IM World Championship Race Report 2013

First, most important, all my friends and family for the well wishes before the race and congratulations after.  I was thinking of you in the swim and other times in the race.  There’s no question that support like that helps a bunch especially when thoughts of "this is too much I want to walk" raise their ugly face on the run.   I also need to thank a special segment of those friends, who have coached, sponsored, massaged, needled, and helped me keep my head screwed on for such great help.  What makes this sport so much fun is the way we all help each other including our fiercest rivals (on race day).

So in my mind I have now raced in the worst conditions and best in Kona.  Conditions for all three events were as good I think as they could get out here.  Treading water at the start line I could see the turnaround boats, a first.   That was a bit of a surprise as it had been blowing quite hard when we went to bed Friday night.  But visibility on this course is more determined by what's happening way off shore.  If you kept on swimming past the turn buoy (south) you might get lucky and hit a small island in the South Pacific. More likely it would eventually get very cold and you would be swimming in the icebergs off Antarctica.  It’s also a long way to Asia to the west.  So any big storm within probably 1000 miles can make for big swells along this shoreline.  With the wind dropping over night and no storms the bay was a billiard table.

It was a hectic start.  With 2200 athletes, so I had heard, the biggest yet, there were lots of arms and legs in my face.  I am more aggressive with my start position here than any other race as I have found that most of us swim a straight line, something to do with the talent level I guess. I could see the turn boat and it lined up perfectly with the hill 6 miles south.  No excuse for not staying on course this year. 

I felt I flew down the first leg with a great sucking sound.  Rounding the two boats that made up the 200-meter separation between the outbound and inbound legs was as rough as it could get without serious damage.  As I headed back to Kona thoughts of my constant cramping problems crept into my brain even thought I did not want to think negative.  It worked for quite a while and then my right leg cramped.  At first I thought I would have to abandon the great draft I was still getting but the intensity of the cramp was not as bad as some in the past and I was able to shake it out.  This raised my spirits and while I did have a few more cramps, both legs they were all less than in the firs and quickly released.  

I can't tell you exactly why this happened; I did a totally uncontrolled experiment before the race throwing everything at the problem I could think of.  Lots of great massages from my new go to dynamite therapist in Louisville, Jeremy at Sea Grape Day Spa, Kona massage therapist Juliet (Body by Juliet), my good friend and Acupuncture Guru Whit Reaves, ART specialist Daniel and a new drug "The Right Stuff", and a few minutes before I got in the water a thick layer of Lasting Touch (an Analgesic Gel).   I think it all helped and my swim tied my best performance of the past 4 races and 4 min faster than last year.

In 2001, my first race here we glided out the first 25 or so miles to the top of the long hill overlooking the big resorts on the North Kona coast.  Then we got slammed with 55mph cross winds.  This year the gentle southerly breeze kept on pushing and my average speed was approaching 22 mph when we passed Waikoloa and it kept on pushing all the way to the end of the Queen K.  If I had trusted the NOAA wind forecast I would not have been surprised but they are not always right.  Today it was spot on and it continued to be so the rest of the bike rides. 

Those of you who have raced here you probably can’t imagine going up the last long climb to Hawi at times in excess of 20mph.  I was yesterday.  Until the last 2 miles the wind was pushing not stopping us. 

I do have to make one observation.  The draft packs coming back down this hill were insane.  I saw at least 4 with 10-20 riders almost all on each other’s wheels.  Under normal circumstances this would have been impossible as the crosswind gusts would have cause massive multi bike train wrecks but the wind was off the water, not gusty but strong.  Perfect conditions to help a pack of riders

So after about 2 miles of fast downhill downwind riding it was into a headwind.  It was not bad at first as it was not directly on the nose and the trip to Kawaihae saw a small increase in my speed.  It even helped the assent out of Kawaihae.  The hill is a bit under a mile and the wind always seems to be going up the hill.  It’s an oven.  On the Queen K the nice gentle southerly breeze had got much stronger.  I met one first timer after the race that thought that it was a hard windy race.  Not true, but it was mentally tough to face the breeze the last 33 miles and see the average speed drop steadily.

I kept telling myself that this was a good ride but one piece of data was disappointing.  I had nailed my power goals up to this point and was looking at Norm Power of 174 on my display.  My recent FT test suggested that I would be able to raise the Norm Power over the last 30 miles; it quickly became obvious that attempting that would be a bad idea. 

I was still doing OK with the power passing Waikoloa and shouting out to Whit and Mary.  But slowing the NP was dropping.  I did make one discovery that helped.  The shoulder is very wide on this part of the road everyone was riding on the road itself.  It occurred to me that getting closer to the embankment might lower the heading wind.  I crossed over the rumble strips and I was right.  It may not have been much but when the embankment was about as high as I was on the bike there was a noticeable drop in headwind. 

One longer hill to climb, probably about a mile with a 2.4% grade into the wind.  It passed quickly, I was thinking of getting home. 

I was also thinking that this could be my last race out here, who knows how much longer I can do this.  Also that a years work was coming to an end.  It felt a bit sad.  I was also thinking of the run that was a bit depressing.  I was breaking the rules and thinking way to far ahead. 

Rounding the corner and looking at the airport I saw a gathering haze and negative thoughts vanished.  More accurate forecasting by NOAA, perhaps I should put more trust in them.  We had cloud cover on the way.  Speed picked up.

