Infinite Runners

Ironman Louisville Race Recap: Embracing Some Serious Pain

If anyone of the Ironman competitors were approaching this day with any sort of doubt about finishing then they probably chose not to finish when it got hard. It was one tough day for a number of reasons. Here's my race recap.

4:00 am - Wake up.

I ate my breakfast which consisted of a bagel with cream cheese, hard boiled egg, bread with peanut butter, bottle of Ensure, small orange juice and a banana.

4:40 am - I left the hotel room and made my about 5 blocks down to the transition area.

5:05 am - I saw my two friends (Branton and Brent) from check-in that had their bikes right next to mine. I borrowed a bike pump and filled my tires to the right pressure. I then went over and put some last minute items in my "swim to bike" and "bike to run" bags. I then headed to two large trucks waiting to take the special needs bags. Did a quick hand off and then started walking to the swim start.

5:20 am - Walked over a mile to the swim start. During the walk I called my friend and neighbor (Dan) who is doing his first Ironman. He was already at the swim area as he wanted to get there early to get an early start time in the time trial start. It was already about 79 degrees and I was working up a sweat walking over to him. I did bring a Gatorade and another bottle of Ensure to get me fueled up before the day and swim. They say in an Ironman you will burn 5,000 to 7,000 calories. And typically when an Ironman athlete comes out of the swim they are already at a deficit as they would've burn about 1,500 to 2,000 calories. Simply by drinking the two bottles of Ensure it gives me 500 calories and nutritionally they are great.

5:45 am - I walked the line in the darkness and did not see Dan. I give him a call and we connect and ultimately find each other. He is there with his wife Ann and they are just waiting like everyone else.

6:10 am - I use the bathroom one last time before the race and it takes about 10 minutes just waiting in line. There were 1,347 first timers in this race (which is a lot) and I could sense the nervous energy.

6:30 am - Kristin, Braden and Brianne make it down to the start and we see each other briefly and talk for a bit. We also get a couple pictures before the race begins. Kristin is pushing a double stroller and she has her own Ironman ahead of her trying to get the kids around to different spots.

6:45 am - We hear the cannon go off as the Pros begin their race. They also start to consolidate our line to get everyone as close together as possible for our start at 7. When this happens I happen to be standing next to a guy who serves in the army. This will be his second one as he did The Great Floridian last year. One thing that he said which kind hit me at the time was "when I hit the run I will be in my own personal hurt locker." Hurt locker means the place of ultimate pain.

6:55 am - We all are now moving to the start and I wish Dan luck as does he to me.

7:20 (ish) - I jump into the water off the pier and my race is underway. I looked briefly to see if I saw Dan to get an idea of where he was but no luck.

The SWIM:
The first 400 meters I did a lot of spotting (lifting my head out of the water to see where the other swimmers were) but it was pretty uneventful as I was able to find swimming lanes and avoid the other swimmers. The next 800 meters up and around Towhead Island it was tight and I had one swimmer swim up on me and then had many cases of swimmers getting too close and causing me to adjust my stroke or direction. That said, I am pretty aggressive as well but you have to pick your battles wisely in the water to avoid major issues. I did feel a bit tired that first 1200 which could've been from the early morning or just not getting into a rhythm.

I reach the turn and now have about 1.75 miles to swim to the swim exit ramp. The nice thing is that it is with the current although I really didn't feel it. About 30 feet after the turn some guy nailed me as I was coming up to breath on my right side and I did not see him coming. It caused me to angle back into the water most likely from his arm coming down. It caught me off guard and I ended up opening my mouth in water as if to say "what the...". By then it was too late and I had a mouthful of water and degree of initial panic that comes with water in your mouth while swimming in a river. I quickly calmed myself and turned back to push up and spit it out and try to keep forward progress as I wasn't sure who was around me. After another second I was back and focused on the task at hand.

At about the mile mark I was finally starting to get into a grove and kept reminding myself to be one with the water and try to stay smooth (2.4 miles is along way). I would also aim to each bridge that I could see and focus on making it to each one and then moving on to the next. I still had some swimmers hitting me every now and then but it wasn't too bad.

Right when I was really starting to feel good on the swim I got a cramp in my left foot. I tried to stretch it out as a swam but that didn't work so I just left it flexed and continued until it went away. Then about the 2 mile mark my left calf muscle locked up on me and that doesn't feel good. I had to stop and try to massage it but that doesn't really work so well in the water. It didn't seem to help and decided to swim with it locked and hope it would loosen up. I am guessing the 84 degree water may have had something to do with it. It did finally loosen up about 100 meters later which I was glad as I felt pretty good about how my swim was going.

I inched closer to the platform where I would exit the swim and just picked my spot on the far side. Before getting to it I did a couple breaststrokes to loosen my legs for the run ahead to my bike. I grabbed the railing and a lady grabbed my other arm and I was up the steps and officially done with the swim.

Swim Time: 1:22:36

T1
I then run up the path on my way to T1 and grab some water to quench my thirst on what was heating up to be a very hot day. I see Kristin, Braden and Brianne as I get close to the top of the path and give a shout out. Since my number is 79 all of my stuff is in the first row which is nice for finding it quickly.  A young lady hands me my bag and I go hopping over the other rows and into the changing tent. I find a seat and do what was a pretty quick clothes change with the help of a guy pulling my racing shirt down in the back. Then race off to row one and grab my bike and pass out of T1.

T1 Time: 6:24

The BIKE:
It was pretty crowded in the bike mounting area so I picked a spot in the middle and got going. I got up to the street and turned left and Kristin saw me but I didn't see them as it was jammed with people and quite noisy. The first 11 miles or so is pretty flat and I remember passing quite a few people in a smooth and controlled state hitting about 21 mph before the hills hit. I took advantage of the flat start to eat a Cliff Bar and drink some PowerBar Perform drink as well as water. I figured if I was cramping in the swim then I certainly needed to get some electrolytes on board through the Perform drink.

My plan was to eat a peanut butter sandwich I had in my back shirt pocket around mile 20 or so as it had a small flat stretch where I could get it down and not have to shift gears. The Louisville bike course is all up and down except for the small portions here and there and the beginning and end, which means constantly shifting gears.

It was tough to get any kind of groove on the bike because of the hills. It was nice that I had rode the course about 4 weeks earlier and knew the nice descents and big hills. Before reaching KY 1694 I guy rode up along side me and said "Hey Brian, how are you doin?" I looked over and it was Branton who I had met the day before at bike checkin. I had met him and his friend Brent and they were both doing their first Ironman. We chatted for a minute and he went on by me saying that we would see each other again.

