Perspective

Well the good news is, my time would have won the men's 60-64 age group. The bad news is, I'm only 46!

I didn't want to post too soon after the race, because you need time afterwards to separate from the emotion of each Ironman finish.

I talked about expectations just before the race. The success I've had the last couple of years has been due to a strong bike and an even stronger run. On Saturday, following a brutal swim, my bike strength also took a hike, despite very favorable conditions.

However, you need to accept what the day dishes out, and what your body can do with it. You learn from the negatives, and focus on the positives. The positives are:

A 10:56 finish, 19 minutes faster than my first trip here two years ago.

66th in my age group, compared to 81st in 2004.

A 3:37 marathon, 27th in my age group. I got stronger throughout the run and "caned it" in for a seven-minute last mile. Boy, did that hurt.

The funniest moment of the day was at around mile 80 of bike. The aid stations are all set up in the same order: water, gatorade, food, coke, gatorade, water. I had been taking on gatorade and water at each station: gatorade to drink and water to soak myself down. A spray in the face, one down the back and one down the front. At this aid station though, I picked up a coke by mistake. By the time I tasted coke, I had already doused myself in it. So I rode quite sticky for the next ten miles, where I picked up TWO bottles of water and had an impromptu shower on the bike. At 40 km/h!

Back to perspectives: Earlier on, I was having a self-pity party at about mile 10 on the bike, fretting about my crappy swim, when I spun past Marc Herremans. Marc finished 6th overall in 2001 as an able-bodied pro triathlete, and was the revelation from Belgium: a guy who had all the tools to win the world championship some day soon. That winter, he crashed his bike in the Canary Islands and ended up paralyzed from the chest down. Race day 2006, Marc was in his handcycle, powering his way down the Queen K, for the third year in a row.

As I was hammering my way down Palani inside the last mile, the crowds on both sides of the street were going absolutely nuts, and I thought, "wow, what a great crowd", then a three-wheeled blur went by me, and it was Marc on his way to the PC (physically challenged) win. He finished a few minutes ahead of me, using only his arms, for all 140 miles.

When I swung my tired and sore feet onto the floor on Sunday morning, it felt pretty good.

Race day

I'm on the pier at 5:50 AM with some time to kill. I forgot to mention that I got a primo bike spot at check-in, right on the end of a row. My race number is posted on both ends, so I would have to be delirious to miss it.

I went down to the pro racks to gawk at the bikes and watch the pro men get ready. Last year's winner, Faris Al-Sultan, also has an end-of-row spot, but he is surrounded by media. How's that for pressure?

Expectations for today:

"If you want to make the Ironman gods laugh, tell them your plans." My goal is to solve whatever problems occur, keep moving forward and race with a pure heart. I can accept whatever the day brings.

Wish me luck,
Mahalo,
Myles

One more (restless) sleep

It's important to get a good sleep two nights before the race, because restlessness the night before is pretty typical. I have a recurring pre-race dream that I slept in and missed the start. Last night it was lights out by 7:30 PM, and wide awake this morning at 3:30 again, for a solid eight hours' rest. Sunday morning we'll definitely sleep in until, oh, six-ish.

Saturday morning will be another 3:30 AM wakeup, followed by a breakfast of oatmeal and yogurt. No Bran Flakes, because on race day, fibre is definetly NOT your friend! However, it's important to be as empty as possible. Coffee is a very effective agent for me in that regard, even the smell of a pot of Kona brewing is enough to send me to the porcelain throne.

There were more athletes out running as early as 4:00 AM again.
The high surf warning is off today, however there were still swells, but smaller ones. It looked like some swimmers were having a tough time of it. The rough water pulled my swim cap off at one point, but otherwise I felt good out there. My biggest concern was avoiding the swimmers coming out while I was on my way back in!

It was quite overcast and the winds were calm, it would have been good racing conditions. The forecast for tomorrow is "some sun" and 84 degrees, with east-northeast 10-20 mph winds. That would amount to a tailwind returning, we should be so lucky!

What amazes me about Kona is the number of really fit older athletes. I've seen guys and gals in their forties and fifties with bodies their kids would be happy to have. No matter how fit everyone looks, however, at the end of the race they will all have really bad hair. Stick a bike helmet on a wet head for five plus hours, then change the helmet for a cap or visor for three-plus, soak again several times and you have an epic rats-nest for your race finish photo. Best to leave the cap on.

Time to do some stretching, and hit the sack. Race day comes early, you can follow along at www.ironmanlive.com. The pro race starts at 10:45 MDT, the age-groupers at 11:00 MDT. (That's 7:00 AM Kona time.) See you at the finish line!

Aloha!

Wednesday, October 18th, 6:40 PM.

After eight hours and several thousand miles, we arrived in Kona, with ourselves and our luggage intact. The bike-separation stress ended almost immediately, as my bike case was first into the baggage claim area.

Two seats in front of me on the LAX to Kona flight was 84-year old triathlon legend Bill Bell. We ended up on the Avis shuttle together after the flight, and got talking tri. He was not racing anymore due to health issues, but has raced Kona 19 times, and raced 32 Ironmans total. He was on the Big Island to volunteer, and I bet that even at his ripe old age, he will wish he was racing on Saturday.

So far the only stress we have had, is the toaster in our condo didn't work, so off to K-Mart to splurge ten bucks for a new one. We took the upper roads to avoid the cars, cyclists and runners congested closer to downtown on Alii Drive. This whole Kona experience is sure easier the second time around!

We were both wide-awake at 3:30 AM Thursday, which is 7:30 back home. This is a perfect sleep pattern for race day, as body marking (that's where they write you race numbers all over your limbs) opens at 4:45 AM. I grabbed a flashlight and headed out for an early, easy run in the pitch-dark, thinking how insane this was. I heard a noise approaching from the opposite shoulder of the road, and there was another runner!

I had a pretty good sampling of Kona conditions later that morning. A high surf warning has been in effect since the quake, so the morning swim featured big, fat swells that made sighting the marker buoys a bit difficult. (The marker buoys are orange, and about ten feet in diameter.) Swells this big are actually a lot of fun to swim in. If your stomach can handle the motion, you can really feel yourself going up-and-over every wave. It's important to keep your wits and maintain good form in these conditions, as you will simply stay on top of the swells. You also need to pick a sighting target farther in the distance than the next buoy. The Aussies are superb at big-wave swimming, as they usually swim in similar conditions back home.

I was out on the Queen K at mid-morning for a 40km ride, and the coastal wind was still asserting itself. Every gust was actually a little cooling. It was early enough that I had a glorious tailwind returning, but on race day we likely will have no such luxury: by the time we are returning from Hawi, the wind will have reversed, and will be blowing hot down the mountains.

On the return trip along the Kuakini road, I saw the only earthquake evidence other than the big swells, a basketball-sized rock on the shoulder. Otherwise you would never know about last Sunday's shaker.

The heat and humidity feel like a warm hug. There's something nearly magic about walking out the door at 5:00 AM wearing only shorts, to go watch the surf pound the lava rocks. On Saturday, I will need to embrace that magic when the heat gets cranked in the Energy Lab. Those who can, will have the day of their lives.

Legendary Winds and Heat

So what makes Kona so hard?

Legendary Winds and Heat…

From Alii Drive to the airport, a seabreeze blows from the ocean across the Queen Kaahumanu Highway approximately 10-12 mph. During the evening, this wind reverses and blows from the mountains. From the airport area to Hawi, you will be biking into the legendary Ho'o Mumuku headwinds that are most noticeable on this portion of the bike course north of the airport. These winds blow 5-35 mph and, in extreme conditions, can gust to 60 mph. After the Hawi turnaround, you will usually have these winds at your back to Kawaihae and side winds again along Highway 19.While air temperatures may register in the high 80’s to low 90’s, temperatures along this section of the course may exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit due to the reflected heat from the lava and asphalt.

