2011 Boston Marathon - My first Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon has been the best overall race experience I have had.  I was reading the new book Boston Marathon: History by the Mile by Paul Clerici and it took me down memory lane.  I worked my butt off (literally) to qualify for the Boston Marathon and running it lived up to all the hype.  2011 was a special year in that it saw the fastest Marathon ever run by a human being up to that point and the fastest marathon run by an American, Ryan Hall, who just announced his retirement.  I want to go back to the Boston Marathon and I think I was able to accomplish this in late 2015 at the St. George marathon.  I ran a 3:14 which gives me an 11 minute cushion on my qualifying time of 3:25 for the 2017 Boston Marathon.  I think that should be a big enough cushion to get in.  We'll see.  

In the meantime I'll bask in the glory of my last run of the Boston Marathon:

I have been conditioned to temper my expectations about things that are hyped, advertised, and loudly lauded.  I’m thinking of things like summer blockbuster movies, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, Black Friday deals, Fireworks on the 4^th of July, theme parks, most Marathon Expos and their related activities, and a myriad of other activities/experiences.  While these have enriched my life they have fallen short of their hype and advertisements in one way or another.  I fully expected that this would be the case with the Boston Marathon.  I was wrong.  The Boston Marathon experience exceeded my expectations.   It stands up to the hype and blows it out of the water.

My wife and I decided to make the trip a vacation.  This was both a wonderful and a fateful decision.  Wonderful because we got to spend two sunny days at Newport, RI prior to spending time in Boston during marathon weekend.  Fateful because I did not adjust my race plan to account for the fatigue on my feet from two days walking through Newport Mansions and one entire day at the Expo and downtown Boston.  Needless to say by mile 22 my feet had had it and I posted a fairly slow 3:23 on race day.  But more on that later.  We probably should have planned on Newport for after the race but I figured that my wife deserved a good experience without having to drag a post-marathon-trauma disabled husband.  I would not have made it to Boston without her patience and support.  So the Newport trip was non-negotiable and very enjoyable. 

The Expo on Saturday was also non-negotiable.  This could be my only Boston and I was determined to experience as much of the Expo as possible.  I picked up my bib number and bag of goodies and took the obligatory pictures.  I absolutely love the shirt this year.  Very nice.  Wow, pretty much every retailer in the running world was there.  I loved all the free food and the Runner’s Seminar series.  I attended two of these.  One was a course introduction by Dave McGillivray and the Course Director.  These guys did an awesome job and I was able to get Dave’s autograph on my Boston book by Higdon.  The next seminar was advice by the editors of Runner’s World who included Amby Burfoot, Bart Yasso, Mark Remy and others.  At this session I got autographs from Amby Burfoot, who won the Boston Marathon in 1967, and from David Willey who is the Editor-in-Chief of Runner’s World Magazine.  The seminars were awesome and everyone was very nice and personable.  As far as the retailers go I purchased a hat from Adidas and shirts from New Balance.  I already had bought the Official Adidas jacket from Running Warehouse.  I was also able to play around with the new Garmin 610 GPS watch which will probably be my next watch.  I would say New Balance had the best apparel at the expo.  They had a good presence at the marathon throughout.

 

So that took most of that day then we went and had lunch/dinner at the Prudential center where I met Neil from Pennsylvania.  Neil was about to run his 45^th straight Boston Marathon.  He holds the record for the most Bostons run consecutively.  To put it in context, he ran the marathon in 1967 when Amby Burfoot won.  He was the nicest guy and provided me with some good race wisdom.  After that we went to the finish line and took 200+ pictures (it felt like my wedding).  We then took the T back to Cambridge got our rental car and drove to Hopkinton where we took 200 more pictures.  Finally we drove the course and went back to my brother-in-law’s in Cambridge.

Sunday we returned the rental and then took the T to Old South Church on Boylston where we attended the Blessing of the Runners service that the Church of Christ puts together.  They did a really good job and it was a bonus that it was Palm Sunday so the sermons and ceremony were extra special.  We then took the T and met up with Smooth, Rhett and other bloggers and attended our church in Cambridge (that’s 4 hours of church for me on that Sunday!). 

Needless to say I was dog meat by the time I got back to my brother-in-law’s house on Sunday.  Reason would tell any intelligent person that an adjustment in the race plan is warranted.  However, since I am an idiot I decided to stick to my original plan.  This plan called for a conservative first half and an aggressive second half resulting in a PR.  I wrote the splits down on my arms with permanent marker and committed to the plan.

I meet Smooth and the rest of group at the Boston Common at 6:20am on race morning.  It was freezing!  The wind seemed to come from all directions.  We quickly made our way to the line for the buses and literally fought our way to get into the bus.  I sat with Rhett and had a good conversation all the way up to Hopkinton.  This was nice and it made the ride up to Hopkinton feel shorter.  I was very glad I listened to Scott and Smooth and brought an inflatable mattress with me to lie down.  The wind kept whipping and it was sooo cold.  Very glad I brought extra clothes and a blanket.  I was very prepared for the Village and the time went by quickly.  When time came to head to the corrals I headed out with Rhett and Lito (Bobcat).  They made for good conversation as we dropped off our bags and started our long walk.  Rhett was nice enough to give me an extra trash bag he brought with him which I used as a wind breaker.  We made one last PP stop behind Coella’s Market and then headed out to the corrals.  I definitely scored with my super thick $1 gloves I picked up at Wal-Mart in Newport.  These kept me toasty warm all the way to the start.  The organization of the race was incredible.  There was never a doubt as to where I needed to be.  They must have checked my bib number about four times before I made it into the corral.  One disappointment was that I thought there was a flyover by fighter jets at the beginning of the race.  I either missed it or they didn’t have one.  In any case, the level of excitement from the runners and the crowd at the beginning was awesome.

The feeling of finally starting the race was so gratifying.  This is what I had been towards for about two years and I was finally a part of it.  I started high fiving right from the start.  I probably high-fived kids (and Wellesley girls) for about 50% of the race.  The kids were so excited.  There was a biker bar close to the start where the bikers were more excited or “happy” than anyone else.  I was being passed a lot at the beginning since I decided to take it fairly easy at the beginning of the race and that was fine since I was taking it all in. 

The first few miles were very easy since they were at a gentle downhill.  I stuck to my plan like glue.  Well, for the first 19 miles at least.  Here is the play-by-play:

    1-      7:31

    2-      7:16 (Crazy running with these many people.  Very different experience.)

    3-      7:03

    4-      7:09

    5-      7:17 (I think it was here that I saw my reflection on some store windows.  I saw myself running the Boston Marathon!)

    6-      7:01

    7-      7:07

    8-      7:11 (All throughout here it was very pretty.  I am feeling good.  I cannot believe every foot of this race is lined with spectators.  My hand is getting a workout from all the high-fives.)

    9-      7:08

    10-   7:18

    11-   7:20

    12-   7:11 (Wellesley.  Scream Tunnel.  Insane as advertised.  Literally all of the girls lining the street were looking for kisses.  Oh, if I was 20 years younger!  Instead I gave them all high-fives.)

    13-   7:17 (7:16 pace at the half, feeling good starting to have some pain on top of my feet)

    14-   7:11 (Pain on top of my feet is pretty bad and moving to the bottom.)

    15-   7:24 (My feet feel totally swollen and in pain.  What the heck is going on?)

    16-   7:08 (Here was the first long hill of the course, which was an overpass over Rte. 128, and I actually felt great going up it.  The pain on my feet eased significantly.)

    17-   7:43 (Looked for Jolynne after passing the Newton Hospital since this is where we were supposed to meet.  However, she was nowhere to be found.  Then, after the Power Bar aid station, the course turned left and I could see where we took a hard right towards the hills of Newton.  It was then that I saw the three orange balloons that I told Jolynne to use to mark her position.  She was at the left of the road with Kurt, Jen and the kids.  I headed over and paused to give high-fives to everybody.  As I was ready to leave I heard someone say “Hey!”.  I looked up and it was my brother-in-law Conrad!  He had not said anything about coming out and it caught me completely by surprise.  I said “Wow!”, gave him a fist pump, turned, and headed for the Newton hills.)

    18-   7:46 (2nd hill, not too bad.  Feeling good.)

    19-   7:34 (Fairly flat here.  My feet are hurting again.)

    20-   8:03 (3rd hill, feet don’t hurt as much but slowed down the pace to make sure I have enough for Heartbreak)

    21-   8:33 (Heartbreak!  I took it easy up Heartbreak and it was good that I did.  By this point the hills took their toll but I still felt pretty good.  It was great to see the big inflatable sign at Boston College that read “Heartbreak is Over!!!”  That was very cool but as I headed down hill toward Brookline my feet were pulsating with pain like I have not felt before at any race.  Here is where I paid the price for my four days of tourist walking prior to the race.  Stupid!  My body wanted to go but every step shot pain up my legs)

    22-   8:41 (My pace really slowed down here.  This was a death march.)

    23-   9:04 (I started taking walk breaks at this point.  Pain was fairly severe.  I saw two people passed out, one with blood all over his face.  I was definitely not the only one having issues.)

