Ironman Lake Placid 2014 Race Report

This race has been on my mind for along time. I raced in 2012 and had a bad day due to nutrition. That race forced me to change my entire game plan. I worked for two years to change who I was as an athlete and prepare to tackle this beast the right way. 2014 rolled around and it was time to take another shot at the course...here goes:

Pre-Race:
This was the first Ironman distance race where I was not nervous whatsoever, that is until I almost missed the swim start, but we will get to that later. I have been working with QT2 Systems for two season and I believe in their protocols utterly. If you take a look at their athletes in any race, you'll see that they have their game figured out. I knew that if I didn't reach my goals, it wasn't because I didn't prepare. All that was left to do was execute the game plan.
My lack of nerves was great as I was helping three friends get ready for their first attempt at the distance and it was nice to be able to focus on them for a while, knowing my plan was set and ready to rock. I even had my gear bags packed three days before traveling to placid anticipating that others would need my help.

Friday Morning Underwear Run post-swim

Warm up swim with great friends.

Race Morning:
The alarm sounded at 4:00 and I got out of bed to throw down my staple breakfast. Rice pancakes, covered in almond butter with bananas. I also drank a serving of Infinit Mudd which I think I'm addicted to. If you haven't tried the stuff, you're missing out. My dad dropped me off in front of transition then went back to get ready for the day. It was great walking into transition and seeing friendly faces. I am used to racing down south where I know very few people. Having my BTC family around at all times put my mind at ease and helped me have fun. After my bike was set I met up with my buddy Danny Royce and started to head out of transition. Once I got to bike special needs drop off I realized I had foolishly put my extra bike bottles in my bike gear bag and had to fight the crowd to get back into transition and retrieve them. I slipped the bottles in the correct bag and dropped both of my bags off at the special needs locations, which is actually a little bit of a walk. I decided it was tie to use the restroom which was timed perfectly with every other athlete in existence and ended up standing in line for about 20 minutes. This set me back quite a bit and before I knew it, I was running around during the national anthem, feeling like a moron, looking for my parents to drop off my clothes bag. I didn't spend a lot of time looking before I dropped my bag with a complete stranger, gave her my mom's phone number and wished for the best. Thank you Ms. Wattie Ink lady! You saved my morning.

Photo Op with the Rawk

Swim 26:00? but really...52:43 (3 AG/15 OA):
I made it to the beach with 10 minutes to spare, just after the pro wave had started. I spotted Danny and he helped me get my wetsuit zipped up and situated just right, thanks dude! The final ten minutes passed in what felt like seconds and we were off. I started about three people back in the 0:50-1:00 group and knew that I would do whatever it took to make the first swim group. Things spread out pretty quickly at the front with a few guys booking it and the rest of us choosing not to follow suit. After about 500 yards of pretty aggressive shuffling, we settled into a nice grove and people were satisfied with the feet they found. In Mont-Tremblant 2013, I had no trouble making the first swim group but it thinned out around the corner and I lost contact as I was near the back. I kept this in mind and made sure I was tucked safely in the middle of the group. That way, if anybody decided to make a move, I could easily cover without having to bridge. The first lap was pretty uneventful. The pace was somewhat sporadic but any gaps that opened up were easy to close down. I took comfort in seeing Danny swimming right with me but for some reason the pace felt slow. Looking at the speed the cable was passing by told another story and I entertained the idea of making a break for the few swimmers who were leading the swim. I decided that energy would be much better spent in the marathon and chilled right where I was until we saw the swim split. I knew I could always ask Danny, on the beach, if he wanted to work with me on lap two if lap one was as slow as it felt. The first glimpse I got of the clock looked like we swam a 28 for the first lap. Turns out, that was a 25 and we clicked off lap 1 in exactly 26:00, perfectly fine by me! Lap two was the most effortless swimming I have ever done inside of a race. I was taking long, slow, catch-up strokes and only sighting to keep track of where everybody was in the group. We never ran into the back of the pack until the end of the backstretch which is not what I expected. I thought the entire second loop would be a mess. The main group split, some people swimming really far left, around the athletes, and the other group swimming through them. We seemed to be making better progress so I stayed left. As we rounded the last turn buoy, a lone swimmer in an All-World cap crept past and I decided it was a good time to sneak away from our group and join him. We swam alone (I think) the rest of the way in and lost the original group. Either way, I wasn't doing anything but swimming easy and following feet. I was happy to exit the water with my best 2.4 mile swim time yet. First time under 53:00.

Spotted  the world's best wetsuit strippers, Jen and Greg, after a solid first loop.

T1 3:44:
Nothing major happened in T1. I knew I was off to a great start so I made sure I was taking enough time to grab everything I needed before I got out to my bike. I knew it was raining so I was unsure how the visor on my helmet was going to go but it was happening so off I went. I made sure to scream my number as I ran around the oval and I kept hearing it echo down the rack. Sure enough, there was GrAce, waiting for me at the end of the rack and I ran right by as I grabbed her and shouted "There's my baby, let's rock." I think I got a few laughs from volunteers, but really it was for me and I liked it :) In 2012, I made it onto the bike course 0:58 into the race and this year I was well ahead of schedule at 56 and change. Time to execute a smart bike ride...oops

