Deeds Not Words

Opera Non Versi  - Deeds Not words - the motto of an organization I have supported for over a decade.  In the end, all that can be measured is the outcome.  The pretty words, the intent, the effort - all of that - falls to the wayside.  When it matters, when the chips fall, where do you stand?  I've said for the last four years that I wanted a ticket to the Ironman Championship.  I had my best shot at it at Ironman Chattanooga and I let it fall to the wayside.  What do you really want?  How badly do you want it?

The beauty of an Ironman is that it strips away all the bullshit.  It gives you a glimpse into your soul if you are willing to look.  As one of the local athletes noted on my Facebook timeline - "Each race, each IM brings new lessons and experiences (some expected and some not) but either way embrace 'em all!"  That's not always comfortable, but change isn't comfortable, and you can't grow if you can't change.  In Chattanooga I found my limits, physical and mental.  I learned some uncomfortable truths.  Now the choice is mine.  I can attack those limits and address those uncomfortable truths or I can hide behind excuses.  In the end, the words don't matter - Deeds not Words.  What do you really want? How badly do you want it?

Pre-Race

The build into Ironman Chattanooga was fantastic.  After Rev3 Poconos I felt that I'd waited a bit too long to start the build and I had been worried that I hadn't hit enough long workouts, but the numbers were all lining up.  At race power I was holding between 20.5 MPH and 21 MPH, and on all of my long bricks I was running under 7:50 pace.  I had weathered a banner season - 4th in the AG at Ironman Raleigh 70.3, 2nd AG at Rev3 Half W'burg, and 1st AG at Rev3 Half Pocono Mountains.  I had my highest USAT Ranking ever coming in to Ironman Choo.  I was healthy and I felt great.

My wife, Kelly, picked me up from work the Wednesday night before race weekend and we started our trek from coastal Virginia to Chattanooga.  We stopped halfway, in Roanoake, and then continued on Thursday.  It was a family trip, so we stopped at Lost Sea Caverns and Mayfield's Dairy on the way into Chattanooga.  I am a Marriott Rewards member and I had a room booked at the Residence Inn at Hamilton Place, just outside of Chattanooga.  I love Marriott because they take such good care of their rewards members.  At check-in they upgraded me to a two room suite without me having to ask.  Great job Marriott - you have a loyal customer for life.

The next day we headed down to the athlete village for check-in.  I signed in, picked up my packet, and we grabbed a bunch of goodies at the expo.  Little Debbi was handing out free water bottles and each of us grabbed one.  Small things matter and, this time, those extra bottles made a big difference.  Kelly and I dropped the kids back at the hotel and we headed off so that I could get a short ride on part of the course.   Kelly dropped me at the corner of Hwy 136 and 193.  I rode for 45 minutes.  Kelly leap-frogged me, I put the bike back in the truck, and we drove the rest of the course.  We had a great lunch at Pigeon Mountain Country Store and then headed for the hotel to chill out until dinner.

Peter, Jason, Steve, Adam

On Saturday Kelly drove the Snapple Hampton-Roads team down to the river to meet the Fat Frogs team for a group swim.  My Coach, Adam Ostot, met us at the river and Adam, Jason Bridges, Peter Lubrano, and I went for a run on part of the IM Choo run course.  After the run, we jumped in at a place that had been previously scouted by the Fat Frogs - it was the landing used for the IM 70.3 course.  We pulled on our Xterra Speedsuits and swam down stream for about 10 minutes.  The water was super warm, but it was a short swim, and none of us gave it a second thought.  We took some pictures and then went off check our bikes in to transition.

Bike check-in went without incident.  I let plenty of air out of my tires and dropped my bike and run gear bags.  We headed over to the Chattanooga Aquarium to meet my parents and the kids.  The whole group grabbed a big lunch at a pasta place on a bluff overlooking the IM Choo swim course.  We talked about my race plan, the heat (it was heating up), and when and where my parents might get to see me along the bike and run courses.  After lunch my parents took the kids back to the Aquarium and Kelly and I headed back for the last athlete briefing.  It was hot.  Fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk hot!  We stopped for a Rita's ice just to keep cool during the 30 minute brief and alarms were going off in my head.  Had I packed enough salt tabs in my bags?  Did I have enough drink mix for my bottles?  How would I adjust my pace?

The Fat Frogs and Snapple Hampton-Roads

After the athlete briefing, Kelly and I headed back to the hotel.  My parents dropped the kids off shortly after we got there.  We had pre-prepared a pork tenderloin, ratatouille, and quinoa for dinner.  I mixed 5 drink bottles, 4 bottles went into the freezer and I kept one drink bottle to fill my aero-bottle.  My training partner, Jason Bridges, had arranged a driver for himself, Peter Lubrano, John Oliver and me the next morning. I was in bed by 8:30. 




The Race

I usually don't sleep well before a race, but this time I slept right up to my alarm at 0430.  I pulled on my Louis-Garneau Snapple National Team tri kit.  I grabbed a bonk breaker bar and a cup of coffee for breakfast.  Two of the bottles I had frozen and the 1 unfrozen bottle went into my dry clothes bag.  I used that bag to carry them to my bike.  The other 2 frozen bottles went into my bike special needs bag.  That would be important later.    At 0500 I walked out of the lobby of my hotel and climbed into the waiting car.

Peter Lubrano, Jason Bridges, John Oliver and were all packed into the minivan.  It was a short 15 minute trip to downtown that early in the morning.  We were in transition at 0520 and I had my tires pumped, nutrition and bottles loaded, and special needs bag dropped by 0530.  I headed to the meet-up location and found John Oliver had beaten me there.  Jason and Peter met us not long after that. Jason had discovered that he had left his speedsuit at the hotel.  After a couple of phone calls he worked out a plan to have it delivered and we climbed into a bus to head to the swim start.

Hank Stieh, Steve Smith, Andrea McHugh, Jason Bridges, and John Oliver

IM Choo has a rolling swim start.  The bus drops you off, you walk to the end of the swim line, drop your dry clothes bag, and then head to the porta-potty lines.  If you time it right, you make it through the porta-potty lines just in time to make it back to your spot before the race starts.  By the time I made it back to the line Jason had his speedsuit and we were all ready to go.

We heard the cannon for the Pro start and then the gun for the amateur start.  The line started moving, gently at first, and then with more urgency.  It took us about 15 minutes to get to the swim entry, drop off our dry clothes bags, and then run down to the dock and into the water.  Jason jumped in and then it was my turn.  I swam hard for a couple of pulls and was on his feet.  We were moving past the slower swimmers and he zigged left and I zagged right to go around a slower group.  I lost him behind another swimmer and then he was gone.  I wouldn't see him until nearly 9 hours later.

Photo Credit:  Dan Henry, ChattanogaTimes Free Press

I stayed right, to the right of nearly all the other swimmers.  Pre-race guidance was to go deep, into the current.  I was all alone and I focused on staying long, high elbow catch, and keeping my breathing even - siting every 9 or 12 strokes.   At one point I looked up and I saw a kayak-er pointing to my left and I saw a line of police boats on the right side.  I didn't know it then, but I was nearly at the tip of Audubon Island and had I gone any further right, I would have ended up on the wrong side of the Island.  I was about 30 feet off the Island along the right side of the channel, swimming a straight line course on a curved river.   The water was warm, 83 degrees, and by the time I hit the swim exit I was hot.  The swim exit was congested and I lost some time clearing my way to the ladder.  Finally I pushed through and climbed up the steps.  I looked at my watch and I had hit my numbers.  I needed a swim between 55 minutes and 1 hour to be competitive for the age group - I swam a 57:07. 

Swim:  57:07 (15 AG/107 G/135 OA)

I felt good. I pulled off my swim cap, goggles and speedsuit as I jogged up the ramp into the chute leading into transition.  A volunteer handed me my bike bag and I headed into the changing tent.  I slid my sunglasses on, put a tic-tac container of salt tabs in my jersey pocket, squeezed some chamois butter into my shorts, and pulled on my aero-helmet and bike shoes.  My speedsuit, goggles, and swim cap were stuffed in the bag and handed to a volunteer on my way out of the tent.


T1:  5:38

I overran my bike slot and turned back to find that a volunteer had pulled it off the rack and was waiting for me to come get it.  I grabbed the seat and ran the bike out of transition.  My kit was still wet from the swim and the wind I was generating moving forward felt cool on my skin.  I settled in the aerobars right at my target race power (180 watts). I was spinning at 95 to 100 rpm and making good speed.  My aero-bottle was full and I had two 24 oz bottles that I had frozen the night before in my bottle cages.  I had six bars in my binto box cut into quarters.  I was eating a quarter bar and drinking every 15 minutes, and drinking to thirst.  I emptied my aero-bottle right at 50 minutes, right on schedule and it wasn't long before I was at the bottom of the course and making the turn onto Hog Jowl Road.

The historical weather data for Chattanooga on Sunday, 25 September 2016 shows that the temperature was 88 degrees with 85 percent humidity by 10:30 a.m.  The high temperature for the day was recorded as 97 degrees.  The temperature broke an 85 year old high temperature record for the month of September.  Ironman competitors have posted Garmin Bike Computer data showing temperatures exceeding 100 degrees on the bike course.  No doubt those higher temperatures were due to solar acceleration, but there was no shade on the course, so that was the temperature of anything exposed and in the sun.  The data is clear - it was hotter than the crack of a well digger's ass on the 4th of July.  It was hot by 10:00 a.m. and it stayed hot until sun-down.