    24-   9:22 (I continued taking walk breaks.  Half the world is passing me now.  I was disgusted with myself and made several efforts to push the pace and ignore the pain in my feet.  I don’t remember where it was but I think it was around this mile that I caught my first glimpse of the CITGO sign in the distance.  This is where I remembered: YOU’RE RUNNING BOSTON!  This could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you’re missing it!  It was at this point that I came to my senses and stopped trying to push the pace and decided to jog my way to the finish while taking it all in.  I waved at people.  Smiled and looked forward to Hereford and Boylston.)

    25-   9:32 (It was awesome to see the fabled CITGO sign and Kenmore Square.  The crowds were overwhelming.  My feet started to feel a bit better.)

    26-   8:47 (Later I calculated that the second half was 8:18 pace, over one minute more per mile more than the first half!  At this point people were going nuts and this helped me to pick up the pace.  The right turn at Hereford was awesome.  I could really get a sense of the history of this race.  This is what I had worked and suffered so much to achieve and it was within my grasp.  Then left on Boylston.  Wow!  I felt like a rock star.  The crowd was going crazy and I had a smile from ear to ear.  I started pumping my fists and egging the crowd on.)

    27-   7:47 (This was actually 0.47 miles on the Garmin.  I was able to muster up some energy for the last stretch although the Marathonfoto pictures show that I was in deep pain. I was all grimace outside but I felt completely elated.  There it was!  The most famous finish line in all of running.  I finished it!  I finished the Boston Marathon!!!)

Total Final Time = 3:23:52.  My eighth marathon, my third best Marathon time, and the best race experience I have ever had.

After the finish I was congratulated by a volunteer who gave me a Gatorade and instructed me to keep walking.  Here’s where the hurt came back with a vengeance.  I started feeling my legs lock up somewhat and walking was difficult but I kept going.  Another volunteer gave me a Gatorade Recovery Drink and a bag of food.  Later we got our space blankets and tape for the blankets and finally we were given our medals.  After that we were directed to the bus that had my bag and I waited for about 15 minutes in line to get my bag.  This was much faster than expected and I was glad.  I then moved to the family meeting area to find Jolynne and the rest of the gang.

It was cool to see Conrad there.  He also greeted me with a great surprise.  He pulled out a Salt Lake Marathon medal.  It took me a while to realize that this big boy had actually just run the Salt Lake Marathon on Saturday.  I yelled in astonishment and gave him a hug.  Jolynne then took a picture of us holding our medals side by side.  I think it’s amazing that he was still walking around after having completed that marathon only two days before.  Conrad is a die hard.  We then made our way to the subway where we had the nice surprise to find that they were giving free rides to the runners.

The way back to Kurt’s house was difficult but once we got there it was nice to kick up my feet and watch the re-runs of the race on TV.  Amazingly this Boston Marathon saw the fastest marathon ever run by any human being and the fastest run by an American.  Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai ran a 2:03:02, fastest marathon ever recorded.  American Ryan Hall ran a 2:04:58, the fastest marathon ever run by an American.  It is extremely cool that I ran the same race where these records were set.  It is even cooler that it all happened in Boston!  I will be back someday!

Ironman St. George 70.3 2013 Race Report - The First IMSG 70.3!

Here's another oldie.  This is my first Ironman 70.3 St. George race report.  This was the first Ironman 70.3 St. George, held in 2013.  I have done 2 more since then and will be racing it again this year.  My PR is 5:52, so I did eventually break 6 hours on this course.  My goal for 2015 is to break 5:45.  IMSG 70.3 is brutal but it is awesome.

Thursday

Coming into St. George on the night of May 2^nd you could tell that the town was buzzing with the coming of Ironman.  There were electronic street signs everywhere alerting people of the traffic pattern changes and banners celebrating St. George Ironman 70.3 hung from almost every lamppost.  Stores had signs out welcoming the Ironman athletes.  The funny thing is that we were arriving at the city at 10:30 pm.  Even then the transformation of St. George for the Ironman 70.3 was evident.  My heart gave a little flutter as we drove into the city since that meant the event was ever closer to becoming a reality.  In a little more than a day I would be jumping into 60⁰ water in a reservoir that at last year’s full Ironman had seen 40 mph wind gusts and horrendously large waves.  I kept thinking this was probably not the safest bet to start my 2013 triathlon season but nevertheless there I was.  Bring it on.

The family and I got to Marsha’s house and she greeted us with the enthusiasm that is typical of St. George residents who love their marquee sporting events.  Marsha had volunteered for the famous St. George marathon for 20 years and she had also been a volunteer at some of the past full Ironman triathlons.  She loves everything about the St. George endurance events and is very knowledgeable about the courses and the venues.  So when we got to her house she peppered us with questions about our plans for the weekend and my preparations for the race.  She had saved all the local newspaper stories about the Ironman and had them ready for us to read.  Marsha is definitely a big reason I love to come to St. George for endurance events.  She is the best host an athlete can hope for.  She has a wealth of information about the venues that you couldn’t really pay for and she’s so excited for you that you can bet she will be out there on the course to cheer you on come race day.  Marsha, thank you for your hospitality, you’re awesome! After we got settled in we had a very comfortable evening and I was even able to sleep in.  This felt especially great since I had a horrendous week at work where I was putting in 13-hour days. 

Friday

We got ready for the day very slowly and then took off to go to the expo.  I was very excited, not only because it’s exciting to go to any expo for a large race but because this was my first Ironman-branded race.  Not only that but this year’s Ironman St. George 70.3 also doubled as the Ironman 70.3 U.S. Championships and the field was full of the top athletes from all over the world.  So, I would for sure experience some celebrity sightings at the expo.

Since the race was sold out it was a bit difficult finding a parking spot but we eventually found one next to the T2 transition area.  We were blown away by the number of bike racks that were at T2.  I realized that about 2,700 athletes had registered but it was overwhelming to actually see what that looked like in bike racks.  We would be going to T1 at Sand Hollow reservoir later in the day and I got excited to see what that would look like with all the bikes racked.

We made our way around the St. George Tabernacle to the park where the expo was set up.  The first sign that this would be a very cool experience was that as soon as we got to the first booth Andy Potts was standing there talking to people.  Andy Potts is the premiere American long-course triathlete and the first American to finish the IM World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in 2012.  I started telling my kids “That’s Andy Potts!” at which point they made it clear that I needed to calm down and not embarrass them.  We then moved to the registration tent where I made a short line and literally signed my life away.  With the exception of the Boston Marathon this was the most organized registration process for a race that I have been a part of.  They definitely covered their bases.  They gave me my registration packet, my participant wrist band and then moved me to get my bag, shirt and timing chip.  The bag was a very nice draw string bag but the shirt was pretty crappy.  After checking the timing chip and receiving my transition bags you were forced to exit right into the Ironman store.  These people are definitely savvy about making money out of the M-Dot brand.  Jolynne and the kids were already in the store.  We were horrified at the prices of the merchandise at the store.  The participant shirts that I wished we had received were selling for $35!!!  For a t-shirt!  Needless to say I didn’t buy anything at the store but enjoyed checking everything out.  I needed a race belt because I forgot mine at home.  An IM race belt was $12.  I went over to the Inside Out Sports booth and found one for $7.  I bought the Inside Out Sports belt.

After that we hung around the expo, which was actually smaller than what I thought it would be.  I then saw Ben Hoffman, the 2012 IM St. George champion.  It was cool to see the pros hanging out like the rest of us.  A little bit later on we sat down and relaxed by a big and cool water fountain while we waited for the mandatory athlete meeting.  That meeting was interesting but I didn’t learn a lot of new information.  Later on we got lunch and the family dropped me off so I could hear a pro athlete panel.  I was able to hear comments and advice from Andy Potts, Sebastian Kienle (current IM 70.3 World Champion), Leanda Cave (current IM World Champion), Kelly Williamson, Ben Hoffman, Heather Wuertle, Meredith Kessler (2012 IM St. George champion), Jordan Rapp, and Andrew Starykowicsz.  This was definitely a highlight of the expo.  I was able to get autographs from Andy Potts and Meredith Kessler.  I also saw Craig Alexander (3-time IM World Champion) and Paula Newby-Fraser (8-time IM World Champion) in person.  Paula Newby-Fraser is essentially the Michael Jordan of the sport of Triathlon.

Jolynne and the kids picked me up and we went back to Marsha’s where the kids relaxed for a couple of hours while I got my bike and race bags ready for drop off at Sand Hollow.  We then dropped off the kids at the movies.  Interestingly enough they went to see Ironman 3.  We made our way out to Sand Hollow and when we got there the place was mobbed.  Sounds like everyone decided to show up at the same time.  We parked illegally (only option, sorry) and I took the bike out for a final spin and safety check.  Everything seemed to be working in perfect order and so I took my bike gear bag and my bike and made my way with Jolynne to the T1 area.  It was an impressive sight to see about 2,000 bikes and gear all ready for action.

