IRONMAN TEXApocalypse 2016

What an insane race. If I hadn’t raced it, I wouldn’t believe it happened. There were so many issues leading into this race it seemed like Ironman Texas was cursed from the beginning. It all started with the construction that forced officials to alter the original bike course. After finding an approved course the floods happened and washed away roads that were to be used. Back to the drawing board. The result was a bike course that everyone considered to be a joke. Because of logistics, permits, and the lack of time the course was shortened from 112 to 95 miles. This bummed a lot of people out including myself. I had trained very hard and was ready to dominate the 112 mile course. The changes resulted in a course that included 84 turns within that 95 miles. Most Ironman bike courses are out-and-back, one big loop, or multiple loops.   See below. 

If the uncertainty of the bike course wasn’t enough of a headache to deal with, 2 days before the race the officials decided to change the swim course because of E. Coli. We now had a different swim course than what I was familiar with. In the past you would swim the last 1200 meters down a canal with spectators on either side of the river and yelling from the bridges you pass under. It is probably one of my favorite parts of this race. Not to mention that it is fast if you pace yourself correctly. Now we are swimming one giant loop that covered the entire perimeter of the lake. They must not have had time to verify the course because everyone I talked to said it measured 300-500 yards too long. We now also had two transitions that change the logistics of race morning. Not a huge deal but mentally it can have an effect on you. Pre-prep goes fine. Just relaxed and caught a movie the day before the race after checking in my bike and gear bags. 

Race Morning- For the first time in 5 yrs I was able to sleep before the big day. I woke up and was so pumped and full of energy. I laid in bed going over the race in my head. My Sherpa AKA Suzy Cakes, arrived a little early to pick me up and caught me by surprise. I didn’t want to keep her waiting so I rushed to finish getting ready. Grabbed all my stuff in a rush and threw it in my swim bag. I grabbed my bottles that I had in the freezer and realized they were not cold. I grabbed a small cooler and rushed down stairs to put ice so I didn’t have to drink hot @InifinitNutrition. We head over to the run transition to drop off my run bottles and I discovered that I forgot to put my running glasses in the bag. We leave and start our way to the swim start which is also the bike transition. I load my water bottles, make sure my powermeter is synced and all batteries are charged. I air up my tires and walk over to drop of my morning clothes bag along with my run and bike special needs. What a waste of time that ended being. I find my buddy Rick and we get ready for the swim and this is when I start to panic. I am digging through my swim gear and can’t find my Roka swim skin. I knew exactly where it was. In my rush to get out the door I grabbed my stuff and my speed suit fell over the ottoman I had it on. 

THE SWIM- 

Thanks to Suzy for running back to the hotel and finding it. She got back just in time to zip me up. I ran about 100 yards to the swim start and the gun went off before I could get to the front where I wanted to seed myself. I thought if I can’t find a fast group to swim with I will just keep my distance from the “washing machine” and do my own thing. I got in and stayed far to the  right. I swam the first 1000 meters all alone. It was nice to race the way you practice with a  full stroke and not have to worry about feet, elbows, and hands all around you. 

 The bad thing was that there was fog on the water and it was hard to sight. This Photo taken by a volunteer on a kayak gives a good perspective off what we had to deal with. The swimmers are only about 20 yards away but you can hardly see them. I hold my line and use the athletes around me to navigate. As I start to merge into the group, all the swimmers that seeded themselves beyond their ability were starting to fall off the pace.

It was nice because I could easily pull away from them and find the next set of feet to follow. Swimming with a group of 3000 athletes has its challenges, especially as you get to the turns. Everyone wants to hug that inside corner, myself included, and it gets very crowded. Some one hit my garmin and changed the mode. I stop and reset it before I continue across to the turn-around. Then it happens again only I didn’t notice it until I stopped to check my distance and pace. Reset. With all the stopping to fix the garmin and the 4 times I stopped to drain my goggles I figured that I lost 3-5 minutes. The good thing about leaky goggles is that, at least they don’t fog up. The sun was starting to lift the fog but it was still a little difficult for me to see but I could make out the bridge and knew I was getting close. I picked up my pace and immediately started to get a cramp in my foot. This is normal for me when swimming this distance, but it usually goes away once I relax my kick. What is not usual is my forearms started to cramp, which made be think, I usually pee during the swim by now. This is not looking good. Remember all the chaos at the beginning of the race? Well, I was so freaked out that I forgot to finish all my pre race nutrition and hydration. The water was 80 degrees and I could tell I was very dehydrated. Inner dialogue: “Just hold back a little and finish. You are almost there.” I could hear announcer Mike Reilly, and before I knew it I was making the last turn and had about 400 meters to the finish. I figured I could sprint it out at this point and risk getting cramps. Knowing I was so close would help me finish even with cramps. I get out of the water and check the time. I was so bummed when I saw how late it was. I grab my gear bag and head to the changing tent.  Swim time 1:23:?? Way off my predicted time of 1:10:00

T1- Based on previous years I knew it would be hot and the possibly of getting burns on my feet today would be pretty high so I decided to wear socks on the bike. I knew it was going to be very sunny and I decide to wear my long sleeve to protect me from the sun. Putting on a compression shirt with sleeves while wet is almost impossible. It took two awesome volunteers to help get it on. They were slinging me around like a rag doll. It was probably pretty funny to watch if you were on the outside looking in. I grab my helmet and the visor falls off. I probably spend a good 2-3 minutes trying to get it to stay without falling out again. I finally make it to my bike and I am shocked to see that most of the bikes around me are still on the rack. I head out of transition which was a really long distance to carry your bike. I battle 2 guys that will not let me pass. Every year I see someone crash at the mount line because everyone gets to the mount line and stops to get on the bike. I yell to the athletes in front of me to keep going “don’t get on your bike yet. Keep going or you will get run over”! Sometimes you have to be assertive. In my mind I was helping them.

BIKE-   

 I get going and see my Support crew James, Suzy, Michele, and Leia. I didn’t see but could hear Kelly yelling for me.

