Date: September 17, 2017
Distance: Half-Iron (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run)
It Starts with a Vision - In the early months of 2017, anything IronMan was nothing more than passing dream. And in the hours leading up to dawn on race morning on the shores of Atlantic City, that was all I could think about. The journey to the starting line was so extensive and humbling that I was more grateful than anything to be making the trip down.
The prep work was very similar to my dress rehearsal at the Atlantic City Triathlon in August, which you can read about here. I chose to taper a little more carefully in order to be as fresh as possible for the 40-mile increase, but went through the same equipment checks at Performance Bicycle and Philadelphia Runner.
Arriving a day early to check my bike in and explore the Ironman Village for the first time, I was enamored with the crowd, environment, and energy. Everyone had a story to tell - their own mental flash drive filled with training, struggle, and experience ready to be plugged into a positive community. As I wade deeper into triathlon waters, I understand more and more how race weekends are viewed as both athletic tests and celebrations.
I made the choice to return to Philadelphia and not stay overnight, preferring to wake up and travel to slowly get my body moving. The bag was packed in almost the same manner as a month ago and my destination was the same, but I was much more relaxed despite a taller task at hand. Transition was calm early on while I setup by flashlight, shutting off the world around me with noise-cancelling headphones.
Weather was perfect just before dawn and the water temperature stabilized in the mid-70s. After going with a one-piece 2XU triathlon suit for my last race, I switched to the Wattie Ink Shipwreck shorts for comfort over the long day. Swimming shirtless, I'd later add a Lululemon running top in T1 in order to start relatively dry from bike to finish. Quick warm-up jog down the abandoned runway on Bader Field and it was off to the swim start at last.
Arriving a day early to check my bike in and explore the Ironman Village for the first time, I was enamored with the crowd, environment, and energy. Everyone had a story to tell - their own mental flash drive filled with training, struggle, and experience ready to be plugged into a positive community. As I wade deeper into triathlon waters, I understand more and more how race weekends are viewed as both athletic tests and celebrations.
I made the choice to return to Philadelphia and not stay overnight, preferring to wake up and travel to slowly get my body moving. The bag was packed in almost the same manner as a month ago and my destination was the same, but I was much more relaxed despite a taller task at hand. Transition was calm early on while I setup by flashlight, shutting off the world around me with noise-cancelling headphones.
Weather was perfect just before dawn and the water temperature stabilized in the mid-70s. After going with a one-piece 2XU triathlon suit for my last race, I switched to the Wattie Ink Shipwreck shorts for comfort over the long day. Swimming shirtless, I'd later add a Lululemon running top in T1 in order to start relatively dry from bike to finish. Quick warm-up jog down the abandoned runway on Bader Field and it was off to the swim start at last.
The most important improvement I wanted to make in the water was my sighting to avoid clattering in to other swimmers and taking poor turn angles. It's easier than you'd think to add dozens of meters on the swim by not identifying and maintaining proper direction, so that was my key. The water was a little choppy in the first half of the swim and I took a brain-rattling kick from a relay competitor jetting by me, but I kept moving at a pace under 1:50/100m.
Overall, my time here was in the top half of my 123-person division (M 25-29), but still a little slower than I wanted. I was aggressive with my aspirations on the swim, and for the entire race for that matter, but promised to make up the time in transition. I rocketed out of the water, up the ramp, and hit the walkway to transition with no one around me.
Overall, my time here was in the top half of my 123-person division (M 25-29), but still a little slower than I wanted. I was aggressive with my aspirations on the swim, and for the entire race for that matter, but promised to make up the time in transition. I rocketed out of the water, up the ramp, and hit the walkway to transition with no one around me.
The Bike (56 miles) - 3:08:24 - Another critical goal for me in my second triathlon was improving my transition time and attacking the running clock. Improving by nearly a full minute, I launched out of T1 in 3:38 and clipped in for the longest bike ride of my life thus far. The course was a relatively flat 2.5x loop that mixed the AC Expressway and backroads through wooded shore towns.
The first ten miles were uncomfortable as I struggled to settle into the saddle and loosen up my legs. In my last tri, I was unable to find a happy medium between pedaling hard and feeling like I was barely moving, and you can believe that fear was creeping up again.
Finally, I found my groove and really enjoyed a good portion of the bike leg. Capitalizing on expertly-placed and well-run aid stations, I got better as the ride went on. I downed a bottle of water at each aid station, consumed about 100 calories every 20-30 minutes, and filled in the cracks with BCAAs.