My transition spot was in the middle of everything and it concerned me that I would have a hard time finding it coming out of the water.  Luckily my aisle ran right into a gap in the row of port-a-potties that was close to the lake.  So, coming out of the water I would just have to run to the gap, take a left and keep going until I ran into my bike.  After positioning myself I took a few pictures and made my way out of T1.

Jolynne and I then made our way to the swim exit.  Sand Hollow is a beautiful reservoir surrounded by red rock and sporting a big old red rock island right in the middle.  What surprised me the most was that it was so small.  In all the pictures I had seen it looked like the reservoir was huge but it is actually only 1,300 acres.  By comparison Lake Powell at the UT/AZ border is 162.6 thousand acres.  However, what it lacked in size it made up for in beauty.  The sand was red and cool and the big rock island in the middle makes a beautiful centerpiece for the landscape.  After seeing the exit and visualizing how that would be come race morning we made our way to the swim entry area and I took off my shoes and stepped into the water.  Holy cow that was cold!  My feet hurt and they started to go numb fairly quickly.  It definitely felt colder than Bear Lake and that was cold!  I then saw a young tiny woman swimming in her wetsuit so I concluded that if she can do it so can I, ‘nuff said.  But man was that cold.  The only saving grace was that the swim course actually didn’t look too daunting at all.  I crossed my fingers and hoped that we wouldn’t have a repeat of 2012 where 40MPH wind gusts showed up and made the swim horrendously difficult.

So, with a renewed respect for the challenge to come we got back in the car and made our way back to St. George.  We picked up the kids at the movies, picked up some pizza and wings and went back to Marsha’s.  The pizza and wings were awesome and hit the spot just right.  We conversed with Marsha and made some final preparations and I went to bed around 10:20pm.

Race Day

Woke up at 4:00 am, which is actually about 30 minutes later than when I had to wake up for the St. George Marathon so it felt a bit luxurious to be getting up that late.  I actually slept very well for it being the night before a huge race.  I very quietly put my kit on and got ready.  I went to the kitchen and ate a quick breakfast of a PB Bagel and some Powerade (which I drank throughout the morning).  I also had some applesauce at T1 when it was closer to race time.  I made a final check to make sure I had all my stuff and I woke up Jolynne.  We left at 4:30 am for T2 where I dropped off my run bag at my transition spot and then caught the bus up to Sand Hollow.  The temperature was actually a bit chilly but very comfortable.

The bus to T1 was like every other bus ride to the start of a marathon that I have done.  The ride felt very long and the bus is full of tension and anticipation.  Incredibly I sat next to a guy from Riverton (where I live) and we had nice conversation all the way to T1.  The poor guy was doing this 70.3 as his first Half Ironman and only his second triathlon.  I don’t think the poor guy really realized what he was in for.  The 70.3 distance is no joke.  I ended up laid out on a cot after my first 70.3 at Bear Lake last year.  The buzz about St. George is that it’s the one of the hardest if not THE hardest 70.3 in the U.S.  One look at the course tells you that one better be ready for pain.  This was the thought going through my head as we arrived at Sand Hollow reservoir.

We got to Sand Hollow sometime after 5:00 am and it was still dark so no views of the water.  Luckily it wasn’t too windy or too cold.  I started making my way into T1 and was marked by one of the awesome volunteers.  My number for the race was 1730.  It was very cool to go into the transition area and walk right by all the pros in attendance.  You would have thought it was a party the way those guys were joking around and laughing.  The rest of everybody else was either cold, on their way to the port-a-potties, or cowering in anticipation.  The place was completely abuzz with activity.  People making final setup of their transition areas, making final adjustments to their bikes, making sure tire pressure was good, eating breakfast, checking nutrition supplies to take on the bike, walking around and talking to others and lubing up with Body Glide and sun screen.  I have never been to a race start with more activity.  There is so much to check and so much that can go wrong in a race like this.

I actually saw quite a few people that I knew and it was fun to converse with people and work out the butterflies.  I made a pit stop at the port-a-potties, which didn’t take long since they were pretty well stocked.  After that I went to find Ian and David.  Ian is Marsha’s son-in-law and David is her son.  These guys had survived last year’s horrendous full IM.  I found them and they seemed to be in good spirits and ready to go.  I also saw Jake who is my buddy Mark’s older brother.  This would be his first 70.3 and he looked like he was good to go.

Sometime after 6:15 am they started telling people they needed to finish up and make their way out of T1.  I put my wetsuit on and put Body Glide on my neck hands and feet.  I also added Body Glide to the lower leg and arm sections of the suit so that it would come out easier.  I then made sure my bike bag had all my bike transition stuff in it and that my morning bag had all the stuff I didn’t need anymore (i.e. my jacket, my phone, etc.).  I only put my suit up to my waist since I wouldn’t be starting until 7:39 am.

As I was making my way out of T1 I ran into the Bullock family.  These guys used to be in our stake and I used to run with Ryan and his dad Dean.  It was kind of cool to talk to them because Dean is in the middle of a campaign to win an inspirational entry for the Ironman World Championships at Kona, Hawaii.  Dean was recently diagnosed with brain cancer and he has had major surgery.  The cancer is stage 4 so the current diagnosis is that the cancer will kill him.  However, Dean continues to train and he was looking pretty good and pretty prepared.  It was cool to see most of his kids there ready to race with him as they made their way to the swim start.

I handed in my morning bag and made my way to the swim start where the pro-men had just barely started.  At this point the lake looked beautiful and very calm.  The men were swimming at full throttle led by who else but Andy Potts, one of the best swimmers in the sport.  Experiencing that was definitely a neat experience that I will remember fondly.  The beauty of the surroundings, the awe of us spectators and the incredible display of human performance made for a memory that I will be hard pressed to forget.  It’s moments like these when I receive a confirmation of why I love endurance sports.  Big stakes endurance events like marathons and long-distance triathlons are like candy to my soul.

Shortly after the male pros the women pros got in the water.  This is when I finally realized that the start was a deep water start.  The women entered the water and they swam out to an area between two yellow buoys that constituted the start line.  I thought that was genius because the swim out to the start line and the wait prior to the start of my wave would be a great warm-up, which I was afraid I would not have.

The gun went off and the women started.  None of the women were identified pre-race as being particularly stronger than the others on the swim so I had no idea who was ahead.  However, the women were much more bunched up in a peloton fashion than the men.  Later I would find out that Meredith Kessler from the good old US of A got out of the water in 1^st place.

They then announced that the age group waves would start in a few minutes and that we needed line up with the volunteer holding a sign up with our wave number and corresponding swim cap (bright yellow for me).  I was part of wave 14 so I had a while to go but I found the volunteer with the sign and I lined up with the rest of the yellow-heads.  Someone helped me zip my wetsuit and then I waited.  This point of the race was a bit tense because there were quite a few guys around me that looked like death warmed over.  They were anxious and wide-eyed like they were about to be brought up to the guillotine.  Luckily there were others that were joking around and kept the mood light.  The race organizers had really good and really loud music going on so I focused on that and visualized the swim.

The Swim

I think what made people the most nervous was that they probably didn’t know how they would do in 60⁰ water.  Sixty degrees is not that cold for air temperature but when it comes to water temperature it might as well be freezing.  Luckily I had done two triathlons the previous year where the water was approximately the same temperature so I knew my body would adjust.  However, the first plunge is always painful.  This plunge was no exception. The water was VERY chilly. The face and hands felt most of the sting but by the short swim to the start I was already acclimated and excited to get started. This would be my first triathlon where I was wearing a watch and timing my swim. This made for a slightly awkward fit of the wrist at my wetsuit but nothing too terrible. However, when the gun went off I sent a few seconds fiddling with the watch to turn the timer on which set me back a few places in my age group.

The swim was beautiful. I was glad I wore tinted goggles since the sun was right in my eyes for a while. The water at Sand Hollow is very clear and I could see my fellow competitors around me clearly. This made for a bump free swim, however there were so many people that it made the swim a bit slow at times as I tried to get around people. My form during the first half of the swim sucked because I was so nervous, this being my first triathlon of the year and all. However, once the nerves calmed down I really focused on my form and I started to pick up speed. Some people were already breast-stroking and back-stroking by the halfway point and I felt bad for them since that is clearly signs of struggle. The course was extremely well marked and I had no trouble following it.

Where I ran into trouble was at the last turn. For some reason I got a really bad cramp on my left calf and from that point and to the finish (about 500 yards) I could not straighten out my left foot. It felt like I was swimming with breaks on. I was afraid that the cramp would be even worse when I stepped out of the water but once I did I felt tension but not pain. I was good to go and I ran up the ramp. After I hit the timing mat I checked my time and saw it said 41:58 and it disappointed me a bit since I was shooting for sub 40 minutes. Then I got cheered up right away when I saw that they had wetsuit strippers. The wetsuit came off superfast and I was on my way to my bike. I felt good and was able to transition fairly quickly. Note to self: don't spray sunscreen on my face. This sent me into a coughing fit that lasted the whole queue out of T1. Once on the bike I was feeling good and ready for what I thought would be the biggest challenge I would face that day. Boy was I wrong.