It was hot with little wind starting out but I knew the wind was going to pick up. I start taking in my custom secret @infinit formula and try to replace all the fluids I lost in the water.  I push my power a little higher than I would normally, but not hard enough to cause damage. The roads were pretty fast and smooth except for a rough patch for a few miles around mile 20. If you take out about 40 of the 84 turns this is a very fast bike course. I settle in holding a steady power output and monitor my nutrition. The pelotons and pace lines were rampant on this flat course. More so than what I saw at Ironman Florida. Some unintentional drafting is normal but I tried to stay legal and just run my own race trying not to get caught up in the race mentally, yet. It is very frustrating to work so hard and see so many people cheat, especially when it's clear they will not be podium contenders but they could drop your overall standing. I am mostly by myself for most of the bike. I turn into the wind and put my head down to watch that my power doesn’t spike too much. Then I see a guy on a road bike come up next to me and I just keep my head down and do my own thing. Then I hear someone yell, “whats your number”? I sit up and look around.”Me?” I ask. It was an official on a motorbike. It must have been in stealth mode or I was just so focused on my power I didn’t hear or notice them next me. The road biker didn’t complete his pass and I guess to the official it looked like blocking. The official never shows me a penalty card but tells me to check in at the next penalty tent and then I can go. My fault. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings, so I own it.  I decide to push my efforts a little knowing I was going to be forced to stop. For the most part I rode as perfect of a bike split as you can with all the turns. Besides this incident my ride is pretty uneventful, except I just realized I only peed once on the bike. My standard protocol for making sure I am not dehydrated starting the run is to pee 2 times before starting the run. I forced myself to drink until my stomach couldn’t hold any more and started getting bloated and distended.  If I knew the only other penalty tent was right at the bike finish I would have rode a little harder. I get to the tent. I give them my number and the nice ladies ask what my penalty was for? Apparently, I beat the official to the tent and my info wasn’t turned in. I said that I didn’t know for sure. They asked what color card I was given. “I didn’t get a card. The official just said stop at the next penalty tent and check in and go.” They kept asking what color  the card was and because I didn’t get a card I guess the default was to make you wait 5 minutes. I was well into the first minute when I ask, “is someone timing me. Can we just start the clock so I can get out of here?!” Normally you are are forced to stand over your bike and are not allowed to drink. I guess they felt bad so they said I could get off and stretch. They kept telling me to drink up and stay hydrated. They clearly didn’t know the official rules of the penalty tent. The worst part of this penalty is that the finish is less than 50 yards away. Too close to get back on your bike but too far to run. My time is up and I jump on the pedal and give one big push thinking it would get me to the dismount line. NOPE! I was in too easy of a gear to get much out of that one stroke. I end up running the distance. Official bike time pre penalty 4:43:00 Exactly where I should be. I paced my bike split as perfect as you can. When I analyzed the data from my powermeter my output is a straight line across the entire file.   This guy’s drafting off me, yet I get the penalty. 

T2- Looking back at the penalty, I can’t get the time back but the rest allowed me to zip through transition. I had a 3 minute T2 and most of that was because I was stuck behind two guys that wouldn’t allow me to pass until I got to my bag. I dump my stuff. Put on my shoes and take off. 

Run-

I start the run and I feel great except without the wind it is so hot. It was so hot I saw a bird picking up a worm with oven mitts. My goal is to run the first few miles no faster than 10 minute pace and get my heart rate down. My HR is abnormally high. I don’t want to run any slower than I already am and feel great so I decide to just hold my pace and see if my HR drops. I always use my own nutrition so at the aid stations I just grab water to dump on me and one cup of ice for the front of my suit and one for the back. I found that my fuel belt was collecting all the ice at my belly so I could reach in and eat some. So after that I was loading up my suit with ice. Despite this method I was still sweating like a $2 stripper on nickel night. There were no clouds and I could literally feel the sun burning my skin. I finish the first of a 3 lap marathon and I have never felt this good on the run in all my Ironman races. My main objective is to keep my core temp. down. I found that because of the heat I didn’t need as many calories as I needed fluids and electrolytes. Side note: I dropped my container of BASE SALT while picking up some cold sponges for my suit, giving me that sponge boob look. I enter the park (the location of our run special needs bag) for the second time and was tired of drinking the same flavor of Infinit so I ask for my special needs bag. A volunteer relay’s my number ahead while I finish running around the park. I pass special needs and there is no volly with my bag. I blame the heat and fatigue, but I was super frustrated and tried not to take it out on the volunteers because I know they are doing this for free and there to help. Luckily, I still have almost 1 bottle of Infinit so I need to make it last. I make sure to pay special attention to my glucose levels. From here on I only take salt and water and when I start to feel “low” I take in calories. I hit the Half Marathon at 2:04 slower than I wanted to be but right where my body needed be if I was going to continue running and not walk. I am stoked. I had stopped paying attention to my pace and was just running by feel. My goal was to go under 4 hours for the run and this put me a little behind pace. I was going to have to work for this. I slowly start to drop my pace into the low 9’ and some 8 min paces.  Big mistake. About 1 mile later I had entered the HURT BOX. I remember thinking, “oh no, this is way too early to feel like this. This is going to hurt”. Then I said “I came here to race, bring the pain!” I had trained for this scenario. I did lots of long runs that hurt and I knew I could handle the pain. The only difference was that the pain usually didn’t set in until mile 18 or 19 and I still have one more lap to run. I pass Pro triathlete Matt Hansen, last years winner that set a new run course record along the way. I pat him on the back and ask how his race went. He said “its still going”. I told him to hang tough and keep pushing. This is the only sport where you can get that close to a pro athlete and race on the same course at the same time. I love this sport and the camaraderie. It's about this point that the sky gets ominously dark. What a relief. The wind picks up and feels great. I get a mental boost and start to run faster. Thunder starts to rumble and then the wind really starts to blow. Suddenly, the sky opens up and it starts pouring. The wind is blowing so hard I thought I was in a Beyonce video.

I am leaning so hard and sprinting but I am hardly moving and at times I felt like this.

