Icing on the Cake: Ironman Florida Race Report

Ironman Florida Race Report

11/4/17, Panama City Beach, Florida

9:17:55 (9th Place Men 35-39, 16th Place Overall)

Swim- 54:55/ Bike- 4:40:05/ Run- 3:35:19

As with all my reports I like to start by thanking those that make it possible.  My successes are the direct result of my support crew.  Very little of what I accomplish is attributable to me.  Most successes can be directly traced to my friends and family who are the real champions.  My little village inspires and empowers me and I am thankful every day.  My team makes the dream, and I'm the luckiest guy on earth.  Most importantly, I have the greatest wife on earth....Full Stop.  I have the coolest little girl ever born...Full Stop.  I love you Britt and Sloanie more than I can convey in one of these silly blog posts.  I love you mom, dad, Lummy, Jacko, Ricky, Bobby, and little Royce.  I love you Trey McFerren, Graham Sheppard, Dan Szajta, Chris Berney, and all of my SpeakUp/Hammer crew.  I appreciate everyone in the Richmond Tri community who overwhelm me with positive thoughts, comments and support.  I'm not sure who I paid off in a previous life to deserve these riches but I'm thankful that I do.

So....how do you cap a season in which you achieved your dream of qualifying for Kona?  Well, if you are me, you do another Ironman 5 weeks later (I never claimed to make good athletic choices).  My focus was always on Chattanooga (and thank goodness it was), but I ended up signing up for Florida when my best buddy and training partner qualified for 70.3 Worlds and was no longer able to compete at both Worlds and IMChatt.  He re-arranged his schedule so that his focus would shift to Florida and being the easily influenced lemming that I am, I agreed to join as it would be his first full (plus he's a legit badass and I knew he would crush and I wanted a front row seat).  After having my dream result at Chattanooga it would have been easy to pack it in and call it a season, but I'm always open for another good challenge (plus there was no way to transfer my Florida entry to another race since it is the end of the season).  Prior to this double, I had previously done two Ironman races within 8 weeks (on two different occasions) but this was going to be my smallest turn around window.  When I signed up for Florida (prior to Chattanooga) I knew an Ironman double with scarcely more than a month between the two races would require a really high level of fitness and smart choices.  I was in uncharted waters and unsure of what to expect.

IMFL proved to be a testament to my fitness, my training mates, and my amazing coach Eric Limkemann (shout out to coach who just retired from pro racing and is now taking on more athletes...hint hint).  Although I wrecked myself physically and emotionally at Chattanooga, my body bounced back quickly.  I was shocked that I was able to settle back into regular training within a week.  I surprised myself with a couple of long Zwift rides with excellent power and low heart rate.  The toughest part was jumping back into training from a psychological standpoint.  Physically my body responded like a champion, but emotionally I struggled the last few weeks.  I won't lie, it was pretty tough to keep going to the well day after day especially when that well was located on a bike trainer in my garage.  Despite my less than rosy disposition, the numbers/data kept telling me I was fit, and I hit several key hard long runs and rides (including a 17 mile run under 7:00 pace...previously a pipe dream). However, my mind was slow to get on board which was compounded by the fact that I struggle with seasonal depression and shorter day/cooler temperatures don't help my mindset and mood.  Despite all this, Eric was confident that a 9 hour performance was possible, but I had my doubts and I re-calibrated my personal goal for sub 9:15.

Eric prepared me (and I knew) that racing at IMFL would require dealing with a much higher level of discomfort since I was fit but not fresh.  Pulling a good result out of myself would mean having to fight through more pain than usual as compared to a fully tapered A race, but I was prepared to deal with that eventuality.  I arrived in Florida on Wednesday evening and had a few restful days with my family and friends.  The weather in Florida was perfect and I enjoyed some sun, pleasant meals and quality family time.  A real highlight was my carbo load breakfast on Friday at the Pancakery. If you are in PCB and love pancakes...go there ASAP.  Wow!!!!  I also have to thank my buddy Steve Jackson for helping me fix a mechanical with my rear brake on Thursday night.  He got my issue cleared up and alleviated some significant anxiety that was building as a result of a non-functioning rear brake.  On Friday we did bike check in and relaxed around the condo.  I even got to spend a little time on the beach with sissy poo.  By Friday Afternoon I was beginning to feel the nerves and anxiousness that always comes with the knowledge that I am about to turn myself inside out for 10 hours...but I guess that is one of the reasons I keep coming back for more.

Race-Morning

I woke up at 3:30 race morning and duplicated the plan that worked so well at Chattanooga.  I barely slept and had several sweat attacks that had me soaking wet all night.  At 3:30 I was up for good and drank a 32 ounce bottle of applesauce.  After I let that settle I rounded out breakfast with Steel Cut Oatmeal, a banana and a power bar.  I washed it down with my first bottle of Gatorade Endurance.  I met Graham at 4:30 and we walked down to transition together.  We got our areas set up and met up with Eric, Steve, Rob, Justin, and Chris in the hotel lobby.  Determined not to make the same mistake as last year we got our wetsuits on and went out to the beach to prepare for the swim start (see last year's post for a description of our cluster*ck swim start).  It was still pretty dark and chilly but it was nice to watch the dawn break while we waited for race start.  At 6:40 the Physically Challenged athletes went off and we were pushed down the start chute for our 6:45 start.  I enjoyed those last few moments of pounding music and feeling the electricity of the athletes and fans around me.  I felt, calm, thankful and prepared.  About a minute before the gun went off I filled up with tears.  It is always in that exact moment that I feel the most gratitude for everyone and everything.  Before I knew it, the cannon was blasting off and we were charging into the water.

