In my first meeting with my coach, I told him that I wanted to do an Ironman in under 10 hours. To his credit, he didn't crush my dream right on the spot. He simply pointed out that my best Half-Iron finish at that time was barely under 5 hours and that my goal of under 10 hours in an Ironman was unlikely. He then told me that a realistic goal was 10 hours and 30 minutes. Not long after that meeting, I was on a run with my close friend and colleague, Jim Findley, and I mentioned that I really wanted to shoot for a 10 hour Ironman. In typical Jim Findley fashion he laughed outright and then said - "If you don't go under 10 hours will your entire season be a failure. How will you feel if you go 10:01?" As I have worked on writing this race report, one of the many overwhelming emotions that has swept over me has been the intense gratitude that I have felt for everyone who has supported me this season. My family, friends, coaches, colleagues and fellow competitors have kept me grounded and focused on what matters - the journey, not the finish line. I think, just maybe, that's why as I consider this season a huge success and a building block for even greater things. Like the biblical parable of choosing to build your house on a foundation of sand or stone - the choice matters.
This season was my first season competing for a team. I was dubious about joining a team and whether competing for a national team, loosely affiliated, would be of any benefit. My concerns were unfounded and baseless. A special "Thank You" to Snapple, especially Mindy Ko and Bart Forsyth. You welcomed me, inspired me and guided me all season. It has been great watching great competitors do great things. I bleed "Snapple" Blue. The choice matters.
Over the course of this season I have spent countless hours swimming, riding, running, planning, talking, traveling, and dreaming with Adam Frager. Who would have thought that a post on a Facebook group and the decision to meet for a Master's Swim practice would have resulted in a great friendship. The Hampton Roads Triathlon community is better because Adam is a part of it. He brings people together and that is a great quality. However, Ironman Louisville was all Adam's idea and I will never let him forget it. The choice matters.
My wife Kelly had the unenviable task of picking up all the things that fell through the cracks as I spent hours and hours training. I'm sure she never thought she would be waking up nearly every morning alone and having to make sure the kids were off to school and otherwise occupied while I was training. Likewise, I am sure she didn't plan to have every summer vacation revolve around racing. Not only did she have to put up with me, she had to put up with Adam too. She handled it all with grace, most of the time. I have never regretted that decision to post a flier on the wall at the Hampton Yacht Club looking for a crew slot. I love you and that choice matters.
I consumed several cases of Cliff Bars this season. Thankfully they are a sponsor of the Snapple Triathlon Club. Cliff powered me through an Ironman and then some. Thank you Xterra wetsuits for giving the edge with both my Vector Pro long sleeve suit and my speed suit. Xterra is also a sponsor of the Snapple Tri Club. Thank You Bike Beat of Newport News for keeping my bike in unbelievable condition. I don't think there's a better service manager than Rod Martin in all of Southeastern Virginia. Finally, Thank You Sugoi for picking me as a Brand Champion. I'm tough on gear and I don't tolerate poor quality. Sugoi gear is indestructible and it has never let me down. Nutrition, Maintenance, and Gear choices matter.
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth" - Mike Tyson
I walked into Louisville with a solid plan and a solid season of racing behind me. I planned on a 1 hr 10 minute swim (1:50/per 100m), biking between 170 and 180 watts (19.5 to 20.5 MPH), and running the Marathon at 7:30 to 7:50 pace. I allowed 10 minutes total for transition. Best case 10 hr 18 minutes and worst case 10 hr 40 minutes. All-in-all it was a solid plan.
