Savageman 2007 Half-Ironman

Full Results can be found here: http://www.savagemantri.org/Results.html

To be honest, I really didn’t know what to expect from myself at this inaugural event. Just the name of the race sort of scared me at first. Without going into a lot of detail, this course is absolutely amazing and challenging to say the least. The scenic setting of Deep Creek Lake and the surrounding area is beautiful.




Leading up to the race, I had fully convinced myself that a road bike was the way to go. In hindsight, I definitely think my tri-bike would be the better choice next time…did I just say next time??? I think my decision was based too much on the 3 days of riding a group of us did about a month prior. It always seemed like we were climbing. I had forgotten how much of an advantage I would have had being aero on my time trial bike throughout the first 18 or so miles and last 8-10 miles. I did have a buddy that loaned me his Specialized Tarmac road bike just for this race. Thanks again, Patrick! It was a tad small for me so I had a hard time adjusting to it and feeling comfortable on the descents, but it sure made climbing a lot better than my steel road bike. I also didn’t realize until Saturday that the speedometer/odometer was dismantled from the bike, so I was going to have to race just on feel with no concern for speed.

It was also at that point I decided not to wear my Heart Rate Monitor. I didn’t really want to be too concerned about my Heart Rate because I knew it would spike all over the place. I didn’t want to get psyched out by my effort. As they say, it would be a race based solely on perceived exertion. My only real goal was to finish sub 6 hours; which I thought was very doable, but I really had no idea. I also wanted to redeem some confidence I had lost last weekend during the Annapolis triathlon where I had mentally cracked during the run and lost 4-5 minutes from my goal time.

On to the Savage race…

There was a definite chill in the air as the temperature early in the morning was in the low 40’s. Fog filled the air and lowered visibility to around 50-75 yards. There was a bass fishing tournament starting before the race and it looked pretty cool to see all the boats sitting out in the fog laden water by the boat ramp. I was still unsure what exactly to wear in order to stay somewhat warm without overdoing it so I asked Ted & Sean what they were doing. The consensus seemed to be; put on a dry jersey, throw on a light vest with some gloves and arm warmers with a light beanie cap under my helmet. This worked perfectly since I could pull the arm warmers down on the climbs as I heated up and I didn’t need to stop to drop anything. Oddly, I did see some competitors dressed as if they were going on a mid-winter ride. It appeared a little excessive.

Foggy Swim:

This was going to be interesting. Since the fog had limited visibility, sighting the buoys was just about impossible unless you were about 50 yards away. Thankfully, the shoreline was visible so I knew if I could keep it in sight I would eventually hit the turnaround buoy. In reality though, once the gun went off I got into a pack of what seemed like 10-15 swimmers and just decided to follow some feet hoping the leaders were sighting well. Before I knew it, we were at the turnaround buoy and heading back. This is where the pack started to break apart and I was left to my own devices for sighting. It wasn’t that bad. It was so unique that it was pretty cool. Once I saw the dock, I knew there was a last turn buoy about 50 yards directly out from it, so I made a bee-line for it and worked my way to the boat dock. As I jogged up the hill to transition I ran into Ted & Sean changing. I think everyone was a little bewildered by just how long it took to get everything on. It definitely was unusual to have a few more items to deal with.




Bring the pain…err bike.

This was the marquee stage of the race. I think there’s a pretty firm consensus that this would be one of if not the most difficult 56 miles in all of triathlon. With a solid mix of climbing with sharp elevation gains and technical winding descents, this was purely a course designed to separate the field. It was me against the Savage. Mano e Mano.

My legs were feeling good the first five miles which is always a nice omen. During the long descent to Westernport, my legs got pretty chilled so I tried to get out of the saddle as much as I could to keep the blood flowing. I pulled over during the descent for a brief nature break because I knew at mile 19 the climbing was coming.

How you doing Westernport! This small town turned out in droves to witness what has been dubbed the start of “The Westernport Wall”; a short, riveting climb up through the center of town climaxing with a 25% grade pitch that has long been closed off to traffic since it is so steep. But the town only serves as the start of the “The Wall” since you keep climbing for about 7 miles afterward until you are over Big Savage Mountain. As Kyle said at the race briefing, “You would have thought the Olympics were coming to town.” I overheard someone say that the local Church service was suspended so the town folk could come support the racers. How cool is that! It’s so rare to find a community that actually supports Triathlons. Usually everyone bitches and moans to the local gov’t that they got stuck in traffic for 15 minutes one Sunday morning on their way to the grocery store a half mile away. Yet, they didn’t bother reading the signage that was posted the week prior telling them there was a race coming up and to avoid the route. Sorry, off on a tangent there. Back to the good stuff.

Here's some random footage Igda took before our camera died:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCDOXFiQWOI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h91H-N-lEY

This is too funny. Check out the guy falling over the basset hound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqIjuyHOveI


Now I for one was going to do my best not to disappoint. There were two fellow racers slightly in front of me, so I started to climb rather timid trying to create some separation and let them either get up the climb or allow enough time for them to fall and get out of my way. Both riders unclipped about ¼ of the way up, so I slowed even more to let them move from the right side where I was planning to go full steam ahead. As soon as they moved, I gave it everything I had. I put my head down and grinded away. Fifteen seconds later I was elated to be at the top and still on my bike. Hooray! It is sort of funny, I don’t remember recognizing anyone, but I heard people shouting my name up the climb. I even remember hearing Igda’s voice say, “Go, Pete! Go, Pete!” I just had to block everything out and focus on turning over the pedals. Igda later ask me if I saw Laura B. running next to me. I told her, no. I didn’t remember seeing her. I guess I was in la la land.

After that, I just got into a rhythm and started cranking away. Maybe it was the training from a month earlier, but I never felt like I was overly exerting myself. Somewhere about ¾ of the way up Big Savage Mountain I crept up on Haig and we had a nice little chat for a bit. This is where I think starting in the last wave paid off. When I saw a rider out in the distance, I would just focus on reeling them in. It kept me motivated and focused on the here and now.

