Finish Line

“Lay hold of something that will help you, and then use it to help somebody else.” –Booker T. Washington.

A friend sent a nice note with this quotation on the cover. Thought it was worth sharing.

One week later and the afterglow is weakening but still present! Good thing, too, because it’s helping to mask my extreme physical and emotional fatigue. I went back to work on Thursday. I was sound asleep by 7:30 pm that evening. On Friday I had to sneak a nap to make it through the day. Saturday morning I woke up two hours later than during my training cycle.

I’ve started back into some light exercise. On Thursday morning I weighed myself at the gym. In four days I managed to get back to my pre-training weight (gained 8 pounds)! I guess I was really pushing my body beyond where it naturally wants to be… A couple of burgers, a stromboli with beer and WHAMMO!!!

Dozens of you have asked, “So what’s next?” In the short term I’m really hoping to be selected as a coach for Kyle’s fall baseball league. My focus over the next few months will be on family activities and working through my extremely backlogged and daunting “honey do” list! Reading is also going to be higher on my priority list. I bought three books (history and philosophy – nothing triathlon related!) that I hope to finish before the kids go back to school. If I can sneak in an occasional bike ride and rejoin a couple of my running and cycling groups, I’ll be content. Exercise will become more of a social activity for me.

I haven’t decided on longer-term athletic goals. I’d really like to focus on building cycling strength. I’m thinking about taking an entire year to do that. My running is also becoming good enough for me to consider an attempt at qualifying for the Boston Marathon. Next year, being 40, I’ll have five minutes added to my qualifying time – 3:20. Do-able, but not sure I’m passionate enough about that goal to give it an A+ effort. Another stab at Ironman is a definite as long as I stay healthy. I just don’t know when! Ironman is very, very, very cool. I would love to qualify for Hawaii, but we’re talking about trimming 1:30 to 1:45 off my time. Not sure I have the time, energy, or talent to pull that off. Now THAT would be an ambitious goal!

What a ride it’s been! Thank you for playing along with me. We raised $25,395 for the Bridge of Hope, plus an undisclosed matching contribution from Janus (guessing $750). We’ve also made many, many folks aware of their vital mission. It’s definitely been worthwhile.

I hope in some way you’ve found this nutty adventure applicable to your own life. We all suffer from paradigms that prevent us from fulfilling our potential. I try hard to challenge my own preconceived limitations. I believe deeply that God expects much from us and that Fulfillment is not synonymous with Comfort. But now I’m in danger of preaching. C’mon over for a beer and we can talk!

It’s been both a blast and a blessing! Do something extraordinary… Listen to your conscience…

Race Report - IM USA!

Summary: Finish time 12:05:28

Ironman race entry fee… $450.
Money raised for the Bridge of Hope… $25,395.
Passing 400+ competitors in an Ironman marathon… priceless!

Race morning had me well nourished and rested. Yes, I was nervous, but I’m guessing not nearly as nervous as most other competitors.

I warmed-up by doing some easy swimming just before the race start, then stood in 4-feet of water to take in the 15,000+ spectators, the 2,400 competitors, helicopter, AC/DC blaring on the PA system, etc, etc. In short – total madness!

Swim – 2.4 miles
I seeded myself up front about 50-meters to the right of the buoys. The gun sounded and we were off! Again – total freakin’ madness! I was quite relaxed heading out. Early on I headed toward the buoy line and found myself in the middle of the melee. I was spending too much energy fighting off other swimmers so I moved slightly out to the right again. Coming out of the water after loop #1 I heard the emcee shout out my name. That was pretty cool. The second loop was a little crazier than the first – probably because I was determined to stay closer to the buoy line.

Transition #1 was, you guessed it, more madness - A crowded 1/8-mile jog to grab your transition bag and into a more crowded changing tent. Then out of the tent to fetch my bike and a pretty long jog to the mounting line. So many folks ran so hard through transition… I just don’t get it! Seems to me movement should be steady and efficient to minimize time and heart beats.