…And Humidity

Once off the blast furnace of the bike course on the Queen K highway, runners will experience not just the heat, but leg fatigue, and 70% or higher humidity. Then back onto the Queen K, and down into Hell On Earth: the Natural Energy Lab, the most feared stretch of marathon in the Ironman universe. It’s a natural human frying pan, a low spot in the lava fields where heat reflects mercilessly onto runners, who are already into the mentally-toughest part of the day. The only upside is, once you leave the Energy Lab road and are back on the Queen K, there’s only 10k to go. However, if you want to have any chance of a good finish, this is where you have to ramp up the pace, and the suffering.

The Best in the World

The triathletes racing in Kona had to qualify to get there, by racing in one of 28 World Triathlon Corporation-sanctioned events held around the world, and finishing roughly in the top 4% of their age group. The larger the age group, the more spots available, thus a lot of males in the 35-39 and 40-44 age groups.

The age-group breakdown is as follows:

Male 18-24 29
Male 25-29 99
Male 30-34 188
Male 35-39 233
Male 40-44 226
Male 45-49 172
Male 50-54 109
Male 55-59 52
Male 60-64 39
Male 65-69 27
Male 70-74 15
Male 75-79 9
Female 18-24 21
Female 25-29 49
Female 30-34 69
Female 35-39 74
Female 40-44 61
Female 45-49 52
Female 50-54 34
Female 55-59 22
Female 60-64 13
Female 65-69 7
Female 70-74 2
Female 75-79 1
Handicapped 6

The professional triathletes had to qualify to get here as well. Here is the pro breakdown:

Male Pro 89
Female Pro 58

There are exceptions to the above qualifying rules: All Hawaii age-group champions automatically qualify for the following year. In addition, the top three male and female pros qualify, and the 4th place through 10th place pros qualify conditionally (They must complete a WTC-sanctioned event prior to the next Ironman World Championships.)

When John Collins sold the rights to Ironman to WTC, he insisted that there still be a way for “the common man” to get into Kona. Therefore, there are approximately 100 lottery spots available. Anyone can enter, but must complete a half-Ironman distance event if their name is drawn.

No Wetsuits Allowed

Due to the warm water temperatures, wetsuits are not allowed in Kona. Those of us who rely on our buoyant cocoons at qualifying races are therefore at a bit of a disadvantage to the naturally strong swimmers. Luckily, Ironmans are seldom won on the swim. (It’s only 10% of the race. All my strong-swimming friends are now gritting their teeth.)

All-Consuming Stress

Most of the athletes here are not just type A individuals, but type A triathletes, and there is nobody on earth who is wound tight as a guitar string, than a triathlete in Kona. It’s pretty hard not to feel the need to assert your fitness, when everybody else looks so fit. It takes a lot of discipline to keep the ego in check on that easy training run, and keep the powder dry for race day.

Madame Pele Wants To Make You Hurt

Madame Pele is the legendary goddess of the Big Island. If you don’t honor her presence, she will wreak vengeance on your soul.

As if the elements aren’t enough, a vengeful goddess is awaiting? Hey, it’s the Ironman World Championships, it’s supposed to be hard!

Quake? What quake?

It takes more than tiger sharks and an earthquake to derail the Ironman World Championships. All systems are go for Saturday. Here is Ironmanlive.com's Kevin Mackinnon's report.

Barb and I are Kona-bound tomorrow. I will continue posting the rest of the week, so stay tuned for on-the-scene nervous wreckage.

It probably comes as no surprise that pretty much every conversation heard on the island today at least starts with some sort of recounting of yesterday’s earthquake here in Kona.On my way out for a ride this morning I came across Dave Cracknell, Lisa Bentley’s husband, who was riding just outside of Hawi yesterday morning at 7:07 AM.

That wouldn’t have been too far from where the quake, which according to reports, measured 6.7 on the Richter scale, originated. To say that Cracknell and his riding buddies were shaken up would be an understatement. That area saw some pretty major landslides, and a number of boulders rolled onto the road – boulders the size of cars, Cracknell told me.

Everyone you meet who was here on the island yesterday seems determined to tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when the ground started to shake. I’ve heard a few stories of folks who were in the shower … one of the Ironman staff found himself hanging onto the shower head because things were moving around so much.

One thing is for certain – we are very lucky that things didn’t turn out worse. Early yesterday we heard reports of the roof of the local Wal-Mart collapsing – in the end that wasn’t the case. The hospital here in Kailua did have some damage, but not nearly as much as was implied in reports early yesterday, either.

That doesn’t mean this wasn’t a scary experience, and that Kona hasn’t sustained some damage. Inspectors are checking the roads and bridges today to evaluate the extent of the damage done by the quake, the largest experienced on the island in more than 20 years.

Thousands of people were evacuated from hotels for a time yesterday. Here on Kona, power was restored by the afternoon, but over in Honolulu there were still areas without power today.

Power outages are one thing, but living through an experience like that is another. A few people have said to me today that they thought they were going to die as the world started shaking around them. They say that with a bit of a laugh today, but yesterday I’m sure the experience was anything but funny.

As far as we know right now, the earthquake won’t affect Saturday’s race. As always, though, Ironman officials are in constant touch with the local authorities to ensure that the race doesn’t adversely affect the local community. Many athletes who were to fly in to Kona yesterday won’t arrive until today or tomorrow, which will no-doubt affect their race preparation. A few flights were turned around part way, and many others were delayed for hours.

You get the feeling, though, that things will get back to normal fairly soon. Within minutes after the quake yesterday athletes were seen running and biking. (The guy who yelled “Tsunami” during a fun run here yesterday helped speed up a lot of runners as they scrambled for high ground.)

It wasn’t just the athletes who wanted to get back to the swing of things – I’ve been told that lots of people were out surfing shortly after the earthquake, too.

Since you’ll no-doubt here lots of stories from all the folks you know who were here yesterday, I won’t tell you mine!We’ll see you tomorrow.

Quake: The Day After

Downtown Kona, above, the day after a magnitude 6.7 quake offshore of the bike course shook the Hawaiian Islands. Following is a report from friend and fellow Calgarian Hal Kuntze, who with dozens of other triathletes, was heading out for a training swim when the earth shook. (Ironmanlive.com photo)

Okay, as far as race journals go, today's submission might be the the most
unusual I will ever make.

I got up at 5:30 am to have bite and then head down to the pier for my
morning swim. I was meeting a few folks there at 7.

We got to the pier, chatted for a couple of minutes about a shark sighting on
the course ( 10 foot tiger shark ) then put on our goggles and headed down the
steps at Dig Me beach. it was 7:07 am. Cat Brown had just dove into the water
and I was about to follow.

Suddenly I heard a loud bang/thud and a ton of shaking and back and forth. I
turned and looked at the pier. The light standards and hydro poles were
swaying crazily in both directions, the buses parked on the pier were
swaying wildly back and forth to the point of looking as though they would tip
over. Leaves were falling from trees, people were crouched down and half
shrieking. It lasted only a few moments.

