Ironman Wisconsin 2008

Beer and Party

It’s Saturday evening and I’m back at the Best Western Hotel in Madison. I’ve had my pre-race spaghetti dinner at my daughter’s house. I’ve laid out my morning cloths and food. It’s now time to get what sleep I can. Normally, I get up at 3:30 AM for my pre-race breakfast of banana and bagel. I decide this year I will wait until I get up at 5:00.

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I’ve been drinking fluids every chance I can for two days. I should not be surprise that I wake up to have to pee. I check the clock. It’s 3:27. I guess I might as well have my early breakfast after all.

100% - Very Prepared

5 - Jacked Way Up

5 - Jacked Way Up

5:00 AM and the alarm goes off. I’ve actually slept fairly well. By 5:30, I say good-by to my wife, Sandy, and I head down to the race start. My first stop is to drop off my Bike and Run Special Needs bags. These have things in them that I may need half way through the bike and run. Then, it’s down to body marking. I get my race number written on each arm, 1852, and my race age on my leg calf, 63. I head into the bike transition area and fill my water bottle and check my tire pressure.

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After a stop at the porta potty, I make a last minute check on where my bike and run bags are in the transition rooms. There are over 2,200 athletes mingling around, each going through their own pre-race jitters. Finally, it’s time to get into my wetsuit and head down to the swim start. It’s extremely crowded and I get to the waters edge only 5 minutes before the start. It’s just enough time to swim out to the center buoy line where I’ve decided to start. The cannon fires!

The first couple 100 yards of the 2.4 mile swim are just mayhem. Everyone is knocking, kicking, and banging into each other. I’ve learned to just hold my own and keep going. I get behind a “walrus” who isn’t swimming very fast and there are swimmers on either side of him also going slow. I have no clue why they started up front but, this is not the time to stop and ask. I just have to work my way around. The rest of the half mile stretch to the first turn buoy doesn’t get any better.

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I’m now headed back on the first loop. I look up and there’s a swimmer going straight across in front of everyone. He obviously is not looking where he’s going as he’s heading out to the middle of Lake Monona. It’s still a constant battle bumping into other swimmers. Finally, the second loop and things start to spread out. There are now areas of clear water to swim in. Before I know it, I’m headed back to shore. I feel good but I’m not too sure what my time might be. A couple volunteers help me up the shore bank. I check the clock, 1 hour, 23 minutes. That’s 3 minutes faster then last year. It’s a good start.

After a quick strip of my wetsuit, I run up the helix, grab my bike transition bag and head into the changing room. I dump my stuff on the floor. OH CRAP!! I put my run transition clothes in my bike bag and my bike stuff is in my run bag. A volunteer takes my wetsuit as I do an OJ sprint to the run transition room to get my other bag. The door is locked! I can’t get in. The gods must have been with me as the person with the key was right there and lets me in. I switch bags and head back to the changing room. The volunteer with my wetsuit has disappeared. I’ll worry about that later. I pull on a pair of arm warmers, bike gloves and socks. I wore my tri shorts and jersey under my wetsuit so I’m ready. I put my helmet and sun glasses on, grab my bike shoes and head out. The sun screen ladies give me a quick coating of lotion on my shoulders. Another volunteer unracks my bike. I get my bike shoes on and head to the bike mount area. My 112 mile ride begins.

It has started out as a perfect day, cool temperatures, low humidity and no wind. The 16 miles to Verona I stay easy and relaxed. The next 14 miles to Mount Horab also go easy. Sandy and my cheering gallery are waiting for me at the High School. I have to yell at them to let them know I’m here, “Good Morning Everyone!!!!” I’m ahead of my plan.

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As my ride continues, my handlebar wrap starts to come undone. Before I know it, I have a 10” long streamer from my handlebar. It’s sort of like the streamers we use to have on our bikes . . . when we were 6 years old. It’s a real nescience. I get to the half way point back in Verona. I’m averaging over 18 mph and I feel great. I stop for my special needs bag to get my PB&J sandwich and Oreo cookies. I pull off part of a piece of tape from my handlebars and use it to hold down my handlebar wrap enough to keep it out of my way. It works.