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| Steve (L) and Adam (R) at the Practice Swim on Saturday Morning (Photo courtesy of Cheryl Frager) |
My training partner Adam had picked Louisville for our first Ironman because he knew it would not close out until just before race day and because he had a limited budget for the season. Kelly and I have a dear friend, Jen McFarland, who lives just North of Louisville with her three boys and we were able to convince her to let us stay with her. She was an incredibly gracious host. (Thank You Jen - You Rock!) I was also able to arrange for a hotel room downtown for the night before the race using my rewards points. We traveled out on Thursday prior to the race so that we could preview the race course, get registration taken care of and relax the day before the race. Thursday and Friday were athlete check-in and Saturday was reserved for the practice swim in the Ohio River. We managed to preview the bike course by car on Friday with Bob Baney who moderates the fantastic Ironman Louisville Facebook Page. (Thank you Bob! You went above and beyond.) Race day was Sunday, Monday as a recovery day, and Tuesday was a travel day.
Not without a little drama (I'll let Adam tell that story) Adam and I got our bikes turned in Saturday night. We checked into the Marriott and got to sleep around 9:30 pm. We were up at 4:00 to get dressed and start our nutrition. I made one change from my normal routine. I added a bottle of ensure to go with my peanut butter bagel. I put one packet of vanilla GU and one package of Sporty Beans in my jersey, grabbed a bottle of lemon-lime perform, and we headed out for transition. I had mixed four bottles of perform from dry powder - one for pre-race, two for my bottle cages, and one to fill my aero bottle on the front of my bike. I packed 5 Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cliff Bars cut in quarters into my binto box with two packages of loose sporty beans. I had a flask of 1st Endurance Electrolyte Fuel System (EFS) Kona Mocha Liquid Shot in a new flask holster right behind my binto box. I put the bottles on the bike, set-up my Bontrager Node bike computer, and pumped up my tires. Adam and I stopped to say hello to his parents and then started the walk to the swim start. It was great meeting Adam's dad and step-mom. We had a great brunch on Saturday morning and I am so glad that they could be there to cheer Adam on.
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| Steve (L) and Adam (R) all kitted up on Race morning at T1 (Photo courtesy of Cheryl Frager) |
There were a lot of people. Take 2600 athletes, plus their families, all the support volunteers, race officials and news crews and you get a crowd. We finally made it to the swim start area and walked into total chaos. The dry clothes bag drop was right up front, body marking, the docks, the swim start arch, and a milling mass of bodies. You would think that World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) after 7 years of running IM Louisville would have figured out how many port-a-potties it takes to service the athletes and their supporters. Somehow, they missed the mark. The line to go to the Bathroom was long. The line that was for the swim start went over the horizon. After 30 minutes of walking we finally found the end and took our place in line. A highlight of walking the entire swim start line was that we got to see all our Snapple teammates - Holly Ann Geldhauser, Erik Reitinger, and Chad Wolf all said hello as we worked our way to the back of the line.
We heard a muffled cannon shot at 6:45 and knew the pros had started. Like clock-work the next shot came at 7:00 and then about 15 minutes later the line started to move. I hurriedly ripped open my GU and shot it down and then started eating my sporty beans, chasing them both with a healthy sip of Perform. There would be no cramping after this swim, I was going to make sure. The line picked up pace and pretty soon Adam and I were trotting down the dock to the water. We went across the timing mat and then into the water.
