IronMan World Championship A Rookies Dairy

My first IM Race Report - Kona 2001

This year is the 20th anniversary of my first IronMan, Lake Placid at the end of July and, obviously the anniversary year of my first time racing Kona.  I thought I might still have the report I wrote back then and here it is.  Remember this was October 2001 life had changed for the US the prior month.  

If you want to jump to the report of my latest race at the end of June this year in Coeur d'Alene scroll down.

Getting There The Island of Hawaii AKA the Big Island.

The Moon is smoldering like an old fire as it settles to the horizon between the palm trees on the Kona Coast.  It has been a long 30 hours since we (I am traveling with Dave Schneider) got up at 4 am to head to JFK.  It is 4 am in Kona as I start this report; the biological clock is still on NY time.

 

Leaving NY by air is probably not like flying anywhere else in the world today.  Certainly everyone is very aware of the change in our lives but seeing the altered NY skyline is a very sobering reminder of what happened almost 3 weeks ago.  It is more than just two objects missing; somehow the whole skyline seems different.    Even the Empire State Building does not look right without it's partners down on the tip of Manhattan.  The importance of rebuilding something that is special came home to me as we flew in a wide arc over Westchester and Northern New Jersey avoiding the smoke that was still drifting up the Hudson River.  My thoughts also were with the very special people who were still working in the rubble of the buildings, real IronMen and IronWomen.  

 

There were changes evident in the plane (United) as well.  The Magazine was missing; David found out that there was a picture of the old NY skyline on the cover or somewhere inside.  The welcome on board was like none I have heard in a very long time, perhaps a bit overdone. 

The flights were uneventful, the way you want them even in the best of times.   There were a few well-known Triathletes on the flight out of LA including Dave Scott and Joanna Zieger. 

 

When we arrived over Hawaii there was the cloud cover.  Hot yes (high eighties), humid yes, black everywhere yes but only a very weak sun trying to get through between thin but:10/10 cloud cover.  The Queen K looks like it does on NBC, black and bleak.  Alii Drive looks like Alii Drive, fun, full of life and ready to welcome 1500 athletes in 7 days.  

 

IronMan -6

No moon visible this morning.  I am awake at a bit more civilized time, 5 am, and hope to keep it that way for the rest of the countdown week.  

 

Any thoughts that we might have arrived earlier than most other competitors vanished at 7 am yesterday when we went down to the pier for a swim.  There were enough swimmers on the small beach and in the water to start a wave for any local NY Triathlon.  The two-loop course at Lake Placid has a reassuring feel as you can see the start and end not so down here, it was a bit intimidating. The water is a great temperature, around 80 and very saline, some reassurance that we will swim a bit faster than the pool and at least comfortable.   

 

The short dip we had Friday evening was for me a lesson in what not to do after 12+ hours of Travel, I felt like a lead brick, don't think of exercise until you have had 8 hours of sleep minimum.  This morning the travel cobwebs seem to be disappearing fast as we headed off in swim traffic.  It was good training for both navigation and traffic dodging with the added threat of head on collisions, I had one, no damage.  This was clearly not like Lake Placid as English was not necessarily the language of every swimmer.  It was a good first start to an easy week staying away from injury.

 

Late afternoon we took an easy ride down Alii Drive.  For sure, a large number of contestants are already here, runners and bikers were everywhere.  Then there were the smart one's heading to the beach to read a book.  Mary Nathan was trying to shake off the trauma of a 1 am arrival yesterday morning.  

 

Bob Cook, Runners Edge is now world famous.  Olivia from France stopped me on the street.  He recognized our team Shirt.  He asked me if Larry Parker and Ted Tierney were in town.  I told him what you were doing Larry (Larry is in the NYFD and was at Ground Zero) and he wishes you the very best.  Ted will no doubt find him in the next 6 days or on the course Saturday.  

IronMan -5

This looks like a hot one in the making.  No clouds today as the moon drops behind the palm tress at 5:30.  Not that it was cool yesterday.  Swim at 7:30 in calmer waters gave David's confidence a boost.  Buffet Breakfast gave me a boost.  

 

We headed up the Queen K in the car with our bikes a little after noon to check out the ho'o mumuku winds, those same winds that gusted over 60mph last year.  The plan was start about an hour out of Hawi and then check out the hardest part of the bike course.  

 

When we got going it was immediately apparent that the ride would be slower than planned and we would not get to Hawi.  The wind was a good 20 mph across the road at the start.  The heat from the road and lava was as advertised, this is going to be a tough race.  We got to within about 6 miles of Hawi and the last 3 miles up the road challenged our ability to stay on the road.  We did discover that staying on the Aerobars gave us better control or perhaps it was more that our center of gravity was lower and we presented less surface area to the wind.  

 

While the land up along the Queen K does not have much going for it the turquoise sea makes up for it in spades.  What a place to do some sailing.  Perhaps I should bag this race and charter a sailboat next Saturday.

 

IronMan -4

Rain, most of the night, now we know how this place gets so many days of sunshine.  Not much to report for yesterday.  It's a small place and we found Ted, Dr Bob, Bobby S and Anthony before 9 am.  The trick to rubbing shoulders with the Tri World greats is to go for a swim at 7 am. 

 

Alii Drive is taking on the appearance of the Alii drive that you have seen on TV.  Banners hawking Tri Sports stuff are on the roofs of stores all over the place.  Stores with names you know well have opened and will close for another 51 weeks next Monday, Nytro, Rebock etc.  A big difference, sadly, it there are flags for sale in places that probably never sold a flag before.

 

Aloha

IronMan -3

For all of you who think the swim is the best part of Triathlon, this is certainly the place to race.  Even those who think swimming is boring, noting to look at except feet, would be pleased with the view.  There are even spectators on the swim course.  Fortunately, I have not seen any large spectators but there are many small ones in all shapes and colors (five years later I did meet a family of Dolphins who came by to say Hi, parents and two children) .  At the third buoy out there is even a reviewing stand with hundreds of fish.  It is quite a sight.  

 

The other aspect of the 7 am swim workout down here is there are no lane lines.  In a race that only means getting off course, during the out and back workouts it means taking care not to ram the competition.  So far no one has got nasty but it is far from an uncommon happening.  Usually it is an opportunity to meet someone.  