All the sidewalks run down to the river so we were now running up stream in ankle deep water under a lightening show like none I have ever seen. You could hear the thunder and see lightening almost simultaneously. It was the first time I thought about stopping to take cover for fear of my life. I immediately thought about my family and hoped they were safe. I picked up my pace so I could finish before they called off the race. I was hoping I wouldn’t see Michele and Leia but when I got to our usual spot I saw them standing in the rain. I stopped, gave Leia a kiss and told them to go home and take shelter. I said I would be fine. Everyone else is running so I am going to run until they stop me and I want to make up as much time as I can before that happens. I was running as hard as I could. If not for the wind I probably would be running a low 8min pace or 7’s. The wind gusts were over 40 mph with 20-25 sustained. At one point, I almost got blown into the river. Then I noticed the rain started to hurt. “Was that hail”? I look around and don’t see anything then I feel and hear hail bounce off my head. “That’s hail”, I said to the guy next to me. It was pretty dark but I put my sunglasses back on to protect my eyes and turn my visor to the side to protect my face from the hail because it was blowing in sideways. I start the final lap and I am feeling good and holding a strong pace. Most of the volunteers are in shelters but they are still out there. The Moxie crew is still out there hanging out under a bridge drinking and people are blocking the running path.  I yell “MOVE!!! OUT!!! OF!!! THE!!! WAY!!! I run into some 6’2 muscle head and give him a shoulder check. He goes flying and I hear some of his friends laugh. That brought my mood up a little. Then I thought I hope I didn’t piss him off and the starts chasing me. So I run just a little faster in case. I get to the little hill that gets you back up to street level and it has become a mud slide and not of the alcohol variety. Everyone is directed around to the grass but everyone is walking too slow. I try to pass them on the left and step onto that slippery mud and fall. Lucky for me the volunteers that were at the next aid station were on that hill and helping people up. Thank goodness one of them caught me because I probably would have slid all the way down to the river. I make it to the next aid station. I am out of nutrition and had to resort to refilling my bottle with gatorade at each aid station. This is taking me longer than I planned. After analyzing my run file I found that this cost me an average of 49 sec to 1 min. at each station for 16 stations. That would have easily put me at my goal of a 3 hr marathon, but that is all part of racing this distance. The storm is passing and there is just a light rain. Perfect for keeping you cool but you still have to be aware of your hydration. I get to the only part of the entire race course that has shade. You run on a trail that is covered by trees. I am looking down and watching my step because it is flooded with water. I turn a corner and run into a wall of people. “Whats going on?” I asked. Someone said the trail was flooded. I said so run through it. It can’t be worse than what we are standing in. I finally stop my watch and start pushing my way to the front. Then I see my friend Carrie sitting on a rock stretching. I asked her what was going on and she said they stopped the race because of the storm. What storm? its gone. They should have stopped it about 45 minutes ago, besides we are standing in water, under trees, near a lake. This was probably the worst place we could be. I’m getting out of here. I make my way to the front and find an official and he said it was going to be about an hour before they start they restart the clock. I am freezing at this point and notice there are porta potty’s near. I asked if I could use the restroom. I really just wanted to get out of the wind and stay warm. If you know me, you know I am a wimp when it comes to cold. The official allowed it. I walk over and just before I open the door I see a mob out of the corner of my eye. The best description I can give you is that scene in Forrest Gump when everyone is running behind Forrest. They are headed right for me and I don’t want to get stuck in that group so I take off running. It is really hard to start running again after standing around for about 25 minutes. I finally catch my stride. I see Rick at the little turn around at the Fire Station. This takes my mind off the pain. I look at my time and do the calculations. I need to run really hard if I want to reach my goal. I have less than 4 miles to go at this point but it feels much, much farther. I run the hardest pace I can hold without feeling I need to slow down. This really hurts but I tell myself it is not going to hurt anymore than it already does and if it becomes too much my body will stop for me. One mile to go. I am flying by people. I am in excruciating pain but I know my family and finish line are near. Just when I think I can’t go any harder I find another gear, and then another. I am to the point where I am about to loose my cookies. Suck it up. You're almost there. Last hill sprint. There is the finish chute. Last hill, again. Turn around and then this is finally the last hill. It is packed with spectators on both sides. Can’t throw up now there are cameras every where. This is not how I want to become YouTube famous.


 I cross the finish line and I am so pumped with adrenaline and emotions I start shaking and crying uncontrollably. My catcher asked if I am okay. I nod my head yes. Then I find Michele and Leia and I can’t stop crying. Leia asked what's wrong. I said nothing, I am just so happy. I left it all on the course. I drained the tank. I couldn’t go any faster. I managed everything that I could control. I made adjustments where I needed to, and I got to the finish line in the fastest time my body would allow. This year my body didn’t fail me as in years past. I owed it to myself and my family for all the time I spent away training to do the best I could. 


I didn't find out until after the race that the finish line had blown away.
I may not have had the finishing time I was planning on but I finally had the race I knew my body was capable of. 666 starters in my age group. At last check I was ranked 101 in my age group and 500ish out of 3000ish starters. I can limp away happy with those results. Could I have gone faster? Very possible. I know I could swim much faster. Bike and run faster? Maybe. I finally negative split my marathon. I always tell athletes that it is a long day. Anything can happen so you need to be prepared to alter your plan and always, always keep moving forward. That’s what I did. With all that went on I am very proud of the race I put together.

Of course none of this would even be possible without my loving and supportive wife. I often times called her late into one of my long runs, when I had greatly under estimated my fluid and nutritional needs. On her one day off she would go and drop off more water bottles. On long rides she would sometimes provide SAG and then deal with me being grumpy and tired the rest of the weekend. To my little coach Leia, who would yell at me “FASTER DADDY, FASTER DADDY”, when I was doing speed work on the treadmill. Thanks for your love and encouragement. I always do my best to make you proud. To my teammates and training partners James, Rick, Shane, Marybelle, Suzy, Ben, Kelly, Jeff, Art, Shelly and anyone else I unintentionally forgot, thank you for being my sherpa, coach, and just plain pushing me when I needed it. Finally, to our amazing E2MULTISPORTS sponsors and partners. Your support allows us to keep raising the ceiling of what we thought were our limits. @TheInfinitLoop You literally keep us fueled. @ceramicspeed helping us find free speed. @mycryofit helping us recover day to day so we can keep breaking barriers. @bicycleheaven you guys make sure we are always tuned up and ready to put in our best bike split. @Rudyproject Thanks for keeping us safe at high speeds and looking good with your technically cool gear. @RolfPrima The best hand built cycling wheels in the world. Your support has been amazing. Aventinehills Partners Inc., @CarabinShaw, and Alamo Springs Dental thank you for your financial support.  Below is the Finish, Did Not Finish, Did Not Start Rate and other info. Notice those 40-44 Age Groupers are a stubborn bunch. Thanks to  Christian Wendenburg and Jon Walk from the Texas 20xx group manned by my good friend Troy Clifton, for providing the following data. 

And Now There Are only 27 ...NUTS

... who have completed all six (6) Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas triathlons.

They are as follows:

08:23:50 - Schuster, Patrick, #47, MPRO, Arlington, TX

09:20:08 - Robertson, Rusty, #501, M50-54, Wrightwood, CA

09:21:35 - Glynn, Tom, #2965, M55-59, Danville, CA

09:31:14 - Cooper, Derek, #614, M30-34, Houston, TX

09:48:02 - Lopez, Fernando, #465, M40-44, Houston, TX

10:01:28 - Gibbons, Greg, #689, M40-44, The Woodlands, TX

10:24:40 - Proko, Benjamin, #662, M35-39, Houston, TX

10:36:02 - Moreno, Roland, #2447, M40-44, San Antonio, TX
10:36:40 - Cooper, Todd, #786, M50-54, The Woodlands, TX

10:42:26 - Colvin, Greg, #491, M50-54, Houston, TX

10:45:17 - Wendenburg, Christian, #471, M40-44, Houston, TX

10:54:51 - Guiot, Roberto, #2351, M40-44, The Woodlands, TX

11:09:05 - Bartolome, Jerry, #451, M40-44, Mililani, HI

11:20:29 - Goodnight, Nancy, #587, F50-54, Waco, TX

11:31:42 - Kowal, Peri, #3116, F50-54, Austin, TX

12:05:51 - Conrad, Keith, #735, M45-49, Marble Falls, TX+

12:15:13 - Arnold, George, #1329, M50-54, Houston, TX

12:20:51 - Nisimblat, Giancarlo, #2715, M45-49, Alice, TX

12:25:22 - Marquez, Ana, #1673, F45-49, Chihuahua, MEX

12:25:55 - Saunders, Lesmond, #2923, M50-54, Woodbridge, VA

12:44:37 - Amundson, John, #1347, M55-59, Cedar Park, TX

12:45:05 - Pak, Bliss, #1686, F45-49, Austin, TX

12:46:38 - Hemminger, Terry, #510, M65-69, Pine Mountain, GA

13:04:40 - Miller, Mark, #1081, M55-59, Lafayette, LA

13:33:07 - Valdes, Norberto, #3024, M55-59, The Woodlands, TX

14:18:27 - Larsen, Joe, #1063, M65-69, South Jordan, UT

15:46:04 - Flores, Jose, #1011, M45-49, Kerrville, TX

Original research by Walk Sports Services, Spring, Texas

One Mom’s one year journey from couch to 70.3

One Mom’s one year journey from couch to 70.3

Published by Roland Moreno · November 20, 2015 at 9:57pm

Have you ever wondered if hiring a coach is worth the money? Then read this athletes post of how she was able to use a coach to organize and manage a training schedule with being a mom. A coach can take the guess work out of your training, provide motivation when needed, and remove mental self doubt so you can focus on being the best mom you can be.