Swim- 54:55
Last year my swim was comically bad.  I made every rookie move in the book and sighted like a total jack wad.  This year I paid much more attention to my surroundings and planned my sight points before getting into the water.  The water was calm and the chop was low.  It was a beautiful morning for a swim.  The first loop was pretty dark with tinted goggles but I felt relaxed and got into a good rhythm.  I knew I was near the front of the field but focused on my own pace and found some feet to follow on the first loop.  The sun was breaking on the second loop and it made for a beautiful visual for the last 25 minutes.  The second loop got a little hairy as we came upon some of the later waves and things got more violent and physical.  I got kicked in the jaw and someone raked my ear which ended up bleeding for the rest of the day.  The swim was otherwise uneventful and my second loop was definitely slower due to the crowd, but my lines were good and the swim was better than last year.  The garmin says I swam an extra 200 yards which makes no sense because the graph looks good....oh well, mission accomplished.

The only other issues in the swim were leg cramping which I attribute to the wet suit, running in the sand, and sudden leg movements to avoid people zig zagging in front of me.  No big deal and I was able to settle my legs down as soon as I got onto the bike.  As I exited the water I peeled the top half of my wetsuit down and pulled up my Wattie Speakup kit.  The wetsuit strippers were on point and soon I was off to the races through T1.  T1 was fairly efficient and I got my bike gear on and prepared for a fast ride.  I ran through transition holding my bike shoes since the transition was so long and I would absolutely do this again.  The transition is far too long to run in bike shoes.  So far things were going exactly to plan and I felt great.

Bike- 4:39.59
Avg Power-233, Norm Power-237, VI- 1.02
Avg HR- 141, Avg Cadence- 85, Avg Speed- 24 mph

If you told me 5 years ago that I would one ride 112 miles under 4:40 I would have laughed and told you to take another hit of Ayahuasca.  My goal time was 4:45 which was totally realistic and would still leave me with the ability to run well if I nailed my target wattage.  The pacing plan was to ride between 225-235 watts with a heart rate cap of 140 bpm.  As I got out on the ride, I found that my body naturally settled into 240 watts and 140 bpm.  I was a bit concerned in the early stages that I was riding too hard but every time I tried to back it down to 225 it just didn't feel right and I found myself settling back into 240.  I decided to roll with it and deal with whatever consequences would manifest on the run.  The average power was a bit lower for the last hour as I was able to take advantage of the slight downhill slope as we headed back toward the water and I seemed to be pulling people back with less effort.  This ended up leaving me with a split that was right at the top end of my target and right on the money!

The conditions were fast and the wind was low.  Florida is a tough course mentally because it is one big loop and if you are out front it makes for a lot of lonely hours on the bike.  Fortunately, I have gotten mentally tougher this year and found that I dealt with this better than years past on similar courses like Ironman Texas. I was passed by a few uber bikers on the early stages and there were a few sections where I was in close proximity with a few other riders but for the most part I was alone for about 60-70% of the ride.  By the time I got to mile 75 I knew I had ridden well (and smart) because I saw that I was pulling back time on a few of the guys that passed me early on.  My power was staying consistent and my mindset was good.  In fact, I actually re-passed three guys in the last 30 miles on the way back to the beach.  Despite riding well, it has been a long season and I was ready to get off the bike by mile 90.  It was hot and there was no shade.  I was looking forward to the run and showcasing all of my hard work with a strong run split.

From a nutrition standpoint I used the same plan as Chattanooga (and will continue to use it moving forward).  I focused almost exclusively with on course nutrition and planned to drink 2 bottles of Gatorade Endurance per hour.  I was able to stay pretty close to this goal and probably drank the equivalent of 7 bottles.  I supplemented with two power bars and 15 s-caps for the periods that I was drinking less due to frequent urination.  My energy levels and mood were good during the whole ride which leads me to believe that I didn't take my body on a glycemic roller coaster and kept the nutrition smooth and consistent.

The only issue on the bike was acid reflux during the first 60 miles.  When I got kicked in the swim I swallowed a big gulp of salt water and it took a few hours to settle that down.  For the first two hours I kept having to burp and unfortunately those burps were accompanied by bile.  It was pretty gross but manageable and I didn't let it impact my ride in any significant way.  On a more positive note, for the first time all season, my bike performed flawlessly!  No flat tires, mechanicals or crashes.  When Elsa runs smooth she is faaaasssst and the proof is in the bike split pudding!  As I rolled into town I was so excited to see a huge negative split on the bike and a 4:40 overall split.  A 9 hour day was still a real possibility!

T2 was uneventful short of typical leg cramping as I adjusted to being off the bike.  The change tent was a little ugly as I locked up like the tin man, but my legs relaxed a bit as I ran out of transition.  Putting on socks proved to be a challenge for a minute though!!!!  Unfortunately I tripped over a curb and rolled my ankle on the way out to the run course but I just kept running and didn't think much of it.  Apparently it was worse than I thought because today I have Elephantiasis of the ankle and I can barely walk.  I'm not sure how I did 26.2 on that sucker based on the way it feels today!