I have never been in an earthquake before so I was not immediately sure what
happened. I thought that maybe something hit the pier and shook the ground. I
figured it out in a hurry. We all stood and looked at each other with a half a
smirk - you know the one - it was a what the hell was that smirk.

so the story goes on. We exited the water and regrouped. We were given the all
clear and went on our swim. Bad decision. Cat turned at 1000 m and I carried
on to about 1500 m. At that point I sat up for a moment. It was very wavy this
morning. I needed to find the marker I was swimming for. Once stopped I heard
a whistle repeating over and over again. I turned around and a kayaker was
paddling hard toward me. I looked around a realized that there was not one
single other swimmer within 800 meters of me. He told me that I needed to head
to shore immediately due to a tsunami warning ( again, I was 1500 m from
immediate ).
I asked if he was going to paddle with me and he said, no chance. He was
heading in. Yikes. He
reassured me that it is just a warning, but not an alert. The early warning
system was not working. I hammered back thinking all the way on what I would
do if a big wave came.I had decided that I would dive under. I breathed on
that side only all the way home, keeping a close eye for walls of water.
I had just watched the discovery channel broadcast on the asian tsunami last
night.
We all made it back okay. The water, normally
clear, was completely cloudy. Likely sediment shaken loose from the tremors.

Once out, I found out that the walmart roof had sections that were collapsed,
the hospital sustained serious structural damage, all the hotels were
evacuated and were not letting people back in, the safeway had a section that
collapsed and hurt some people, there were landslides and general problems. No
power for a while either. the stores are mostly still closed. Power is back
on. The governor has issues a state of emergency but called off the tsunami
warning.

My condo looked like it had been ransacked. Lamps were on the floor, pictures
were off the wall, bookshelves were tipped over, bike was on the ground,
dresser drawers were open. The lady next to me is from California and she said
that is the worst she has ever seen. The People at the complex said they could
actually see the ground roll and then shake back and forth. It felt so weird.
Apparently the epicenter is only 10 miles from here in Kailua and it
measured a 6.6 .

Some landslides occured near Kawaihae Harbor over the bike course and at the
captain cook monument, but nothing
too serious in that regard. Lots of people with cuts and bruises from objects
falling on them.

We had another shock at 11:30 while out on the run. it was more mild. ( 4.2
apparently ). everything here is still on emergency status. Lots of rocks on
roads and seawalls collapsed. so far they have been about a dozen aftershocks
but they are mild.

Other than that, training is going well.

Earthquake Shakes Hawaii

The Hawaiian islands were shaken by an earthquake this morning, six days before the Ironman Triathlon World Championships are set to take place. The epicenter was just off the west coast where the bike course winds its way up to Hawi. Below is the CNN story, followed by an update from Ironman.

Sunday morning brought chaos to the normally serene and lush Big Island of Hawaii as it shook with the state's biggest earthquake since 1983.

Registering 6.6 on the Richter Scale, which classifies quakes above 7.0 as "major," the temblor brought down hospital ceilings and hundred-year-old homes. It sent huge rocks and landslides into roadways and knocked out power to thousands.

But miraculously it did not set off a much feared tsunami or, officials said, cost anyone their life.

"We were rocking and rolling," Anne LaVasseur told The Associated Press.

She felt the quake as she stood on the second floor of her Big Island home.

"I was pretty scared," said LaVasseur. "We were swaying back and forth, like King Kong's pushing your house back and forth."Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle issued a disaster declaration for the entire state about four hours after the strong quake at 7:07 a.m. (1:07 p.m. ET) Sunday.

There have been as many as 20 aftershocks, with the strongest recorded at 5.8, officials told CNN.

Emergency room ceilings collapsed and electricity went out at Kona Community Hospital on the Big Island, which began transporting seriously ill patients and nursing home patients to Hilo Medical Center around 11 a.m. (5 p.m. ET), said spokeswoman Terry Lewis. No Kona Hospital patients were injured during the quake, Lewis said.

Live footage from KITV showed lines outside grocery stores and crowds growing at gas stations.
Power was restored to Hilo on the Big Island. Power is slowly coming back on throughout Maui, the Hawaii National Guard told The Associated Press.

Officials did not have a firm estimate of how many people were without power. In areas such as Waikiki -- on the island of Oahu -- which relies heavily on tourism, visitors began lining up outside convenience stores to buy water and other supplies. Managers were letting tourists into the darkened stores one at a time.

Bill Wong, a Big Island resident, said damage to buildings was extensive. He said the 100-foot-tall stack to a century-old sugar mill collapsed into a pile of rubble. "Everything in our house is damaged," he said. "Our whole house was rocking, it was swaying from left to right," he said. He described his neighborhood after the quakes as looking "like a war zone."

Pressgrave of the U.S. Geological Survey said preliminary reports indicated the quake was centered along the west coast of the island of Hawaii, referred to as the Big Island, 153 miles southeast of Honolulu, which is on the island of Oahu. There was no threat of a tsunami, the Geological Survey said.

CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said an aftershock of 4.2 struck about 10 a.m. (4 p.m. ET). This is normal activity, according to the USGS, but it came after a series of at least 10 aftershocks ranging in the 3.0 and lower range.

KITV anchor Shawn Ching said there was "significant" structural damage throughout the Big Island. A spokesperson for a hospital in Waimea said its emergency room was "inundated" with patients who suffered lacerations during the quake.

KITV anchor Mahealani Richardson told CNN the west side of the Big Island is difficult to navigate and has one primary road.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ironman Earthquake Update
October 15th, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


As an update to news reports, Ironman has been in continuous contact with state and local authorities assessing the situation from this morning's earthquake in Hawaii. Ironman's foremost mission is the safety and care of the Kona community, event volunteers and its Ironman athletes. While reports from the local/state authorities and the resort management agencies are still coming in, local daily operations are resuming and proceeding as normal. Contingency plans are in place regarding the Ford Ironman World Championship event, but at the present time, no alterations to the event or course are necessary. We, at Ironman appreciate all the calls of support and should anything change in the next few hours or days, Ironman will release all information via the website, www.ironman.com as quickly as possible.

Free Speed

Grant Hackett, above, probably the fastest freestyle swimmer in the world. Grant swims 1500m in well under 15 minutes, using flawless technique.

There are a number of ways you can go faster without expending any extra effort. It’s all about efficiency, and efficiency is one of the reasons you can get faster (relative to your age group) despite getting older. Spend enough time doing something, with a focus on doing it better, and you will develop efficiency. Efficiency translates into Free Speed.

I’m going to address efficiency with regard to a principle common to all three triathlon sports: Turnover. In swimming, strokes per length. In cycling, pedal RPM/cadence. In running, foot strikes/turnover. High turnover is a bad thing in swimming, but a good thing in cycling and running.

Swim

"Technique sets the upper limit to where your fitness will take you." Haydn Woolley, swim coach.

The key to swim efficiency is to get the most out of each stroke. This is very easy to quantify in the pool: Simply count the number of strokes it takes to go a full length. For a 25m pool, a good stroke count is 16-18, while top swimmers can do the distance in as little as 12 strokes. The beauty of stroke counting, is that you are actually doing less to achieve a low count, in other words, you maximize glide. This reduces your stroke rate, and allows you to swim fast but conserve energy.

I use the warmup at the beginning of each swim session to establish my goal stroke count. If it is consistently at 17-18 per 25m, then I know my technique is clean, and I am ready to proceed with speed work. You can’t paste speed onto poor technique. That’s the point of Haydn’s quote above.

Bike

"The shortest distance between two points is a whole bunch of round circles." Marla Streb, downhill dirt diva.

Marla is referring to spinning the pedals. Efficient cyclists (“spinners”) transfer power evenly throughout the revolution of the pedal stroke, at an ideal cadence of around 90 RPM or better. A fast cadence allows you to carry momentum better, and is less fatiguing to the legs. This is especially important when you have a marathon to run after riding 112 miles. Riders who stomp the pedals at a low cadence, (“Mashers”), are typically only transferring power during the downstroke of every revolution.