 

While swimmers would love the swim I don’t' think they or anyone else could say they enjoy the run.  Yesterday I parked at the top of the road to the Natural Energy Lab for a run around 2:00.  For those of you, myself included until Monday, who do not know what the Natural Energy Lab is, it is a thermal energy research lab.  Anyway, the run, pure hell.  My thought around 5 when it started to cool down was that I would complete the bike, hopefully in under 6 hours and then take a break on the beach setting off on the run after dark.  

 

My apologies to all but you cannot understand until you have been out here.  Lest some of you think I am going soft and that you have run in 90 F heat think again.  The road surface is 120+; fully inflated tyres overheat (the habit back then was to pump the tire up to max allowed) and burst over here.  The temperature at waist height is probably over 110, it is 90 in the shade.  It will be an interesting day Saturday.

 

It's good to have my support team here, Ingrid arrived at 6 tired but looking forward to some beach time. 

 

Aloha 

  IronMan -2

It is getting serious, Race Meeting yesterday, drop off of bike and Run bags today (At an IronMan your bike clothes and shoes are handed to you in the transition).  The swim course was almost as busy as race day and there was not a cloud in the sky all day.  Kona is getting everything ready.

 

If the Expo is an indicator then this is indeed a big race.  There are some new interesting products on display.  Computrainer has a new system for those with extremely deep pockets.  This system comes with a bike frame and special rear wheel.  It is much more accurate than the original system and while it does not duplicate the effect of gravity on a downhill there is zero resistance when you are going down.  Cost is about 3,500.  For those of you still thinking of buying a Computrainer, don't worry the original version is still available and will be part of their product line.  

 

While I did not see one, Syntace is coming out with a new integrated areobar/cowhorn/stem.  B&L Sports told me it is lighter than the competition (Profile and Vision Tec).  Vision Tec is reportedly working on an update to their product. 

 

 

Must start to pack my stuff for the race.  Slowtwitch.Com is interviewing the members of Team Runners Edge this morning (I hope between David and I that we have been able to reach everyone).  

 

One last 30-minute run today and a 30-minute swim tomorrow, then the race, hope I can stay cool (mentally) the next 48 hours.

IronMan -1

The pier at 7 looked like the race start.  Several hundred athletes were in the water, and a very large gang lined along the waterfront meeting new and finding old friends. 

 

I had a third session of the week with the ART (Active Release Technique) people.  I think the rest of the Runners Edge contingent has been in for at least one session.  Nancy and David are already converts and so am I.  The results were instant eliminating a very tight lower back.

 

Nancy, David and I met with Amy White at 8:15.  Amy is doing a special on Age Group athletes for Slowtwitch.com.  Not surprisingly she was very interested in our reaction to the attack on the WTC.  We also talked about the Runners Edge Team (Anthony, Bob S and Ted stopped by but had critical registration stuff to deal with) and how we got into the sport.  Her report should be interesting.

 

At the last minute we (Ingrid and I) decided to go to the Pasta Party, we were glad we did, it was like no other we have ever attended.  Even without the events of 9/11 it would have been a great evening, with what has happened it was very special.  

 

We were seated out doors, as the sun set and the first stars appeared (that happens fast down here near the equator) we were asked to light a candle.  We then stood for several minutes for a moment of silence, God Bless America and comments from the organizers.  I hope they got some good pictures of this scene, it was very moving. 

 

Emotions are running high at this point.  Bob S, Ted T, David and Jennifer Gatz were with us at the Pasta dinner (there was a lot more than just Pasta).  I guess Bob is a bit more relaxed than us rookies but not much.  During the entertainment, there was a lot, they asked competitors to stand who had completed 1 then 2 then 3 IroMans.  They got down to 18, Ken Glah.  Bill Bell, the oldest competitor here I think has done over 10, several in his late 60's and 70's.  I don't think I want to do that many but racing here in 20026 is a goal (my 80^th year).  I am even thinking that this might be worth qualifying for next year.  But let me finish my first first.

 

I will try and find a few minutes to make some notes tomorrow morning.  But just in case wish us all luck.

 

IronMan -3 hours

Last night I go poetic as we walked back to our car after an early dinner.  T'was the night before IronMan and all through the town not an athlete was stirring not even a spouse.

 

Not much time right now and I am not too sure what to say.  Mission was accomplished yesterday, I am ready, my equipment is ready and I think I feel good.  Larry Parker e-mailed me yesterday to wish all the Runners Edge team well and to "Kick Ass".  Coming from someone heading to the Pile for a 13-hour shift they were fighting words.  Mahalo Larry we will.

 

IronMan +30 hours

If I fall asleep on the keyboard as I write this I will not be surprised.

 

We have three medals on Long Island, David Gatz, Gold, Mary Nathan, Silver, and Nancy Lipira-Hoest, 5^th.  When I saw Nancy on the run looking very strong heading down the road to the Energy Lab I knew she was doing well.  

 

So what is this race all about?  In a word, Wind.  Perhaps the best way to experience what we did yesterday the thing to do would be to go out for a ride on the Island during a typical NE Gale in NY City.  This way you would experience the hardest thing to deal with, sudden changes in wind direction as you go thru an intersection.  The problem with this training plan is who wants to ride in the rain.  No rain in Hawi but the wind.  Back to the start.  

 

5am.  It was hot on the dock where our bikes were racked even before the sun rose.  It was even hotter around Dave Schneider bike when he found his rear tire was leaking, an ominous portent of further trouble to come.  Somehow I found most of the LI team to wish them well. Nancy and I took to the water together about 12 minutes before the start.  When they got all the swimmers behind the starting line the cannon fired shortly before 7.  

 

For those of you who competed in Lake Placid and IronMan Canada, the swim start is a picnic by comparison.  Still there were a few elbows and feet dangerously close.  The course is essentially an out and back with a 100 yd base leg to separate the inbound and outbound swimmer.  I got around the second boat in 34 minutes, good for me but then my frequent swim problems started, cramps in my calf muscles.  Still those who know my swimming skills 1:20 was not too bad a split and I had not expended too much energy.