Bike 5:37:03 (5 AG/69 OA):
As soon as the ride started, the rain really started coming down. Leaving town, it let up for the time being and we climbed our way up to the top of Keene just in time for the sky to open up and absolutely dump water on us. I am pretty sure I was not as wet during the swim as I was during the ride. Very likely the heaviest rain I have ever been out in and it was time to go down Keene, a famed descent, great...
I decided that going down would cost more time than riding the breaks down the hill so I never broke 40 the whole way down, quite a feat with soaking wet carbon brake pads. Kept the rubber side down and continued on with the course going in and out of bursts of rain. I was having a really hard time getting my HR under 165 which is WAY above goal HR but the descent helped a bit so I tried to keep it lower for a while with no success. Riding felt easy, the miles were ticking by, I was holding group way in the lead of the race. At the out and back I was able to count myself in 30th position. Take away the 10 minute lead that the professional men had and the 8 minute lead that the professional women had and I figured I was in about 25th place at the turn around. The fact that I know this shows that I was paying attention to the wrong elements of the race. I preach and preach to the athletes I work with to stay in your box, ignore the other athletes, ride what the training metrics tell you, and what do I do? Completely ignore my own rules and ride like an idiot for the first hour of the race. I was pushing far too many watts, driving my HR way too high, and setting myself up for a disaster of a race. I had a rude reality check at mile 31.5 of the bike. I stopped the quickest I have ever went from 22.2 mph to 0 mph by taking a ride on the pavement. I don't know what was happening before my crash, I was either checking my metrics, trying to see through the monsoon, or looking for my buddy Danny on the out and back because I was expecting him to have ridden past me by this point in the race. Either way, I remember seeing orange paint on the ground, feeling my wheels slip out from under me, and everything went crashing down, drive-side of course! I hit my knee first, then hip, then elbow before I was separated from my bike and went skidding across the pavement for about 15 feet on my back. Jersey torn, bike pieces on the ground and a sudden awareness that I had less skin attached to my body, an athlete asked if I was ok as he went by and I said "yes" even though I was still running through a mental inventory and thinking This can't really be happening, can it? What happened?" I grabbed my bottles, picked up the bike, threw the chain back on and off I went. As I started moving I checked out my injuries and realized that things could have been a lot worse, I wasn't in that bad of shape. I realized that I was lucky there was a massive layer of water on the road to help cushion my fall and allow me to skid across the surface of the road instead of having the road dig into me to slow me down. I guess they are right, "If you ride a bike, it's not about if you will crash, but rather when" and what better than the early stages of the ride in a race I have been focusing on since January. As the race carried on, my hip started to swell pretty bad and after an hour my knee went from chunky white flesh to running blood. I kept telling myself that it was just a minor setback and that it wasn't that bad. To be honest, climbing was very challenging and I was pretty uncomfortable the rest of the ride. I have a whole new respect for cyclists who repeatedly hit the deck and continue racing. My injuries weren't that bad and my body still became very stiff and fought me the whole way. The rest of my ride consisted of two scenarios. 1: athletes rode by me asking if I went down because they saw the back of me first. 2: Spectators telling me I looked great then gasping when they saw the back of my jersey and my knee which was covered in blood The run couldn't come soon enough.

Before the carnage.

T2 2:31:
I got off my bike and it was a struggle to bend over and pick up my cleats. This was my first indication that I was in for a long marathon. I tried to overpower that with positive thoguhts "You've come off the bike with trash legs plenty of times before, you know the run will be there once you get rolling." Got a quick change in the tent, went to leave and realized how sunny it was and that I forgot my hat and glasses. It was well worth it to go back, it just wouldn't be right to run without showing some love for the Buffalo Triathlon Club!

Run 3:46:52 (I'm not sure on place as the second swim was dropped let's go with 12 AG/100OA):
I started running and the sight of friendly faces took the pain off of my hip as I rolled out of town. People were finally noticing that I hit the deck and my coach told me "Never happened, just run, you're in a great spot." I repeated those words over and over and they lasted through the first 12-14 miles. I had a nice, decently fast, somewhat easy first loop before my hip started locking up right around mile 13. I saw some friends and family on the way back out of town and remember telling them that I was unbelievably stiff from the fall and that things were about to head south on me. As it rarely is, River Rd. was not pretty.

Still storming on lap one. River Rd out.

 Things went from bad to worse there. I noticed that my thighs were starting to bruise and I must have hit my basebar and aerobars as I came down on top of the bike earlier. That is evidenced by the fact that 1/3 of my left thigh is bruised as I write this 4 days later and it takes A LOT for me to bruise. My right thigh was a few smaller, spots to match. I really need to keep the rubber side down from now on. I was reduced to a walk through a few aid stations and the pace was deteriorating. I was my buddy Daly as I was nearing the end of River Rd. I said a few quick words to him then realized the turn around was really close. If I picked it up a lot, I might be able to run with him for a bit. I dropped the pace quite a bit but it was taking a really long time to catch him. Way to run well buddy! Eventually, we met up at an aid station and chatted for a little while before he told me to close it out. I was set on cruising it in with him but when he said that, it made me think. "If you can just run anywhere around 9s all the way in, this can still be a pretty good race." I set off down the road and started making mental calculations. I knew I was staring 10:20 right in the face. Couldn't run quite as well as I wanted to as I closed out but it was all I had. Mirror Lake Rd took an eternity as it always does on the final loop but eventually, I was at the special needs bags and could hear the music at the finish line. I put on a brave face and carried on into the oval. Running the oval and crossing that line is always special and allows me to reflect on the path I've taken to get here, all the workouts I've suffered through to get me ready, and all the sacrifices the people around me make to make this possible for me. That's a lot to think about for a 200m run and it always makes that section of the race go by entirely too fast. This year, I crossed the line let down that my goals were not reached, proud that I overcame my injuries and fought on for 8 hours after crashing, and confident that the next time I cross that line, things are going to go my way. The training was there, and it will be better next year. I made some mistakes on the course, and they won't happen next year, I realized some weaknesses, and I have a year to turn them into strengths. Once again, this course was angry, claimed a lot of athletes, and got the better of me on July 27th, 2014. You better believe that on July 26th, 2015 I'll be a tougher, smarter, stronger athlete and I will try to race in harmony with this course, giving it the respect it deserves. Until next year, 10:22:53 will have to suffice as a temporary 29 minute PR on this beast. Don't expect that to last very long!

Challenged, but not defeated. We will be back!

Additional Comments:

Thanks for everybody for the support. I did not have a great day out there and you still make me feel like I did something worthwhile on the course. I cannot thank my parents enough for all their help. It was great to spend some time with them.

I loved racing this course, having the BTC on every corner. Stay tuned as I have something up my sleeve for you!

Thanks to my sponsors QT2 for getting me prepared, Blue Seventy for the speedy Helix wetsuit, X2Performance for the best race supplement on the market, Powerbar for keeping my nutritional needs on lock, and pearl izumi for the comfy bottoms.

Congrats to my boys Clint and Day for having a great showing in tough conditions in their first Ironman!

