T+2 Ironman USA Lake Placid Race Report

I hope you are sitting comfortably as this is an Ironman Race Report and for anyone who has seen how long my sprint reports are you know this is going to be very, very long.

I will start where I left off with my T-1 post. The night before the race I was feeling pretty calm but to keep my mind occupied and off the race I went to bed early, at about 8pm, and watched a DVD on my laptop. At about 9:30pm I started to feel sleepy so shut the computer down and tried to get to sleep. As soon as I closed my eyes I started to think about the race. The more I tried to stop thinking about it the more I did. It took me a long time to fall asleep and probably fell asleep about 11pm.

14 hours of this :-)

I awoke to my alarm clock at 3:30am and felt a little bit tired. After a breakfast of "Ironman Oatmeal", very similar to regular oatmeal but just a little bit more expensive, we met up with Mary Lou and drove a few minutes down the road to one of the park and ride pickups. We were straight onto a bus and dropped just up the road from the Olympic Oval at about 5:20am. There were lots of body markers and I was quickly written on before I made my way to my bike and transition bags. All that was left to do at this stage was pump up my tyres, put nutrition on my bike, and in my transition bags, and drop off my special needs bags a mile up the road.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner - Mmmmm tasty

With my pre race jobs accomplished I joined the queue for the porta potty and tried to make sure I was not carrying any excess weight on the course. Before I knew it I was in my wetsuit and making my way to the swim start. There were so many athletes that it took a while to work my way to the corral that shepherded you through the entry gate and over the timing mat.

Swim 1:12:00 (Division place 140/238; Overall Place 991/2345; 1:54 per 100m)

I had read several race reports and was not looking forward to getting battered in the swim. I couldn't decide where to put myself. Many people want to keep left and follow the buoy cable that marks the course but this means that the buoy line is a battlefield. Others go way right of the course in order to avoid the melee. I decided to put myself somewhere in the middle of the two and few bodies back from the front. As I waited for the canon I couldn't help but be impressed by the scene. The banks of mirror lake where packed with spectators all screaming their support and there was a helicopter hovering over the water filming the action, it was a very impressive sight.

Time went quickly and before long the canon sounded and we were off. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I did not get immediately run over and actually had a reasonable amount of room. I think many of the slower swimmers had kept way back to avoid the scrum and the faster guys were sprinting to get away from the crush. I found a rhythm and started to settle into the 2.4 mile swim.

As I was telling myself how nice it was to have some room I started to get jostled. About a 1/3rd of the way out on the first loop swimmers were coming together and I started to get battered as people tried to migrate toward the buoy line. After a few minutes I stuck my head up and decided that this was not going to get any better unless I did something and repositioned myself toward the right hand edge of the group. I again settled down until we came to the turn around when everyone came together again. A bit more fighting and I was on the way back toward the start line. Every so often I would manage to get on someones heels and draft for a little bit. The first loop was pretty uneventful, I did feel a bit tired in my upper body and can't say that I was looking forward to the second lap, fully aware as I was that this was the farthest I had ever swum.

I got out of the water and looked at my watch which read 34 minutes and change so I was on track for my sub 1:10 hour swim. I ran across the beach and could hear the crowds cheering, it was then straight back into the water where I had to talk myself into getting my arms going again. A lot of people talk about the water flow created by so many swimmers swimming in the same direction but the only time I noticed it was when I got back into the water and went around the corner of the pontoon which was used by the race starter. There was such a strong flow that I was literally whipped around the corner and back out onto the second loop. Unfortunately this sensation was very short lived and I was back under my own steam.


The second loop I settled down into a steady swim, similar to how I would swim in the pool during training. I was very relaxed and started to breath every third stroke rather than every second stroke as I had on the first lap. The entire loop was pretty uneventful. My arms were a little tired but overall I felt good. I did notice as I started the second loop that it had started to rain and I assumed we were having one of the passing showers that had been predicted and hoped that it would not leave the bike course too wet.

I tried to keep my pace up as I tired and a couple of times I was able to again get on the heels of stronger swimmers for a few hundred yards. Making the turn around for the second time was a big morale booster and little by little the shore got closer. I was out of the water and looked at my watch "1:12". I was still on track for my A Race Goal of as close to 10 hours as possible. In my dream race this would break down to 1:10 swim, 5:30 bike and 3:20 run and then take a few minutes off the bike and run to allow for transition. My B Race Goal was very generous and that was to finish before the cut off at 17 hours. Two very different goal times but to be honest the only two things that mattered to me were to qualify for the World Champs and if I couldn't I needed to make sure that I became an Ironman.