Run- 3:35:19
8:10/mile, Avg HR-142

Getting off the bike I was pretty tight and crampy through T2 and the first mile.  I focused on finding my stride and getting my BASE salts down and things settled down within the first ten minutes.  The game plan was to run according to HR.  The first loop goal was to run 145-150 HR with stryd wattage between 300-320.  Ideally I would raise my HR cap and my pace for a strong finish.  My back end HR goal was 150-155.  The power meter was acting wonky so I mainly just focused on the HR.  I thought I would be able to run 3:15 on a perfect day but it ended up being quite a bit hotter than I was anticipating and the run splits reflected that reality despite running according to correct heart rate. I never felt really good on the run but I never felt bad either (until my legs abandoned me at mile 21).  Mostly I just focused on ticking off one mile at a time and watching my HR.  Despite the heat I was able to keep my HR exactly in check.  My mile splits were consistently ticking off between 7:30-7:50.  In fact I didn't run above 8:00 until mile 21 which was a huge victory for me.  If I didn't have Chatt in my legs I think my pace would have still dropped off between 21-26 but I think it would have been more like 8:30s instead of 10:00 miles.  If that was the case I would have been in the mid 3:20s and likely under 9:10 for the day....ah well, always room to improve!

Prior to the race Eric and I discussed that fitness would not be my limiter but muscle fatigue would.  That proved to be the case on the tail end of the run.  It was simply more than my little legs could handle and I felt my quads beginning to go around mile 15.  They held on strong for another 10K but by the time I got to mile 21 things quickly devolved into full on quad and hamstring cramping.  There was a really tough stretch between mile 22 and 24 where I was having to stop, stretch and walk a lot. I knew that 9:00 and 9:10 were probably out of reach but still thought sub 9:20 was still in the cards.  Somehow I summoned the strength to run slowly for the last 15-20 minutes without stopping and although the pace was painfully slow, it secured my my first 9:20 result and a massive PR over the distance.  During the run I knew there would be super runners that would pass me but I also knew that people would be exploding in the heat.  One thing I've learned this year is that things are never as bad as they seem and everyone is fighting their own battles (particularly on the run).  If you keep moving forward good things can happen!

For the majority of the run I was chasing a new friend, Joe Adriaens, who was running for a Kona slot in M30-34.  He ended up one slot short after the volunteers misdirected him on course and he ran an extra mile and a half!  I have no doubt he will punch his Kona ticket one day as he is a truly fast athlete and has the right attitude.  I was fortunate to share about 3 miles with him from 14-17 where we chatted a bit and helped each other keep pace.  I knew that he was competing against my other buddy Steve Jackson for that last Kona slot and I enjoyed watching the back and forth between them.  Just as we were about to enter the park at the far end of the run course someone gave Joe an update that Steve was closing from behind and Joe kicked it into high gear and dropped me like a bad habit.  Really impressive stuff!!!!  From then on I was back to running my race solo and managing the hurt as best I could.  Steve caught and passed me at about mile 20 and I estimated that Joe was about one minute up the road.  Steve kicked it into high gear and was gone in a flash.  Steve ended up claiming the final Kona slot and overcame several bike mechanicals to do so.  Congrats to Steve on a really gritty performance and for running the last 10K of that marathon like a veteran (it was his first IM!).  He is truly deserving and I'm excited to race alongside him at Kona next October (also an Eric Limkemann coached athlete....hint hint)!

From a nutrition standpoint I had a gel flask with six watered down gels which I sipped over the first half marathon.  I was also trying to drink two cups of gatorade at every aid station while stuffing ice down my shammy around my neck.  Once I switched to a cup of Pepsi and two cups of Gatorade at every aid station.  I was also trying to take 2 hits of BASE salts every mile.  From an energy standpoint I felt good and I don't think nutrition was my limiter.  I think it was just muscular fatigue that bit me in the ass.

On course moral support was not in short supply.  Trey and Eric were all over.  It was so helpful having friendly faces and encouragement every few miles.  My mom and Lummy were there giving me just the right amount of love and support at the perfect time.  At the half marathon turn around Lummy gave me my lucky Chattanooga CKG bracelet and I felt a power up from Cam (Thanks Dave and Grace for letting me borrow your girl's spirit again for some tough miles).  My dad also got busy on his bike and was riding all over the marathon course giving me words of encouragement at every opportunity.  He was with me during the really dark miles and got a firsthand glimpse at how ugly things can get.  His encouragement was just what I needed to push through.  It was also awesome to have so many other friends and family out on course: Justin Moyer, Emma Moyer and her daughters Gentry and Sutton, Rob Green, Mary Beth Green and Libby, Graham Sheppard, Chris Ratchford and his family, Dave Shand, Gina Shand, Margaret Rechel, Chris Aldrich, Kori Sheppard, Sue Sheppard, Shaun Sheppard, and Steve's wife Mandy (who is a super sherpa in her own right!).  In other words there was no shortage of external energy from which to draw inspiration.  I never gave in and I never quit on myself and the result was something I'm truly proud of.

