I'm happy to communicate the successful completion of another Ironman. After last year's great experience in St. George, I was eager to try out another Iromman. This time, I chose IM Texas (another inaugural IM event) for it's flat course, Saturday timing, and proximity to Dallas where my co-Ironman friend (Rich Goode) lives. The event was held on Saturday, May 21st at The Woodlands, TX (just north of Houston). Overall, it was a great experience with a few bumps along the way. As with many epic events like an Ironman, it is more about the journey (training) than the actual destination itself (event). And while my training wasn't at the level I wanted it to be (see prior blog), I still managed to "eek out" a PR and not kill myself in the process (although it was close). The key headlines for this year's race are as follows:1) Poor preparation
2) Easier Course
3) Tougher Conditions (heat/humidity)
4) Flat tires
5) Dehydration
Pre-Race Preparations
Similar to last year, we had to arrive two days before the event to register and pick up our bags, gear, etc. I flew into Dallas and drove down with my friend, Rich Goode. Ate dinner and went to a movie (Fast Five). We met up with our friend from Salt Lake City, Stan Hansen, on Friday and spent most of the day getting our bags together. There are five bags that need to be prepared for any Ironman: 1) Bike Gear Bag (Transition 1), 2) Run Gear Bag (Transition 2), 3) Bike Special Needs Bag (set out mid way thru Bike), 4) Run Special Needs Bag (set out mid way thru Run), and 5) Morning Clothes Bag. In each of these bags you need to ensure you not only have the right gear (shoes, helmet, gloves, etc) but also misc items such as sunblock, towel, additional energy food, and so forth. I also had to pick up my road bike on Friday. Most IM triathletes (especially those doing this year's course) have a Time Trial (TT)/Tri bike. I would definitely recommend this for those considering IM Texas next year as the course is very flat, windy at times. TT bikes definitely had the advantage. My wife and two oldest kids (Emilie and Jonathan) flew down on Friday and we joined up for dinner that evening. Ended up getting to bed around 9:00 PM.
Race Day Morning
Woke up at 4:30 AM and got ready. Bagel with peanut butter and banana for breakfast. Headed over to event (20 min drive. Final check on bikes. Walked over to swim start (15 min walk). Cloud cover morning. 75-80 degrees. Very humid. T-minus one hour until official start at 7:00 AM.
Swim (2.4 miles)
Water temperatures were between 76.1 and 83.8 degrees which meant triathletes could wear wetsuits if they wanted but would not be eligible for awards/Kona slots if they did. It appeared that apx. half the participants chose to wear wetsuits. This included me. As with all Ironman swims, the professional athletes start at 6:45 AM and then the rest of the pack (apx. 2,000) started at 7:00. The swim course (Lake Woodlands) was very tight which meant a lot of bumping/kicking with other swimmers. The difference with this swim was that it never let up (usually spaces out after the first 100 meters or so). It was a tight pack swim the entire course. The end got particularly tight as we were funneled down a canal towards T1. Unlike last year's swim, I felt very comfortable this year. While still very slow, I was able to cut 7 minutes off my swim time (Time - 1:24:44).
T1 (Swim to Bike) - (Time - 8:45)
Bike (112 Miles)
The bike leg started off great. The course was so much easier than St. George's course. It was actually quite scenic as we biked through farm country and even part of the Sam Houston National forest. At mile 15, I noticed my rear tire was going flat (apx 50 psi vs 120). I pulled over and inspected it, even got assistance from the official Ironman Bike Support crew who pulled out a small nail and pumped up the tire. It appeared to hold the air, so instead of changing the tire, I opted to continue riding. After another 15 miles or so, I noticed the tire pressure was once again low. For the next 3 - 4 aid stations (every 15 miles), I would stop and take 2 - 3 minutes to fill up my tire. In retrospect, I should have simply changed my tire at mile 15. Even with these stops and riding on a lower than recommended tire pressure, I felt good with my 1st half (56 miles in 3:00:00 /18.7 mph pace). I started to get excited about crushing my IMSG time. However, my tire was completely flat and I made the decision to finally change it. Unfortunately, I am not a fast tire-changer having only changed maybe 4 or 5 tires in my life. I rode to mile 57 (Bike Special Needs Bag Stop) on a flat tire and then took 15 - 20 minutes changing my tire. My CO2 cartridge didn't completely fill up my tire so I had to stop again at the next Aid Station and use their pump. After that stop, I had no further bike issues. However, I did use up plenty of nervous energy with all these stops and changes. The 2nd half of the bike was much slower with the final 2o miles or so being painful. I was so glad to be off that bike and start the run. Again, despite all these issues, I was still able to cut off 38 minutes from my St. George bike time (7:23:00). Frustrating, as I feel I could have biked closer to 6:15:00 without all these problems. Shows how much easier this bike course is versus St. George. (Time - 6:45:12).
T2 (Bike to Run) - (Time: 8:06)
Run (26.2 miles)
The run was a three-loop course in and around The Woodlands. While it was nice to run along the waterfront and through the town center, I'm not a big fan of a three loop course. Makes for a long painful run. It was about 3 PM when I started my run and the temperature had shot upwards to over 90 degrees with 80% - 90% humidity. The cloud cover was now gone and the heat was almost unbearable. My goal was to run the first 5 miles without walking. I had to stop, however, at each aid station and load up on water and ice. I would drench myself and then put ice cubes in my shirt, under my hat and then hold in my hands as long as they lasted just to keep my body temperature down. I saw multiple runners on the side of the road getting medical care. They would wrap these runners in silver insultation blankets filled with ice and give them IVs. I thought I was taking in plenty of fluids; however, I definitely felt the effects of dehydration. In last year's race, I urinated (TMI?) 6 or 7 times during the race. In IMTX, I didn't go once! Around mile 12, I became sick to my stomach and vomited several times. I ran/walked the next 12 miles, getting sick anytime I exerted too much energy for sustained periods of time. I couldn't stomach any foods or liquids. With only a couple miles left, I realized I could still possibly make a sub-14 hour time so I tried to pick up my pace. Unfortunately, I could only do so much. I did turn it on the final half mile, sprinting most of the way. I got to the final chute where thousands of people are lined up cheering for you only to double over with dry heaves. This was a completely different experience from IMSG where the final 100 yards were complete exhiliration. Here, I could only think of making it across the finish line so that I could throw up. My run time ended up being 37 minutes slower than last year. (Time - 5:34:56)
FINAL RESULTS (Time - 14:01:43) - 1,291 out of 2,160
Post-Race
I told Camille right after the race that this was my last Ironman. Not sure why anyone would subject themselves to this kind of punishment, especially if you've already completed the goal. I couldn't stomach any food for 3 - 4 hours afterward. Camille bought me a Jamba Juice, but I ended up giving it away to my kids. Stan, Rich and I returned to our friend's house and took a hot tub. I was able to get more and more liquid in me. Finally, around midnight, I had my appetite back so we headed out to a local burger shop that was still open. Slept well that night and felt pretty good on Sunday as we headed back to Dallas.
Post Race with Emilie and Jonathan (still holding my throw-up bag)
Post Race with Rich Goode and Stan Hansen
Conclusion
I have already gone from "no way am I doing another Ironman" to "maybe I'll do another one next year if my friends want to join me." This has evolved even further to "can't wait until next year." I think I'm going to return to The Woodlands and take another crack at this course which I feel got the best of me. I honestly feel I could get a sub-13 hour time if I had a bike leg with no mechanical issues and a better run thru proper training and hydration. I want to thank again my family for all their support over the past several months and for allowing me to continue to pursue my crazy goals. Stay tuned for more fun . . . .