T1 5:38

There was quite a long run from the swim to the transition area and the shower that I had noticed during the swim was still going and there were streams of water running down the road. There was a 10 foot wide fenced off coral that marshaled the athletes through the crowds from the lake to the oval. There was a 3 foot wide carpet to save your feet but I decided that I wanted to run so I left the carpet and started to overtake people as I ran on the tarmac. I grabbed my swim to bike transition bag and found that people were already getting changed outside of the tent.

I only needed to put on my helmet, bike shoes and race number so I too decided to change outside of the tent. I had some arm warmers and a cycling vest inside my bag but made a quick decision that the rain would probably stop soon and it shouldn't be too cold at this time of year so I left them where they were. As I went through the tent it was like a Turkish steam bath. There was no light and masses of steam rising from the hundreds of wet athletes crowded into the tent. I couldn't see a thing and I was very glad to have changed outside. As I ran to get my bike I noticed how muddy the grass had become and how dark the skies were, oh well so much for a nice day but the day was still young and there was plenty of time for the weather to improve.

Bike 5:49:22 (Division place 71/238; Overall Place 392/2345; 19.2mph)

The bike is my strongest event but I figured that for any hope of qualifying I would need to do a sub 5:30 ride which equates to an average speed of 21 mph, over 112 miles and in the Adirondack Mountains, please note they are not called the Adirondack Hills. I knew this was going to be a monumental task but I had made a conscious effort to keep focusing on how I was going to achieve the task rather than how impossible it may appear, in order to help me get through the last nine months of build up.

So feeling pretty good I left the oval and we were immediately faced with a very steep downhill that ended in a 90 degree turn. It was raining so hard that you had to ride your brakes all the way down the hill or you risked crashing within a stone's throw of the bike start (I heard that one of the pros did crash out of the race here).

Some of the amazing supporters who braved the weather

I successfully negotiated the turn and started to head toward the edge of town. Before 2 minutes had passed I heard a bang and realised that my rear wheel had a blow out. I had new tyres on the bike and had ridden the tyres and tubes for 2 decent rides so I have no idea why I suddenly had a tyre burst, there really is no obvious explanation. There I was perhaps 3 minutes into my ride, still only a couple of miles into a 112 bike leg having to change the tyre. The rain was pouring down and I had to take my helmet off to see. I was surprised how calm I felt but with deep wheels, valve extenders and terrible conditions it still took me 5 minutes to change the tyre. I also had to stop a couple of times after I changed it as it sounded as if wheel was rubbing, so all in all I probably lost about 8 minutes or so.

I stuffed my tyre levers and the burst tyre in my pockets and set off again. The course started with a 10 mile climb that took us from 1777ft to about 2220ft. This first climb I started to catch back up with some of the riders who passed me while I changed my flat and allowed my heart rate to get up into the 160s while I climbed. At the end of the climb out of Lake Placid we came upon perhaps the most memorable part of the course which was the descent into Keene. We descended 1200 feet in 4 miles which is a very steep descent. I topped out at 47.4mph and I was flying passed some of the other riders. I must admit I was a little bit apprehensive during the descent, no that is far too reserved, I was scared. The road was soaking wet, the wind was blowing and I had just had a blow out a few miles back and a bike crash 2 weeks ago. I looked at the metal railings marking the edge of the road and tried not to think what would happen if I hit them at over 47 miles an hour.

After the descent there was a level stretch that took us to the next town of Jay and it was at this stage that I lost both tyre levers out of my pocket, if I flatted again I was going to struggle. At Jay we turned hard left and there was another big climb before a six mile plus out and back from Wilmington and then the last 12 miles back to Lake Placid which ended in a series of short sharp climbs. Despite the relentless rain which just got heavier and heavier I was feeling pretty good. I finished the first loop a little slower than the 2:45 or better split I wanted but put a lot of that down to the flat.

At special needs the volunteer helped me swap out my water bottles and I ate a banana and grabbed a flapjack for later. Going through town was great but as I went back around the outside of the oval there were streams of water pouring across the road making things very trecherous. My nutrition plan was to drink 3 bottles of Gatorade endurance per lap with a couple of scoops of carb supplement in each bottle. I would supplement the fluid with gel, or other food, as I felt necessary and this seemed to work OK for me. The only slight problem was that with it being so cold it was easy to avoid drinking as you didn't feel thirsty.

As I set out on the second loop I still felt good but by now the rain was getting pretty tiresome. Just before the descent into Keene I thought I saw a green Team Z jersey off in the distance but it would be another 15 miles or so before I would catch up with Sebastian from my Tri Team. On the climb out of Jay I caught up with Elizabeth, another Cadence Kona Challenger who went on to have a great run and secure herself a slot at Kona.

