Kona 'aint no picnic

Spoken out on the run course by a competitor at the Hawaii Ironman in 2008...

For 99% of the people still left at this point, they’re possessed with one thing…finishing.
They’re saying to themselves “If I can be standing at the finish, I’ve won”
And they’re right, but….
For the gifted few, for our 1% that are still competing, that are still racing. They are more than standing
They’re wondering
“Can I catch that guy up there? What about the guys behind me? Are they gonna get me? Are they coming on me? Are they picking up on me? Can I get him?”
‘Cause let me tell you something.
This is it.
The last hour of this triathlon, on the pavement, at 110 degrees,
That’s when we’re gonna find out who the hell the Ironman really is…

I love that. Competitor Radio plays that snipit during their intro to each show. Check them out sometime. They've got some great interviews.

I was excited to watch Ironman Hawaii this year. I was pretty much glued to the computer all day. Watching the race brought back lots of memories, mostly of the course and having that connection of having been there ("hey, I remember that part of the course, oh! I remember how I felt there"). The above photo captures the essence of the pain this particular race can bring. Going into the marathon, I had never felt like my legs were fatigued and was confident in the training I had done leading up to each race. Kona just sucked the life out of my legs. I was doing some serious soul searching on the run course.

There's been a lot of talk lately about the run portion of Ironman. Obviously the race is won on the run. With the performance of Chris Lieto this year (2nd) and his run training with Ryan Hall, and the fact that all these new guys are coming in from the ITU and 70.3 distance and beginning to dominate the long course, it just makes sense to me that if I am going to progress and get back to the island, I need to focus on running and get stronger in that discipline. Iwas curious to note, qualifying times from IM Wisconsin for M40-44 were 9:42 - 10:04. All but one went 3:30 or better in the marathon. I went 10:23 in 2007 and ran a 3:39. I don't see my age group getting any slower, only faster. My goal needs to be cut 20min in total time. 10min on the bike and 10min on the run . Cutting 10 min requires running 25 seconds faster per mile. I believe its do-able

I've already got the wheels in motion by training for an early season marathon. I've been putting in some good mileage and good focused training to see if I can bust out a 3:10 or better. Big task at hand I think since my body is aging and running puts so much strain on the body as far as recovery and injury. I'll definitely have to approach running this early in my preparation for IM Moo and be mindful of both. With age comes experience and I've learned that recovery is huge. Rest is best and I'm learning that I perform better when I just take days off and do nothing. No more junk miles for me.

Next step for me will be planning for 2010. Would like to do a few half IM races. Maybe Pigman again, possibly a 70.3 race again (but geez their a bit expensive don't you think?). Will for sure do some epic rides including the IM course in Madison. I would love to get out to Boise and ride with Drew this coming spring or summer. Mark Temple has always raved about southern IL and that would be a great get away weekend (or two). Building a strong bike, keeping my run fitness at a high level (without training like a marathoner), and staying healthy will be my main goal for the coming year.

later, cd

Back to Back

Terre Haute Tri
Since I don't have a real schedule this season, I'm just signing up for races as they come. Of course I signed up for Tri-Shark but didn't even think about the Terre Haute tri since it was the weekend before. Usually don't do that but what the heck, it's a "fun" year right?

Keith was already signed up and he twisted my arm a bit to keep him company. I thought Lance Benedict was also signed up but come to find out, when he went to sign up on line, they had already closed the online sign up. He called the race director with no luck, emailed me to ask if I had any "pull" (yea right), and then asked our Tri Shark race director Colleen Klien to put a good word in. Well, he eventually got in, but he didn't think the guy really cared too much for it. Anyway, he was in.

Keith and I headed over Fri evening in what we thought was enough time to catch the packet pick up which closed at 8pm. Well we forgot about the 1hr time change so we were late. Guess we'll just pick that up in the morning, no bigee. Lance made it over in time for the dinner and to hear a couple speakers, USAT rookie of the year Daniel Bretscher and X-terra goddess and multi world champion Jamie Whitmore who is overcoming cancer and extensive surgery that left her unable to compete ever again.

