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
Saturday morning started at 6:20 AM. . I went and picked up Troy to meet some other guys out at Lake Jacomo to run the trails. The car temp gauge said 21 degrees out and the wind was pretty strong out of the Northwest. When we got to Jacomo it had started to snow and any moisture on the trail/ground at that point was frozen. I hadn't run the trails before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Tim (a friend and triathlete) said it was just like the Little Blue Trace Trail. Well, it is nothing like Little Blue Trace Trail, that trail is flat and smooth, this trail is hilly, rocky and technical, especially after 4 miles when we hit the singletrack trail where I managed to twist my left ankle twice and my right ankle once and one false step either meant slamming your head into a rock or dropping off the ledge down into the lake. . . I will say though, that I haven't had that much fun in a long long time. It was neat to run with some new guys and to try some new terrain. Next time I am getting some trail running shoes for better traction and taking a fuel belt for water. All in all. . it was AWESOME!!! 10.6 rocky miles. . .
