Ouch! As I write this my face is peeling and my shoulders are sure to follow soon. I put spf 50 on before I went in the water and then in T2 a volunteer reapplied on my shoulders. Somehow I still managed to turn into a lobster before the end. I need to figure out how to fix this issue before I race again in Kona. Yuck – lots of little bits of dead skin everywhere. How attractive.
This was my second Ironman (after 2008 IM Wisconsin). I chose to race the 2011 IM Lake Placid because it was a close and because there are usually lots of people from the NJ triathlon community up there competing, so there is a sense of camaraderie. I had a wonderful experience in my first race and surpassed my expectations by finishing in 10:12 but thought I might be able to go under 10 hours by getting better at all the disciplines: swim, bike, run and transition. So, I began swimming with a competitive group at the Red Bank YMCA, I bought a faster tri bike, I started lifting weights, did speed work (run and bike), and bought a unisuit all in anticipation of the Lake Placid.
While I did get faster, there were some unanticipated race day events and unintentional race plan effects that made this sub-10 goal a bit more difficult. A warm Mirror Lake lead to a "no wetsuit" rule for the swim, which slowed everyone down. A strong and powerful bike ride sapped energy from my legs for a run that was hotter than expected. At the end of a long day, I did finish under 10 hours! But I did it in a way I wasn't anticipating –mostly on the strength of an improved bike split. I finished with a time of 9:57:44 and came in at 36th place out of over 2332 (start field was supposedly over 3000). I was 32 out of all the men and 7th in my division (Men 35-39). Finally, I was among the leaders of my division, which let me have a slot for the World Championships in Kona, HI this October! So training will continue for another couple months.
Here is a breakdown of my race:
Here is a breakdown of my race:
Swim:
From March to July I worked out 3 days a week with the "Morning Wrecking Crew" – as I call them – at the Red Bank YMCA. Mostly ex-collegiate swimmers, I am one of the slowest in the pool every day. The beatings they inflicted through their sadistic workouts began to help me out, though. I saw my splits for 100-300 yards drop precipitously over the spring. Heck – I could swim 100 yard repeats on 1:20s! I could swim 3x300s at 3:52 pace! With this new found speed came confidence that I could break 1 hour for the swim. I swam 55 minutes with a wetsuit at the NavEsink-or-swim and thought 58 minutes for the ironman would be within my reach.However, in the days before the race, Lake Placid saw some very hot weather. On Thursday when we arrived it was 95F. This anomalous Adirondack heat made the swim more challenging because of one IM rule: If the water temperature is above 76.1 F, wetsuits are optional. This means that contenders for Kona slots and podium places
can't wear wetsuits. On race morning the official temperature of 77 F was taken, which meant I could not compete in a wetsuit. I would cautiously estimate that 19 in 20 athletes did have a wetsuit. This created some apprehension - how fast will I swim? Where should I start? Where do I tread water waiting for the start? I had to figure all these things out very quickly on race morning. Gerry had advised holding on to the dock on the wrong side of the course markers, but the officials were kicking people out of that area.
I ended up clutching the dock close to the starting pole until 2 minutes to go and then I swam out 5-10 yards to get into the fray. Immediately after the cannon roared, all hell broke loose. I was in a sea of very buoyant bodies all protected from flailing limbs and gouging fingers. Me (and a few others) were left to take punches (in my face) and kicks and to resist drowning. It wasn't so much a race at first – it was more of a blender of chaos.
I swam along the line holding the buoys mostly to my right (wrong side) in the rectangular course. Sometimes I swam right on top of the line, ducking under the large floats every 100 meters or so. At the corners I made sure I went around the buoys legally. I did get into a few good packs, but the pace felt too slow many times. I jumped from pack to pack, but without a wetsuit the effort to do this was very taxing. I swam my first lap in 31 minutes and my total swim time was 64 minutes – two minutes slower than 2008 Wisconsin.