I got a great night sleep and felt pretty relaxed in the morning. We arrived early (pretty much first) to get a good bike rack spot and pick up our packet. After getting things ready we had plenty of time to relax and then get a good warm up in. The Terre Haute tri is 800yd swim/40K bike/8K run. I wore my wetsuit even though the water temp was around 72 or so. Our wave was 3rd just after the all-women wave. Not the greatest seeding since I ended up swimming by most of that field by the time I was heading back in from the out and back course. Felt real good in the swim, water was pretty clear so didn't have to sight all that much. 11:43 including a good 200yd run to the transition.

Bike course was a relatively flat out and back on smooth roads with only a few rollers in there for good measure. I saw both Lance and Keith as they were heading back from the turnaround. Lance was crushing it and looked like he was in the top 10. My right calf started to cramp a few miles into it so I felt like I couldn't put 100% in to my ride. Not sure what the issue was, partly my hydration level and partly the hard effort my legs were NOT used to at this point in the season. Really hadn't put in a hard effort for more than a 20K in the weeks leading up to this race. Started to feel better as I got closer to the finish and even passed a few guys that flew by me earlier. 1:02 @ 23.8mph (oooo nice!)

As soon as I got out on the run, maybe 1/4 mile, the few guys I passed on the bike...passed me. So much for that. My legs were feeling pretty good so I kept a nice pace. First mile was 6:50. In the second mile, I started talking to a guy (for whatever reason, I don't know) and as we finished the second mile in about 7:00min, I started to get the worst side stitch. Had to let the guy go and started to walk. I could hardly breath and had to walk about 1/4 mile. Starting back running was pretty painful until the side stitch finally went away around mile 4 and then finished strong. 37:33 @ 7:33/mile pace. I'll take it.

Ended up 8th in my age group which I'll take for the amount of training I did (zero) Solid effort and great "training day" 1hr 53min 22sec. Lance had an awesome race and finished 2nd in his age group with a 1:50 and Keith finished with a 1:55. Keith and I hit the Applebees on the way out of town for a good recovery meal then made it home in time to mow the lawn and power spray the brick on my house. Ah the life...

Tri-Shark

This is the 10th year for me doing Tri Shark and its really got to be one of the best races ever. Probably because it's our club race and I know practically everyone or at least have seen most everyone at this race in all of the years previous. It's really too bad that our previous Governor had to close Moraine View State Park where this race has taken place for 15+ years? Anyway, even though they reopened the park, we still had to do the race at Lake Evergreen which is just as good a location. We can fit more people and with the popularity of Tri-Shark, it may be fitting.

As always, the youth group from Chicago, Multisport Madness, had a group of kids come race. Its been fun to see these kids grow up over the years. Funny thing is, their FAST now!!! One of there kids won this year in a blazing time. Fastest bike and fastest run. Amazing.

Had to show up early for this race too. It really is the best way to get the day started. Racked the bike in the elite wave section since I chose to start in the first wave. Keith, Lance, Chris Sweet, Paul Dees, Brian Rossi, and I all racked together...cool!

Wore my wetsuit for this race even though the water temp was 72. It felt colder so I'm glad I wore it. Didn't feel as fresh as I did in Terre Haute. I could see the fast bunch got out and away quickly. I stayed close to Lance and Paul. All of a suddon about half way through, I saw Sweet cruizin by. Found out later he had a rough go at the start and had to ease up. Finished feeling pretty good, winded, but ok. 8:52 which I think is one of my better swims at Tri Shark, woo hoo!!

Running up to the bike rack, I see Lance is already there and heading out. Paul Dees is right in front of me, as is Chris Sweet. I say "wow, what are you doing here?" not expecting to see him at all. Then I see Keith and Brian both run up. WOW! all of us at the same rack are out together. Very cool.