For proof of this, look no further than the last seven Tours de France, when Lance the spinner, renowned for his high cadence, won them all; while Jan the masher finished no better than second.

Another way to get free speed on the bike, is to lay off the brakes on the downhills. Chances are that you did some climbing to get to that downhill, so you need to make up the time lost. Tuck in and enjoy the leg rest. Crashing at 40km/h hurts just as much as at 70km/h, but with any luck, at 70 clicks you will get knocked unconscious and miss the whole thing.

Run

"Learn to run without the brakes on!" Joe Friel, triathlon coach/author.

Many people falsely believe that running with a long stride makes you faster. While it’s true that you are covering more ground with every stride, it is inefficient in terms of energy expenditure. The main reason is long strides result in heel striking, which is effectively the same as breaking your momentum with each foot plant. Your center of mass is behind your lead foot, with your foot going forward at the point of impact.

The most efficient runners have a short stride but high turnover. It has been proven that this style of running causes less fatigue to the legs, due to reduced dynamic loading. A couple of current running styles introduce posture to the equation, using a slight lean forward to promote better propulsion and keep from overstriding. The Pose Method and the Natural Posture Running are examples.

Learning to run downhill is also a good way to enjoy some free speed. The proper stance for running down a hill is to be perpendicular to the slope of the hill. Most runners lean away from the hill, effectively heel-striking all the way down.

Efficency: It doesn't matter how old or young you are; it helps you go faster, while using less energy. Energy you can use, to celebrate your Ironman finish!

Myths Busted

71-years-young Roger Brockenbrough, right, at the Ironman World Championships, Oct. 2005. (Ironmanlive photo)

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” Aldous Huxley.

Decades ago, Tour de France cycists drank wine during the race as a stimulant, and smoked cigarettes because they believed it “opened the lungs”. Fortunately, through scientific research (and trial & error) we know better now. Here are a few current myths and untruths relating to fitness and endurance training:

You can never hydrate too much.

Taking in excessive water during training or racing flushes out valuable electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. Low blood sodium concentration can result in a condition known as hyponatremia. Symptoms range from headache and mild confusion, to collapse, convulsions, coma and rarely, death. Ironman North America is so serious about preventing athletes from experiencing hyponatremia, it dedicates over two pages to it in the Contestant Information guides for its races.

Companies like Gatorade have spent millions of dollars in research to formulate sports drinks with the appropriate balance of carbohydrates and electrolytes for endurance events. They are available on the course at every aid station, approximately every 10 miles on the bike, and every mile on run. Why? Because they work. (I raced my last two Ironmans, and the Boston Marathon, on Gatorade only.)

Swimming too soon after eating will give you cramps.

Cramps are caused by electrolyte deficiency or muscle fatigue. I swim on a full stomach several times a week, and have never had a cramp. You might chunder your breakfast if you swim too hard on a full stomach, however. If you do this in open water, bring a camera; it attracts fish.

Your heart has only so many beats in it.

Possibly the lamest excuse ever, for not exercising. Your heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle, gets stronger from consistent cycles of work, then recovery. There have been many well-publicized incidents of extremely healthy athletes dying suddenly of heart failure, the most notable being the case of runner/author Jim Fixx. This may be the origin of the untruth above.

After starting to jog at age 35, Fixx quit smoking and shed 50 pounds. Yet at age 52, he collapsed while running on a tree-shaded road in Vermont. He was found lying beside the road, dead of a heart attack. Naysayers and couch potatoes alike used Fixx’s death to reinforce their belief that running and other forms of endurance exercise were bad for your health.

However, in his classic study of Harvard alumni, Ralph S. Paffenbarger, Jr. MD found that we can live an extra two-plus years if we do even minimal exercise. Other researchers, including those connected with the fitness guru Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, believe that we actually may be able to extend our lifespan six to nine years through exercise and attention to diet!

Jim Fixx may have done just that, given the fact that his father died of a heart attack at age 43, and he survived nine years longer to age 52.

Running in cold weather will freeze your lungs.

Air has a long way to go from your mouth and nose to your lungs, therefore ample opportunity to warm up in your upper respiratory system before reaching them. A bigger risk of running in the cold is frostbite, or injury due to the bad footing associated with snow and ice.

Age slows you down

Only if you let it. Take a look at Ironman triathlete Roger Brockenbrough’s Kona results since 2000:

Year: 2000
Age: 66
Result: 14:08:58

Year: 2001
Age: 67
Result: 13:43:45

Year: 2004
Age: 70
Result: 13:38:13

Year: 2005
Age: 71
Result: 13:01:25

Even in his early seventies, Roger continues to improve. How? You can’t reverse the aging process, but you can sure slow it down by staying fit. In addition, Roger is gaining efficiency. Spend enough time doing something, with a focus on doing it better, and you will develop efficiency. But that’s a topic, for a whole ‘nother post.

Carbs are bad for you

We can thank the purveyors of the Atkins diet for this one. There are two types of carbohydrates: Simple and complex. Simple carbs are the quick burning kind found in soda pop, candy and most any kind of sweet junk food. Complex carbs are those found in wholegrain form such as wholegrain breads, oats, muesli and brown rice. Complex carbs are broken down into glucose more slowly than simple carbs and thus provide a gradual steady stream of energy throughout the day.

Research suggests that those who have had success with the Atkins diet, or similar low-carb diets, have done so for two reasons:
1. By virtue of cutting carbs from their diet, they have cut down on the excessive simple carbohydrate consumption that made them overweight in the first place.
2. They have made a corresponding lifestyle change, by incorporating exercise.

Check out the aid stations at any endurance race, and you will find fresh fruit, sports drinks, pretzels (for salt), and energy bars and gels. All carbohydrates. You won’t find any low-carb diet food! Wonder why?

Taper Week 2

Above, the Kona finish line. There is none other like it. (Photo by Barb)

"Swim 2.4 miles. Bike 112 miles. Run 26.2 miles.

Brag for the rest of your life!"

John Collins, Ironman triathlon founder.

When taper time starts, volume drops off drastically, but there are still a few speed bumps on the schedule. Last Friday’s 4000m swim, 90km ride, and 60 minute transition run was similar to a half-Ironman effort. (Time-wise, anyway) I caught a nice weather window and did the ride outside, rather than on the Computranier, then finished up with the transition run on the treadmill, with my acclimatization layers on.

Here’s my wardrobe for simulating the hot, humid conditions of Kona, in the comfort of my basement:

Running tights
Under Armour long-sleeved shirt
Hoodie (this is a new twist, it’s hotter and less messy than the sweatshirt and do-rag combo)
Cycling raincoat
Absorbent cotton gloves

After Sunday’s 80-minute tempo run on the treadmill, I might as well have dragged it outside to hose it down. The washing machine has been getting a workout, and will continue to do so for the remainder of my indoor bike and run workouts. Hydration is important during these sessions, I go through a couple of bottles of Gatorade per session.

It’s only one more week until we leave for Kona. Nothing I do can improve my fitness at this point. There is no such thing as a “fitness cram”, the ultimate fitness level was reached within the last week. The objective now is to maintain fitness, stretch, avoid injury, and don’t gain weight.

This week’s schedule includes two full days off, but continues with two-a-days otherwise, featuring some tempo intervals early in the week.

Monday: Rest day

Tuesday morning: Swim 1 hour, intervals.
Tuesday evening: Bike 45 mins. Z1 (recovery) pace.