The out and back from Wilmington went well again but by now I was starting to feel stiff in my lower back and neck and I had some cramp twinges in my leg. After Wilmington comes the long climb back to Lake Placid which has a number of steep hills to contend with and ends with Papa Bear which was lined with spectators. By now my back and neck hurt and my legs were getting very heavy with some cramp in my right hamstring. Luckily I was able to get out of my saddle and just about power over the climbs and it was hear that I passed my other Team Z teammate Chris Wren who was well on track to securing his slot at Kona in the 60-64 age group.

T2 3:59

Back at the Olympic oval I handed off my bike and grabbed my run gear bag. This time I did go into the tent as it was a lot, lot quieter and I was able to sit down. I didn't rush and took the time to dry my feet and apply some grease to the bottom of my feet before I put on my socks. I put on my newly purchased Ironman run cap and headed out of the door. Just before I left the tent I was overtaken by Chris who had obviously had a very quick transition and we headed out together.

Run 4:43:06 (Division place 143/238; Overall Place 1081/2345; 10:49min/mile)

Within a few hundred yards I started to cramp in my right leg and had to stop and stretch. I also took the time to stop and take a salt tablet. At this stage I was passed by Sebastian who must have finished the end of his bike ride strongly and was now putting in a good run. I wanted to stay with the two of them but I soon realised that I just didn't have the legs for it. After a couple of miles I knew I would not be able to hold a quick enough pace to get anywhere near my A Goal and with surprisingly little difficulty I made the decision to back of completely and run/walk the marathon.

It was an amazingly liberating feeling and came with two distinct benefits. Firstly I managed to keep any discomfort in my groin down to the bare minimum and even though there was a little bit of new swelling in the area after the race I feel surprisingly well. Secondly I had the opportunity to chat with some of my teammates and interact with some of the amazing volunteers who manned the aid stations. I saw Chris and Sebastian after the various turnarounds and they were both going well. Chris had a great race and won his age group with ease and earned himself a very much deserved slot in Kona. I also saw a couple of other Cadence athletes and of course Mary Lou who despite being nervous about the race had put in a great swim and bike and was now well on her way to becoming an Ironman. A couple of times on the run Dianna came springing up alongside me and gave me some welcome encouragement. Dianna is a Cadence Coach and apart from being an endurance event junkie and very gifted triathlete she is also the lady who looked after my wave at the Cadence Kona Challenge selection weekend way back in November last year - seeing her gave the whole Cadence experience a nice twist as I had not seen her since the selection weekend. Also out on the course was Lisa another Cadence coach who was officiating and gave me a lovely huge cheer as she went past. It was a great atmosphere and despite the rain I really started to enjoy (when I use terms like this I mean them in the context of doing an Ironman - everything is of course relative, this is not the same sort of enjoyment as say sitting in a hot tub) the whole experience.

Just before the half way point I came back into town and the crowds were amazing. I went past the Team Z tent but Wendy was not there as she was changing Ben. I carried on to the special needs bags where I changed into dry socks and although it only lasted 30 seconds I had dry feet for the first time all day and it felt great. I headed back into town and Wendy and Ben were back. I gave them both a kiss and assured Wendy that I was feeling fine and headed back out for my second loop of the run. The second loop was very similar to the first it was wet and long and I continued to run/walk it. At one stage I used a porta potty but it was on the side of the road and at such an angle that I was worried that it would topple over and I could not think of a worse way to end your race. I did do some quick arithmetic and decided that I should finish in under 12 hours without doing anything too drastic.

Ben wrapped up against the elements

When I ran I actually ran pretty smoothly and with good form but after a few hundred yards it would start to hurt and I would walk again. This went on for another couple of hours and then I was on my way back up the very steep hill back into town. I knew that I only had a mile or so to go and then I would be an Ironman. I started to smile to myself and prepare myself for the finish. Luckily the run back into the oval is down hill and I carried the momentum into the oval where the crowds were fantastic. As I approached the line the guy in front was showboating and doing a speed skating impression. I slowed down to let him finish and then it was my turn to cross the line and for the first time ever at a race I couldn't resist the urge to put my hands in the air.

My M Dot Tattoo (don't worry Mum its fake)

Before I go into my conclusion I wanted to just do some quick thank yous:

• Thanks to Cadence for organising the Kona Challenge without which I would not now be an Ironman.

• Thanks to all the sponsors of the Challenge. I have nothing but praise for the all the Cyfac, Zipp, Sidi, LAS and Zoot equipment and the Enervit nutrition (N.B. The LAS low visibility visor works really well but you like to think about putting wipers on your helmets).