The Bike

The course starts pretty flat but then it quickly goes into a pretty steep hill as it winds its way behind Sand Hollow.  This is where I could start feeling the heat of the day.  It was hot but it wasn’t terrible yet.  There were tons of people on the course and it was pretty challenging to not run into anybody.  It amazed me how many people I was with or passing that had $10K or more bikes.  I figure if you’re going to be spending that much money on a bike then you shouldn’t be getting beat by the dude riding a $1K aluminum road bike.  People can do what they want with their money but I don’t see the sense in spending money like that if you are not really all that competitive within your age group.  I think I would like to have a TT bike but I am far from having a shot at Kona so I will be sticking to the sub $5K budget even if I do go for an upgrade.

The hills and descents were pretty massive.  About 10 miles into it I was keeping a pretty good pace (about 20MPH).  It was at this point that I saw Jolynne and the kids volunteering on the course and I waved to them.  I caught them by surprise and they were scrambling to get a picture.  After that the course started a long hill as it made its way out of Hurricane. I saw Marsha somewhere around mile 30 and she says I was talking to myself which could very well be the case.  The half-iron distance makes people do nutty things. 

One of the scariest situations I had was when we were descending on a narrow neighborhood road.  The road really only had enough space for at most 2 people side-by-side and people were lined up one right after the other, drafting be damned apparently.  Since it was a pretty steep downhill we were keeping speeds over 30MPH.  The guy in front of me started getting all wobbly and looked like he was going to go down.  If he went down I was screwed since I didn’t have enough room to get around him and we were going so fast and were so close that I would have hit him.  Luckily the guy regained control and tragedy was averted.

The scariest situation on the bike happened at approximately mile 50 as I was coming down US Route 18 and going about 35 MPH.  Signs started warning us to slow down.  I slowed down but apparently not enough because I took a sharp right turn fast enough that I almost lose control.  The bike was not taking the full turn as I wanted it to and I started to freak out a bit.  Luckily I kept it under control, leaned into the turn and came out of it.  My heart was racing and I was cursing myself for not slowing down more.  I think Heavenly Father was looking out for me on that one.

The most challenging part of the bike was the last two miles of the Snow Canyon climb.  I expected this but it didn’t make it any less painful.  This came at mile 42 of the course, the sun was beating down and it was very hot.  At one point I went as slow as 4MPH!

Coming in on Diagonal Street was not as nice as it should have been since the road is very rough and my butt was screaming the whole time.  I made it into T2 in 3 hours, which was better than what I expected.  I did a lightning fast change in transition but then had to stop to pee!  I should have been dehydrated but I guess I did a pretty good job at keeping liquids in because I had to pee really bad.  That took about 30 seconds and I was off on the run course.  Marsha was at the exit of T2 and gave me a cheer.  At that point I could only half smile.

The Run

The run course makes its way up from downtown St. George to Diagonal Street and it was oh so painful.  My legs felt like lead lumps.  The climb up to Diagonal was a time to regroup and calm myself down.  I eased my effort a bit and stretched out my legs and my shoulders.  That definitely helped and by the time I was up at diagonal I was able to step up my pace a bit.  It was at that point that I saw Jolynne and the kids and they gave me a cheer.  That definitely improved my spirits and allowed me to continue the climb.

This course climbs for 6.5 miles and comes down for the rest.  The climb up to Red Hills Parkway was OK but the grade at Red Hills was just brutal.  I was doing 10 minute miles up that thing and I felt lucky to be doing that.  By the time I got to Pioneer Park I was officially dead.  I found it hard to keep running and I walked many times.  Once I got to the very top of the elevation chart I thought I would be able to take full advantage of the downhill to the turnaround but my body was really struggling.  I was in that place where my muscles couldn’t take the abuse anymore.  I think aerobically I was OK but my body was just really hurting and exhausted.  Every step after that was a challenge.  I remember thinking of the Pro’s that I saw finishing as I was going up Diagonal and thinking to myself “how the heck could these guys be finishing so strong after surviving this run course?!”  It was just brutal.

I started making liberal use of the wet sponges they were giving out on the course and sticking them on my singlet.  That helped immensely.  I got a second wind once I started making my way down Red Hills Parkway and got excited to finish.  Then came the insult to add to my many injuries.

I thought that before we came into Diagonal we would have a quick in and out into one of the streets on US 18 right before Diagonal.  Well, that was right but that quick in and out wasn’t so quick and it was uphill!  This got everyone around me (me included) in a pissy mood.  The course felt long and it just seemed cruel to add another hill to the course, especially at mile 11.5.  I ended up walking part of the hill and then I got to that point where I told myself that I just needed to finish this thing.  So I ran pretty much all of the way after that.  At the bottom of the out and back I saw Ian and he had a big grin on his face.  The guy is the type of racer that I admire.  Nothing brings him down.

When I got to the end of Diagonal I could see the finish line at the bottom of the hill.  This gave me a huge adrenaline rush.  It also helped that the crowds were huge!  I got pumped and started running faster.  I got to the finishing chute and people were cheering me on and I was cheering right back.  And then I made it.  My official finish time was 6:01:15.  I missed my goal of under six by a bit over a minute but quite frankly I felt good to have finished at all.  The course was brutal but finishing felt sweet.  They gave me probably the best finisher’s medal that I own and a really cool finisher’s hat.

I kept looking around for my family but I couldn’t find them.  I also couldn’t find the food.  I kept asking and they kept telling me to keep walking.  Come to find out the food was all the way back at the expo.  It was an endurance event just to get to the food.

The post-race food was great.  I got my food and I just plopped down on the grass and ate.  Jolynne and the kids found me and they said that they saw me right at the finishing chute but that I didn’t see them.  I have no idea how I missed them since I was looking for them.  It was awesome to see them and decompress with them.  They had an enjoyable experience volunteering for the race but they did have a lot of standing around doing nothing.  We then did our post-race ritual and I got them some ice cream goodies before we left the competitor’s area.

Wow, what an experience!  The race was so well put together and the crowds were incredible.  I think every once in a while it’s OK to pay a ridiculous amount to have this type of experience.  The one thing this taught me is that the full Ironman I’m doing in August is going to be nothing short of brutal.  But of course, if it wasn’t hard it wouldn’t be Ironman!

My Official Splits

Swim: 41:58

T1: 4:56

Bike: 3:03:42

T2: 3:50

Run: 2:06:49

Final: 6:01:15

AG Rank: 145

Overall Rank: 860

Men’s Winner: Brent McMahon from Canada in 3:51:10

Women’s Winner:  Meredith Kessler from USA in 4:17:11

Revisiting my First BQ Marathon in 2010 - St. George!

This is what I wrote in 2010 after I qualified for Boston at the St. George Marathon.  Trust me, if I can qualify so can you.  Interestingly enough, six years later I qualified again at St. George with over 10 minutes to spare.  This gives me a 10+ qualifying time for Boston that should let me register for the 2017 race.  It will be great to get back to the Boston Marathon.  I will post my latest BQ and my 2011 Boston race reports later on.  Enjoy the trip back in time:

It was a good day for me.  I finally qualified for Boston!!!  I am extremely excited.  This was hard work for me.  I don't have an extensive running background.  I only started running (and lightly at that) in 2007.  My first race in 10 years was Wasatch Back in 2008.  In 1998 I ran the Crazylegs 8K in Madison, WI where I was attending graduate school.  That had been my one and only foot race since elementary school.  So, like I said, not a huge running background.  After running the TOU Marathon in 2008 I was hooked and knew that someday I wanted to qualify for Boston, which was a ridiculous idea at the time.  Well, I finally did it qualifying with a time of 3:11:36.  I desperately wanted to qualify with a better than 3:15:59 time before I gained 5 minutes by virtue of getting old (I turn 40 next year).

St. George is definitely a fast course but I can see how it can chew you up if you don't run it smartly.  I used the Scott Zimmerman race-time planner and this served me well.  It was hard to hold back during the first half of the race since I felt so good, but it was worth it.  A slow first half allowed me to kick things into high gear for the second half and to tackle that hill at mile 18 with confidence.  I was able to get my first ever negative split for the marathon and achieve a big-time PR.  However, I saw a lot of people stopping and in distress in the last 10K , which I think was complicated by the fact that it was so hot.

I am happy to get that BQ monkey off my back and to have achieved an important goal for me.  Now on to Boston!  Hopefully I don't have any trouble registering here in a couple of weeks. 

It was fun to see Smooth and Walter and other people from the Blog.  Of course I hung out with Scott and Kelli, who deserve a lot of the credit for my running achievements.  I am also very lucky to have a wonderful wife and supportive kids that are the best cheerleaders a person could have.  However, I am firstly grateful to Heavenly Father to allow me the opportunity to be able to run.  It's a blessing I don't take for granted.

Probably one of the best things that I did the day of the Expo was to take my wife’s aunt Marsha out for a drive of the course.  Marsha has been a volunteer at the St. George Marathon for the past 20 years.  She knows the course intimately and has even viewed it from the helicopter that keeps buzzing around as the race unfolds.  The best thing about this preview was that it got me mentally ready for the hill at the Ledges Parkway (mile 18), which I was not expecting to be so severe.  Thanks Marsha!

