was 17.5 MPH). It was at the 7 mile mark or so that I knew... if I didn't stop now, this was going to bug me more and more and maybe cause an injury. I saw a help bike (with tech support) coming, so I pulled over next to a Michigan State Policy Trouper and called for help. Luckily a knife to cut a zip tie, and quick use of velcro straps I was able to reposition the bag, and it was maybe a 3-4 minute stop (I didn't time it). Threw off my pace for the segment but I think saved me in the long run. Here I know, I should of listened to my friend Bill and take care of all bike tech things better in advance and testing (also thanks for initial tune up!).
10:00AM RIDING
I remember it was about 10AM when I checked my watch, and looked at my speedometer, and was feeling like wow, keeping the 19-20MPH pace and feeling great. I was glad my tech pit stop was short and when I saw the 10 mile marker I thought.. 20% of the bike ride done.
11:00AM STILL RIDING
It is lonely out there, no music, no phone, but amazing views around the lake. Once in a while getting passed... the rider yells "On your left" and I reply, "Thank you, go get em!". I like checking all the different tri suits, and aside from my slow time cause of my stop, keeping an average of 19MPH, and I felt good, and ate the first half of my bike cliff bar.
11:30AM STILL RIDING
More often than I thought, I was doing the passing. A few times, the hater in me looked at the guy I was passing... on his $10,000 bike, $800 helmet, $300 sun visor, and body wrapped in Lulu Lemon... and I thought, thanks Mike for the free bike, thanks Ken at Proform for the fitting, thanks Bike Garage for the tune up days before I left. I feel like I earned my speed, I worked hard for this and was feeling good. Then the big hills came...
12:00 PM STILL RIDING
I say it loosely, cause I was told this was a pretty flat course, and mostly it was but this was supposed to be a challenge and it came for me. I loved that most of the hills had some fans stationed nearby and people cheer you on even if they didn't know you. I powered through them and then was we turned back I knew, I know the rest of this course now, and like Maureen told to me... I smiled. It was then around the 50 mile mark, you see it in my split times, I decided to chill. I was ahead of pace, I was turned a bend in a beautiful part of the lake, the sun was out, I finished my cliff bar, and I smiled.
12:15 PM STILL RIDING....
With about 3 miles to go I thought, get your butt in gear! My average was dropping close to 18MPH and I thought while I wanted to save some for the run, I can't sandbag the rest of this ride. So I got it in gear for the last few miles... I nearly avoided the second bike crash of the day, and I headed to the transition area.
BIKE RESULT: 56 MILES
Target: 4 hours (15 MPH), I did Barron Lake (15 miles in 54 minutes).
Official: 3 hours and 9 minutes
Another goal down and I was feeling good. I kicked myself a little cause I thought, man if I pushed it when I was enjoying those views maybe I woulda made it in under 3 hours! Crazy!
TRANSITIONS 2
Also slow, in the 7 minute range where some competitors were like one minute! I changed socks, took a salt pill, put on sunscreen, and grabbed my cliff bar, thought I forgot to open it, so I ripped open the end and went to tuck it in my back pocket and it fell on the ground... I had already opened it, the other end, so I had to smush it back into the wrapper and then into my pocket. I downed some water, took a deep breath and said two hors left...
12:45 PM RUN START
This is my favorite part, and my goal was to keep a 9 minute per mile pace... which right away I got out running 8:30s... I thought I would taper a bit as I got more tired. Mile 1 8:30, Mile 2, 8:30, and man the pace was good.
1:20 PM RUNNING
I was stopping at every other aid station for a cup of water and as I got to mile 6 and was celebrating being almost half way... I cramped. My right hamstring and calf got tight, and I did what usually helps and that is a few high steps to stretch it. I shortened my stride to put less stress on it, but it hurt, but I pushed on but more slowly. Now I was in the low and mid 10s per mile and stopping for more water and debating, so I stop to stretch it? Knowing it could make it better and I could get back my pace, OR could make it worse and cramp more, and not let me continue. In the middle of the run Jenn was there and yell, "one hour left!"... the finish was in sight, not literally, but I know it was almost the home stretch.
1:45 PM RUNNING
My tenth mile was my slowest at 10:45 per mile, but I knew there, I had a 5k left to go and I picked it up, I got back to some 9 minute miles but not enough to bring my average down. I rounded the finish line with the hands up WOOT WOOT, and I got everyone cheering for me, and yeah the announcer said my name wrong.
Target: 2 hours (9 minute miles)
Official: 2 hours and 5 minutes (9:31 per mile)
Weirdly my favorite discipline and the one goal I thought I had in the bag... I missed. I do think maybe my pacing starting too fast, or hey maybe shoulda been faster to ensure I could slow down when I needed it. Or maybe a reminder I need to be better about stretching, hydration and food. Maybe both, or just like in life, I took my eyes off the focus here, I thought I had it, and I could have, but let other things distract me.
TOTAL TIME: 6 Hours 17 Minutes
TOTAL DISTANCE: 70.3 Miles
My goal was to finish under 7 hours, and the fact that with faster transitions, and a few minutes off the bike and hitting goal time for my run I could have been under 6 hours FELT GREAT. I thought I would be more emotional at the finish, but maybe since I felt like I didn't leave it all out there had me wanting more from myself.
Reminder to me, I am still not an IRONMAN, but I am halfway there, and I really do think now that I could, really could, someday, put that wetsuit back on, and become an Ironman.