The weakest link is where I found my strength

Ironman Louisville Race Recap

Race morning we woke up at 4:15 and ate bagels fruit and Lara bars. Jack and I got rolling around 5AM both joking and feeling very relaxed.
I got into transition, filled my aero bottle and tires and headed to the swim with Micky Ryzmic, Jack and Tim Ritt. The mood was loose as we were all dropping middle aged white guy jokes left and right. Good stuff....body marking was quick and painless as were the facilities. We jumped in line for the swim with kar-Ming and Chris. We lost Jack some where, but figured he jumped in line with some other CTC folks....We waited an hour or so for the canon, and then 40 minutes to get in the water.

At the swim start we just ran down a dock in a single file line and jumped in, and started swimming. It seemed like a very smooth process. Once in, I focused on settling my heart rate and finding my stroke. The first 3/4 miles are into the current with an island to the left making the channel narrow. This caused some congestion but it wasn't bad. I did throw a few elbows in defense, but it was light contact for the most part. Once around the island you swim with the current. The river was moving slowly, so this wasn't much help. I just swam and enjoyed the meditation of a long open water swim. I never missed having a wet suit. The swim went smoothly. My swim time was 1:39.40. On the surface it was slow, but we also had no wetsuits or mass start pull. I am satisfied with my swim.

T1 was uneventful. I took my time and made sure every thing was sound and moved on. 7:42

I hit the bike feeling very good. my turnover was good and I felt as good on the bike as I have all year. I began passing peaple immediately. My race plan is generally to hang back early, butI felt fine and easy, so I just went with it. The first 12 miles are flat and easy. As I headed into an early climb I dropped my chain. No big deal, I got it back going with out a dismount. A little while later it happened again. This time I had to dismount. While clipping back in I was rear ended by another rider. I checked to makesure he and his bike were OK, checked myself and proceeded. At this point I became aware that the chain would be an issue and it made me tenitve when dropping into my small ring. My speed was good at around a 16.40 avg mph. This was my goal pace. At around mile 40 we hit a series of short steep inclines. On the toughest one I dropped into my small ring and spun out. I got my foot to the ground quickly as I had no power and was afraid I would go down. I heard other riders say "He broke his chain, that sucks". They were talking about me. I pulled the bike off of the course, took a leak, and got to work on the chain. This slowed me down, but I was able to do a quick fix. I hopped on and could not get the chain to stay in the small ring. At the next aid station I got off to do some adjustments. They had a mechanic that went to work on it, so I sat under a tent and had a Lara bar and bottle of water. I also watched the rest of the field roll past me. I was a teporary spectator and I was soon going to be far back. I thought of Jen C at lake placid and her determination to keep going. I remained calm and refused to become frustrated by my trouble.
Once the mechanic handed the bike back to me I got moving. I had to walk a line between getting back into position and staying patient. I still had 70 miles to ride and the heat was rising. The chain was working well so I began to feel more confident in the bike. I started moving up in the pack once again. I found another rider that was trying to recover time after a broken chain. We were together for a short time before a tube shot out of my tool bag. I had failed to zip it after the aid station. Duh! The tube got caught between my brake caliper and wheel. The other rider vanished. I shook my head, dealt with it and got moving. I was growing a little frustrated, but remained calm knowing I had 50 more miles and it was getting really hot. I maintained a good mix of urgency and patients. I began once again to pass riders that were familiar from before my many mechanical issues. The second loop was much less eventful. Just roller after roller and VERY HOT.
Within the last 25 miles I saw a lot of riders camped in the shade at the side of the road. My confidence was on the upswing, and I spun my way through the final flat 12 miles before arriving at T2.
Bike time 7:35. I am very happy about my effort and ability to stay positive through all of the mechanical issues. In hindsight I would have swapped out the chain a few weeks ago. It was the only heavy wear gear I decided to not replace. Lesson learned.

At T2 I saw the other broken chain victom. I was happy to know I had made up a lot of ground. I got ready to run, got sunscreen, hit the loo and headed off to the marathon. My legs felt good and I was feeling very positive. I had made the cut off. I was still going.

The first 4 miles of the run were going well. I ran from aid station to aid station and enjoyed the crowd along the course. The heat was brutel. Mid 90's. My pace slowed and the walk breaks grew longer as I was doing every thing I could to stay cool and hydrated. I began to see all the CTC friends I had lost contact with hours earlier.
During the mid section, my walk breaks were becoming jog breaks. My attitude was still good. I spent much of this time encouraging others. I think sharing my positive feelings helped me to maintain a good attitude myself.
Some where close to mile 16 I started to get into a funk. I was really growing tired and my focus was waining. I began to question my well being. I was having trouble consuming fuel. I really took my time trying to get pretzels, gels, banana's, water, gatorade, and coke inside of me. I fought off nausea and pushed forward. The finish seemed so far away, but I had come so far. I couldn't quit, but I wasn't sure if I could continue. the dark of night brought cooler temperatures, but the heat of the day had done its damage. I was spent. My goal was to remain upright and forward.
At the final turn around I broke through the darkness. I could see my path clearly. I was able to stretch my running further and further. Walk breaks shortened. I was rooting every one else on and geting chatty. I grabbed a full 24 ouce bottle of water and just sipped the rest of the way. The closer I got, the better I felt. I ran alot of the final section and turned onto fourth street feeling really strong.
The crowd on fourth was amazing. I couldn't help but to ham it up as I coaxed the crowed to get louder. Just before going under the Ironman arch before the finish, I cought my toe on a cobble stone. My hamstring completey seized and I stopped, hobbling in circles. The crowed quieted. I turned to the finish, picked up my legs and found my stride. The crowed roared as I ran into the finish. I was VERY happy. It was fun looking up at the big sceen to see my finish.
Run 5:51.18 Wow, that is a long time to be on a marathon course. I was so happy just to finish.This run was really hard. The heat was brutal.
Total time 15:24.25
After I finished I walked over to the convention center for recovery. I grabbed what limited food I could and laid down in the hall way with my feet in the air. I made phone calls to Bbop, M, and my folks. As I got off the phone with M, I felt a little quizzy and rolled on my side. A volunteer asked if I needed assistance. I declined. He said he would be much more comfortable if I went to medical. The next thing I know I was in a wheel chair with about five volunteers surrounding me. My hamstring was completely locked up and screaming and I was having a familiar hypoglycemic attack. This includes a seizure, blackout, fainting, and my skin turning ghostly white. They hooked me up to an IV massaged my hamstring and ran tests. As I began to feel better I got a hold of Jack. He said his son Michael had already retrieved my bike and gear. I became chatty with the other athletes starring at the ceiling. Michael came to escort meback to the hotel and all was good.
I am very greatful to the medical staff, volunteers and Michael.

Overall I achieved my goals. I dug deep and left every thing on the course. I fought through all adversity, stayed positive and had an amazing day. The city of Louisville is great.
Thank you all for your help and encouragement throughout the past year.