Post-Script and Season Thoughts

This season started with a whimper and ended with a bang.  In many ways it worked out perfectly and I wouldn't have wanted it to unfold any other way.  The multiple flats at Raleigh, and crash at Muncie prepared me for the adversity of flatting in Chattanooga.  My mental toughness took another level up this year and I feel as though I am better equipped than ever to deal with adversity and factors beyond my control.  Qualifying for Kona and achieving my dream is a feeling I still can't comprehend and was made sweeter by backing it up 5 weeks later with a top 20 performance in a stacked field at Florida.  I have worked so hard for so many years and it is all the more rewarding to  begin to realize the success I have been striving for so many years.  It also makes me all the more appreciative of my friends, family, and fellow athletes that have helped, coached, trained, and inspired me.  I hope to use this season as a springboard for my confidence as well.  For my whole athletic life I have been plagued by a total lack of confidence in my athletic abilities.  I tend to be a doubter of my fitness, training, toughness, etc.  I hope I can use my results this year to convince myself that I do belong competing at the highest levels of this sport with fantastic athletes like Steve and Joe.

I incorporated several things that took me to the next level this year and which will continue to be incorporated in the future.  Special thanks to Trey McFerren and Crossfit Addict for early season strength work, Jeremy Galo and Stronger U for the nutritional guidance, Eric Limkemann for another fantastic year of coaching, and for my friends and training partners, Dan, Graham, and Chris.  We crushed some really awesome long rides this summer and I can't wait until next year to do it again (or maybe even Zwift parties this winter).  Graham Sheppard is an absolute beast and having him has a training partner inspires me to be better.  In truth he is a superior athlete that will be kicking my ass in short order and I can't wait to see that.  For the time being though I will use him as motivation and keep "running scared" to try and stay ahead of his skinny ass.  I also went back to my roots of high volume bike training.  There is simply no substitute for long rides.  I fooled myself for a few years thinking I could substitute short intensity for distance but in truth that is not a formula for success for me personally....so Kona prep will mean putting my ass in the saddle and getting the work done!

This has been a long, exhausting, and rewarding season and I'm thrilled with how it ended.  As I sit on the balcony looking at a beautiful sunset in Panama City Beach I can't help but feel peace and gratitude for this life.  I am going to take the rest of the year to let myself be less anal with my diet and do some unstructured training.  Frankly I need the emotional and mental break more than anything.  Chasing these goals is so hard on my family and they deserve more of me for a little while.

As always, thank you all for reading my thoughts and for all the kind words of support and encouragement.  I hope that my musings offer something useful to those that read it.  I hope everyone has a great end to their year and has a happy and healthy holiday season!!!  Bring on the Foods!!!!

Ironman Chattanooga Race Report: KQ and a Dream Come True

Ironman Chattanooga Race Report
(Sub-title: How I got to be the skinniest I've ever been in my adult life, achieved 
a lifelong dream, and then put on 15 pounds in 4 days)

Total Time: 9:38:13 

Placing: 3rd M35-39, 10th OA male, 14th OA including Pro Women

Splits: Swim- 43:05/Bike- 5:15:08/Run 3:33:08

Apologies in advance if you are about to read this grizzly bear of a blog post, but as Sher-Pa always says, "if you are gonna be a bear, be a grizzly".  So.... beg your pardon as I take the liberty of mauling the sh*t out of some internet server space with a leisurely stroll through the mind of a nut job (me) on what was one of the most memorable days of my life!  Last Sunday, I was fortunate to qualify for the 2018 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.  This was my first KQ after years coming up short...Lucky Number 9 Baby!!!!  It was a remarkable, bittersweet, emotional, and ultimately rewarding 48 hours made possible only by hard work and sacrifices of many friends and family.  That being said, this blog needs to start with a big island size helping of gratitude. (for those of you who want to skip the sappy stuff, scroll down, I won't judge you... okay maybe I will, but just a little)

The Thank Yous
I have sooooooo many people to thank for helping me achieve this dream.  I cannot begin to express how humbled I have been since Sunday.  The sheer volume of people who have sent me a text, or called, or sent a Facebook message is overwhelming.  I seriously can't keep up or keep my phone charged from all the buzzing!  I promise to respond to every single person individually even if its just with a simple thank you.  For each and every one of you that have taken the time to reach out to me, I thank you, I appreciate you, I am humbled by your thoughts, and I carried your positive energy with me throughout the day of the race.  My village is so much bigger than I imagined....Now for the specifics


Britt and Sloanie:  Thank you for being the two loves of my life and the ones who enable me to chase this dream.  Britt has put up with so much of crazy over the last ten years that it is a miracle we are still married.  When she married me she didn't know she was also marrying Ironman, and I'm pretty sure she is not into threesomes (if you are... you got some splainin to do).  Nonetheless, she has supported me, propped me up when I was down, and allowed me the freedom to work late nights and train long hours to make this a reality.  Most of you are my Facebook friends so you know how much I like to shout from the rooftops about my love for this spectacular woman and I'm going to do it again right here....I love you more today than ever before and I still can't believe I was so fortunate that you walked across the pool deck and forever into my life back in 2002.  To my beautiful Sloanie, I hope that I am setting a good example for you and teaching you the value of hard work, sacrifice and dedication.  You are my best accomplishment and I'm lucky and proud to be your Daddy....just stop calling me Danny.....I'm dad, capiche?

Mom and Dad:  Thank you for molding me into the tunnel visioned, thick headed, maniac I am today.  There are no two greater parents on planet earth, shit, there are no two greater people on planet earth.  If I can be 1/10th as good a parent to Sloane as you have been to me she will be a lucky girl.  When I think of you both three words immediately come to mind: love, selflessness, sacrifice.  Whatever anyone needs you are always there.  You are heroes to me and my daily inspiration to live up to your ideals and the way in which you have chosen to live.  I love you both so much!