Rocked it!

The best part of my weekend was seeing a really good friend absolutley rock out on the course. He has been a student of the sport for a year and completely changed his game. Hands down, the best finish line dance I've seen in a long time. Congrats Joe Rosati!

Crushing the course

Ironman Raleigh 70.3 Race Report

Since moving south in August 2013, it has been exciting to check out new races and venues. Ironman Raleigh 70.3 was a race that looked interesting to me in its 2013 debut and I was excited to have an opportunity to race in 2014. I have not taken a good run at a 70.3 in a while considering my mishap at Musselman last year tainted the lone attempt in 2013. I was hungry for a PR and was willing to go to a dark place to find it.

I made the short drive to Raleigh Friday night after throwing a few things together and making sure my bike was ready to roll. Fortunately, a neighbor I grew up with lives in Raleigh and I was able to crash with her. She made my stay stress free and extremely convenient. Thanks Chris!

Pre-Race staple with Peluso Open Water coaches, family and friends

Saturday morning I got myself out of bed and went for a quick tune up brick. I quickly realized, in the daylight, that I was on mile 50 of the bike course and I was able to get a glimpse at Lake wheeler hill on my ride. I also went for a short jog on the road so I was comfortable with one of the more challenging sections of the course.

I grabbed my packet, visited the expo, and by that time I was hungry. Here is where we found a little gem, Big Ed's City Market...man oh man was that a good breakfast! I will be sure to return if/when I race Raleigh again.

Great southern cooking

The split transition made things a little difficult to get ready for the race but it was worth the 40 minute drive west of the city. The venue was absolutely breathtaking on Lake Jordan. We weren't able to get in and swim Saturday afternoon like I had planned but I just pushed my swim back to Sunday morning. I knew I was going to be sitting around a whole bunch waiting for my wave to start so I figured I would take care of it then.

Checking out the swim course and T2 with Danny

Race morning the alarm went off at 3:45. I was up and stuffing my face with pancakes, peanut butter, nutella, a banana, and a protein shake. I finished packing and it was time to head over to T2, set up my run stuff, and fight for a shuttle. The morning was far easier than I anticipated. I got right into T2, took a few minutes to lay my gear out, and was on a shuttle ten minutes later. I tried desperately to nap on the shuttle but it wasn't happening so I just tried to relax and work on a few breathing exercises on the way over.

Lake Jordan on race morning

Swim (0:26:00 (27 OA/2 M25-29): 

I was in wave 17 and I was expecting to have a mess of people to swim through. We started over an hour after the professional wave was let loose. I feared the day would heat up so the plan was to get off the bike as fast as possible and limit the time I was on the run course in the heat. The swim did not hold me back form that plan one bit. I saw a guy open up the swim from the siren and I latched onto his heals. I was having trouble holding his feet and I never like to crush myself in the water so I had a decision to make. We were about 300m into the swim and I took a glance behind me to see not a single purple cap in sight. I let the guy work away from me and I focused on swimming smooth and comfortable the whole way through. For the first time in a long time, I was able to breath bilaterally and it felt great. Helped me keep my rhythm and maintain a smooth stroke. I rode out the rest of the course and cruised in loosened up and ready to rock the bike.

T1 00:02:01: 

Transition was long and narrow. It probably took me about a minute to reach my GrAce once I was inside the fencing. I was all the way at the end of T1 so I was able to grab my bike and get right out. Highly preferential to running with my bike the whole way down. Turns out I paid for that later in the day but we will get there. If you have never done a split transition race, we had a swim bag where we shoved in wetsuits, goggles etc and it was transported to T2 once everybody was out on the bike course. Once we rolled out on our bikes, we were never to return

Bike 2:31:35 (34 OA/6 M25-29): 

Seeing that I don't often race 70.3 races, I didn't have a lot of good data to access to create a POA (plan of attack) for the ride. I knew I wanted to push my comfort zone on the bike and get to the run course as early in the day as possible to escape the heat. Based on my power numbers from IMMT, IMFL, Musselman and training metrics, I determined that 250 watts was a somewhat conservative goal, allowing me to run off the bike while riding a decent bike split. Regardless, I followed QT2 protocals and built my riding strategy around a variable. That variable being my power output 20 minutes into the race after allowing my HR to settle into mid/top Z3. It just so happened that this number was 249 so pretty much exactly what I expected. I rode hills and tailwinds about 10-15% higher and allowed the power to drop 10-15% on downhills and headwinds. On flats, I tried to settle into 250ish. The first 1:20 rolled by no problem and I was stoked to see a projected finish time of around 2:25.
Things got interesting in the last ten miles. Apparently there was a headwind that I didn't particularly feel at the time. Many people were complaining about it and now that I think back on it, things weren't rolling along as smooth as they should have. I knew the hills were a little more aggressive on the back portion of the course and that's all I chalked it up to. It turns out that people were reporting bike times of about 6-10 minutes slower than last year. That's all speculation so I guess I'll just have to return another year and ride faster! This was the first 70.3 ride that I was able to push the entire way. I was on the gas for the entirety of the ride and I am very pleased with my efforts. At times, like the last hour, where I was pushing 270-300 watts for extended periods of time, I began to question if I was hurting my run potential. I thought back to Florida and the hurt I put on my legs in that ride while still running well and decided to trust in my legs. Besides, I Ed Boyle has been giving me massages and making sure I am all tuned up so my legs were ready to handle some punishment. I really liked the bike course and highly suggest this race if you at all enjoy racing your bike. The swim was great and we'll talk about the run in a second but the bike course was great!

T2 00:01:24: 

This transition was a little bit difficult to navigate. There were essentially two sections set up which divided the athletes into two portions. I was in the second corral however I had to run through the first corral and navigate a strange maze along the right-hand-side in order to get into the second portion of transition. Odd, but it worked. Got down to business and spent as little time in there as necessary.