Jason Bridges and I had trained in hot conditions in Southeastern Virginia all summer.  So had our coach, Adam Otstot, one of the professional triathletes racing with us in Chattanooga.  This heat was something different, something more malign, almost wicked.  After the left turn onto Hog Jowl a hot headwind, blowing down the hollow, was ever present.  It evaporated the sweat without providing cooling.  I was using every trick I knew - dumping cold water over my body at the aid stations, and sipping cold water as I passed through the aid stations.  By the time I reached the bike special needs stop I had finished the three bottles that I had started out with on the bike, plus one full bottle grabbed at an aid station.  I was taking 2 salt tablets every hour and alternating bottles of water with bottles of electrolyte replenishment.  I was surviving, but I wasn't attacking the course.  I couldn't attack the course.

I knew my race was in trouble.  On the first loop I had averaged 185 watts and nearly 21 MPH.  One of the things that my coach has always preached was to be smart on the course, to make adjustments based on conditions, and to be resilient.  As many professional athletes have proven, you can't win an Ironman on the bike, but you sure can lose one.  Chasing a bike split is a sure way ruin a race.  I backed off my power so that I could run when I got off the bike.

The two frozen bottles from my special needs bag lasted for less than an hour.  I was going through fluids at a prodigous rate, but I was still overheating.   I had to do something to reset.  At the aid station at Mile 75, I grabbed two bottles of cold water and pulled over to the side of the road at the end of the bottle hand-off.  I unclipped from my pedals and spent the next 5 minutes drinking cold water and pouring cold water over my head and body.  I filled my aero-bottle and put cold bottles in both rear cages.  Refreshed, I headed back out onto the course.  I held to my lower power target all the way back up the course and into transition, slipping my feet out of my shoes just before the dismount line.

Bike:  5:42:13 (30 AG/ 144 G/ 151 OA)
Cumulative Time:  6:44:56 (21 AG/ 128 G/ 136 OA)

In the end it was my strongest IM bike ever.  I averaged 175 watts and 20.35 MPH for 116 miles.  A blessing and a curse.  I was still in the A/G race.  If I could run under 4 hours I had a shot at a Kona slot.  As I handed my bike to the bike catcher and entered transition I was coated in sweat.  I had consumed more than nine 24-oz bottles of fluids and peed once.   A volunteer handed me my gear bag.  I made my way into the tent and swapped my bike shoes for running shoes, my helmet for a visor, and added my race number belt.  I had a nutrition belt and a hand held bottle.  I ran out of the tent and as I exited I finally needed to pee again.  I gladly stopped as this was a sign my body was still functioning somewhat normally.

T2:  5:31

My legs were fatigued.  I ran out of transition into the full strength of the afternoon sun and I tried to keep my cadence light and my effort constant.  I knew I needed to adjust my expectations and my pacing.  My race plan had called for me to run 7:50 pace through mile 13 and then press on my second lap.  That was on the backside of impossible.  I reset my target to 8:30 pace and planned to walk the aid stations.  That would put me at or around a 9:00 to 9:30 pace and at 3:55 to 4:08 for the marathon.  This is where desire comes in to play.  What do you really want?  How badly do you want it?

I have always prided myself on my mental toughness and my ability to make decisions under duress.  I have always believed that to be a defining strength.  We all have limits and breaking points and I found mine on the run in Chattanooga.  I made it through the hills on the back side of the course and I was still running.  I slowed from 9:00 to 10:00 miles over the hills, but I recovered as I came over the bridge and back to the start of the second loop.  As I came across the foot-bridge before the turn I heard my family call out my name.  My wife yelled that Jason was just ahead of me and he was hurting.  She told me to go catch him.

Just after mile 13, just before the first aid station I saw a gator pulled along side the curb.  As I came closer I realized that there was a pair of shoes hanging out of the back of the gator.  With increasing discomfort I realized that I knew those shoes, they were my training partners.  Jason was unconscious in the back of the gator.  I grabbed his foot, shook it, and called his name.   There was no response.  I stood there shell-shocked as the gator pulled away leaving me standing on the curb.  I had absolutely no idea what to do.  Should I abandon the race and find a way to get to Kristi, Jason's wife?  Should I run back the mile to the finish to make sure he was ok?

It felt like I stood there for minutes.  I had just abandoned my close friend and training partner - a guy I have spent countless hours sharing intimate details, hopes and dreams, hours of long rides and runs.  The right decision would have been to get in that gator.  To make sure that I was with him when they got him to the med tent.  The right answer was for me to find Kristi and make sure that she and the kids were OK and tell them what I knew.  My inability to make a decision under pressure cost me the opportunity to do the right thing.  I'm not comfortable with that.  I find it completely unacceptable, but there are no do-overs in life or in an Ironman.

I could and should tell you that that moment was then end of my race, but it wasn't.  I hadn't peed in 2.5 hours and I hurt in places I'd never hurt before.  I had hit my mental and physical breaking point.  I knew I could finish, even if I walked the rest of the way.  I ran some and I walked some for the next 6 miles.  Just before mile 20 I heard someone behind me yell - "Hey Snapple."  It was Brandon Blalock, one of the Fat Frogs team members from back home.  I'd met him at a practice swim the day before the race.  He re-introduced himself and asked me to run with him.  So I did.  We ran between aid stations until mile 24, where I decided that I could press to the finish.  The sun was going down, the temperature had finally dropped below 90, and it was downhill to the finish.

Run:  5:01:40 (50 AG/ 245 G/ 336 OA)

Final Time:  11:52:07 (32 AG/ 151 G/ 183 OA)

The Chattanooga paper reported that 611 athletes had to be treated for heat related illness during the race.  At the Ironman Executive Challenge breakfast the morning after the race the following breakdown was briefed: Approximately 100 athletes abandoned on the bike course (unheard of in any other race), 200 athletes chose not to continue after reaching T2, 300 athletes were pulled from the course during the run.  These are in addition to the athletes that didn't make the cut-off times.  A total of 2716 athletes were registered, 1652 finished the event.  The DNF rate was the 2nd highest of any Ironman event ever held.  The only race to have a higher DNF was the St George 140.6.

In then end it all worked out.  Jason was OK and the med crew had him squared away shortly after he arrived at the med tent.  It was a tough day and I am truly grateful just to have completed a very difficult race.  However, I find myself dissatisfied with my performance.  I just didn't want it badly enough and in the process I let a good friend down.  Change is hard, its uncomfortable, but without it, you can't grow.  The lessons learned in an Ironman are never gentle.

Thanks to Snapple, Xterra, Louis Garneau, Rudy Project and SweatVac.  You guys make the best stuff on earth.  Thank you for your support.  Thanks to my wife for letting me chase this dream.  Thanks to Adam Otstot, Jason Bridges, Peter Lubrano, and Adam Frager for training and racing with me.  It means more than you know!

Congratulations to John Oliver, Steele Byrum, Tara Grffiths, Sarah Zaglifa, Melinda Ilsley, Robin Taylor, and Brandon Blalock on completing their first Ironman event.  You sure picked a tough one.  Well done Y'all.

The Snapple Roads Show

Otstots's Hotshots/Snapple Hampton Roads

A couple of years ago, when my training partner Adam Frager and I first started training with Adam Otstot, I coined the term Otstot's Hotshots.  Shortly afterward we all started racing for the Snapple national team, Adam Otstot as a Snapple sponsored pro and Adam Frager and I as unsponsored amateurs.  Oh how that small group of three has grown and I am super proud to call all of those athletes my friends and teammates - Snapple Hampton Roads.  To me that's what racing is all about, good hearted competition and a community of like minded driven individuals who are out to improve themselves.


At the beginning of the season the e-mails were flying back and forth.  We were trying to figure out which races we were going to put on our schedule.  Jason Bridges, Peter Lubrano, Adam Frager and I all decided that we would target Ironman Chattanooga as our A-Race.  I was determined to get three other races in, to make sure that I had enough races to get ranked for the season should IM Choo go badly.  I put IM Raleigh 70.3 on my calendar and we all agreed that we would race Rev3 Williamsburg and Rev3 Poconos.  Adam, Jason, and Peter had raced Rev3 Poconos Mountains in 2015 and it had similar terrain to what we will see in Chattanooga.   The die was cast and Rev3 Pocono Mountains was set as my third race of the season and as a warm-up for IM Choo.

Pre-Race

Adam Frager had taken a bad fall at Snapple training camp in West Virginia in the spring where he had broken his collar bone.  He couldn't race, but he graciously volunteered to Sherpa for Peter, Jason and me.  I picked him up at noon on the Friday before the race and we met Jason Bridges at his house to head up to East Stroudsbourg, PA.  We made a quick stop to pick up Peter in Williamsburg and we were on the road by 1:00 pm.  Getting around DC is never easy. Approximately  9 and 1/2 hours later we checked into our condo in the Pocono Mountains.

Looking good in our Xterra Wet-Suits

The Saturday before the race is always busy, far more busy than I like, but it is what it is.  We were up early.  Jason, Adam and I did some grocery shopping so we could cook dinner rather than eat out.  We dropped off the groceries, picked up Peter, went to breakfast, and then headed to the race site to check in.  We did a quick bike check, short swim, an easy run and then put our bikes in transition.