2015: Mom’s one year journey from couch to 70.3

When my family and I moved in September of 2013, we were happy to finally call the house in Fair Oaks Ranch our home. Our neighbors were great so we made friends quickly and our moving boxes were empty before we knew it. While our daughters Maggie, age 3, and Grace, age 2, enjoyed playing in the front yard and observing wildlife, I began to notice how physically active our new community was. People were always walking, running or riding their bikes and the number increased on a Saturday morning! This was amazing to me given that I felt this busy mom did not have the time to work out. I did not even have a gym membership. How was I supposed to squeeze in an exercise routine between dressing, cleaning, cooking, feeding, playing, supervising, cuddling, disciplining, comforting, changing, correcting, teaching, laundering, rocking, driving and encouraging my little ones. I had no time for another thing.

One year later, I had had a really challenging day. It was one of those days when the kids were sick, I had been up all night, the house was a mess, loads of dirty dishes, problems with a picky eater and one too many potty accidents! I was a mom that had a broken spirit. I needed to breathe. My husband got home from work and saw the look of exhaustion on my face. He asked what he could do to help. I said, “mind if I go for a run?” I think he was waiting for the punchline. “I want to go running, I am not joking,” I said. He lovingly said, “Ok.” I waved goodbye and closed the door. As I ran and listened to my music, I could hear myself breathe. It was the first time all day I was able to complete a thought without interruption. I was able to jog one mile and could not have been more proud of myself. I had never understood why people enjoyed running, but on this day, I discovered why.

That night, I told my husband I had a crazy idea. I told him I wanted to register for the 10K Turkey Trot in Boerne. I registered and quickly became one of those early Saturday morning runners. I joined a gym and began running on the treadmill after the girls went to bed at night. Then after competing fairly well in this race, I registered for a half marathon. After running the half, I felt like I had my old self back. I had energy, I was patient, I was able to sleep and I was balanced.

Weeks passed and I had another crazy idea: how about registering for a triathlon. Only two problems existed. I did not own a bike and I did not know how to swim. I had this all worked out. I would borrow a road bike and I would call on my good friend Darcy to do the swim event. She agreed and we registered as a relay team. Weeks passed as I enjoyed adding the bike into my training and kept up with the running. Until one day, I felt a horrible pulling pain in the back of my calf. Turns out I had a tear in my soleus muscle. The doctor recommended no running for 6 to 8 weeks. “What am I going to do” was my immediate thought?? Running gives me balance and Darcy and I have a race in 5 weeks!

Determined to do two events in the upcoming triathlon, Darcy and I decided to switch things up a bit. She would run and I would swim and bike. I began watching youtube videos that taught the basics of the freestyle swimming technique. Two days later I grabbed my diving mask and snorkel and attempted to learn the freestyle stroke at the Lifetime Fitness pool. For all you hardcore swimmers…yes this was embarrassing and not ideal! However, I was clearly motivated to drop this additional gear and did so in a few weeks. I was making progress, but not very quickly.

Feeling sorry for myself, I did what any down-in-the-dumps lady would do -- I went shopping! I visited my favorite running store and engaged in a conversation with the owner and another patron. This patron happened to be Roland Moreno, owner of E2 Multisports. I began talking to him about my upcoming triathlon and he encouraged me to come join his team for a swim. “What time?” I said. “Five a.m.” he replied. This was a problem I thought. I don’t do mornings! I had to make a go of it though. I did not want to let my teammate down. So I went.

The first swim practice with the E2 Multisports team was intimidating. The athletes in the lap lanes next to me were Ironman veterans and seasoned triathletes. I had only recently gotten rid of my mask and snorkel! This is going to be embarrassing I thought. I kept telling myself, “fake it until you make it!” Everyone was very encouraging that day and never made me feel inferior. I came back the next week and the next week and soon I was able to keep up with the other swimmers. Our triathlon race day came and Darcy and I held our own while having so much fun. I was hooked! After celebrating, I figured it was time to set a new goal.

I decided to join the E2 Multisports team and begin working with Roland Moreno to define and set a new goal. Together, we zeroed in on Ironman 70.3 in Austin. With his help, I was able to remove the guesswork that comes from not knowing how to properly and efficiently train. Roland’s training plans kept me motivated and consistent. He was also very instrumental with other factors related to injury prevention, like proper footwear and strength training. Michael Plumb, former professional triathlete, once said, “A good coach-athlete fit is like a relationship. There needs to be excellent communication on both sides, a certain level of respect, and the athlete needs to have confidence in what the coach is prescribing.” Roland, along with the team sponsors, helped me push my limits and reach my goals in a structured and safe manner.

Before long, the day of the race in my first 70.3 had arrived. I was very nervous. Due to all the heavy rain the week before the race, potholes were abundant and roads had been partially washed away on the bike course. Was I ready for this? It had only been a little over one year since the first day I laced up my shoes and ran my first mile. I knew I was prepared as I had worked hard for this! My coach provided me with a race day plan and all I had to do was execute it.

I put on my wetsuit and lined up with my age group. Shortly after, it was time to enter the water. Myself, along with over 3,000 athletes treaded water, waiting for the infamous ironman cannon to signal the start. The canon fired and I was off. I made it through the choppy waters of the swim and jumped on the bike. After 3 hour and 45 minute bike ride, I began the last leg of the race, the half marathon. I thought I had gotten good practice in running the rolls of the Fair Oaks roads, but I was wrong. These hills were monsters and my legs were tired. I began thinking about my husband and my two daughters. I thought about all the early morning training sessions I completed before my family had even awakened. I thought about all the people that gave me a funny look when I told them I had registered for a half ironman. I laid it all out on the run and beat my last half marathon time by 2 min. John Bingham got it right when he said, “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

In 2015, I learned so much about myself as a wife, mother and individual. I learned that I can have balance, that I can be strong and have passions that are unique to me. I learned that no exercise equals no time to think equals trouble sleeping equals stressed out mommy equals impatience. For the first time, I can look into my daughters’ eyes and say, “Yes Maggie and Grace, you can do anything ---if you work hard enough and are willing to sacrifice.” “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the further you get.” – Michael Phelps. I have a new finish line now, and I look forward to crossing it. In 2016, what will your finish line look like?