The channel behind tow-path Island was narrow and we were in a crowd. I had hoped to hop on Adam's feet and catch a draft up-stream. It was too congested, soon we were separated and all I could do was find another set of feet to work behind. It was hard to get a rhythm and I kept running up the backs of other slower swimmers. Eventually I fought through the worst of the crowd and I found some open room to work my stroke. I focused on form, staying long, working distance per stroke and trying to roll my body. It seemed to take forever to reach the turn, but then there it was. I hopped on a pair of feet and began working with a group. We were swimming downstream now and I was feeling pretty good in the water. I worked from one group to the next leap-frogging my way down-stream. Steadily picking up speed as I went. I knew it was a fast swim, I just couldn't tell how fast. Under the second bridge and then straight to Joe's Crab Shack. The next thing I knew I was at the ladder. I looked at my watch and I could hardly believe my eyes. Swim: 1:05:47 75/404, 426/2600
This massive transition was new to me. A volunteer handed me my bag and there were people all over the place outside the tent getting their gear on. I ran into the tent, grabbed a chair, dumped my bag, threw my cap, goggles and speed suit in. Helmet, shoes on, sunscreen - and then I was out - handing my bag off to a volunteer. There was a moment of panic thinking I had forgotten my sun-glasses, but there they were stuffed in my helmet. As I was exiting T1 a guy in a pink helmet came by chanting - "Snapple, Snapple, Snapple, ...". Erik Reitinger, you made me laugh, and that was a great pick-me-up heading out to the Bike course. T1: 7:18
I felt fresh and my race wheels were humming to me. The bike felt fast and I was holding better than 22 MPH at 170 Watts. Best of all as I was heading out of T1 I got to see Kelly and the kids for the first time. There they were yelling and cheering like maniacs. It was an awesome feeling. The road was packed with bikers. I had been at the back of the swim starting line and now I was paying the price. I had swam up into the crowd and now I had to bike through them to get free to work my plan. At mile 7 I was forced left by one of para-triathletes in his hand crank bike and hit a huge pot-hole launching both of my spare bottles. All I could think was that I needed at least one of those bottles, so I stopped and collected them from where they had fallen. I lost 5 minutes and somehow hit the stop button on my Garmin. I didn't notice my Garmin wasn't tracking for quite a while but I had my Bontrager Node and used it keep my power between 170 and 180 Watts. I spun up the climbs and kept the level even down the back side. I had no idea where Adam was, but I thought I might have a shot at catching him over the rolling terrain. There was a horrible wreck on the decent at mile 20. A slower biker had drifted left on the decent and been hit by another cyclist at high speed (over 40 MPH). When I passed by, one of the two bikers was laying in the middle of the road with the EMTs trying desperately to shield him from the other cyclists flying down hill. I hit my highest speed of the day on that decent at 43 MPH. The combination of speed and traffic was terrifying. I finally realized my Garmin wasn't tracking and I restarted it. The first loop was a blur of passing other cyclists, managing my nutrition (every 15 minutes), and making sure that I used the water at the aid stations to stay cool. The crowds in La Grange were awesome, but the vehicle traffic they were letting onto the course was ridiculous. I was staying within my power band and working the hills to my advantage. The decent out of La Grange was blazing fast and the traffic was starting to thin out. Then it was back into traffic for the second loop. The heat of the day had arrived and it was blazing hot on the road. At mile 80 I spied an orange and blue jersey cresting the hill in front and I thought it might be Adam. I started pushing the downhills and sure enough I caught him 30 minutes later. I rode by him coming through the aid station on HWY 42 and we had a bit of a game of tag for the next 20 miles. It was really cool to have my training partner there with me at the end of the ride. It felt like we were back home riding the rolling hills of New Kent County. In the last 5 miles Adam pulled away as I started spinning in prep for the run. I averaged 170 watts over 112 miles, with a normalized power of 183 watts and a maximum 20 minute average of 176 watts. My average speed was 20.1 MPH. I had hit my numbers on the bike and I beat Adam by 3 seconds. Bike: 5:34:21 53/404, 267/2600
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| Steve coming in to T2 |
The turn in to T2 was up over a small curb. I bunny hopped the curb and then got my feet out of my shoes for a nice flying dismount. I heard Kelly and the kids yelling, but I couldn't see them. I tried to jog the bike into transition and my legs felt more tired than I expected. Kelly was able to snap the great picture shown above as I came down the chute to the dismount line. I grabbed my bag, ran in to the tent and sat down right next to Adam. I made my fist tactical error of the day in T2. I had two Enduralyte tablets, a flask of EFS drink, and a flask of EFS liquid shot in my T2 bag. Popped the two tablets, took a shot of the EFS drink and dropped that flask back into my bag, and grabbed the flask of EFS Liquid Shot for the course. I really wish I had held onto that flask of EFS drink for the run. T2: 7:12
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| Steve heading out of T2 onto the run course |
My coach had preached all season long that the first ten miles of the run should feel easy. Coming out of T2 my run felt anything but easy and I knew I wasn't on pace. My legs didn't feel bad, just sluggish, and that was a new feeling for me. I'm a runner and the run is where I typically make or break my race. On this day I didn't have that spring in my step. With my coaches words whispering in the back of my mind I came through Mile 1 at 8:18. Mile 2 was 8:07 and I changed my plan to 8:00 to 8:15 for the first 10 miles with the goal of accelerating after mile 10. I was taking small hits off my EFS Liquid Shot flask every two miles and dumping water and ice over my head at every aid station to stay cool. The weather forecast showed temps in the low 90s with 40% humidity, but it felt hotter in the sun on the asphalt. At Mile 6 I passed a woman wearing an 2013 Ironman Texas jersey. All I could think to say to her was - "What were you thinking?". It was a great light-hearted moment and we shared a laugh for a moment or two. In one of those strange coincidences that happen at events like this one she and I met again at breakfast Monday morning when she just happened to sit down at the table Adam and I had staked out.