Jackie, Bobby, Lummy, and Ricky:  Where do I begin....its not great enough that I have the most loving and supportive sisters in the world, but I was also fortunate that they have impeccable taste in spouses and brought RD and Bobby W into our lives.  Each and every one of you has contributed to this journey with the most precious gifts of all....your time and your love.  You guys pump me up when I'm down, chase me all over the country to races, and even train with me....how did I get so lucky?!?!?  Although I'm not so good at communicating it, I hope you all know how much I love and appreciate you.  Special thanks to Jacko who ran around that course like a maniac on Sunday.  When things looked bleak you kept my head in the game.  You got me there, I could not have done it alone.

Jeanna:  What can I say?  You have been my coach and mentor since I was 8 years old.  You have been there for nearly every significant athletic and life accomplishment since that time.  You really are my good luck charm.  You were there for my first league records, then state records, then junior cuts, then graduations, then wedding, the birth of Sloanie, and now my KQ.  You were in just the right spots on that course and when I needed you most you lit my fuse the last two miles of the run.  You are and always will be an official Royce to me!

Trey: I am not a guy with a lot of close friends.  In fact I consider myself fortunate to have a small handful of really special people in my life.  You are easily one of the best people I have ever met and one of the single most motivational people on planet earth.  I am so fortunate that we became buddies and I consider you one of my best friends in the world.  You motivate me, train me, and believe in me when I don't believe in myself.  Even though you weren't physically there, you were with me out on that course.  At Mile 24 Jeanna yelled "Trey said to turn your hat around, get nasty and stop screwing around".  That's exactly what I did and that energy carried me home. You are the best.  Thank you.

David, Grace and Cameron: One of the greatest gifts this sport has given me is the opportunity to meet you and to meet Cameron through you.  Though I never met her in life, I feel like I have gotten to know her through you guys.  It has been a special honor to race on behalf of SpeakUp and in her honor.  Cameron helped carried me home on Sunday and gave me one of the most memorable moments of my life.  At mile 17 of the marathon things were starting to go South when I ran up on David.  I had told him before the race that I would see him on the course and get a hug.  The timing could not have been more perfect.  I ran up beside Dave and put my arm around him and asked him if he could let me borrow Cam for the next hour to help me reach my dream.  Without skipping a beat Dave said yes, took off his fight, finish, faith bracelet, handed it to me and yelled words of encouragement.  That boost and Cameron's presence ultimately got me where I needed to go.  When my legs were so fried I could barely walk and I needed 15 more minutes of effort it must have come from Cameron and my family because there was no physical explanation to make that possible.  Thank you Gallaghers, and thank you Cameron.

There are so many other people to thank and I wanted to make sure I give some special recognition to them as well.  You all have helped get me here in your own special way and I want to make sure you all know how thankful I am for each of you to be in my life.  Thanks to Amy DeBeer, Giani Manieri, Eric Limkemann, Dan Szajta, Graham Sheppard, Chris Berney, Moose Herring, Jeff Tunstall, Rob Green, PJ Gallagher, Justin Moyer, Jason Angel, Lindsay Wohlford, Jeremy Galo, Shay Moore, Ed Boyle, John Hessian, Amy Ford, Jay Peluso, Clint Kronenberger, the Deckert family, and so many others.  I am sure there are so many more to thank but my brain is fried and I will make sure each of you knows how thankful I am in the days and weeks that follows.....now for the reason that you started reading this thing....the actual race report!

Pre-Race
I trained harder than ever this year.  I put in more hours, more miles and more quality sessions.  I also hired a nutrition coach and completely overhauled my diet.  With the help of Stronger U and Jeremy Galo I lost a significant amount of weight and toed the line about 12-15 pounds less than prior races.  The weight loss really improved my overall health and ability to produce quality sessions day in and day out. The weight loss took place over a 10 week period and although the biggest losses were on the front end, I lost on average about a pound per week.  I find dieting so much harder than training, but I learned some valuable lessons: 1) whether I eat good or eat bad I am always hungry in Ironman mode (so I might as well eat well and be lean), 2) there is a difference between being hungry and being properly fueled, 3) I'm an idiot for not doing this sooner! and 4) I vastly underestimated how much weight impacts running pace and ability.

The greatest area of improvement was in my running.  The combination of light weight and daily consistency had me running 30-40 seconds faster per mile on virtually every run.  However, despite phenomenal training I had yet to have a good race this year.  A string of bad luck prevented me from showcasing fitness at any of my prior races.  At Raleigh 70.3 I had two flats.  I tried to redeem myself at Muncie 70.3 and crashed in one of the aid stations on the bike.  That resulted in me shearing off my aero bars and riding the last 25 miles on the drops.  Needless to say I was anxious to put the bad mojo behind me and have a great day.

I arrived in Chattanooga with my dad on Thursday and we got settled in and got my last few tune up workouts in.  The days leading up to the race were low key and I felt more relaxed than usual.  I spent those days focused on my nutrition and keeping my weight as low possible with smart nutrition choices (as if I'm not neurotic enough, I know travel with a scale).  I was totally paranoid about ballooning my weight as training volume dropped to nothing.  Dad and I hung out a lot and tried to keep things mellow and low stress.  My sister Jackie arrived on Friday night and it was nice to spend some time with her.  Everything in the lead up went smooth....bike was running perfectly and bag drop was quick and easy.  Miraculously I continued to drop weight and weighed in at 173.9 on the day before the race (previously I had raced between 185-190).  My wife, daughter and mother arrived at dinner time the night before the race.  Britt and Sloanie were staying with a family friend so I only got to spend a short amount of time with them at dinner.  I was definitely missing them in the days prior to the race and wish I could have had them around earlier/more.  As usual my wife was a champion and planned everything to maximize my performance.  Sloanie is a great traveler but does not sleep well in hotel rooms.  Britt's travel plans were perfectly planned to allow me to maximize my sleep and rest.