The first monster descent was on a small turnaround on KY 1694 and you can get absolutely flying down this hill. During our Friday night mandatory athlete meeting they had mentioned that they had some bad crashes at the bottom of this hill in the last few years. I was flying down the hill and was slightly cautious at the same time as what I noticed is that you've got two extremes of cyclists to deal with in this race. There is the aggressive "I'm going for a fast time no matter what" cyclist and the first-time Ironman that may not fully know cycling etiquette but still want to ride fast. The biggest mistake the new cyclist were making today was holding a line as I saw many near crashes.

After making it through the first monster descent and major hill climb I refueled at the next aid station. As it was now probably approaching the high 80s I made sure I kept my body cool by dowsing my head with water every sip I took on the bike. We turned around and were now getting ready to head back down and even bigger descent when riders coming the other way said that there had been a big crash around mile 20 and to be careful. I zoomed down with a degree of caution but it was relatively event free. The one thing I began to notice were riders on the side of the rode with either mechanical or physical issues. This would become very common throughout the rest of the ride. With this out-and-back behind me it was up 42 to the area where we ride two big loops on the course.

I was feeling pretty good when I approached 393 and the beginning of the loop. Again there is another descent and I pushed down this one and was rock'n and roll'n and passing all kinds of riders on the way. Having rode the course I knew when to push and just fly on this rolling descent. There was another Aid station just before turning on 146 at about 34+ miles into the ride and I stocked back up on perform and water. At this point I realized that it would probably be best to throw my water bottle to Kristin in La Grange (where they would be cheering) so that I could just insert there fresh bottles into my holder each time. I then turned onto 393 to head into La Grange and I passed by the special needs bags and saw Branton stopped up ahead. He then pulled out in front of me and I had to pick up my pace to catch him. I passed him this time and said "What's up?" Branton said "I'm stupid. I yelled out my number and picked up my special needs bag." He then followed "So I went ahead and stopped and grabbed some stuff out of it." So he stopped at about 37 miles when it was meant for people to pick up special needs bags at mile 67. So I said "Hang in there and I will see you again." as I passed by. I noticed his age on his calf and said "You realize you have 16 years on me." as he was just 25. He laughed. That would be the last time I saw him as he dropped out of the race for some reason.

I rode through the main section of La Grange and looked for Kristin but it was jammed packed with people on either side of the road and I didn't even see them on this first loop. I powered on through and made the next turn onto Ballard School Road which is a great country road that winds through some farms and houses. I hit one small hill and mis-shifted and dropped my chain. I stopped and popped it back on pretty quickly without missing a beat. I then turned onto Old Sligo Road and hit a small hill that just jumps on you if you are not prepared and you have to push hard out of the saddle to crest it. That went fine but the hills now were starting to stress my feet and I could feel them starting to throb but nothing major just yet. I then made it all the way back to 393 and saw many riders on the side of the road either taking a break or giving up on the day. As I cranked along 393 I was really looking forward to mile 67 and the special needs area as I wanted to take a quick break to massage my feet while I get my bag. I stopped and did just that in addition to taking a quick bathroom stop. I then hopped on my bike and continued on as that seem to help my feet.

It was a short ride up 146 into the main viewing area of La Grange and this time I sat up on my bike as I rode through looking for Kristin. I looked intensely and had my water bottle in my hand ready to throw. People were everywhere and as made it farther and farther down the street I thought I had maybe missed them. Then on my right I spotted Kristin holding Brianne and she yelled out to me "Go Brian!" I saw she had one hand free and over the barrier where she waved and I said "Catch this!" I threw my water bottle in that instance and it was like the perfect throw and she made the perfect catch with her one free hand. I yelled back "Nice catch!" as she was not expecting it at all. She later told me that the people around her also said "That was some catch."

Side note: A nice police officer noticed Kristin holding Brianne and walking with Braden back to the car to head back to downtown and he offered them a ride in his squad car to where they parked. That was a huge thrill for Braden although he ended up leaving his Gatorade bottle in the car.

The next aid station I came to they handed me Perform and a water bottle with the cap off - "What?" I said. Apparently this station had run out of cold water bottles and handed me a bottle filled with a hose. It bothered me at first as I wasn't sure what to do with it. Then I realized I could put it in my upright holder and put the Perform in the slanted holder. At least it was water as the temperature was now in the 90s. I weaved through the roads on my way back to 42 and couldn't wait to make that turn to head back to the city. It would still be about 34 miles but at least I was heading in the right direction on 42 - to T2.

I would stop again around mile 87 which was the last aid station before 106. I got off my bike and again took my cycling shoes off and massaged my feet. This aid station was low on water as well but a supply truck came as I was there. They also had a small pool of ice for the drinks and I reached in and poured some ice water over my head. I could really feel the heat now. I felt good and was glad I stopped (even briefly) and was rejuvenated for the rest of the ride (well at least the next 10 miles). Seemed like I had a decent pace over the rolling hills but it was certainly slower than when I started.  My mind was starting to transition into "Okay, you've got 26.2 miles to run next." My feet didn't like that but the rest of my body felt good. I did take about 6 salt tablets throughout the ride to keep my salt levels up on this hot day. My ride nutrition ended up being 2 Cliff Bars, half a peanut butter sandwich, 2 bananas, Snickers bar, 1 GU, and a PowerBar.

It was nice to finally hit River Road as it was now all flat riding back to the city for the last 10 miles or so. While it was nice mentally, my feet were pulsing in pain with every press on each peddle. These last few miles also challenge you as you can see the city way off in the distance and you have to focus on short distances ahead to move closer and closer and not get discouraged by how far it looks.

With the city getting closer I can now see the end in site. I turn onto Witherspoon and get ready to enter the transition area. The crowds are big and loud and I hop a small curb down the path to the great lawn where I dismount the bike.

Bike Time: 6:25:55

As I step off the bike I try to run but each step is painful and I figure it might just be the biking shoes. I stop and quickly take off my shoes and try to run in my socks but that hurts just as much but I push on. I grab my run bag and head to the tent to change. I sit on a chair and remember feeling I am glad that's over but was concerned with what lies ahead (26.2 miles). I massage my feet again and towel off. I put my running shoes on and do a check on what I need for the run. Which in this case is a GU and a couple salt tablets. After taking my time I head out on the run course.