Run 1:32:25 34 (OA/6 M25-29): 

I have been running well all season so I was excited to get onto the run course and try to track a few people down that had escaped me on the bike. The course was somewhat boring with a little winding out of transition then trending uphill for the first 1/4 of the course. It was a double out and back so downhill for 3.xx miles, twist around a bit at the bottom, and repeat. The temperatures were favorable and I was not having much trouble staying cool which was my biggest concern. In fact, the first section of the course was the best running I did all day. I was effortlessly running 6:45-7:00 miles all the way up to the turn around. The goal was to continue to take it easy, run the same speed at a lower HR on the way down, then really get to work on the back half of the course. That didn't really go to plan as pounding downhill for over 3 miles really put a beating on my quads. I have been dealing with a knee injury for the past month so I'm thinking I may have been running a bit to compensate for not trusting my knee but then again it could have just been the pounding all the way down the did me in. I actually ran a touch slower on the way down but my HR played nice and I mentally prepared for the second half. I did a little winding down near transition and began the climb to the turn-around again to find that my legs were having trouble getting into a rhythm. I was dropping to mid 7:00 miles and just kept trying to chug along up the hill. It was nice to consistently pass people the whole way but it was the second loop that really started to get congested. I found myself spending way too much energy fighting for what I needed at the aid stations and asking volunteers what it was they were holding out. I know the course was busy and I seldom am unhappy with volunteers but it was very difficult to get what I needed on the run course. There were a couple aid stations where athletes were standing and blocking coke stations or sponge stations and I didn't have the time to spare to stand around and wait so I went without. With about 2.5 miles to go, my stomach felt very empty but not upset. I tried to grab a few more cups of coke, water, etc but eating was not in the cards. I carried gummies around the second loop of the course and couldn't bring myself to choke them down. Lesson? Take better care of these things on the bike because they aren't gong to happen when I'm running that hard. Perhaps even a Boost or Slim fast in transition would have helped subside my hunger.
The finishing stretch was very exciting. We turned the corner and could see the finish from about 0.3-0.4 miles away. It was easy to see the day was almost over but it was agonizing to continually push all the way home. I am very happy to have one of my best 70.3 runs to date on top of it being less than my ideal running conditions. Historically, I have only run low 1:30s in the Buffalo fall season where it is 50-60 degrees, overcast, and sprinkling a bit. Hopefully I am acclimating to this southern heat a bit, which is sure to pay dividends in Ironman Lake Placid.

Opening up the run

Overall 4:33:25 47 (OA/9 M25-29): 

I was really hoping to find a result under 4:30. Given the fact that every course is different, transition is an unknown chunk of time, and there is no telling what type of wind conditions you will encounter, sub 4:30 was somewhat of an empty goal. I was fighting for it, but 4:30 really has no significance other than being a nice, round, benchmark. The same effort on a flat course would have been a significantly faster time. I am pleased with my efforts and I would not have done anything different in retrospect. I do see places where I can improve upon my 9 minute PR and I'm sure that will happen somewhere down the road. I'd like to take another shot at a hard 70.3 bike ride again but for now I am happy recovering and starting to get rolling into my IMLP build. The next few weeks are sure to bring endless hours on the bike, trails, and the river.

Finding friends after a tough effort

I would like to thank: QT2 for creating a killer plan to get me ready. I have learned so much under your guidance and I hope to learn more in the future. X2Performance for helping me train with some killer athletes, while using a stellar product. I would not be able to throw down all day without some rocket fuel in  my system. BlueSeventy for a fantastic new Helix wetsuit. Truly a remarkable piece of equipment. Coqui Cyclery for helping overhaul GrAce and allowing her to roll smooth and fast. Chrissy Battista for putting me up for the weekend and making me feel at home. nick Battista for  Ed Boyle for keeping my mussels tuned and ready to pounce. Lori Strobl for teaching me about my body and helping to get me and my knee race ready. Kayla Mueller for being an excellent race sherpa and dealing with my pre-race nonsense like a pro. My friends and family for all the support and words of encouragement. I am out there to make you proud and I can assure you that you're in my thoughts through every race. Coach for keeping me safe on the course. The Buffalo Triathlon Club for your support and your belief in me as an athlete. You are the reason I approach my races with confidence and am able to find results.

As you can see, I would be nowhere without a phenomenal support crew. I am truly grateful that training and racing has allowed me to meet and form relationships with such a great group of people.

On an aside, I have officially completed my MMRF Fundraising goal of $5,000 for IMLP. Thank you to everybody that contributed. It was a daunting task in its early stages and I am overwhelmed by the generosity of friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, and even strangers. I will make all of you proud on July 27th in Lake Placid, NY!

Ironman Florida Race Report: "It's flat, it'll be the easiest one yet, right?" (11/2/2013)

The 2013 season was originally focused around one race, Ironman Mont-Tremblant. Partway into my build, I picked up an awesome sponsor, X2 Performance, who was generous enough to get a team of athletes into Ironman Florida. I took a look at the timing and decided it was the year to take a stab at two Ironman distance races in a season. I know a lot of people achieve that and much more, but it seemed like a lot of focus for me. Nonetheless, I went for it and went all in. In my 7 days off of training after Mont-Tremblant, I extended my season with QT2 and we developed a plan to get after Florida. IMMT went so well that I really wanted to get after IMFL to see what I could handle. If the pace was too fast, I'd have some good data and it would help future races. If I was able to hold on, maybe I could find a way to take my racing to a new level. The plan was simple:

Swim with the best swimmers,

Pace the bike within reason but don't be afraid to get into the chase,

Close the season leaving everything else on the run course.

It was hard to find people to travel with me on short notice, especially considering most of my friends and family are around Buffalo and I am halfway to Florida in Richmond. I ended up traveling along in one of my most impressive weekends of travel, 2:45pm-1:30am directly after working all day Wednesday. Finished off the drive Thursday morning and made it to Florida in the early-afternoon. The 13 hours straight Sunday after the race was far more challenging.

Florida proved to be a challenge for lodging. The condo rental was easy although going to three different buildings looking for somebody to check in with was anything but easy. Once I ran around for two hours, I found myself with a pretty kick ass place to crash for the weekend.

My own little condo, right on the beach, a two minute walk from the race start. If only all races could be so convenient. I got in, settled, and finished up my workouts for the day by late-afternoon. From there on out, it was hanging out with Team X2 Performance, putting my feet up, and listening to the ocean.