As the bike course wound on, I just kept repeating to myself, “here and now”. Stay in the moment. If my mind started to wonder about how much farther I had left or I began to think about how the hell am I’m going run 13.1 miles after this, I went back to “here and now” and just focused on turning the pedals. It started to get pretty lonely out there for the last 15 miles. I don’t think I saw but 1 other rider during this stint. My nutrition plan appeared to be spot on. I’d prepared a 900 calorie bottle mixed with Carbo-Pro and Powerbar endurance drink that I planned to work my through during the ride, supplemented by a few gels and 2-3 endurolytes/hr with generous amounts of water. I avoided any stomach issues and seemed to have a good even level of energy throughout the ride.

I cruised into transition where a pretty nice crowd had gathered to cheer everyone on. I ran to my rack and started to change. Note to self: when you have bundled up for the ride it would help if you started to undress a bit before transition. It seemed to take me forever to get my gloves, arm-warmers and vest off. It took me about 30 seconds to realize it would all be a little easier if I took my freakin’ gloves off first. It was nice to get some words of encouragement from Chas as I was changing. Thanks, Chas!

Oh, there’s a RUN?!

I immediately darted to the porto-john, which was a good sign which meant I’d taken in adequate fluids.

Now as much as this race was touted for its bike segment, the run was no picnic either. I hadn’t previewed the run course and to be frank, I didn’t really want to know how hard it was going to be. I was just going to gut it out. It was slightly down hill for the first mile which appeared to loosen up my legs and I was feeling rather good. What a tease it would prove to be. Thankfully, a young lady had just started her run as part of a relay, so I figured I would use her as my rabbit. If I could stay with a pair of fresh legs, I knew I would be doing well. I did have time to give Igda a quick kiss before I made my way out into the jungle.

Okay, what the hell is going on here? As I diligently stay about 20 yards behind my rabbit the course starts winding its way UP through the campground a little after the first mile. It doesn’t really look all that steep, but it’s getting noticeably harder. Once we get through the campground, we hit the rock/boulder laden trail where it’s not too bad, but then somewhere I think around the 2.5 mile mark it makes a massive turn skyward. I remember thinking, “Oh, Christ. How long does this last?” I felt like I was taking baby steps as I rambled my way at what seemed like a pace I could walk faster at. I just kept repeating “here and now” and focused on not letting my rabbit go. This carried on for about a mile and half until I finally reached the aide station at the top of hill by the fire tower. Yippee!

Now from what I recalled before the race, the course then heads downhill for a couple of miles down a fire road. I thought to myself, “Cool. Just let your legs go.” But wait, I was suddenly hit by what felt like a bolt of lightening in the back of my left leg. After two good long strides, my left hamstring completed cramped into a knot. Crap! What the heck!? I rarely cramp, so this was a little new. I stopped and tried to stretch it out, but it seemed to make the cramp worse. I was determined not to let this stop me. I started to walk and gently started to get back to running. As my strides gradually got longer, the cramp thankfully evaporated. Now I started popping more endurolytes like an addict and taking as much water as I could stomach at the aide stations. Somehow I even managed to catch up with my rabbit by the bottom of the hill. I kept her in sight as I went through the halfway point which is also the finish line after the second loop.

I did get a little chuckle as I was passing by the finish line and noticed Bart waving at me and pointed to the finishing shoot. I have to admit, I was a little dazed and confused. As I got closer to him, he realized I was not who he thought I was. See, I happened to be wearing my Principal Fitness race jersey which Flanagan was also wearing during the bike. For an instance, he thought I was Michael. Michael, it was good to be you even if it was only for a few fleeting seconds. Killer race by the way!

I gave Igda one more quick, salty kiss as I rolled by. One more tortuous loop to do! Again, I just kept repeating “here and now” to myself. As the next round of climbing began, I also added, “Don’t stop!” Somewhere along the line I lost my rabbit, but fortunately there were more bodies out on the course so I would just set a target and try to reel them in. I got a nice little boost of encouragement at the TriCat aide Station at around mile 2…thanks everyone! And then the run “wall” smacked me upside the head as I made my way up to the fire tower. I just kept repeating, “Don’t Stop” as I precariously clawed my way up the hill passing a number of racers walking. I tried to mutter some encouragement as I passed, but my heart rate was going through the roof and my legs were dangerously close to giving out. Low and behold I made it to the fire tower where I then could start to smell the finish line as I let my legs go. I nearly tripped and face planted down the gravel path but ungraciously I saved myself the disaster. I managed to catch a fella that was keeping a pretty good pace so I decided to hang about 15 yards behind him for the duration. I wasn’t sure if it was his second loop or not, but at that point I didn’t care if I finished one more place down, although wouldn’t you know it, I did check his calf for his Age Group marking. He was one group younger, so I wasn’t worried.

Those last couple hills before you hit the steep downhill into the park were a killer. I came around the final bend and made my dash to the finish line. Hallelujah! I grabbed the young volunteer’s shoulder and silently just stood there reflecting on what I had just accomplished. It was by far the hardest 13.1 mile run I’d completed as well. I then went over to Kyle and called him a murderer before collapsing on the grass…well I didn’t really but the thought did cross my mind.

Finish Time: 5:57:27. I hit my sub 6 goal and I mentally didn’t crack during the run. I’m a happy camper! Just too darn bad I just happen to have two insanely fast friends, Ted and Sean, in my Age Group who both had great performances or I would have made my AG podium. Well, I guess it’s always good to have a dream.

Conclusion:

It’s really hard to describe my precise feelings for this utterly challenging race. I think the timing of the race falling at the end of the racing calendar is very fitting. It has left me feeling deeply satisfied with my overall race performances this year and longing to develop a plan for improvement in the off season. I’ve met a lot of great people throughout the year, many of whom have pushed me farther than I thought I could go. For that, I am grateful.