CeramicSpeed Hammer Test

IRONMAN TEXAS 2015

July 9, 2015 By MOREROLO Leave a Comment (Edit)

WARNING THIS RACE REPORT CONTAINS GRAPHIC TRIATHLON MATERIAL

Finally, I got some redemption from the last two years. Being sick on race day for the last two years I needed to have a good race. I trained hard and was ready to take back the last two races here (Ironman Texas The Woodland’s) This was the most painful race I have done. Lets back track a little to give you a little insight as to why it was so painful or at least my theory on it.

Since we had some atypical winter weather for South Texas I spent a vast majority of time doing my training indoors.  A special shout-out to my friend Diana who hooked me up with the awesome Wahoo Bike Trainer for a Christmas present. Without it I don’t think I would have been able to endure those 4-5 hour indoor bike rides.  I didn’t want to torture myself anymore than I had to in order to see gains so I revamped my training plan to maximize my time in the saddle. I saw huge gains every time I tested, so I know I was doing something right. I also have to give recognition to our friend team sponsor Sheryl Reeh at Cryofit. They allowed me to train hard and recover for my next session. Between Cryofit and @RecoveryPump I was always ready to tackle my next hard training day.

Race week

I was feeling good and ready to have my best race to date. My swim was looking good. My power numbers on the bike were the best they have ever been, and I had done more long runs than in previous years. I wanted to re-acquaint myself with the pain I was going to feel at the end of the marathon. I wanted to put myself in a place mentally, that I could draw from on race day.

Thursday my wife and daughter arrived. I had dinner with the team that evening and found out our team mate Robert was staying across the hall from us. I remember joking and saying to him “Is it a good thing or a bad thing, that we are so relaxed because we have done this race soo many times that we are doing final bike checks at the last minute.”

Friday- Slept in a little. As I walked out the door to take my bike for a test ride and go to the practice swim, Robert was heading out for a run. We laughed that 7am is sleeping in for and Ironman athlete.  I rode my bike and the gears were a little jumpy but nothing major, I was trying a new chain from our team sponsor@ceramicspeed so I expected it to stretch a little. I noticed a little tightness in the inner thigh and glutes but that is normal for me when I taper. I knew I would be fine, but I could tell the humidity was starting to become an issue. I made sure I always had something in my hand to drink the rest of the day.

I arrived to the swim start got in and did a short 15 min swim out and back. Normally, I wouldn’t bother getting in that water until race day, but I broke my race goggles and needed to test out a new pair. Everything checked out so back to the hotel to gather my stuff for bike and gear check in. I stayed at the Woodlands resort. I highly recommend it. It was away from the hoopla and very quite. It was also a convenient bike or car ride to the race venue.

I got back to the hotel and my wife and daughter had just finished having breakfast. I grabbed a piece fruit and a gatorade then started to collect all my “Race Stuff”.

Gear Check in:

I was happy where my bike rack was located. Close to the front but on the end near the side walk where my wife and daughter could easily spot me. My wife staked out where they would be on race day and we left for lunch. 

We planned to have a picnic at the park after I dropped off my gear BUTT (literally, how the field smelled) the smell of the muddy transition area forced us to relocate our picnic. After lunch we went to catch a movie then back to the hotel to plan dinner and get to bed.

I had been drinking all day to prevent dehydration but I think I over did it.

I went to bed a little later than I had planned and kept waking up every hour. Every time I woke up I was in a puddle of sweat. After switching sides and putting down towels and peeing 4 times I was awaken by the alarm. “Are you kidding me! I just fell asleep!” I got up tired, ate my breakfast and tried to rehydrate. I usually have coffee first but figured that would be a bad idea considering how much water I had already lost. I don’t think I was nervous. If anything I was too relaxed. I may have taken in too much water and electrolytes and my body was shedding water in order to maintain homeostasis.( This is something I will need to be better with in the future.) I thought I was doing the right thing. Clearly, I was wrong. If anyone else reading this has experienced this or can give me insight as to what was going on I am all ears. Feel free to message me or comment. The good thing about being a veteran Ironman is you learn to roll with the punches. I tell my athletes all the time. It is a long day, anything can happen. You make adjustments and you keeping moving forward. Being a father to my wonderful 6 year old daughter has also changed my perception of what tired is and how much sleep you need to survive. So I thank her for the sleep deprivation training she has implemented into my life. “Thank you Princess!”

I got dressed and thought I should put my compressions socks on so I have fresh legs as I walked to the the swim start. I took off my timing chip to put on my socks and put it down next to the sink. This way I wouldn’t forget it. You probably know where this is going. Finished getting ready and texted Robert so I could give him a ride to the start.

Pre Race transition

We arrived and the cars seemed to be on the wrong side of the street so I figured officers were conducting traffic. We got in the line of cars and soon found out that there was no direction and people were just “driving” around. I dropped off Robert to find a parking spot and we planned to meet at my bike. I found a temporary parking and I ran to transition and dropped off my bike and run bottles. I started to air up my tires and for some reason I reached down for my race chip. Yep, no race chip. I made sure my power meter was synced and brakes worked then ran off to find a replacement chip. I was first directed to the swim exit and there was no one there. I ran to the bike out volunteer table. They told me I might be able to get a timing chip at the swim start. I run back to my car and drive around for 15 minutes trying to find a place that I will not get towed. They were pretty strict about towing you off if you parked near the swim start or in the HEB parking lot. I found a spot, grabbed my morning clothes bag, and ran to the swim start. When I got to the lake there was already a line at the swim entrance. The Pro’s were just getting started so I knew I was going to be cutting it close. I made my way to the swim entrance and the attendant had 1 chip left. I thought how lucky I was to get the last chip and that after all the drama I already encountered I might have a good race after all. I put the chip on immediately and ran to drop off my morning clothes and get my swim gear on. Thank you Bree from Alamo 180. You saved me time by dropping off my run special needs bag. You ROCK!