Up to this point everything was shaping up to be fantastic until about 10:00 pm on pre-race eve.  I was laying in bed trying to sleep when my sister got a phone call from my mother in law.  She was at home watching our dog and when she went to let him out she found he had unexpectedly passed away.  This came as a total shock because Brady seemed to be in good health and had not shown any signs that something was wrong.  In fact he seemed totally fine that morning when Britt left for Chattanooga.  That night was rough, and after a good cry, I had no choice but to compartmentalize the loss and do my best to focus on the task at hand.  It was hard not to think that my bad luck streak was continuing and that maybe this just wasn't my year.  I slept very little that night but did my best to push down my sadness.  Britt and I have had Brady since before we were married and he was gentle dog with a sweet disposition.  He was with us in our first apartment, our first house, the birth of Sloanie and the move to our forever home.  I regret not being able to be there for him in his final moments, and coming home to an empty house has been painful.  Every night I get off the couch and say "come on Brades" only to realize that he is not laying under my feet like usual.  So Brady, my hope for you is that the doggy after life is filled with precocious little girls dropping scraps food on the floor just like home.  Rest in peace my sweet Brady boy.

Race Morning and Swim
Swim Split: 43:05, 1:06/100m
For obvious reasons I did not sleep at all the night before the race.  I was in a state of semi-consciousness all night and was awake for good at about 2:30 am.  My plan was to head down to transition at about 4:15.  I had planned to get up earlier than normal due to a new nutrition plan so it ended up working out fine.  Following the advice of the core diet and my buddy Dan Szajta, I started my nutrition with a jar of unsweetened applesauce.  It is nothing but pure carbs and no fat/protein.  It also acts as a natural laxative to clean out the pipes.  I downed the bottle and then let a little time pass before I ate the rest of my breakfast consisting of two packages of blueberry oatmeal, a vanilla powerbar and two slices of Dave's Raisin the Roof Bread with honey and jam.  All of these foods were specifically selected for carbohydrate content with limited protein and fat.  I washed all this down with a bottle of gatorade endurance.  At 4:15 a buddy of mine from home, Justin Gravatt (who also raced and had a great day) gave me a ride down to transition.  Dad and Jacko rode their bikes and met me there.  I took my time in transition, checked my bags, got my bike ready, turned on my garmin, calibrated my Quarq, and got on the bus for the ride down to swim start.  I was very casual and not in a rush to be at the front of the swim line.


Down at swim start I was fortunate to make a new friend in line, Tim Shea, who was kind enough to share a blanket as a seat and we got to know each other for the next two hours.  It was nice to have some casual conversation with a new friend and have my dad and sister there as well.  Tim and his wife were also kind enough to actually come to the awards ceremony once he checked the results and found out I had likely gotten a KQ.  (Tim also had a great day by the way,  Congrats Tim!).  As race start ticked closer I took in the last of my pre-race nutrition including a honey stinger waffle and bottle of gatorade endurance.  As the time ticked away and I begin to get suited up for the swim my emotions started welling up.  This usually happens right before the race as I think of all my loved ones who turned their lives upside down to let me chase my dreams.  The feelings were intensified by the loss of my Brady boy.  Soon the line was moving and before I knew it I was running towards the dock and the water.  I got in the water about 18 minutes after the race began and as far as I could tell was about halfway back in line.


The swim was wet suit optional and I wore my blue seventy swim skin.  I elected to keep the sleeves of my speed suit pulled down and I was glad I made that choice.  As a former full time swimmer, I hate restriction on my shoulders and the choice made the swim much more comfortable and efficient.  The water was a really nice temperature and the current was moving fast.  The swim is really wide and it was easy to find open water.  I think my lines were pretty good and I kept zig zagging to a minimum.  There were a few spots were I got a little wonky but I will give myself a B+.  I really enjoy the Chattanooga swim as it is wide, fast and relatively easy to sight off of the bridges above the water.  Unfortunately the current aided swim does not play to my strengths as a strong swimmer and minimizes my typical swim advantage.  Nonetheless, I enjoyed the swim and got out of the water fresh and ready to ride.  After the race I learned that I had the fastest swim in my age group and the second fastest swim among the amateurs.  I had planned on a 45 minutes swim and was thrilled when I glanced at my watch to find I had banked a few extra minutes.

I am usually a bumbling idiot in transition but my transition was surprisingly good.  I started stripping the swim skin as I ran toward the change tent.  I got the skin down to my waist and got my Wattie speed suit pulled up by the time I entered the tent.  A quick change and I was off to the races.  I got clipped in and got ready for a 116 mile ride with a few thousand like minded people.