T2: 11:24

The RUN:
My mind was ready to run around 9:00-9:30 per mile pace as that is what I felt I could do. As I take each step up the chutes through the crowd my feet just didn't feel right - I could run but it hurt. There's a good size crowd all the way to the bridge (KY 31) so that helps carry me forward. Once on the bridge I try to focus ahead and get into my own world. This world would soon become my personal hurt locker. The heat was now in the mid-90s and the humidity was over 90 - it was hot! I was grabbing sponges, water and Perform. I made it off the bridge and then ran up north 3rd street where the crowds were pretty heavy. Once I crossed over Chestnut street my feet progressively felt worse. The best way to describe the pain was like I was stepping on tacks with each step and they were getting deeper as I ran. And it was hitting right on the balls of my feet which are integral in running or walking. I set a mini-goal to get to mile three and then walk the aid station and see how I felt. Ironman tracking says I ran the first 3.39 miles in 29:10 or 8:36 pace per mile. While I normally would be concerned about pace I just wasn't as my feet hurt that bad. It was brutal. After the aid station I began to walk and it hurt just slightly less so I kept walking as I could make decent progress with the thought that I will run again soon. I would try to run a few times up through 8 miles but it just wasn't happening. My feet really wanted to stop but I still had 18 miles to go.

Making the turn around at 8 and heading back to the city helped a little bit psychologically but I really had no idea how long it was going to take me now (first time I've ever had that feeling.) My body was extremely hot and I was grabbing ice water, Perform, Coke and orange slices at most stops. My stomach just couldn't handle any other food items. Since my feet were not cooperating I sought out an aid station and had a lady take a look at my feet. She said they looked a little bruised and offered a band aid for each. I took it as I had nothing to lose. It didn't help.

Just like on the bike course I saw many runners lying in the grass or sitting on a curb. I made it to mile 11 and then became one of those runners sitting on a curb. I took my shoes off and tried to massage my feet but they just hurt to bad to the touch that I just sat there for a few minutes. Just as I got my shoes back on I saw my buddy and neighbor Dan coming the other way on his first loop. It gave me a boost of energy as he had struggled in practice and now had made it to the marathon and was actually running. I gently got over to him and we smacked hands and talked for a second. He was also in trouble as he was having IT band issues as well as nutritional issues. He looked better than me and I said "You may catch me on the second loop."

I then made it down to an aid station at mile 14 where I saw Kristin, Braden and Brianne. I came over and sat on the curb with them to take pressure off my feet. I remember looking at Brianne sleeping peacefully in her stroller and thinking how nice that would be to sleep outside in the shade. I explained to Kristin what had happened and she took a look at my feet. They were painful to the touch. After a brief visit I pushed ahead walking of course. I hate to walk but I knew this was the only way I was going to reach my finishing goal today. As I passed by Fourth Street Live onto Ali Blvd. I saw Ann and her mom sitting on the curb waiting for Dan to come by. I mentioned I had seen him and told them about my condition as I passed.

I should note again that the pain in both feet was excruciating. I made it back to about 15 and saw Kristin and the kids again. My pace according to Ironman was now somewhere around 16-18 minutes per mile. As I continued on up 3rd street I kept saying you've got to run again. So I made a plan that when I hit 16 I was going to run as far as I could. 16 hit and a slowly shuffled my feet and got running again (at a very slow pace - maybe 10 minute pace) Each step really sucked but I was committed to the plan. I made it to the first aid station and said there is no way I am stopping so I just grabbed an ice water and ran on through the station. I then was confronted with a dilemma. I saw a very sweet mom and her shy son who appeared to have just come out to cheer up ahead of me. I heard the Mom say "Stick your hand out so the runners can hit it for luck." Having kids I know how much a small gesture can mean to them so I veered painfully off my straight running line and hit his hand. I said "Thanks buddy!" and turned my head back to see him smile. It brought a smile to my face as well. I would continue on running through mile 18.5. My feet just said that is far enough.

So my next goal was to walk up to the turnaround up around mile 20. If I made it to there then I would reward myself with a break and sit down. As I reached the mile 19 aid station they were out of cups of all things. But I still had my cup from a previous stop so I got more water and Perform and some more orange slices. I then started walking with a woman who was also doing her second IM. She said that this one just wasn't going well and I relayed my story of the same theme. We reached the turnaround and I told her my reward was to sit for a minute or two which I did by myself. When I stood up the pain in my feet was intense and very hard to get going again but I did. I also saw a group of 4 runners on the curb laying out finished and saying in my head "That's not me." I then set another goal that when I made it to mile 21 I would run again for however long I could. Mile 21 hit and I numbed my brain, I shuffled and got going. Now both feet felt like they had cuts in them but I know they didn't - it was painful. I made about a mile this time and had to walk again. The sun was now down but my body was hot and I could just sense it.

As I walked I pass a young woman doing her first Ironman. I asked if she was alright as she seemed off to me. She said she felt off balance and like she might trip. I said that I felt the same way and just tried to stay focused ahead and look at where I was stepping. I also ask her if she wanted a sponge as they seem to help me by every once in a while pressing it against my face to wipe it and cool it off.

Around mile 22 I saw Dan coming the other way and said to him "You got it buddy. Stay strong. You'll finish." I continued walking and kept saying "Okay, at mile 24 run it in." At least that was what my mind was saying. I repeated it with each step as I got closer to mile 24. When I finally got there my body wouldn't respond so I said "No matter what you are running at mile 25."  That was plugged in and once I started I was committed to the finish line. There was one last aid station before 25 so I poured ice water on my head, drank some water and was ready to go. The build up I had to do mentally was huge but when mile 25 hit I just completely entered my own world and was now going to the finish line. As I ran my final steps on 3rd street some people cheering said "Good pace. Keep it up." I then turned onto Chestnut where it is quiet before the noise. You can hear the people but a building blocking it makes it dark and not as loud. I then make the turn onto 4th street and can see ahead the finish area. I am moving at a decent clip and passing people. As I cross over Muhammad Ali Blvd. I hear Kristin and the kids cheering from my right side and see a woman runner just ahead me and start thinking if Jed (my friend) is watching this live then he will say "You let a girl out sprint you." So I dug extremely deep and got around her before heading up to the finish line.

Run Time: 5:56:24

Overall Time: 14:02:33

I had a tremendous sense of relief when I finished. A nice volunteer from Canada helped me to a chair where I sat for a while. I then had to get a finisher photo and was given a finisher hat, shirt and left the area. I looked for the nearest wall and sat down. "Wow! That was hard." I said to myself as I sat quietly. I then realized I needed to move so that Kristin could find me better. So I painfully moved to a street corner and sat against a newspaper stand. As I sat there I started to feel worse so I laid down right there and tried to keep and eye out for Kristin. That became increasingly tough as I wanted to sleep and not get sick. Then a nice volunteer named Chad came by and asked if I was okay. I asked if he would get me a bag of ice which he did. My body was hot. He then asked if I needed anything else and I replied a coke sounds great. I moved very slowly 10 feet over to the volunteer tent and laid down on the ground with the bag of ice behind my neck. I then asked if he could get a cart or something to take me back to my hotel room. He tried but it was already tied up so he offered to walk me back and watch me. I made it back to the Marriott 2 blocks away with his help and met up with Kristin and the kids in the lobby. I made it to the room and pretty much went right to sleep until 11 am the next day. When I woke up and checked my feet the next day they had huge blisters on the balls of my feet in addition to being bruised. I knew I would be embracing the pain but I had no idea it would be that painful.The upside would be that the next one has to got be easier.