We headed out for lunch and found a 100 year-old pub.  We ordered a couple of beers and a bunch of food.  A big thunderstorm rolled through as we sat in the pub watching the Men's Olympic Bicycle Road Race.  That storm would wreak havoc with the Rev3 timing system, but that was race day.  We were just four guys in a bar cheering for an underdog break away group at the olympics.  Then the riders on the break had a horrendous crash coming down the back side of the Olympic road course.  That is not what you want to see before you tackle a mountainous (sic) ride on a time trial bike.  I tried not to let it get in my head.  I am a cautious descender on my best day, so we'd just have to see what the morning would bring.

We packed up our kit when we got back to the condo.  I cooked up two pork tenderloins, a batch of ratatouille, and some quinoa and we ate again.  It was an early bed-time and 4:00 AM wake-up.  I had a cup of coffee and a cliff bar for breakfast.  We packed up the truck, closed up the condo, and headed down to T2.

After our warm-up

Adam, our trusty Sherpa, dropped us at T2 so that we could put our shoes, visors, race belts, and run nutrition in place.  He waited in the car and then drove us to T1, the swim start.  Two transition races are always a little complicated, but this wasn't our first rodeo and everything went smoothly.  We loaded our bottles and nutrition on the bikes, pumped our tires, and changed into our trainers for a 15 minute run warm-up.  I know that a lot of people question the need for a warm-up in a half iron event, but I find it reduces the heart rate spike at the start if my swim if I do a run warm-up and then a short swim to move the blood to my upper body.  It means I can go out the gate hard which can make all the difference in getting on the feet of the lead swimmers.

The Swim

The young guys getting ready to start

In T2 I met Barry Lewis, one of our Snapple National Team teammates from Philly, and another masters athlete.  I saw him again just before the swim.  The conversation was along the lines of, S - "What do you think you'll do the swim in?", B - "Oh, I don't know, maybe 31 or so, I'm not a very good swimmer." S - "Yeah, same here.  Probably around  33 for me."  The young guys went off after a slight delay, and then it was the old guys turn.  Barry lined up to my right, but we both were on the left side (shore side) of the line.  The pre-race guidance was stay shallow (left) upstream to avoid the current, and deep (right) downstream to get in the fast water.  The horn sounded and three of us took off.  Barry and I side by side on the feet of the fastest swimmer in our wave, Stefan Irion.  Barry and I were beating on each other, swimming side-by-side, but neither of us was going to cede the feet and the draft off of Stefan.  We swam that way all the way to the turn buoy.  Stefan swung wide and Barry went with him.  I lost them both in traffic an then I was by myself for the downstream leg.  I stayed in the deep water, inside the yellow guidance buoys and focused on staying long, distance per stroke, and working a high-elbow catch.  I hit the final orange turn buoy, took the right turn for the shore and gave it all I had to get to the swim exit.  Swim:   27:28 (1 AG/10 G/12 OA)

Exiting the swim in my Xterra Vector Sleeveless

It was a swim PR by over 2 minutes.  That was huge for me.  I came out of the water feeling great, first in the Age Group and 10th overall.  It was the 12th best swim of the day.   I made the 2/10-ths of a mile run up to transition and I saw Barry leaving with his bike as I was entering T1.   He swam a 26:32, was in 9th place, and ended up with the 10th best swim of the day.  The moral of this story is to never trust an old guy before the start of a race.  We're wiley and like to keep our strategy to ourselves.

 It was a long slog up to T1, over 2/10-ths of a mile.  I had my wet-suit pulled down to my waste and my goggles and swim cap in my hand.  I made my way to my bike, took a long pull off my aero bottle that was filled with EFS Pro Lemonwater, and stripped off my Xterra wet-suit.  Stripping a wet-suit is never easy.  I try to push it as low as possible on my legs and then hook my thumbs inside to push the legs over and off my heels.  Sometimes it works better than others.  This time it took two trys to get both legs free.  Then I had to pack the wet-suit, goggles and cap in my T1 bag, so that Rev3 could pick them up to be returned to the finish area. T1:  4:21

The Bike

Mithril and the new set-up

Just after Rev3 Williamsburg I left my 2008 Project One Trek Equinox 9.5 with Walt Gonzalez of Gonzo Gears.  Walt is one of the best wrenches in Southeast Virginia and runs a mobile bike service and the Fat Frogs Triathlon team  Early in the season I had a bike fitting with Dave Luscan, who is an awesome bike fitter that is now working out of Atlanta.  Dave has fit every pro triathlete in Virginia.  We worked up two sets of numbers, one set with my existing QuarQ SRAM S975 172.5-mm crank set, and another optimal fit with 160-mm crank arms.  I hadn't planned to replace my cranks and power meter this season and I needed some time to put that together.  I found a great deal on a Cobb 160-mm at TriSports and Steve Keller, a local TriSports Ambassador, was able to hook me up with a discount.  Snapple has a great relationship with several distributors and through them I was able get a set of Garmin Vector 2 pedals.  Walt took the crank, pedals, and fit numbers and set up the bike.  He did a masterful job.  That left me only three weeks to ride the new set-up before racing it.

The outdoor temperatures in Virginia leading up to Rev3 Pocono Mountains were far from optimal.  Adam Otstot gave me a week of light work to recover from Rev3 Williamsburg, but we were running short on time for the build into IM Choo.  My first ride on the new set-up was an easy trainer ride, but then it was two 1:30 heavy power sets at near Threshold power.  The only problem was that the Vector 2s and the QuarQ were not matching.  I tried to hold my normal numbers and my heart rate was above 170 BPM.  I crushed a couple of 3 minute VO2 max efforts, but fell apart on a 20 minute threshold interval.  My big ride before Poconos was a 3 hour effort, with 2 hours at HIM power and then 1 hour easy coming home.  It was a hot day and I rode with Jason Bridges, Peter Lubrano and Daniel Ballin.  I couldn't make power, at least I felt I couldn't make power.  Daniel and Jason rode away from me, and I was just barely staying in front of Peter.  My ego bruised, I finished the ride and headed for home.

Clipping In

After relooking my data for the week in TrainingPeaks, I was able to determine that the Vector 2s were providing a lower output compared to the QuarQ at the same heart rate.  Simply put, I should ride 20 watts lower on the new system.  Other than my ego having to accept a lower threshold, it could be dealt with.  Now I could re-cage my targets and get on with riding and training.

My new target power for the Half Iron distance was 210 to 220 watts.  I ran the bike out of transition, clipped in, and headed out on the course.  We had driven the course on our way to lunch the day before.  I am sure glad we did.  The start and end of the ride are a series of sharp rollers with a couple of tight corners.  I was spinning up the hills and pounding down the back sides, trying to keep my power steady at 210.  There was plenty of time to work the bike course and I didn't want to go out too hot, knowing that the back half had the same hills I was now riding out.  As usual I was riding through the young guys.  I had a strong swim and had caught quite a few them, but now I was rolling up the strong swimmers that were mediocre bikers.

At about mile 15 or 20 I caught Brendon Campbell and we played leap frog up to the turn-around.  He took off after the turn-around and I spent the next 30 miles reeling him back in.  I just told myself to keep his red jersey in site and I'd catch him in the rollers and hard efforts going back into T2.  After the turn I had a couple of guys try to hang on my wheel, but I was riding the downhills hard and they fell back pretty quickly.  Pretty soon I was at the Olympic turn-around and into traffic generated by the merging of the Olympic and Half Iron riders.  The spur was congested and I was super cautious approaching the sharp 90 degree left turn that marked the start of a climb for me, but was the end of a downhill run on the way back.  Sure enough a rider carried way too much speed into the curve and ended up on the wrong side of the road.  Had I not been hugging the right side, he would have taken me out.  It is a dangerous spot on this course.

Shortly after the split back onto River Road I caught Brendon Campbell.  We played leap frog some more, except this time we had a couple of older Olympic riders that wanted to be part of the mix.  Two of them locked on my wheel and I spent the better part of the next 5 miles dragging them with me. It wasn't long before I could see cones and then runners.  I saw Matias Palavecino heading out, then I saw Jason Bridges (who had  an awesome ride), and then I was making the turn and heading into the village.  I got my feet out of my shoes and as I was coming into T2 I saw Barry Lewis running out. He had a little over a minute on me as I hopped off my bike and ran it in to my rack.  Bike:  2:37:20 (1 AG/13 G/14 OA)

It had been a solid ride on a new bike setup.  My normalized power had been 214 watts.  I hit my target and I was ready to run.  Except I couldn't find my rack.  Transition was still pretty empty and it looked different in the sunlight.  I had to read the numbers and then I finally spotted my bright orange SweatVac visor.  Bike in the rack, grab nutrition and salt tabs, and take a quick swig of EFS Pro Lemon Water, shoes on.  I grabbed my race bib which was looped through my visor and ran out of T2.  T2:  1:21

The Run

Rocking my SweatVac Visor and Rudy Project Noize Sun Glasses

The run has always been my strength.  I think it still is, but I haven't been hitting the numbers I'd like to be hitting.  The last three seasons I have run in the low 1:30s repeatedly.  This year I have struggled.  Right at the start I had a different problem.  I had to pee, and since this was a B-race, I actually stopped at the Porta-John just outside T2.  Normally I'd just pee as I ran, but not this time.  My watch clicked mile 1 in 7:18, and then mile 2 in 7:12.  That was right where I wanted to start and then build into the run.  That's when I got to the trail, the heat, and the hills.  Oh the hills!!  Peter Lubrano said that if you didn't pay attention in 2015 that you could have run into the first hill, like running into a brick wall.  Just before I went down the hill the first time, I saw Jason Bridges coming toward me.  He was ashen and looked in rough shape.  That should have been a warning, and then I was at the top.  You couldn't run straight down it or you would lose control.  I had to short step it and try to control my momentum instead of running smoothly and carrying that momentum out of the hill.  It was a beast, but you didn't get to go back up yet.  No, that joy was saved for just after the Olympic turn-around.   The Olympic runners only had to deal with one monster hill per lap. No such luck for the Half Iron runners.  Just after the turn-around and over the bridge came the second monster and it was a beast too, with two turns, so you couldn't see the top.  But after a sharp left there was the turn-around and then it was back down, and over the bridge, along the cornfield, then back up and out to River Road.  Just after climbing back up the first hill, a relay runner caught me, and then just before the turn back out to River Road Brendon Campbell caught me.  They were the only two runners that passed me on the run.  The results say there was one other runner that passed me, but I never saw him.