Swim 1:18

I was going non wetsuit and used my new team sponsored @RokaSports Viper Pro Swim Skin. The only problem is zipping it up. Luckily, I ran into a San Antonio group and Mack with San Antonio Triathlete. I asked Mack if he could “zip up my prom dress so I can dance with IMTX.” I wished his wife Morgan and the Britton’s bike crew luck and ran off to the swim start. I wanted to be in the 1hr-1:05 swim group but by the time I pushed my way through the crowd the gun went off. I did my best to get to the front and as I made it to the water I encountered folks that were just standing in the way with their feet in the water. Clearly these folks were not 1 hr swimmers because they would be itching to get in and swim. I made my way into the water and got started. I then spent about the first 2500 meters going around and through schools of swimmers. I didn’t expect to have so much contact with the new rolling start but my watch was grabbed several times and the setting was different every time I looked at it. Finally with some clean water I latched onto the toes of a lady that was swimming slightly faster than I was I tried to draft and rest a little before hitting the canal. I got to the canal and thanked the pink cap lady for towing and jumped out in front of her to repay her.  My goggles were taking in water and I thought I would be able to finish the swim but one goggle finally filled up completely. I am technically blind in one eye and wouldn’t you know it, it was my good eye that was leaking. So I stopped and drained my goggles. It was then that I noticed a guy in a wetsuit racing by me like a motor boat. I wondered why he was wearing a wetsuit if he is this fast. Then I figured I might as well jump on board for a ride. I got into his slipstream and we raced all the way to the finish. As I saw the last turn buoy I told myself to pee now so I don’t have to make a pitstop in T1. Then I thought “wait a second, I haven’t peed yet?!” Thats not good. I usually will pee 2 times during a swim of this distance. Better drink up as soon as I hit land. I felt like I had a lot left in the tank when I hit the stairs but wanted to make sure I didn’t make the mistake I made last year. You can read about that disaster here IMTX2014

I knew I didn’t push hard because I usually struggle with getting my legs to function because all the blood is in my arms and have to pull myself out of the water by the rails or a volunteer. This year I was fine. I got my land legs right away and I ran to transition with my bag.

T1. 5:24

I got into T1 and noticed it was rather empty. “Sweet”! I must have made up a lot of time. I looked at my watch and tried to figure out what setting I was in and saw that my swim was 1:16 or 1:18 by the race clock. Very disappointed but not bad considering I had to fight my way through most of the swim. This was the first time in 8 Ironman races that I had a volunteer help me. It was nice to have the help and even though I felt like I was taking my time to make sure I had everything I needed to stay comfortable, my T1 time was not bad for as slow as I thought I was moving. Because of the mud I ran with shoes in hand to my bike I put them on and carried my bike through the mud only to find out that flying mounts were legal because of the mud. I guess I really should go to those “mandatory” meetings. I stopped at the kiddy pool they had at the exit to try and get some of the mud out of my cleats. Didn’t help. I had a very hard time clipping in. Got on my bike and checked my time. T1 Time 5:24. Thats not too bad. It felt like an eternity.

Look at all those bike still in Transition

Bike 5:54:47

I knew I was in for a long bike ride. My legs were on fire from the first pedal stroke. I just tried to get on top of my fluids and calories. I wanted to take the first 10 minutes pretty slow and do a mental inventory starting at my head and working my way down. When I got to my feet I noticed I had pebbles in my shoes from the mud. Not anything I haven’t dealt with before. They usually work their way out. I just made sure I kept pouring extra water on feet at each aid station to try and flush these pebbles out. They never moved. I paid special attention to who was around me, passing me or who I was passing. I think I only passed a few guys in my AG and only got passed by a handful. For the most part I rode by myself but when I noticed a group of riders come up on me I made the decision to try and go with them. The only time I struggled to stay with the group was on climbs. (Proof that I didn’t do any hill training). I decided to gamble a little and push the pace early to stay with this group and then I made a strong move after the first turn to Montgomery county. This turn around is where you notice the wind for the first time. It is short lived, but it gives you an idea of what is in store for the return trip. When we passed the light at Lake Conroe a car decides to ignore the traffic officers (who all did a fantastic job controlling traffic) and to dart across the street in front of my group. Luckily it appeared everyone was an experienced cyclist that anticipated this and had the skills to maneuver around each other without incident. This is not always the case. Because of this I almost went off the rode. I hit a pothole and lost a bottle of water. Not a big deal since I didn’t feel hot and was only using that water to cool myself. I just felt bad for the folks behind me and hoped I didn’t cause an accident. The last steady climbs into the Sam Houston State Park I decided to let the group go. My power was getting too high my legs were burning and I knew there was a long descent through the park and I would catch up to everyone at the bottom of the hill. Good call on my part as I was able to let my legs recover. This area is one of my favorite sections of the bike course. You are surrounded by tall pine trees. It is mostly shaded and down hill. It is another good spot to relax and do a once over while maintaining your speed. As you leave this area you are completely exposed to the sun and it is a steady ascent. Again I was able to make up a lot of places probably because I took it easy going through the park. Talifera rd is the next spot where many athletes under estimate the toll it can take on you. The combination of bumps, rough road, and false flats with some punchy little hills will wear on you. This is a spot that I make sure if I haven’t already peed I make a conscious effort to “go”. Try as I might it didn’t happen. I force fed myself to try and pee once before special needs. As I got to Richardson (about the Half way point) I finally needed to pee. Sorry to all the athletes behind me that were collateral damage. I did my best to isolate myself. I jumped up a few spots, found some space and was able to  ‘“relax”. Then Lori, a fellow San Antonio athlete passed me and messed up my “flow”. She looked like she had a motor as she passed me. She looked very strong. I tried to keep her in my sights but she just kept pulling away. Props to Lori for an outstanding bike split. The last bit of climbing before the turn around I tried to really hold back and save my already tired legs but clearly, the dehydration was having an effect on me and I knew it would be a hot and windy trip back home. I was right. As soon as we turned back south it was a steady head wind. I usually skip special needs but I felt I needed to stop just past that area. This was another side effect of the dehydration. In all my IM races this is the first time I felt the need to stop. I just needed to reset my mind and body. I also took this opportunity to re-lube my “parts”. I  just wanted to hold my power steady as I got moving again. Right as I got in a groove I realized I forgot to zip my speedsuit up. This speed suit has the opposite intended effect if it is not zipped. Instead of a speedsuit it felt more like a parachute. I tried to zip it up with one hand but the zipper was too tight and this was not the place to practice riding with no hands. (even though I did try a few times) I finally found a place to stop and re zip my suit.

The high on the day was nearly 90 degrees with about 80% humidity and reports of 30mph gust. I don’t know for sure how windy or hot it was but others I talked to after the race say it was the windiest IMTX and the heat index was over 100. I would have to disagree but I would definitely say it was a very close 2nd. Maybe my bike fitness skewed my perception of the wind, but it was windy, no doubt. The return trip was uneventful except that I made a few stops to re-lube and forgetting to zip up again. This is something I normally don’t do but I was getting extremely uncomfortable. I figured I lost almost 10-15 minutes total from stops. I new this was a also a sign of dehydration but all I could think about was how my big toe was unbelievably painful. Those pebbles I mentioned earlier become jagged boulders and were becoming very painful. The rest of the bike I played leap frog with a couple of guys and we pretty much rode from mile 70 to 110 together.  I handled the rest of the course fine and felt as good as you can expect this late in an Ironman bike course. Even though my legs felt ok considering they were fatigued from the start, I wanted to put the hammer down and go. I resisted this urge only because I wanted to have a good run and I could already tell the run was going to hurt. Overall, besides the pre race fiasco, I would have to say this is the best I have ever felt on an Ironman bike course. Although my time doesn’t reflect this, I felt it was one of my better bike splits.