Start Again

The headline probably isn't really accurate because being sick last week (with a cold) didn't force me to start over as much as stop me for a few days. I had 2 or 3 days where I literally felt like I could not make it home from work without stopping to rest. Lets just say it really wiped me out.

I'm now back to a full training week and going strong. My swimming has been the consistent thing with the effort and intensity all staying pretty high. My biking is only about 2 days a week right now of about 25-40 miles depending on my work load. My run is only about 8-10 miles  (all easy) as I try to take it slow and ease back in.  I think the easing will come to a stop next week as I need to start logging some 5-7 milers to feel like I am accomplishing anything. My friends are running the Flying Pig Half Marathon and want me to help pace them. I will make a go/no go call as it gets closer. The one thing I learned with Ironman Training is don't just race to race because you can screw up a few good workout days in the process.

Here's my current schedule:
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Swim / Run
Tuesday - Bike / Run
Wednesday - Swim / Run
Thursday - Bike / Run (Optional)
Friday - Swim / Run
Saturday - Run

My real Ironman training starts in March and will take me right up to the race. I will post those workouts/weeks as they happen.

Swim Solid - Run Improving - Bike Needs Work

Had a pretty good workout today at the YMCA. Swam about 2000 yds. and then ran 3.5 miles. My swim consisted of 10 warm up and cool down laps with 10x100 as the main set. I took about a minute break between each 100 to let my heart rate come down a touch and drink some water if necessary. I averaged about 1:40 with the last one in 1:31. It was a gradual improvement on each one with negative splits. It was hard and yet I didn't feel wiped out which was good.

My run was an easy 3.5 miles on the treadmill. I say improving in the title as it was smooth and nothing hurt. I am looking forward to start ramping up my miles in the very near future.

I had about a 23 mile bike ride down on the Newtown Trail on Friday and it was just okay. My total time was 1:23:12. It was a cold day and I did feel cold riding the second half but managed to keep a solid pace. I am going to need about a month or so before it starts to click like last summer when I was riding.

What drives someone to do a second Ironman?

I have been thinking about this a lot lately as I am trying to find something I can focus on throughout my training for my second Ironman - Louisville August, 2010. I started my training back at the beginning of January and it is going well as I just started to build for when the big stuff kicks up in March. One benefit of training is that you can think about anything while you are swimming, pedaling a bike or running. Here are my thoughts on it.

For my first Ironman (Couer d'Alene 2008) it was as if my brain said "Do it!" and I signed up without doing any research on it. From that day forward it was the fear of the unknown that drove me to workout everyday and push my body farther and harder because I just simply didn't know how my body would react. I read about the event (and training) and that made me more uneasy about it, which added to my drive. Even if you put the training in there is that unsure feeling about having the right nutrition on race day. It seems like one salt tablet short and your race could be destroyed.

Now, anyone that has done one will tell you that the hardest part is all the training and hopefully getting to the starting line healthy. I managed to do just that for my first one and had a decent result (12:10:16). The big negative is all the time you have to put in to train. And the other big unexpected time cruncher was preparation – getting bike ready, plotting routes & distances, clothes, nutrition selection, showers and driving time if necessary.

Some benefits include:

• Losing weight
• Realizing that cross-training is actually a good thing
• It may reduce your cholesterol
• Having more energy to do things
• Meeting great people
• Living a healthy lifestyle (You treat your body like an engine and watch what you eat)
• Raising money for a non-profit to help others

You can see that there are many benefits. Perhaps the biggest benefit not listed above is that it forces you to prioritize the important things in your life. For me that meant doing my workouts around family time, not watching TV, giving up sleep to fit work and workouts in if necessary. Many of my runs were done at 11pm at night or later, which meant I was out until 1 am on the 10+ mile runs.

I do think one driving element may very well be the fact that you are doing something that few people have done. One song that drives this point home is Eminem's "Lose Yourself" where is he states "you only get one shot." I listened to this song all the time on my runs as I realized that "this may be the only opportunity I got" to do an Ironman.

And maybe that's it. That those of us that decide to do an Ironman Triathlon — whether your first, second or tenth — understand what we are doing could be our only opportunity to push through fear ... and shine.

I leave you with a poem by Marianne Williamson that I think powerfully captures this point.

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. 

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 

It is our light, not our darkness

That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? 

You are a child of God.

Your playing small

Does not serve the world. 

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking 

So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, 

As children do. 

We were born to make manifest 

The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; 

It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, 

We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 

As we're liberated from our own fear, 

Our presence automatically liberates others.

"You are an Ironman!"

An Experience To Remember

After having successfully completed the 2008 Ford Ironman Triathlon Coeur d'Alene I now understand why many people become hooked to this event. Here's a full race report on the build up and the actual event itself.

Tuesday -

As previously mentioned, we flew out on Tuesday night to Spokane (via Denver) out of Indianapolis. We drove up to Indianapolis with what we thought was plenty time to spare. I say thought as we (both Kristin and I) forgot that Indy does not observe daylight savings time which means they are in the same time zone as Cincinnati. We got to the Indy airport with about 1.5 hours to spare according to our time. We did the check in stuff and leisurely walked to our gate and noticed it said 8:15 pm was the departure time so we headed on down the concourse to have some dinner. After about 5 minutes Kristin said I am going to go check the seats to make sure we had decent seats on the flight. Lucky for us she did that as the flight had 5 minutes until departure and we quickly headed (what seemed like really fast race walking) to board our plane. It would not of been good if we missed the flight as we would have missed an entire day.

We arrived in Spokane, Washington around 10:45 pm and still had to drive to Coeur d'Alene which was about an hour away. We drove through the darkness and arrived in downtown Coeur d'Alene around midnight pacific time or 3 pm eastern time. By the time we got the car unloaded and Braden down it was about 4:15 pm eastern time which made for a very long day. I did manage to sleep for about an hour on the leg from Denver to Spokane which helped.

