Redman Results

What a day. . what a race. . .

Redman (Half Ironman: 1.2 mile swim, 58 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) took place on September 20, 2008 in Oklahoma City, OK.

Amy, Jenny and I arrived Thursday night to find the elevators in the Marriot all broken. . .we had to use the service elevator which meant we had to walk through some not so "nice" parts of the hotel. When we got to our room, the rollaway bed was not there and the room seemed small. What now? Call the Country Inn and Suites next door and book a room.

We ended up staying next door in a King non-smoking suite for $10 less a night, plus free breakfast and internet. . we were set. It wasn't the nicest room in the world, but it worked for us.

Friday morning (9/19/08) we woke up and I went on a short 25 minute run. Apparently they don't believe in sidewalks in OKC, so I found myself dodging the morning commute and speeding parents trying to get their kids to school. After the run, we all had breakfast and headed down to the race site to check out the area. After that we drove the bike course, which is good and bad all at the same time. I came to find out that it was not a FLAT course like they promoted and 28 miles out of town always seems really far. . . We costed into 7-eleven after the car showing ZERO miles till empty on the dash and Amy and Jenny telling me to pull over at every gas station. . (7-11 had the cheapest gas and we were making it there if that meant getting out to push).

After driving the course I took my bike on the run course so I could see what that looked like. . it looked long to me, as 13.1 miles should. The run is not my favorite part. :)

Lunch was next at Panera and then back to the race site to check-in and leave the bikes in transition area. Getting my bike out of the car and riding it my front derailluer cable came loose, so I had to have the onsite mechanics fix it for me, which they did and they did a great job too.

We had dinner that night with Troy Smith and family and also with Tim Freeland. We were all down to race the next morning and I think all 3 of us were ready to go. After dinner it was back to the hotel for res and get ready for the next day.

RACE DAY!!! It always seems I wake up before the alarm on race day. . . So we all got up and I met Troy down in the lobby and we headed out to the race to get setup. . wives and family were going to come a little later after breakfast.

Got transition set up and talked with friends from KC that were doing the race. . . got down to the water to see the Full Ironman competitors take off.. then it was time for my heat. .

SWIM:

Got in the water and did a quick warmup. Lined up all the way against the buoy and waited for the countdown. . .

The gun went off and I sprinted for the first 100 meters or so. . to try and get out in the front. I was successful and found a comfortable pace. Finally made it to the turn around spot where I started to catch some of the Ironman swimmers (they had a 15 minute head start). I navigated through the swimmers on the back half of the swim course and really ran into a lot of them at the final buouy turn towards home. I was first out of the water. .

TIME: 26 minutes 43 seconds. 1st in Age Group, 1st Overall

Transition 1:

My goal is to get in and get out. . mission accomplished.

Time: 1 minute 17 seconds

Bike:

Well, if I was going to do well, I needed a fast swim and a fast bike. So my goal was to just go as fast as I could. I did watch my heart rate to make sure that it didn't go crazy, it was higher than normal, but i felt good. My hamstrings and back were tight, but pain is part of it and I just kept giong. Going out of town on the bike route and being in first meant that I was the official start to the race for traffic control, they saw me coming and were quick or sometimes slow to get the intersection shut down so I could pass. It was neat being in first though, I have been first out of the water before but am normally passed on the bike within the first 10 miles or so. Not this time. My goal was to not get passed on the bike and if I did, then I was to keep the guy (or gal) in site the entire time. It was mentally tough all the way out to the turnaround point (28 miles) and being all by myself was also a different feeling, I only looked back once at the only turn around mile 14 and didn't see anyone. From mile 14 to 28 seemed like one big long gradual hill o false flat.

The halfway point (mile 28 turnaround) finally arrived and I knew that I could get a look at my competition. I also saw I was out in 1 hour 13 minutes and 11 seconds and unless I just shutdown, I should be able to break 2 hour 30 minutes on the bike. I actually challenged myself to go back faster than coming out, but that didn't happen.

After the halfway point I kept looking for the next biker to come, but it took longer than I expected. I think at around mile 31 or so, I saw the next biker and then a bunch of them. I got to see all of my competition coming and this made me go faster. I wasn't going to let anyone catch me, plus I had at least a 3 mile lead on them.

Being in first was cool, because a lot of other racers, were telling me "good job" "look strong" "keep going", so for a brief instance I got to feel what it was like to be "fast". I know. . I am not fast. . :)

Coming back the finish seemed like it took forever on the last part on the dam. It was one very very very long dam. . .Finally I made it back, I was first overall still and ready to get after the run.

BIKE TIME: 2 hours 27 minutes 34 seconds 22.8 MPH AVG

3rd fastest bike overall, 1st in age group

T2: I was in and out as fast as I could. The announcer was calling out my name saying I was the first competitor and I was flying. . oh if he only knew how I ran!!! :) 1 minute 11 seconds

RUN:

I took off on the run feeling good, I wanted to average around 8:30 per mile for the first 5K. I noticed that it was starting to get hot and I better start to drink. I grabbed a little bit of water/gatorade at the first aid station. My first mile time was 7:58 Perfect! I could even slow down a little on the next two miles and then just try to build into the run. Well at the 1.5 mile mark it happened. . I noticed a twinge in my left hamstring, and all I could think was, oh no, not now!!!! Then it cramped! IT WAS BAD AND PAINFUL!!!!

I came to a complete stop trying to stretch it out. . eventually I fell to the ground beause of the pain and tried to stretch it out. . I thought for an instant about just hiking it back to the start (I was only 1.5 miles out) and calling it a day. . but no, I could never quit or Do Not Finish (DNF) a race. That wasn't my style.