Never could get a good ryhthm on the bike. Was passing a bunch of the little kids that are great swimmers, but didn't really gain any on any of the other guys. Rossi blew by me and ended up haveing a great ride. Sweet passed me early too. Emily Dewald and I kept passing each other until the last few miles when I put the hammer down. Overall not so bad, I'll take it. 32:11 @ 24.2mph

Run was lonely. I only had a few people pass me and I passed maybe one. Was pretty much all alone so I didn't really feel like pushing it much. That was ok, I was still haveing a good time watching the ultra fast kids up front and seeing my friends Rossi, Lance, Sweet, Emily, etc all have a fantastic race. 22:14 @ 7:10/mi pace

I ended up finishing in 1:05:13, not a PR but a good race. Would have gotten 2nd in my age group if I had not started in the elite wave. Had a fun day all around

What's next?...Ragbrai in July and then Steelhead in August. Better start training...

Loooong update

Ok, lots to update. Been woking on the house lately, installing counter tops, painting, refinishing floors, yada yada. I have found some time to get back into some shape and the bug is biting. Started doing the Tuesday Night Time Trials out as Comlara Park so that has gotten the juices flowing and just finished the Decatur TT last night with a sub 30min for a 20K. Not too shabby for the shape I'm in.

Been working out at the pool with Rossi a couple days a week religiously and feel like I'm in pretty good swim shape. Last two weeks have been killer. Feels good! Hope to push the swim at Terre Haute next week and then Tri Shark the week after.

As far as races go, I did the Sullivan Tri a few weeks back and ended up winning my age group (guess nobody showed up :). Paul Dees was there so I knew he would be gunning for me. He was right behind me in the time trial start. Almost caught me in the swim. It was an unbelievably windy day. 30-35mph winds with some gusts that were even stronger. Paul passed me on the second loop but I got him back and never looked back. Out on the run I felt pretty good for mile one but after that I had nothing. Ended up doing 8min miles or something. Good for a first race of the year and to test my sports hearnia situation. Still feeling a little twingh on the bike but not so much on the run anymore.


Speaking of the injury update, I'm feeling better all around but my core strength and flexor strength is really down. Especially on the right side. I feel like I have a huge muscle imbalance issue. I can really feel it on the bike. Will try to work on my core and stability strength throughout the summer.

Held the 2nd annual C&C Triathlete Camp again at the beginning of May. Had 9 hearty souls attend and we had a great time. Pretty much kept the same format as last year, Chris' Mom was able to come ride with us and Sloan helped out a bunch. Really learned some things again this year. I feel a bit out of my element without any formal coaching badge. Chris is getting his USAT certification and has ventured into the coaching arena. He is doing a great job and is a pro at teaching. This camp could be huge if we market it right. I just want to fit in there properly. With Hammer Nutrition on my side we were able to provide some good products and exellent information for everyone. I like to think I provided some good input there, and even got some good feedback. Need to work on the overall presentation if we are going to have more people. Looking forward to next year already.

Next up on the racing schedule is Terre Haute. Keith, Lance, and I are all going and it should be a good time. Did that race a few years back and thought it had the same feel as Tri Shark with the location, size, and organization. Can't wait. My fitness is improving so we'll see how I do on a 40K course as opposed to a sprint distance. Just a 8K run but I imagine I'll avg sub 8min pace. I'll take that for now.

Big challeng coming up is Ragbrai. The weather finally broke and I'm getting out on the road more. Bike fitness seems to come around by July so looking forward to the challeng of riding 50-80miles every day for a week. Talked quite a bit to the Skins rep out at the Decatur TT last night. I've been wanting to get some compression gear to try out at Ragbrai. Got a 30% off coupon from him and plan get a pair of long tights and maybe some sox.

Long term goal in the back of my head is to go down to Louiville and sign up for IM in 2010. Not sure why I want to do that but I have a feeling some people might be going to Hawaii that year and it would be a great goal to get there again. I can't believe I just wrote that....

later, cd

A new life

No it's not what you think. OK, I haven't written anything for....over 3 months (oops), but I'm not recreating myself by becoming a musician...or handyman...or couch potato. That's just the profession I've taken on the last couple months while I've "battled" with my recovery. I really thought I would bounce back and start anew after my surgery. Well, the amount of work the doc did in there must have been pretty significant. He did say I actually had a bit of a hernia poking through and I think he doubled up on the mesh down there. That became an issue for me at work sitting all day, which made it feel like I was cutting off a nerve. My leg and groin would ache all day and feel numb. It was agonizing.