Bike Split 5:54:47

T2. 5:17

I was ready to get off the bike. I took my @RudyProjectNA helmet off right away and the volunteer was confused about what to do with it as he took my bike. I then realized, Oh yeah I am supposed to take that with me and put it in my Run bag. I was a little concerned that I might not get my helmet back but not enough to stop and go back for it. I knew this was going to be a very long and painful run. The balls of my feet were already hurting on the bike. Proof that I was pushing hard. I thought that getting out of those shoes with some fresh socks and comfy running shoes, courtesy of our sponsor WeRunSa, would make this all go away. Nope!  As soon as my feet hit the ground I was in pain. I saw my wife and daughter near my bike rack. I waved and blew kisses but didn’t want to stop this year. I ran through T2 passing lots of athletes that had gotten the beat down from the IMTX bike course. I grabbed my bag, Then dropped it and had to go back and pick it up. Bending over to lift my bag off the ground might be the second hardest thing I did all day. I got to the tent, sat down washed the mud off my feet, and noticed a huge red wilted blister on my big toe where that boulder had been rubbing me for almost 6 hrs. I made sure I washed off my feet and cleaned them. Fresh socks, shoes grabbed my Fuelbelt and @infinit sponsored race visor and took off. I wanted to make sure I didn’t make the same mistake as last year and go out too fast. My priority for the first mile was; 1)get sunblock on every exposed area, 2) get fluids and electrolytes in me, and 3) run slow enough to get my heartrate down. This meant running at a 6.5mph pace. I was ok with that. Just keep it easy and do no damage, besides the first loop is just a warm up, is what I kept telling myself. Just before special needs my super-human, speedy friend Troy ran up on me on his second lap. (Ironman Texas run course is a 3 loop marathon) We talked about how awful the bike was. Even though he clocked a 5hr flat bike split, he mentioned how his bike computer didn’t work and had to go my RPE (feel) the entire bike. Maybe you should not use a bike computer for now on I said. I tried to laugh but we were both already in alot of pain. Troy mentioned how hot he was and for the first time I thought about the heat. To me it was never hot because it never entered my mind until that moment, but the heat clearly had an effect on my pace as evidence of my run splits.  After another minute or so I said something like I am slowing you down too much. You go and chase down your competition. He switched to another gear and left me. I tried to stay within reach but at that moment I realized that I had no other gears and this was going to be a long day in the “hurt box”. I stopped trying to manage my pace and was now trying to manage my pain. My stomach started to hurt. Flash back to the rush I was in before the swim. Well not having time to hit the restroom before the swim came back to haunt me. I would slow down and the pain would get better but as soon as I would speed up again the pain returned. Despite my legs finally feeling good enough to run close to my goal pace I was stuck running 9-10min miles because of my stomach. I made it to the final turn around before you run back to the start and saw an empty port-a-potty. I decide that I was not going to deal with this the entire race so I made a pit stop. I didn’t consider this when I made the decision to wear my “one sie”,  it is very hard and time consuming to take off and put back on by yourself. It is even harder when you are wet and sweaty. I did my business but I needed help getting dressed again. I can only imagine what spectators thought as they saw a 40 yr old half naked mexican in a “one sie” walk up to them and ask for help getting dressed. Another athlete ran by at that moment and said, “did you have a nice poop”? Why yes I did. Thank you for asking. I felt “lighter” and since I lost so much time I decided to run faster. I was surprised that I was running right at a 7min pace. I saw my wife and daughter at the Fountain by the “Stairs of Doom”.I hugged them and told them how much my legs hurt and that my race plan and goal times were out the window. I said they would just need to be patient as I was just going to do what my body allowed me to do. I took off again to start my second lap and didn’t feel great but I was able to run. I held a sub 9min pace for the next mile or so and then it was just too painful to hold on to that pace. At this point the pain dictated the pace I would run so I just stayed on that line between what was tolerable and excruciating. After passing special needs the second time I picked up my spare bottles of Infinit and tried pumping calories into my body in the hope that I would start to feel better soon. That didn’t work and now my stomach was aching from too many calories. I slowed down to allow my body to digest but kept running. I saw another red E2 race kit ahead so I ran up to see who it was. As I got closer I could see it was Ironman virgin Alex. He was literally looking at his watch about every 10 steps. I ran up next to him and told him to stop looking at your watch and just run. Look around and take it all in, enjoy everything about this race. You only do your first Ironman once. We talked for a little while to distract each other from the pain and encouraged each other to keep going. Then I said I will see you at the finish line and ran off. As I ran down the back side of the course I didn’t feel better than my first lap but I also didn’t feel worse. As slow as I felt I was going, I was still passing people. I told myself something I use in training. Everyone is hurting at this point, winners find a way to keep going. Just keep moving. Second lap down 1 to go as I finished and saw the split-off where you go to finish I though next time I come around I get to go that way. I walked down the stairs and saw my wife again. She is so thoughtful. She must have timed me from when she saw me on the other side of the river so she could order a large cup of Ice water from the vendor  that was set up there.  As she was running over with large cup of ice water I didn’t have the heart or strength to tell her I just had my fill of ice and water. I graciously took it and said 1 more lap to go. Next time I see you it will be at the finish line. I ran off with this huge cup of ice water and in my state of fatigue it might as well have been a keg. In all my time out there I only noticed 1 fellow Age Grouper pass me but I caught him by the final lap and I passed all the guys that passed me on the bike. I have a particular set of skills, Yes, If you pass me I will take down your number, AG, what bike you are riding, what your kit looks like and I will hunt you down, and when I find you….. I will pass you. During the entire last lap I ran with two guys in my AG. We didn’t really say much to each other. Partly because I was in so much pain but mostly because we wanted to beat each other. I played some mental games by cracking a joke every once in awhile so they wouldn’t know how much pain I was in. As #pathetic as it is to think that you are actually racing someone when you are only averaging 5 mph you can tell because every time someone stops to walk, we all walk. As soon as someone starts running again, we all run. No one wants to give the other any advantage. I stayed behind these guys so they couldn’t see me crying as I tried to keep up. When they would run they ran very fast but when they stopped to walk I could always catch them. So my strategy was to not let them get too far ahead. I also noticed that they had trouble running hills. One guy (Team Chunk) finally gave up on the back side and it was a foot race between me and Senior Amarillio. This guys was from Mexico and was wearing a yellow running singlet. I hashed out my plan for the final 3 miles. I would make a move on Catapult Hill and see if he responds. I took off and so did he, so I backed off my pace. I noticed that the whole time we were running this guy didn’t want us to be in front of him. So when I noticed that the didn’t take back the lead I knew he was hurting. I decided to see if I could drop him. I told myself this is going to hurt but I mustered up the courage and I kicked in to a faster gear. It hurt but I could keep running I could hear foot steps behind me so I kept running. The pain wasn’t much worse or if I would speed up so I said lets run as hard as you can until your body no longer allows it. This is the first time in all my races that I moaned and grunted the entire last 3 miles. No smiles, slapping hands, or thank you’s to the fans. I was in intense pain and just wanted to have a respectable finish time.  After a mile I walked the next aid station to look back. Senior Amarillo was no where to be seen. I didn’t want to risk being caught from behind, that would just be devastating, so I kept running at the best pace I could hold. I grunted and moaned the entire final way. I usually make it a point to give high 5’s to everyone and say thank you to all the volunteers and spectators but I was in so much pain and physically didn’t have the strength to even talk. I made it to the final turn around. I could hear Mike Rielly calling out all the Ironman finishers. I started up the last climb to the finishers chute and saw my wife running while taking video and she said “we will be waiting for you at the finish line.” I thought I should slow down to give her time to get over there but then she ran off and disappeared into the crowd. Then my next thought was “man, how slow am I running”. I made it to the finishing chute. This is one of my favorite parts of the race. Everyone is cheering for you like you just won. All the spectators want you to High Five them, especially the kids. To those spectators you are a Rock Start, and they make you feel like one. I literally didn’t have the strength to lift my arms over my head so I did my best to bump as many fist as I could on my way to the finish. One lady sprinted past me as I am trying let my wife get a picture before I cross. Really! You saved that much energy and decide to sprint now. Well I am glad to say that I left it all out on the course. I found my wife and daughter. I just love the look and smile on my daughters face every time I finish a race. My daughter ask if I could take a picture with her. So the kind photographer let her jump the fence for a picture. Then my daughter says. “Daddy, is that medal for me?” Of course, every medal is for you.”  Every time I toe the line I think of my family. I tell my daughter all the time that you always finish what you start. So thinking of that and trying to live up to it gives me strength to continue even when I don’t feel I can.