Race morning was one of the easiest I have ever had seeing that I was essentially sleeping at the race start. My special needs bag drop was on the walk to transition, a short 5 minute walk from my doorstep. I ran into some Buffalo friends and we went back to their condo for a bit to wait for the swim start.

Leading up to the race, the weather had been a little wild with wind and a monster rain storm. The buzz in the air was all about how rough the water had been and what it would be like race morning. I really wasn't worried about how rough the water might be since rough water gives me more of an advantage. I'll take all the time I can over the runners.

Swim 0:53:59 (2 AG / 17 OA):

The water race morning wasn't flat but it really wasn't that bad. Unlike my shake out swims that beat the crap out of me and literally flipping me over at points, thw water was rolling with a few waves turning over near shore. 150-200 yards of swimming and things were no different that swimming in a like, aside from the salt.

Odd as it is being a swimmer, I never know what I'm going to swim in Ironman. My swim time is usually a product of whatever the lead swim group wants to do that day. Lucky for me, I found a guy from Rochester who I know to be a strong swimmer and I was able to ride his heels the entire swim. I swam extremely easy and relaxed and was a little surprised to see that I swam under 54. There wasn't much current to feel on the way out but you could really feel it giving a push on the way into shore on each loop. The swim was uneventful, I was able to close down all the gaps I cared to, and I used it as an opportunity to conserve some energy. The only damage from the swim was the nasty brush burn from the salt water under the edge of my cap.

T1 0:03:41:

Transition was pretty cool in Florida. We were able to change in a building but all our bags were outside in a tropical transition area littered with palm trees and woodwork. I stuck to my transition philosophy, grab what you need, change, and take care of any issues while you're moving on the course. Nothing to speak of here.

Bike 4:57:31 (7 AG / 105 OA):

Heading into IMFL, I wasn't sure where my bike fitness stood. Some of the numbers I saw in training were ok, others were troublesome, but overall I felt extremely comfortable on the bike for extended periods of time. I knew I had to make up for the pitiful ride I had at the Giant Acorn Intermediate but it was undeniable that performance was in my head a bit. I was beyond excited to get a chance to stomp around with my new disc and GrAce was looking fine, as always.

I started the bike with the guy I swam with and we were able to pace off each other to open up the ride. It was very difficult to get my HR to settle in to my target range early in the bike and eventually I decided it just wasn't going to happen. I had taken some X2 Performance and felt like I had a never-ending ball of energy in my system so I decided to rock with it. Two hours into the bike ride the bike groups of cyclists (legitimate peoltons) started to catch me and I started to take better inventory of myself. My avg HR was way high, my power numbers were about 15-20 watts higher than expected but I still felt fine, as if I could sustain that pace for a bit longer. I decided to pace off the groups and let things fall back into place a bit closer to my goals.

In the end, I ended up riding far harder than I had planned and thought I had spoiled plans of putting any sort of a marathon together. It was really cool to ride under 5 hours but, closing out the bike ride, I would have put money on being on my feet longer than I was on the bike; my legs were COOKED!

T2 0:02:57:

Same plan as T1, get what you need and get moving. The course has everything you need to fix the damage.

Run 3:30:29 (5 AG / 98 OA):

If there was one thing I was confident in heading into this race, it was my run. I had plans of really tearing up this course and I had a much better run that what is reflected by the time. Like every Ironman miracle before, I got on my feet and suddenly everything felt much better..well sort of. Leaving T2, I immediately wish I had found a bathroom somewhere in my haste to start the run. It was a troublesome run through the first mile until I found some bathroom on the side of the road. Leaving the bathroom. I was feeling a million times better and ready to rock. Unfortunately, I knew it was only a matter of time until the bathroom would soon again be a necessity. I started ripping through some miles really smooth at 7:25-7:45 and started picking people off left and right. A few miles later, time for the bathroom and another 8:45 poop mile. Back to running down the people I had already run down and what do you know, mile 11 calls for another break. That's right, three bathroom breaks in the first half.

The second half of the run course went much more smooth but my legs were not prepared to handle all the squats I was suddenly required to do. I had to use the bathroom around mile 14 and after that, the legs didn't want to fire anymore. Coincidentally, my Garmin threw a really silly split and I thought I was running much worse than I was. Doing the math in my head, I had to really start pushing if I wanted any chance of breaking 9:30. The second run loop was not impressive whatsoever although it happened and I'm sure the girls in next-to-nothing 2 miles into the course helped me run when I wanted to walk. I did get a spank on my first run loop and could use any sort of encouragement to bring it home. Things started to get really ugly with 4 miles to go and I thought I had thrown away my opportunity to race as fast as I wanted to. I linked up with another QT2 athlete and we started pushing to get each other home. 22-24 were the worst of time on the course and with two to go, I decided I was just going to go for it. I left the guy I was running with and started putting everything I had into my run to try to get back under 8:00 miles. My legs fought me every step of the way but with 1.25 miles to go, I caught another guy in my AG. I had no idea where I was overall so I knew I couldn't let him go with me. I put on a surge down a long road and fought every urge to look back so he wouldn't see I was about to snap. I was able to look back with about 0.75 to go and thought I'd see good news. Nope, he was clinging to me about 100 yards back and the harder I pushed, the closer he seemed to come. My mind told me, "I don't care how hard this is, this guy is not going to pull a pass-back inside the last half-mile of the marathon." IMFL closed my season and I wanted to take in the finish line and chute, but this guy made me fight it out until the very end.

The finished chute felt like a marathon in itself but like all tough circumstances, they pass and it was time to relish in another Ironman finish, the close of the season, and a time that I cannot believe to this day. I raised my hat to thank my BTC crew that I could feel supporting my from 1000 miles away, let out the manliest victory cry I could, and couldn't help but smile as big as possible. Those that have spoke with me in the few months leading up to the race knew how much I wanted "hibernation" to come and it was finally mine.