Wednesday -

One thing that was very unexpected was the wonderful breakfast that was made for us on Wednesday morning and would become a great way to start our mornings the rest of the week. This morning was a fruit cup and Apple Cider Pancakes which were very good. Apparently, which I had no clue when I booked this bed and breakfast (The Roosevelt Inn), was that their breakfasts were voted the best in Idaho. The Roosevelt Inn is an old Schoolhouse that was converted into a Bed & Breakfast by John and Tina Hough (pronounced Huff). Both John and Tina are wonderful people and really made our stay a great experience and were fine representatives of the city of Coeur d'Alene. Their black lab Pippin became one of Braden's buddies as they played fetch many times.

My wife's parents Rich and Elaine made the trip out to support me and spend time with Kristin and Braden. So, we met them after breakfast and our plan was to drive the bike course today so I knew what to expect and to help me visualize the course (more so the hills). After a brief meeting in town Kristin, Braden and I drove the course. The first part of the course was in the city area which meant a few turns and then we headed out along the Lake, which was absolutely beautiful now that we could see it in the daylight, down to Higgins Point which would be our first turnaround and the area where the special needs bags would be located during the race. Then it was back into town and out to Hayden by Hayden Lake and into the country. The low point of our day was when we got stopped for a speeding ticket on a small wavy road in Hayden. I was being careful watching the road and Kristin was in charge of the map and the speed bumped up a bit and the officer was just waiting for me. They had to be just sitting their knowing that many people like me would be coming through today. After our initial "You got to be kidding me." reaction we felt that it was our way of donating to helping keep this area beautiful and safe. I also felt maybe it was a good omen as a need for speed for the upcoming race. The drive along Hayden Lake was also just absolutely beautiful and this is when the serious hills started to kick in. The bike course is said to be pretty technical as there are many turns where you go down a very big hill and almost come to a stop at the bottom to turn and then go up another hill. Outside of Hayden Lake we get the rolling hills which will be around miles 30-45 on the first lap and miles 75-90 on the second lap. The last 15 miles of the course is fairly flat and gradually goes downhill into town.

Workout: I did an easy 30 minute run along the actual run course in the city. It was in the high 70s and hot but I felt okay.

Thursday -

This was the day when the race expo would be setup and I could pickup my race number, wetsuit and bike. We headed over right after breakfast and I stood in a pretty long line to go through the registration process.

This event is unlike many of the marathons I have run and in a much better way as I think the small size (they only allow 2,200 participants) makes it much more personable. The reason for the small size is due to the swim start as any more and it just couldn't work. I got my number, had my weight checked (for medical reasons just in case) and I sat down with this nice man that explained the race and the rules. I then picked up my rented wetsuit (which was actually a new one - cool) and my bike that was shipped to the event. With my list checked off we headed to the lake to check the water and it was still pretty cold, about 55 degrees.

Workout: I did an hour bike ride up to Hayden and back along the course. The streets are wide and nice as most of them have a bike lane which makes it really nice. Coming back into town I was hitting about 21-22 mph which I felt would be a great area to try and push it on the bike without over doing it during the race. Tomorrow morning would be the swim workout and I was a little apprehensive about it but I did see quite a few people testing the waters so that helped.

I tried on the wetsuit before going to bed to make sure it fit and I was good to go for my test swim tomorrow. Braden was impressed and wanted one.

Friday -

Workout: It was another beautiful day. We got down to the beach around 9:00 am and I was told the water temperature was now about 57 degrees. I put on body glide (like vaseline) and then my wetsuit with the help of Kristin and then headed out into the waters for my test swim and what would be my last swim workout. It called for 30 minutes and I actually made the complete lap in about 33-34 minutes which felt great. The water visibility was about 4-5 feet which was great. It took about 5 minutes for my face and hands to numb to the point where the temperature didn't bother me.

Upon completing the swim I actually felt fine and I now knew the water would be very cold but not much of a factor in performance. The other thing that was weird about wearing a wetsuit was the buoyancy of it and that my legs almost felt like they were out of the water so the kicking seemed not as effective.

After the workout we stopped into the Janus tent in the Ironman Village so that I could give them my final fundraising total and so that Kristin, Braden and Elaine could create signs to help cheer me on.

I also created a simple sign to help motivate me for the run. My friend Jed and I have a friendly rivalry and this sign was to not only help motivate me but maybe motivate him into doing an Ironman someday.

We then got away from everything and drove up to Spokane to check out the waterfalls that flow through the city. With the 180 percent snowfall the area has received this winter the melt had the waters crashing through with incredible force.

It was nice to get away from the race area and not do too much. It was also Kristin's birthday which we celebrated with her parents for dinner at 5:30 pm. The dinner was quick as I did have a mandatory athlete meeting at 7:30 to go over all the final race details.

Before going to bed I organized all my transition and special needs bags. The transition bags are all the gear I would need for the "swim to bike" and "bike to run" portions of the race and the special needs bags are placed at the midway points of the race and you can put those items you think you might need. For me the special needs Bike bag included a Snickers bar, Powerbar, Gatorade, salt tablets and extra peanut butter crackers while the Run special needs bag included 5 GUs just in case I needed them. These bags and the bike needed to be dropped off tomorrow.

Saturday -

This was the last day before the race and a day that all athletes should not do much and try to relax. After breakfast we went to the store to pick up some Ensure and other last minute items for the race. The drop off time for the bags and bike was from 10-3 pm.

Workout: My schedule called for a final hour mini brick workout of a 45 minute bike and a 15 minute run. So I fit my workout in at 12:30 pm. It was a good final workout and I felt as ready as I could be for the big race.

We headed over to the transition areas around 2:15 pm to do the drop off. It seemed easy enough and it was yet another beautiful day.

After racking my bike I did one final check and it was a good thing I did. I found my back tire flat as it had an industrial staple in it. I quickly went to the bike tent to see if they could do the repair and I was in luck. I quickly rushed my bike over to them and they managed to fix it with a little over 5 minutes to spare before the 3 pm cut-off time. It is quite a site to see over 2,000 bikes in that area.

I also dropped off my 2 plastic transition bags and tied them as good as I could as I heard we might have light rain Saturday night. They keep the bags out and in order to make it easier for everyone on race morning.

The Ironman Logo is everywhere and extremely hard to miss.

I also managed to grab some extra plastic bags and cover my bike handle bars and front water bottle.

That night John and Tina made us a carb dinner of salad, spaghetti, lasagna and chicken that hit the spot.

John also told us that his crew would be working the last half mile of the run portion to help motivate people into the finish. I was told that the people of Coeur d'Alene volunteer like no other race as they get somewhere between 5-6 people per athlete where other races get 2-3 per athlete if they are lucky. The whole town is behind this race and it shows.

I would fall asleep around 10:30 pm.