 

The first 25 miles on the bike went very well, I would have been happy with the time in an Olympic distance race.  I caught up with Nancy around that point little did either of us know what was ahead.  Wind to this point was light and at times from behind.  As I was beginning to think this would be a fast race the Ho'o mumuku struck with a blast that was as bad as any other later in the race.  I heard later that the gusts were nearly 50 knots.  

 

For the next 3 hours we hung on to our bikes for our lives.  A typical 1000 yard section through one of the cuts in the Lava first the wind blasted us from the ocean side, in the middle of the cut the wind came from ahead then as we came out of the wind shadow of the cut we got it from the mountain side.  It is bizarre to see bikes head of you tilted over 10-20 degrees into the wind.  Indeed watching the competitors ahead was critical to staying on the bike.

 

I must be nuts except for a few moments when I thought I was road kill, I had fun.  Others would not describe it so and David Schneider certainly re-enforced his dislike for wind.  But it was not the wind that almost caused him to quit.  Too much salt-water ingestion cooked his stomach and David completed the race with the energy that was in his body before the race started.  It was not a finish time he dreamed about but it sure was an awesome effort. 

 

Others had there own hard time on the way out and back from Hawi but David Gatz must have banished all the demons with a 5:15 bike split.  To put this in perspective that was only 25 minutes slower than Tim DeBoom's split and 50 minutes slower than Larsen's, the fastest of the day.  Throw in a 3:29 Marathon and he had a Gold Medal.

 

Nancy Lipira-Hoest looked like she was on an easy training run in Huntington when we cross paths on the Natural Energy Lab road.  She was not feeling as good as she looked but it was good enough for a 5^th place.  There is at least one lesson in Nancy's training plan, ride with others who are as good of better bikers.  But her 4:20 Marathon was most impressive especially when you realize it was her first.  

 

My fun on the bike translated to 5 miles of learning how to run.  It was a long slow trip through town out to the energy lab and back.  

 

There is no question that finishing this race, no matter what time of night, is very special.  There seemed to be more people watching the race in Lake Placid but the feeling coming down the last 400 yards is one of a champion.  I suspect that this is as true for someone who finishes first as well as last.  It is perhaps what brings people back year after year despite the prospect and brutal winds and punishing heat (something we were spare from with a cloud cover yesterday).  I for one am hooked and am already thinking of what to change with my training to do better in 2002 (Expect to see more of me over the winter with Aquafit Maters and doing something to up my running speed). 

 

One last thing, those who know John and Nancy had better get used to John looking like a lit up Christmas Tree for a few months, I was with him when we learned by chance that Nancy had placed 5^th and was getting a medal.  Jennifer Gatz's friends may be facing a similar problem.  

IronMan Coeur d'Alene 2021

The Short Story

 

The very short story is that this was the hardest race I have done.  It was my 28th Iron Man and I have finished over 200 triathlons, running races and swim competitions.   

I have now raced in what I hope will be the coldest wettest race, Iron Man Ireland, AKA Iron Man cork. That day it was 55 degrees and pouring rain with a big Gale blowing in the Atlantic which scratched the swim. Coeur d’Alene was the opposite extreme with temps reaching 100 in the shade, and road surface temperatures near 130. The hottest most brutal race I have ever done and a slow record for me. Even Kona when it's hot is not as intense as it was on June 27th. That high temperature did however produce a perfect temperature for a wet search swim of 70F, no one could have complained about that, and the water was almost flat.

 

I am going to Kona for # 16. 

 

The Run Up and Some Observations.  

 

The forecast for the weekend certainly prepared us for the high temperatures and going into the race I was dialing back my expectations for a finish time. I think in more reasonable temps say low 80s I would have finished that course in about 13 1/2 hours, two hours less. I may be dreaming about that a bit in the I am almost two years older, now 75, than the last time I raced an Iron Man.

 

Training for this race was hard, mentally hard especially.  Again it might be age or simply I have being doing this too long. I don’t feel that way today now doubt buoyed by overcoming a lot of adversity and an ego trip.  As the oldest finisher I was interview at the awards by Mike Riley, and have it on video here.  

 

The training started back in earnest last October on a wing and a prayer.  The prayer was that by June 2021 we would be racing again, I signed up for the race the day I got notification that registration was open.  3,400 people were on the start list in April this year, a combination of transfers from 2020 and new registrants.  By April I was logging long days in the saddle and simulating race day with a 4000m swim, 100 mile ride and 10k run.  The idea behind this is that if you can run well after the ride and pick up the pace on the run after about 15 min you have your pacing, nutrition and hydration dialed in.  No need to run much more than an hour.  I had not forgotten what worked.  However as race day approached and started to look more and more like it would be hot a hell I had to modify the fueling plan.  The goal was to get down as much as I could on the bike before it got much about 80 then drink to thirst and fuel only on easy to digest stuff (I make my own rice cakes, they are great in cooler weather but I did not chance trouble towards the end of the ride. Watching so many people puking over guard rails and bridge abutments helped keep me to my new plan.  

 

The big heroes of the day we're certainly the volunteers especially those who are out on the bike course in the middle of nowhere with no cooling air coming off the lake. For all of them it must have been a wicked hard day and they worked hard as well doing their best to keep us cool.   I heard more people thanking them than ever before, they were greatly appreciated.

 

I had a few firsts this race. Never before have I actually stopped at an age station with both feet. I did that at least four or five times and the routine was the same grab a bottle of water and pour it all over me grab another bottle of water drink close to half of it and put the rest again on me. Then depending on the station, I might get a bottle of Gatorade for my empty bottle cage and then press on. 

 

The run starts at the lake, winds it way its way thru a residential area for the first two miles and then back along the lake for another 2.  Going into the race I thought, if necessary, I would hop in and cool off. I had thought about that idea in Kona years ago going for a dip along the energy lab Rd, the only place you could do that. In this race it was probably four different places we could go into the water, I went in four times. I was both lucky and clever with that idea, lucky in that someone on the beach for the day offered to take my photograph in the water and she sent me the picture, and clever after the first dip I realized I could combine a pee and dip at the same time, marginal gains.

 

The Details

Swim

 

The swim start iwas like all Ironman's in the last year where we had a very long rolling start with two people being released every 5 seconds. It took 90 minutes to get all of us off. I was all over the place on when to start.  We were supposed to seed ourselves by swim speed and I guess I did not break the rule too badly and set off with the back end of the one hour to 1:10 wave. At best I would have finished the swim and about 1:18.

