Galveston was the first time for the RV experiment. It was awesome. It made everything so much easier. Drove into town and found a parking spot near the back of the parking lot and got ready for bed. In the morning I stepped out the door and went to packet pick up. Because of my All World Athlete status I went straight to the front of a long line. After I picked up my packet I walked 200 yards to the RV and put my gear together, set up the grill and had lunch. This year the weather was cold, windy, and rainy. It was nice to have shelter nearby instead of parking so far and then navigating traffic while soaking wet to get back to a hotel.
Race morning I woke up early because some athletes starting arriving at 4am even though transition didn’t open until 5am. I decided to go ahead and have breakfast and then lay back down. 5am rolls around so I get dressed and walk out to air up my tires and set up my transition. It was cold and started to rain again. I quickly walked back to the RV to warm and put on my wetsuit while everyone else was outside freezing and trying to put their wetsuit on while wet. Kelly and Jeff met up with me and I decided I would let them hang out in the RV. Kelly had a start time 2 hrs later so she had time to relax in the cozy comforts of a couch while waiting for the gun.
Swim
It is usually windy at this race but this year it seemed worse. The water was so choppy it was hard to get into a groove. The direction of the wind and waves was head on until the first turn. My plan was to go hard out to the first turn and then settle into a better pace. This plan did not work. I was fighting the water the entire time and loosing. I went out so hard my legs were on fire from kicking so hard. After about 5 minutes in I had to find a kayak and rest. Normally, I would have made the turn by now but not today. After catching my breath I took off again but didn’t realize I was on the kayak so long. After the first turn you had the waves with you so it was easier to relax. My goal for the swim was 30-33 minutes. I came out of the water 400meters long and in a time of 40 minutes. Time to catch up
T1
I sprinted up the long ramp and into transition after a smooth exit from my awesome new Roka Maverick Pro wetsuit. I had a little glitch getting my socks on but other than that things were pretty smooth.
Bike
There was a storm scheduled to arrive around 10am so my goal was to beat it before the turn around. On most years you get the wind coming off the gulf but this year we had a cold front blow in from the north. This gave you a good tail wind. I was cruising around 24-27mph. My power was a little high but I felt good so I let it fly. Around mile 23 it started to rain. My thoughts, “Drats, I didn’t beat the storm”. I could tell the wind was starting to pick up. I decided to put my head down and push to get to the turn around as soon as possible then I could relax my legs a bit. I hit the turn around at 1:10:00. By far the fastest I have ever pedaled that distance. My mistake was that I misjudged the wind direction. We now had a cross wind which is some times worse. I was pushing the same power but dropped to around 19-20mph. Just before coming into transition the wind changed directions and I had a tailwind. I was able to give my legs a little rest before I hit the run. My bike split was a new PR at 2:40:00. Now to see if can run.
T2.
My T2 was, and usually is pretty swift. My mistake was not knowing the logistics of the transition. I ran completely around the wrong way. I am guessing I lost at least a minute. So much for a fast T2.
Run
My run was a question mark. I broke a rib just as I was starting my Ironman build. I only had about 5 weeks of consistent training and my longest run was only 10 miles. I knew this was going to hurt. I wanted to keep my pace easy and unlike last year I just wanted to make it to mile one before stopping. I was trying to go slow but I was running a 7:30 pace so I really had to focus on slowing down. I made it to mile 1 and felt good. My thought was. Mission accomplished. I set out to do better than last year and so far so good. My next goal was to finish the run and minimize walking. After the first of 3 loops I felt pretty good once I got my legs and my only thoughts were stay hydrated and keep it easy so we can finish. I got to mile 10 and was entering unknown territory. I saw team mate Robert Morales and he helped motivate and pace me. He was moving at a pretty good clip so I just wanted to keep him in sight. We met up at the next aid station and ran together. I was really starting to hurt when Robert asked me what my time goal was. I said I just wanted to finish in the same run time I did last year. Then he asked what is that. I said 2hrs., so I only have 2 and half minutes to get there. I don’t think it is going to happen. Robert said “well lets go get it”. He pushed me to the finish and I was able to muster up the strength I didn’t think I had in me and sprinted to the finish. Run time, 2:00:00 on the dot. Thanks for the motivation Robert. I would have just cruised in without your encouragement.
Considering the set back I had and a less than perfect swim, I was very happy with my results. I put every bit of effort I had into that race and I could not have gone any faster. I took a gamble and trusted in my training to go hard when I could and it paid off. Even though my placement wasn’t what I wished it to be, that was the best my body had to give on that day and I can’t ask for anything more. To me, pushing your limits and giving all you have deserves a gold medal effort regardless of your standings. Thanks to my family who made the trip to watch my race and Jeff for helping set up and break down our team tent. It was motivating to know I would see you all every time I turned that corner. Next year I will dominate that swim.
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