Bike
5:15:03 (including 12:03 of stoppage time due to a flat)
Avg Speed- 21.33 mph, Avg Moving Speed- 22.8 mph
Avg Power- 225, Norm Power- 229, VI- 1.02
Avg HR- 133
This year I went back to the basics with my bike training and incorporated a much higher volume approach.  I focused on intense intervals during the week and virtually every weekend made sure to ride long and run off the bike.  The last few years I deluded myself by thinking I could substitute intensity for volume and while that approach may work for some, for me personally it just doesn't work as well.  In order for me to build really deep fitness I need to ride long frequently and that is exactly what I did.  I've ridden as many miles through September as I did all of last year.  Going into race day I had big time confidence in my bike fitness.

I had two major themes to focus on during the ride: nutrition and riding conservatively.  I had done several 5 hour rides above 240 watts and my plan was to ride at about 225-230 on race day.  I figured this would be fast but still leave me ready to run well and maximize the progress I had made in my run training.  From a nutrition standpoint the plan was to live predominantly off course.  The plan was to get as close to drinking 9 bottles of Endurance as possible which would have taken care of all of my calorie and sodium requirements.  However, I knew at some point I may begin to get over hydrated and was prepared to back down on the liquids and get my calories with powerbars, clif shots and s-caps for sodium.  The initial plan was to drink about 1.75 bottles per hour and I was able to hold this pace for the first few hours.  However, eventually I was so hydrated that I was peeing as soon as I was drinking.  At that point I slowed down on the liquids and added in a few solid foods.  Fortunately, I have a pretty strong gut and the solids didn't cause any upset or distress.  In fact, the powerbars were freaking delicious and a nice change of pace.  Ultimately I ended up consuming far more calories than in the past (a very good thing), a ton of sodium (a very good thing), and felt comfortable and full of energy as the ride was winding down (an excellent thing).  By the end of the ride I consumed about 6-7 bottles of Endurance, two powerbars, and two sleeves of clif shots.  I consumed about 2000 calories and 8000 mg of sodium by the time was ready to run.  From a nutrition standpoint I was very pleased with execution.

The Chattanooga bike course breaks down quite nicely from mental standpoint.  It basically consists of an 11 mile out, two 47 mile loops and then the final 11 miles back into town.  My plan was to settle in the first 11 miles get my nutrition in and then ride the first loop at 225.  If I was feeling good I would push the pace and increase my wattage to 230 on loop two before heading back home.  The bike started perfectly.  I was pushing 225 and flying through the course.  My nutrition was going down easily and I felt great.  Everything was according to plan.  By the time I reached the turn at the far end of the loop only one rider had passed me and I was riding strong and comfortable.  As I made the turn on the backside of the loop I noticed that the ass end of my bike started feeling a little squirrely.  I immediately pulled over and realized that my back tire was flat.  The string of expletives that came out of my mouth must have broken some kind of decency record.  First I was angry, then I was dejected, then I got resolved. I contemplated throwing my damn bike into the cow pasture and spending the rest of the day with the livestock.  As I stood by the side of the road I was in a complete panic.  My bad luck was continuing and I was beside myself...first Brady now this....WTF!!!!  I started changing the tire, screwed up, and blew out the first tube and canister.  This left me with only one more of each so I took extra care on the second otherwise my day would have been over.  Between the mishap and the slow re-change I spent 12 minutes on the side of the road per my garmin file (plus the time slowing down and getting back up to speed).  When I got back on the bike I was in a mental hole.  I thought my day was over and was debating whether I should even continue.  After a ten minute pity party I shook it off and decided that I needed to ride my race and on such a long day anything could happen.  From that point forward the rest of the ride became a math problem.  As I finished the first loop I realized that my pacing was still strong and I could still ride the same split as I rode in 2014.  That bike split put me squarely in the mix, and if I could duplicate it I still had hope.  I'm not sure why I have had such bad luck with tubes this year.  I ride latex with sealant and I am very careful during installation.  I am beginning to think I am doing something wrong and I am going to be riding latex in my training wheels for the next few weeks to figure out if I am making some type of error in the install.  I think it is just a string of really bad luck but who knows.....

The hardest part of the last 80 miles was continuing to ride smart and not attempting to gain all the time back in one chunk by riding too hard.  Instead I rode to plan and upon feeling good at the turn I pushed my power up to 230 on loop two.  The rest of the ride went smooth and fast.  No one passed me the rest of the day and I focused on eating and drinking and riding my wattage.  I got into a zone and locked in.  I was able to re-set my mind and get my head back in the game.  I had worked too long and hard for this opportunity and I was not going to give up on it.  Thankfully the rest of the ride was uneventful and the replacement tube held.  The last 11 miles I took it easy and dialed back the wattage.  I started stretching a bit and got ready to run.  Fortunately the home stretch is fast and I was able to keep my speed up without having to ride quite so hard.


Going into the race I thought I could ride around 5:05 and possibly 5:00.  It turns out I was exactly right and had I not flatted I probably would have been in the 5:02 to 5:03 range.  The bike split was a testament to making smart choices with my equipment and position.  Even with a flat I rode the same bike split as 2014 on the same wattage.  That means I have found at least 12 minutes of free speed over the last few years!!!!! Awesome!!!!!  (don't tell my bank account.... because it turns out that "free" is expensive). Pulling back into transition my family was along the barriers and gave me a much needed jolt.  Again my transition was surprisingly smooth and I was able to pull my one piece kit down to my waist by the time I hit the change tent.  Once inside I changed quickly into my Speakup tri top, changed my socks, put on my hat and glasses and grabbed my gel flask.  I got out of there in good time feeling good and ready to rock.