 

So, the swim was not like the good old days where 18 to20 thousand people took off all at the same time.  We were strung out like a link of sausages all the way around the course, little groups forming after a couple of 100 meters and working their way around.  It was two loops, and I did quite well on the 1st loop with a 39-minute split.  Then my old problem of cramping cropped up and that slowed me down to a 45-minute 2^nd loop split. I am getting better at dealing with these cramps and in some ways basically ignoring them and keeping my arms moving. Back in the day I would stop to try and work the cramp out. I have learned that even a severe cramp does not destroy my muscles and once out of the water I rarely have problems with cramps after that.

T1

 

So, after a nice comfortable swim the air temperature had risen enough to be noticeable but still not seriously hot. The time was now about 7:30 as I got through transition probably quicker then had there been changing tents, but it was still slow. But really no worries at this point. I had one competitor in my age group who I knew 
well, and I knew he was probably ahead of me, he's a good swimmer. But after swimming Richard’s speed goes downhill fast.  We have raced together more times than I can remember and I have finished hours ahead of him. And to further ease the pressure he already had a Kona slot.  I knew all I had to do was finish. But I still had an ego and didn't want to let Richard beat me so I took off on the bike probably a little bit too hot but still well below what I would have targeted for a mild temperature day.

 

Bike

The first part of the bike was an out and back thru town, along the lake and back through the town. I tucked into Brunch, my Allan Lym inspires Denver Rice Cake as I got to the lake and started drinking.  There is one sharp short hill going and coming and coming back past T1. I averaged about 19 miles an hour with a power output of about 155 watts. As I said a bit too much power but not crushing. On the far side of T1 and the finish area the road stayed flat for maybe another three or four miles and then the hard work started. The first hill had an average 7% grade with a Max of about 8.1 and stretched from 1.4 miles, my gearing which had me a bit worried would not be easy enough was just OK, see sidebar.  Again, I was pushing a bit more power for a reason. I rationalized that I should push more power on the 1st loop while it was still cool and then back off so that I didn't overheat trying to get up these hills later in the day. After a short little bit of rolling road the second hill approached which is much longer but not as steep averaging 1.8 percent with a Max of about 4.1 total distance 7.5 miles. Some more rollers followed, and then we turned around. The dissents were fast and almost too fast and for sure quite a few of the people on the course we're not taking full advantage of that hill, sitting up, hands on brakes. Since at the turn around we were at the top of the second hill outbound there was only one to climb coming home.  I was surprised to see two athletes walking near the top of that first climb, I am sure wrong gearing.

 

I was feeling good at this point.  The temperatures were beginning to inch up, but they had not becoming oppressive yet. So going down the last hill into town I was feeling happy. The second loop was exactly a repeat of the first one.  I was surprised to see the leading male pro’s (later learned it was Sam Long from down the road in Boulder) running along the lake but then I remembered they started at 5, swim and bike a lot faster than I do.   As I came back through town I started to think about the rest of the day. The temperatures were clearly approaching an uncomfortable level and I decided to dial back the intensity to a Zone 1. Heading out of town for the second time up the big hills the temperatures really were ramping up quickly and on that first hill I felt like I was in a pizza oven. Going down the other side didn't feel an awful lot better.  The next longer hill really started to feel uncomfortable. That was when I decided it was time to start stopping at every aid station and take an ice water shower. That slowed my pace but it was essential. On the return to T2 I would describe even going down the hills as feeling like I was in a blast furnace there was nothing cooling about the breeze that was in my face even at 40 miles an hour. It was going to be an ugly rest of the day.

 

I certainly did not need any external images to make me realize how brutal this race was becoming but they were in plain sight, bodies were literally all over the place some hanging over guardrails or over the edge of a bridge puking, others staggering up the hills on their feet and a few being looked after by volunteers or good Samaritans until the ambulance arrived, it was looking ugly. I might note I have never seen anything like that before in any race, even wet hyperthermic Ireland or steamy Kona. In Ireland I think the smart tactic for someone who was seriously cold was to try and keep going until they saw an ambulance and then shout for help. Otherwise, if they stopped, they would freeze.

 

T2 

Transition was slow when I looked at my results.   I don't remember it being so and that probably said something about the state of my mind already. I felt I had been a good boy and had being hydrating and fueling appropriately. My Denver rice cakes had slid down nicely while I was eating them. I had also downed a few of the newfangled gels they were serving on the course.  I had tried them on two long rides in training but this time they did not taste as good, perhaps the heat.  

 

I had not peed since coming out of the water and that did worry me There didn't seem to be any sign of a need as I walked out of T2 and walked most of the first mile. In addition to knowing that all I had to do was finish, I also had in the back of my mind that I would be racing again in five weeks at the USAT national championships. So,I didn't want to beat up my legs running too much. At least that was the plan going in.  I probably still would have walked the first mile and done the same amount of walking even if I was desperately trying to hold off competition, the legs didn't feel particularly good, it was now way to bloody hot.

 

Run

The run for the most part is flat there are a few short uphill sections none of which are steep and one longer very gradual climb on the way back into the town. It's a three loop or perhaps I should say three out and back legs. There was lots of opportunity to spot competition see friends and given that most everyone by the time I left T2 were walking, lots of opportunity to chat. I got good at that on Sunday. I left my first friendly chatty athlete a little past the first mile mark and started my run walk routine. In better conditions and more competition, I would have been trying to run for 40 seconds and walk twenty. I started out with 30/30. And that worked well through the town where there was lots of shade. Once out along the lake there were some small trees but not a lot of shade and the 30/30 became more like 20/40. Sometimes when I got into a good conversation the walk would stretch out for several minutes. As you can tell I was in no rush, but I was also extremely hot and at the first beach went in for a dip. I got some strange looks from residents of the neighborhood when I walked into the water with my shoes on in my skin tight try suit.