Bike – 112 miles
I expected several hundred riders to pass me as they took a “crush and destroy” attitude toward the ride. That’s exactly what happened. Many riders passed me huffing and puffing, standing out of the saddle on the long climbs. What a mistake! I settled into my target wattages and stuck to plan, which included a lot of slow grinding on the hills. I was quite cold for the first 20 miles but the sun really started to kick in after that. My heart rate rose pretty quickly – quite a normal response for me on hot days. I unzipped my top and began pouring water over my head to cool down.

Riding back into town after the first loop was amazing - so many cheering spectators for about a 4-mile stretch. Really gave it a Tour de France sort of feel! Even though I felt quite strong, my heart rate continued to drift upward. I was most worried about taking in massive amounts of calories to carry me through the day. Too high of a heart rate would result in my digestive system shutting down prematurely so, at about mile 75, I decided to ride off of heart rate – bagging my plan to pace purely off of output power. This resulted in a pretty slow second loop but I was rewarded with a ton of strength for the marathon.

Run – 26.2 miles
My heart rate raced upward early in the run so I walked quite a bit through the 2nd and 3rd miles. I was totally focused on keeping my digestive system working and was able to continue on solid food well into the marathon. Somewhere between miles 3 and 4 I was able to get my heart rate under control and I gradually picked up the pace. From this point forward my run became a series of short-term objectives – the aid stations. Entering an aid station I would slow to a walk, tucking cold sponges and ice into my chest and pouring water over my head to keep my core temperature down. Then I would take in whatever nutrition appealed to me before running to the next aid station. I continued this cycle – mile 4, mile 5, mile 6, mile 7, etc. I refused to let myself think beyond the next aid station. At times I felt pretty lousy but was consistently able to focus on simply getting through the next mile.

By mile 21 I couldn’t eat anymore. My belly had shut down for the day. I started taking in de-fizzed Cola and water. That REALLY worked. My legs responded nicely. I passed the 22-mile marker on the return trip to town and started to get fired up. At mile 23 I decided that anyone could run a 5k and started to rely on my fast-twitch gifts. Cruising up the hills back into town I was reeling in competitors in large bunches. The crowd was cheering hard and shouting out my name (names on race bibs at an Ironman). This only added to the adrenaline flow. Most everything from mile 24 on is a blur except I know I was really suffering after the 25-mile marker. I ran HARD into the old Olympic speed skating oval. What an incredible feeling to cross that finish line! Something I’ll always remember!

Post Mortem
My greatest successes of the day… Controlling my emotions and adrenaline – Crushing my nutrition plan – Modifying my biking strategy on the fly – Detaching myself from other competitors – Breaking the race down into a series of short term objectives – AND all of this leading to the ability of running a 4:02:59 Ironman marathon!

I can’t say I had any failures. I probably could have broken the 12-hour mark by working transitions more efficiently. Competitive athletes finished theirs 5 to 8 minutes quicker than me. I also could have tried to hold the buoy line for the entire swim and shortened pit stops, but I really think I had nearly perfect execution of my race plan - A very satisfying feeling.

Key to greater success in the future – More cycling! This distance caters to those who are extraordinarily powerful on the bike and have the mental toughness to hold back through 112 miles. I ran down a lot of better pure runners than myself simply through executing a patient riding strategy.

So many thanks to my friends and family for an incredible outpouring of support. Thanks also to my fabulous coach, Patrick McCrann, who had me SO physically and mentally prepared. Congratulations to Patrick for finishing 30th overall and qualifying for the big dance in Hawaii for the second year in a row!

One more post before I declare this blog irrelevant...

Final Pre-Race Thoughts

Time to motor. I feel really strong. My bike output power is a full 30% higher than it was just five months ago. I'm also light, at a sprightly 150 pounds - my lightest weigh-in since high school.

My biggest challenges will be to not take myself too seriously and to remain on an emotional steady keel all day. I'm glad that friends and family will be there. I plan on remaining social right up to the starting cannon. I really think that will help me remain calm.