I began swimming about 4 weeks from surgery and it really did feel good. It felt like I had a guitar string in my abdomen as I stretched out. He must have really tightened things up down there. I don't really think that was the greatest thing though. I tried to run a bit at about 6 weeks out and it really kind of felt like it never went away. Man, then all I could focus while running (jogging) was "did it work, did he really fix it, am I going to have to deal with this again all year, will I have to get another surgery!!!" Ahhhh!

I just decided to take a break from it all and not focus on anything physical. Just eating and drinking and gaining 20 lbs!! Yes, my Kona weight of 180 quickly ballooned to 200. Oh well, Sloan kind of likes it. And I don't look so sickly thin. Got some work done around the house and pulled the old 68 Fender Amp out of the basement. Cleaned it up, made some electrical repairs, bought a crappy guitar from the pawn shop and started playing some tunes. I quickly realized I suck just as much as I did back in college.


Since the weather has been kind of nice a few days here and there, I've been riding the road bike a bit and it feels really good the next day. I think riding must have moved some things around down there and loosened things up a bit. Sloan worked on me one day and really got down in there and moved some scar tissue around and loosened up my groin muscle. I really think I had two things going on. One being the sports hernia and the other a touch (or more) of adductor tendinitis. It was really sore to run just a mile. Anyway, after some massage therapy, it felt much better.

Started running a little more the last week or so and it feels much better. Sloan worked on my a couple days ago and got down in there and released something. I let out a big gasp, almost passed out, and then all was better. I'm running much better now and just taking it kind of slow for now. I think I'll start trying to increase my strength of the adductors a little at a time with some simple iso moves and even some easy yoga/palates work.

The next thing on my plate is to hold another C&C Triathlete Factory Camp with my buddy Chris Sweet. We decided if we got enough participants we would do it again. It looks like its filling up slow but sure. That will be lots of fun. I enjoyed it tremendously last year.

Signed up for the Sullivan Tri again and it will be one of those fun races I'll just go through the motions. That's really been my vision so far this year. I don't really have any A races planned. Just want to get out there, do some races, have fun and make sure I'm healing. I'm thinking of doing IM Louisville next year so I think I'll try to head down there for the race this year, ride the course, check it out and then sign up the next day.

later, cd

Surgery update

Well I went into surgery this past Friday and was happy to finally get it over with. I was originally scheduled to go in at 1pm so it was going to be a challenge not to eat or drink anything that morning. I was happy to get a phone call on Thursday from the nurse telling me I was scheduled for 7am. Cool. Got some good rest and was up at 5am to chip the 1/2" of ice off all of our cars and throw a little salt down. Winter came in strong Thursday evening with a nasty ice storm that caused lots of damage in our neighborhood. Tree limbs and even whole trees were down everywhere.



Sloan drove me down to the surgery center, which is a convenient one mile down the road and we were the first ones to arrive for what they told us would be a stacked day at the surgery center. Got prepped, hangin' out in my gown, got the IV in my arm, and I was checking out the cool little device you clamp on your finger that shows you your heart rate. A relaxed 60 bpm or so. I was not nervous at all, just wanted to get it done and over with. After talking one last time to my surgeon Dr Wieland, I headed off to the operating room and got strapped down to the table. As the anesthesis was getting ready to give me the sleep serum, she was looking at the heart monitor and noticed my heart beat looked a little funny. Every once in a while it would skip a beat. I was feeling fine, heart rate still at about 60-65bpm, calm, relaxed, but it was pretty strange looking at my EKG and seeing that my heart did in fact skip a beat every once in a while...


The anesthesiologist came in and basically told them to abort, no way he was allowing me to go through with surgery having an anomaly with my heart. He wanted me to go see a cardiologist immediately. Geesh!! WTF!! My surgeon looked at the EKG and said it was probably no big deal. He wasn't too worried. Bottom line though....abort. They couldn't take a chance of putting me under and having my heart stop for some unknown reason and then not being prepared to jump start me.