 

I muddled along the outbound walking path and alternated between two-to-three-minute chats while walking and then maybe 5 to 10 minutes of my run/walk routine.  This was not a normal Ironman routine for me but in hindsight it was helping time pass quickly taking my mind off bad things with all that conversation. I was also doing what my good friend Will Murray suggested to me a few years back. Before the race I mentally placed friends and family, some who are no longer in this world (parents), and some still alive around the course and imagined what they might say to encourage me, or not.   Then recalling what they would be saying to me as I walked past them.  It's a great trick to keep the mind calm. And I was also following a longstanding piece of advice and only looking one mile ahead of me at a time.  Bobby McGee (USAT High performance coach) kept flashing in front of me every time I started running with the key advice he gave me when I first came to Boulder.

 

One thing that was interesting was I was averaging about a nine minute per kilometer pace when I went into the water spending upwards of two minutes getting to it from it and in it.  This obviously slowed my pace down, but I made up for that with a much better walking and running pace for about 10 minutes after each dip. This tactic was certainly a great survival one, I was telling everyone I talked to about it, I don't know if anyone actually followed my advice but one guy said he really would, so I think he was in there.

 

.

We were certainly roasting by the 2nd loop it was probably about four in the afternoon maybe closer to 5 and the temperature is hitting its peak.  I have certainly never seen so many people walking and some staggering. Not that I was at this point feeling all that brilliant myself but the two or three more dips into the lake kept reviving me and the people in the residential area we passed through were wonderful with hoses running water out on us all afternoon. I don't know what's going to happen with these races if global warming continues its present course and in places like CdA and Colorado start running out of water. We may not have any races, not that that will be important under those circumstances.

 

Approaching the 13 mile mark a little spring came back in my step and for the first time I began to feel confident that I would make it to the finish line. I did know for sure that**** could still happen so I was continuing to play it safe hop in lake soak under the garden hoses as much as I could and take my mind off by talking to as many people as I could.  As I as I got back into town I fell in with a gentleman who was clearly having a much harder day than I was and he was kind of bending the rules a little bit, he had a friend walking with him who is not racing. I don't know exactly how long they stayed together but I know it was probably longer than they should.  I bent the rules as well this non athlete asking if he could tell me how I was doing against my competition. And, to my surprise he couldn't find him in the athlete tracker, I learned later he'd been disqualified so I was on my own the oldest athlete in the race.

 

That news probably slowed me even more as now for sure the only thing that mattered was finishing. It was tough following the arrows that directed you to another lap but was also satisfying knowing that the next time I would be following the finish arrow. Temps were beginning to drop not much but they were going down. I still went in for one more dip and lucky for me someone offered to take my photograph as I mentioned earlier. I'm rather disappointed in myself but I can't remember very many of the conversations I had other than I was probably being a bit of noxious giving out all kinds of unsolicited advice. I have over the last year taken the view that I have a right now to give advice even unsolicited, old and experienced.

 

The last lap was a bit of a blur until the adrenaline started to kick back in about a mile from the finish, I resisted the temptation to even try and run that last mile figuring I'd hold what I had left for the last 200 yards. What I didn't know as I turned the corner onto the last stretch and could see the finish line was that my landlady and her husband, Kirk and Shannon, had come into town, they had been watching me earlier, but I didn't see them, and they had their video camera going as I first walked then ran down the last three 400 yards to the finish (zipping up my top adjusting my hat and trying to fly right.

 

I plan to share that video with some of my coaching friends because I sure didn't look good running to the finish line I was in the classic *** in the bucket posture bent over at the shoulders as you can see if you click on the link. I thought I was looking better; I was certainly trying to look my best but clearly to no avail.

 

One piece of unsolicited advice I will give to anyone crazy enough to keep doing Ironman’s into their middle 50s and beyond be sure and have someone to help you once you cross the finish line to get home. I did not have Ingrid with me, but Kirk and Shannon found me quickly behind the finish line and took me under their wing.  Not only that they waited for me for 30 minutes while I got checked out in the medical tent and then one of them drove me home. Tri Bike Transport looked after my bike (see sidebar). The last few miles of the run I could feel the onset of some dizziness, it never came too almost falling but I did not feel steady until that adrenaline rush over the last quarter mile, so I am lucky I had someone to drive me home. 

 

For the first time in my life doing these events when I hit the pillow I was out like a light switch. Every prior race I would struggle to get to sleep sometimes not managing it for two to three hours. Unfortunately, I only stayed asleep for about four hours and then went through my inability to sleep getting up at about 6:00 o'clock having slept 5 hours. I guess we get emotionally excited about these things. 

 

The mission accomplished even if it was slow but then OMG I have to do another one. Yes, I know I don't have to but how can you turn down a Kona slot

 

The awards as usual started with the youngest age groups and reasonably quickly worked their way down towards me. My ego was thinking this really is backwards they should give the awards to old geezers like me first when the biggest crowd is still there. However, the crowd did not seem to thin at all as the awards were given out. When I got up the crowd was pretty much the same.  I was somewhat anticipating that Mike Riley might ask me some questions about my race a tradition for the oldest winner. And just as I thought he was not going to do that he did and a lady who I had asked to take photographs of me had the presence of mind to turn on my video on my phone so I have the whole interview about 90 seconds of it that you can find in the link here.

 

Then in my fuddled mind I thought well I'm done, and I started to walk to my car when I saw this group of people sitting behind a desk and suddenly realized I was almost walking away from my Kona slot.  I turned around and sat back down to wait. That was when I realized why there were so many people still at the awards. Iron Man had announced three weeks before the race that they were increasing the slots to 150 the day before the race they announced they were adding another 50. No race since Iron Man Canada back at least 10 or 12 years ago had 200 slots been given out in one race when we had far fewer Iron Man events. The athletes who did this race and finished had covid to thank for this. Many races had been cancelled and so Iron Man is trying to get anybody who's willing to suffer in Kona to sign up and there was this large group of people hoping to do just that. It's going to be very interesting to see the results of this race coming up in October.

 

With number 28 in the bag and number 29 on the horizon I want to get to 30 before I think of turning in the towel. With some luck and some hard training between now and October that could be Kona in 2022 should I win the race this October. It is certainly not going to be the same level of competition for me. It does not look like the chap who beat me five years ago, same age, will be coming to Kona from the Netherlands. His favorite qualifying race is Ironman Frankfurt and that is being postponed until almost October and many of the other races in Europe or following the same fate. Not that I don't have some good competition from the US athletes but none of those athletes have beaten me in the past. As one of my early friends in the sport said to me early in our career as we looked at the podium for our age group we're just going to have to outlast the bunch. Sadly, I don't think he has outlasted them, but I've been lucky, very lucky.