Real accolades need to go Kyle Yost, David Glover, Greg Safko & the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation’s Board of Directors for managing to put on such an incredible event. It was by far one of the most organized and enjoyable races I’ve ever participated in. The enormous challenge for garnering approval and support from all the various organizations is no small feat and all the more impressive as it were executed.

The volunteers, from the local support crews, Tri-clubs, numerous Team Z’ers, Police departments, Deep Creek Park personnel, Garret County government officials and spectators were remarkable. It’s hard to imagine it getting better in the future, but I look forward to seeing it happen. I forgot to mention the Pre-Race “Champion” dinner was very enjoyable as well and I would encourage future participants to plan on attending it.

It was also rewarding for me to assist in the fundraising effort for the foundation. As I had the pleasure to meet just about everyone on the Board at the “Champion” dinner, I was really impressed with the organization as a whole and its commitment to raising awareness and aiding in the research to find a cure for melanoma. I’d also like to thank my family and friends that generously contributed toward my fundraising goals.

I’m off to go put my “This Triathlete has climbed Big Savage Mountain” bumper sticker on my car so everyone tailgating me from here on out will know just how Savage I am.

Signed,

One very sore, happy Savageman!

Ironman Germany Finish line Video

I'm the one wearing the jersey with the yellow (stripe) and blue jersey with white cap at the end.

IM Germany Race Report

Go grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a very long Ironman story. I make no apologies…I’m 2 glasses into a very nice Zin and since the Ironman is a long event, I figure my race report should be just as long.

Preface:

Why am I doing Ironman Germany?

I’ve asked myself this a lot over the course of the last 9 months. My foray into Ironman began in 2005 while I was training for 2005 Ironman Florida. What I realized during this race is that there are no sure things in long-distance racing. A small miscalculation, a bad day, or just a good night’s sleep can be the difference between success and failure.

I had suffered an odd calamity at the Ironman event in 2005 due to a stomach ailment two days before the race. After a discouraging race, there was this huge feeling of emptiness. It was strange. I successfully completed the race and I was a so called “Ironman”, but I never really felt that I deserved it. I had suffered, but not in a way that was “sporting”. I wasn’t necessarily in control of the suffering. It was out of my hands. I needed to find a race that would be thrilling. Something out of the ordinary. An event that my wife and I could make memorable. Not only for the race, but for the venue as well. Germany was it! Igda would get the chance to go back to see the city in which she lived for eight years and I would be able to share in learning more about her past.

The bottom line is that I needed to put the demon behind me. I needed to push myself farther and harder than I thought I could without ANY excuses. My original goal was to go sub 11 hours. On paper it seemed simple, but to execute it is another story.

Projected Goal times:
Swim- 1:10 hrs
T1- 5 mins
Bike- 5:30 hrs
T2- 4 mins
Run- 4:00 hrs
Estimated Time: 10:50 with a little wiggle room

The Coaching:

After departing with the 400 Euros upon signing up for the race, I quickly sent Eric Sorensen an email and hired him as my coach. I needed someone to kick me in the tail and guide me in the right direction. Eric has always been there for me when I needed advice and direction, so why not commit and hire the best. It’s a huge plus that I get the opportunity to train with Eric as well. He’s proven not only to be a great coach, but an incredible training partner as well (On the bike at least. I can’t keep up with him in the pool or the run). I owe Eric a debt of gratitude for having me perfectly prepared.

The Support:

What I have learned through my experience training for an Ironman is quite simple; the platform for success stems from the support within the one’s you love. Heaven willing, that love is returned in kind because it will be a lopsided relationship during the course of your training and preparation.

Although this is a boring subject for most racers, this really should be the longest segment of my report. For those that have completed an Ironman, they will understand that to be an “Ironman” you have to have “Ironman” support. This comes in many shapes and forms.

When the Ironman medal is placed over my head after crossing the finishing line, I truly feel undeserving. I really wish my wife could stand at the finish line and a volunteer would place the medal over her neck. She is really the one that deserves it. All I had to do was train and race.

Igda had her own Ironman race. Except it wasn’t a race against the clock and it didn’t involve swimming, cycling and running. It was a race to keep our relationship in tact and unselfishly support her spouse’s dream no matter how crazy I was or amount of time I was away from home training.

I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to her. She has put up with my mood swings. She has listened to my whining. She has put up with my training. She has done a zillion loads of my laundry. Often, she served as my personal masseuse…although it did cost me a few shopping sprees in return.

Her sacrifice hasn’t gone unnoticed. I hope someday I can demonstrate the same patience and support with her pursuit of a dream.

Ok….just cracked another bottle of wine…I may miss swim practice tomorrow…I’m entitled, right? After all, I’m an Ironman!

The Training:

My recipe for having a great race is simple, just train with a bunch of great athletes and you WILL improve. I’ve been fortunate during the last few years to meet and have the opportunity to train with some incredible triathletes.

Two years ago, Eric came up with the idea of starting a “CoreRide”. The motto is simple, “DO WORK”. It started as a group of triathletes looking to push each other to levels that couldn’t be achieved by training alone. It’s developed into some of the regions top triathletes pushing each other to some incredible results. Me, I’m just happy to suck a wheel on training rides, look at results and tell friends, “Hey, I ride with that guy! He’s an animal!”

Needless to say, it is also a group of individuals on the verge of insanity that would risk freezing limbs on cold January days to get a ride in. Anything to avoid the indoor trainer! It toughens you up, right?