Here are my splits:

 1 – Loved the “Elite” area at the start line.  I’m glad Scott found me and told me I could get in there since the porta-pottie lines were much smaller and the area was not crowded.  The temperature at the start was nice and cool and for the first time I didn’t go out too fast.  I started running with Scott and Kelli.

2 – Lost track of Scott and Kelli and would not see them until the end.

3 – Feeling like I’m jogging.  Very hard to stick to my plan since I am feeling so good.

4

5 – The jogging continues.

6 –

7 – As I am approaching Veyo I can hear the crowds and the cows.  Man, those cows were freaking out, they were loud!  Veyo looks imposing as you are approaching it but I was feeling so good that I did not stress out at all.

8 – I ran up Veyo a bit faster than planned but it was all I could do to hold back.  I’ve concluded that the hill at Ogden is a much greater challenge than Veyo, mostly because of where you hit it (mile 15).  I did take the opportunity to look back on the course when I was halfway up the hill and the view was imposing.  I have never been in a marathon this big and I could see people as far the eye could see.  I wish I would have had a camera.

9 – The start of the Dammeron Valley hills.  The incline was not bad at all and I found it fairly simple to keep pace.  However my right hamstring started bugging me a bit here.  Why is it always at mile 9?

10 – I think the 3:10 pace group passed me here (it could have been at mile 9, I can’t remember).  I would keep them within eye’s view for the rest of the race.

11 – Still feeling good although worried about my hammie getting any worse. 

12 – Finally getting to the end of the hills but I am a bit concerned about being ahead of schedule by almost two minutes.  I start wondering if I will be able to negative-split.  I am also getting worried since I know my wife will be cheering me on at Snow Canyon and when she sees I’m ahead of schedule she will be livid.  We wrote down my plan with permanent marker on my arms before the race and she also wrote on my right arm “STICK TO THE PLAN”.  Now here I was almost two minutes ahead of plan.  Oh boy...

13 – Got to halfway about 1.5 minutes ahead of schedule.  Still feeling good and happy to have the downhill.  The hammie is just nagging now.

14 -

15 – This part was steep and my schedule called for stepping up the pace.  My legs are starting to feel a bit tense and I do all I can to relax and keep pace.  I am really enjoying the scenery in the canyon.  I love running in southern Utah.

16 – As I am coming around the bend I see the mass of spectators and I locate my family.  They have no clue I’m headed for them and so I start pointing at them and yelling.  Finally just as I am almost to them Jolynne recognizes me and starts cheering loudly.  Then the kids started cheering and it gave me great boost.  Later I found out that the reason they almost miss me is because they were not expecting me so soon.  At this point I was back again about two minutes too fast.  Jolynne had also just got done cheering for Kelli and then Scott.  They expected me to be quite a ways behind Scott but I came up right behind him and it caught them by surprise.  They also did not expect that I would be so close to the 3:10 pace group.  As I suspected Jolynne was furious.  It’s a good thing I BQ’ed because I would have had an earful at the finish.  There was a kid here that had a poster that said “Punch Here for Power”.  I thought this was clever and punched it for whatever it was worth.

17 – Felt good but it was scary to see the upcoming hill at the Ledges Parkway.  I told myself to focus on the moment and on my pace for each mile.  I was also encouraged by the fact that I knew the top of that hill was the last difficult part of the course.  I passed Scott at this point but I don’t know where since I didn’t see him (it was probably at the aid station).

18 – I hit the hill feeling good and easing a bit on the pace since I had banked some time.  I felt good but was a bit surprised to see so many people walking.  Then the heat started becoming a factor.  Heat usually doesn’t affect me that much but I started to feel it at the top of this hill.

19 – I felt great at this point.  I had crested the hill and knew that I had enough in me to make a good showing for what is really the easiest section of the course.  Downhill all the way to the finish line.  What’s more, I was still ahead of schedule.

20 – This was a bit tough since I was running next to some woman who was totally pushing her friend to go faster and she was annoying the crap out of me. You could have sworn that girl was a drill sergeant.  She was definitely not motivating her friend to perform better.  She was just annoying her and me and the rest of everyone within earshot.  Luckily I passed her while she backtracked to keep harassing her poor friend.

21 – I feel better but I can tell that glycogen depletion is settling in since I find it difficult to keep a clear head.  For some reason I thought I was running mile 22.  That was a mental challenge but I shook it off and eventually the Gel I took at mile 20.5 kicked in and I felt better.  I think this is also where I passed the first water misters and they felt awesome.

22 – The heat is getting to me now and my legs are feeling really heavy.  I tell myself that I need to keep it together until mile 23 then I can start breaking down if necessary.  I have about three minutes in the bank so I don’t panic.

23 – I hit this mark and it was a psychological boost for me.  All I had to do now was hold on.  By this point I was dog tired and the casualties were all around me.  People were stopping all over the place.  All I kept thinking was “I’ve been there brother...not fun.”  I decided that I would find people running off my pace and draft off them.  I found two guys who were looking strong and their help was invaluable at this mile but unfortunately they fell behind before we hit mile 24.

24 – Once again I went under the misters and felt much better as I headed into Diagonal Street.  With 2.2 to go every step was a struggle.  However, somehow I was keeping a 7:22-7:30 pace.  I guess those hard-finish long runs really paid off here.  A boy held out his hand to give me a high five.  I gave him the high five and it almost spun me around.  That was the last high-five of the race for me since I realized that all I had energy for at this point was putting one foot in front of the other.

25 – This was pure torture.  I was having a very hard time and my pace started to break down.  I knew by now I had the BQ but I wanted to see how far I could take it.  A woman passed me at this point and I decided to hang with her.  She took me through most of this mile but then faded with about half a mile left to the finish.  At this point I could see the balloons at the finish and I mustered all the strength I could to focus on only that.  I entered the finishing chute and I saw a guy who had gone down with only meters to go.  I started stopping but saw that the National Guard guys were coming to help so I kept going.  At this point I experienced tunnel vision and could not hear anything.  I seriously thought I was about to pass out and so I held back a bit.  All I could see were those stupid balloons and the clock. 

26.2 - By the time I crossed the finish line the clock read 3:12 something.  I raised my hands in the air and did my best to smile for the camera as I crossed the mat.  The feeling was amazing.  I BQ’ed!  By a lot!  Holy Cow, it was unbelievable.  My chip time was 3:11:36.  I was about to drop but felt awesome at the same time.  I congratulated my fellow finishers and spent a bit more time than necessary under the misters (they felt so good!).  I then got my medal and moved to the Runner’s area and on to get some liquid in me and find my family.

I found them and they were totally excited.  Their enthusiasm was contagious and made me feel great.  I think my wife had serious doubts I would make it after she saw how fast I had done the first half.  The relief on her face was clear. 

I asked them about Scott and Kelli and they said Kelli had come in a few minutes before me, which did not surprise since I knew she was in shape to be significantly under 3:10 (she came in 3:07:59, amazing).  However, when they said Scott was not in yet I was floored.  I have never, ever beat Scott in a race.  He is probably one of the strongest runners I know.  Kelli is lightning fast but Scott is definitely an incredibly mentally tough athlete.  He came in a bit later and he said that it was just an off day for him.  He hit a rough spot around mile 16 and never got the groove back.  I am glad I didn’t notice I passed him then since this probably would have messed with my head for the rest of the race. 

I hung out and visited with other people I knew.  I talked to Walter for a while and was glad to hear he had a good race (he came in 10^th overall).  I also talked with Daryl Guymon who I have seen at a lot of races for the past two years and have stood in awe of his speed.  I was excited to hear that I was only a minute behind him.  All in all it was a good day for me and I thank Heavenly Father for allowing me to have it and allowing me the opportunity to reach my BQ goal.  I also can’t stress how indebted I am to my wife and family who have cheered me through quite a few disappointments.  I was able to finally achieve my goal and show that their support was not in vain.  And again, without Scott and Kelli’s friendship and encouragement I would still be running 2 mile laps around my house at 9 minute pace.

After I left the runner’s area I stopped in for a free massage and my mother-in-law got my medal engraved with my name and my finishing time.  This was very nice of her.  My kids treated me like a super star and I appreciated every bit of it.  This is by far the best race I have ever run and I hope to be back someday.  But for now I will focus all my energies on fantasizing about April, 2011.  Boston, here I come!!!

Vineman Full Triathlon 2014 Race Report

 The Trip There

Traffic in California sucks.  I have known this for a long time but it does not cease to amaze me.  As we got to Napa Valley Thursday afternoon before race weekend the traffic was absolutely horrible.  Napa Valley is quaint and beautiful but getting there requires patience.  Jolynne and I stopped there on the way to Sonoma County to have lunch and enjoy the markets that are plentiful in this part of the country.  On the way down we also stopped by the Jelly Belly factory since we thought this would be fun.  It would have been fun except that the line to get a tour was longer than any amusement park line I have ever seen.  I swear it probably would have taken two hours to get into a tour.  Mercifully, the fire alarm went off (apparently for a real fire) and we had to leave.  I wasn’t too heartbroken about this since the time on my feet would have killed my race but it would have been fun to sample all those Jelly Bellies.

