Ironman Louisville 2013

Ironman Louisville Race Report

I am going to call this the race of "making it work."

            This is Ironman Louisville and I knew the heat was going to be the biggest hinderance for me. The average race day temperature is 95º F with about 80% humidity. I think I lucked out because it was only 91º F when I started the marathon and about 60% humidity. Here is an awesome photo of me at mile 1. I was stopping to talk to my sherpa Alex Zachary. The look on my face says about all you need to know about how the weather felt to me.

            Overall I had a great race. I hit all of my time goals excluding the marathon. I wanted to run a 4:30 marathon but missed that by about 5 min. I am totally okay with that because prior to the race start I told myself I would be totally fine if I came in under 5 hours with the effects of the heat.

Now for the details...

Pre-Race

            Woke up at 3:30am at the Galt House. Felt tired as all get-out. The night was restless with thoughts of the race running (literally) through my head. I ate my normal pre-race breakfast consisting of two pieces of bread with agave nectar and peanut butter, protein shake, 1 cup of coffee, and a banana. I got dressed and applied my race numbers. My goal was to leave the hotel at 5:45 and walk the 1/2 mile to the transition to prep both Bonnie's bike and mine. This included filling the water bottles, airing the tires, and putting the nutrition in our bike bags. Transition was to be closed at 6:30 so this gave me a few minutes incase anything unexpected crept up. I left the hotel room alone so that Bonnie could finish her morning routine. Our sherpa (AZ) was there to ensure the she left on time. I had my phone with me and was expecting AZ and Bonnie to call/text when they got to transition so we could walk to the swim start.

            After prepping the bikes I reached for my phone to find that it was no longer in my pocket.

            "Hmm... interesting. Must have fallen out when I was prepping Bonnie's bike." I thought to myself.

            The race announcer stated that transition would be closing in 15 minutes. I searched around for a few minutes and started to feel the anxiety creep up. How was I going to find them before transition closed? I thought best to stay near the entrance for as long as I could. I waited a few minutes and then saw Bonnie in transition. We tried to look for the phone for a few minutes but I had decided that I would not let this bother me. If it was gone, it was gone. I had bigger things to worry about so we notified a staff member of the security team. His name was Tom and he took my phone number and said he would try to locate it over the next hour. What great hospitality! We then headed towards the swim start.

The Swim

            Ironman Louisville is unique in the fact that it is a time trial start into the Ohio River. The course starts out heading upstream on the inside of an island for about 1400 meters and then turns downstream when you are clear of the island and head towards Joe's Crab Shack and the Great Lawn.

            Prior to the swim start you line up in first-come-first-served. Since we had spent some time pre-race looking for my phone we ended up near the end of the line. A fun fact to know about the single file line of 3000 people: it is truly a mile long. Well .98 of a mile to be exact. This line extended away from the swim start and continues in a direction away from the transition area. This means by the time we entered the water we had walked about 3 miles. This is the distance from the hotel to the transition area to the end of the swim line and then the walk to the starting line. I was wearing my shoes without my custom made orthotic insoles for the first half of this and then I was barefoot for the second half of this walk into the water (remember that I mentioned this later on).

            Bonnie and I walked down to the docks together and then we split at the last moment. There are two entry points for the swim start. They are located at the end of two different docks. There is a clock at the end of each dock and I noticed that It said 7:39:03.

            "Wow, it was correct they said it does take about 40 minutes for 3000 people to enter the water." I thought.

             I jumped in to the water feet first and started to swim away from the dock in the hopes no one was going to jump in on top of me. The channel is somewhat protected and the current was minimal here. It was kind of neat swimming close to the island and seeing some progress. The water itself is disgusting. An awesome metal taste is present, there is a strong smell of petroleum, and the visibility is only about 2 feet underwater. Just low enough to feel someones feet before you see them. Due to the two swim start spots, the narrow channel, and the low visibility there was some contact with people for the first 400 meters or so. Nothing too violent but enough to be annoying. I must have passed about 50 people in that area. As you near the end of the island you make your turn around the buoy. As I turned I discovered there was a pretty good current pushing us all toward the inside of the buoy. This created quite a traffic jam. I did my best to try to take the turn as wide as I could but found it to be quite difficult.

            After clearing the buoy it was a straight shot towards the bridges and downtown.   Sighting was awesome on this leg of the swim. You have the downtown skyline, the KFC Yum! Center, The 3 Bridges, and Joe's Crab Shack to use. It also helps that the sun in now directly behind you. I just kept the KFC Yum! Center lined up with the bridges and swam towards its. I could feel a pretty good current pushing me along so I found that my strategy of relaxing and just swimming easy was going to work well. This would ensure my goal of 1:15 and feeling fresh upon the swim exit. 