Overall 9:28:37 (5 AG  98 OA):

If you would have told me that I was going to break 10:30 this season, I would have had a hard time believing you. Mont taught me a lot about myself and my limits but most importantly, it taught me how to surprise myself and how to believe in myself. After that race, I set the bar high, calling a 9:25 finish which I thought was lofty. 9:28 is not the 9:25 I called but in no way am I let down by the performance. I got after it, I tested my limits, and I was still able to hold it together on the run with exhausted legs and bathroom troubles.

I am happy to announce that I am starting to fundraise for IMLP 2014 and can't wait to redeem myself on the course that still has my number. I am a member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation PowerTeam and have set a lofty goal of $5,000. So far, things are moving along very well and if you would like to contribute to my efforts, please visit my DONATION page and contribute what you can! Please feel free to visit my friend Danny's page and help him reach his goal as well.

Thanks to all who help me along inthis crazy journey, you know who you are. A HUGE thank you to Team X2 Performance for making this race one of the most memorable of my life. You are true sportsmen and women! I hope we can all work together in the future!

QT2 Systems, you changed the image I have of myself and made me believe in myself more deeply than I ever though possible. I look forward to working with you in 2014. Looking forward to another big year!

Ironman Mont-Tremblant Race Report (8/18/2013)

August was an extremely busy month for me. I accepted a new job and moved to Richmond, VA.

While the move was exciting and I've been planning this for a long time, it was not a stress I was looking forward to as I prepared for Ironman Mont-Tremblant. The timing of my move allowed me to move in 8/6 only to return to Buffalo, NY 8/14 for the week leading up to the race. The move couldn't have gone more smoothly. I was moved in and settled into my apartment 12 hours after leaving my doorstep in Buffalo. Two weeks out from the race, the move also served as a chance to acclimate to some warm weather before racing in weather I expected to be mid 70s in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec.

I cannot speak highly enough of the triathlon scene in Richmond. Within hours of landing, I had a number of athletes reaching out to me and hooking me up with the popular swimming, cycling, and running spots. I happened upon a really cool bike shop that is big into mountain biking and I think I'll be adding another member to my fleet once I have some spare cash.

Enough about the move. If you want to know more, come visit me and I'd be happy to show you around! Winter training camp anybody?!?

The week in Buffalo flew by and before I knew it, I was on my way to Rochester, NY to meet up with Billy Boi for the drive to Mont. I love road tripping with Bill because we go nuts and get each other all kinds of amped up. This trip was no exception and I found myself confident and ready to get out on the course.

Upon landing in Mont-Tremblant I found it hard to believe that there was less climbing than IMLP. The race venue is absolutely stunning and surrounded by mountain peaks. Very reminiscent of the Adirondack region although this looked terrifying. 

We were able to start checking out the course and my mind was put at ease. The roads are nice and rolling, without a single rock to be found. As a matter of fact, we saw a crew sweeping the course, by hand, Saturday afternoon. 

We settled into our hotel and became familiar with the venue quickly. After taking care of all the Ironman formalities (checking in, dropping off gear bags, checking in bikes, etc), we started to prepare our bodies. In Richmond, I had been picking the brain of a very talented athlete, Danny, who races a very similar style to my own. Crush the swim, lay it out on the bike, and try to keep it together on the run. He told me about one of his pre-race routines which was right up my alley. The picture below shows my lunch Saturday night, a large 18" pizza half cheese, half mushroom and onion, delicious! Bill decided to get a smaller, fully-loaded, pizza and a full spaghetti entree on the side.

On the verge of exploding, we relaxed in the hotel with our feet up the remainder of Saturday afternoon and evening. As we were watching some fantastic Canadian television, I did a 3 hour salt load and topped up on water. We listened to Aqueous Transmission by Incubus while we visualized our races and tucked into bed around 10:00 pm. For the first time, I fell asleep right away and slept well through the night.

3:30 AM came interestingly as we woke up to the song of the weekend and started to get out gamefaces on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q1wzwAMMPU

I threw down the essential pre-race breakfast of rice pancakes with banana, OnceAgain Nut Butter, and honey. If it's not broke, don't fix it.

We were on site at 4:50 AM and waited around to get into transition and finalize our bottles and special needs bags for the day. Lines were long and it took a bit longer to get through the bathroom lines as we were heading down to the water.

I am a big fan of huge races because I get into the hype. Ironman Mont-Tremblant took that hype to a new level. Walking down to the water, two fighter jets flew overhead as one of my new favorite songs blasted through the air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkIWmsP3c_s

This was the last music I heard as I dove into the water and started to get to work for the day; not a bad tune to have stuck in your head.

Swim (0:53:56, 2 M25-29, 28 OA):

I was happy to be in the first AG wave and I started just how I started in IMLP last year. Out hard, watch for anybody to make a move, and jump on their feet before they can open up a gap. Right away things started to go great. A group of about 8 swimmers formed and started tearing down the side of the course. I sat on the back and went for a ride, swimming moderately and not having to sight nearly as much as if I was leading. My breathing settled in and I went to sleep. About halfway down the side of the course, things started to mix  up. One group started to sight incorrectly and split. Picture a line of four swimmers side by side forming a double-wide echelon. I was int he wrong group and quickly jumped off of my group, into dirty water, and had some work to do to bridge the gap. It took about 3 minutes to chase the group down but once I did, I maintained my pace, settled my HR down and went back to sleep. The other group faded and the group I was in started to ramp up the pace a little bit. I was drafting, 4 swimmers back, and still working pretty hard to hold feet. We made it around the first turn and the group stayed together well, navigating around some of the pro female athletes. We swam about 3 minutes to the other side of the course and this is where my day started to go sour. Turning the corner, we ran straight into the back of a huge group of pro females. It was hard to keep track of our dark green caps so I started chasing feet of people that appeared to not be wearing pink caps. At this point, I was swimming pretty hard as our group was stretching out. As the group snapped back together, I missed my position and started to fall off the back. Knowing that I could easily swim with these guys as long as I closed the gap, I started a few very strong efforts to bridge. It wasn't working and I started to get nervous. This group was MOVING! I spent the next 5-7 minutes putting in strong efforts and when they didn't appear to be closing, I'd settle back in and recover until I was ready to burn another match. I tried this about 3 times before I realized that the gap was not going to come back to me. I had the following internal dialogue, "These guys are flying. I really want to be in that group and I know I belong in that group. I want to bridge but I have a long day and all I can do is ruin my race by expending too much energy right here. I have confidence in my riding and I'll bring it back somewhere I can be in better control." It was torture to watch this group swim away but I really feel like it was the right decision to let them go. In the future, I'll be sure to put myself in a position where I will not lose feet but huge bridging efforts can drain you. I swam in no-mans-land for a while until two guys from our wave just sort of appeared a few yards over form me. I merged into their group and began to work with them into the finish. Overall, I know I could have been 51ish had I held those feet however you will not find me complaining about a 53 any day. I had a sigh of relief exiting the water as I knew my day was in no way in jeopardy and my decision to save some energy was validated. Most important, I saw Russ on the run to T1 and whenever I hear "Nice swim!" from Russ, I know it truly must have been. He has very high standards for the type of swimming I do and he will be the first to level with me if I don't swim well.