Back onto River Road, then back into the village.  The turnaround was just short of the brick path leading back to the finish.  It was well marked when I got to it, but apparently it hadn't been marked earlier and a lot of the runners missed it and ran straight through to the finish line.  That added about an extra 2/10-ths of a mile to their run.  Barry Lewis was putting time on me,  Brendon Campbell was putting time on me, but it looked like Jason was coming back to me.  I was just holding on.  I was hot, and my pace was bleeding off.  I was managing the heat with ice in my shorts and cold water on my head and I was holding 7:40 to 8:00 minute miles.  One more time through the hills and I told the turn-around monitor that I was very happy that I would never see her again. I was headed for home.  I felt good in the shady bits and bad in the sun.  Once I hit the pavement on River Road for the last time I gave it my all and held 7:30s in to the finish.  Run:  1:40:53 (2 AG/14 G/16 OA)

Total:  4:51:23 (1 AG/13 G/14 OA)


Brendon Campbell beat me by 13 seconds.  That's why you don't stop to pee in races.  Not bad for a B-race on a new bike set-up.  I PR'd my swim, had a solid ride, and a respectable run over a difficult course on a hot day.  My goal had been achieved.  Three solid races before IM Choo and great shot at another All-American season.

Congrats to Mathias Pavalecino, the overall winner in the Half and a Snapple Triathlon Alumni and to my current teammates Jason Bridges and Barry Lewis for Age Group podiums.  It was a great showing for Snapple.  If only I could run like Barry again!!
 
A special thanks to our Super Sherpa, Adam Frager.  I can't wait until you are ready to train and race again!  Andrey Yunusov and  Tim Russel - Great job in the Olympic race.  That was a stacked field.

I'll leave you with one final photo.  Racing with Snapple is fun!

#SnappleTri #RudyProjectNA #Xterra #SweatVac #FirstEndurance

Membership in the Snapple Triathlon Team is free.  Click here for more information. 

Missed Opportunities

Day Break in Transition

Expectations and a New Course

As an aging competitive athlete the opportunity to set a Personal Record is becoming rarer and rarer.  If someone had asked me before Rev 3 Williamsburg if I thought that I had a shot at 47 years of age of setting a PR and would have a chance to break 4:30 at the Half-Iron distance, I would have told them they were crazy.  To say this race was special would be an understatement, but at the same time, it was troubling, but we'll get to that in a minute.  First, let me tell you about the course.

2016 was the 4th year for Rev3 in Williamsburg, but this year they made some major changes.  I've lived in the area for over 20 years and it has puzzled me that all of the triathlons in the area used the same swim location.  Jamestown Beach and the swim in the James River has been used by the Virginia/Maryland Triathlon series since 2008 and was used by Rev 3 for the first three Williamsburg events.  It is a challenging swim with chop and unpredictable currents that can turn a routine 1.2 mile swim into a monster.  Anyone who swam the 2009 Patriots Half or the Inaugural Rev3 event will testify that it can take your full measure.  I don't know if the races were limited by James City County or by a lack of creativity.  Kudos to Jay Pelusso, the Rev3 Race director, for thinking outside the box and finding a fantastic new swim venue.  It may be the best swim in Virginia.

Where the previous three Rev3 races had a split T1/T2 and a point-to-point bike, the new course offered a traditional single transition area at the Chickahominy River Front Park.  The swim was point-to-point downstream in the Chickahominy River on the outgoing tide.  The bike was nearly identical to the Patriots Half bike course with an added turn up to Barnnetts Road from Adkins Store at the top of the Patriots course.  The last 21 miles is net downhill back to transition.  It's mostly flat with some nice rollers on Courthouse Road, and one or two short hard efforts.  The total elevation is about 800-ft of climbing, but for every up hill there is a fair and fast downhill.  The run comes out of the park and turns onto the Cap-2-Cap bike trail and is two loops, which requires you to run up and over the Chickahominy River bridge 4 times.  It is mostly shaded and flat, except for the bridge.

Training

After Raleigh 70.3 I spent the next 4 weeks swimming, riding and running on the Rev 3 course.  30 minute swims followed by 2 hour rides with 20 or 30 minute brick runs on Saturdays and long structured runs on the Cap-2-Cap trail on Sundays.  I knew every rough patch, dip, and crack on the bike and run courses.  I consider this race my home course and I was going to make the most of my easy access.  My training partners and team mates - Jason Bridges, Greg Henderson, Peter Lubrano, Justin Highley, Craig Politte - all joined me at one time or another and it was great to have moral support on some of those long workouts.

Looking back at the build into Rev3 there were a couple of key workouts.  The first was a Swim/Bike/Run (SBR), a thirty minute structured swim, followed by a 2 hour bike with an Inverse power split (1 minute at 150% of Threshold, 9 minutes at 125%, 20 minutes at 100%, 1 hour at race pace, and 30 minutes easy), and a thirty minute run at HIM pace.  The second key workout was a 1.5 hour run with a 20 minute warm-up and cool-down and 2 x 20 minutes @ 6:50 with 10 minutes easy in-between.  Both of these workouts were completed on the Rev3 Course, which allowed me to get a feel for the course and help me mentally set up my pacing.  Locking in the feel of race pace in a race simulation helps me on race day.

The Race

The day before the race is a day of rituals.  I'm an early riser and that doesn't change the day before a race or on race day.   The day before a race I like to three short easy efforts - Swim, Bike, Run.  I packed up my gear and headed down to packet pick-up.  Once at the Park I headed down to the swim start.  I hadn't swam the front half of the course because on most weekends the fishing boats are in and out of the boat ramp all day.  Unfortunately,  Rev3 wasn't set up to support a swim from the boat ramp.  I trudged back to the swim exit where the buoys had been set for the practice swim.  They set the buoys out going up-stream with the furthest buoy about 0.25 miles away from the swim exit.  I was early and all alone.  I pulled on my cap and goggles, started my watch and swam and easy loop of the buoys.  As I was coming back into the swim exit I stopped my watch and looked down in disbelief - 13:50 for 0.48 miles swimming super easy.  The water was glass, it was flat and fast.  I hopped on my bike for a 15 minute ride, then laced my trainers for a 15 minute run.  I happened to see Ashley DeBoise on the ride - Congrats Ashley!  It was great to see you.

After my SBR, I walked over to race HQ and picked up my packet.  I put my numbers on the bike, put my bike in transition, and headed for home.  I stopped by the Five Forks diner for my pre-race meal.  My big meal is always lunch before a race.  The "Big Breakfast" at Five Forks with a large chocolate milk was just right.  My wife had planned my daughter's belated birthday party for Saturday afternoon.  I planned to sit on the deck, with my feet up, and make it an early night.

Boat Ramp Swim Entrance

Kelly and I were up at 3:45 and while she loaded her paddle board into the truck, I grabbed my standard race morning breakfast - a bagel with peanut butter and a cup of coffee.  I had a 20 oz bottle of sports drink to carry with me for the ride, but I like a cup of coffee to start.  We got on the road and picked up Jason Bridges at 4:30 and were out to the race site by 5:15.  I put my nutrition on the bike, filled my water bottles with EFS Pro Lemon Water, and put air in my tires.  I had my shoes on my bike for a flying mount.  I laid out my Xterra Race Belt and my SweatVac visor and then pulled on my race shoes for a 15 minute run warm-up.  I dropped my running shoes back at my transition spot, sprayed on some sunscreen, pulled on my Xterra Speedsuit, grabbed my swim cap and goggles and headed to the swim start. My coach, Adam Otstot, and my training partner, Jason Bridges, were waiting for me at the swim entrance.  Jason was racing the Olympic, so I handed him my pre-race drink bottle, checked with Adam for any pre-race instructions, and walked into the water.

The order of start was young men, old men, young women, old women.  With the military, novices, and relays mixed in.  I was able to swim an easy 200 m to get the blood moving in my arms and then it was time for the national anthem.  I watched the first start and noticed that the racers were being swept downstream and were fighting to stay behind the line prior to the gun, then it was time to wade into the water and wait.  I had to work to stay on the right side of the starting line.  I couldn't find the two swimmers my scouting report told me that I wanted to chase, so I just picked the middle of the line and hoped I would find a pair of feet a little faster than me.