There was one breakthrough workout worth mentioning. I met Ted “SunRise” Waugh and Sean Ward bright and early one Saturday morning in May. They proceeded to put a beat down on me that I will never forget. We managed 116 miles in roughly 5hr 55 minutes doing two reverse loops of Mt. Weather. For the last 30 miles, I was doing all I could to hang on. It was a huge confidence boost to get this ride under my belt. I had never ridden as hard for that long, ever. I truly felt after this ride that the 112 mile Ironman leg would be a walk in the park. These guys are going to kill it at Lake Placid.

Along with the 5:30 a.m. Masters swim practices where I was constantly being pushed to my limits and the joyous track workouts (thanks, Ole) in tandem with a weekly long, sweaty run, I’d put in the time. Physically, there wasn’t much more I could do without sacrificing my career or my personal relationships.

Side note- Pre-Ride with Faris Al-Sultan:

Check out this article (I was on this ride with Faris):

www.ironmanlive.com/columns/ironmanlife/kevin-mackinnon-reports-on-ironman-germany-jon-blais-and-ironman-western-australia

Funny Story about the Pasta Party:

After the pre-race briefing on Friday afternoon, Igda & I hung out for an hour or so to chow down at the Pasta Dinner the race organizers had coordinated. We were a little skeptical at first, but after seeing the spread of delicious food we were pretty excited. There were all sorts of various pasta dishes that were incredibly tasty. But my real amazement instantly turned to the sheer number of people sitting around us that were drinking huge pints of beer. I began to look around further and noticed something that I think only would happen in Germany. See, there were two beer stands at each end of the arena that were at least 30 people deep waiting to get a beer. The individuals in line weren’t race supporters; these were in shape athletes waiting for their daily nourishment. The four coke and water stands were empty. Only in Germany!


Race Day:

I slept like crap. I awoke after 1 a.m. and toss and turned for the remaining 3 hours. Oh, well. The alarm finally went off at 4 a.m. and I slid out of bed with the realization that today was going to be an incredible day. The previous morning I woke up with a huge krink in my neck. After a few massive rubs from Igda the day before, I was somewhat pleasantly surprised that the stiffness had loosened up this morning. A good sign.

I had a banana, bowl of muesli and I was good to go. Since I racked my bike the day before, all I had to do was grab my wetsuit, mix the magic potions in my water bottles and head out to catch the bus.

The swim is roughly 12k’s from downtown Frankfurt (where the bike/run transition is). Shuttle buses start at 4 a.m. and constantly shuffles athletes and spectators to the swim start. Everything progresses as clockwork.

I arrive 90 minutes before the start and begin setting up my transition area. Nothing unusual, with the exception that at European events you have the choice of changing at your bike or a makeshift tent (for the bashful Americans). I chose to keep my transition bag at my bike and lay out my belongings very typical to other triathlons. In customary fashion, I got in line for my ceremonial pre-race number 2. Uh, oh…major problem. I can’t go. Nothing. Not a good sign, but I just can’t worry about it now.

With 10 minutes to go before the start, I’m in the water and slowly moving toward the middle of a massive group of bright neon green swim caps. I start to realize that this swim is going to be unlike anything I have ever experienced. I slice my way through the herd until I’m just about 5 rows behind the front, smack dab in the middle. The area for the swim start is approx. 100 x 100 meters. Racers are actually backed up to the beach when the gun goes off.

The Swim:

I’ve been in rough swim starts before, but I’ve never had to endure the punishment for 2.4 miles. It was crazy. I was swimming over people. I had people swimming over the top of me. PANDEMONIEUM! I overheard afterward that some of the kayakers actually got knocked over after the gun went off.

My mantra for the swim was “breathe / relax” at every stroke. This was a huge success. Mentally I stayed focused regardless of the two times I had my goggles knocked off. Or the time at the halfway point a German decided to stop and tell me how unhappy he was that I had just crawled up his back. I have no idea what he said but I can still see his face yelling what I believe were a slew of profanities. Too funny to think that I had no idea what he was saying!

In my head, I kept telling myself that it would loosen up and calm down, but it never did. It felt like there were 400 swimmers all swimming the exact same pace as me. I’d see a bit of open water and head to it. Immediately it would close up. I think we all were thinking the same thing. I just had to roll with it and stay relaxed.

I knew my swimming had improved and I was feeling much stronger, but I was extremely happy to see 1:06:39. A PR by 3 minutes even with the rough conditions.


T1:

I jogged up the steep hill out of the water and realized I had to go pee. I noticed the Toi’s to my right as I was running through transition and decided to make a bee-line to them. Unlike North America races, you’re on our own for taking off the wetsuit. I nearly fell over into the Toi while taking off my wetsuit. After my exit, I ran to my bike and without any bashfulness I strip down to the bone. It actually felt liberating. It sort of felt like I was changing armour. I threw on my bike kit and I was off.

What you will hear: Sounds of German Enthusiasm on the bike and run
schneller (faster) pronounced "schnella"
los (go) pronounced "LOS"
auf gehts (let's go) pronounced "off gets"
hopp, hopp, hopp (go) pronounced "op"

The Bike:

My race advisor, Steve Tappan, gave me a lot of great advice leading up to the bike course and it proved to be spot on. Thanks, Steve! As I was rolling from the Lake into town and smiling inwardly at all the cyclists shooting past me – it crossed my mind that I was a better swimmer than they were and hopefully better at pacing myself. I would see them later I told myself. I passed a group of draft busters (bike marshals) who were being given a briefing. I subsequently had one of the Marshalls pull beside me and yell at me in German of which I understood absolutely nothing. I shouted back, “English, please.” But he growled back at me again in German. The only thing I could figure was that he was telling me that I had to get over. Remember, this was 20 minutes into the ride and we were stacked up 2-3 deep everywhere. I smiled and gave him the universal “OK” sign. I just slowed down and moved over until he was out of sight. I was determined that I would not have any altercation with a draft marshal having been wrongly accused of drafting.



