A's IM AZ race report

As I asked Wolfgang yesterday at swimming.....is it the athlete's curse to forever be unsatisfied with one's performance? I am trying to decide if this is what keeps us striving after greatness, pushing limits, and growing into new potent competitors, or if this is what keeps us from ever attaining happiness for the rest of our lives.

I had 4 main (though undefined, prior to the race) goals for this ironman: move categories from "finisher" to "athlete/competitor," run the whole marathon (no walking), figure out the nutrition (mostly for the run goal), and break 11 h. I think I got the first three partially or totally accomplished, but still am not satisfied. I was ready (and confident that this COULD be the race) to just get out there and let 'er rip....Oh well!

Swim was a PR. I want to be at/under the hour mark, but we are getting closer with a 1:03. Never really felt settled, but never was working too hard nor drowning, well maybe, but only once, with some help from the guy next to me who thought pushing off my head was a good idea.

Had trouble getting the wet suit off. The volunteers helped, but then, as I grabbed my gear and started to run to TI for my bag of helmet/shoes/etc., I got a horrible, horrible leg cramp in my right quad/IT. Very local, but made the whole leg eventually tighten, all the way down through the calf up to the hip. I couldn't run, could barely walk. I was scared and angry. All the volunteers, racers, spectators, etc. tried to be encouraging, but I didn't want to be told to "take in salt", "keep going", "it's OK", etc. I was hydrated. I had enough salt from last night and that morning, I was not too cold, too hot, etc. In the change tent they offered to get someone for massage, but I foolishly said "no, it'll work its way out" and got out of there to get my bike. I could barely pedal. The beginning 400 m was a slight uphill through the park and was a "no pass zone" until the street, I was barely pedaling, I couldn't bend my knee. This was the worst pain I had ever felt in my leg.

Out on the street, after ~100 m, I stopped, got off the bike, tried to massage it out, lay on the ground to stretch (bad idea with the aero helmet!) before trying again. For the first 3 mile of the bike or so, I kept coasting and massaging the leg, and I stopped another ~4 times to work on the spot. By the first aide station, though, I had decided to try and ignore the pain and just ride my bike. I got settled in and started getting to work. Found a good pace and stuck too it. Through all of this, though, I had given up all that my great swim had accomplished for positioning and was now in the thick of it with all the other racers. One good thing about all the straight-line drafting that was going on (many people on the right, too close together, but probably not getting too much draft): it made for a good wind block on the climb once you started to pass. You could pass 20 people at a time and they were all essentially blocking for you, like a double pace line. I was very careful not to draft, it is a pet-peeve of mine, instead I just passed all the drafters. At the end of the first lap, I peed on the bike, a sign that my efforts at drinking and taking in salt for the leg cramp had me hydrated. I ended up peeing 4 times on the bike....woah! Overall, pace felt pretty steady and smooth. HR looked good, too, with an avg of 140 and a max of 158 (could have been even higher, I think, maybe lost focus on the last lap?) Leg did loosen up, but never went completely away.

I got through T2 well. I was burning on my arms so asked for more sunscreen from the volunteers. I did not change socks ( from the bike (mistake, they were full of grass and dirt from the end of the swim-run), but just got out of there and got busy. Took the first 10 min easier, as planned, but then never really was able to kick it up to where I wanted it. My Garmin was misbehaving, so I was blind to pace, and often to HR, which was a big blessing in the end, I just went on feel. But I couldn't talk myself into RUNNING, instead it was a shuffle. Tummy was sloshy, and kinda full, but it was working. Near the 6 mile mark, I needed a pit stop and ducked into a porta potty. Why can't my intestines behave? After that, though, all was good, and I just cruised. I kept telling myself to HTFU (Thanks Marit and other bloggers, this mantra made my Spring training really get going!) and just get going, but I never found that fifth gear to shift into. Somewhere on the 2nd lap I realized I was getting strange blisters between my big toes and the rest of my toes (like the spot where flip-flops go), and I was loosing most of the skin off my right ankle to my sock, but I just didn't care and kept going. I even picked it up the last 5 miles or so, but it was no-where near enough to get into the top 5 (awards) or top 2 (kona slot) in my age group. Finished before sun set! Gained 4.5 pounds from that morning (3am weigh-in at home before breakfast) which really, really surprised me. I was well hydrated and peeing all night (before and after going to sleep), so I think it was extra water.

The next day we did the awards banquet then started the drive home. We got in on Tuesday with enough time to get massages from Josh Shadle. Calves are sore, knot in the right leg is still there, but it is coming around. This is probably my best/shortest recovery yet.

Especially mentally, I am ready to RACE and TRAIN again. I will give it time (I have Lasik next Thursday, April 24, and then no real training for at least a week) but the hunger is there. I've got some unfinished business. Throughout the day I was filled with confidence, and a great, deep peace. I did not accomplish all of my goals, but I was extremely thankful for the chance to get out there and try to give it all I had. I was even thankful for our "spring of wind" in Boulder, as it helped prepare me for the winds we had race day. I was thankful for my friend and family, for their support and well wishes. I was thankful for my body and all that it can do, and I was thankful for challenges and unexpected problems that make me grow and learn.