Wednesday morning: Treadmill run, 60 mins., including 3x10 min. Z3 (tempo) intervals.
Wednesday evening: Weights, 1 hour.

Thursday morning: Swim 4000m, including (3x400m, 3x300m, 3x200m, 3x100m) at Ironman goal pace + 10 seconds per 100.
Thursday evening: Bike 1 hour, including 3x10 min. Z3 (tempo) intervals.

Friday: Rest day!

Saturday morning: Bike 60km on Computrainer, then 30 min. transition run.

Sunday morning: 1:15 run at Z2 (aerobic) pace.
Sunday evening: 45 min. technique.

Speaking of weight, I’m fortunate to not have to worry about it. The training always takes care of bodyweight, and if I had any extra body fat left after the build cycle, the acclimatization training will take care of it. I’m still eating six small, healthy meals a day; my clothes are more loose but my belt more tight, and Nicole Richie has been emailing me, accusing me of making her look, in her words, “Like, all puffy”.

Oh Canada!

Top photo: Victoria's Lori Bowden, a two-time women's world champion, returns to Kona after taking a year off to have a baby. (Barb photo)

Second photo: Alberta's Heather Fuhr,one of the most successful triathletes in the world, wins her fifth Ironman USA title in Lake Placid in July 2005. (Steve Bower photo)

Bottom photo: Caledon's Lisa Bentley carries the flag to victory at the 2005 Ironman Germany. (IronmanLive photo)

Following is a reprint of an article by Lynne Bermel, which first appeared Oct. 13, 2005 on the Runners Web. Although Peter Reid has since retired, the commentary still holds true for the Canadian women pictured above.

Canadians among the best at World Ironman Championships

Kona, Hawaii (Oct. 12, 2005) --What’s with those Canucks? Is it in the water? Per capita, Canada has tasted victory more times any other country at the Ford Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.

Not bad for a place that’s covered in snow five months of the year.

While Simon Whitfield brought triathlon into Canadian consciousness with his Olympic win in Sydney, one of the best kept secrets in sport is the number of times the Maple Leaf has come across the line first at the Hawaii Ironman. With a mind-numbing 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike and 42 km run, the Ironman is the ultimate in triathlons and the benchmark against which all extreme sporting challenges are measured.

Ken Parker, coach and a founder of the National Capital Marathon, as well as ACT’s Volunteer of the Year, says it’s not surprising that Canadians would excel at Ironman. “Our winters force patience on our Ironman athletes. I can’t think of another race where an athlete is on his or her own for 8 to 10 hours. Maybe it’s that Canadians still have that do-or-die frontier attitude that settled this country.”

Canada’s Midas touch started here with Montreal twins Sylviane and Patricia Puntous who were fixtures on the leader boards in the early to mid ‘80s.

The torch was picked up by Stony Plain, Alberta’s Heather Fuhr who stole the biggest surprise victory in the history of the women’s race in 1997. Since then, Fuhr has gone on to capture 14 titles on the Ironman circuit, making her the No. 2 all-time women’s winner at the distance.

Montreal-born Peter Reid scored another win for Canada the following year in some of the worst wind conditions ever recorded in Hawaii. It would be the first of three wins for Reid (1998, 2000 and 2003)

In 1999, Toronto’s Lori Bowden notched another win for Canada. In 2003 at Ironman’s 25th anniversary race, she and Reid made it a Canadian sweep, each reclaiming their World Championship titles.

Last year, Canada had two women in the top 5: Heather Fuhr and Caledon, Ontario’s Lisa Bentley, who has been making a rapid ascent on the Ironman circuit.

Why have Canadians done so well here? “I am asked that question a lot, “said Heather Fuhr at this morning’s conference call with Canadian media. “I really don’t have a good answer except, perhaps, that experience counts and Canadian triathletes have plenty of it, especially in the long races.”

Success also generates confidence. Peter Reid adds: “We’ve got the momentum here in Canada, especially in the women’s field. “

Parker adds: “It’s certainly not because of any significant government support or funding. Our athletes do well in spite of the lack of external help.”

Whatever the reason, Canadians have cemented their reputations as some of the sport’s best. “Peter the Great” is looking to claim his fourth Ironman title, while Heather Fuhr and Lisa Bentley are among the favourites on the women’s side.

Oh Canada indeed.

Lynne Bermel, a former world-ranked pro Ironman competitor, is a senior marketing & PR consultant living in Ottawa. She is also a freelance writer and TV sports show host. You can read her columns at
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/lb_columns.html

Images from Kona, 2004

All these photos were taken by Barb, within 100 feet of our condo door. No captions required!

Ironman Ramblings

A new Ironman race is born.

"Today, Ironman and the Greater Louisville Sports Commission are proud to announce an addition to the global Ironman event series in 2007, Ford Ironman Louisville. The five-year agreement for Ford Ironman Louisville will enhance an already substantial list of Ironman events, with more than 12 events nationwide. The inaugural Ford Ironman Louisville is scheduled for August 26 and will serve as a qualifier for the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship taking place on October 13 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii."This is one of the biggest amateur sporting events that has ever been to Louisville and the state," says Jeff Schneider, Interim Executive Director of the Greater Louisville Sports Commission. "The city and state will embrace Ironman and we look forward to combining the athletes’ passion for Ironman with Louisville’s ongoing enthusiasm and support for sports."

Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run. Athletes must complete the three disciplines in succession within the 17-hour time frame. The 2.4 mile swim for Ford Ironman Louisville will take place in the Ohio River and the bike and run course will take athletes throughout various areas of Louisville to include not only downtown but also Prospect, Clifton, the city of LaGrange, Clarksville, Ind. and Butchertown."

http://ironman.com/events/ironman/worldchampionship/ford-ironman-louisville-scheduled-for-august-26-2007

My comments:

This is great news for the Ironman community. It increases to seven the number of Ironman events in North America, and takes some pressure off arguably the most popular IMNA event, Ironman Canada, which is held on the same date. Welcome aboard, Louisville. (Sure to be known as Ironman Louie.)

Ironman Canada on TV

Ironman Canada was rebroadcast on TSN today. It was very cool to see two Calgarians, Kyle Marcotte and Scott Curry, mixing it up in the male Pro race. They ended up finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Kyle is a Canadian duathlon champion (duathlon is run 10k, bike 40k, run 5K), who added swimming to his game a few years back, with immediate success. Their results support a comment I made in an earlier post about the strength of the Calgary triathlon community. Way to go, guys!

Interestingly, the Ironman Canada broadcast was listed in the Herald TV Guide under "Track and Field". I guess I'll have to set up some hurdles on my run routes, and dig a long jump pit in the back yard. Does anyone know where I can buy a good vaulting pole?

Taper Week 1

While it's already Thursday, it's not too late to discuss this week's training. The build weeks are over, now it's Taper Time: A three-week cycle consisting of a reduction of volume; first in running, then cycling, then swimming. The taper allows the body to absorb and recover from the long training hours, so you show up well-rested but fit on race day. There is still some intensity to "keep the edge".

Monday: Rest day

Tuesday morning: Swim 1 hour, intervals.
Tuesday evening:Run 45 mins. Z1 (recovery) pace.

Wednesday morning: Computrainer ride, 75 mins., including 15, 12, and 10min. Z4 intervals.
Wednesday evening: Weights, 1 hour.

Thursday morning: Swim 1 hour, technique.

Friday morning: Swim 4000m, including 30x100m at (Ironman goal pace + 10 seconds).
Friday morning: Computrainer ride, 90km followed by 1 hour transition run on treadmill.