            Approaching the exit was a much welcome sight. There is a set of stairs with volunteers helping you up. The current here was still pushing us all downstream so I chose to aim towards the first set of stairs. Seems like most people attempted to do this also. It only took about 15 seconds of waiting to find the steps and then climbing up to the exit. I was so glad to exit that nasty river and when I did I looked at the clock and it said about 8:55am. This made me feel very relieved! I hit my goal almost spot on. Swim Leg Time was 1:15:30

T1

            It is a long run on concrete from the swim exit to the transition area. I grabbed two glasses of water dumped one on my head and drank the other. I was so thirsty. I guess that happens when the water temp is 81º. Along the way you pick up your Bike Bag and head towards the change tent. I saw many people outside of the tent getting their gear together and thought: "Must be full in there." I decided to enter the tent because I wanted to sit on a chair as I set up for the bike ride so I entered the tent.

            Gag! man I have never smelled anything so gross. The tent was humid, the ground was muddy, and the stench was overwhelming. Why does it stink so bad in here? We all just got out of the water right? Yuck!

            "Well, lets just make it work." I said to myself.

            I found a chair and a volunteer approached and asked if I needed anything. I was fine at that point. I untied my bag, dumped out my stuff, and began to get ready for the bike. I tried to wipe the mud off of my feet but I was nearly impossible. I should have packed a towel to wipe off. I lathered up with lots of sunscreen put the helmet on and headed towards my bike. T1 time 9:07

Bike

            The bike was the fun part of this race for me. I really had not spent much time looking at the course but was ready to ride some hills. The course is a "lollypop" design. There is a out and back (stick) with a two loop course (lollypop). There sun was shining and there was almost no wind as I headed out of the city. The first 10-12 miles is a gradual upslope. It is not terrible but enough to notice it at about mile 5. At mile 12 there is a turn and we head into a valley. This valley was just like riding on Highway 35 between Prescott and Diamond Bluff Wisconsin. The hills are long and the ride is smooth. I ended up hitting 39.2 MPH on the first descent. It was pretty sweet. After being on the bike for 1 hour I was ready to stop by the bathroom. Every aid station was about 10 miles apart and each had several port-a-potties. I stopped at the next one and the volunteers were so awesome. They took my bike, asked if I needed any refills added while I used the facilities, and then moved bike to the side of the road. This was much appreciated! After my first pit-stop I continued on and saw Bonnie as she sped towards the valley.

            About 2 hours in to the bike ride, I noticed a new pain in my foot that I have never felt before. It was on the outside (lateral) side of both my feet. Almost on the soles of both. I thought about it for a few miles and assumed it was due to the fact that I walked so much today in barefoot and without my insoles so I pedaled on. I figured that I would make it work. I assumed that the pain would subside and I would be able to continue. Well, after 60 miles I was dying! the pain was intense. I told myself to hold out until the special needs station at mile 66.

            Upon arrival I racked my bike and headed to the port-a-potties. While waiting in line I decided to check my bike shoes and loosen them a bit to see if that would help reduce the pain. As I reached down to do so I realized that my balance was not quite right. This is when that lightbulb came on. I wonder If my orthotics were in the correct shoes. I undid my bike shoes removed the insole from my right shoe and sure enough...  it was the one made for my left foot. Idiot! Total rookie mistake! When I packed my bike bag the day prior to the race I installed the orthotics incorrectly. I need to be more careful next time. After correcting the insole situation I headed out for the remainder of the bike course. Now I could actually enjoy the rolling hills and occasional climb.

            My goal for the bike was to be 6:30 or less. I stopped twice for the bathroom (and shoe correction) for a total time of 10 minutes. I swapped at least one bottle of water at every aid station and kept my nutrition plan as I had been practicing in training. I took 1 salt tab every hour, two aminos, and two VO2 pills. I drank nothing but water and ate about 400 calories per hour. My bike computer was showing an average of 17.7MPH for most of the ride and I was very content with that. Mile marker 100 was a welcome sight as we turned back toward the city and mostly down hill. I was still passing people as I kept myself in zone 2. The weather was getting warm now as the city grew closer and I knew the run would be hot the first few miles. I finally saw the dismount line and was glad to have made my goal of feeling ready to run. My feet were feeling better as I stepped off the bike but the new question was: did that 66 mile ride with the wrong orthotics due any damage? We were to find out soon. Even with the pit stops Bike Leg time: 6:24:45. Nailed it!

T2

            THis time I decided not to use the tent. I could not risk the mud or the stench. I was planning on wearing white CEP compression socks and Bonnie would have been upset if I made those things muddy. I chose to sit outside the tent in the shaded area and was greeted by a volunteer who offered me some cool water. Awesome! It tasted so good. I had some small talk with a first time ironman participant next to me. Told him to hang on he will do just great on the run. I got the socks on, removed my helmet, put on some more sunscreen (4th application of the day), and headed out for the marathon. T2 time: 10:36

Run

            "Here comes the heat!" That's all I could think of as I exited transition. There were no clouds in the sky so I made a bee-line towards the nearest shaded side of the street. I was rather pleased that there was some shade. It was hit or miss for the first few blocks however there was some relief. Around mile 1, I saw sherpa AZ on the left side and stopped to talk for a minute. Some random stranger offered a cold wet towel and I grabbed it to wipe my hand off. I wanted to wipe my face so bad but couldn't risk losing my sunscreen. I wanted to have all the help I could to keep the sun from slowing me down. My legs were feeling great and I said goodbye and took off running again.