I swam along the line holding the buoys mostly to my right (wrong side) in the rectangular course. Sometimes I swam right on top of the line, ducking under the large floats every 100 meters or so. At the corners I made sure I went around the buoys legally. I did get into a few good packs, but the pace felt too slow many times. I jumped from pack to pack, but without a wetsuit the effort to do this was very taxing. I swam my first lap in 31 minutes and my total swim time was 64 minutes – two minutes slower than 2008 Wisconsin.Looking at other racers from Navesink-or-swim, (Jason Shortis swam a 52:36 in May in the sink-or-swim and then swam a 57:39 in Lake Placid) I would expect a 5 minute advantage for swimming with a wetsuit. Thus, my sink-or-swim would have predicted around 59 minutes in Lake Placid.
Lap 1: 31 minutes
Lap 2: 33 minutesTotal Swim Time: 64:48
Overall swim place: 213 (this includes people that used a wetsuit, though).
Bike:
Maybe I psych myself out a bit too much on bike courses. I was worried going into Wisconsin after driving the course but completed it in 5:33:53. However, compared to Wisconsin, I was down-right scared in Lake Placid after a June training weekend with Brian Stone. Everything around me in NJ is flat with some pimples thrown in here and there. LP has one of the hardest (if not the hardest) bike course on the IM circuit. The course is comprised of two 56 mile laps through the Adirondacks, looping from Lake Placid, to Keene, to Ausable Forks to Wilmington and back to Lake Placid. In each lap there are 2600 feet of climbing! Needless to say, I didn't feel like my NJ training prepared me for the course very well.
To take the sting out of the bike course I started lifting weights in January. I got progressively stronger and felt fast while training long hours on the bike. On my peak training week before the race I rode 340 miles in 7 days (and ran 46 miles and swam for 3 hours).
After the swim and T1, I rode out of transition in control and feeling strong. After passing the horse show grounds I started the climb to the cascades. I passed lots of people there. At one point I asked someone what their swim time was to see how much time I had made up already – I made two minutes back before the first aid station at mile 4.
I flew downhill from the Cascades to Keene and rode in control to Ausable Forks. There were some packs around me and I saw several drafting violations called on people 50 meters in front of me. I kept a consistent pace that I thought I could hold for an extended period. Coming back from AF I had traveled 35 miles in the first 90 minutes of biking for an average of 23 mph!
At one point on the first lap between AF and Jay I reached into my back pocket to get my last clif bar and pulled out my salt tablet container which promptly fell to the side of the road. I tried to look for it in the second lap, but had to make do without salt during the bike ride.
On the first lap up the hill from Jay to Wilmington I pushed hard and passed a lot of people. This is where lifting weights over the winter (and the weight I lost) really paid off. I powered up the Haselton Rd out and back at 21-22 mph and then settled in for the climb to Lake Placid. I ticked off the Cherries and the Bears without drama (great crowd support!). At the top of Papa Bear I saw my Brother and Bri quickly as I turned onto Northwood Rd and then rode past the house back into town. You know what? The first lap really wasn't all that bad. I crushed it (for me). I averaged 22 mph for the first 57 miles.
On the second lap things started to fall apart on the bike (relatively speaking). I was tired from pushing hard and my legs started to cramp a bit going up the hills. A North wind also picked up, making the trip out to AF harder than the last time. My goal was to never let the speedometer get below 20 mph on the flats and I mostly succeeded in this.
The nice thing about a North wind in Lake Placid is that it pushes you up to Lake Placid from
After the swim and T1, I rode out of transition in control and feeling strong. After passing the horse show grounds I started the climb to the cascades. I passed lots of people there. At one point I asked someone what their swim time was to see how much time I had made up already – I made two minutes back before the first aid station at mile 4.
I flew downhill from the Cascades to Keene and rode in control to Ausable Forks. There were some packs around me and I saw several drafting violations called on people 50 meters in front of me. I kept a consistent pace that I thought I could hold for an extended period. Coming back from AF I had traveled 35 miles in the first 90 minutes of biking for an average of 23 mph!
At one point on the first lap between AF and Jay I reached into my back pocket to get my last clif bar and pulled out my salt tablet container which promptly fell to the side of the road. I tried to look for it in the second lap, but had to make do without salt during the bike ride.