• Thanks to Triathlon Magazine for covering the story and a big thanks to NA Sports for allowing me a slot to race (thanks Heather for sorting out registration and thanks to the guy that helped Mary Lou and me get registered when we arrived).

• Thank you to anyone that has taken the time to read or comment on my blog as it has really helped me stay focused knowing that people are reading this stuff.

• Thank you to the two young lads who had been tasked to hand out wet sponges. The idea of taking a wet sponge having been rained on constantly for 7 or more hours was very funny but yet you were both so earnest.

• Thank you to the army of volunteers at Lake Placid. You were all, without exception, wonderful people and your help and infectious enthusiasm on race day was invaluable.

• Thanks to the crowds who braved horrendous weather to support the athletes and perhaps the loudest support came from the legion of Team Z supporters that had made the long haul to Lake Placid just to cheer us on - very generous.

• Thanks to the Team Z cameramen who exposed themselves and their expensive equipment so that we could have some memories of the day.

• Thanks to Dianna and Lisa and the guys in rediculously small cutoff jeans shorts whose encouragement was very much appreciated and thanks to Tara for giving me a shout out on the run (she went on to finish an amazing 28th in her age group).

• Thank you to Mary Lou for the pleasure of her company before and after the race and for the very thoughtful gifts you gave us.

• Thanks to Holden whose coaching has been exemplary and whose positive and relaxed demenour is ideal when it comes to placating and dealing with over anxious A type personality triathletes.

• Thank you to family, friends and colleagues who have offered such kind messages of support.

• Thanks to Wendy who spent an entire day huddled under a tent trying to look after a two and a half month old baby just so that I could indulge my own selfish quest to become an Ironman.

• Thank you to my son, Ben, whose extremely easy going nature (don't know where he gets it from) made it possible for Wendy to spend the entire day under a tent while I indulged my own selfish quest etc.

• If I have missed anyone I apoligise.

Overall 11:54:03 (Division place 110/238; Overall Place 692/2345)
I don't know where to start. I am very sattisfied with the result. I achieved my B Goal, I am an Ironman and I always will be. Despite walking a lot of the Marathon I finished sub 12 hours and before the Cadence Kona Challenge this would have been a dream time for me. I had an opportunity to do something that not many people get to do and thanks to some great conditioning by my coach I managed to do it in relative comfort and could enjoy (as far as that is possible) the run portion and soak up the atmosphere. When I look back to my first half ironman, Black Bear last year, the result seems even more amazing. I ran the entire half marathon at Black Bear but the whole thing took me over 6 hours whereas at Ironman USA I went under 12 hours with a lot of walking.

However, I did not make my A Goal. I was a long way off qualifying. Even if I had run the entire marathon I do not think I would have finished too much under 11 hours and the last!!!! qualifying slot in my age group went to a guy who finished in 9:57. Could I do it one day, maybe, but then you get into the vicous circle of "well if I hadn't flatted I could have gone sub ......", "If the weather was more ... I could have ....", If I hadn't of crashed maybe I could have ....." etc., etc., etc.

Being entirely objective my swim was only 2 mins off the 1:10 I had allowed myself, My bike leg would have been about 5:40 if I hadn't of flatted and I took just under 10 minutes in transition therefore for a 10 hour finish I needed a 3 hour marathon. I honestly believe I have the base fitness to run around a 3:20 marathon but 1. After the ride I didn't have the legs for it and 2. I always seem to struggle getting into the run despite a number of brick workouts. It may be that I am leaving way too much on the bike course to ever run a decent time but then if your A goal is to try and go 10 hours, or close to 10 as possible, you cannot afford to go 6 hours on the bike unless you are a world class runner.

Did my injury affect my time? The pain in my groin is getting steadily worse after the race and it feels like I have been punched where the centre of the bruising was so I am glad that I did take it so easy on the run. However, I was not in pain at the start of the run so I cannot blame my inability to run fast on the injury. Wendy did point out that 8 days before the race I couldn't walk properly and I must admit that at 2 days before the race I sneezed and felt so much discomfort that I started to doubt my ability to finish. So although I couldn't have qualified even if I hadn't of crashed I am very thankful that I was still able to finish the race.

What next? I did not enjoy the Ironman. I did not get the same sense of fun and enjoyment that I do at shorter Olympic distance races. It is a sufferfest from start to finish. It is survival of the fittest, it is conditioning, it is mind over matter but it is not fun. It is however a phenominally rewarding experience. If you know, or can imagine, the enormous sense of achievment in completing a marathon you can multiply that sensation for completing each of the other two disciplines and then multiply that feeling by a factor of 10. Crossing the line hearing the words "[insert your name here] you are an Ironman" is a high that would be very difficult to recreate.