So back to the recovery room to recover from nothing and put my clothes back on. Dr Wieland contacted one of the cardiac offices in town and got me in for a 10am consultation. I went in to see Dr Novak who I had actually seen about 10-12 years ago when I was having an issue with rapid heart rate. Long story, but no big deal, turned out to be nothing. Anyway, he looked at me, we talked a bit, he listened to my heart, and looked at my EKG. The verdict....nothing to worry about. This type of abnormality (if you want to call it that) is a common occurrence in lots of people. I should be fine for surgery.

Woo hoo!! I called Dr Wielands office and told them the news and asked if I could reschedule for later that afternoon. If I hadn't eaten a donut and drank some coffee I probably could have gotten in. I rescheduled for the following Monday. Tomorrow!! Probably be like deja vu going in there tomorrow. At least I'm gonna get it done. Recovery should be 6-8 weeks so looks like first of February before I'll be looking to get back into shape.

Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Restin'

So I've been taking it easy the past month or so. Relaxing, keeping the load off my mind. It's amazing how much an Ironman will consume your life and your brain. Balancing that with a wife (who I love), two grown kids (trust me, kids are a LOT of work when their young but its more mentally challenging when their grown), two dogs (and that damn cat), a full time 50+ mile per day commute to Decatur (the soy city), and a life (life?). Mind blowing when in season, so out of season I have to just compress and take a load off.

I did start running about four weeks ago and found out my "sports hernia" was for real and had never said goodbye. I figured with the time off and the fact that it really hadn't bothered my in Hawaii, I'd be safe to start up an easy run regimen that kept me in shape over the winter. NO! The day after I ran six miles for the first time, I was in some serious pain. I was probably so rested and felt like I could just keep going forever, I just put too much strain on things down there. From there, I thought I'd take it easy and run every other day. No better, I can take three days off and it still bothers me all day. I've got a Dr appt this Wed....cut me Mick!

K-dog is getting married this weekend in Mexico to his lovely wife Jill so he's been trying to "get in shape" the last 2-3 weeks or so by hitting the pool and running a bit. I'm on to his ways! We've been busting out a few thousand yds per session and the water feels great. I've restrained from running too much so I thought the pool is a good way to keep the fire alive. Gee I'm up to 187lbs or so, give me a break!! No, I just felt like it's a great way to shake the cob webs.

Been kicking around a few ideas for next year and think I'll do at least 2-3 half iron distance races. I really liked Pigman, I want to get back to Muncie, a guys trip with a half involved seems like a good idea, and I'd even like to do Steelhead and qualify for the Worlds. That's four so I'll have to figure something out. The only full iron distance race my wife will buy into (well, that's my excuse. Not that you can't get into an Ironman in North America next year....oh yea, you can't!) is RedMan in Oklahoma City. September race just before IM Wisconsin. Hot, flat, humid, and hot. I've been looking at this race for 3 years now and never had it fit into my schedule until now. Winning times have consistently dropped the past three years. 11hrs, 10hrs, 9.5hrs or something. If I put my mind to it, I could do well. If I put my mind to it... Might even entertain a late spring marathon, Madison? Hmmm...

I won't be doing much in the month of January, but come February, I hope the roads are clear and the weather is nice. I'm hoping for some outdoor riding like a couple years ago. Probably work the core again next season. Those circuit training sessions are awesome. I may post one more time with a surgery update. I'll have plenty of laying around time, I'm sure.

I posted more pictures to my Picasa account that Keith gave me. They are awesome!

later, cd

THE BIG TIME

Mahalo to all my family and friends who followed me through this experience of the Ironman World Championships. From the moment the plane landed in Hawaii through the 10 days we spent on the big island, the warm people of Kona welcomed us and athletes from around the world joined me it what would be the experience of lifetime.