We decided to make the best of it and went to an olive oil tasting place nearby.  The place was very small and literally had no wait whatsoever.  We skeptically went inside and ended up having a great experience.  The guy conducting the testing was a total olive oil geek and seemed to know everything there is to know about olive oil.  The different types of oil were delicious and we walked out with a couple of tasty bottles.

We finally started making our way towards Guerneville where the race starts and where we had booked a bed and breakfast.  To get there we had to take River Road, which is where the Vineman bike course starts, and were pleased with the beauty of the area.  It was green, shady and plain old pretty.  We stayed at the Rio Nido bed and breakfast which is about a mile outside of downtown Guerneville.  Mind you Guerneville is a one stoplight town with one big street that runs through it so everything around us was small and quaint.  Rio Nido is well off River Road literally surrounded by redwood trees.  The place was originally built in the 1800’s and it still has that old-time charm.  The room we had was very small but we had all the amenities we needed:  Wi-fi, cable TV, hot water, a fridge, and a comfy bed.  The breakfast in the main hall was also out of this world.  Applewood smoked bacon with an awesome spinach quiche and a whole bunch of other yummy selections that I can’t even remember.  The place was cozy and we really enjoyed it.

The Reception

After settling in we hurried up and made our way to Windsor for the Vineman Wine and Cheese reception.  We had a horrible time finding the place because in the directions they failed to mention that the conference hall was part of a big old church.  We finally figured it out and got to the venue.  Vineman typically doesn’t have a prerace gathering like this one but this race was special because it marked the 25^th anniversary of the race, making it the oldest continuously running 140.6 race in the continental United States.  That’s right, the race is older than any Ironman branded 140.6 race in the continental U.S.  The race was an Ironman branded race at some point in its history and it was even a Kona World Championship qualifier but as Ironman grew it decided to keep control of its own races at the 140.6 distance and the franchise was cancelled.  The 70.3 on practically the same course is still Ironman branded but this is because Ironman is still franchising 70.3 races to other operating companies such as Vineman.  Suffice it to say that as far as I’m concerned Vineman is as much or more of an Ironman race that any of the existing branded options in the U.S.

The reception was very nice. They had wine, which we didn’t drink, and all types of cheese, which we ate in large quantities.  They also gave out commemorative wine glasses to participants.  I got one and Jolynne got another.  I use mine in my office as a pen holder and the other is being used by Alex (my 17 year old son) as his favorite cup.  At the reception they had a ton of memorabilia from the 25 years of the race and they had a presentation and slide show of the history of the race.  It’s pretty amazing how many of the world’s top triathletes have raced Vineman.  They even had a recreation of the start line from the original 1990 race.  I, of course, took a picture next to the start line.  I’m a sucker for tradition and the tradition and history behind this race is rich. 

There are very few triathlons in the U.S. that have a rich history and tradition.  The Kona Ironman is the granddaddy of them all (world or U.S.).  Beyond Kona I would include Vineman (Full and 70.3), Wildflower Triathlon (an independent 70.3 triathlon in its 33^rd year) and The Chicago Triathlon (an Olympic distance triathlon also in its 33^rd year) as some of the oldest and most continually successful triathlons in the U.S.  At the reception it was very apparent that the organizers truly loved the race and cared a lot about this important milestone.  After the race we went to downtown Windsor and had dinner at KC’s American Kitchen.  This was a crazy restaurant located next to the Windsor Town Green.  The small Windsor downtown area is beautiful and we really enjoyed eating at KC’s.  I said it’s crazy because the restaurant has the most outrageous collection of signs, pictures, and bumper stickers that I have ever seen.  Just looking around the restaurant was entertaining.  The food was pretty good too.

After dinner we went back to Rio Nido and discovered that we were truly “in the woods” since the whole area was in pitch darkness.  We made our way to our room and settled for the night.  Jolynne was enjoying a relaxing night while the anticipation of the craziness of the next two days was starting to dawn on me. 

Packet Pickup

The next day we had breakfast and then headed up to Windsor for packet pickup and setting up T2.  The race packet pickup was incredibly organized and the expo was actually bigger than what I was expecting.  The packet pickup/T2/Race Finish takes place at Windsor High School.  The Vineman Full is combined with a women’s-only charity half-ironman called Barb’s Race.  That race attracts almost as many people as the Vineman Full.  The total number of participants approached the 2,000 mark.  So the packet pickup line was all the way out of the door of the cafeteria where they had set up.  This is when I started having a bit of a fit of anxiety.  The temperature was in the mid 80’s but the sun was so bright that standing out there in line it felt like 100 degrees.  I could only think of how brutal it was going to be out on the run the next.  Heck, how hot it would be out on the bike!  Having barely survived Expedition Man the year before (my first Ironman) I had an inkling of the sufferfest that heat could induce.  I tried to keep thoughts positive and focused on the fact that so much of the course is in the shade of trees.  Positive thinking!  Ughhh….

The line for packet pickup took about 20 minutes and it was fun to chat with fellow participants while waiting, first-timers and veterans alike.  I got my bib, bike, helmet stickers and my goodie bag with the typical race swag.  I got two special needs drop bags, one for the bike and the other for the run.  These bags are for any special nutrition, clothes, or equipment that I may need halfway through the run and/or the bike.  The bike special needs bag is taken to aid station #4 (around mile 70) and the run special needs bag is placed in an area just outside of T2.  The plan was to place a spare tube and a frozen bottle of Infinit drink in the bike bag and a frozen bottle of Infinit drink in the run bag.  Then the volunteers guide you to another line where you pick up your race shirt.  The race shirt was a short sleeve technical shirt and I really liked the design.

After packet pickup I went to the mandatory athlete briefing.  A really cool feature of this race is the athlete briefing that takes place in the indoor basketball courts of the high school.  The briefing is mandatory.  The meeting was actually very informative and helpful.  This is rare for triathlon orientation meetings.  They went through specific areas of the course and answered questions.  At the end they funneled everybody through one door for exit. 

The reason they funneled everybody through one door is because this race requires that everybody weigh in the day before the race.  So as you are going out they had 4 volunteers with scales and lists of participants ready to take your weight before you were allowed to leave.  In the old days of Ironman they did this so that they had a baseline weight for each participant.  They then they would have a couple of weigh-n checkpoints throughout the race.  The rule was that if you lost more than 10% body-weight you were not allowed to continue.  This actually was and is still standard in many Ultramarathon races.  Ironman does not have a weight cutoff rule anymore and neither does Vineman.  The reason Vineman collects the information is as a point of reference for the medical volunteers that will be supporting the race.  There will be many casualties throughout the day and not just at the finish line.  The weight baseline is a good indicator of the level of dehydration and overall stress on the body for participants who need medical assistance.  It is interesting that Vineman, a relatively smaller local race, can afford to do this but the Ironman branded race do not.  One more detail that show the quality of Vineman.

I then went to the expo tent where they were selling Vineman gear and was very tempted to buy the 25 Year Celebration jersey.  I am glad I didn’t get it because it was being sold for $75.  I got it a couple of months after the race for $45 and it is one of my favorite jerseys.  I did pick up a Vineman visor for about $20 and I really like it.  We then headed back to Guerneville where I did a test bike ride.  The test ride was a great idea because even though it was crowded I was able to work out a few kinks in my setup.  I tried to carry an extra tube tied to the back of my saddlebag and I quickly found out that the tube would not stay put so that idea was scratched.  I also lost my CO2 cartridge which unscrewed itself from its holder and fell out on the road.  I did recover it and put it on tight so that it wouldn’t fall.  Everything else worked like a charm and I felt the bike was ready to go.

After all of that we still had the entire afternoon so we decided to take a trip out to the ocean and up the coast.  We had a great time seeing the beautiful sights of the Pacific Ocean and in one spot we actually took a nice trail down to a secluded beach.  We spent some nice relaxing time there watching the sun get low in the sky.  The whole area around Guerneville and the coast is absolutely beautiful and I really enjoyed that evening with Jolynne.  We finished the day by having dinner (pizza for me) at the restaurant next to the place where we were staying.  It was really cool because the place is secluded and surrounded by redwoods so it was, once again, a pretty nice and relaxing time.

I had my obligatory oatmeal the night before a race (helps clear the plumbing in the AM) and then I did something I have never done before a race.  I shaved my legs.  This was the first time I have ever done that in my life and I chose to do it the night before an Ironman!  I broke a cardinal rule of endurance racing:  Do nothing new on race day.  Luckily this actually turned out to be great.  The shaved legs gave me a clean and fast feeling that was refreshing.  So after shaving my legs I talked with Jolynne for a bit while she made fun of my shaved legs and went to bed around 10pm feeling oddly relaxed.

