My rookie pro season ended on a mixed note in Tempe, AZ on Sunday. It was a last minute decision to race one last Ironman after Kona this year. Given the length of the season, the proximity to Kona and other factors I knew my race was going to be ridiculous…the only question was if it was going to be ridiculously good or ridiculously bad. It may sound obnoxious, and apologize if it does, but at this point in my career finishing an Ironman is no longer the goal, finishing an Ironman as fast as I can is the goal. Unfortunately, my race was ridiculously bad and my day ended with a DNF in the medical tent, although there were many silver linings.
I used this race to test my limits and see where things shook out. My goals were to swim hard, bike hard (harder than I usually do) and see what was left for the run. Quite frankly I accomplished my goals, so I can’t complain too much. I set personal best times in the swim at 52 minutes, exiting the water with the main group and then had the 14th fastest bike split of the day in a time of 4:39, another PR by about 16 minutes. I learned a lot and have certainly gained some confidence and insight that will serve me well in the future and will ultimately help me to become a better athlete. Enough about that…onto the days events.
The swim was a little chilly to begin with, as the sun was not even up at 6:50 when the pro wave started. It was actually pretty hard to see while I was warming up because of the tinting on my goggles. I lined up right on the front line behind some top swimmers and began hard right from the gun, yet made sure to not red line for too long as I have done in the past. I also made sure to stay focused and if I was not right on someone’s feet then I pushed the pace to make sure I did not lose the group, as I have done so many times this season. It was certainly a break through swim for me and I was able to figure out a strategy and pacing that works for me which will help me swim with some of the best in the sport.
As anyone who I have spoken to about IM biking pacing and power I certainly mixed thing up and tried a new strategy in this race. Part of my reason for this tactic was because of the nature of this course. IMAZ bike is a 3 loop, out and back course where there is a gradual 500 foot climb, which happened to be into a head/cross wind on the way out on race day. I had decided to push hard the first hour, around 80% of my FTP to try to get into a group and then let others dictate the pace on the way back into town. If the group slowed down too much then I would ride hard for 5-10 minutes to the next group if I could make it. I continued with this strategy until the last 5 miles where I just cruised in an attempt to prep my legs for the run. Despite this bike pacing I virtually evenly split all three loops at 24.09, 24.03 and 24.06 mph respectively. There were some very tough moments on the bike course, particularly into the wind and up the hill, however, I felt pretty good on most of the bike and my total AP power was actually pretty conservative, however, it was not nearly as steady and consistent as I normally ride and I think this high variability was part of my undoing on the run course.
I was 19th out on to the run at a race time of 8:35 with a top ten finish and a 20-25min Ironman PR within my grasp if I was able to run my “normal” IM run. However, I was not taking anything for granted. The first mile of an IM run is usually pretty uncomfortable but then things loosen up and I am able to settle into a rhythm. However, around mile 2 I knew I was in trouble. My lower back is normally a little tight for the first mile or two of the run, however, today the spasms set in pretty early, began getting worse and was effecting my run stride. A very similar problem occurred at my first race of the 2008 season at California Ironman 70.3 in April. I continued on hoping that things would work themselves out, after all as I constantly tell myself on race day “it’s a long day and anything can happen.”
At mile 16 the spasms in my lower back became unbearable and my run stride had turned into more of a hopple/shuffle. As a perfect example of how interconnected the entire body is, due to my odd “running” form and interconnectedness of all the muscles in the kinetic chain involved in running my quads and hamstrings began to seize up as well. I began limping, and at this point my run had turned into a side ways shuffle/limp. Additionally I began shivering despite the sunny skies and temps in the mid 70’s. I knew at this point I was in serious trouble and if I continued I was in danger of doing serious damage to my body. I walked/limped for about a mile and a half before I finally made the decision to throw in the towel which was a very difficult decision, I could have walked the remaining 9 miles or so, but at what cost? I deiced to limit my injuries and live to fight another day…and went to the medical tent.
This was the first race I have ever DNF’d, in fact it was one of the first time I have ever quite anything I started. I am certainly disappointed in myself, as I have mentioned in the past, quitting is just not my style. However, given the situation, as painful as it was both physically and mentally to drop out, I know that I made the right decision. The worst part is that, I feel like I let down, my family, coach, friends and everyone who has supported me in my passion to reach the pinnacle in the sport of triathlon.
I know this race and a DNF will only fuel my fire and I know that this race in general, the good and the bad, has put me in a much better position to take 2009 to a new level, as my coach said, “sophomore year will be much better.” Additionally, my sister-in-law, who deals with famous, professional athletes on a daily basis, put it all into perspective. “Pros get injured and sick but the rules are different since they do it all in the public eye. What separates champions from the rest is the ability to refocus and learn from the imperfect days. Tiger Woods has had rounds he’d like to forget. Brett Favre has had games with multiple interceptions. This is a great experience for a young pro….you went out too hard and now you know what happens. You will have that perfect race and when you do, you will appreciate it all the more.” I couldn’t have put it any better myself.
Lastly, a huge thank you to Timex, Team Sports, my Teammates and all my sponsors for a great 2008. Thanks for reading…now a few weeks of down time and then back in the saddle with renewed focus on 2009.
www.alexmmtri.com
IMAZ Nov 2008 race Results