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As I head back to Mount Horab for the second loop, an old enemy suddenly returns. I feel the first signs of cramps in my quads. My hope for a great bike ride just took a dive. I have to start holding back, especially on the hill climbs. After awhile, I figure the cramps are firing mostly whenever I get out of the saddle. I have to take Timberline and Midtown hills supper easy in the saddle. I make it through them but my pace is dropping off. I’m back in Verona and begin the last 16 miles back to Madison. The cramps seem to be gone and I push the pace again. As I get to the overpass at Rimrock Rd, the cramps fire hard in both quads. I try to stand and it makes it worse. I barely make it to the top. I coast down the other side and soft peddle the best I can. The cramps ease up. It’s only about a mile to the finish. My big worry now is making it up the helix without cramping. I start up the 2 story circle, peddling as easy as possible in my lowest gear. I make the top. My bike time is good, 6 hours, 23 minutes. It’s my fastest Ironman bike time.

I grab my transition bag and head to the changing room. I get on my running shoes, shorts and singlet and make a quick stop at the porta potty.

As I start the marathon, my legs are still crampy but I’m able to move in a slow jog past the crowd of spectators. My legs start to loosen up. I check my watch at the 4 mile marker. It’s a 10:15 per mile pace. This is good. But, good things have a way of going bad in an Ironman. By mile 8, the tank is almost empty and I start to do a 1 minute run, 1 minute walk. I pass my family and get great high 5’s from my grandkids. Their smiles keep me going for a little while. By mile 9, I can no longer run. I’ll have to walk the rest of the race. It’s a depressing thought.

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For a change, I decide to drink a glass of coke at aide station 10 and a full glass of ice water. Up to now, I’ve been following my energy plan of drinking water, taking electrolytes and energy gels. But this change revives me and by mile 11, I’m back to a slow jog. The crowds around the Capital are great and I make it to the halfway turn around just one minute off my pace.

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My friends are there and I get a quick update on my friend, Dan. This is his first Ironman. He has been training with us all year. The news is bad. He was unable to make the swim cut off time by a lousy one minute. But all of us know that this race is not just about finishing. It’s about the journey and the individual accomplishments and victories we make along the way. Dan has MS. Years ago, he could not feed himself. Now he is a champion. He finished a 2.4 mile swim. He did it in 2 hours 21 minutes. What a victory. I head back out still in a slow jog. At least it’s not walking. I get to State St. and I run square into a spectator who steps in front of me. I hope he feels stupid because he is. So many friends and so many spectators just keep me going. I turn at the end of the street and another spectator steps in front of me. At this point, I’m just a slow moving bus with no brakes so please, nobody step in front of me again. As I head back along Lake Mendota, I’m back to walking. I hit the coke and water again. It gets me going again up around the Capital and down the finish line. It’s a great feeling! After 7 Ironman Wisconsin races, I’ve finally broken 14 hours. The clock says 13 hours, 36 minutes and 22 seconds.

5 - Completely Overachieved

My son, Ken, who finished 2 hours ago, helps me to the food tent. I sit down for a minute only to have the world start spinning. It’s a familiar feeling. I know what’s coming. He helps me to my feet and we head to the medical tent. I hope they have my normal cot ready. The routine is to first check our weight. I’ve lost 6 pounds which isn’t too bad. They find a cot and two aides help me sit down. The cot collapses. Okay, now I’m lying down. A couple bottles of water and 4 cups of broth get me coming around faster than normal. Wow, no IV this year.

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After my short stay, Sandy meets me outside the medical tent. She tells me I’m 6th in my age. I’m disappointed that my best Ironman race isn’t enough to get me to the podium. But, this year has probably been my most enjoyable Ironman journey. In addition to Dan, there has been Mike Kurth, Andy Neary, and Evan Joyce; great friends who have made this, their first Ironman journey. Being part of their journey has been incredible.

Next year??? Yes, I’m registered!!! Why not!!!

Hydration and nutrition

Absolutely!

Awesome

Awesome