Race Morning

I woke up at 2:00 am and had two bottles of Ensure.  Then I went to bed for 1.5 more hours of sleep and then woke up at 3:30.  I ate a banana and a bagel and went to bathroom to do my business and get ready.  After getting ready I woke up Jolynne and we got the bike and gear into the car and took off for T1 at Johnson’s Beach.  There was already a line of cars on River Road leading up to T1 and we were wondering where we were going to park.  Then we saw that a car turned left into a large driveway right before the bridge that is closest to the swim start.  We decided to follow that car and found a wide parking area next to the bridge that worked like a charm for us.  It was almost half a mile away from transition but it was in a spot where that had easy access to River Road and it was right next to the bridge where Jolynne would be taking pictures of the swim course.

Jolynne and I then walked down to T1 at Johnson’s Beach, which was pretty darn dark.  I need to remember to bring a head lamp the next time I do this race.  Jolynne did her classic move and she put out a lawn chair close to the swim start. The swim start started filling up very quickly with triathletes.  I set up my stuff while Jolynne scoped out the area.  I did my ritual of getting my hydration set up on the bike, checking tire pressure, and laying out the swim stuff and my tri top for the rest of the race.  I decided that I wanted a dry tri-top for the bike so I placed that with my helmet, sun glasses, etc.  I put my wetsuit on up to my waist and I made my way to the shore.  Jolynne took some pictures of me next to the start-line arch and I dipped my foot in the water.  The water was sooo warm compared to other triathlons I have done but it was still wetsuit legal.  I have never been as relaxed before a triathlon swim as I was for this one.  Jolynne and I just talked to people and enjoyed seeing all the tiny fish that would jump on the surface of the calm river.  If there was any current it was not apparent at all.  The surface was pretty much glass.

The Swim

Jolynne set up her lawn chair and I got ready to go.  Jolynne took a picture of me at the swim start and I got in line with my age group for the start of the swim.  I got in the water and felt awesome.  It was so warm compared to the triathlons I have done in Utah.  I got myself in the middle of the group and waited.  The horn went off and I started swimming at a relaxed pace.  There were tons of people around me but I didn’t feel too crowded.  I was surprised that the water didn’t feel as shallow as I had expected.  I really couldn’t touch bottom until I got to the turnaround where it was almost impossible to take a stroke without hitting bottom with my hands.  I stood up and walked the turnaround, which was a bit sketchy because of all the rocks in that area.  I did not enjoy the turnaround and it definitely slowed me down.

On the way down to the start I could feel it getting very warm.  The sun was coming out over the redwoods and the whole place looked magical.  However, with the sun came heat and I was starting to feel this as I swam in my full-body wetsuit.  I definitely could feel a bit of an assist from the very light current once I got to deeper water.  This made me a bit concerned as to how tired I would be on the trip back on loop 2.  I got back to the start with very little effort and feeling really good so I got myself ready for the “uphill” climb.  As I turned around I could feel some of that assist gone but it really wasn’t at all difficult to get going.  By that point I was in a groove and I just tried to keep rhythm.  There was quite a bit of contact on the second loop with faster swimmers gapping me and the fact that the river is so narrow.  However, I had been in the river for so long already that the effort and the contact were just part of the normality of the day.  The turnaround was once again sketchy but expected.  The swim to the finish was a thing of beauty.  I felt comfortable and strong.  I came out of the water feeling very good and happy that I took my planned 1.5 hours.  I was not ahead of schedule but I was definitely not behind.

I came out of the water and the wetsuit strippers got to me really fast.  I don’t know what happened but that wetsuit would not come off my thighs and that volunteer almost picks me off the ground trying to take the wetsuit off.  Once it did I went to transition (T1) and got my wet tri-top off and then attempted to put a dry one on.  This was very hard to do because I was wet and that stupid tri-top was bunching up.  It took me forever to put it on.  I then put all my gear in the T1 bag provided by the race, got my bike, grabbed a granola bar and made my way to the hill out of transition.

I heard Jolynne give me a shout out and I saw her at the sideline on the hill out of T1.  She was videotaping the whole thing and seemed to be cracking up for some reason.  After the race I found out why she was cracking up.  I heard that the recommended technique for that hill on Vineman is to walk your bike up to the flat and then mount.  It seems like not too many people paid attention to this advice and tried to mount at the bottom of the hill.  This resulted in many dropped bikes and funny efforts and Jolynne got quite a few of them on her camera.  So, needless to say, T1 was very entertaining for Jolynne.

The Bike

I finished my granola bar as I walked the bike up the hill and once up there I mounted without any issues and wound my way out to River Road.  The weather was perfect, crisp but not cold.  I got in the aerobars and took in some liquid nutrition and then settled in as best I could.  This was a bit difficult because there were so many people out on the course.  For the first five miles I spent half my time out of the aerobars due to the number of people to navigate around and the hills and turns.  I was worried about the turn onto Sunset, which eventually takes you to Westside road.  The race orientation had stated that this was a very sharp turn and that every year they had tons ofpeople take the turn too fast and end up in the blackberry bushes.  I was ready for it but it was still treacherous with so many people trying to hit that tight turn all at once.  I made it and then wound my way up the very steep hill that takes up to Westside road.

From the course recon I had done I knew that Westside was slightly uphill and fairly long and bumpy.  The recon was right on and this portion was initially challenging.  After a while I got myself into a rhythm and did the best I could to go fast while keeping to the proper heart rate.  It was hard to keep in the aerobars with all of the ups and downs and passing.  It was also a bit hard to see potholes on the road.  This portion of the Vineman course is known for not having the smoothest riding conditions and it showed.  There were potholes, ruts and divets.   The road damage wasn’t constant but constant enough that you have to be careful.  To complicate matters the sun shines through the canopy of trees and creates shadows that make it hard to spot some of the road damage.  The road is totally doable but you have to be careful and it affects the speed at which I felt I could comfortably go.  I did hit a few of those potholes and I guess on one of those I lost one of my nutrition bottles.  I only noticed once I got out from under a canopy of trees and the sun shone a shadow of my bike on the road.  I could see that one of my rear bottles was gone.  This would mean that I would have to stop at an aid station to refill once my aero bottle and my remaining rear bottles were depleted.  Oh well.

After Westside the road opens up a bit and it really starts showcasing the incredible beauty of the course.  The vineyards show up in full force on both sides of the road and the contrast of the sky, the green and the sun make for a spectacle.  I felt really good for the first 30 miles or so even with all of the rolling hills.  That’s the thing about this course that I knew would eventually become extremely challenging.  The course is pretty much a constant up and down and I knew that eventually this would catch up with me.  As turned on to Chalk Hill road I got myself ready for the first real test of the day: Chalk Hill.  The average grade for the whole road is 5.5% but for the hill itself is 15% with a climb of about 500 feet.  The thing is challenging for sure at mile 40 of the course but it would be horrendously challenging at mile 100 on the second loop.

I got myself mentally ready and took the first hill on the road (not Chalk Hill) as a prep for the real thing soon to come.  I started hearing people up ahead and I knew that it was coming.  Then I got to it and the thing went steeeeep.  The hill was lined with people, not “Heartbreak Hill” lined with people but it had the most spectators I had seen for a long while on the course.  They were raucous and had cowbells.  All the enthusiasm helped and it allowed me to power up the hill feeling pretty good.  The hill has three turns and once I made it to the top I changed gears and got ready for the super-fast downhill.  The other side did not disappoint and I got mega speed and great recovery.

The rest of that first loop was very nice and controlled.  Heat was becoming a factor though.  I got back to Windsor and then started a new section of the course that added the mileage necessary to complete the 112 miles of the bike course.  To my delight and surprise the roads (specifically Eastside) on this side of the course had been repaved and was buttery-smooth.  The day was getting hotter and hotter and I was very happy to stop at the aid station at mile 70 or so.  That’s where they had the special needs bags and I picked up a refill of Infinit nutrition powder which I mixed up and put on the bike.  I also started to pouring water over my head to make sure I could control my body temperature.

I got back on the bike and continued the second half of the course.  The name of the game from this point on was to focus on taking in my nutrition, staying cool and controlling my heart rate.  Luckily that strategy was still netting me above 18 mph average speed so I was happy with the results thus far.  Miles 70 through 100 were fairly uneventful but around mile 85 or so the fatigue definitely started to set in.  One cool thing about this course is how much access spectators have to the course if they plan properly and since I have a wife that is one of the best planners in the world I was able to see her at multiple points all over the course, which was a huge help.  She would show up and surprise me at the most random points throughout the course and give me a cheer, which helped a ton to keep my energy up and also made for a lot of good pictures.