T1 (0:04:12):

T1 was very uneventful. Loooong run to the tent but once I was in, I dumped my bag, grabbed what I needed, thanked the volunteers and got right out to my bike.

Bike (5:28:33, 11 M25-29, 105 OA):

I had a plan made through QT2 Systems based on my training indicators and past performances. The plan called for a bike split of 5:25-5:30 with HR and power goals. I had only rode 5:46 and 5:49 in IMLP the past two years so I was hoping this would happen but I honestly had my doubts. Don't take that as not having faith in my training and preparation but it seemed like so much of a drop in time. I got out and stuck to the plan. My HR was a bit high but my power was exactly where it should have been. I nailed my nutrition plan and took some time to really enjoy the course. The first section of the course feels like its an overall elevation gain when you drive it but it's honestly nothing more than rolling hills and it's decently fast for the amount of climbing you accrue. The second section of the course really makes the course fast. There is a long out and back section that screams down the highway and you can really get moving here. You can keep tabs on what's going on in the race and for the first loop there was no wind out there. The second loop picked up a bit but it wasn't anything major. The next part of the course rolls back toward transition and you tear through the village, lined with spectators, before starting the only difficult part of the course. The out and back beyond transition is the only part that has any noteworthy climbs. The great thing about this course is that all steep climbs are short and all decently long climbs are not steep at all. I may have touched my brakes 4 times each loop and that was due to the fact that there were 180 degree turns at the out and back sections. I knocked off the first loop right around 2:43 and this was the first time that day that I had a feeling something unexpected was going to happen. I h ad stayed well within myself and was able to ride 2:45ish for the second loop, feeling only slightly tired but comfortable and in control the whole time. QT2 preaches patience and I feel like while I may have over exerted slightly based on HR, there were not really any points where I burned a match or got into a battle out on the bike course. I let people go by on the climbs as I stuck to my 250 watt ceiling and I brought them back on the flats and descents. I'm a firm believer in this strategy and I'm glad I didn't start to race as I saw multiple M25-29 guys go by.

T2 (0:02:05):

All weekend, if people asked me if I was ready for the race, I kept saying "I can't wait to get out on the run course." This didn't mean that I wanted the race to be over or that I thoughts the bike ride was going to tear me apart, I just had this feeling inside that based on the way I had been training and the way my race strategy was designed, something wild was going to happen on the run. I got through transition without issue and emerged out of the tent and started a painful journey.

Run (3:30:21, 10 M25-29, 80 OA):

If there is one thing that IMMT got right (Honestly, they nailed the entire weekend but this was the best), it was the placement of the run start. Athletes literally pop out of the tent to a swarm of spectators who are screaming and lining the course for the first 0.25 miles. I felt like an absolute superstar and really wanted to make sure I kept things in control on the initial miles. My plan called for 2 x 8:00 miles to lead the run out. I always have a hard time running where I should off the bike as my legs feel great and want to move. Take Syracuse 70.3 as an example where I felt like I jogged the first mile and clicked off a 6:09. This race wasn't much better. I tried to keep my eyes off of the spectators and stay in my "box" (another QT2 protocol) so that I didn't get too excited. I stared at my watch, trying to keep my HR as close to 146 as possible. I couldn't really get it lower than 150 as I felt like I was walking but actually split 7:35 on my first mile. I couldn't believe it and decided to really start taking it easy on the rolling hills that line the first 2.5 miles of the course. To my surprise, I really slowed things down and split 8:00 on mile 2. Leaving transition, I knew that I had to run under 3:31 if I wanted any shot of breaking 10:00. The plan called for 10:17, best case scenario, and this is the point where I kind of said "screw the plan, I'm here to throw down", sorry Tim! I knew I had to be out around 1:45 so I started to get to work. The miles started ticking off and before I knew it, I was tearing down the gravel path, 8 miles into the race averaging 7:42 miles. At this moment, I told myself, "This pace is about to be done being easy. You have to be ready for the waves of discomfort that are about to come and you NEED to make it out the other side and get comfortable." I love my mentality so early in the run but I was wrong on how the pain was going to come, more on that in a minute. Loop one went by quickly and the last few miles proved difficult. My pace slowed a bit as we climbed through town and I knew I was going to have to be smart on the early stages of loop 2 if I wanted to be able to bring it home running. I ticked off a 1:41 for loop 1 and told myself "1:50 for a half marathon. How many times have you done that? This course was built for you! Get out there and get to work but be smart!" I got out of town fine, started to go to sleep a little bit although my legs were screaming. Here is where the real pain started to come. The trail section of the course goes slightly downhill then slightly uphill once you turn around. It measures roughly 10km and is a very fast part of the course. I knew this was going to be make or break and I needed to keep my legs together. I started to push on the way out and the pace wasn't coming. I was barely running under 8:10 and I knew that wasn't good enough. I put the gas down more and things improved slightly to 8:06, still not good enough. "Here we go," I thought. I put the pedal down and the pain started to come like a snowball rolling down a hill. Building and building as my splits remained steady. The turn around and a bit of uphill running didn't bring relief. Here is where I was saved by a friendly face. Out on a crossroad, I saw Russ and seeing him smile made me want to finish this race strong. He drove from Buffalo to watch the race and was one of our only spectators all day, truly saved my weekend. I ran by him and we shared a few words that came out very confident but I was truly scared about what was going to happen over the remaining 7 miles. Vocalizing my plan to him allowed me to buy into it and I went back to work. My stomach started to turn with about 4 miles to go. I got down as much coke as I could, which wasn't much, and nothing else seemed tolerable to I swished water in my mouth and spit it out. I continued to dump water and ice all over my body as I had been doing all day but I knew things were going to start to get difficult mentally. The last few miles were extremely rough, trying to stay focused while I was getting continually more hungry and the finish line was approaching but not fast enough. I had some difficulty getting over the hills in the final 3 miles but I was able to run the entire course which is the first time I have ever covered a marathon without a single step, not even at aid stations. I killed myself over the last 2 miles as the 10:00 mark was quickly approaching and there was still a bit of road ahead of me.