Saturday morning: Swim 1 hour, technique.
Saturday morning: Weights, 1 hour.

Sunday morning: 30 min. warmup ride on Computrainer, then 80 min. run with 2x20 min. at Z3 (Tempo) pace.

This Friday is a “Golden Friday”, one of my employer’s earned days off. (TGIGF!) Coach Kev and I are taking advantage of it by moving Saturday’s volume to Friday, to get the last long bike ride done a day early. The Thanksgiving Day holiday is a day completely off work and training. I might sleep in, if I remember how to.

Cycling and running workouts move indoors, so that I can incorporate hot-weather acclimatization into the training. One of the best ways to acclimatize is to travel to Kona well in advance. But this is the real world, it’s expensive, and my employers would frown on me taking another few weeks off.

Fortunately, one can acclimatize to almost any environment from home. This worked well for me for Kona in 2004. I’ll be doing my cycling and running with an extra layer of clothing on, and wearing my cycling raincoat to up the humidity, as seen above. This will elevate my core temperature, resulting in an increased sweat and heart rate. It’s important not to overdo this; about an hour a day is enough.

You’ll notice in the above schedule the reduction in both intensity and volume of running. The Wednesday morning ride was very tough, I was anaerobic for over 30 minutes, and even hit Z5 for a few minutes in the last two intervals. That was the last hard cycling workout; the remainder are at recovery, endurance or tempo pace. Going forward, workout sessions and lengths will decrease further, with occasional bouts of intensity. And frequent bouts of insatiable hunger; unfortunately the appetite doesn’t follow the taper.

Flashback: Ironman Wisconsin 2005

This is the race that got me to the Ironman World Championships in Kona again. Being only five weeks before Kona, athletes who qualify here would be at a disadvantage due to the short interval between the two, so it's the first qualifier for the following year. (So IM WI 2006 qualifies for IMH 2007.) That would give a rational person thirteen months to prepare.

Ironman Wisconsin,
Madison, WI

Race Day, Sept. 11, 2005

Swim – 2.4 miles

Race morning dawned hot and humid, with a warm breeze from the southwest. Warm enough for shorts and T-shirt at 5:00 AM, heat would be a big factor today, and goal times would be missed. The temperature of Lake Monona was barely wetsuit-legal, in fact many opted to go without. But I had no such desire, to swim without my buoyant cocoon!

The swim area opened at 6:30 AM, so I made my way down to the arch and crossed the timing mat: The beep confirmed I was now officially in the race. Husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends were all getting good-luck kisses from their mates, but unfortunately no kiss for me: My wife was back home in Calgary, nursing her foot after having a bone spur removed. However, she was with me in spirit, and I wore her gold chain bearing three charms: the Colombian god of luck, an Ironman Canada logo, and a Chinese symbol for pig, her favorite animal. Not that I’m superstitious, or anything like that.

The swim takes place in beautiful Lake Monona, on the south side of downtown Madison. The course consists of an open-water start, two long rectangular loops parallel to the shore of Lake Monona, then a final 200m swim to shore. I started to the right of a ski ramp, about ¼ of the way to the yellow buoy that marked the far side of the start area, and about 1/3 of the way back from the start line. Due to the large start area, there was not much contact when the gun went off. I had seeded myself well, so I was able to get a good rhythm going on the first leg out.

On my final training swim on Friday, I sighted for landmarks well above the waterline in all four directions of the swim. The landmark for the first turn was easy, a new building and construction crane on shore about 800m from the start. All the turns were quite congested as swimmers tried to stay tight to the buoys, but I found that staying wide about 5m kept me out of the worst traffic, and I was able to maintain form.

Not a strong swimmer, I tend to mentally drift and then lapse into sloppy form. I also didn’t have a lot of recent swim volume in the bank, so I would have to compensate by maintaining focus on technique. I had committed myself to some physical queues to overcome my worst habits: Brief pause before the catch on the breathing side, to maximize glide, and feel the triceps work, to finish strong out the back.

After the first lap, which is not quite the halfway point, I got a look at the time on my HRM, 34:50. That projected to a 1:10-1:12 swim, decent for me, and still in the game. Most importantly, I was swimming relaxed and in control. I got kicked in the goggles on the long stretch before the last turn, but was able to clear and re-seal them quickly and continue. I had another look at my time just as I passed the last turn buoy to shore, 1:08 and change. There was still 200m to shore, so I had made up some time on the second lap. And I hadn’t overheated in my fullsuit. As I crossed the timing mat, my time was 1:10:55, not a PB, but my second-best Ironman swim.

Swim Time: 1:10:55

45-49 Age Group Placing: 39th of 184

Overall Placing: 665th of 2076

Bike – 112 miles

The bike course consists of a 15-mile rolling section out of Madison, two 41-mile loops on Dane County roads through corn-and-cows country, then a return trip on the 15-mile section. The loops are quite hilly and exposed to the wind in places, with plenty of 90-degree turns, making it technical and demanding. No long stretches where you can really settle into a rhythm. It would be hard for an out-of-towner to preview the course, with names such as Sugar River Road, County Route S, and Shady Oak Lane, that can’t be found on any map. Most of the roads were well-paved but had no lane markings.

Crowd-wise, IM Moo (that’s it’s nickname) is outstanding. The town of Verona holds an Ironman-related festival on race day, with busloads of spectators from Madison coming in to cheer athletes on. In addition, the longer climbs draw hundreds of cheering spectators to encourage riders up the hills.

After twirling down the west helix of the Monona Terrace Convention Center, I pulled onto the John Nolen Parkway, and crossed Lake Monona. The warm breeze was from the southwest, and was already fairly brisk, so for the first 30 miles we would be fighting headwinds. No problem: wind and hills? Just like riding back home, in the shadow of the Rockies! During the next several hours, a typical late summer day in the American Midwest rolled through my peripheral vision, accompanied by the soundtrack of my rear disc wheel. When my speed didn’t tell me which way the wind was blowing, the tilt of the cornstalks certainly did. Occasionally a strong scent in the wind reminded me that I was also in cow country.

With the heat, wind and humidity, I knew dehydration would be a threat, so I doused myself with water at every aid station, and doubled up on the Gatorade. I spun easy up the hills, and rode strong over the crests and down the back, to keep my heart rate steady. I stayed in the saddle and aerobars as much as possible, to minimize leg fatigue. The course was very similar to riding the rollers at Ironman Canada, although there were several long climbs where the 39x23 got a workout. Fortunately the toughest climbs were shaded, and the enthusiastic spectators urged us upwards.

At the end of the first loop, I checked my split: 2:48 for the first half. Not bad for the conditions, and other than a major case of hotfoot, I felt good. I knew that after the second loop, I would have a tailwind on the return leg back to town, which would set up well for the marathon. I pulled my feet out of my shoes and rode on the tops for about 10 miles. When I slipped them back in, it felt like I had just put them on. I would have to repeat this later on as well. Good thing I practice this for the bike-to-run transition.

During the second loop, the wind had increased to 25 mph, so I hunkered down and spun the small ring through a tough stretch directly into it. Once the course turned north, I had a great tailwind, and the going was very fast for most of the remainder of the loop. I knew the course now from the first lap, so I was able to corner and descend more aggressively. On the last of the tough climbs, I felt my sartorius muscles start to cramp up. This is roughly the same distance in as Yellow Lake at IMC, where the same thing happens to me every year, so I knew what to do: Get out of the saddle. Stretching out the legs eventually loosened the grip, but my quads were not thanking me.

