I am happy to report a successful race in Louisville, even though I was slightly short of reaching my pre-race goals. 

The race is usually hot (Kentucky in Aug), which aside from the beautiful hills on the bike is one of the reasons I choose this race.  However, this year at 75 degrees for the high, the temps were 15-20deg F less than in the past.  Maybe this is why none of the 8 pros ahead of me has any problems?  For me, the tougher the conditions the better I do.  With my full-time job I have no choice but to train when I have the time, regardless of the conditions.

I had a steady non-wetsuit swim, but the pace was too comfortable, so I knew I could not have been with the pros I wanted to be with (the race contenders).  Tissenk, Zyemsiev, Sundberg etc, who were about 3min ahead and in 3rd-6th and I was riding in 7-8 place.  Since I had the crash on the bike in LP (Lake Placid) I really wanted to have a solid race to “show” my conditioning, therefore I decided a different strategy on the bike.  Unlike my usually aggressive riding- especially on the hills I choose to monitor my watts and take it relatively easy on all up-hills and really work the flats and down-hills.  The difference was that I rode my Trek TTX in 4:48, rather than maybe 4:30`s, but I did so by putting NO lactic acid into my legs. My average watts were 269w and rarely let it drop below 250w.  Note the pavement is VERY rough in places and I actually lost both of my bottles or race nutrition.  The first bounced out at mile 2 and the second would not come out of my carbon aero cage- on the down tube.  I bent the cage trying to yank it out and it finally came out after 10+ tries and bounced into the ditch.  Thanks to 6-7 bottles of Gatorade Endurance I drank on the course, because I had no longer the high cal drink of my choice. 

I began the run feeling fresh and in 7^th overall ~ 5h50, so needed a sub 3:10 to be in the 8`s.  The right glut/ hamstring muscles that were tight in LP were feeling better in KY.  However, this year KY had many IM champs and I knew there was some fast company behind me (like last year’s champ Longree who runs 2:40`s).  Thankfully he did not catch me until 13miles, but it is still disappointing as I was on a sub 3hr marathon pace and getting passed. The run in Louisville is very flat and many find it boring.  I did not mind it, as after the first loop there are always plenty of people on the course to keep one motivated.  After being passed by a Brett Sutton TBB athlete I was now in 9^th and I was really hoping for 8^th (last place in $ and podium).  However, I did not see Neidrig (Andreas now in 8^th) at the loop out/ back and I thought (hoped) he may have dropped out.  It is not a true out and back because there is a small loop where one goes straight to the finish and the other goes right for another complete loop.  Finally, at the last out/ back with 10k to go he was just over 3min ahead.  I knew I was running faster than he was, but my legs were now cramping and speeding up was not an option.  I pushed as hard as I could, but did not see him.  That is until the last turn to the finish when he was crossing about 300m and 50sec ahead of me.  I had given it my all (or so I thought) although I seemed fine afterwards and walked away a little disappointed…hindsight is 20/ 20.  My final time was 9:02 and ran 3:11 after having cramped legs, finishing the first North American overall. Goal of having a solid IM race accomplished!

Next up- NYC Marathon (01 Nov)

Dave