Once we were out of Frankfurt and into the villages, the crowds lined the route and had set up tables and benches off to the side of roads and sidewalks. Some had already started on great big Steins of beer and were very merry – don’t forget this was 9:00 am! The course is technical and at one of the more technical portions there is roughly 300 yards of cobblestone to cover. This is the real deal. As you enter the cobblestone section there is a sharp 90 degree left turn. Since I couldn’t carry any speed into the cobble section, I found the best way to get through it was to lighten my weight on the handlebars and gear down, grinding through the vibrations. Even though this portion of the race was unusual, in a weird sort of way it rattled me enough that I felt invigorated after it. It was my very mini Paris-Roubaix.

As the course continued, the crowds closed in ‘Tour de France’ style and were shouting “Hopp, Hopp” or “Los, Los, Los” all while ringing giant cow bells and other noise makers in support. I felt a great sense of pride that they had taken the time to come out and support us. The children held their hands out in anticipation of a ‘high five’. To allow my mind to wander for a short while I allowed myself some time out to oblige the children as long as it was safe to do so. It’s so hard to describe until you have experienced it. No offense, but the fan support is unlike anything found in North America and I’d venture to guess anyplace on the planet.

Vergil Arbuckle gave me a great piece of advice which I implored along the way. It was a simple, “smile, it makes you feel better”. I used it a lot along the way. Thanks for the reminder, Vergil!

I always kept in mind a quote from Eric:

“Everyone looks good at 80 miles on the bike. It’s after that point where things begin to unravel if you don’t pace yourself correctly and save energy.”

I was having a solid bike ride and I knew it. I started passing a number of racers 2/3 through the bike that were slowing. This was a good sign. I checked my avg. HR at 110 miles and it read 144, so I knew I was well into my aerobic range for 95% of the ride. My legs felt great and my nutrition was dialed in perfectly. No stomach issues. I was just a little sad I couldn’t do one more loop and soak up the fanfare just one more time. It was really that incredible.

Bike split: 5:19:29. 10 minutes faster than I needed to be, but I knew I paced myself well without ever really pushing it hard.

T2:

Going into T2, I gleefully handed over the bike and started to prepare myself for the run. I charged into the transition tent… there was only 1 tent for the ladies and gents to change in but by this time I did not care and stripped off totally to don the fresh run kit, subconsciously hoping it would make me feel fresh. I thanked the volunteer and started my rampage down the red carpet.

The Run:

The crowds of support were AMAZING and they lined the whole route, several deep in places. In many places, the crowd closed in so tight that runners had to be in single file to get through. The energy was incredible. They all deserve a medal for their assistance as they had had as long a day as the athletes. My goal was to run the marathon in 4 hours or below. I knew I had banked some time to reach my goal, but I was counting on not needing it. Since the run course was set up for 4 11k loops, my plan was to complete each loop in under an hour.

My first lap ended in 55 mins. Bang, a little ahead of target. I was ecstatic. I had made my pace without really trying. I knew the next three laps were not going to be that easy.


Because the run was in an ‘H’ shape, Igda could cross a walking bridge over the river during each lap so I had the chance to see her twice – I never really knew where she was going to be so it kept my mind alert looking for her. I slowed a bit on the second lap and come in just a hair over 1 hour. From this point on, I knew it was going to hurt.



The third lap was a struggle. I kept reciting my run mantra “Quick and light” while trying to drown out all the noise and pain beginning to surface throughout my body. This became my mantra for the rest of the run. My head began to ache so when I saw Igda next I had asked her if she had any Ibuprofen. She didn’t but she told me she would run to the hotel and get some and see me back there on the final lap. What a trooper! (FYI…at European IM’s you can receive outside assistance as long as it’s within 50 meters of an aide station and it only involves nutrition. There are no special needs bags at the halfway points of the bike and run).

Then the next panic – a started feeling sharp pains in my ribs. It didn’t really feel like cramps and even after some deep breathing and stretching it wouldn’t go away. Suddenly, it hit me. I needed to find the next porta loo pronto or there would be a big problem! After limited success at the first stop, I had to make one more visit to the porta loo a few miles down before I felt relief and the pains subsided – not pleasant I know but this is a warts and all account of what my body was going through. I completed this lap in 1:13. I was losing ground. I told myself to keep moving. I really wasn’t looking forward to having to sprint (like I would be able to) the last mile or two in order to go sub 11.

One lap to go and its over! From this point forward, I transplanted water with Red Bull. What the hell, it couldn’t hurt. I hear Igda yell my name and she asks me if I need the ibuprofen. With some slurred speech, I let her know that I’m feeling much better and I don’t need it. Sorry babe for making you run to get it!

As I made the last turnaround on the run, I realized that I only had a few km’s to go and the race was going to be complete – this really spurred me on and I forgot about all the aches and pains and tried to get out of my IM shuffle and run normally to prove to the hordes of crowds I could run, even after what I had put my body through. Without a complete implosion, I knew I was going to be under 11 hours and the jubilation was beginning to creep into my mind.

The Finish


I headed up the red carpeted cobbled path to the finish grandstand and was met by an almighty roar from the crowd. I was flabbergasted at this reception – it was truly awesome! I raised my arms in joy as I crossed the finish line. I grabbed the shoulder of a volunteer and stood motionless. I was finally able to release the Ironman monkey from my back. I now felt that I was deserving of calling myself an Ironman. I felt like I was on top of the world and the medal around my neck made it all worth while. In my dazed and confused state I heard Igda’s voice yell my name. With blurred vision, I stumble over to give her a hug and a kiss. We did it!


Run Time: 4:19. A little disappointing, but I was in no mood to complain.

With my arm firmly attached to the volunteer’s shoulder, I’m led to the athletes garden about 100 meters away. This was an area where the IM organizers had assembled a massive party with a banquet tent; massage tent, medical center, portable hot tubs and showers. It was closed off and only the participants could enter. People just stripped off and hopped into the hot tubs without a care in the world. After about 15 minutes of solitude and gorging myself with water, I mustered up enough energy to go find Igda outside of the garden. I let her know I was ok and that I was going to shower and try to down some food.