I started to see lots of casualties by the side of the road as I was making my way up to Chalk Hill road for the second time.  Some were fatigued and others were just dealing with mechanical issues.  It was concerning to see so many victims to fatigue because the day would only get hotter from that point on.  And then there was Chalk Hill.  It was a fun challenge at mile 40 but now as I approached it nearing mile 100 I really had no clue how I was going to make it up that thing.  I finally got to the hill and I went to a low gear and put my head down.  As I did so I saw permanent markers on the ground that denoted that this was mile 40 and 100, a testament of the longevity of this course.  The effort to get up the hill was intense.  There were more spectators on the hill than before but unfortunately it didn’t help much.  The type of effort I had to put in to get up that hill was such that it becomes hard to hear or see anything than what is immediately in front of you or in this case below you since I had my head down most of the time.  I was in the lowest gear and alternating between standing up and sitting down.  One turn, two turns.  I could now see the top and see that spectators were going crazy and looking crazy.  Some of the spectators were in crazy costumes but I can’t even remember what they were.  I finally made it past the third turn and to the top of the hill.  All I could hear were cowbells and people shouting “way to go!”  I did a little fist pump and prepared myself for the fast downhill.  I actually had to hold back on the speed going downhill because I was so tired and had to be careful not to make a handling mistake.  I got down to flat and got ready for the last 12 miles of the course.

The heat was now a very real factor.  By the time I got to Shiloh Road I was more than ready for the freaking bike leg to be over.  I actually wasn’t all that sure how long the bike leg had taken me but I knew that it was significantly better than my first Ironman where I took 7:08 although that included 10 minutes to change a flat.  I cruised in towards Windsor High School (T2) and heard Jolynne shouting out “Wahoo!!! You killed it!”  I got to the dismount line and figured I had taken about 6.5 hours to complete the 112 miles.  My goal was to get the bike done in 6:45, so I was happy with the progress thus far.  I got to the dismount line and walking did not feel as bad as I thought it would at that point.  The only problem was that from the dismount line to the bike racks was over a tenth of a mile and it felt like it took forever to get to the racks.  It took me a bit to locate my spot which was frustrating to me but I eventually did.  I took my time racking the bike and putting on my shoes, race number, visor and handheld bottle of cold Infinit.  My core felt very sore and the heat was just radiating everywhere.

As I made my way toward the T2 exit all I could see was carnage.  People lying on the ground anywhere they could find shade and people moving around very slowly.  I started jogging my way out to the aid station at the T2 exit and right before I hit the timing mat I realized that I had left my GPS chip in my bento box on my bike.  I was now wrestling with the decision to go back for it or to just say screw it and go by time and heart rate only.  I decided to forget about it and just use time and heart rate.  A volunteer then offered to give me some ice and she proceeded to dump ice inside the back of my tri-top.  That felt like a shock to the system but it eventually started feeling heavenly.   Then I was on my way…

The Run

I started with a brisk walk out to Windsor Road and decided to walk all the way to the corner rather than start running so early.  My body still has a hard time figuring out the whole transition from the bike to run in a long course tri and I figured I would play it conservatively.  Tons of people were passing me all over the place but I held to my strategy.  In my first Ironman I made the mistake of putting up a fairly fast first half and that almost turns into a DNF.  I would not make that mistake here, especially with the challenge of the course and the heat of the day.

The Vineman run course consists of three loops of a 4.37 mile stretch of roads in Windsor.  This means that each “there-and-back” loop is 8.73 miles and all three loops are 26.2 miles.  Some people don’t like this because it becomes monotonous.  I love it for the same reason the race director loves it.  It made for very well stocked and supported aid stations at every mile and a course that had a lot of runners in it and a lot of crowd support, especially in the mile around Windsor High School.  Interactions with others is critical in the last leg of an Ironman where you are hurting the most and this course had support and people everywhere.

The race keeps track of each loop run by handing out a wristband every time one got back to Windsor High School.  This way you could tell who was in which loop.  This could be very motivating and disheartening depending on which loop you were running.  The first part of the course is fairly flat and the second mile is fairly shaded so things started out OK, however the last 2.37 miles out to the turnaround were very hilly.  My approach was to run the flats, walk the hills and walk the aid stations.  I also decided that I would keep a close eye on my heart rate and if it started going down (sign of bonking) I would take the salt pills that I brought with me.  I also decided to take Coke early on at the aid stations.  Flat Coke is what saved my first Ironman race and I would start using it early.  My goal for the run was a sub 5-hour marathon and by the look of things it would be very hard to achieve that.

As I was making my way out to the hills I saw a competitor that I had seen in many Ironman broadcasts before and who has been an inspiration to me.  I came up upon Harriet Anderson, a 78 year-old lady who was participating in the Barb’s Race Half Ironman that was taking place on the same course as Vineman that day.  She was jogging along and looking strong making her way to the Barb’s turnaround point just up ahead.  I asked her “Are you Harriet Anderson?” She smiled and sad “Yes.”  I told her I was a fan, that she was an inspiration to all of us middle-aged athletes and then I wished her luck.  She extended her hand and I shook it and she smiled and said “Thanks! And good luck to you too.”  Talk about a boost to my confidence on this day.  If a 78 year-old can slay the course the course the way she was slaying this one then I could finish this thing.

At mile three the steepest of the hills comes up and it is a doozy.  Luckily the hill is mostly in the shade so at least there is some reprieve from the heat.  Once at the top I went back to jogging and came up on the last aid station where I got some nutrition and made my way to the turnaround.  One leg down, many more to go.  I now started to see many people puking and I saw an ambulance coming to get somebody off the course.  This part of the course was not shaded at all and it really felt like people were having a very difficult time with the heat.  On the way back I saw a couple of people from the BegginerTriathlete forum group and I passed one.  I knew Tom from the group was probably ahead of me but as far as I knew I was now ahead of everybody else.  The run back to transition was fairly uneventful.  I got to T2 was diverted to a turnaround chute and given a purple bracelet that signified completion of loop #1.  I was very happy to get that and to me it signified one more accomplishment in a very long day.

On the way out of transition I once again got some Ice down my back and I decided that I would be putting ice down my back every other aid station for the remainder of the run.  I then stopped by the run special needs bag area and refilled with a new cold bottle of Infinit.  I made my way out of transition jogging and feeling OK but definitely exhausted.  By the time I made it two miles into the second loop I was feeling deep fatigue, which led me to check my heart rate.  My heart rate was starting to go down from the average in the 150’s down to 135.  This immediately told me that I needed to back off and start taking in electrolytes and salt tabs.  I carried two salt tabs in my handheld bottle and I took them both.  I also resolved to drink plenty of Coke at every aid station for the rest of the course.

It frustrated me to have to walk for a little while but I knew that if I didn’t I could face a race-ending bonk later on like I had during my first Ironman (luckily that did not end in a DNF but it almost does).  After walking for a while I felt good to jog to the next aid station where I took plenty of Coke.  I immediately started feeling better and my heart rate started to stabilize.  I then felt pretty good to go back to jogging and I got a second wind.  As I made my way back to T2 I couldn’t help but notice the people with two loop bracelets and felt very envious.  With one mile to go to T2 my stupid race belt came completely undone and I ended up walking quite a bit trying to fix it.  It took me a few minutes but I got it fixed and continued to jog.  Soon enough I made my way to T2 again and claimed my own 2^nd loop bracelet and made my way out to for the last loop.

The last loop was brutally hot and I was stopping at every aid station to get ice and dump water over myself.  I went to the bathroom at the aid station closest to the turnaround and then I made my way back for the last 4 miles of the course.  I started thanking all the volunteers at every aid station and I knew that I had the race in hand.  Many, many people were sidelined along the road and I overheard quite a few conversations of people that were ready to pull out.  The course and the heat was eating people up but I was feeling like I could continue jogging.  I started passing a lot of people but I realized that my bathroom stop and my issue with the race belt probably cost me a sub 5 hr. marathon time.  I still had a good shot at a sub 13:30 and I kept focused on that.

The last mile of the course was sooo hard but at the same time it was awesome because the support from the crowd on the course is loud and crazy and it just infuses you with energy.  It felt like the whole town turned out to cheer us on and the energy literally carried me to Windsor road. 

I got to Windsor Road and got on the sidewalk leading to the High School.  I literally ran through a scream tunnel of encouragement.  I then took the last left turn toward the finish line and I started the celebration.  I could hear Jolynne shouting my name and then I saw the wine barrels that made up the finish line and the finish line tape that every competitor gets at Vineman.  I pumped my fists grabbed the finish line tape over my head and finished Vineman!  The final time was 13:22:15.  Well under my 13:30 goal.  An Ironman once more!

My final times were as follows:  Swim 1:32:18, Bike 6:25:37, Run 5:06:29, Total 13:22:15.  I definitely could have done better at T1 and there were little things throughout that I could have done better but overall I was very happy with how the day turned out.  At the Finish line I got my Finisher’s medal and finisher’s shirt.  I took a picture at the Vineman banner and then made my way to the finish line food which was plentiful.  After putting some food into me I went to the edge of the athlete area to talk to Jolynne who was very happy for me.  The effort of the day then came crashing down on me and I felt faint.  Jolynne took me to the medical tent where I was able to lie down and get some help.  Luckily I didn’t need to get an IV but it was nice to lie down and get some hydration in me.

We then very slowly made our way back to the car feeling very satisfied with the effort and with an awesome race day.  Thanks to the Vineman organization for a top notch experience.  The Vineman people have been putting this race on successfully for 25 years and it shows.  I will be back!

Update:  Vineman has been acquired by Ironman.  It will be an Ironman branded race in 2017.  I’m already signed up.