Sunday - RACE DAY - Start is at 7:00 am

4:00 am - I awake and head downstairs to start to add some fuel for the day. They say that an Ironman athlete will burn about 5,000-6,500 calories for the day. And it is very important to start the day with as many as you can. My breakfast consisted of a can of Ensure, bagel with cream cheese, hard-boiled egg, bottle of orange juice and then another bottle of Ensure to drink while getting ready - along with water of course. I figure I was close to 1,000 calories before the start.

5:00 am  - I head over to the start area to my body marked as they write your race number on both arms and your age on your calf. The age is so that if you are battling it out with another competitor you know if they are in your age group or not. After the body marking I head to my bike to check and make sure the back tire is good and everything is fine. We did have some rain last night and I removed the wet plastic bags from my bike.

I borrowed a bike pump from another athlete and get both my tires up to 120 psi. It was a bit cool in the morning and a fellow athlete snapped this photo in the bike area.

5:30 am - After taking care of the bike I head over to check my run transition bag. It appears just as I left it with the end wrapped over to keep the water out in case it rained. Well, no such luck. I open the bag to find that all of my gear is not only wet but soaking wet. My only guess is water came up through the bottom. I immediately take out all of the gear to check the damage. My shirt, socks, hydration belt and shorts where soaked. The biggest bummer and potential issue was that my shoes were soaked.

I did not bring an extra pair of running shoes with me so I would have to wear these in the race. My mind immediately went into crisis management mode. "Okay," I said "you'll have to run your marathon as if you were running in the rain." Luckily, I had an extra dry shirt and I stuffed my shirt in both shoes and tried to absorb as much moisture as I could. I also called Kristin and asked her to bring down an extra pair of dry socks for the special needs bag in case I needed to change them halfway through the run. Water is known for causing blisters and blisters are just not good when you are trying to run.

5:45 am - I head over to my bike bag and it did not have any water issues which was a good thing. I grab a couple of the food items and take them to my bike to put them in a small pouch I have in the front of the bike. It will mean a couple less things to worry about or handle when in transition.

6:00 am - Kristin arrives with my dry socks. I then head over to the opposite end of the transition area to drop off my special needs bags in their designated spots. It is an absolute perfect morning.

6:30 am - I had been drinking my other Ensure throughout the morning to help put some additional calories in me. I meet up with Kristin and Braden at the far end of the swim course. I decided to be there to try and stay out of the mass of people that will be converging into the middle to follow the buoys.  I put body glide on as I did on Friday but forget one key area in my pre-race thought - the back of my neck. Kristin helps me zip up the suit and I am ready to go. My main concern at this point was just finishing the swim and trying not to get kicked in the face which I had read about.

6:45 am - I hop into the water and do a few strokes to get my body use to the cold water again. Now 59.5 degrees - still pretty cold but 2 degrees warmer so I will take it. All the athletes are are on the beach and ready to go. Dan, another athlete staying at the Roosevelt Inn, taps me on the shoulder and says hello and good luck. I say what time are you trying to swim and he says "1:15" so I think I am right where I should be.

7:00 am - The cannon goes off and everyone just flows into the water and starts to swim as best they can. It is crazy with people pushing, grabbing, kicking and just doing whatever they can to move forward.

I was on edge the first 15 minutes until I realized it was going to be like this the rest of the way. That edge became normalcy. It also became apparent that in order to survive in this mass of swimmers you have to be competitive and do what you can to stay strong. I did a lot of breathing on one side of my body as when you would turn another swimmer would be right on you throwing water into your mouth. It was this constant analysis of where you were among the swimmers around you and which side would work best. I did get one full mouth of water about 400 meters but calmly went under and spit and took a long next breath. I did practice that in training and it came in handy. I also got my googles knocked off about 600 meters in and had to quickly adjust and get them on to keep the momentum or most likely get run over. The first turn was just crazy crowded and I decided to swing a bit wider heading back to shore and that helped a little - I was at least able to get some alternating breaths and get a bit of a groove going. I also realized that if I saw bubbles directly in front of me then kicking feet where very near and I needed to move left or right - thank god for that 5 feet of visibility. At about 1200 meters my right calf cramped and locked up on me - not fun in the middle of a lake with swimmers all around. I had to stop and try to massage it while treading water, which was not easy. I did have a female swimmer look up and say are you okay, which was nice amongst the chaos. I managed to finish the first loop by hitting the beach and the timing map for the 1.2 miles and then back into the water for the second loop. I looked at my watch and saw 38 minutes.

Loop 2 would bring its own set of issues. The swimmers were now thinned out but it was still not great in my opinion. In the first 100 meters of the second lap I kicked some woman's goggles off and felt it. I turned around quickly and said sorry. I guess she got too close. By about 400 meters in I felt the back of my neck start to hurt which let me know that I forgot to put body glide on that area when I put the suit on. It wasn't horrible but more like a very slight friendly pain every time I would turn to breath. Then a few meters later my calves where locking again but I managed to still swim and try to stretch them. I then quickly realized it wasn't going to go away so I made an executive decision to just use my arms the rest of the way. I found that if I just dragged my legs they wouldn't lockup. So that was fun swimming the last 1,200 meters with only my arms. I found that I was still able to swim with the group around me pretty well and tried every once in a while to use my legs.

SWIM - 1:21:48 - I exit the swim and was glad to get that first portion behind me. It is funny to write about it now as it was just crazy and I can see why many people fear that portion of the race. You have to have a sense of calm about you or it could get ugly/dangerous very fast. I head up the beach an into the transition area.

T1 - 9:47 - As you enter the transition zone there are athletes everywhere and volunteers trying to help you take off your wetsuit. I quickly found two nice ladies that each grabbed a leg and pulled very hard. It was off and I was up and running to my gear bag. I found it and headed into the changing tent. I was going to wear the tri-suit bottoms I had on for the swim to help speed things up and that worked well. I did take a bit of time as I wanted to make sure I had everything for bike leg and especially the nutrition as it is critical to get fueled for the run. I head out of the tent and run to my bike and I am off to the bike mounting area. I see Kristin, Braden, Rich and Elaine for the first time and give the thumbs up. I guess my thumbs up at that point was simply that I survived the swim.

BIKE - 6:20:45 - I had a bright florescent yellow bike top on with arm warmers as it was still cool. This color proved to be great as Kristin was able to easily spot on the course when I passed by. The first 20 miles I just drank water and tried to make sure I was well hydrated. The weather was sunny to overcast and expected to get in the low 70s. At about 25 miles I pulled out my peanut butter sandwich and ate it. It was a little hard as my mouth was dry and I had to add some water with each bite. I then tried to eat something every half to hour and make sure I was fueled for the run. I ate a PowerBar and peanut butter crackers. The hills hit around 30 miles and it seem like I was passing people on them - I guess my Cincinnati hills training was good.