I felt a lot better after showering, but I hadn’t regained my appetite, yet. Since it was still early, I decided to get my bike and other race gear and take it back to the hotel. We decided to head back up to the finish line to view the remaining finishers struggling to beat the time cut off. It was like nothing I’d seen before. With strobe lights flashing and music blaring, the crowd was in a roar. It had been a very long day! I was now ready to sit down at the local brewhaus and cap off my day with a well deserved pint of German Pilsner. Best beer I have ever tasted!

Post Race:
A special mention has to go to Igda, family, colleagues, Tri buddies and friends. Thank you all for all your support and good wishes! It was you all who pulled me through the darker moments of the race- as you have read above there were quite a few of them. It still brings me out in goose bumps when I think of the event and I start to get all emotional!

Now that I’ve had time to reflect a bit, there’s still one question mark in my mind. Had I set my goal time too high? Maybe if my goal was 10:30, I would have been able to run 4hrs? Dang it! I now know this is going to eat at me for some time. Who knows, maybe I’ll just have to give IM one more shot. Yikes! I can’t believe I just wrote that.

Interesting Observations:

Compression Socks – These are definitely the rage over in Europe. I don’t know much about them, but Timo Bracht (winner) was wearing them. They do look odd, though. Think Paula Radcliffe.
Road bikes- I’d venture to say that 60% of the competitors used road bikes with clip-ons. I guess not everyone needs a tri-bike to be fast. Germans can ride!
Talking while racing- There was very little race chatter going on. On the bike, I think I had one person say something to me. They take their sport seriously and everyone is very focused. Maybe it’s also due to the fact there were many countries represented in the field.
Xentis wheels- I’d say I saw many more people using this wheel set than disc’s. Interesting. My guess is that Faris drives much of the fervor since he uses them.
Body marking- They don’t do it. And personally, I can understand why. It’s pointless since you have to wear your race number on the bike and run. No race #= DQ anyhow. Just one less thing you have to worry about taking care of before the race and you don’t have to worry about having your number emblazoned on your body for the next few months after a sunburn.
Race Numbers- A much higher quality than the thin, paper numbers I’ve ever seen. It’s like a thin cloth material. Much stronger and it won’t tear.
Trash and water bottles- I don’t know if it’s in the culture of cycling in Europe, but I witnessed on many occasions indiscriminate discarding of gels and water bottles along the course. It really didn’t matter where you were at. The kids lining the course would be crying out for you to toss them a bottle. I must admit, it was fun to toss a water bottle and watch them chase after it.
Bike Number- I’ve always been miffed when a race provides you a huge bike number that always seems to take some creativity when mounting on your top-tube or seat post. They provide a small number sticker that is attached to the rear brake cable. Very easily seen and not nearly as annoying. They also provide 3 small number stickers for your bike helmet. One in front and one on each side of helmet. Marshall’s can easily identify racers.
Aide Stations- These are organized extremely efficient. Each station is set up in the same sequence….ice cups, water, gel, food, coke, water, and finally Red Bull. You never had to think about it. It was like clockwork. Did I mention they love their Red Bull?
The competitors- Ok, I thought I was in pretty good shape going into this race, but the Age Group talent at this race was fascinating. I looked like a couch potato compared with many of the racers. Maybe I need to incorporate a little more beer into my diet. It seems to work for them.

July 3...I'm alive

Sorry I've been out of touch the last few days. Trying to keep my laptop charged while having to run down across the street to the hotel lobby proved to be too much of a challenge to stay on top of.

I haven't had time to really sit down and reflect on my race day effort, yet. I think I'm still in a state of shock for a few reasons. My long version of my race report will come later.

A. The crowd support was UNBELIEVABLE! I've never experienced anything like it and probably never will again (unless I get the nerve up again to do this again). Even though I couldn't understand the majority of the words fans were yelling, there was always the universal cheers of the banging cowbell and other noise makers.

B. I was extremely happy with my swim and bike. The swim portion was a full contact grudge match for the entire 2.4 miles like nothing I have experienced before. Absolutely amazed I was able to make it through without sustaining a blackeye. I heard some of the Kayaker's actually got tipped over. I really thought I'd be able to run a 4hr marathon especially since my legs felt really good and I never felt that I was going too hard on the bike, but I fell off pace for a bit around mile 16 (Toilet breaks) which were a little unexpected.

C. The organization and volunteer support at the aid stations and in the transition areas were so efficient and helpful. Every aid station was overly staffed and each and every one was in the exact same sequence.

This has to rank up there as the best event I've ever participated in! Period. End of story.

I've got to run. Igda and I are renting a car for a few days and driving South.

Here's some photos before I go.

Thursday, June 28 (Adventure to Langener Waldsee)

I decided to head out to Langener (lake) Waldsee about a little before noon. The sun was periodically peeking through in the morning, so I was hoping it would warm up a tad. Upon the advice of Mark, I was going to hop in a taxi for a short ride down to lake (12km).

I should have known the minute I leaned into the taxi cab’s window and the driver was having a hard time understanding me in English. He was a nice, older German gentleman so I thought we’d be able to get through the language barrier. I decide to pull out my map and point to the lake while making a swimming motion with my arms. In typical German, he responds, “Ya, Ya, I know”.

We then proceed to head out. In looking at the map, I have a general idea of the direction we should be heading and know that the lake is Southeast of the Airport and we’re directly north of the airport. In a strange sequence of events, he pulls over at a hotel as we are heading out of town. He jumps out and walks up to the doorman. They exchange conversation and then start walking to me in the taxi. Ahh, he speaks English and my driver must know him. I repeat where I’m trying to go and the listen to doorman and my driver go back and forth. After a few minutes, my driver jumps back in the cab and says, “Got it, I know”.