But once you have experienced that high would another Ironman be as rewarding? I was adamant that I would not keep doing Ironman races and I am still stunned by some of the people who keep putting themselves through it. To see some of the brave individuals who are bent over double, trying not to collapse or fall over, so that they can make it to the finish line in the cold and the dark before the cutoff, whilst wearing a t-shirt which declares they have done this s@#t before and know what to expect is bind boggling. That being said I now find myself in a quandry. I have paid for, and I am registered for, Ironman Uk. I cannot get a refund. I know I don't stand a hope in hell of qualifying as the times there are even tougher than Ironman USA but I am still considering it. I do know what to expect and it would give me another opportunity to see whether I can put in a decent run. It would also give me an opportunity to get family and friends to experience the day and more importantly Wendy might actually see me race rather than been stuck trying to protect Ben from the weather. Perhaps the biggest factor is that I can do it without dedicating another 9 months of my life to Ironman training as the race is only a month and a bit away. That being said I know that I will never experience the same sensations as when I first heard the words "James Pearson you are an Ironman".

T+1 Ironman Lake Placid

Just a quick note to say 1. I am now an Ironman and, 2. thank you for all the kind messages of support and I will get around to writing a full race report as soon as I can.

The view from our room a couple of hours ago

Wendy and I left Lake Placid earlier today and took the ferry across to Burlington, Vermont where we checked into the Hilton. I have been for a swim and jacuzzi and then we ordered loads of room service and a bottle of bubbly. Needless to say I am feeling pretty good after all that. Various bits of my body are a little sore but nothing at all serious and I imagine the stiffness will wear off very soon.

Room service including banana splits and bubbly - nice

Before I get around to the full race report, and as a bit of a teaser, I thought I would show you the 2008 Lake Placid video that was aired at the pre-race banquet. Please note that the occasional down pour mentioned actually turned out to be 14 hours of the heaviest, most relentless rainfall I have ever seen and I have been based in Faslane, Scotland. To top it off the rain started 40 minutes after the start of the race and did not finish until well after I had finished.

I finished in 11:54:03. I had a reasonable swim, solid bike and when I realised I could not run a quick enough 3rd leg to meet my A goal I ran/walked the marathon to minimise the aggrevation to my injured groin. Despite not meeting my A goal I met my B goal, finishing, with 'relative' ease. Hats off to everyone who has finished an Ironman I do not care what anyone says it is bloody hard work, also commiserations to those few members of my tri team who did not make it for various reasons. I am very sorry it didn't go right for you on the day and realise that nothing at this stage will make that any easier to swallow.

T-1

My bike is racked, my transition bags are in transition and there is very little more I can do before tomorrow - which is nice.

I am sat outside the hotel room in an introspective mood. Since T-3 I have been for a two bike run workouts. On Friday I went out for a 1.5 hour zone 2 ride. I rode not far off the pace I would like to race at, keeping my heart rate mainly in the 140's. I went out on the course from Lake Placid in reverse for 45 mins and then turned around and came back. Going out was great and I was flying along at 23mph average but coming back was a slog as I went up the series of hills that constitute the overall climb back to town. Unfortunately I have to report that by the time I got off the bike my inner thigh was a bit sore and running was not that comfortable. It is certainly not enough pain to stop me racing but enough to be of concern for such a long race.

That night we met up with Mary Lou and went to the "mandatory" pre-race brief. It was quite impressive to see so many people in one tent. There was an inspiriational video and a very funny video but the brief itself did not throw up any nuggets of information.


Today I met up with Team Z for a very short ride and jog just to get the system going before I went to rack my bike in the oval. When I got there I found that I did not have an allotted space like the other 2588 athletes. The last rack was for 2550+ so I asked a volunteer and he put me on the end pointing in the right direction. I actually have a great position, it is always an advantage to be near the transition exit as you have less distance to run with your bike. My transition bags are on the floor rather than the racks but again they should be pretty easy to find.


Tonight we have a Team Z banquet with slide show and speeches which should be good fun. I am hoping Ben will settle quickly when we get back so that I can try to get to sleep but I suspect that I will nervous excitement may keep me up a good chunk of the night. Tomorrow we will be up at 3:30 and hopefully in town not long after 5:00.

This place is now packed, there are half naked people running and biking everywhere. We have met some really nice people and lots of families are arriving to support the athletes. The weather has been very unpredictable. It rained phenomonally hard yesterday and today has been a bit sticky but despite heavy skies it has not rained. I am about to check the forecast but rumour has it we are looking at high 70s/low 80s which should be OK. The only problem with being in the mountains is that you have to plan for every weather eventuality.