There is no part of the race course that I could have made myself go any faster.

Some times when you are racing you have to take a calculated risk. I gambled a little on the bike and I paid for it on the run, as I knew I would, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I felt good about my run fitness and was confident in my training. I knew that even if the run was going to “suck” that I had done enough long sucky runs to mentally keep me moving. My run effort is not reflected in my run time. Even though 5:06:22 is on the slow side it was the best run effort I have ever put forth. I had to dig deep in order to keep going. This run was all mental and even though I was well off my mark I was happy with the way I raced and I will use that experience to make me a better athlete going forward.

Thank you to my wife. Without her support, patience, and understanding I could not do this sport. Thank you for allowing me to follow my passion, always taking up the slack around the house and putting up with piles of stinky laundry. To my daughter, thank you for always putting me in a good mood. Every time I come home from an epic training day exhausted, your abundance of energy and love for life always gives me the strength to do more than I think I can. Your infectious laugh always brings me joy when I get grumpy from Ironman training. Thank you to all the E2MULTISPORTS sponsors that help us #FindFaster with @rokasports, Increase our speed with @ceramicspeed. The folks at @Infinit Nutrition, you literally fuel our passion for racing. @recoverypump and Cyrofit for always keeping our legs fresh for the next epic training day. @rudyproject for keeping us technically cool and fast. @rolfPrima for providing us with free speed with your primo race wheels. WeRunSa, you always step up and provide us with the latest and greatest run gear. A huge thank you to @TrainingPeaks. Your support allows us to spread the joy of triathlon. In an ever, data driven sport you keep providing the tools to allow us to pick apart our athletes races. CycleOps who provides the hardware to pick apart said data. Finally, to Carabin Shaw, Aventine Hill Partners and Health Markets. Your support over the years allows us to reach athletes that would otherwise never give our sport a “Tri”. Last but certainly not least, to the folks at Bicycle Heaven, you always make sure our bikes are in tip top shape and ready to roll. 

New Year, New Plan…. New Injury?

The start of a new year is an exciting time for triathletes. Reflecting on your race performances from the previous year, you sign up for new races with big plans to finish a new race distance, beat a certain race time, make the podium, and maybe qualify for Kona. After doing the math, you realize all you have to do is shave 15 minutes off your swim time, spend 4 seconds in each transition, improve your bike time by 30 minutes, and run 6 min/mile pace and you could become a pro! January is the perfect time to restart your training after taking a few months off following your last race, plus you need to burn off those extra calories from the holidays. Your coach puts together a great training plan for the year to help you meet your goals and with a renewed sense of energy you are ready to train. All you have to do is stay healthy and injury free! Uh oh- did someone say “injury?”

Injuries happen in athletes and non-athletes. Rehabbing an injury takes time away from training, and depending on the severity, may lead to a less than optimal performance on a race, DNS, or DNF. To prevent and treat injuries, it’s important to understand what injuries are and why they occur. The musculoskeletal system is composed of many different types of tissue, which allow movement to occur and respond to stress. Dense connective tissue supports or limits motion and is found in bone, ligament and tendons; loose connective tissue is flexible and found in capsules, muscles, nerves and fascia. When a tissue is stressed beyond its tolerance, by either an internal or external load, the tissue fails. Common reasons for injuries in triathletes are training volume, anatomy, mechanics, skill, and bad luck.  

Overtraining in triathletes tends to be more of a problem than undertraining. Interestingly, even though triathlon training volume is often 3-4 times more than runners, triathletes hurt less, their bodies are healthier, training plans often include preventative strengthening, and participating in multisport events encourages cross training. Overuse injuries occur with repetitive loading of a tissue and inadequate recovery time. Most injuries are due to overuse, with the exception of the bike portion, which are more often acute, high velocity crashes. Tissues need time to build up strength and adapt (tissue adaptation time) to loading stresses. Gradually building your training base over the course of several weeks or months, and including rest days, can help prevent overuse injuries.

Triathletes should be strong, with some flexibility, and good training. Weak or fatigued muscles can lead to compensation with other muscles. Training sport-specific muscles to function appropriately is important. Muscle imbalances can impair normal movement patterns and stress tissues beyond their tolerance, causing injury. Additionally, improper technique and mechanics while training can also lead to injury. Consult with a coach who is skilled in analyzing swim stroke, bike fit, and running gait- then follow their instructions. If you have not had a comprehensive bike fit, spend the $200 and get one! Muscle strengthening programs, technique analyses, and proper bike fits should be considered mandatory.

Finally, bad luck can also lead to injury, even when you do everything else right. If this happens to you, keep a positive mental attitude and take the time to rehab your injury appropriately. Staying active through your injury is important for healing, maintaining fitness, and mental wellness.

This article is the first in a series written to educate you on injuries, prevention, and general treatment principles for triathletes. These articles are NOT designed to take the place of a medical evaluation and treatment. Injuries are complex and often the cause isn’t isolated to the site of pain. Thus, treatment should be done under the guidance of a clinician (physician, physical therapist, etc.), preferably one experienced with the demands of endurance sport training and competition. Stay tuned for article #2 where you will learn about swimming injuries, preventative exercises, and treatment principles.