Passing the Energy Lab road my focus shifted to the Pro race for a bit.  I saw the male leader but did not recognize.  I heard someone comment about the beauty of Rinni’s running form so I figured she must be in the lead.  That made me feel good.  I have got to know her in Boulder, great athlete, and great person.  By the time I got off the Queen K an rode the last 2 miles I realized that it was going to be a day for a very fast run.  If there was something left in my legs. 

That did not seem to be the case as I shuffled bare foot all the way around the bikes in Transition.  The pier does not allow for a straight thru passage so they make everyone go around the perimeter to make things fair.  It’s daunting. 

I got thru transition quite quickly considering I stopped for my first pee.  That was weird.  When I came out of the water my bladder felt like it would burst.  I ignored that figuring I would pee soon on the bike.  That never happened. I tried a couple of times near the end of the bike but no result and not big urge.  But as soon as I started my shuffle around the pier I knew a pee in T2 was essential.  I only peed once more on the run.  That was a huge change from last year when it seemed I was walking to pee every 4 miles. 

Coming up the short steep hill, seems steep, out of T2 was oh so slow but I got moving as the road leveled.  The run on Kuakini is ever so slightly uphill.  I ran that section several times in training at a 5:30 pace, it was over 6 yesterday, not great but I was not concerned.  I could not help thinking that were it not for the cloud cover this would be a death march. 

Down Hualalai to Alii was a breeze and the running legs started to feel a bit more normal as I passed Lava Java.  Going up the first hill on Alii I started looking for Ingrid, there was my long-suffering wife with a bit smile, a few seconds lost for an important kiss.  I was in 4^th place but not for long. 

The first 9 miles went well but I was not going quite fast enough even though it felt fast.  I found my angel at about mile 3, Rocky Campbell.   Rocky loaned me his bike in 2009, when mine failed, and which lead to a race I will never forget.  Other friends on Alii included my old head Coach (Long Island Tri Coach) Jose Lopez, friend Ted Tierney and later on newish friend Cory Foulk (AKA Elvis).  

I wimped out again at running up Palani but I made good use of the time to refill my water bottles with Scratch power that I was carrying in very small zip lock bags (purchased at Hobby Lobby in the jewelry section).  Then I added water at the aide station on the hill.  I think this was the right decision but made my now 5^th position very tenuous. 

The Queen K.  Normally this is a very hard part of the run course.  Just past the 10-mile mark it starts nice with a long downhill, which you have to climb up at mile 24, and up and down to the Harbor turn off, about 2 miles.   Then it’s a rolling climb to the top of the Energy Lab road at mile 16.  It seems to take forever.  I try to segment it by the turnoffs, Harbor, traffic light before the Costco turnoff, Costco turnoff and the final long normally no big deal climb to the Energy Lab.  Thoughts of the Marathon Wall come a bit early in an IM Marathon. 

Then it’s a nice descent, buggered by the idea that you have to come back.  Normally the growing temperature of the air less Energy Lab also buggers this nice descent.  However, with the sea breeze that hurt us coming home on the bike still blowing (a bit easier) it was cool and the sun was still behind the haze.  I had seen no sign of my friend William Wren and I found out why later and the other three leaders.  I was not looking out for them soon enough.  He was so far ahead that several friends had missed him and thought I was still in the podium group.  I did see two of my closer competition that passed me on the down in the Energy Lab. 

With temps dropping and amazing cool breezes coming down from Mona Loa I certainly gained strength the last 7 miles.  I was not faster than earlier but I was not slowing as much as normal.  This for sure should be a record day for the Pro’s and indeed it was.

I met Rinni Carfare when she first came to Boulder 7 years ago.  She was already doing well in 70.3 events I asked when/if she was going to do an IM distance.  Then answer was when she and her coach (Sheri Linley) thought she was ready, the best kind of thinking.  Today’s results certainly prove that they work together perfectly.  Even with great conditions a 2:50 marathon!  She outran the male winner and all but three of the men.  Perhaps you should do some Marathons Rinni. 

As for me I finished strong but my run was not as good as I had hoped for. I missed Ingrid in the glare of the the lights at in the finish shute but did Hi Five Whit who was under the Banyon Tree.   I thought a sub 4:30 marathon was possible.  Nighttime thinking has me planning better strength training (I don’t practice what I preach).  I felt I worked as hard as I could on the run but I knew that not all the stability muscles were working or working like they should and that is what slowed me down.

Harriet Anderson finished at 79 just under the cut off.  When you look at here you know she works on strength training.  She would make Jack LaLane smile.  I need to look like that at her age if I am to keep this sport up. 

As always I was not thinking positively about a return next year right after the race.  I am signed up for the Boulder IM and my only strong competition qualified in Tahoe three weeks ago (he is crazy, said so to him, Rob Ladewig) right after he finished, he agreed.  When he finishes this season he will have done 4 IM’s this year.  So my chances of qualifying are very good.  As my mind raced some more in the bed I concluded I wanted to come back for another go.  William Wren crushed everyone so badly perhaps it will scare off some of the good competition for next year.  More importantly I was thinking how I could get better.  That is always the lure for another go. 

Ingrid did think I would podium and was disappointed.  It’s great to have such a great fan.  I finished my 10^th in Kona and now have 4 top 10 AG finishes including a 2^nd and 3^rd.  There is certainly no room for any regerts.  Can’t wait to age up and leave the six 65 year olds that beat me this year in this AG, dam kids spoiled my fun.

Simon Butterworth