The Swim:

Stripping off my Xterra Speedsuit

I had to go from fighting the current to accelerating the opposite direction with the gun.  I didn't start my watch so in my second stroke I did a little catch-up drill to hit the start button.  Then it was stroke-stroke-stroke breath.  I was on the back side of a set of three swimmers and I had a nice draft, but they were pointed way left of the best line to the first turn buoy.  I had to make a decision, swim the fastest line or stay in their draft.  I picked the straight line.  After that I was all alone.  I saw Kelly on her paddle board just after I rounded the first turn buoy.  I focused on staying long, high elbow catch, and keeping my kick motoring.  I was looking for a 35 minute swim.  I knew that would put me in contention for the age group.  I swam until my fingers brushed the bottom at the exit, stood up, hit the lap button on my Garmin, and I am sure my expression had to be priceless.   Swim:  30:20  (2 AG/41 OA)

Vindication and relief.  The 37 minute swim at Raleigh 70.3 had been long.  My swim fitness wasn't as bad as I had feared and the hard work since Raleigh had paid dividends.  A following current helped too!

I stripped my XTERRA speedsuit as I ran.  The jog into transition was short and my bike was right next to swim-in.  I dropped my speedsuit, goggles and cap into the bin next to my bike. I rolled on my socks, put on my Rudy Project riding glasses, slipped into my aero helmet, put my tic-tac box of salt tabs in my jersey pocket and ran my bike out through transition. T1:  2:18

The Bike:

On Wilcox Neck prior to meeting the draft pack

I left my bike in the small ring and my cadence was over 100 as I started the climb up and over the bridge coming out of T1.  I kept the cadence high and the pressure light until I reached the top.  It was hammer time - Shift to big ring - pressure on all the way down the back side.  In the first 5 miles my goal was to get some fluids and calories in and to settle in at race power.  I flew up Route 5 to the turn onto Wilcox Neck Rd.  I was slightly above race power and my wheels were singing to me, and it was a sweet siren's call as I headed out on *my course*.  I was now riding through all the young guys.  I had a strong enough swim to catch many of the under 40 year-olds in the first wave and I knew this would be a tricky spot.  There seems to be a disturbing trend in some of the larger races with drafting packs.  In the 2015 Rev3 Williamsburg I had a drafting pack grab my wheel and I ended up taking a penalty the third time I had to fight through the 8 riders that were working together to stay on my wheel.  Sure enough, at about 9 miles into the ride I was quickly approaching 6 guys lined up less than one bike length apart, with none of them completing a pass in the three minutes I watched as I moved up on them.  I was riding at the high end of my target power (230 to 240 watts) and I upped that to 270 watts as I started my pass.  As I came by the group I said to each rider as I passed - "nice drafting group you have here" - hoping that they would take the hint and break up.  I should have known better.  I held 270 watts for 3 minutes, then backed down to 240, and sure enough two of the guys had hopped on my wheel and passed me back.  All I could think was - "Oh NO, Not again!"  I had to use my brakes to get out of the draft zone, because they couldn't hold the pace they were now riding without someone to draft.  As I dropped out of the zone the rest of the draft pack came around me too.   I cleared the zone, seething and biding my time.   I was now riding under my target power to stay clear of the draft, but I gathered my self and waited for the first short sharp climb on Wilcox Neck.  Here's where knowing the course pays off.  There's a short sharp up-hill, with a small false flat, and then a nice drop, right around mile 15.  I knew it was coming and I waited until I could see the church that marked the start of the climb.  I upped my power output to 300 watts and hammered the pedals into the up slope.  If you time it right and stand at the crest you can carry your momentum through the short hill, across the false flat, and into the down hill on the other side.  My maneuver paid off.  I flew past the unsuspecting draft pack, and because they didn't know the course and were unaware of the false flat on the other side of the hill, I was able to gain the separation I needed hammering down the back side and I never saw those riders again.  I truly hope that the course officials caught them, but I'm not sure that a 4 minute penalty is enough for a group of 6 to 8 riders working together.  Over 56 miles, drafting would overcome the penalty, if they were caught, and if they are not caught it gives them a significant advantage in time and energy expended.  It also puts strong honest riders in an awkward position if they can't break free of a group that sits on their wheel. It frustrates me because it is unethical and I don't understand the desire to obtain a bike split dishonestly. (*End Rant*)

I was having the ride of my life.  The bike fit by Dave Luscan was paying dividends.  At the same power output I was 0.2 to 0.3 MPH faster than the year before.  Aerodynamics matter.   I came through the rollers on Courthouse to the turn on to Loft Cary Rd with the 8th fastest overall time recorded on Strava.  That isn't the 8th fastest of the day, that's the 8th fastest ever!!!  I was pushing power smoothly, my average cadence was 95 RPM, and my effort (power) was correlated with speed. I was through the difficult section of the ride and into the back half of the course.  I was drinking every 15 minutes and to thirst, eating a quarter bar at the same time, and taking two salt tabs on the hour.  It was hot, but the course was shaded up to this point.  I had picked up a bottle of cold water at the 1st aid station and I was using it to cool off.  I was into my second prepared bottle of EFS Pro, and trying to decide if I needed to take any on-course hydration.  I opted not to, but after the fact I wonder if that was a wise decision.

Coming in to transition

The second half of the new Rev3 course is net down-hill.  Up  Loft Cary to Adkins Rd, around to Barnetts Rd, and then back to Route 5.  I kept the pressure on the pedals and my cadence high.  I was rolling up the field, but there weren't many half riders in front of me.  Because it was a loop course I had no idea where I was positioned in the field.  Then I passed Sturgeon Point Rd and the slower Olympic racers were coming on to Route 5.  The last 10 miles flew by and shortly I was climbing the bridge and heading back into transition.  After I made the turn off Route 5 into the park, I slipped my feet out of my shoes and made a smooth dismount.
Bike:  2:22:56 (1 AG/20 OA)

I was ecstatic.   My watch read 2:55
coming off the bike.  If I could run a 1:30 half-marathon, I could break 4:30.  I've wanted to break 4:30 for a long time and it was within reach.  I racked my bike and helmet, slipped on my shoes, Xterra race belt, SweatVac Visor, and grabbed two packages of chews.

T2:  1:27

The Run:

"You've lost that running feeling, Whooaaa, that running feeling.  You've lost that running feeling.  Now it's gone, gone, gone, Whoaa-Ohhhh-Ohh!"

Once more into the Bridge

I came out transition running smoothly.  I grabbed a cup of water before I crossed the bridge, took a sip, dumped the rest over my head to cool me down and ran up and over the bridge for the first time.  I held 7:16 for Mile 1, 7:14 for Mile 2, then 7:06 and 7:03, respectively.  I was right on target and doing what I love best - running!!  Over the bridge again and then the bleeding started.  Not literally, but that's where my run started to fall apart.  I can't be sure, but I think didn't get enough calories at the end of the bike and on the 1st 5 miles of the run.  My pace started slowing and I was just holding on.  I used ice and water to stay cool, but I couldn't push the back half of the run like I normally would.  Unlike Raleigh, where my pace was even across the run, at Rev3 I faded.  I was very happy to get to the top end of the course turn-around the second time and for the first time in recent memory I was passed in the last two miles.  I didn't have anything left to challenge.   I turned it up in the last mile, but by then it was too late.  Run:  1:37:09 (2 AG/24 OA)

Final Time:  4:34:08 (2 AG/20 OA) PR HIM Distance

It was a special day.  I had a non-wetsuit legal swim PR and nearly broke 30 minutes for the swim.  I had a 3 minute PR on the Bike.  I beat my HIM PR by 32 seconds.   But it was also a missed opportunity and, at my age, those opportunities don't come around as often.  It's not enough to race hard, you also have to race smart, and I let my excitement get in the way of my nutrition plan.  It nearly cost me.

Thanks to my wife Kelly for supporting me, letting me chase my dreams, and always helping out on the course.  You are special and I hope you know that!  Thanks to my coach, Adam Otstot, for getting me to the starting line in the best shape ever!  The plan was solid but we have some work to do before IM Choo.  Thank you to Snapple, XTERRA, Louis Garneu, First Endurance, and SweatVac!  As a racer I wouldn't be as successful without your support.  Also, kudos to Jay Pelusso, for a fantastic new course and on a well executed event.

Congrats to Todd Burns, Snapple Triathlon Pro, on winning the Half, and to my training partner Jason Bridges on winning the Olympic and completing the Snapple Triathlon sweep at Rev3 Williamsburg.  Congrats to Mikal Davis, Bryan Frank, Hilary Cairns, Paige Wooden, Heather Prochnow, Ellen Wexler, Katie Palavecino, Craig Politte, Justin Highley, Peter Lubrano, Anna Parker, and all the other current and former Snapple athletes that were on the podium at Rev3 Williamsburg.  It was great seeing all of you on the race course and on the podium!

Tracing My Roots

My 2015 race season hadn't gone to script.  I raced extremely well in the early part of the year, missing my Marathon PR by 20 seconds at the inaugural One City Marathon, putting together an unstoppable relay team for the Colonial 200, a great race at the Challenge Williamsburg Half in exceptionally hot conditions, and taking 3rd Over All at the Alleghany Grand Fondo.  But then my season collapsed with a mediocre showing at the Lake Logan Half and I fell apart at Ironman Wales.  My dreams of a slot at Kona had been crushed and I wasn't in a great place mentally.  I had to take some time to regroup.