I know that a lot of you are curious about my race strategy. Here's an abridged version of my race plan...

Mantra…
Fun but focused.
Key Phrases…
One day
Detach
Victory lap
No highs, no lows
Finish strong
Pre-Race…
Up at 4 am. Eat. PBJ, banana, juice, coffee.
Deliver special needs bags.
Body marking.
Stock bike w/fluid/nutrition.
Body glide and sunscreen.
Wetsuit on.
Chill out.
2-gels and water.
Get in the water and get acclimated to temperature. Do a few strokes.
Swim…
Relax and keep head down and moving forward.
Smooth stroke. Let others do the work.
Bike…
Pnorm goal = 171w
Warm-up 30-mins at <165w.>

Then 173w as steady gear. 180w to 190w on sustained climbs and headwinds, 200w on short climbs. Watch heart rate… Keep below 150. Target average < 140.
Off the bike for sandwich and stretching at special needs.
Use all aid stations. Remember to pour water on head if not cool or raining.
Try to go big ring past water fall on second loop especially, but do not exceed metrics.3,000 Calories. 1,500 solid food, 1,500 Infinit. 1-1/2 to 2 bottles fluid/hour.
Run…
Jog first 4 – 6 miles, then pick up the pace as able. EAT SOLID FOOD NOW.
Walk 15-seconds at each aid station – from mile #1 onward. Pour water on head.
Do not exceed 152 BPM on flats and down hills. Do not exceed 160 BPM on climbs.
When the pain hits, start focusing on short-term goals. Keep moving forward.
Nutrition: 250 – 300 Calories per hour. 32-oz fluid per hour. 2-Endurolytes per hour.

So there you have it! Notice - no time goals.

Off for a painful deep tissue massage this afternoon. Then time to pack before we hit the road in the morning. Remember 7 am Sunday, http://www.ironman.com/. See you soon!!!

$25,000 and Counting!

Well folks we need a new thermometer! We've just surpassed the $25,000 mark in donations. On behalf of the Bridge of Hope and myself, thanks so much for your generosity! $25,000 represents enough money to provide rental assistance to five families as they work through the 12 to 18 month program toward self-sufficiency. BOH provided assistance to 33 families last year.

Thanks, again, for this great send-off as I head to Lake Placid! One more post coming before we load up the caravan...

10-Years and Counting

I’m sitting here in amazement at people’s generosity. The donations toward Bridge of Hope have been streaming in with regularity over the past several days. Our fundraising total has crested the $24,000 mark and I have reason to believe we’ll exceed our goal!

This week marks my 10-year anniversary with McClure Company. Much like the Ironman decision, at the time, my joining McClure was a bit of a stretch. 10+ years ago I was having a perfectly comfortable and secure career working for a good firm with good people. I had no guarantee of success in changing jobs. It was a parallel move professionally and financially. Why did I do it? The answer is remarkably simple for an analytical fellow like me – I felt in my gut that it’s what I was supposed to do. I labored over the decision for weeks, analyzing every possible detail of the move. The results of my thesis were completely inconclusive. And, just like Ironman, I made the move anyway and haven’t looked back.

I owe my colleagues a lot of gratitude for bearing with me over the past several months (if not 10 years!). We’ve had some fun with our unique Ironman marketing campaign. For those who haven’t been targeted by the campaign, we’ve attempted to raise awareness about the Bridge of Hope and have drawn comparisons between my training program and McClure’s “Ironman-like” attributes – Strength, Performance, and Passion.

Tomorrow I’ll be interviewed for the Comcast “Newsmakers” program, which airs on CNN Headline News. The program won’t be on TV for about 10-days. For those who missed the segment on Fox 43 News last evening, you can watch the video online by going to http://fox43.trb.com/ and clicking “7-15 Triathlon Fundraiser” under “Top Video.”