The turn-around at the top of the course was around Mile 8. The 1st place female pro came by me at the turn-around and I tried to hold her pace, but I just didn't have it in me. My pace had dropped to 8:30 and I knew something was off, but I just couldn't figure out what my body needed. I felt salty, but my body was craving water. Every time I took water my stomach would cramp a little and I was starting to hate the taste of the Kona Mocha EFS. I changed my plan again. Now I was telling myself that I would hold 8:30 pace until Mile 20 and race the last 10K. I tucked the Liquid shot flask in my Jersey and worked my way down the back side of the first loop.
The Ironman Louisville course brings you right down to the finish line before it splits to start the second loop. That was agonizing. I almost made a huge error at the turn-around and waved off my special needs bag, but someone must have been watching over me because when I passed by the pick-up point the young lady had my bag out and she handed me both of the flasks I had in the bag. I had one flask of EFS Drink and one flask of EFS Liquid Shot. I hit the flask of drink and the combination of the crowd and the electrolyte got me back down to 8:15 pace for the next two miles. In my second error of the day I tossed the EFS drink flask at Mile 15 but held on to the flask of liquid shot. All I can say, is that I clearly didn't understand what my body was trying to tell me.
At Mile 16 I took the punch in the mouth. It wasn't a physical punch, my body didn't stop working, I wasn't injured, but I experienced the most crushing despair that I think I have ever felt. In the time it took me to cover two strides, basically a couple of heart-beats, I went from being basically okay to questioning everything. My mind was babbling and I had lost all control over my emotions. Deep in that pit of despair I thought about a special group of people that I work with. Their motto is "Don't Quit". That was my life-line. Ross, Chris, Troy, Mo, Dave, Matt - all the other guys still doing bad things to bad people - Thank You. You were my example and I made the decision to not quit. That decision made the whole race. The choice matters.
The rest is a blur. I took some chicken broth at mile 22 and the light-bulb finally came on - I needed electrolyte. My pace picked up and I ran in with another 44 year-old guy in a safari style cap. When I first passed him he was walking, but then I walked an aid station and then we were running together. At one point he turned to me and said - "There are a lot of people that won't finish today. But not you and me, we made the right decisions." He couldn't have been more right. In the end, the choices, all of them, mattered.
Run: 3:53:53
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| Steve at the finish |
"If it was easy, it wouldn't be worth doing" - Rachel Jastrebsky
The smile on my face in my finish picture says it all. The journey from the pit of despair to the finish line wasn't easy, the race wasn't easy. It was one tough day. That made finishing my first Ironman all that much sweeter. Congrats to Adam Frager for finishing his first Ironman, to Rachel Jastrebsky for her Pro Ironman debut (awesome job), and to Brian Jastrebsky and Shane Danaher for gutting out really tough runs. The Hampton Roads triathlon community is awesome and I am so proud to call you all friends.
Finish: 10:48:31 33/404, 186/2600
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| Two happy kids with one really happy guy (Photo courtesy of Jen McFarland) |