            I felt like I was cruising for the first few miles and I had to constantly tell myself to back off... I still had 24 miles to go. I wanted to push it but knew better. I began with the mantra of "wait until 18." I repeated this many times during the run.This would help me keep it under control. About mile 3 I saw a Gear West uniform on someone and shouted hello to Gear West. He looked up and then I saw the "stache." It was Devon Palmer the professional triathlete from Minnesota. You can spot that mustache a mile away. I said my hello and told him it was good to see him here.

            I felt good and continued on. My plan was to take a salt tab every hour and If I was going to the bathroom often I would up it to two an hour. I also took two aminos, two VO2's, and one Gu Roctane every hour. I was also going to drink a water at every aid station. The aid stations were about every 1.2miles and the volunteers were awesome!

            The course consisted of an out and back that you looped twice. There was some climbs and descents. Total elevation climb would be about 250 feet. Thats about the same as running along West River Parkway from the Stone Arch Bridge to Minnehaha Falls and back.

            I plugged away at the first 10 miles and was pleased to walk the aid station for 45 seconds as I drank the water and grabbed some ice. I put the ice in my cap and sometimes down my trisuit. There is nothing like that feeling to give you some pick up. I was watching my GPS and seeing my average near 9:30 while moving so this made me feel secure with the short walk at the aid stations. As you get closer to downtown after the out and back you start to see more and more people. The turn around point for the 13.1 mile is about 100 yards shy of the finish line. It is  huge tease but also a good reminder to keep your pace and keep plugging away.

            I was starting to feel slightly sloshy at mile 13.0 so I was more than happy to stop by my special needs bag. I grabbed the gas-x out of it and told the volunteer to throw the rest away. I took two gas-x and hoped it would help reduce the gassy, sloshy feeling I had at that point. Sure enough within about a mile I was back to feeling normal. Well, as normal as I could after completing about 130 miles of race. My pace was fluctuating a little more now. I was definitely noticing that the incline at the turn around was really slowing me down. In fact, I posted a few 12 minute miles there. It bugged me slightly but I kept saying "wait until 18."

            Finally I saw that damn 18 mile sign. It was a welcome sight and I wanted to just finish the damn run. At this point my feet were starting to protest. The mid foot point of my feet screamed at me during each foot strike. I saw Bonnie twice on the run and was able to give her some kisses and hugs each time. She looked great in her outfit! It was also super easy to spot her ahead of me each time.

            The last few miles seemed like they took forever. I had to stop at mile 22 for a bathroom break. There was someone getting super sick in it so I moved on to the next one. I had to wait about 3 minutes but finally got in. Yuck! It was so hot inside and stinky. I don't think I have ever seen a port-a-pottie this far into a race with so much nastiness in it. I would venture to say that lot of people were getting sick. In fact, since mile 10 I started noticing that at least once every mile people were collapsing and in need of medical assistance. There were lot of volunteers and lot of police and EMT on the course so most were attended to quickly. It was kind of scary thought to see the people dropping out in droves.

            Finally I saw the mile 25 sign and felt a sense of relief. I was going to get this damn run over with. I stopped at the last aid station and grabbed a clean sponge. I wanted to clean off the sunscreen from my face and at least make myself not look like death. I was getting excited and a little emotional at this point because I knew the sun was still above the horizon and I would probably have a daylight finish. This means I would be close to my marathon goal of 4:30. At mile 26 you turn onto 4th Street and you start to hear the finish line roar. There is nothing like an Ironman Finish line. There is so much energy it just pulls you into the finisher chute. I made sure my smile was on and bib number on forwards so I could look decent for the finish photo. I saw sherpa AZ on the right side, said hello to him, slapped his hand, and then brought it in.

            I was super stoked to finish that run. It was hot, It was ugly, it was a battle, it was frustrating, it was a learning experience, it was painful, it was emotional, it was inspiring, it was enjoyable, it was exciting, it was awesome. It was Ironman Finish number three.

            Run Time 4:35:07

Post Race

            It was great to be done. I was pretty much out of gas after the finish line. I was greeted by sherpa AZ. It was great to see him. We snapped a few photos and I drank my recovery drink, some water and then put my legs up against a wall for a few minutes. We went into the athlete recovery area and I grabbed a few cookies and lots of water. I was happy to be done and excited to watch Bonnie's finish from the chute.

            Ironman Louisville Official Finish time 12:35:07

      

Conclusion

            Louisville was a very fun race. Would I do it again. Hell no! Why, you may ask? Well the swim is the only reason. I wish I would have done more research before signing up. Come to find out the river is super toxic. It is the one of the most polluted rivers in North America. That explains many things throughout the day. The stinky T1 tent. The dark water we swam in. The foul taste of the water. The people getting violently sick on the run. The huge amount of DNF's. I drank more water than I ever imagined. My trisuit is now stained an interesting hue of red/brown.

            I would strongly advise anyone against doing that swim. If you ask any local person about the river and if they swim in it they all just laugh and say "Hell-no! That is some nasty water!" I now believe it to be a little dirty secret that the WTC knows about but cant afford to mention it. They have a hard time filling the race every year and now I know why.