2015 Colonial Half Marathon

In December of 2015 I decided to run the Busch Gardens Christmas Town Dash, an 8K.  I ran a respectable 29:59, which was good enough to win my age group and place 7th overall.  I signed up for the Tidewater Strider's Distance Series 10 miler and the Colonial Half Marathon.  I finished 4th overall in the 10 miler with a 1:01:50 and was 12th overall  and the 1st place masters finisher at the Colonial with time of 1:24:03 on very challenging Half Marathon Course.  I had my running legs back and my confidence was building.

Two weeks after the Colonial Half I started my training for Ironman Raleigh 70.3.  My focus was the bike and getting comfortable in the water again.  Not an easy task given my experience in Wales.  The bike came along well and I crushed my first FTP test of the season.  I had a couple of great rides with the Bikes Unlimited group in Williamsburg and I chased my favorite local Pro, Rachel Jastrebsky, to the North Carolina border and back. I applied for and was picked up by Snapple as an Ambassador.  All-in-all 2016 was starting to shape up nicely.

My coach, Adam Otstot, had shifted me to training peaks at the beginning of 2016.  I'd been using a power meter and tracking my TSS for the last three seasons, but TP provided a whole new sets of tools and the ability to track not only my cycling stress, but my running and swimming stress as well.  I've been extremely impressed by the analytical tools.  For a Tri-Geek like me, it's data nirvana!

Raleigh was special in that my father was born and raised in the city next door, Duhram.  I'd spent every summer of my youth in the farm fields of rural Durham working with my grandfather.  Racing across the rural countryside in Raleigh took me back to my roots.

The forecast for race weekend wasn't good.  A tropical storm was parked off the coast and the low was supposed to track over Raleigh a couple hours after race start.  It had rained 21 days in May and the first week in June was following the trend.  My wife, daughter, and I drove down to Raleigh on Friday evening, checked into the race, grabbed some grub and hit the bed so that I could get over to T1 early on Saturday to check in my bike and do a little pre-race tune-up.

Saturday was a scorcher.  By the time we drove out of the city of Raleigh to T1 at Jordan Lake the Temperature was in the low 90s with over 80% humidity.  I set up my bike and I did a quick 10 minute ride to make sure the gears, wheels, and brakes were all in working order.  I racked the bike and we drove across the lake to another small park so that I could do a 20 minute run and 15 minute swim.  I ran 3 miles at 7:15 mile pace and my kit was soaked with sweat.  It was hot!  I jumped in the lake, swam for 15 minutes, played with my daughter, Alex, for a bit and then we went and grabbed a big lunch.  My last big meal before the race.

I pulled all my gear together while Alex and my wife, Kelly, did some shopping.  I packed my race bags, reviewed my race plan with my coach, and then hit the bed early with a planned 3:00 am wake-up call.  The storm arrived that evening, high winds pummeled T1 and T2, and the Ironman team spend all night putting the race course back together.

I'm in the Xterra speed suit just behind the pros

I got up at 3:00, changed into my race kit, grabbed a bagel with peanut butter and a cup of coffee.  Kelly and Alex were volunteering on the run course.  Kelly drove me to T2, so I could catch the shuttle out to T1, while Alex got some extra sleep.  I dropped my running shoes, a pair socks, my SweatVac visor, and my race belt at T2 and ran to catch the first shuttle to T1.  It was a quick 30 minute ride and I was at the race site by 5:00.

It always surprises me how busy T1 can be.  I could have sworn that I caught the first shuttle bus, but there was already a line to get air for my bike tires.  It is always good to be early on race day.  Setting up my bike took no time at all.  I put my binto box on the bike, filled my bottles First Endurance EFS Pro Lemon Water, and pulled on my trainers for a 15 minute warm-up.  The storm front had already swept through, leaving nothing but heat and humidity in its wake.  It was only 6:00 am and it was already in the mid 80s with 80% humidity.  Not a good sign on race morning.

A quick 15 minute run and a 10 minute swim and I was ready to go.  The pro men went off at 7:00, then the pro-women at 7:04.  Men 45-49 Group 2 were the 6th wave.  I lined up, waded out, and set up in the middle of the swim line.  I wanted to get on the feet of some faster swimmers and stay there for as long as I could.  The horn sounded at 7:28 and off we went.  My Xterra speed suit felt great.  I was smooth in the water and I was relaxed.  This wasn't the North Sea and I was back in my comfort zone.  I couldn't find a group to work with, but I had picked up my own trail as I felt the swimmer on my feet every couple of strokes.  I was counting buoys, swimming straight, and I found myself passing red and blue caps before the first turn buoy.  It was a long swim and I didn't have the swim fitness I have had in prior seasons.  I just tried to stay long and focus on technique.  There was a little chop going into the final turn for shore and then I found a pair of feet that pulled me all the way to the swim exit.  (Swim:  37:04 - 22 AG/200 OA)

I had just exited the water and I was already sweating.  I struggled to get my zipper peeled, but managed to have my suit down around my waist by the time I made it to my bike.  Speed suit off and into the bag with my goggles and swim cap.  Shoes on, Rudy Project sun glasses on, helmet on, grab bike, run to mount line.  (T1:  2:40)

Raleigh has a funny spur up and out of transition to make the distance right.  So you have to climb up and away from the lake and then turn around descend part way back down before turning and climbing up and away from the lake again.  I took a long pull on my aero bottle of EFS Pro and settled in to do some work.  My plan called for me to hold 230 to 240 watts average power.  I was pushing 200 to 220 starting out, just to get my legs warmed up, and I was already dripping with sweat.  This day would be all about core temperature management, pushing electrolytes, and being patient.

The day was hot and getting hotter.  The early part of the bike had some limited shade, but as the day wore on, it became less and less.  I focused on spinning up the hills and pressing down the back side.  My speed sensor wasn't working, so I was riding based on power and feel.  I knew my power was low, but the bike felt fast and I was worried about overcooking the bike in the heat.  I grabbed a cold water bottle at the aid station at mile 14, to use to cool myself down.  I was carrying two bottles of EFS Pro and salt tablets if that wasn't enough.  I also had a binto box full of bars cut into quarters that I would eat every 15 minutes.  I used 1-1/2 bottles of EFS Pro to get to mile 28, where I grabbed a bottle of the on-course-hydration to refill my aero bottle and another bottle of cold water to cool my self down with.  The second half of the ride was a battle to stay cool and keep hydrated.  I was extremely pleased when we made the turn and we could see the high-rise buildings of downtown Raleigh getting closer.  I had survived the heat and was ready to run.  (Bike:  2:30:12 - 12 AG/113 OA)

I unclipped and hopped off the bike at the dismount.  I hadn't tried to pull my feet out of my shoes for a flying dismount.  The final turn into transition came at me faster than I realized and I didn't have time.  So I just ran with the bike, in my bike shoes, to my rack.  Shoes off, Visor on, Shoes on, run number on.  I grabbed a couple of Gu Chomps and my second tic-tac case of salt tablets and was on my way. (T2: 2:36)

I ran out of transition and around the corner.  The first aid station was right there to start the run.  I knew I wanted some water and a cup of ice.  I yelled out for ice and they just looked at me with blank stares.  My heart fell and I thought "if there is no ice on this race course I am done."  One of the young ladies finally yelled that they didn't have any ice, but the next aid station did.  Off I went at 6:50 pace for the next two miles.  Raleigh climbs up and away from T2 and it is an out and back, two loop run. Out and Up, Down and back.  I had a steady rhythm and I was clicking off the miles.  I grabbed a cup of ice for my top, a cup of ice for my pants and I sipped water at every aid station, which worked out to be about every 2 miles.  I was chewing Gu Chomps and popping salt pills every 30 minutes.

My core temperature was climbing and my pace was slowing.  I knew that if I stopped it would be hard to get back started.  I had to keep moving.  There was a small bit of shade at the end of the first loop and making the turn to start the second loop I knew that I could hold my pace to the finish.  My goal was to be steady and roll up as much of my age group as possible.  Without a spotter on a two loop course it is impossible to know your position.  All I could do was ask the guys I was passing if they were on their first or second loop and most were answering first loop as I was starting my second loop.  I knew I was near the top of the age group.  So I just held on, and as I made the turn for the finish I could see one guy 200 yds in front of me.  I was gaining, but there was no way to catch him.  I pulled down my jersey top, pushed the pace, and finished strong.  (Run:  1:36:28, Total Time:  4:49:00 - 4 AG/77 OA)

It felt good to be done.  It may have been my strongest race ever, but that is hard to judge.  I do know that it was a hard day and I gave it all that I had.  I'm proud to wear the Snapple kit.  EFS Pro saved the day on the bike.  My Xterra speedsuit was faster than I could swim.  I'm looking forward to Rev 3 Williamsburg and racing on my home course.

Age Group Podium (2nd & 4th)

Slaying the Dragon

This post is dedicated to Dan Gustafson, a true hero, and a man to whom I owe a debt that I can never repay.  I hadn't thought about Dan in a long time, but his daughter, Margaret, sent me a note in June of 2015, near the anniversary of his death.  I didn't know at that time how prominently the events of 1981 and Dan's legacy to me would play out in Wales.  I can only hope that if I am ever faced with the same situation, that I am willing to give the full measure and live up to his example.  May God bless you and hold you close Dan.