After a pace-obsessed ride (thank you, Garmin), I cruised into T2 with a smile on my face a few moments after the three-hour mark. My family greeted me around transition and provided a needed morale boost as I headed into what I knew would be a tough final leg. As I ran my bike into T2, I could feel the heat in the air coupled with a palpable humidity. Transition was strong at three minutes even, giving me another win through improvement.
Finally, I found my groove and really enjoyed a good portion of the bike leg. Capitalizing on expertly-placed and well-run aid stations, I got better as the ride went on. I downed a bottle of water at each aid station, consumed about 100 calories every 20-30 minutes, and filled in the cracks with BCAAs.
After a pace-obsessed ride (thank you, Garmin), I cruised into T2 with a smile on my face a few moments after the three-hour mark. My family greeted me around transition and provided a needed morale boost as I headed into what I knew would be a tough final leg. As I ran my bike into T2, I could feel the heat in the air coupled with a palpable humidity. Transition was strong at three minutes even, giving me another win through improvement.
The first miles are on an airport runway and, at nearly high noon, it felt like starting in the desert. Within a mile, my left quad was cramping unlike ever before and competing with a tight left Achilles tendon for least valuable body part. Trying to hold a strong pace, I didn't allow myself to feel comfortable at any point and only added stress to the mounting heat exhaustion. Frustrated, worrying, and trying to recall any positives from training, I pressed on toward the far end of the board walk run.
In my next few posts, I'm going to detail the mental struggle and the battle that occurred within my head over the middle miles. Under the blistering sun and staring down another seven miles, I slowed down and did my best to refocus. I've hit 'the wall' before, but it's usually kicked down after flexing the mental muscle gained through training. This was closer to a breaking point - the moment where you choose how you'll look back on the experience forever.I soldiered on with the help of Coca-Cola at the aid stations and dragged my legs through the second half of the run, stopping to douse myself at the beach showers. The north end of the Atlantic City boardwalk is a quiet, desolate casino graveyard, but the volunteers at the mile 11 turnaround made it an electric slingshot to the finish. "One foot in front of the other...".
Running down the M-dot red carpet in front of friends and family for the first time is something I will never forget. The feeling produced by months of training, the relief of reaching the finish, and sharing the moment with those close to you is surreal. It makes you appreciate every second before the final chute, even if it felt like being towed over a molten wasteland of rickety boards. I crossed the line I've chased for so long with my arms in the air before giving into raw excitement and a reaction of pure, visceral emotional.
Goal Time - 6:00:00
Total Time: 6:20:33
Overall Place: 903 of 2474
Division Place: 69 of 123
Gender Place: 711 of 1614
Takeaways, Other Than Soreness: After I was able to forgive myself for needing a break on the run, the race became about fighting to the finish. My goal was ambitious and it actually feels good to fall short, as strange as that sounds. There's a tremendous amount of pride in the finish and pushing past the unique wall I encountered has better prepared me to shatter the six-hour mark.
Looking back on preparation and performance, I'll need a potassium supplement to offset my banana allergy and solve my cramping issue. Nothing like trying to stretch out a quivering quad when your hamstring forces you to go straight-legged. Additionally, Coca-Cola may have saved my time halfway through the run. Drink your soda, kids.
I'd like to finish this recap by thanking three distinct groups I've mentioned in the narrative above: my family, the race organizers at DelmoSports, and those willing to volunteer at every stop along the way. It may be one athlete wearing a bib in an IronMan, but it takes a special group to make the dream a reality.
Looking back on preparation and performance, I'll need a potassium supplement to offset my banana allergy and solve my cramping issue. Nothing like trying to stretch out a quivering quad when your hamstring forces you to go straight-legged. Additionally, Coca-Cola may have saved my time halfway through the run. Drink your soda, kids.
I'd like to finish this recap by thanking three distinct groups I've mentioned in the narrative above: my family, the race organizers at DelmoSports, and those willing to volunteer at every stop along the way. It may be one athlete wearing a bib in an IronMan, but it takes a special group to make the dream a reality.
Next Up: Spartan Beast North Carolina, Philadelphia Half-Marathon, IronMan Lake Placid.
Congratulations!!! Your finish line photos are the absolute BEST. I just did IMAC as my first 70.3 this weekend. Could we have asked for a better race experience?!
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