IM Ireland Cork & Visit Home

Going Home (to race and play)

Summary

Sister and Husband after one of the many great meals
 before the race at the Grand Canal  

I thought a year ago I had my bucket list races in hand.  I had signed up for Escape from Alcatraz and Challenge Roth.  Then along came IronMan Ireland, Cork.  I grew up 50 miles up the South Coast of Ireland in Tramore, I had cycled down some of the roads used in the race on a trip to Kerry at 15, more on that later, my sister still lives inIreland and could come and watch me, I signed up the first day registration opened.

Good thing I did, 700+ NA athletes, with relationships to Ireland ranging from simply loving the place, those with Irish ancestors and those like myself.  Almost 2000 more piled on and the race probably sold out faster than any other IM last year.

The Inaugural IronMan Ireland was, according to the Voice of IronMan Mike Riley conducted in the worst weather conditions he has ever seen.  Even the tough Irish Athletes said they had never raced in such conditions. Winds were so strong that we could not swim in the Atlantic off the coast of Youghal.  But as Allister Brownlee put so well, we got a combined bike and swim for 180k so the first timers (500 strong) need not worry that their friends might think they really did not do an IM.    

So how could this be the most memorable holiday and race I can remember in over 150 Triathlons and 26 IronMan races.  Simple answer, the people of Youghal and Ireland, volunteers and spectators, my fellow racers (especial those brave souls 70+, all 7 of us), my very special sister and her wonderful fun family, and old friends.  And, of course Ireland when she had the sun was out, which happens many days at least for a few minutes, except race day.  

Challenge Roth last year the spectators and race organizers were simply amazing.  It outranked Kona IMO in that regard.  Youghal was every bit the same adjusting for a much smaller population size.  Yes, there were some problems typical of a first-time event and a first time in Ireland but that was more than made up for from the above.  Mike Riley was clearly impressed by the event.  And Mike, I have found your protégée who should be in your succession planning, Joanne Murphy, was awesome.  An Irish voice on the finish line in Hawaii would be a natural.  The Irish and Hawaiians have an awful lot in common in their history and their sense of Ohana (Part of Hawaiian culture, Ohana means family in an extended sense of the term).

A lot of us who toed the line on June 23 did not finish.  In my book they are every bit an IM for just being willing to give it a go. Mike called out the oldest woman to almost finish, I think 65, at the award ceremony, she missed the cut off by 6 minutes.  She got a standing ovation, well earned.  Those of you with Irish blood in you, and not, don’t be put off by the story of this year’s first IronMan, even in the worst conditions it was magic, in the race when you got a big cheer, and more so after the day.

 And I hope, “Youghal” come back someday (yes you Southern Americans you do pronounce the name of the city your way).  On to race day.

The build Up

Three sisters

I got home 10 days before the race to adjust and get in some cold-water habituation.  My nephew took me down to where he swims, sans wetsuit  In one I lasted 12 min.  It was encouraging, Youghal was already 5F warmer.  I had to go over to say Hi to a group of mostly women who had been swimming, without wetsuits, I was handed a cup of tea, the solution to all things in Ireland including swimming in 52F 12C water.  They swim year round, meaning sub 50.  A great chat ensued, now
I knew I was home.  Breakfast followed. 

Two fun days in Dublin followed with Daniel, Abby and his fun, very active and beautiful 3 children, Harry took the IronMan on for a sprint, I lost, it’s a family gene.  The long Irish June days ended with late nights and early rising.  

Then two days with my sister and a bit of biking and running with more late nights and great chat continued. Then down to Tramore, the real home, to meet old friends, more swimming and biking, and again late nights chatting.  

Tramore waters were about 2F warmer and the swim was a bit longer.  Amazing to look at my home town from about 800m out from the harbor where I learned to swim, and almost drowned at age 7 or 8.  

Tuesday a day in Youghal. A 45 min swim felt warn after Dublin and Tramore and confidence built with new friend Niall and Michelle.  That was valuable as the forecast was not great for Sunday.  But I knew Ireland, even 5 days out it could be Sunny, as forecast or terrible.  The latter was not being contemplated.  

Niall and Michele two
first timers with finishing 5th

Tuesday ended with a very late night with our host David, a childhood friend, who played baseball with me as a child, a lifetime to chat about. I have never gone to bed at midnight 5 days before a race, 9pm at the latest.  I think I have found a new way to taper, sleep deprivation, toughens you up. And, perhaps the real secret is it get you to relax when you are with good friends and a special sister.

Back up to my sisters, and husbands, farm for one night and back to Youghal, next day (more driving than I ever done in the week before a race, that worried me more than the lack of sleep).  Three days to go continued with much socializing with my friends from Lafayette (where I now live) and who shared a cottage with me.  One more swim and a little Brick and I was ready.  Saturday was a beautiful sunny day.  Water was a bit choppy but more than manageable.  Water Temps now felt balmy.  I was Habituated.  

A long time ocean swimmer who lives and swims near Tramore who has a blog (Lone Swimmer) about his extreme swimming adventures explains you can’t really defy nature and your body, you can die swimming in cold water but you can get used to it, habituate, I think I had reached that point.

Race Morning.

Forecasting in the weather for the NW of Europe is one of the most difficult in the world.  The forecast from Met Erin at 3:30 was for intermittent light rain for most of the day with some stronger showers over lunch time and moderate winds, not too bad really for Ireland.  On the 40 min drive to Youghal (we were staying in one of the most picturesque parts to Ireland on the Blackwater river (which flows through Youghal and passes Lismore Castle, well worth visiting) I noticed the trees moving in the early morning twilight, that was not a moderate breeze.  

A bad forecast was confirmed on arrival at Transition, the breeze was strong and the waves building.  It already looked like the swim might be shortened.  

  

We had been warned that the swim might be shortened on Saturday because of low air temps 

combined with the typical cold water.  Despite that the Irish, I assumed they were the cracked (nutty) Irish, started climbing into their wetsuits.  Some others probably climbed in because they were freezing and had not brought warm clothing and rain gear.  The wind was steadily getting stronger. As the swim director and life guards huddled on the strand (AKA Beach).  We were supposed to hear the status of the swim at 5:30, that passed and about 5:45 we learned they were still thinking about it and would let us know by 6.  We were all standing outside in the wind and rain (something they need to plan for next year).