On the first lap up the hill from Jay to Wilmington I pushed hard and passed a lot of people. This is where lifting weights over the winter (and the weight I lost) really paid off. I powered up the Haselton Rd out and back at 21-22 mph and then settled in for the climb to Lake Placid. I ticked off the Cherries and the Bears without drama (great crowd support!). At the top of Papa Bear I saw my Brother and Bri quickly as I turned onto Northwood Rd and then rode past the house back into town. You know what? The first lap really wasn't all that bad. I crushed it (for me). I averaged 22 mph for the first 57 miles.
On the second lap things started to fall apart on the bike (relatively speaking). I was tired from pushing hard and my legs started to cramp a bit going up the hills. A North wind also picked up, making the trip out to AF harder than the last time. My goal was to never let the speedometer get below 20 mph on the flats and I mostly succeeded in this.
The nice thing about a North wind in Lake Placid is that it pushes you up to Lake Placid from
Wilmington. Because of this, the part of the course I dreaded the most really wasn't all that bad. I never lost a lot of time going up the final hilly 12 mile section. At the end of the bike course, while I was rolling into town I knew I had expended a lot of energy, but was confident that I had pulled off a good ride because there weren't a lot of people with me and there were almost no bikes racked when I got in.
Bike Nutrition: Because I had lost my salt tablets on the first lap of the bike course I tried to make up my sodium deficiency by consuming gels, which had a significant amount of salt in them (200 mg of sodium in each one). I had 4 gels on the bike. In addition to this I consumed 2 bottles of Accelerade, 2 clif bars, 4x(1/2 power bar), 3 bottles of water and 2 bottles of powerade.Here is the Garmin Output from my ride:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/102018985
Bike Split: 5:22:17
Bike Place (overall) 60. I gained 154 places on the bike ride and T1.
Bike Split: 5:22:17
Bike Place (overall) 60. I gained 154 places on the bike ride and T1.
Run:
I have always been a strong, albeit not elite, runner. I wasn't worried about the run that much during training and worked to keep my speed through trackwork while I concentrated on my biking. The run course consists of a couple of out-and-backs from Lake Placid. The first long leg travels downhill mostly following a small river for 5.5 miles. The second leg is a shorter 1 mile section next to mirror lake. You do that twice and then finish on the speed skating oval in the Olympic village. The course didn't look that hard while I was there and I was confident I could do well and run faster than I had in Wisconsin (3:23:18).
I have always been a strong, albeit not elite, runner. I wasn't worried about the run that much during training and worked to keep my speed through trackwork while I concentrated on my biking. The run course consists of a couple of out-and-backs from Lake Placid. The first long leg travels downhill mostly following a small river for 5.5 miles. The second leg is a shorter 1 mile section next to mirror lake. You do that twice and then finish on the speed skating oval in the Olympic village. The course didn't look that hard while I was there and I was confident I could do well and run faster than I had in Wisconsin (3:23:18).
My LP marathon target was a 3:15:00, so prior to the start I set my watch to beep at me every 7:26 to keep me at this pace. When I would get to a mile marker my watch should have beeped in time with my pace. If I were slow the beep would occur before the mile marker (fast would be beyond the marker).
When I got off the bike I immediately knew this would be a difficult endeavor. My legs were tired as soon as I started running and it was hot (78 F) and humid. (see the geeky plot below...). In Wisconsin I stopped at every other aid station. In LP I probably hit 20 of the 26 water stops on the course taking in wet sponges, ice, water, powerade, gels, grapes, ice, water and more ice.
I took off from T2 and ran the first few miles fast – too fast, and tried to slow down. Eventually I did. After what seemed like an eternity I made the turn at the bottom and then back up to the ski jumps at the correct pace. Then the first hill hit. I slowed down considerably. 8 minute miles were not uncommon at this point. The second hill (into town) also zapped me. I don't ever remember hurting on a climb that much (and it isn't even that big!) My legs were shot.
