Ironman Florida - Triathlon


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Panama City Beach, Florida
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
73F / 23C
Sunny
Total Time = 12h 20m 55s
Overall Rank = 1202/2891
Age Group = M30-34
Age Group Rank = 144/265
Pre-race routine:

I woke up 3.5 hours before race and had a banana, small coffee, oatmeal and toast for breakfast. I also took 24 ounces of Nuun in a water bottle to sip on before the race. I put my wetsuit on 20 minutes before the start and swam about 100-200 yards in the ocean to get my face wet and readjust my wetsuit as needed.
Swim
  • 1h 19m 30s
  • 3862 meters
  • 02m 04s / 100 meters
Comments:

I've read upwards of 50 race reports before this race and no matter how many times people tell you that you're going to get the snot beat out of you the entire swim, it still didn't sink in until I was in the thick of it.

The first 100 yards weren't bad because of the sand bar and most people walked it because the waves were quite large. From there on it was punch-kick-crawl over-elbow-breath-repeat. At the first turn buoy a person was dog paddling and swiftly kicked me in the jaw, then kicked my finger so hard I thought it was broken (turns out just badly jammed) which hurt my pull stroke the rest of the swim.

Honestly, I never really found calm water the entire swim. I hate swimming anyways but I guess being around 1:20 time is the average swim time so it had the largest grouping of people.

Temperature wish it felt great and once past about 200 yards the large waves didn't have any effect. Absolutely loved having a walk on the beach before starting the second lap. I swallowed some salt water on occasion and getting a fresh cup of water helped.
What would you do differently?:

Wear a football helmet? Take swimming more serious so that I can be ahead of the masses.
Transition 1
  • 09m 21s
Comments:

The tent was a bit crowded but that's what you get being in the 1:10-2:00 range. I went slow and steady so I wouldn't forget anything. I dried off my feet, applied more chamois butter, wiped off my face with baby wipes, got some more water, and was on my way.
What would you do differently?:

I would skip the wetsuit strippers. My reasoning is because you have to lay down in the sand and you get covered in it. The showers that you run through on the way to changing tent don't really get 10% of it off of you.
Bike
  • 5h 46m 1s
  • 112 miles
  • 19.42 mile/hr
Comments:

The course was smooth and fast with a few exceptions (mainly SN out and back section). The winds were still quite heavy and I swear we had a headwind most of the day. I really didn't encounter too many huge draft packs like I've heard of on this site. The refs were out in full force which was nice.

It was a beautiful day out and the scenery was very nice. It also helps if you love watching all the bikes. I passed and was passed by some beauties which helps take your mind off racing when you have fun critiquing everyone's ride.

My plan was to take in two Infinit Nutrition bottles with 3 hours worth of concentrated drink mix and chase it with water. This is what I've been using all year in training but race day it just didn't work for me. I think I had too much protein in my mix which helps you not feel hungry while you're riding. My next race I will do one bottle with protein and the last 3 hours without protein.

My stomach was bloated and I was gassy from mile 85 until I finished my race. I had a bit more trouble peeing on the bike this race for some reason as well. Not really sure why.

Other than bloating I was really thrilled with my bike time. I could have shaved another 15 minutes off my time but I purposely held back on the bike to save my legs for the run.
What would you do differently?:

Really nail down my nutrition which I thought I had but oh well.
Transition 2
  • 11m 24s
Comments:

Again I took my time and made sure I didn't skip anything. I dried my feet, applied more Body Glide, washed my salty face with baby wipes, and was out the door...to the bathroom. Hello stomach cramps, we will be great enemies the rest of the day!
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Run
  • 4h 54m 39s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 11m 15s  min/mile
Comments:

My legs felt strong because I keep with my race plan and didn't overcook on the bike. Too bad the stars didn't align with my nutrition also working perfectly or I could have done much better on the run.

I've been averaging 8:15-8:30/min miles on my 20 mile runs the past few months so knowing that I had legs that were willing to crush the course but a stomach that said don't pants your poop was tough. Actually I'd have been really happy if I could have used the bathroom but too much protein in my bike drink made me feel heavy, bloated, and extremely gassy. Way too many times than I'd like to admit my body would let one rip and all I could do was laugh and say "slingshot...engaged" and I tried to speed past people.

The fan support was incredible down the entire course. Aid stations were a blast and very well stocked. The ladies dressed in sexy costumes made for a very nice mental break as well.

I never really came into the mental demons like I did last year at IMKY. My legs were good but I could only muster a 10 min/mile pace with the more than occasional stop so my stomach could settle again.

I had to abandon my nutrition plan and just go with water, coke, chicken broth, and the occasional potato chips to get in enough sodium.
What would you do differently?:

I want to say pull up my skirt and run because my stomach was going to hurt no matter what but that might have landed me in medical with a DNF. Overall I'm still very happy with my times.
Post race
Warm down:

Well deserved pizza, chocolate milk and massage. I sent my parents, my wife, and my passed out 2 year old daughter back to the room with my bike and bags and decided to walk around a bit and grab more food and talk to a few friends before heading back for a painful shower (guess for forgot to stop for sunscreen!).

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Bad call on the bike nutrition lead to excessive bloating, cramping, and gas. Other than that, great day.

Event comments:

I will definitely do this race again someday but since IM Chattanooga (15 minutes away from my house) was announced it became my race for the next few years.




Last updated: 2013-11-04 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:19:30 | 3862 meters | 02m 04s / 100meters
Age Group: 149/265
Overall: 1336/2891
Performance: Good
Suit: Orca S3 Fullsleeve
Course:
Start type: Run Plus: Shot
Water temp: 73F / 23C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Good Navigation: Average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 09:21
Performance:
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
05:46:01 | 112 miles | 19.42 mile/hr
Age Group: 128/265
Overall: 1165/2891
Performance: Good
Kept HR AVG at 148 with 150 being my ceiling for zone 2.
Wind: Headwind with gusts
Course:
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 90
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 11:24
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Good
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
04:54:39 | 26.2 miles | 11m 15s  min/mile
Age Group: 144/265
Overall: 1202/2891
Performance: Average
138 Avg HR with 150 being my zone 2 ceiling. Too much stopping for bathroom breaks due to stomach cramping.
Course: Flat and nice
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5