Ironman Texas 70.3 2012 Race Report

Pre-Race:

My pre-race routine really went as planned. Mom and Dad were kind enough to loan me there additional bed at the Moody Gardens Hotel so that meant a little extra sleep. I was asleep around 8:45 PM and woke up just before my alarm went off at 4:45 AM. My breakfast was two wheat bagels with peanut butter and two bananas along with a cup of coffee. I headed down to my bike to get setup around 5:10 AM and that all went according to plan.

We walked as a team down to the swim start and all waited our turn to start the race. I was very calm all morning, and really didn't feel the usual nerves I have before a race. As I stood on the shore analyzing the swim buoys thinking of my plan a seagull bombed me and I saw that as a sign that I better pray and get on over to the pier. Cindy prayed for me and some other teammates and I was off on my adventure.



Swim:

Since I was down with the team I got a late start to the pier so when I got there I had to fight through two waves of athletes to get to my group. As you walked on the pier an Ironman staff member said, "Okay folks no strokes or heart attacks out there, get focused!" How is that for a reality check at 7:35 AM? 

I stood on the pier staring at my IM OK and Epilepsy Foundation wrist bands. I said a prayer for Kaden, and all those living with Epilepsy and prayed that His light would shine through me all day no matter what happened good or bad.  At that point the gun went off for the wave ahead of me and we started moving toward the water, but something else happened.  The song "My Hero" by the Foo Fighters came blaring through the speakers.

This wouldn't seem significant, except for the fact that this was the very first song I put on my playlist when I began working out consistently two and a half years ago. This is when I dreamed of just getting back into shape and being a better example to the boys, not doing a Half Ironman.  This was the song that moved me along 50 pounds ago. At that moment just like the moment when I decided to sign up for this race I felt like God was right there with me. I knew it was His race and this reminded me of that. As I dove into the saltwater I had tears in my eyes and did for a good portion of the swim.

The swim went better than planned. My time was 51 minutes and 35 seconds. To put this in perspective my pace was 2:40 / 100 meters. I have only swam faster than that in a race three times and they were all sprints of less than 500 yards. I had hoped to go under one hour and I crushed that time so exiting the water I was really pumped up. I saw Mom and Dad as I ran to transition and the wet suit strippers got that thing off me fast. The only problem was when they pulled it off I got a huge Charlie Horse in my left hamstring. I hobbled into transition and took some extra time to stretch and collect myself. I spent 5:43 in transition, and then I was off for my 56 mile bike ride.



Bike:

I mentioned in a previous blog post that I needed to have my "should" bike and not my "could" bike and I think I accomplished this. The first 28 miles had a pretty good head wind with some cross wind. I had a heart rate cap of 145 but as I began on my ride it was stuck at about 155 pushing against the wind.  I made a strategic decision to try and get no higher than 155, but to not let the wind get the best of me. It really became a race to the turnaround knowing that with a little more tail wind my heart rate would go down. I was very disciplined on my fuel intake and really drank more than I planned on the way out.  Once I got to the turn I ate a Clif Bar for "lunch" and just as I predicted my heart rate slowly came down.  When I hit mile 40 everything was right where I wanted it, I thought about making a strong push but just kept my pace and stayed patient.

A few other thoughts about the bike... One of the cool experiences was once I was down the island a bit Lance Armstrong, who was in the lead, came roaring by me in the opposite direction. Seeing the big Timex timing truck, motorcycles and cameras really made me reflect on the caliber of event I was competing in. It was also good to see Tobey on the course.  He caught me 21 miles into the bike ride as I was heading up on the San Luis Pass Bridge. He slowed down to make sure I was well, I gave him a good report and he pressed on. The last thing was this journey was really a trip down memory lane.  Growing up on the coast I had traveled this road many times.  Seeing the Rusty Hook bait shop and the people fishing under the San Luis Pass Bridge brought back some fond memories.

Knowing that Sarah and the boys were going to be at the bike finish was also extremely motivating. When it seemed like I really wanted to slow down I would think of how glad I would be to see them the rest of the day. I predicted my bike split to be 3 hours and 10 minutes a few weeks ago, and it ended up being 3:09:54. That is just 6 seconds from my prediction.

Run:

When I started the run I felt very good. I knew that I had put myself in position to exceed expectations and break the 7 hours mark. I was able to hold a good pace for almost 5 miles, but began to experience some pretty severe leg cramps between miles 5 and 7. I made sure to get plenty of fluids and electrolytes at the aid stations and it worked as I was able to actually speed up some between miles 7 and 9. Thank you volunteers for all you do!  The support we had at the aid stations was incredible, praise God for cold sponges! This race course was three loops, so as I hit that last loop I told myself to enjoy it. The cramps were getting more severe and more frequent but I was almost done! I looked at my watch and knew that I would really have to push to break 7 hours. I made a few runs at it that last lap, but in the end I was running on fumes. 7 hours 5 minutes and 12 seconds, it is done!

I want to thank all the many tri4Him members and friends that encouraged me out on the run course. It was a blessing to have each of you in those moments to share this experience with.

Post-Race:
This was a special day for many reasons. First, we raised awareness and funding for the Epilepsy Foundation in Memory of Kaden Smith. Through the hard work of my teammates that volunteered Sunday we should bring our fundraising total to well over $2000. This effort is our 2012 tri4Him Houston Mission and we will not stop fighting and raising awareness until our last team member crosses the finish line at Ironman Arizona on November 18, 2012! We will reach our $7,030 goal.

The second thing that made this special for me was that this was a goal I set for myself two years ago. If you know me patience isn't my strongest attribute. Triathlon and getting back into shape has taught me many things about patience. The day I set this goal it seemed so distant, it was only 14 days after I had finished my first triathlon. As I ran that last lap Sunday I spent a lot of time thinking about my next goals.

Last, as I have mentioned before it is such a blessing to share race day with family. Having Sarah, Caleb and Carson there was awesome! I hope as the boys get older they realize that they can do anything that you put your mind to. Mom and Dad continue to become professional triathlon spectators and they are an awesome support crew whether helping getting my bike checked in or providing a soft bed. Racing with Tobey is always fun, how many brothers can say they've competed in a Half Ironman together? His fiancé Kelly and her extended family just make it all even better. Thanks Ronnie and Cindy for all you do for us and for tri4Him!

My next race is April 29th in Kemah. It will be a return to my first race site and race distance, this should be fun!