After the last exhilarating pass through the huge crowds in Verona, I spun south through the final stretch of headwind before the turn back to town. Then, bliss: The fairly flat, 15 mile home stretch, complete with a strong tailwind. I hooked up the 53x11 and enjoyed the big push home, flying along at 50 km/h in zone 2, bent cornstalks pointing the way.

Before the race I wondered if a lack of volume would betray me on the bike, but I felt strong, and now it was all down the marathon. And I knew a very tough few hours lay ahead.

Bike Time: 5:30:18

45-49 Age Group Placing: 1st of 184

Overall Placing: 51st of 2076

Run – 26.2 miles

The run course consists of two loops, starting in downtown Madison in the shadow of the Capitol Dome, and through residential areas to the University of Wisconsin campus. Once on campus, athletes do a lap around the football field in Camp Randall Stadium, home of the U of W Badgers, then continue on roads and paved trails that wander through campus.

One major hill called Observatory Road would force many to a walk. Past this the road joins State Street, a main thoroughfare of the campus that is lined with shops and outdoor cafes, full of cheering spectators. After the rowdy out-and-back on State, the run course continues in shade along Lake Mendota on a gravel path. Then the course returns to downtown, and a repeat of the first loop. At the halfway turnaround point, runners head straight for the finish line, but are turned away for loop two by the least-popular volunteer on the course. Another cruel feature of the run course is a pedestrian overpass between downtown and campus, which runners cross four times. Many would be reduced to a shuffle here.

I emerged onto the merciless 94 degree F heat of the shimmering concrete rooftop parking lot of the Convention Center, stopped for the eight-handed sunblock application, and began the marathon with a little mantra going in my head: “Hold pace, stay wet”. In preparation for race day, the forecast being what it was, race organizers ordered six times more ice than normal. I was not planning on any of it going to waste. About this time, ambulances were beginning to take people off the bike course, and the wail of sirens could be heard well into the evening.

As I ran through the heart of downtown Madison, the course was lined with hundreds of spectators at every turn. Most cheered me by name; putting names on the race bib was one of IMNA’s better ideas, especially for us out-of-towners. (By the second loop I became “Tyler”, as the corners of my race bib curled up from getting wet.) The adrenaline was pumping and my pace on the first couple of miles was 7:30. As much as I would love to hold that pace, today was not the day for it, so I backed off and was able to hold a more realistic 8 minutes plus as I passed into quieter streets.

As the heat became more oppressive, the aid stations roughly every mile were a welcome sight, and I got into a pattern at each: Slow down, chug Gatorade, pour ice down the back of my shirt, squeeze two wet sponges onto my head. Between stations I would take a slug of Cytomax from the bottle in my belt. Later in the first loop, I added ice to it, then started filling it with Gatorade at some of the aid stations. My stomach was cooperating well, I was able to process everything I was taking in, and I was taking in a lot.

Having not checked out the run course beforehand, the first loop was a “getting to know you” loop. There were plenty of direction changes, so I was never running into or with the wind for long stretches, and there were two very long, mercifully shaded stretches down by the lake. On State Street, friendly traffic cops directed runners (“You’re the first bearded guy through so far”, one said to me. “Only because Joe Bonness isn’t here”, I thought) and the boisterous crowds showed their support. A live band played alt-rock at the end of the street. The crowds and shade were a welcome respite, but in between the heat and leg fatigue were taking over.

At the halfway point, I picked up my can of Red Bull from special needs, then I passed through the turnaround, refusing to look at the finish line. I felt the way I have felt at the end of previous Ironman marathons, but I still had 13 miles to go. I didn’t feel that I couldn’t continue, I just knew that I was in for some deep suffering until the end.

One trick I use to deal mentally with the enormity of running a fatigued marathon, and to break it into manageable parts, is to count up to 13 miles on the first half, then count down the second half. I was counting down now, I had some stretches of shade and crowd energy to look forward to, after that it would be down to a 10K run.

The caffeine in the Red Bull perked me up, so I added a sequence at the aid stations: Gatorade, ice, Coke, sponges. I topped up my bottle with Gatorade and ice at every fourth aid station, which I continued to drink in between. I was still processing everything I could swallow, so I continued to take advantage of it. I could tell when I was getting close to the next aid station, it felt like my brain was boiling inside my skull. I noticed there were more and more people walking than running, even on the flat stretches.

I enjoyed the shade during the second pass along Lake Mendota, knowing it was nearly the last I would see until the finish line. At about mile 21 I passed female pro Yoko Hori, which made me wonder if I was having a good day, or she was having a bad one. My pace suggested a 10:35-10:40 finish, provided I didn’t melt down in the next 40 minutes. Another female pro was being put in an ambulance at mile 22. Most of the people coming from downtown were walking. I looked in that direction, and saw the Capitol Dome, and it looked very far away.

My calves were starting to cramp up, so I began eating bananas to boost my potassium intake at the last few aid stations. It wasn’t helping, so I thought, get sodium fast. When I stopped to take chicken soup at mile 24, my right calf cramped solid. I had to keep moving, so I continued stick-legged, and luckily the cramp released its grip just enough. I was now counting down in minutes, not miles.

On the last mile, adrenaline took over and I was able to pick up the pace a bit. I was running straight toward the Capitol Dome, but I knew I had to get around to the south side of it and put it behind me. Then it would be downhill all the way to the sweet relief of the finish line. I was inside the last half-mile, and my elapsed time was 10:35: Was I in the Kona hunt?

As I rounded the last corner, I pointed to the volunteer at the turnaround, then straight through the small gap. I wanted there to be no mistake in his mind which direction I was going, because I couldn’t stop if he got in the way. Just past the gap, I sensed another runner on my right shoulder, so I surged ahead. I wasn’t trying to show him up, I just didn’t want to lose a possible Kona spot in the last 100 metres. The crowd reacted, thinking there would be a sprint to the line, but he let me go. As I crossed the line, I looked up: 10 hours, 37 minutes, 46 seconds; my third-best Ironman time.

It didn’t seem like a fast time; I had gone 10:15 at Ironman Canada last year, and 10:22 the year before. But you can’t compare one race to another, or even the same race from year-to-year, without accounting for conditions. The technical nature of the Wisconsin bike course, combined with the wind, made it much tougher than the previous two years of calm weather on the fast Ironman Canada bike course. So I was guessing a top-five age-group finish. The only thing missing was a finish line hug from Barb.

After refueling, I went back into Monona Terrace to collect my gear, and go for a post-race massage. While waiting for an empty table, I pulled out my Blackberry to call Barb. There was a message from my friend Mike Gorman, who had been following Ironmanlive.com and saw me finish: “Great sprint at the end. Congratulations on winning your age group, and being 37th overall!” He followed with another email detailing my splits; I had the fastest age-group bike and run splits as well. Second place was 7 minutes back.

I always imagined that an age-group win would be the result of a perfect day: No mechanical issues, great weather conditions, a 5:15 bike split, and 3:20 marathon. That day, I had issues, but with the benefit of experience, none became show-stoppers. The weather? Less than ideal, the wind and heat made for a challenging ride. But I fuelled well and rode conservatively, saving energy for the run. And that's where the race is usually won.

250 athletes failed to make the 5:30 PM bike cutoff, and a total of 400 DNFed (Did Not Finish), one of the highest attrition rates at an Ironman event. It was far from being the perfect day I imagined for a win, but a perfect day wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying. After all, it’s Ironman, it’s supposed to be hard!