This would be the 30th anniversary Ironman Hawaii and it was hard not to get wrapped up in the energy and activities offered during race week. Regardless of all that is written about staying off your feet and resting for most of the week leading up to race day, I was not going to miss out on seeing what this place was all about. I had a pre race week training agenda that included getting in a couple ocean swims, an easy bike ride, and a few short runs. Swimming in the ocean was my biggest hang up going into this race and it was quickly erased as I found the water to be ultra clear and calming. Brian Rossi and Keith Adams both made the trip to Kona this year so we all took advantage of the demo bikes offered down at the expo. I rode a new Ridley Dean while they both rode Cervelo. Even the running shoe guys were offering up demos. I laced up a pair of Newtons, a pair of Zoots, and the new K-Swiss tri shoe. Mix that with a lot of pro watching and I had a great time leading up to race day.

Pre Race
The opening ceremony for the race was an incredible feeling. Three Navy Seals parachuted out of a C130 cargo plane into the water, where they stripped their gear, got body marked, and swam to the starting line. Hawaiian drums pounded in the background and the stage was being set for a perfect day. Tension began to thicken as the Hawaiian blessing was given and the national anthem was sung. Thousands of people lined the sea wall to watch the chaotic mass swim start of almost 1700 swimmers. I found NK Martin at the start and we focused in on the big day ahead.


Swim 2.4 miles
The pro start began at 6:45am, and then age groupers would get their chance to swim out and toe the line for this amazing race. I had no strategy for where to start. Most of the strong swimmers would line up in front or hug the pier and jockey for inside position. I decided to hang in the back, let the fast guys get out in front, then hope it would clear up a little. I thought closer to the pier would be a good spot, hoping this section of swimmers would pull ahead and I could follow with good inside position. Worked like a dream… until about 10-15 minutes into it. There was a good pack forming and clean water ahead. Then in an instant a shit-storm of people began moving toward the inside. Body surfing and head bobbing, I tried to move toward open water. Guys were grabbing and pulling. I seemed to be moving backwards and almost panicked. Instead, I fought my way toward the inside line along the buoys. Finally reaching clean and clear water, the 1.2 mile swim out to the turn around boat seemed to get a little choppy but nothing major.


I really felt good for the remainder of the swim and I just tried to soak up the atmosphere by watching the clear ocean water, a few fish here and there, awesome coast line, and splashing the stand up paddlers who were watching over the athletes. After awhile I felt the Point Zero Three Skinsuit Keith graciously let me borrow, digging into my back. I would end up with a pretty nasty rash and noticed plenty of other athletes after the race with similar war wounds around their neck and arms. Picking up the pace for the last quarter of the swim, I was hoping to exit within a few minutes over one hour, but to no avail. Swim time: 1:09. Sub par for what I expected but not fully disappointed. It was gonna be a long day, and a few minutes wasn’t going to dampen my spirits.

T1
It’s hard not to rush through and feed off the energy that is transition. It was all surreal hosing off and grabbing my bike gear bag running into the changing tent. Soaking in the organized chaos was the objective and it was pretty cool to be on the inside. The transition set up in Hawaii allows you to clip your shoes onto your pedals and leave your helmet and sunglasses on the bike. It was a great mix of big Ironman racing and genuine grass roots triathlon. T1 time: 3:53

Bike 112 miles
The long ride begins with a quick jaunt through downtown with fans lining the streets going bananas and the announcer screaming in the loudspeaker. I was so pumped to get on the Queen K and see this famous bike course first hand. This desolate highway would lead us approximately 50 miles along the west coast through long rolling hills into the small town of Hawi, and the turnaround. Lava flows created centuries ago and white coral graffiti is pretty much all that was visible along with a few resorts built up like oases in the desert. Vacationers and locals dotted the course to offer their support. This was the only sign of life out there as the mid day heat started to beat down on the steady flow of bikers.


I knew the clan from Bloomington was headed out to some point on the course but wasn’t sure where I would spot them. I was feeling pretty fresh and taking in my nutrition on schedule, grabbing water at each aide station, drinking as much as I could in the process. It felt like we were going down hill most of the way. I would ultimately realize there was a nice tail wind pushing us along. Turning left into the port town of Kawaihae I see my wife Sloan and the rest of the crazies in their Get Fast Or Quit gear. The red shirts were easy to spot throughout the day and would bring me some reassurance and restored confidence each time I saw everyone.