6:10 we got the word, no swim and a time trial start of the bike.  That would start around 7, another hour or more in the rain.  John Higgins, one of the few over 70, found that if you huddled close a generator you could warm up.  Never mind carbon monoxide poising.  Colm Kelly, who I thought would challenge me when we got to running, took a rain check

Pros got going closer to 8 than 7.  It quickly became apparent that the old geezers would leave transition very late, they started the fast youngsters first, I crossed the line just after 9. 

The IronMan

I am sure that we, the last few 100 starters, were all on the edge of hypothermia when we pushed across the start line and hopped on. Well perhaps not the Irish, who I assumed were all the men and women in bike shorts and short sleeve shirts.  Caution was certainly a buzz word that circulated all our brains as we headed up to the Old Main Cork Road that I had traveled on many times.  We then had a mile or so on smooth roads with the wind at our backs.  I pushed hard the first 30 min holding 190np watts to warm up. It was raining quite hard.  

There will be a lot of chatter, an appropriate word in this context, about the road surface for a large part of the course.  The local roads used were not smooth, but I saw worse in the Escape from Alcatraz last year and other US races.  The difference was there was more of the rough stuff and more importantly it was a technical course with many turns and a lot of them blind because of the hedgerows. It did not deter me much the first 10-15 miles, I was focused on staying as warm as possible and was taking a risk that it would catch up with me later, we all had no choice.   

I had a mental picture of Garryvoe Beach in the Sun at mile 24, good positive thinking but the rain was pelting down on us.  Shanagarry flashed by (mile 26)  The road was quite good along this stretch, average speed was still going up while I had dialed back the power to about 180.  

Shanagarry is home to two of my HS mates, Stephen and Simon Pierce.  Stephen took over his fathers’ pottery business turning into an international success.  Younger brother Simon took up glass blowing also gaining international recognition.  Stephens business is shown on the race course map.  Simon’s has a directional sign on the interstate in New Hampshire, indications of success I would think.  

Simon and Simon almost wrecked our mothers’ cars racing in a field near his home at 14, parents did not find out for many years.  

A sign just up the road directs you to an internationally famous Cooking School, boutique hotel and restaurant, started by the parents of other HS mates, I hope some of the athletes found this place, the food is the best.  

Stephen sorry for not stopping by, I was in a rush (and seem to be so all my time in Ireland).  

The ride so far was rolling and there were some short steep climbs but nothing that would challenge anyone. It stayed that way up to Midleton where we got some reprieve from the rough roads.  I wonder if anyone stopped into Jamesons for some "Uisce Beatha" whiskey to you uninformed.  The good roads continued up the northern end of the course at Leahy Open Farm. But the trend was constantly up, and speed dropped, the rain had not.  Power was now into a range I thought I could handle for the duration, 175.

The cold and rain was starting to become a familiar almost comfortable feeling, it did not take much of an increase in apparent wind speed to remind me that we were racing on the edge.  

The most challenging part of the bike course was just ahead about 40 miles in, fast downhills if you could handle the corners, and increasing long climbs with varying grades. I had ridden down this section once and driven twice, it was not enough to memorize things fully, braking was constant. Also, I had discovered almost the hard way early on how ineffective the brakes were in the wet coming within an inch of a collision, next bike will have disc brakes.  The brakes when applied were almost useless for what seemed like an eternity.  I assumed that the friction was warming them up and at eventually they became almost dry and functional.  FYI rain is almost a nonevent in Colorado if you are retired and can avoid the few rain days.  

A left in Mount Uniacke took us up the first steeper hill of significance and on to the narrowest roads, no room for two cars to pass and stay on the pavement.  Two days earlier I had had a wonderful conversation with the 3^rd generation owner of the Powers Pub.  Even short chats like that one is what made this so special, longer ones were even better.  

Hard right in Inch at the bottom of a hill and much pulling on the brakes hammered home the message be careful.  Some more climbs were ahead before the descent back into Youghal. Windmill hill loomed in the mind. Power was back up to 180 over this section but with a much higher variability.  

The worst of the hill is about 200m with I believe 23% grade, that happens just after a 90deg turn, no run at the hill. Then it gets just a bit easier for another 200 before seeming to level out.  I was determined to ride up the first time, a decision to do it twice depended on the feel of the first.  

My peak power on the hill was just under 500 watts for 2 sec and 400 for 5.  I have not climbed out of the saddle as hard as that since 2012 and that was only 19 watts more, the legs screamed.  The next mile was downhill.

I was not done with Windmill, as I came down the hill my left abductor started to tell me, too much. Minutes later it decided I had not got the message and went into a cramp the likes of which I have never experienced. I had to stop for a minute.  Then the right one decided to pile on and for the next 3-4 miles I wondered if this was the end of the race.  I was lucky I must have pushed them right to the edge but not over, I was slowly recovering.   Any ideas of a repeat of that stunt in a few hours vanished.  Power for the next 45 min and indeed the rest of the ride dropped a lot, too much.  The effort to get warm and Windmill had taken a toll.  

Loop two was much the same but slower, 30 min slower.  I had thought on the first loop that the amazing support we were getting from spectators would diminish.  No such thing, heavy rain was still coming in in heavy bands from the SE soaking them, and us.  I recognized many from the first loop.  One lady was still sitting in a low chair under a huge umbrella at her front gate protected from the wind by the stone wall on either side.  Some of the umbrellas looked like they had taken a beating. When the rain eased for a while I hoped that it meant that a reprieve was coming, no such luck.

I should have known better. On a ride at age 15 to the west of Ireland from Tramore a school mate and I stayed with an Uncle of his in Shanagarry.  We headed up the same roads as Sunday.  By noon time it was lightly raining getting heaver thru the afternoon, we pitched tent in a field early and huddled.  Next morning water was flowing thru the tent. We gave up and took the train home. Quitting was not an option the this time.

I rode a bit more confidently back down the hills on the way to Youghal and walked up Windmill.  Even that effort was hard.  

T2

Transitions where I am sure the slowest on record for everyone.  I lost my data for this but it was 15 min or more.  But that was good considering the complete change of clothes onto a damp sticky body. Now the big question, what had Windmill and the rest of the almost 6,000ft of climbing done to my running legs. 