I took off from T2 and ran the first few miles fast – too fast, and tried to slow down. Eventually I did. After what seemed like an eternity I made the turn at the bottom and then back up to the ski jumps at the correct pace. Then the first hill hit. I slowed down considerably. 8 minute miles were not uncommon at this point. The second hill (into town) also zapped me. I don't ever remember hurting on a climb that much (and it isn't even that big!) My legs were shot.
When I got to the top by the town hall I saw my family for the first time. They were all decked
out in Team McNamara colors with cool Spongebob images hand-painted on the front of each shirt. I don't know how long that took to make, but thanks – that really got me through some tough parts of the course.
Once past my family, even the false flat section to the end of Mirror Lake Drive hurt. All I could think was: "I have to do this lap again? – Am I crazy?" However, when I turned around at the top of the Drive I felt better and started motoring downhill. The second lap felt a bit cooler as the sun had moved to provide a little more shade down in the woods next to the river. I had bad cotton mouth (I thought that was a bad sign) and drank as often as I could.With 6 miles to go knew I was almost done. I plodded up the ski jump hill again and planned out my last 2-3 water stops, taking water at 3 miles to go and cola at 2 miles to go
. From there I mustered my last remaining energy, ran up the last hill and then sped through the last two miles at a faster pace.Coming into the Olympic oval I felt elated(because I could stop running any second now...). As I turned the last corner I saw my time was under 10 hours and kicked even harder. I passed my family one last time and under the finish arch at 9:57. The medic on the other side caught and held me - he was worried. I had that 1000 yard stare and my stomach was very upset (with me). Everything was fine, though - I was just so tired... Eventually he half-carried me to the food tent and I sat down, finally. I tell you Sprite and pizza never tasted so good!
My run split was a 3:23:44 (30 seconds slower that Wisconsin!)Run place (overall): 53
In Wisconsin I changed from a Wetsuit/Speedo to a biking kit and then from that to a running outfit in T1 and T2 respectively. This took a lot of time (T1 8:38, T2 4:08). I upgraded my equipment to race in a Blue Seventy uni-suit for LP. This helped my transition times considerably. I didn't have to get my wet suit peeled and I ran out of transitions easily. I cut my transition time in half, even with the 1/4 mile run from Mirror Lake to T1!
T1 4:48
T2: 2:09
The House:
During Wisconsin I stayed in a hotel with my Brother and Bri. It was comforting to have family there to help and support me. I don't think I could have finished that first one without them. This time Bri, Don and I stayed in a rental house with a group of very inspirational mostly first-time ironman athletes. When Brian and I arrived at the house on Thursday afternoon it felt like MTV's Real World. We had to
find and claim our rooms while getting to know everyone in the house. Except in this episode there weren't any abusive, violent muscle heads and no "Snookies". We all got along great – it was wonderful meet these people and to learn from their trials and tribulations. From cooking to cleaning to cheering each other on – it really was a friendly, wonderful, welcoming environment. Needless to say, between the scenery in Lake Place, the cooler temperatures of the Adirondacks and these great people, I didn't want to return to New Jersey on Tuesday.
- Derek: thanks for renting 115 Northwood and collecting this group of wonderful people together
- Denise: thanks for cleaning, race advice, and cleaning (and cleaning).
- Danni: Congrats on your first race! You were awesome.
- Jen: You were so inspirational. I don't know if I could have been out there for that long without giving up. You certainly dug into a pain reserve that I probably don't have.
- Matt: Incredible. Congrats on a great swim and thanks for your words of encouragement. You were certainly moving around a lot better than the rest of us.
- Brian: Thanks for hauling my butt around the eastern seaboard getting to and from Lake Placid for training and for the race. I really had a great time. Congrats on your first IM! You did great.
- Mark: For someone that "didn't train that much" you certainly had a great race. Congrats on a great race.
- 115 Northwood Spouses and Various Family Members: You really helped so much. Besides helping to eat 100 pounds of bananas, your help 'sherpaing' and cooking and cleaning and generally dealing with neurotic racers was very much welcome. (this includes Seb and Sarah for cooking and driving to the start and cheering us!).
- Family: Virtually my entire family on my Dad's side showed up for me. When I ran past them and slapped hands it greatly lifted my spirits. Those shirts were awesome, too. Thank you so much. Thanks to Don for coming, too. Your support was wonderful.
