Ironman Florida Panama City November 4, 2006

As I new challenge I chose Ironman Florida 2006 in beautiful Panama City for my 8^th Ironman. I remember the first Ironman I did in Penticton BC Canada as clear as day & now here I am enjoying this great sport with no end in sight. They say this race is fast & easy but there is really nothing easy about a 141 mile race which I was about to find out.

The bike ride and run are generally flat and the swim is in the ocean so I felt the race was well suited to my strengths.
The day started early as always at 4am with my room mate & I leaving for transition at 5am. This is Florida in November but no one expected it to be 34 F in the morning with a high of 69 F for the day. In actual fact standing on the beach had my feet so cold I decided to stand in the water as it is warmer at 71 F. The warm up then consisted of a few arm circles while standing in the water and visualizing the race start to finish.

As luck would have it the day was not only cold but on this day the water was the roughest it was all week. The wind was offshore as the tide was coming in and the current was running right to left. As I suspected, in order to do well at this race you have to be a swimmer and no truer was this than today. Between the waves and the current it was very difficult to find any feet because as soon as you were on them they seemed to disappear with the next wave. At one point on the second loop I came up to sight and saw some swimmers 3 feet above me which was a weird feeling and something that brought a smile to my face :)Later in the day on the run I heard numerous people telling stories of being sea sick multiple times during the swim. I guess the good news was that the fish ate well :)

The transition times were generally slow as people put on everything short of their winter parkas but being from Canada I decided that all I needed were my arm warmers. One person actually took 1 hour and 15 minutes in the two transitions combined.

Soon I was off on the bike with a plan to build into the bike because one of the biggest problems people face here is that you can easily go out too fast & then blow up. The key to my race was to be smart, consistent & strong. I was told to ride 5:30 – 5:40 so I could be solid on the run. I rode 5:34 in conditions that were tough as I think we fought head or cross winds for about 50 miles.

The run has always been my weakest link but I was determined to make it my strength on this day. We had a plan in place to be consistent, strong and make sure I got nutrition at the aid stations. I was focused on the run making sure to take a personal inventory every 5 minutes or so. I must say it hurt like all marathons but I turned in a major break through to complete the race in a personal best of 11:45 which is 47 minutes faster than Ironman Arizona in April 2006.

Ironman Florida is a tough race since you are always in the aero position all day on the bike as there are very few hills. With the winds and the false flats it can be challenging. The run is difficult as you never get a break going up or down a hill so the same muscles are working all day long. Finally, the swim is in the ocean and there is always a current and it can be quite wavy. This race proved to me once again that you need to plan your race and race your plan. Ironman is not about being fast but more about being patient and strong. By having a plan and racing your race you likely will achieve your goals. Yes you can have a great race here but be prepared for different conditions because no matter how you cut it you are still racing 141 miles.

I would like to close by thanking all my supporters and my major sponsor TIMEX who without I would not have been able to achieve my goals.

See you 2007. I am off to recover and play a little hockey for a couple months.

Bruce “The IronCanuck” Bauman

Date: November 5, 2006
Event: Ford Ironman Florida
Location: Panama City Beach, FL
Racers to Watch: Bruce Bauman, Stephen Bayliss, Dave Harju, Heather Haviland, Jess Petersson, JR Rosania, Lara Shaw
Website: http://www.ironman.com

“Finally!” and “It’s all about the run”

October 29, 2006 Maui, HI

1st place M30-34 (World Champion), 2nd Amateur Overall, 1st Amateur American, 24th overall

Coverage & Results: click here.
For Local Truckee News Coverage: click here.

This is the fifth time I’ve come to Maui to race the Xterra World Championship. Before this weekend, my best finish was 4th in my age group in 2000 and I haven’t been able to crack out of the top 5 since then. I’ve consistently finished the bike in great position; several times the top amateur, but always lost my position during the run. This time would be different.

Preparation
Since I had such a great spring, I was ready to finish the season with a strong result. I was convinced that I was near peak fitness for Nationals, but just hadn’t quite been ready. Therefore, I put myself through a training cram session for the 3 weekends between Nationals and Worlds to top off my preparation. Work kept me quite busy during the week, with time for only 1 run early in each week, so I was ensured adequate recovery time. On the weekends, I rounded up some friends and logged a few epic rides and runs around my Truckee home. Then I coordinated some informal masters-style pool sessions, where I brought out some tough workouts provided by my friend Kurt to ensure I suffered through some pain.

