Last Call for 2017
The swim was a very strange one for the pro men. It was supposed to start at 7:23 am with an in-water start. At 7:20 they played the national anthem, and then the pros started making their way down the pier. Plenty hadn't even made it into the water with only 30 seconds until the start time! It was still dark outside and no real start line had even been established among the group, which was very strange for a professional race. The gun went off and so did we... in every which direction it seemed. Typically a dense pack forms and I just follow along. Here, there were little packs of 2 and 3 zig zagging up the river, swimmers colliding and redirecting every few yards. I think this was a combination of swimming in the dark, and as a figure of speech, the gun going off at "go" without any "ready" or "set.”
Regardless, I ended up falling behind the very loose "pack" quite early. My pool and race times have been improving to the point where I expected to be sticking with at least some sort of pack and not be off on my own. I did end up with one swimmer on my feet, and later alternated pulls with him. Out of 37 pros to start, it was funny to see this was Dan Clarke, a friend who I also swam with at Mont Tremblant AND Lake Placid!
As for the bike, I wasn't sure what the day would bring. With Placid raising hopes, and then Mont Tremblant and Ulcerative Colitis bringing them down, I went in with no set expectations. I simply paced myself according to how I felt in the moment and would wait to see what bike split I ended up with. I also knew there would be strong headwinds on the final hour, so I wanted to have a strong finish in me. For the first hour and a half, my legs felt somewhat achy. It was strange. My breathing was lighter than normal but legs couldn't push all that well. The middle section improved, with my legs and total energy levels feeling great. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting water through two of the aid stations, and went about an hour dry. The temperature was warming up at this point of the race as well, and I was really freaking out as dehydration is not something that you can bounce back from quickly in a race.
All of this made the last hour, where I hoped to feel strong, not so great. I was able to get a bottle at the final aid station, but I was frustrated and feeling the effects of running out of water earlier. My power suffered slightly, but I tried to keep myself collected and get back on track.
The run started out feeling quite iffy, both mentally and physically. I was concerned about my low mileage in training, and I still didn't feel well from my hydration lapse. As you should always do, I focused on the process. Do what you can, and zone out from any worry for which you
don't have the power to influence. I held an effort that felt reasonable, kept my stride quick and posture tall, drank water at the stations, and took in 100 calories every 3 miles. Around mile 4 my ITB felt slightly tight. Just a little, but with 22 miles to go... well... I tried not to worry and kept doing my thing. This was essentially the whole run; feeling ok in the moment, being diligent about the process, and never being sure if I'd fall apart or not. As the miles closed, my confidence increased and I was able to pick up the pace.
I have to tell you, it felt amazing to be finishing an Ironman, running. I've completed plenty before, but after walking all of Lake Placid and a DNF at Mont Tremblant, I didn't care all that much in the moment about my splits or finishing time. I was just appreciating that I was able to get this one done with a respectable performance to include running. It has been a tough summer. And while I could easily wish I had gone 15 minutes faster with all my cards aligned, I am happy to have topped the year off with a good race.