- Training partners (riding): Gerry, Greg , Cliff, James and Steve – thanks for riding with me and for imparting your race wisdom on me. I saw most of my improvement on the bike and could not have done it without the bike, the wheels, the knowledge and the ability.
- Training partners (swimming): The morning wrecking crew at the Red Bank YMCA really kicked my butt this year. My swim time would have been 5 minutes slower without their help.
- Training partners (running): I ran a lot of lonely solo miles this season. Any break from that monotony was welcome. Thanks go out to those people that showed up for planned (and informal) group runs with me out of Leonardo and in California (Ray, Mike, Mike, Dave, GVHs).
- Bike Shop: Thank you to the Brielle Cyclery. They really kept my bike moving smoothly and helped me find the best racing kit. Kathy, Clarence and Patrick: thank you for your expertise and patience.
- Finally, a special thank you to my wife, Brianne. She is a wonderful and patient soul who has
Thanks and Shout-outs (in no particular order):
- Derek: thanks for renting 115 Northwood and collecting this group of wonderful people together
- Denise: thanks for cleaning, race advice, and cleaning (and cleaning).
- Danni: Congrats on your first race! You were awesome.
- Jen: You were so inspirational. I don't know if I could have been out there for that long without giving up. You certainly dug into a pain reserve that I probably don't have.
- Matt: Incredible. Congrats on a great swim and thanks for your words of encouragement. You were certainly moving around a lot better than the rest of us.
- Brian: Thanks for hauling my butt around the eastern seaboard getting to and from Lake Placid for training and for the race. I really had a great time. Congrats on your first IM! You did great.
- Mark: For someone that "didn't train that much" you certainly had a great race. Congrats on a great race.
- 115 Northwood Spouses and Various Family Members: You really helped so much. Besides helping to eat 100 pounds of bananas, your help 'sherpaing' and cooking and cleaning and generally dealing with neurotic racers was very much welcome. (this includes Seb and Sarah for cooking and driving to the start and cheering us!).
- Family: Virtually my entire family on my Dad's side showed up for me. When I ran past them and slapped hands it greatly lifted my spirits. Those shirts were awesome, too. Thank you so much. Thanks to Don for coming, too. Your support was wonderful.- Training partners (riding): Gerry, Greg , Cliff, James and Steve – thanks for riding with me and for imparting your race wisdom on me. I saw most of my improvement on the bike and could not have done it without the bike, the wheels, the knowledge and the ability.
- Training partners (swimming): The morning wrecking crew at the Red Bank YMCA really kicked my butt this year. My swim time would have been 5 minutes slower without their help.
- Training partners (running): I ran a lot of lonely solo miles this season. Any break from that monotony was welcome. Thanks go out to those people that showed up for planned (and informal) group runs with me out of Leonardo and in California (Ray, Mike, Mike, Dave, GVHs).
- Bike Shop: Thank you to the Brielle Cyclery. They really kept my bike moving smoothly and helped me find the best racing kit. Kathy, Clarence and Patrick: thank you for your expertise and patience.
- Finally, a special thank you to my wife, Brianne. She is a wonderful and patient soul who has
stuck with me, even through my 28 hour training week in June. I don't know how she does it. Thank you for supporting, for carrying, for feeding and for caring for me. I love you, honey!
What's Next:
Yeah – Kona is in October. I am taking today and tomorrow to figure out my schedule for this craziness. I need some time off and then I will ramp up my training again before tapering one last time. I have never raced two marathons so close together in the year. Two full Ironman triathlons are daunting and scary. I need to start looking at the bike course and preparing to run when "it feels like the soles of your shoes are melting on the road".
Yeah – Kona is in October. I am taking today and tomorrow to figure out my schedule for this craziness. I need some time off and then I will ramp up my training again before tapering one last time. I have never raced two marathons so close together in the year. Two full Ironman triathlons are daunting and scary. I need to start looking at the bike course and preparing to run when "it feels like the soles of your shoes are melting on the road".