These hills were harder as they were more frequent and the wind was somewhat strong in areas. The crowd along the way was great and they would call out your name every once in a while which helped. My name was on my number which is different then other races. I knew I was going to need to ease up a bit on the second loop and as I approached miles 50-55 it was downhill into Coeur d'Alene. The same course I had biked earlier in the week and hit 21-22 mph downhill I was lucky to hit 17-18 mph so the wind was certainly a factor and kind of a bummer. I now was looking forward to hitting Higgins Point at mile 64 where they would have the special needs bag. I got my bag and stopped for a minute or two to grab what I needed and to take my first salt tablet. I also opened my Snickers bar and that hit the spot. Leaving Higgins Point is all uphill and I seem to pass quite a few people again which gave me a boost. The rest of the way I just tried to stay within myself.

I would drink three Gatorades and water the rest of the way in addition to some more peanut butter crackers. The hills certainly hurt more on the second loop but again I passed people so that gave me a boost. I knew I needed another salt tablet so I stopped briefly at an aid station around 90 miles and this nice young boy volunteer held my bike while I found and took my tablet, had a quick banana, emptied trash, refilled a Gatorade bottle and had a GU. This would be my last stop and food before the run. Just after the stop the balls of my feet started to hurt as they had in training. Before it would hit around 65 miles and today it didn't hit until 92. I simply sucked it up and pushed through the last 20 miles with the pain. I was a bit slower and tried to take pressure off of them on the downhills as opposed to peddling harder off the hills. I was so ready to be off the bike - I couldn't wait to hit transition and massage my feet for minute or two. It was also overcast and actually a little cool on the bike with the wind. I had taken my arm warmers off after the first loop and was regretting that decision for most of the second loop. They were in one of my back pockets but it wasn't enough to make me stop. I kept thinking the sun is going to pop out and then I would be warm. I saw the "Team Hock" gang around mile 110 and again at the end of the bike which was a welcome site.

Braden was cheering loudly - "Go Daddy!"

T2- 11:48 - I really wasn't sure what the run would bring but I was glad to be off the bike. I also was thinking about my wet shoes those last 20 miles and just kept saying it will be fine. I grabbed my bag and headed to the changing tent. I probably took more time then I should have in hindsight, but I wanted to make sure my feet felt okay first. I took my shoes off first and massaged both of them for a bit. I then changed tops and put on a Janus Charity Challenge Tri Shirt that they had given me which stood out and I was sure Kristin would be able to spot me with it. I grabbed my Band-Aids for my nipples and they were wet and wouldn't stick. Runners put them on so that they don't rub and bleed. This didn't throw me off as with Tri Shirts you sometimes don't need them and I was hoping today would be that case. Next I put on dry socks which felt really good on my feet. Then I grabbed my shoes and put one on. It was still somewhat wet and felt warm on my foot. Then I put my other one on and it felt the same. It actually didn't discourage me as they felt better then my biking shoes so that was a good thing. My biggest concern were blisters so I hung an extra pair of socks off my Nike Hydration Belt and headed to the bathroom. This was a good thing as I needed to pee and that is a very good sign I was properly hydrated for the run. I also had a GU to add a quick 100 calories before I started the run.

RUN - 4:06:08 - I saw Kristin, Braden and Rich just as I left for the run. As soon as I started to run I felt good and I knew this should be my strongest part. I took off and headed down this path and was passing people.

I had no clue what my pace was so I just tried to stay within myself and kept telling myself to do it like practice which was about 8:10 per mile. I passed a lot of people in the first 5K and I understood why - I had run it in 22:30 which is pretty fast. I knew I needed to back down off the pace or I would be in trouble later. The course goes through the city and then along a lake shore path up to 7 miles to the turnaround. The last 400 meters up to the turnaround is a steep and cruel uphill and not much fun after having done what we have already. Not to mention we will hit it one more time. I did manage to keep a solid pace up through 10 miles and recall seeing my split as 1:24:00. The early miles I took water, Gatorade and oranges at about every mile aid station. I realized now that I did not need my Hydration Belt as the stops were perfectly placed and that extra weight (wet of course) wasn't necessary.  As I came back into town I saw Kristin and Braden and handed her my fuel belt and she asked how I was doing, which I replied "it's hard, but I feel pretty good." After I hit the next turnaround at about mile 14 I knew I was in some trouble. The crowds in the city where awesome and they carried me up through about mile 16 and it was at a much slower pace. My stomach started to feel weird and I really didn't want to throw up as I heard once that happens you have to walk the rest of the way as your electrolytes are all messed up. Just after 16 I saw Kristin and Braden again and crossed the street to give Braden a high five.

I then started to walk and said to Kristin that I needed to walk as my stomach didn't feel right. She said are you okay and I said "Yes, I am okay, I will finish but I don't know how long it will take, I may have to walk the rest." With that I walked on only to have Kristin come running down the street behind to make absolutely sure that I was fine. I reassured her I was fine but needed to settle my stomach. She knew I took an Advil before the run to help minimize the coming pain and had read that it can enhance chances of other problematic issues.

I reached the next aid station just before mile 17 and had some more Gatorade, and ice water. Plain water just wouldn't do. After drinking it down I said it is "Mind over matter, if I don't mind then it don't matter." and started to run again. Much slower then before but at least I was running - guessing maybe 10 minutes per mile pace. Even at this pace I was passing people as many people could only walk. It was around mile 18 after the next aid station that I got into a groove pace wise with a woman next to me. We both ran next to each other and didn't say a word as we just heard the pounding of our feet. I also started a pattern with each aid station as I would grab Gatorade, orange slice and Water every stop and an occasional spunge to just squeeze over my head as I walked through it. I would then pick back up running and she would to and we were off. After mile 20 she finally broke the silence and said "Thanks for running with me." I said "No, thanks for running with me." We talked briefly and then it was back to silence so we could focus on the task at hand. Just before hitting the turnaround hill there was an aid station and she said "Good luck, I don't think I can keep it up." And I said "Good luck to you to." and she eased up. I pressed on up the hill. I think I was the only one that actually ran up the hill at this point from what I could see with the runners around me. I also had held off drinking flat cola and was planning on starting it around mile 21 as I had read and can give you a much needed boost. They had it at every aid station but I held off as I also read once you start you have to continue and it starts to diminish the effect.