Marathon Time: 3:46:46

45-49 Age Group Placing: 1st of 184

Overall Placing: 36th of 2076

Final Result
Time: 10:37:46
45-49 Age Group Placing: 1st
Overall Placing: 37th

Drawing Energy From Your Surroundings

"We're not in Kananaskis anymore, Toto!" In Yemen, the animals have built-in hydration packs.

A common theme I’ve picked up during some recent triathlon reading, is that of tapping nature for energy. Past world champions Dave Scott, Mark Allen and Peter Reid have all talked about the mystical connection they had with the island of Hawaii, and how they used that energy to fuel their success.

Living so close to the Rockies, we are fortunate to be only a short bike ride from some of the best scenery in the world (even if the weather leaves something to be desired sometimes). Calgary has a strong triathlon community, well-represented in the upper percentile of race results, and I firmly believe it’s because of the environment: we love to get out there and experience our outdoor world. Not to mention the hills and wind!

Two of my best results have come directly on the heels of training in beautiful or exotic surroundings. Two weeks before Ironman Wisconsin last year, I did a training weekend based in Banff. I rode the Bow Valley Parkway both directions a few times, and ran on the Spray Trail behind the Banff Springs Hotel. Every time I felt a little fatigued, I would look around at the stunning scenery, and find more energy. On race day in Wisconsin, by thinking about that epic weekend, I was able to draw on that energy once again.

Two weeks before Ironman Arizona in April this year, I was in Yemen on business for nine days. I love the desert heat, and the timing of the trip was perfect for acclimatizing to Arizona weather. I was able to train at mid-day in 100 degree F temperatures for seven straight days. I had a 3-lane pool to myself in Dubai on the way into and out of Yemen, and ran along the Main River in Frankfurt before the flight home.

When I returned from the trip, I went to see my chiropractor for a pre-race tuneup, and he remarked that I was glowing with energy (“Uh, that’s the suntan, Dude.”) On race day, the temperature in Tempe hit 90 degrees F for the first time all year, and even the locals were complaining about the heat. I barely noticed it, and enjoyed my first sub-10-hour Ironman finish.

Energy can be drawn from people as well as places. Positive training buddies make workouts a breeze. Spectators at the races provide plenty of vocal support, and if you acknowledge it with a smile, you would be surprised how fast the miles go by. The finishing chute of an Ironman race is so full of positive energy, you can make the last 200m on adrenaline alone, no matter how toasted your legs are.

So when you’re out there spinning away or pounding the pavement, whether in a race or just training, don’t forget to load up on free energy. It’s there, you just have to look around.

Over the Hump

Crucible: (Noun)
1. a severe test.
2. a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development.

“That which does not kill me, makes me stronger.” Neitsche, the 19th-century philosopher (or Nitschke, the great 60’s Packer linebacker.)

The hardest week of training for the Kona build cycle is over, thankfully, as of yesterday. The key workouts for the weekend were the 4000m swim Friday, 180km bike Saturday, and the 2:45 run on Sunday. Here’s a recap:

Friday: Swim

Friday’s swim plan called for a 500m warmup, then 3 x (400m, 300m, 200m, 100m.) Rest intervals between were 1 minute, with an extra minute between the sets of 1000. This was followed by a 500m cooldown at easy pace.

It’s normal for swimming to suffer during high-volume bike-run weeks, but my recent swim technique tweaking and focus was paying off via reduced fatigue. (More on this in a future post). I found that I didn’t need the full minute between the descending-distance sets, and took only the time remaining until the next Red Top. (Red top is when the red hand of the pace clock hits zero.) I did, however, take the extra minute between 1000s, and went plus or minus 15 seconds to keep from running into my lane partner. I got out of the pool feeling great; it was the easiest 4000m I have ever swam, very encouraging.

Saturday: Bike/Transition run

The weather was great on Saturday, sunny and warm. I wanted headwinds for as much of the ride as possible, to prepare for the demoralizing winds in Kona. However I wanted a flat ride, so I wouldn’t torch my legs too badly for tomorrow’s long run. So I rode east on 22X to the Trans-Canada, and continued another 15km east to the turnaround point at 90km.

It was an easy ride to that point, with a net downhill and a brisk tailwind. I knew I was going to pay the price on the return trip, but that was the goal. I hunkered into the aero position, geared down to the small ring and spun mindlessly for 75km, standing every ten minutes to stretch out the back and hamstrings. I got to Indus, where suddenly the wind was gone, and I didn’t miss it one bit.

The fun wasn’t over when I rolled the bike into the house: I still had a 20-minute transition run to go. The point of the transition run is to get used to the sudden change from cycling to running. As the legs go through the shock of bearing full body weight again, I typically go through three stages: Wishing life would end, then wanting to quit the sport, then resigning myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other until the finish line. I was about 2 minutes into the resignation stage when the 20 minutes was up.

Including Friday evening’s 40km ride, now nearly an afterthought, I had ridden 220km in the last 24 hours.

Sunday: Long Run

Before the long run, I had a one-hour technique-focus swim at 7:00 AM. The Sunday morning swim a week ago really helped reduce the stiffness in my legs and back after that long ride, so I was looking forward to more of the same. Sure enough, I felt completely refreshed when I left the pool. I also realized I had swam 13000m for the week, my biggest swim week ever.

The weather was basically crap outside, light rain and cool with a breeze; perfect running weather, because the heart rate stays lower. I wanted to pace this run much like I hope to pace in Kona: Average 8 minutes/mile, and negative-split the run. (A negative split is a good thing, it means completing the second half of an effort faster than the first half, and indicates proper pacing. Nearly all endurance-event records are set via a negative split.) If I was feeling strong, I would drill it for the last 15 minutes to reach 21 miles.

In the Heartrate Training post, I mentioned that you could by a HRM with GPS capability. I use the Timex Bodylink system, which combines HR functionality with GPS functionality. After several months of running with such a system, you develop some confidence in equating your HR to a given pace. This allows you to set a realistic goal pace for racing. However, HR always overrules: If your pace is causing you to go anaerobic in a long effort, you are on borrowed time. The GPS/HRM combo provides current and average HR, speed, pace in minutes/mile, distance travelled, and many other typical chronometer functions. You can even set alarms on your HR and pace, if you can stand to be digitally nagged.

I broke the 2:45 run time into three 55-minute segments, with the intention of speeding up at each. After the first 55 minutes, my average pace was 8:15/mile, at the second, 8:02/mile, and at the end, 8:00/mile, right on the money. Average heart rate was 131 BPM, barely 60% of maximum HR. I would have been happy anywhere under 140, so cardio-wise there was plenty left in the tank. The limiter was leg fatigue; I felt strong for the first two hours, but I had to dig deep over the last 45 minutes. I fully expected to fade near the end, due to yesterday’s long ride, so it was a good exercise in mental toughness to stay on pace. I didn’t make 21 miles, but ran 20.6 miles, and hit my goal pace target.

Recovery

Male readers, this is where you can feel free to clench. My favourite method of recovery after a long run is The Cold Soak, AKA The Numbing. After a hard effort, the pain and stiffness you feel is caused by inflammation of soft tissue. How do you treat inflammation? Cold water or ice. Luckily here in Calgary, we have ice-cold tap water year-round. So fill the bathtub about a foot deep with the cold stuff, wrap a towel around your upper body to stay warm, and stuff an end of it into your mouth to bite down on. Then, lower yourself into the cold water and stay there for 10 minutes. (You won’t feel a thing after 2.) Keep the door locked to prevent any embarrassing “shrinkage” incidents. Finish up with a warm (not hot!) shower to restore core temperature. Once sensation returns, spot-ice any remaining sore spots. Then have a cold beer, Soldier, you’ve earned it!