We’re back on the road, yeah. I begin to get a little concerned because we’ve been driving for about 25 minutes and according to the map, the lake should only be about 12k from downtown. We are now at the airport going all the way around. What the heck?

I cordially lean forward and ask if everything is ok. He tries to put me at ease but I can tell he’s getting a little jittery. We finally hit a gas station and he jumps out to speak to a young man. After about a 5 minute conversation, we’re back on the road. He again tells me, “I know where it is. No problems. Name changed from when I was kid.” I’m thinking to myself, “Please, I just want to get to the lake.” Now I’m in the middle of nowhere with a nice German taxi driver watching my meter hit cross 40 Euro.

Finally, after an hour we pull down into the road headed for the lake. Thank the Lord! Total ride charge 49 euros (about $65).

I pay 3 euros to get into the park and head down to the beach. The lake is beautiful. I didn’t take my camera because I wasn’t sure how secure my bag would be. I thought there would be more people, but I did run into a handful of swimmers.

I said hello to one of the gents as we were getting in and noticed after his reply that he had to be American. Next thing you know we’re chatting it up. Poor soul, he told me he missed the cutoff by 10 minutes at Ironman Switzerland last weekend. He’s here with his brother who is participating in Ironman Germany. I guess he passed a kidney stone early last week and had to be admitted to the hospital on Tuesday. He was out Thursday and decided to still do the race. Triathletes are NUTS, no matter where you are from!

As it’s been lately, the wind was howling pretty well and the water was rather choppy. The lake is extraordinarily clean and clear. It appears to be an old sand and rock quarry. I figure swimming into the waves would be a good simulation for the rough swimming conditions found in an IM event. I heard someone mention that there were 2,600 racers. That’s a lot of bodies in the water and on the bike course. No doubt, it will be interesting. After about 30 minutes, I decide that’s enough and pack it in.

I cordially ask the attendant if she can call me a taxi (thankfully I brought extra money). No problem. I make it home safe and sound.

That was the most expensive swim workout ever! 49+3+25=77 euros (almost $100).

In the afternoon, I headed over to pickup my race packet. It’s official. I’m in.

For dinner, I took the advice of an acquaintance that said I should check out Vapiano’s. I guess they just opened one in Ballston. It was delicioso!

By the way, the acquaintance I mentioned above is Steve Tappan. I was introduced to him through Ted. He participated last year at this event. He’s been money with his great advice and overall “what to expect” suggestions. If you’re reading this Steve, thanks again!

Wednesday, June 27 (Faris Al-Sultan in the house)

I had a difficult night sleeping. I slept off and on. My 2 beer trick didn’t work as well as expected. I nearly overslept after turning off the alarm. My plan for today was to join a guided tour of the bike course by the race director at 11 a.m.. The bike course is setup such that you complete two loops after joining the loop in downtown from the lake where the swim is. It was a little longer than I probably should have gone, but the pace was very gentle.

As I pulled up to meet the group at the starting point, I notice this fellow that looks like a spitting image of Faris Al-Sultan (for those that may not know, he won Kona in 2005 and he’s arguably one of the Top 3 fastest racers out there- He’s German, too). After a momentary pause, it hits me, “It is Faris!” How cool is this, I get to ride with Faris. I’m completely mad at myself for not bringing the camera. I had it in my hand when I was walking out of the door, but talked myself out of it at the last moment.

I’d say roughly 30-35 riders showed up. Right off the bat, I felt a little out of place. I was one of only a few that showed up without a light wind jacket. As we got started, a gentlemen rode next to me and asked if I was from Sweden. I chuckled and responded, “No, I’m just a stupid American that doesn’t look at the weather forecast before heading out the door running late. We introduced ourselves and now Mark become my riding buddy.

Mark was giving me play by play on how to ride the course, what to look out for, where you should go fast when with the wind behind you, etc. He turned out to be British, but lives in Frankfurt with another house in Bali. I never quite figured out what exactly he did for living other than he’s in the jewelry business. An interesting character.

Just to share a story of what a star Faris is over here, as we were riding through one of the villages there were two middle-aged German ladies, shopping bags in tow, standing on the curb waiting for us to go by so they could cross. Since I was about 3 riders behind Faris, I witnessed the whole event. As Faris passed, one of the ladies points him out and yells to her friend in German, most of which was said I didn’t understand, but I definitely caught the excitement in her voice when she said “Faris Al-Sultan”.

As I was having a late lunch, I also spotted Faris walking through the lobby. Sweet, I hope I can pester him into a picture one of these days. I know, I know…annoying American. It was interesting though that he was speaking English a lot on the ride today.

Below: I included a snippet of an email I sent to my cycling group back home

Quick recap:1. Faris is a total stud. I think he spoke to everyone on the ride. I wished him luck, told him to kick Stadler's butt and complemented him on his sweet helmet...aahh he wasn't wearing one, just a beanie cap. I guess we'd have to kick him out of core rides.2. Course is beautiful, very fast in parts and very scenic. Just praying for the wind to die down a bit. 3. I actually saw 3 riders with bigger calves than Damian.4. I think I saw one pothole the whole ride.5. Just about everyone speaks English. It's saving me!6. When you have to relieve yourself, you just swing off the rode and let it go. No need to hide in the bushes. I must admit it felt a little awkward with 15 of us lined right at the edge of the road peeing with cars going right by. Probably get thrown in jail back home.7. Every little kid by the side of the road in the villages wants a high-five. Very cool.

The plan for tomorrow is to catch a taxi in the morning for a short ride to Langener Waldsee (name of the lake where the swim is). I can swim in the lake with my wetsuit. According to Mark, the water is a little chilly. After that, I’ll get in a very short, easy bike and run.

Here's some photos of the finish area. It's a little mind blowing the setup work going into this.