Hopefully next post I will be able to sign off as an Ironman but I am not sure when I will get round to updating again. Hopefully I will have enough energy left to hit the keys after tomorrow.

T -3

We're here. Wendy, Ben and I arrived in Lake Placid yesterday evening and we had a really pleasant trip.

I had an appointment with the chiropractor Wednesday morning and then headed out to BWI airport. We flew from Baltimore to Burlington, Vermont and then picked up a hire car to get to LP. Ben was as good as gold on the flight and even slept through takeoff. The drive from the airport to Lake Placid was beautiful. The easiest way from Vermont to New York state is via ferry across Lake Champlain and it was a lovely little ferry ride. For virtually 45 miles of driving on the New York side of the lake we didn't see a single car and could see the mountains around Lake Placid getting closer and closer - not having seen the bike course I was starting to get worried.

Transition - inside the Olympic Speed Skating loop - before the bikes

Just before you get to the town of Lake Placid you are greeted by the two Olympic ski jumps which I will have to run past on Sunday. We went directly to the hotel and didn't see any of the town and Olympic village until the following day. At the hotel we grabbed dinner and watched the Tour on TV but found ourselves alone in the restaurant at 9:45pm with the lights turned out - they obviously go to bed early here as the restaurant even has a bar and pool table.

The turn around is basically at the far end of the lake

This morning we met up with Mary Lou and headed down to Mirror Lake, the site for Sunday's swim. I was supposed to do a 30 min swim but I was so close to the end of the course at 15 minutes that I kept going and did the full 1.2 mile out and back (you do it twice during the race for a 2.4 mile swim). The lake was fantastic. It was the perfect temperature, not too hot and not too cold and the water was clear with a deep green colour. There were a number of other swimmers about but everyone had loads of room and it is a shame that the swim is not more of an individual time trial rather than a 2500+ person mass scrum.



After the swim we headed to registration. There were big queues but because Mary Lou and I were not on the list of names by the door we grabbed one of the officials who then led us through a back door, neatly cutting out the lines. He took us to a desk marked Pros/Problems. I thought it was a bit unfair to label us problems and wondered if we could fool anyone into thinking that we might be Pros instead but by the amount of time we spent at the desk it was clear that we were problems. The lady at the desk was very helpful and before too long had everything sorted out and we had our Ironman Bracelets on and had all the other 'stuff' we are going to need for race day. As well as the usual swim caps and chip you have a plethora of bags for various stages of the race. You have bags for your transition needs and also bags called 'special needs' bags in which you can put in anything you thing you might need half way through the bike or run, e.g. dry clothes, food, fluid, parts etc.


After lunch Wendy, Ben and I headed out to drive the bike course. The course was not bad but is far from flat. After getting out of town there is a massive descent to a town called Keene which looks like it is going to be very, very fast and the descent goes on for several miles but what goes down must come up. I saw 3 or 4 short climbs which looked a bit tough but the majority of climbing should be pretty steady. The last part of the course back to Lake Placid takes you by Whiteface Mountain and the scenery is absolutely stunning.

Whiteface Mountain

Back in town and having been out on the road for nearly 2 hours you realise you have to do that entire 56 mile drive on a bike - TWICE. By that stage I didn't have the energy to DRIVE the run course. I was ready for a nap but after trying, and failing, to get internet access it was about time to go for dinner and we headed out for a bite to eat with Mary Lou. By now town is buzzing with cars, expensive bikes, fit bodies and deep tans. The restaurants were all filling up rapidly by 6pm and we were glad to get a table. After dinner I met up with Ed from Team Z to get my bike off him and I am now back in the room trying to stay awake and get this post out.


If I were to try and gauge how I was feeling in terms of readiness and confidence for the race I would say that I am not panicking but have some concerns. I swam very close to race pace today and felt great but I have not been for a run for over 2 weeks. The sharp pain in my groin has gone but after travelling for a day my entire inner thigh felt stiff and mildly uncomfortable and I am worried how this might manifest itself on race day. I am fairly content, I know under the circumstances I couldn't have done any more to get prepared for this race and I do feel like I have fitness reserves so we will just have to wait and see what happens on the day.

Even if the race itself doesn't go to plan it is a great experience being here and the atmosphere is great. I have never been somewhere that is so entirely devoted to all things triathlon and it is a very surreal but enjoyable experience.

Ben thinking "Same s#@t different Lake" this will be his 4th Tri in 2.5 months of existence

Hopefully I will be able to update the blog at T-2 and T-1 days to race and I realise that Tuesdays post should actually have been T-5. I am going to go for a ride tomorrow and I think I will go back out past Whiteface Mountain and then I will try and go for a very gentle jog to see how I get on.