Presence of the pro pack was just over the next hill as the sound of the helicopter reverberated in the distance. Press cars and motorcycles began zooming by and the first peak at the real race was nearing. Torbjorn Sindballe would lead the pack followed by Chris Lieto and Normann Staddler. Goosebumps covered my body as the string of pros continued their race back to town. They were flying!! I wish I was watching!!

Big white caps were visible in the ocean along the coast and it became very gusty as the winds blasted inland, causing bikers to wobble and clutch their aero bars to avoid being knocked over. The long climb into Hawi started and the wind direction shifted to a headwind. It was apparent everyone was slowing way down and the rapid pace of before turned out to be the slowest section of the course.

I was happy to finally see the turnaround and a big celebration had collected in the quiet artistic town of Hawi. Again, I tried to soak up the energy that was few and far between on this long out and back bike course. A quick look at my time showed right at three hours and I was thrilled to be averaging 20mph to this point. I knew a good downhill tailwind approached. Nutrition was still clicking and I felt my hydration was still good although I didn’t have to pee up to this point. I just needed to continue drinking and not fall behind since the temperatures seemed to reach the upper 80’s if not low 90’s.


Making our way back down hill toward Kawaihae we were again confronted with blasting crosswinds as speeds approached 30+mph. Scary stuff for sure. Ron Greene, Dennis Killian, and Tricia Madey were waiting at the turn back onto the Queen K. This would be my last grasp of energy as the next 30 miles back to town gave way to an insidious headwind that would literally suck the energy right out of me. It was hard to imagine peddling downhill just to keep a good pace. I got into a group of riders that seemed to be passing each other back and forth so I knew at this point I wasn’t keeping a consistent pace. My back began to tighten up and I spent most of the last 10 miles sitting up. My legs were tired and I was ready to be off the bike. Madame Pele had her way with me but I still had something to prove on the run course. I was certainly happy with my bike time of 5:42/19.6mph avg.

T2
Pulling into the bike/run transition and jogging toward my run gear bag I felt my nutrition and electrolyte intake was right on but my quads were fatigued and I could feel a slight cramping coming on. Not enough Endurolytes? I probably took 3-5 per hour. Not enough water? I didn’t have to pee yet so maybe so. This planted a bad seed in my brain as it was the hottest part of the day and I still had a long way to go. I pretty much walked out of transition to make sure I got my legs and a couple cups of water. T2 time: 3:29

Run 26.2 miles
Just out of transition you face the short hill up Palani. It’s a prelude to the tough marathon ahead. I saw my Mom for the first time of the day and gave her a wave. She didn’t know how much I was beginning to hurt. The plan was to get my legs and run the first 5 mile out and back section easy so I could get a good rhythm. I couldn’t even run the first mile without walking. My legs were FRIED. Thoughts of the long marathon ahead swirled in my head and I began to second guess whether I would be able to finish this thing. It was really hot and I really didn’t want to go out on the Queen K let alone the Energy Lab and walk the marathon, finishing in the dark with a glow stick around my neck.

Thoughts like these are inevitable in any Ironman. The run is by far the most excruciating part of the whole race. I tried to put on a good face but underneath it all I was suffering a bit.


The short out and back section along Alii Drive is sheltered from the sun and there are a lot of people watching, partying, and cheering everyone on. This helped a little by keeping my mind off my aching legs. Hammer Nutrition had rented a house at about mile 2½ and they were pretty jazzed to see me sporting their kit and I gave them a big thank you back. By the turn around, I thought my race was coming back around and I could possibly pick up the pace a bit. It felt like I had a small stone in my shoe and it was bugging me so I took my shoe off. Finding nothing I lifted my foot up to see if there was something on it. That’s when my groin muscle and hamstring both locked up solid in a painful cramp. I almost fell over. I couldn’t take a step without it cramping up again and I tried my hardest to relax and stretch it out. I was able to keep moving and walk a lot during the next 5 miles back to town.