Ironman Wales is unlike any race I have ever done.  The race course took on it's own persona and it fought me just as hard as I fought it.  The crowds were like the spectators in a Roman arena.  Sometimes I felt they were cheering for me and other times I think they were cheering for the course.  The course lived up to it's reputation, it was a Welsh Dragon, with no mercy for the weak or faint of heart.  The course, the Welsh people, and village of Tenby have marked me and I hope I can always live up to their standard.

After Lake Placid in 2014 I felt I had missed a great opportunity.  I had a great race and missed qualifying for the Ironman World championship by 6 minutes.  I believed then, and I believe now, that I have the talent and on the right day I can earn that slot.  In 2013 Snapple Triathlon won Division IV in the Ironman Tri Club program and I earned a VIP entry to a race of my choice.  I had heard of the race in Wales  and it's reputation for being one of the toughest races in the world.  On a whim I decided to make that my goal race for 2015 and my next attempt at qualifying for Kona.

I had a fantastic build for Ironman Wales.  I had one of my best races ever at Challenge Williamsburg with a time over the course that put me in the top 10, only to lose the 45 to 49 Age Group podium to a drafting penalty.  I raced well in my tune-up race at Lake Logan in August, with a 3rd in the Age Group in a very strong field on a tough mountain course.  I rode well in both both the Mountains of Misery Double Metric Century and the Alleghany Century, where I finished 3rd O/A.    I was in the best physical condition of my life.

Preparing for an international race is hard, especially one that doesn't have a big draw from the States.  Tri Bike Transport wasn't shipping to IM Wales and I had no interest in dragging a bike box with me on every train and bus we were riding in England.  I didn't want to rent a car, so I had to find another way.  Dai and Denise Roberts, who live in Virginia Beach but hail from Pembrokeshire, found the solution.  They found Luggage Forward, a company that specializes in door-to-door luggage delivery.  Luggage Forward shipped my bike for the same price that the airline would have charged for me to carry it with me as checked baggage.  That was amazing considering that UPS, DHL, and FedEx had all quoted in excess of $1200, each way, to ship the bike.  Dai and Denise also found a local bikeshop, Pembrokeshire Bikes, that could receive, assemble, and re-pack the bike for me in Wales.  Pembrokeshire Bikes is a family run business and they were great to work with.  A special thanks to Tom and Peter Walker for all of their support in Wales.  The bike was superbly tuned and they gave me invaluable advice on the bike course prior to the race.  Cheers guys!  I hope I can return the favor when you come to the US.

The Intrepid Race Crew Departing the US

I planned Ironman Wales as a Family vacation, we took the kids out of school for the 1st two weeks.  We left a week before the race from Regan National in Washington, DC and flew in to London Heathrow.  We planned for three days in London prior to the race, five days in Wales, and then another six days touring England before returning Stateside.  The pre-planned stops included Bath and Dover.  All travel was done using the British National Rail and local buses.  I think it worked out pretty well, but my wife, Kelly, might have a different opinion.  We covered about 4,000 years of world history in two weeks - Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Celts and English History through World War II.

The British Museum

We arrived in London at 0930 GMT and headed straight to the Marriott Maida Vale (Heathrow Express to London Paddington, then the London Tube Bakerloo Line from Paddington to Kilburn Park, and a two block walk to the hotel).  We dropped our bags with the concierge and headed straight to the British museum in London.  I love that the British Musem has nothing to do with England.  It is absolutely stuffed with Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artifacts, like the Lion in the picture below.  The kids were worn out from over 12 hours of travel by this point, but the museum managed to grab their attention.  We closed down the museum, grabbed some Starbucks coffee and a couple of American hot chocolates for the kids , and started our walk to Trafalgar Square where we planned to meet an old friend and then grab dinner in Soho.  A couple of blocks and we were on Charing Cross Road and then it was straight on until we hit Trafalgar Square.  A special thanks to Martin Bushell and his wife Vicky for coming down to London and having dinner with us.  I worked with Martin at Raquette Lake Boys Camp in 1993.  Funny how two guys who haven't seen each other in over 20 years can start right back where they left off.  We had a great meal in Soho at a cozy and unpretentious Italian restaurant that was about as easy on the wallet as you can find in London.  If you are down that way, give La Porchetta y Pollo on Old Compton Street a try.

An ancient Lion in the British Museum

A late night ride back to the hotel on the tube and that wrapped up day one in London.  Already an amazing journey and we had just started.  If you ever wondered why you should be a member of a hotel loyalty program I'll now explain it to you.  Being a Marriott rewards Gold Elite member saved me several hundred dollars in London.  Like all full service Marriott hotels, the Marriott Maida Vale had a concierge lounge for elite guests.  We didn't have to buy a single Breakfast or Dinner in London and unlike American Marriotts, the hotels in Britain offered free cocktails.

Smith family checking out the view from the Eye

A bunch of Poseurs

On the Train to Wales

I could post a million photographs of London.  But this is a race blog, not a vacation blog. So, I'm going to leave London with this.  We had a blast over our three days in London.  We rode the London Eye, visited the Tower of London, did the London Bridge Experience, Buckingham palace, Kensington palace, and I was able to run St. Johns Wood, Regents Park, and Primrose Hill.  We even visited a health clinic for Alex and got to experience socialized medicine 1st hand (Alex had an allergic reaction to her antibiotic).  All-in-all, London was a great success and at the end of the three days we rode the tube to St. Pancras station and boarded a train to Wales.

Ironman Wales is held in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, on the northern edge of the entry to the Bristol Channel.  Before we left the States my wife, Kelly, found a guest house on the edge of town about a 2 mile walk from transition.  That meant, of course, that it had to be raining on the day we traveled to Wales.   We hiked our kit, in the rain, from train station to the Pen Mar Guest House and met our Inn Keepers - Maria and Nigel Smith.   They are a great couple and were fantastic hosts.  Maria even went out and bought peanut butter and bagels, so I could have my favorite American pre-race meal.

The hike to the Pen Mar.

The next morning I walked up street and caught the bus to Narberth to go and retrieve my bike.  I had it shipped to Pembrokeshire bikes and they had assembled it for me before the race.  I carried my kit with me and then rode back to the guest house by way of the south half of the IM Wales bike course.  That was my first taste of the what the Welsh Dragon had in store for me.  I rode nearly every major climb on my way back to the guest house.  I wished that I could have ridden a few more times prior to the race.  The bottom half was as technical as any course I've ever ridden.  But the weather was beautiful and I had a great ride.

Mithril in Wales

Friday I had planned my pre-race swim.  The weather had other ideas.  It was blustery and windy and the race director pulled the rescue swimmers and support out of the water for their safety.  We scouted town, the transition area, and got registered.  In the line for registration we just happened to strike up a conversation with the volunteer coordinator for IM UK, which would be a great bit of luck for the Family later.  We picked up the VIP passes for Kelly and headed to the beach to get my swim in anyway.  The water was gnarly, it was churning and heaving.  The waves were reflecting off the beach and coming from multiple directions.  It unnerved me and took me to a place I hadn't been in a long time.

Before my practice swim (Goscar Rock behind me)

In 1981 I was caught in a rip-tide off a beach in Port Saint Joe Florida.  I was with my Dad's best friend, Dan Gustafson, and his daughter, Margaret.  We had walked into the surf on what seemed a calm afternoon and suddenly found ourselves in an angry ocean.  Dan got Margaret back to the beach and looked over his shoulder.  He saw me being sucked out into the breakers, caught in a rip tide that I wasn't strong enough or smart enough to fight.  I can't imagine what went through his mind at that moment, but he left Margaret on the beach and came back for me.  What seems a lifetime later to me, but must have only been twenty to thirty minutes in real time, Margaret waded out and pulled me onto the shore.  Two hours later they found Dan's body, in the surf, down the beach.  I had buried that memory pretty deep, but the surf in Wales brought it right back to the surface.  Until I raced in Wales I never had the answer to whether or not - if it had been me on the beach, safe with my child - I would have walked back into the surf to try and rescue my best friends son. It was a question that I just couldn't answer.  I didn't have the answer during the practice swim either.  Panicked and shaky I made my way back to the beach.

Berry Picking on Slippery Back Trail

Saturday was a new day.  Kelly headed off to visit a local island with a monastery where the Monks made Chocolate and I took the kids berry picking.  After my swim, my throat was a bit rough and my nose had been dripping, but I just assumed it had been the salt water.  Now I knew better.  As the afternoon progressed my nose ran constantly and I was chilled the whole day.  Not a good sign the night before an Ironman.  We had meat pies for dinner and turned in early.  The plan was to be up at 0430, grab a quick bite, and Maria would drive us down to the edge of town.  The group of us at Pen Mar that were racing had packed up our kit the night before and we were all already to go.  I woke up with a stuffy head, fever and chills.  What to do?  Nothing to do, but race, so off we went to transition.

The Pen Mar Crew before the Race

 I had checked my bike in on Saturday before we went berry picking.  So all I had to do was hang my gear bags, put air in my tires, put my nutrition on my bike, and fill my water bottles.  Then it was down the cliff to the swim start.