It was as if I had another gear. I did take the flat cola at Mile 21 and it did have an effect. It was weird, as I didn't feel it right away but I started running after the aid station and I seemed to go faster. I was sure I was doing 9 something miles and maybe even hit a sub 9 from mile 21 to 22. It was great as I continued to pass many people which felt great psychologically. I was still feeling the pain and it was extremely hard to start running after each aid station but once I got going I was focused. I even passed a few runners I thought I wouldn't catch.

It was about at mile 23 that my focus changed to not how many miles were left but how many aid stations were left. I figured that I only had two aid stations left and that sounded better then 3 miles left. I took full advantage of the aid stations grabbing a Gatorade, ice water (had to be ice water), pretzels, orange slice and flat cola, of course.  When I hit that last aid station at about mile 25 I knew I would finish and I also remembered that the Roosevelt Inn crew would be at mile 25.5 motivating people. So I kept looking for them and finally saw them on the other side of the street. It was a big decision of do I cross to high-five them and risk losing momentum or continue on in a straight line which sounded pretty darn good at this point in the race. They had some disco tunes going and I decided to cross over and give them high-fives and both John and Tina said "Hey Brian, you got it, only six blocks to go!" I continued on and turned onto Sherman Avenue and from there I could see the finish and I seemed to go faster. There was an opening in front of 4 people ahead and that would mean a clear shot at the finish so I pressed harder. It was at the time that I heard Kristin say "Brian! Go Brian!" I looked over and she was on the phone with our friend Jed trying to get a race update. She said "Jed's on the phone" to which I simply yelled "Jed!" while running by.

She was surprised to see me as she thought I was going be another half hour to hour because of the walking. It was great running downhill into the finish and a serene sense of excitement and relief came over me as I hit that last stretch with the bleachers. I smacked hands on either side with the fans as they were great all day.

I crossed the finish line with a pump of the fists.

 

FINISH - 12:10:16

I saw Kristin's dad Rich when I finished and he seemed almost as excited by the accomplishment as I did at that moment. Then I got a kiss from Kristin's Mom Elaine and she said the whole event was very emotional and she was on the verge of tears.

I think I got a new burst of energy after finishing as I wanted to eat and drink something besides Gatorade or Water. So I had a piece of pizza and a Sprite which hit the spot.

I actually felt decent after finishing and not as wiped out as I have after marathons which I guess is attributable to the overall fitness of the training I did to prepare. Don't get me wrong as it hurt plenty to push through and finish and also to walk home, but it was a good hurt.

I will give a Fundraising update tomorrow as it was a great experience and I really need to get sleep. I will also post pictures to go along with this blog entry tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for their support. Thanks!!!

Leaving Today for Coeur d'Alene.

It seems like time has flown by and now we will be leaving to fly to Coeur d'Alene later today. I have been extremely busy getting the off-line fundraising typed into the Janus site as well as with work and life. Just getting everything ready has been quite the task. Packing for three events and in between weather as my wife calls it is tricky. It will be around the mid 70s when we arrive but is due to have a few days in the 60s. At this point the race day is forecast to have rain and be in the 60s. This could and probably will change. I talked to the hotel where we are staying and asked them what the lake temperature is today. She said it has warmed up to a cozy 52 degrees. Therefore, even if we we have a warm blast over the next few days it is going to be around 55 or so - cold. I plan on doing a trial swims on Wednesday and Friday to get as ready as I can be for the cold.

I will try to post my goal times tomorrow or Thursday so those following online will have a good idea when I will be hitting each event and finishing. Remember that you can watch the actual race on Sunday all day by logging on to www.ironman.com and click on the live coverage. And you may even see Kristin, Braden and Kristin's Parents (Rich and Elaine) as they will be wearing TEAM HOCK yellow shirts. Kristin picked yellow so that I can easily spot them.

Wish me luck. It has been a lot of work but I feel that I am ready for whatever is thrown at me. And many thanks to all of those that have sponsored me and for supporting Winners Walk Tall.

What do you mean I am not on the list?

It was late Thursday night and I just finished up some work and something inside me said I should check the Ironman Coeur d'Alene participant list. I had received an e-mail about a week prior reminding all participants about various issues and requirements of which one was checking the list. I guess I put it off because I had checked after I registered and was on the list at that time. 

Well, I plugged my name in the participant search and my name did not come up. I immediately said "You've got to be kidding me!" So, I started searching e-mails and my computer system to find my registration receipt. And of course I couldn't find it and thought I probably wouldn't as I signed up on my system from my office downtown. So my search would have to wait until Friday when I was in the office. I did send an e-mail to North American Sports (producer of the Ironman CDA event) letting them know about the issue. It was a pretty serious issue as they would be assigning race numbers on Monday and I only had one day to try and get the issue resolved.

Friday arrived and I got an e-mail reply from a Melody Givens with NA Sports simply asking if I submitted a withdrawl request. That would be a big old "NO." I responded in a kind manner and with a phone call and another e-mail I was back on the list. Never did find out exactly why I was removed. Just glad that issue is behind me. I will say thank you to Melody for taking care of this so quickly.

As for training. It has been pretty good lately and I switched my big day from Saturday with Sunday due to the weather. And, in hindsight, it probably would have been better for today so I should ignore weather reports. I think I did this once before and got the same result.

So, tomorrow is a big brick workout. I will do a 1.5 hour swim, 3 hour bike and a 1.5 hour run. It could be pretty tough if it gets above 90 degrees.  The intensity of the workout is to do the swim as I normally do and then go a bit easier the first half of the bike and run and then up the intensity for the second half on both. This is a little more then a half Ironman so it will be good to see where I stand fitness wise.

Glen Update:
My brother Glen is officially not competing as his work travel schedule wouldn't allow him to create any kind of consistent training, which is critical to completing an Ironman race. I know he made the right decision and will one day do one.

Global Warming - Not so fast.

I have been busy researching neoprene swim caps and socks. It appears that temperature of Lake Couer D'Alene is going to be below 60 degrees when we start on June 22nd. It currently is below 50 and I am hoping it warms to at least 55 degrees. I understand that many open water swims happen around that temperature and it is not too bad. Bottomline - it's going to be cold. To which I say "Bring it on."

Ironman World Championships On TV

Thought I would let everyone know that the Ironman World Championships will be on TV Saturday, December 1, 2007. NBC always does a great job covering the race and showing personal and inspiring stories. I know where I will be from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm that day. Note that the schedule is subject to change, check your local listings.

Motivation Boost

Whenever I need a motivation boost I visit YouTube which has numerous Ironman videos posted. Here is one I watched tonight. While its focus is on the one in Hawaii we (those of us crazy enough to register) all have to do the same 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. I will be posting many more throughout the year. Enjoy.