I got back up and the hamstring cramped again. . I fell to the ground and started to stretch it out. I figured at this point, my first place wouldn't last for long and that if anything I just needed to get up and start moving. I got up and started a slow walk/hobble. . then a right legged run (very disturbing to watch) and then just started to jog slowly.

I could feel the remains of the cramp in my hamstring but I was able to jog/shuffle for the next mile or so. My mile 2 split was 10 minutes, so I knew that any shot of holding off the other athletes was not in the works. I hit the next aid station(s) just taking in as much gatorade and water that I could.

After leaving each one, I could hear shortly after them cheering the next competitor. . . that is a strange feeling, knowing that they are coming (you can't see them, but you can hear it).

At about mile 5 to 5.5 it happend, I got passed. Really I didn't think I would hold them off for that long, but the first guy to pass was a Team Athlete, meaning he was just doing the run part since two different guys did the swim and then bike for that team.

Shortly after he passed the next guy to pass me was just moving a little faster than me. .I told him congratulations, he is now in first place and he said "not for long, they are coming, I am not a good runner". I paced off him the best I could and just waited for the others to come. One other guy passed me right before the turnaround and then on the way back to the finish I could see them all coming. My goal at this point was to limit the damage. I was looking for ages on the back of legs so I could see what other 30-34 year olds were passing me.

I saw friends on the course, two Bike Stop Teammates, Tim Freeland who was looking strong and Troy Smith who was looking very strong (bike faste next time). Tim had a personal best and did an awesome job by getting 2nd in his age group. Troy had a personal record and broke 6 hours! (not bad for his first triathlon season)

To make a long story short. . .I was only passed by two 30-34 year olds, which meant I got 3rd in my age group. My main goal was to break 5 hours. . . I was coming down the final stretch, I saw. . 4:59:55 . . 56. . . 57. . . 58 . . 59 . . .5 hours .. flash before my eyes . I was not going to make it.

RUN TIME: 2 hours 3 minutes 23 seconds
I am not going to even say what place it was overall or my age group. :)

I was tired. . that was all I could think of. :) Well that and Dr. Pepper.

Overall time: 5 hours 6 seconds

Overall Place: 14th out of 314

Age Group: 3rd out of 37

Taper and Redman

Well. . . the season is winding down to an end. The benefit and disadvantage of doing an Ironman in June is that you have a big base of fitness to draw on for the rest of summer, but at the same time all the other races after Ironman just don't seem as important. Luckily this year, my attitude and training has been much better than last and I am ready to get the last race of the season over and done.

Racing a Half Ironman Distance race (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) can be tricky at best. It is long enough that you can't go all out from the beginning and hammer the bike and then hang on for the run and it isn't long enough (like a full Ironman) that you are always pacing yourself and watching the heartrate to make sure it stays around 70%. No, a Half Ironman is somewhere along the lines of suffering and pain with a little bit of mental anguish thrown in.

I have only done one other Half Ironman and that was in September of 2005. I attempted to do two others, but both were cancelled (long story). So, my experience with this distance of a race is not that great. I have a game plan, but executing the plan is the trick.

So the taper started this past weekend. Basically a Taper is a way to decrease the volume of training while maintaing a higher intensity for a shorter period. So instead of a 3 hour bike ride, you would do a 1.5 hour bike ride but at a slightly faster pace. Get the picture? This allows your body to repair itself and for muscles to rebuild and strengthen. While the body enjoys this time, the mind is second guessing itself. It says to do more, go harder, run faster, swim longer. . .

Oh, and don't get me started on the stomach, it still wants the same amount of food that you were eating all along the 5 hour rides and 2.5 hour runs that you were doing before. . . it says fill me up. . . even though you really don't need it. :)

Yes, the taper is a tricky thing. Luckily I am feeling great. . swimming fast in practice, biking really well and actually had a decent and fast (for me) run this morning. Now we just need to see what happens on race day.

Here is a link for the race. Of course I will post results after it is all over and give my race report. Just 3 more days to keep the mind in check and the stomach convinced that it doesn't need any more food. :)

http://www.redmantriathlon.com/

Tour of Missouri

Tour of Missouri 2008:

For those that don't know what the Tour of Missouri is, in short is it a stage race across Missouri by the world's best professional cyclists. It is a great opportunity to see a world class race close up. Basically it would be like going to a playoff game or baseball or football and being able to be on the field.

Here are some photos from the event. Pics of bikes. To be exact Prince bikes, some of the best and most expensive in the world. I think I enjoyed walking by the team cars and checking out all of the equipment as much as the race. .. .well, almost as much.

Giant bikes: This is Mark Cavendish's bike, he won the stage and he is regarded as one of the top sprinters in the world.

Here is the final push to the finish. . these guys are moving. . smokin fast. This is at the end of 90 miles and I am sure their legs are burning, but they are pushing close to 40 mph. . . WOW!!!

These two Rock Racing guys fell off the back and were just helping each other to the finish. I think one of them crashed earlier in the day and the other is actually helping him to cross the finish line.

This is my new best friend, George Hincapie. If you don't know who George is, then Google his name. It should return with about a million hits. He helped Lance Armstrong to all 7 of his Tour De France victories. George is one of the greatest American cyclists of all times. When I saw him, he was about to get back into the team bus, but I called out "George, it's me!!!" and he came right over. Well, actually I called out "George, just one more picture" and he was nice enough to come over. Then a reporter got a hold of him so he took pics with me and was answering the reporter's questions. Anyway, I like the picture.