By the time I was on the Queen K, it was overcast and the temperatures had dropped. This made it a bit more tolerable and I figured I could gut it out for the rest of the race. My nutrition plan was still on target and I was only taking in Espresso flavored Hammer gel for fuel. I was basically walking through each aide station and running slow in between. I ran out of Gel and by mile 14 I was wondering where in the heck my Special Needs Food Bag was. I guess I forgot it would be at mile 18, the end of the Natural Energy Lab.

I saw NK Martin just before I got to the Energy Lab. He appeared to be doing well and I gave him a high five with some encouragement to finish strong. I always envisioned the Energy Lab to be this desolate place with searing heat and a tough 4 miles out and back. I was pleasantly surprised when I got there and found the aide stations to be a big celebration with music and tons of support. It was only a 2 mile out and back, the temp was “only” 84 degrees and I finally got my Special Needs Food Bag. I had two gel flasks which I ended up pitching one since it was beginning to annoy me carrying both. Once out of the Energy Lab I had some renewed energy and tried to pick it up between each aide station. I was probably running sub 8 minute miles and by the time I got the next aide station, my legs were beginning to cramp and ache with fatigue. It took all I could muster to get moving each time.

With about 2 miles to go, I saw Keith in the median with a big yellow sign that said “DON’T SUCK”. I was certainly trying not to. He gave me some words of encouragement and I told him I tried my hardest to break 11hrs but it just wasn’t going to happen. All of a sudden this guy from Germany who was walking next to me grabbed me and said “let’s go”. We began to run together at a pretty quick pace and we tried to chit-chat a little but the language barrier was a little hard to get past, especially at mile 25 of the marathon. I tailed off and made the turn onto Palani which meant a little more than a mile to go. A jolt of adrenaline came over me and I nearly sprinted down the hill. At the bottom I got a pretty nasty side stitch and had to stop and walk for a minute. It was then a turn onto Hualalai. One more block and another right onto Alii Drive. This is it, the famous finish to the biggest triathlon on the planet. As I approached the finish line the lights were bright, the music was loud, and the crowd was going crazy. I searched side to side for Sloan and my Mom but couldn’t spot them. Dang It!! I looked up on the jumbo-tron and stared at myself crossing the line and gave a big double fist pump. I DID IT!
Run time: 4:18/9:52 per mi avg :(


Total time ended up being 11:17 148/226 in M40-44 Age Group & 889/1732 Overall.

Post race
I finally found Sloan at the greeting area behind the finish line and just about collapsed in relief. What a day for me and what great support she had given me not only during the race but throughout the year leading up to this day. I almost cried as the emotions came flooding down. I was done and it was finally time to relax and have some fun.

As I look back to my performance on the day, I keep thinking about the time goals that loomed in the back of my head all day. The thing is I never really cared so much that I was behind schedule or off pace the whole day. Each time check got me frustrated which soon turned toward a focus on just finishing. What became important was collecting glances of the other athletes, the faces of the volunteers, soaking in the race, and enjoying it all. The race really does go by in the blink of an eye and although it was one of the toughest things I had ever accomplished, I wanted so much to go back and relive every instant. Do I want to go back to Kona? Not next year or maybe not even the next, but I do feel like island is a calling me for another challenge.

Post Race Party
Thanks to my buddy Chris Sweet who has the real hook-ups when it comes to sponsors. He was invited to the K-Swiss post party at Huggos on the Rocks and he got us all on the VIP list. Although the awards banquet was a bust with a steady downpour of rain, the party did not disappoint. Anyone who was anyone in the triathlon world was there celebrating the end of a great season. Chrissie Wellington (women’s champion) just happened to sit next to us for awhile and I bumped into another champion to shoot the breeze about a great race (Crowie!). We all had a blast. Thanks Sweet!!


My sincere thanks go out to my family for supporting me on this journey. Without you I would have never made it. Huge thanks to my friends who kept me going all season with the training, social events, races, and overall good times.

See some additional pictures HERE

See me finish HERE and enter my name.

later, cd