Back Pain
After trying to sleep as much as possible in a convoluted position on my flights from Oklahoma City to Denver to SFO to LA to Maui, I had some pretty sore muscles in my back. As race day approached, I went for a few short sessions to brush the dust off. While my legs felt good, I couldn’t get my back to loosen up. With two days to go before the race, I spent an evening on the foam roller and in yoga stretches and twists. As I got ready for bed that night, I realized something was very wrong; my muscle soreness was now complimented by a misaligned spine, limiting my range of motion.

The next morning, I called my friend Scott Williams, a PT in Truckee who’s worked on me many times. He explained that due to my muscle imbalances, I had popped two vertebrae out of alignment by rolling on the foam roller. Luckily for me, my friend and teammate Danelle Kabush was traveling with Heather King, a physiotherapist from Vancouver. After a brief exam, Heather laid me down on the floor and with a quick pop, adjusted my back. My muscles were still sore but at least I could move, so I took a strong dose of Advil and hoped for the best. As she predicted, I was sore that entire day before the race, but was amazed and thankful when I woke up on race day completely pain free!!

Swim Start – the perfect starting position
A small reef immediately off the beach caused the swim lineup to be a little different than normal. The most direct position was immediately next to the reef. The start line extended down the beach, gradually increasing the distance to the first buoy. I assumed the most direct line would be the roughest spot where the top swimmers jostled for position, so I moved down the beach. With a few minutes to go, I noticed that I was in the middle of a huge group. I realized I wasn’t the only one with this idea and jogged back to the best position, where the lead swimmers were lined up, with very few other racers behind them. I placed myself behind the leaders, and as soon as the gun went off, swam around the reef and put myself on the inside edge of the group. This strategy worked perfectly, and I was able to put myself into clear water all the way to the first buoy, allowing me to manage my effort and not go too hard too fast, a common mistake. I finished the swim in my usual position, but feeling stronger than usual.

No Problems on the Bike
The bike leg went well. I passed many competitors early on and put myself clear of “traffic” congestion. As a friend of mine (pro) passed me near the beginning, he gave me a few words of encouragement and advice that I would practice to the end of the race. He said “Don’t let anyone ride away from you,” so whenever anyone passed me, I did my best to stay with them as long as I could.

My tire pressure was at 30 lbs, which at first I thought was 2-4 lbs too high, as I had to struggle to keep my rear tire from breaking loose on the steep loose climbs. I rode my new Giant Anthem, with an awesome suspension design that remains active for climbing while minimizing pedaling feedback. I choose Michelin Dry2 tires, which have very low rolling resistance, many tiny knobs for grip, and a thicker casing to help prevent flats. When I began slamming into the sharp lava rocks on the descent, I realized that my tire pressure was probably just about right (this was later confirmed by my friend Chris Legh, who cracked a rim on a descent). I finished the bike in first place in my age group (2nd amateur) and headed out on the run fighting off cramp twinges in my quads.

It’s All About the Run
I kept my pace steady as I headed out on the run. I thought about the strategy Danelle had suggested the day before: 1) focus only on the immediate next objective (hill, etc) and 2) keep my eyes on the runner in front of me or even better, the runner in front of him. With that in mind, I focused on keeping my cadence high, and on attacking the immediate objective in front of me. Once that was accomplished, I charged into the next section. In previous years, I’ve always lost my position during the run. I’ve suffered problems with dehydration, energy and motivation. This year, I stayed focused and strong the whole run.

FINALLY!!!
Ignoring the pain in my feet (blood blisters under my toenails), managing my cramping quads, and maintaining my focus led me all the way to the finish line, where I was met by my beautiful, supportive wife Lisa. She was so happy for me that she almost couldn’t tell me what I already knew; that I’d finally won the World Champion jersey that had eluded me for so long.

Special Thanks
Special thanks for the best finish of my career go to:

• My wife Lisa for putting up with my training program. In the weeks leading up to the race, I have been focused almost 100% on my work and on training and preparation.
• Heather King for fixing my back the day before. I was not only in pain, but I had limited motion. With a few quick moves, Heather had me good to go and pain free for race day.
• Danelle for providing me with the running/mental tips. Her tips helped me maintain my focus and hold onto my lead until the finish
• Cyclepaths bike shop and Giant for my new Anthem frame
• SRAM, for completely outfitting my new Anthem with a Reba Worldcup, XO drivetrain and Avid Carbon brakes (and congrats to Adam and Lisa on their engagement)
• Clif Bar, for the Fast Freddie Espresso Clif Shot, giving me the juice to the finish
• Timex, and the Multisport team for ridiculous support: equipment, tires, etc