A Running  Tours of Youghal - 4 times

As I left T2 good news, no sign of my competition when I looked over my shoulder exiting the tent. After a short planned walk the legs surprised me, they felt much better than expected.  The first K or so of the run east were exposed to the SE wind as we ran along the boardwalk, manageable.  I settled into my run routine, 1 min run 30 sec walk. On the first hill, three on each round trip, there were hints of muscle fatigue.  Troubling news but I had been there before and felt it was the adjustment to running after a hard ride, wishful thinking but staying positive was important.

The first time thru Youghal was reasonably fast, holding what I thought would be my pace for much of the run, a bit over 7min/K.  Passed the location where the Pequod was docked for loading in the 1956 film version of Moby Dick with a smile.  A National Irish Newspaper was a bit snarky when they said that the IM was going to be the biggest thing in Youghal since Moby Dick.  It certainly was one of the big things in the last 50+ years.

After the first turnaround I thought I spotted a race number I knew was one of my competitors.  Bad news, he must have had a much faster transition, he was no more than a mile back.  That added a spring to my step for a while.  It also had my brain churning over.  His bike was not on our rack and there had been no sign of him before the start. Could he have snuck in somewhere else, had he started with the earliest starters (I would have been almost an hour ahead if so).  

There was a great gang of Lads clearly fans of some Football or Irish Sports Club in the middle of the town screaming out their chant for their team.  Thanx guys, I was hoping you would be there for every loop, what a boost. I was not disappointed, you are awesome. 

A detour back into the changing tent after the first loop got me a new timing chip.  By very good luck I had looked at my ankle after seeing my competition and found the original missing.  It felt like an eternity but was only about 3 min (an eternity if anyone was close to me). I knew I had left it in T2.

The second time at the north end of the course I saw the same face ahead of me, that rattled me so more but there was nothing I could do except hope he could not keep the pace up.  My brain was now fatigued, and I did not think that he probably started earlier.  My job now was to run my race.  I did not see him again, but it led to me not knowing how I did until Monday just before the awards.  

My legs were starting to feel like they did in similar conditions in my first Marathon in Dublin in 2000 and my first IM in Lake Placid, they were seizing up with rust.  Starting running after a walk was getting more painful but after a few steps reached a level that was tolerable but mentally daunting. I tried a longer run, bad idea.  Words of “advice” from my Dad at 16 came back, “you don’t know anything about pain” (see side bar)

All the people of Youghal were still out on the streets or so it seemed on loop three (they were still there on the last).  Some sheltering in the doorway of their homes, pub or a shop, others under big umbrellas. I started to look forward to seeing familiar faces, but where was my sister, I wondered what had happened to her. 

Finally, my sister finds me on the last out and back.  She thought I had dropped out because I had lost my timing chip.  The first part of that last leg was very hard.  Then the voices of Mike and Joanne came drifting under the 14^thcentury clock tower, the big landmark in Youghal, adrenaline started its magic.  

The hard part like Kona is you pass the finish line at about mile 24 and run away from it.  It’s the same thing in Youghal, you also have to run down the boardwalk again into the wind and up one more hill that has grown in stature.  

I don’t think I was ever quite so happy finishing an IronMan.  At the same time I was never so happy to be done with it.  It had been ugly at times, going up Windmill, and immensely satisfying, cresting Windmill.  It was slow, I do like fast, and would have set a PW (Personal Worst) had there been a swim.  My goal was to finish fair weather or foul and Sunday foul settled in for the day.  I knew finishing could be the secret to winning. Sadly, for my friends and competitors, that was the case. The hug from my sister at the finish was awesome, the offer of a pint from a new friend Sean O’Leary in the hotel most appreciated, I had to decline for my heath, it would have killed me for sure.  I made up for that on Monday with my nephew..  

Two of my competitors dropped out  because of flats, Colm Kelly (Colm stood beside me on the podium in Kona in 2016) and John Higgins a tough looking man from the West (of Ireland).  I know that could have been me and would also have ended my race.  The secret to surviving was creating body heat, rather hard when changing a flat.  I’m not sure what happened to Trey Evans but of all of us Trey was training/living in the wrong place to be used to the conditions, Texas.  I look forward to racing with you Colm you in Kona when we age up in 2021

.

Awards

It was a small room for the awards lunch with the sun shining brightly outside on Monday.   was packed with group of very enthusiastic athletes.  It had a wonderful feel of the earlier days of racing.  Having Mike and Joanne in our face rather than miles away and on a jumbo screen added to an atmosphere of racing fans.  

I only found out that I was the only finisher in my AG as we walked in, the second oldest finisher.  That made for a reception when I got on the Podium that was new for me and amazing.  At 75 Gennaro Maagliulo was the oldest and he got a roar that must have woken up anyone sleeping in the hotel.

One last great meal in the Hotel that ejected me at age 7 (did not like the food) ended our stay in Youghal. I want to come back someday and I will because as Mike or Joanne said the weather can only be better and you will set a new PR for the course.  

Heading “Home”

Nephew Daniel and Great Niece's and Nephew

The quotes are because home is on both sides of the Atlantic.  A grand final night in Dublin rounded out an unforgettable 12 days.  Harry, my great nephew is in the proud possession of my Kona Medallion and an IM hat.  Penny (great Niece) and Felicity you have to work your charm and get your parents to come visit us again, this time with Youghal (sorry about that).   Bring your MumMum (my sister) with you.  FYI something else is no its way to you from the IronMan store.  

Ingrid and my three fellow travelers in Ireland from Lafayette (John and Chanc)
and Boulder.  You can just see Katie's arm is in a sling.  Crashed 20 min into
bike, pulled herself out o the Hedgerow and finished. Fractured Collar bone.

I wrote most of this report flying in luxury in Aer Lingus business class for the first time.  It was hard slumming it from NY in coach.  I have been a very lucky stiff most of my life. Amazing parents, wonderful sister (after I got thru picking on her as a child, she did give it back), extra special wife who makes all my madness possible and a great gaggle of friends in and out of the sport.  Getting a glimpse of the west coast of Ireland brought back memories of a flight 52 years ago, it is always hard.