Last but not least I now have a race number, 2591 (that's right there are really that many people competing). If you want to follow the race you can use the race number, or my surname, to track an athlete, details are on the Ironman USA webpage and there is a link to the right of this webpage. Just before I go the 3 of us wanted to wish my Mother-in-Law, Janet, a happy birthday.

T -4

Sunday, I got in a good 1.5 hour ride. I pushed quite hard sat up on the bull bar but whenever I got down into the aero position I couldn't put any pressure on the pedal without hurting my groin. I was going to go for a very light 20 min recovery run when I got off the bike but as soon as I took one stride I knew it was a bad idea and called it a day.





Monday, I got in a good 1500m swim and went back to the chiropractor. Dr Beck had worked the damaged tissue on Saturday and Dr Booker carried on where he left off. He had me run so that he could assess my gait and as he worked on my hip flexors and abs I did get a bit more range of movement in my hip. However he did ask me whether or not I had seen my doctor as he instructed and I had to admit I hadn't. The problem with my symptoms is that they could also be an indication of a hernia brought on by the impact. If I had a hernia there is not a lot anyone could do and it would be game over.





It was with great trepidation that I went to the Navy Yard clinic today. I have to say the US Navy medical care is amazing. I walked into the clinic which is situated between the car park and my office at 0815. I asked if there were any appointments for today and I was given an appointment at 0830. 0820 I was called through to have my vitals taken and a few minutes later the doctor saw me. After a lot of coughing I was told that I did not have any hernia - whew. He told me I should have stayed on the Ibuprofen and prescribed some 800mg tablets to take upto and including the race. Less than 5 minutes later I was picking up my prescription and I was at my desk for 0900 which is pretty rapid patient service.





This afternoon has been a rush of last minute shopping, dropping my bike off to be taken up to Lake Placid and seeing the chiropractor again. Today I was with Dr Beck who continued to work on the scar tissue. When I got back from the Chiro I went out for a 2 hour ride. I had to borrow Wendy's 650 front wheel for which I have no spare tubes and I realised that I have sent my puncture repair kit with my bike. The ride itself was great. The weather was beautiful and I went back past the scene of the accident. As I went past in zone 2 I was reading 24.5 mph so I am going to reassess my crash speed as a little faster than I thought. My groin didn't bother me. A couple of times I was aware that something wasn't quite right but I was still able to get down into my drops and put some power down.



The bottom line. I have had a good chat with Holden and he assures me that my fitness level will be more than enough to race well despite not training. I should not worry and if necessary I will not run until I actually hit the marathon of the Ironman. Dr Beck said the same thing when I talked about key sessions and his quote is the only key session is the race itself. Everyone has been great and really supportive but as Holden said I just have to be mentally prepared in case my body hasn't repaired itself sufficiently to run on Sunday. That being said my gut feeling is that it will be close but I will be OK come Sunday.



I must go as I haven't packed yet and we are back at the chiropractor first thing tomorrow morning and then straight off to the airport where we are going to annoy all the business travellers with our arsenal of baby gears and 'mobility equipment'.

Whoops wrong Lake Placid - I hope

Next post will hopefully be from Lake Placid itself - that's right I am hoping to blog 'on location'.

I think I prefer the other picture - less frightening than this mass start

One week after the crash - One week to go until race day

I am almost exactly half way between my crash on the road bike and Ironman USA. I have to say it has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster but for the most part I have been pretty down in the dumps.

Not training at all after intense exercise for many months is a strange feeling that can leave the endorphin addicted athlete a little moody to start with, add to that the constant worry that maybe you have blown your one big race and you have a very grouchy individual.

Monday I could only hobble. Tuesday and Wednesday I started to get some movement back but my left groin was still badly swollen. I was getting pretty nervous by Thursday with the race only 11 days away. Thursday night I managed to get in the pool for 30 minutes. I took it very easy with a pull float and I was relieved to find that my back, shoulders and arms were all functioning well with only one minor isolated pain in my tricep. I did however find myself bending at the waist to avoid pulling on my groin and I was not fully extending my arms as it would cause pain in my lower abs.

That day I had also googled Chiropractors and found one in Arlington called Capital Rehab. I chose them as they had 3 positive online reviews and they worked with a few track and field teams and seemed to be very sport orientated. I made an appointment for the following day with Dr Booker.

I arrived at the Chiropractors not knowing what to expect and met with Dr Booker. We had a chat and he asked me how important the race was to me. After I explained
what it meant to me he got his partner in and we agreed that I would see them Fri, Sat, Mon, Tue and Wed. Wendy and I had originally planned to leave for Lake Placid Tuesday night but to maximise treatment we have decided to fly up on the Wednesday.