The Ramp to the Beach

 The swim at Wales is in a partially protected harbor.   The wind had turned overnight was coming from the North, but due to a quirk in the geography, the wind dips and hits the water about 400 meters off shore.  So we had quiet water on the shore, not a ripple, and 8 foot swells at the first buoy.  The racers were lined up at the edge of the water half way back up the ramp.  It was an impressive sight.  The music was thumping with some Euro Techno music and then came the British National Anthem and you could have heard a pin drop.  My nose was running like a faucet, I was shaking with the chills and adrenaline, and I was looking at an ocean swim that had me absolutely terrified.  At that moment the horn sounded and whole line surged for the water.

I'm a racer and a competitor.  I didn't come to Wales to DNS, DNF or any other three letters you can think of.  My wife and kids were hanging out with the Mayor of Tenby and the chairman of the Pembrokeshire Council in the VIP tent.  I had a reputation to uphold.  Besides, I don't quit.  I took the first step towards the water, then it became a jog, and the next thing I knew I was diving in.  Stroke-Stroke-Stroke breath.  The first 400 to 600 yards were as smooth as glass. The next 800 yards was bizarre.

The waves were short period and 6 to 8 feet high.  In the troughs you couldn't see anything and from the peaks you could see all the way to the shore turn buoy.  I came over one wave and turned to breath and rolled down the face of the wave.  I felt like crap, but the only way to get out of it was to just keep swimming.  I've written before about despair in races.  Usually it comes from physical or mental exhaustion.  This time I wasn't fighting despair.  I was fighting fear.  I was that 12 year old little boy in the surf off Port Saint Joe fighting for my life.  I wasn't racing an Ironman, I was fighting the ocean.  It felt like I was in that place for a very long time, and then, suddenly, I wasn't anymore.  I was back in the wind shadow of the cliff and the water was smooth and I had found the answer that had eluded me for 34 years.  I had no choice really, I had to find the answer, because IM Wales is a two loop swim course.  I swam back in to Goscar Rock, ran onto the beach, through the timing chute and back into the water to do it all over again. I can assure you that the second lap was much easier than the first.  (Swim Time: 1:12 41st AG/ 366th OA)


The transition Area for IM Wales is located at the top of the cliff.  After the swim you have to jog up the cliff and along the streets for one kilometer to get to transition.  Kelly and the kids saw me exit the water and snapped a few quick photos of me getting my wetsuit off and my tevas on for my short run up to the bike.

I loped up the switchbacks to the street at the top of the cliff and headed for transition.  I had my wetsuit draped over my shoulder and my goggles and swim cap in one hand.  I blew a couple of snot rockets as I ran and it felt like the whole North Sea was in my head.  I was still feverish and chilled and I had a 112 mile bike ride and a marathon to run.  It was going to be a long day.

Starting the Bike

The volunteer in the changing tent had my bag pulled and I sat in a chair and pulled all my gear out of the bag and packed my wet suit back into the bag.  The weather was clearing, but I was still chilled, so I pulled on my arm warmers and my light jacket.  I could always pull gear off, but if I left it in the tent, I wouldn't have it if I needed it.  I ran out of the tent and climbed on my bike, Mithril, for a scintillating ride through the Welsh countryside. (T1:  12:09)

The climb out of Angle.

Climbing Heart Break Hill

The IM Wales bike course is amazing.  I lack the words to convey the beauty, the rawness, the incredible crowds.  It is nothing short of an epic ride.  The descent in Angel and the climb out are indelibly etched into my memory.  I can still smell the salt air and feel the sand sting on my legs and face as I rode down to and back up from one of the most beautiful coastlines I have ever seen.  Green grass and an even greener ocean.  The crowds in Pembroke and then the western loop was done and we were back onto the main loop.  The long grind into Narberth, then the sharp technical descent in Saundersfoot and then the immediate up, and up, and up.  Short, Sharp, and impossible to carry any momentum into the climbs, and then finally heartbreak hill.  I felt like I was on the european continent riding in a major tour event.  The crowd was encamped across the road and they would part just in time to let you climb up the winding hill, all while yelling and shouting, and ringing cowbells.  I was pushing an average of 240 watts, 20 watts higher than my target, but I was averaging less than 20 miles per hour.  To put that in perspective, at IM Lake Placid and IM Lousiville, I had averaged 220 watts and finished my rides in 5:36 and 5:40, respectively.  In Wales I averaged 240 watts and finished the ride in 6:35.  I was over an hour slower on the IM Wales Bike course at a higher average power. It is beautiful, but rugged.  I was also feverish and not doing such a great job of riding smart on the hills. (Bike: 6:35 43rd AG/355th OA)

Coming out of Transition

At the end of the second loop I took the left turn to head to transition and I knew my dream of qualifying for Kona at Wales was done.  I left an extra hour on the ride and I was smoked.  I was either sweating buckets or shaking with the chills.  I pulled into transition, handed off my bike and headed to the changing tent one last time. I traded my jacket for a vest, my helmet for a visor, and pulled on my running shoes.  (T2: 6:25)


I ran out of the chute and tried to settle in at 8:00 minute mile pace.  I was still blowing snot rockets and I couldn't warm up.  I kept pushing fluids and I began the long climb out of Tenby.  The course winds up out of Tenby towards the village Saundersfoot and it is a four loop run.  At the top of each loop you get a colored armband and you have to collect all 4 colors to enter the finish chute.  The crowds were great.  They chanted USA/USA and "Go Boy" all along the route.  At the bottom of the course, the route winds through the streets of the village of Tenby and there are no barriers between the races and the spectators.  The crowd is part of the course, they are part of the race, you can feel it as they shout and yell.  By the end of the second lap I was an emotional mess.  I was grieving for a race I just didn't have in me.  I was done.  I took the split to start lap three and I stopped to walk a bit.  As I was walking I notice that the guy walking in front of me had an Ironman Tattoo on his right calf.   He had 4 Welsh dragons with the dates of the last 4 Ironman Wales races tattooed below his Ironman Tat.  Written in marker on his leg was his age, 62.  I gave him a pat on the shoulder and an encouraging nod, and I made the decision to finish.  That was all it took.  I ran some, I walked some, 4 hours 37 minutes after starting the run, I finished Ironman Wales. (Run:  4:37 / Finish Time: 12:44 - 57 AG/440 OA).

As I was racing, the family had been enjoying their VIP passes at the swim, bike, and finish line venues.  After Jessie Thomas won the race, the VIP area at the finish line was winding down and a very haggard volunteer coordinator stumbled into the tent.  She saw my wife and kids, recognized them from the registration tent, and hurried over to them.  She explained to them that over one-hundred of her volunteers had failed to show that day and that she was in desperate need of someone to help in the finish line area.  My kids and wife spent the rest of the night assisting the mayor and county council chairman, hanging out with the pro triathletes, and handing out medals and water to the amateur finishers.  When I crossed the line and the Council Chairman hung the finishers medal around my neck, my entire family was there to greet me.  It was like I was royalty and it was truly a special moment.  It's the one picture that I don't have, but that's all right because it is a memory I will cherish forever.

It was a heck of a race.  It was not what I had hoped or trained for.  It was an Ironman.  You get what you paid for in the currency of blood, sweat and tears.  I have two favorite pictures from the trip. The first is my finisher photo.  I think you can tell from the look on my face all that I had gone through to stand in that spot.  It wasn't pretty, but as friend of mine named Daniel said - "you look like you earned it."  The second is picture of me and my kids walking my bike back to town so that it could be shipped. It's the day after the race and the sun had broken through the clouds.  Everything was right in the world.  We had another 5 days of a grand adventure ahead of us and the future looked bright.  I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.












One of the local reporters in Wales, Ruth Davies a friend of Denise Roberts, asked me to send her my thoughts after the race. Here is what I sent her: Ironman Wales is in a class of its own. There are no comparable races in the United States. The rugged beauty of the course, the narrow winding roads, the incredible support of the Welsh people are unique and special. If anyone tells you there is harder race anywhere, they do not know what they are talking about. If anyone tells you there is race with more spectator participation they are clueless.
 
In the States Ironman walls off the spectators to keep them away from the racers. In Wales they are part of race as much as the competitors. I saw a granny grab a competitor that was walking. She took him by the hand and made him run with her. I watched the crowd on Heart Break hill catch the rider in front of me when he fell over because he just couldn't turn his crank any more. They set him back on his bike and pushed him until he could pedal again. They yelled my name if they could read my bib and if not they yelled "Go Boy!" with all their heart. I am grateful for their support.

As I was walking down the street with my family in Tenby on Friday morning the gentlemen in front of me turned around to greet me. He said he recognized my accent as American and wanted to thank me for coming to Wales. He was the chairman of the Pembrokeshire County council. On Sunday evening he put the finishers medal around my neck. It was a nice moment and it speaks volumes about the Welsh people.

Thanks to my wife Kelly for letting me chase my dreams, Snapple Triathlon, Xterra Wetsuits, Rudy Project, and Sweatvac for the best gear on earth. Bike Beat Yorktown and Pembrokeshire bikes - Thanks for keeping me on the road. All the folks cheering at home - I'm sorry I let you down. Finally, to my coach, Adam Otstot - you had me as ready as I could have been. All the faults were mine not yours. The race plan was solid, we'll give it a go again in September. I've got a date with destiny at IM Chattanooga in 2016 and I like my chances!