Tuesday, June 27 (I made it)

View from Room...

I had a pretty good flight over. All flights were for the most part on time and relatively smooth. I’m very thankful I wore jeans on the flight to London. You could have hung meat in that plane. The most important item of all is that my bike, wheels and luggage all made the transit safe and sound (sign of good things to come, I hope).

The conditions in Frankfurt have been really windy. My plane was delayed about an hour due to these winds. As for the temperature, after speaking with a few of the locals at the hotel, it appears to be uncommonly mild at the moment. I’m keeping my fingers crossed this will hold. I still have trouble converting Celsius to Farenheit, but it’s roughly right around 70-75 F.

Yesterday was weird. I think my body and mind were having a little difficulty with the jet lag. I thought I’d take a nap, but after 10 minutes I realized that wasn’t going to work, so I decided to walk down to the Romerberg (old square, shopping & right next to the IM finish line).

Frankfurt really is a beautiful city. I walked along the river that meanders along the downtown area. It is pristine with a mix of walking and auto bridges sprinkled about. Once I arrived at the Romerberg square, the scent of brats cooking on the grill filled the air. I think I made it about 50 yards when I noticed a meat market that was also serving a mix of cooked meats which I couldn’t resist. I hunker down at one of the many picnic tables lining the shops and start my feast. I had her pile the sauerkraut extra high….yuuuummmyyy!

I had a nice conversation with an older German gentlemen who was sitting across from me at the picnic table. He was very curious about where I was from and what I was doing here. He reminded me a lot of Igda’s father in that he proceeded to tell me all about American history (her father loves to do this when we visit over coffee). I don’t know what it is with the European desire to inform you about how much they know about American history right after you’ve just met them. I get a kick out of it.

After walking the brat off, I decided to head back to the hotel and go for 20 minute run along the river. This is the same location which is used for the run. Boy, it’s beautiful!

I polished off the evening with a trip to a restaurant I just stumbled upon called Chicago MeatPackers. Funny, I go all the way to Germany to eat at restaurant/bar playing top 40 music and trying to play themselves as a little taste of Chicago. In the spirit of hoping that it would help me sleep, I couldn’t hold out any longer. I had a couple drafts of Beck’s. Oh man, that was good.

Madelyn out for a visit

Madelyn came out on May 5 to visit Igda and I for about a week. We had a ton of fun. Fortunately Igda was able to take some time off of work to hang out with Madelyn while she was here. Lots of girlie bonding. I still can't believe my niece, who I remember waking me up at night crying while I lived with my sister back in the summer of '92, has grown up into a smart, athletic and pretty young lady. Man, time flies!

We were a little sad we couldn't make it up to see NYC. We've promised Madelyn that next year we'll plan a little better.

Here's a few pics of our day touring the Monuments at the Mall.











who's the handsome Uncle in the middle?

Yikes- Just received email notice -45 days to IM

Dear athletes,

Only 45 days until the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship and your own personal longest day of the year. We want to prepare you for this special day with the following information.

1. Race Information

You can download all important race infos, including course description, nutrition and race rules here on our website.We also wish you a good and injury-free preparation for the competition.

Girls on the Run Daisy Dash 5k- Me and my buddy runner Megan

I became involved with this event after I volunteered a year ago and after I witnessed the race. I knew I wanted to get more involved. It was one of the most unique, positive programs I'd ever seen. The gal that runs the program in Northern Virginia also happens to be a good friend and triathlon buddy.


Our company contributes each semester to assist in the program's implementation. Pretty wild to see your company logo on the back of a bunch of t-shirts as you're running along.

Here's a photo of my buddy runner, Megan. This is the second time we've run together. How wild is this; she has a twin brother, too! The coaches work to find buddy runners for girls who don't have a parent or other member able to run along with them.

About Girls on the Run:



Our Mission:To educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.



What is Girls on the Run?
Girls on the Run® is a life-changing learning program for girls in grades 3 - 8. The program combines training for a 3.1 mile running event with healthy living education. Our programs instill self-esteem and strong values through health education, life skills development, mentoring relationships and physical training - all of which are accomplished through an active collaboration with girls and their parents, schools, volunteers, staff and the community.

http://www.girlsontherunofnova.org/

Very proud of Zack on his Success and College Signing!

Bucs Add St. Louis Forward
Warner signs with Bucs
May 11, 2007

MEMPHIS--Christian Brothers University head basketball coach Mike Nienaber has announced the signing of Zack Warner to a National Letter of Intent.
Warner, a 6-7 forward from Clayton HS in Clayton, Mo., averaged 15.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game as he led the Greyhounds to a 13-12 record his senior season.
Warner shot 52.7 percent overall from the floor, including 34.8 percent from three-point range as he was a First-Team All-Suburban East Conference selection.
He was also the Greyhounds' captain and the Team MVP his senior year. Warner also played in the 2007 McDonald's RiverWar I-70 Showdown All-Star Game, featuring all-star teams from St. Louis and Kansas City.
"Zack has the skills to play in our system," Nienaber said. "He has a nice shooting touch and good ballhandling skills for a big man."

Finally reserved our hotel in Frankfurt!!!! Yippee

FRANKFURT InterContinental WILHELM-LEUSCHNER STRASSE 43 FRANKFURT, 60329 GERMANY Phone Number: 49-69-26050 Hotel Information | Local Map | Meeting Info

 

Pretty excited we just squeaked in and managed to get a room at the InterContinental.  According to a credible source, this is THE spot to be since it also serves the official race hotel.

 

 

Beau's birthday Party

Igda and I flew in to KC this afternoon. We met up with Syd, Kim and boy’s to celebrate Beau’s b-day. Wow, the Gray and Beau are getting big!!! Cute, too.

We had dinner up at Johnny’s and then back to the house for some delicious Rocket Cake Chef Kim whipped up. Yummy!