The Finish! (9:59:08, 10 M25-29, 80 OA): 

I made it into the village with about 4 minutes to get to the finish line. I knew something catastrophic would have to happen in order for me not to sneak under 10:00. I took this as a chance to occupy my mind with how I had got to this point. I thought back to the 2012 season which was full of injury and frustration.I thought about the discipline, consistency, and sacrifice I held throughout this buildup. I thought of the nights I was on the trainer until 11 finishing workouts then getting off the bike to do a transition run in the rain. I thought about the days I was so busy with work, coaching, and training that I the only time I had to relax was while I was driving between each.  In previous races, I had numbers in my head and inevitably set myself up for failure. A lot can go wrong over the course of a 10 hour day and I don't find it prudent to focus on what can wrong. I find it takes me away from the moment, and these are moments I want to remember every second of. The entire race, I spent a minute or two thinking about each and every person that helped me get to this point.

I thought about my friends and family that often have to deal with what we have come to call the "zombie"; a lifeless version of myself trying to hang out after long workouts. I want to thank them for dealing with my crankiness and making their own sacrifices to help partake in my goals.

I thought about the Buffalo Triathlon Club and all of the people I train with. I thank you for the never-ending support. For the lead up to this race, I was scared and nervous although your confidence in me allowed me to show up on the race line with a level head and a belief that my goals are possible. Your support during my move and racing is what keeps me doing what I do. You'll always be my hometown triathlon club! People are going to learn..."You don't mess with the WHITEOUT!!!"

I thought about my boy Rusty and his beautiful wife Amanda who are making the best of their early years of marriage. I want to thank you for allowing me to be a part of your wedding and your lives. You two mean the world to me.

I thought about Bill who I knew was out on the course, having the day of his life. Thank you for dealing with my pre-race nonsense even when you had your own race to focus on. These trips are some of the greatest memories of my life because of the people I get to spend them with and Bill is a staple.

I thought about QT2 Systems and my coach Tim Snow who hooked me up with an awesome plan and taught me how to execute. I have learned so much about myself and long course triathlon thanks to your proven protocols.

I thought about Steve Gonser at RunSmart. If it weren't for your expert eye, I would not have made it through that run without walking a single step. I look forward to tweaking my run form in the future.

I thought about Team X2Performance and how great it feels to be part of such a humble team. I have not met most of you but I feel like we have already formed a bond and safety net of support. Thank you for your kind words and thank you to X2 Performance for believing in me and allowing me to take another stab at this crazy game in November at IM Florida!

The person I thought about most this day was plastered on my water bottle, staring me right in the face. I had a picture of him that I carry with me everywhere. He has a home on my coaching clipboards, teaching clipboards, my desk, my bike color, and most importantly in my heart; Gary Grant. I cannot thank you enough for being a rock of a role model through my formative years. I wish I could share these experiences with you and call you to chat but I know you're up there watching over me and keeping me safe.

 The culmination of this long day of thankfulness resulted in the greatest celebration of my life, heading down toward the finishing chute. To finish the race, you run downhill through the center of the village and wind along paths that navigate between shops and screaming spectators.

At the top of the village, I knew my hard work was done and everything had come to fruition. I looked at the crowd and decided it was time to bring them into my celebration. I threw my hands int he air, looked side to side, and started screaming at the top of my lungs, "COME ON! LET ME HEAR YOU!" and let loose some of the most primal screams I have ever released.

This continued towards the finish line and I started getting light headed from screaming so much. This may have contributed to the bonehead move that happened next but Danny Boy decided he wanted to get some extra running in on the day. I'd like to blame it on the volunteers speaking French but there was a sign clearly pointing left to the finish line, I didn't see it. In the picture above, you can see the split to the finish and the path that leads right, back through the done tent and back onto the course. As I was navigating the section to the right, I kept asking volunteers where the finish line was and they kept pointing straight ahead and told me to kept cheering. I knew it was somewhere to the left but hadn't scoped this section of the course out before the race so I figured it would curve back around. Upon exiting the white dome and getting back out on the run course, my heart sank as I realized I really had missed the finish line. I looked at my watch and saw that it was reading 9:58 when I was expecting to be done in 9:57. A volunteer turned me around, ran ahead of me and cleared a path so I could run back up the hill, around the fountain, and down to the finish line. As I approached the line, I saw the clock tick over to 10:06:++, and I thought I had gone just outside of 10:00 seeing that the pro wave was schedule to start 6 minutes before us, luckily it was 7 minutes prior and I let out one final, exhausted scream at the finish line and pulled my BTC whiteout top in a final show of appreciation. Unfortunately it didn't show up in the pictures but the fact that I poured every last ounce of myself into that race did!

Thanks again to everybody that made this one of the greatest memories of my life! I cannot thank you enough and the support has been overwhelming. I wish I could come back to Buffalo and see my BTC family but we will be reunited again! (Intermediate distance in VA Sept 28th anybody?)

The timing of a project I have been working on with Bob and Ken from the Great Lakes 100 Mile Triathlon Series could not have been more perfect. If you haven't already, check out the video HERE and see what a fantastic job Tom did putting it all together. More importantly, get into their RACES and you'll see how much heart they put into these productions. I'll be back to race with you guys sometime!