He put me on a e-stim (tens type machine) for 10 minutes which had my leg jumping all over the place and then worked on realigning my hip and the damaged tissue in my groin, which hurt, a lot. He told me to take some herbal joint relief pills and omega capsules and agreed that I could do swimming and cycling but no running. I did feel better for having the injury worked on and I got a good impression from Dr Booker and Dr Beck. The proof will of course be in the pudding but I feel far more optimistic for the race.

I have managed to get out on the bike for 50 minutes last night which did not feel too bad. I cannot cycle while aero but I wasn't too sore this morning and it was a big psycholigical boost to get back on the bike. Today I did 15 minutes aqua-jog and then a 1500m swim. I also met with Dr Beck who continued to work on the damaged tissue which still hurt, a lot. I felt a bit daft aqua-jogging and I actually blistered my feet on the pool bottom but the exercise itself was good. It is hard to get your heart rate up but it is good resistance work for the muscles.

Tomorrow I am hoping to get in a slightly longer ride and then it will be back to chiropractor on Monday. I have put in a picture of the discolouration near my groin. The dark blue area must be where the stem or handlebars caught me and I have drawn a line around the extent of discolouration. I feel a lot better now the swelling has gone down and hopefully the pain will continue to ease off.

CRASH!!!

It was all going too well. Last week was a tough week with 3 hours of training most days and plenty of lactate threshold intervals but I was just about managing to get through it all. Saturday was my last long ride before Lake Placid with Sunday a triathlon day consisting of short swim, 2 hour bike and 1:45 run. The rest of this week was also meant to be fairly intense with only a short taper before the Ironman.

The Saturday long ride was going well. I went out for 3.5 hours before coming back to the house to refuel. I was holding a good pace and felt pretty good. I decided to swap from my tri bike to my road bike to give myself a break from the aero position for the last couple of hours. I was about 25 minutes from the house on a local bike trail when everything turned upside down, literally.

I was happily cruising along at a steady 20mph+ when I looked down and realised that I was very close to the edge of the trail. The trail was 3 inches of tarmac laid on top of dirt so there was a big drop at either side. I looked at the drop and tried to gently bring the bike back to the left but like a rabbit in the headlights I couldn't stop myself and the front wheel dropped off the edge of the trail and dug in immediately cartwheeling me off the bike.



I am not sure exactly what happened. I have a cut on my nose which I think means that my head hit the ground and pushed my glasses into the bridge of my nose but bizarrely I couldn't find a single scratch on my helmet. My bike was 20 feet away on the other side of the trail and I also landed on my shoulder and back judging by the scrapes, bruises and holes in my shirt. A gentlemen out walking and a lady pushing a baby both came to ask if I was OK and the guy had seen me come off and seemed impressed by the show I had put on.

I was telling them both that I was OK but I was still lying on the grass at the edge of the trail where I had rolled to after I came to a stop and I decided that I needed to stand up. As I got up I realised how sore my groin was. I called Wendy and arranged to meet at the next road to intersect the trail. As I hobbled down the trail I realised just how sore my groin was and it appears as if the kinetic energy generated by a 164 pound man travelling at 20mph was all dissipated through my groin into the stem of my bike.

Long story short I experienced some of the most excruciating pain I can remember and had to fight back waves of nausea. I got into bed where I remained the rest of Saturday and all day Sunday. After 36 hours of ice treatment and Ibuprofen I was able to hobble into work for half a day today.

So what does it all mean.

I have spoken to Holden and I am to rest today and tomorrow and then we will see if I can get back into the pool on Wednesday. He assures me that fitness wise I will be OK however I know it would have helped my race if I had been able to complete these last few hard workouts and transition simulations.

I have spoken to the makers of my wheels, Rolf Prima, and it is going to cost me $240 to get my front wheel rebuilt. I have not looked at the rest of my road bike as it will probably end in tears and I will face that ordeal later.

I am healing up OK. My hobble is speeding up and I am able to move around a bit now. Thankfully nothing is broken and although I am very stiff and sore as long as nothing is strained I should be OK for the race.

Although I am pretty down at the moment it could have been a lot worse. I still see people on the trail on road bikes without helmets which is daft and I am also glad that I had my mobile phone with me or it could have been a bit of a drama getting home.

It is apparently not all that uncommon for accidents to happen in the last couple of weeks and at least it happened now and not next week. I am no stranger to bike accidents and anyone who rides a road bike at speed for long enough is likely to have some sort of accident but it is still pretty shitty timing on my behalf.