10 Days and Counting

Taper time is tough. My problem is twofold-

I know that my fitness building is complete. This close to race day, there’s nothing I can do to materially build fitness, so the workouts are aimed at just “staying sharp” and keeping me from losing fitness and gaining weight. Really hard to get out of bed at 4:30 or 5:00 am when I know the work is done! On the gaining weight piece, after getting accustomed to eating 4,000+ Calories a day, I suddenly find myself trying to eat like a normal human being. This is a difficult adjustment!

Secondly, what has been such a distant goal for so long suddenly becomes very real. At times I doubt my ability to pull this thing off. My excitement about achieving such a large goal has turned into total obsession. I’m actually trying to schedule distractions, to keep my mind from constantly obsessing!

One helpful coping strategy I’ve adopted is allowing myself to think about life after Ironman. What’s next, right? I’m picturing my life without the extreme training demands and am actually getting excited about a few ideas swimming around my head. A useful exercise!

News at 10.

Just a quick post to let you know Fox43 News at 10 will be doing a story on the Bridge of Hope and my Ironman fundraising activities. They filmed me swimming at 5:30 am today - Not exactly what I had in mind! Then they interviewed me, goggle eye socket imprints and all, for about 10 minutes. The story will probably air during the 10 pm news on Sunday. Will post again if I get confirmation.

Taper Time!

Two weeks until race day and it’s time for me to start tapering down. I recently sat down and looked at my training volume for the year. In the 26-weeks of 2007 I have…

• Swam more than 100 miles
• Bicycled about 2,400 miles
• Run more than 600 miles
• Spent 40 hours in the weight room

I’m definitely feeling the effects of accumulated fatigue. By Ironman standards, though, this is probably pretty far below the average training volume. What I’ve lacked in volume has been made up through intensity. By necessity my training time has been very focused, with very few “junk miles.” The time on my bike has been particularly intense. It’s a quality over quantity approach that has allowed me to keep functioning as a father and an engineer. This is why one hires a coach, folks!

With less than two weeks to go in our Bridge of Hope campaign, our fundraising total stands at $19,600. Thanks so much to all who have given and made this a meaningful journey! Lancaster Newspapers ran a nice story in their Thursday Intelligencer Journal. Check it out at this link http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/206511. I’ll be in the Comcast television studios on July 17th being interviewed for their “Newsmakers” program on Comcast 8. More as details become available!

Building Mojo

Three weeks until race day and to say that I’m starting to obsess about it would be putting it mildly. Work actually provides a nice distraction. The kids’ activities have dwindled down, with only Kyle having his baseball playoffs this coming week. As my workout load tapers down over the next three weeks, I’ll find myself with more time on my hands than I’ve had in several months. I plan to dedicate a lot of time in the coming two weeks to logistical and mental preparation.

Except for my Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, I’d say my mental state right now is about perfect. Win, lose, or draw on race day, I know these things… that I’m in the best physical condition of my life – that I’ve successfully completed all my key epic workouts and walked away healthy – that I’ve trained on the race course and know it better than most other competitors. I’m in a good place.

I’m getting a lot of questions about how long I expect to be out there on race day. My common answer is, “This is my first Ironman. I can’t say.” There’s just too much that can go wrong out there. We’ll just have to see what happens. To give you an idea of the goals I’m targeting, let me share some things I’ve heard and read that have struck me as most helpful:

You don’t have time goals. You have wattage and heart rate goals. Let the time just happen. -Coach Patrick

Most people don’t under-perform at Ironman because of lack of fitness, but rather because of nutrition problems or mental defeat. -Lisa Bentley

For me, endurance training is exactly like turning a Styrofoam cup inside out. So long as you take it slowly you'll be able to do it. Try to rush things and - rip - you'll tear the cup. You are the cup. –Gordo Byrn

Sometime during the day you will feel really, really bad. Expect this. This is normal. Things will get better if you persevere. Finish at all costs. You will thank yourself later. –Gordo Byrn

Pain is temporary, Pride is forever. –Dave Scott

You don’t race an Ironman. You don’t go faster than the guy you beat, you just slow down less. –Rich Strauss

There’s no such thing as a good bike followed by a bad run. –Rich Strauss