Run
3:33:08- 8:08/mile
Avg HR- 140

The run plan was simple.  Keep my heart rate capped at 145 and power capped at 350 on loop one.  On loop two my heart rate cap increased to 155 and my power cap remained the same.  The idea was to break the run into 4 segments.  Two flat sections and two hilly sections.  The idea was to run the flats easy/smooth and really focus on smart and efficient running during the deathly hills on the other side of the river.  I knew the race doesn't truly begin until the last hour and my mission was to be racing when I hit the hills at mile 20.  My dream was to run in the low 3:20's but I knew that historically a 3:30 would keep me in contention.  From a nutrition standpoint I had a 600 calorie gel flask that I was going to use in the early stages.  I finished that within the first 90 minutes and was supplementing with endurance at every aid station.  I waited to start drinking coke until mile 10 because I wanted to preserve the caffeine boost as long as possible.  From mile 10 forward I was drinking as much endurance and coke as I could get down.  I was also taking base salts at every opportunity.

The run started perfectly and I felt fantastic.  Despite 90 degree temps I was lucky with cloud cover on loop one.  I also never really felt hot.  I attribute this to racing lean.  My family was amazing and I never went more than 2-3 miles without seeing a family member on course.  I got through the first flat section on fire with heart rate on target and pacing in the upper 7:30's.  My pace naturally dropped through the first hilly section but I felt good coming back across the river.  I got through the half marathon in 1:40....I was directly on target and excited.  For the first time in my Ironman career I felt like I was running to win as opposed to running to avoid people catching me.  There was almost no one passing me, and upon reflection, I think I've finally started to crack the run code.  Although this was my best run split by far, I still have room to improve and am really close to a major breakthrough.  Confidence is a scary thing, and I am starting to build it.

From miles 13-18 I started to feel the damage in my quads caused from the hard downhill running from loop one.  I began to realize at some point I was going to pay for the hills so I turned up the pace and ran as hard as I could on the second flat section within my heart rate cap.  I was trying to bank as much time as possible in the event things went south (which they ultimately did).  Things were going well but I was starting to hurt with each passing mile.  I ran well through mile 20 and continued to tick off splits in the upper 7:40s.  At mile 17ish I saw Dave Gallagher and gave him a hug.  I told him I needed him to let me borrow Cameron to help me achieve my dream.  Without skipping a beat he handed me her bracelet and said she was with me.  This gave me wings and is one of the greatest Ironman moments I will ever have.  As I reflect, it is a moment I will never forget and one which brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it (Thank you again Dave, Grace, and Cameron for your generosity).  During this time period I was taking in as much base salt as possible in the hopes that I could stave off cramping and leg failure.

At mile 20 the wheels fell off instantly.  I went from a 7:45 mile to a 9:30 and my quads and hamstrings were severely cramping.  A dream became a nightmare in a span of 10 minutes.  Suddenly I was incapable of running more than a few minutes at a time and my pace while running had slowed to a crawl.  I was throwing everything in my mouth to try and stop the cramping...coke, gatorade, gels, hotshots, base....nothing was working.  In hindsight I honestly don't know what I could have done to prevent this.  I ran more, ran faster, lost weight, ran hills....everything.  I think the only way to truly prepare for the onslaught on your quads is to run downhill very hard and very frequently.  Perhaps if I ever go back to Chattanooga I will head to Church Hill and do more extreme downhill running.  I know there were few deficiencies in my strength or fitness but perhaps I was lacking in that one specific skill.

Just before the turn onto the bridge I saw my sister on the steep climb before crossing the river.  She yelled words of encouragement and told me I was in 4th place.  She implored me not to give up.  For the next few miles I was in Ironman hell.  I could barely run, I was cramping and my mindset went to shit.  Instead of racing the last 10K I thought about how I failed again.  I worked so hard to come up short.  I had negative tunnel vision and all I could think about was how I failed.  I thought there is no way I could put myself through this again.  I can't keep torturing myself day in and day out just to fail so close to the finish line, I can't feel this pain, I can't feel this disappointment.....Just make it stop......those next miles were a blur of pain and negativity.

The truth is you never know what is going on outside of yourself during the last miles of a race and while cliche, its never over until its over.  Its hard to see that when all you feel is soul crushing pain. I credit my family for pulling me through that darkness and to the finish line to my first KQ.  I limped through the hilly section and as I climbed back up Barton Road my dad was at the top of the hill (oddly enough the uphills were a relief because the downhill sections were making me cramp).  At the top of the hill dad told me, "I know the pain is unimaginable, I know you want to quit, but you can't.  You are in fourth and you are only behind third by four seconds.  I need you to dig deep.  If I can beat cancer you can run".....Damn dad, pulling out the cancer card is cold....but it was just what I needed to wake up my soul.  He was absolutely right...  Despite limping along for 3+ miles I was still in the mix.  It was like he flipped a switch inside of me and I started to run as hard as I could and hoped my legs wouldn't seize.  Dad would ride his bike to each intersection and yell words of encouragement....Don't give up, you can't give up.....just keep fighting....and I did.  I have some vague recollection of yelling to him about not quitting and not letting him down, but honestly its all a blur.

When I got to the last footbridge a mile out from the finish Jeanna was there, just like she has been my whole life.  She yelled the right thing at the right moment.  She said, "Trey told me you need to turn your hat backwards and get nasty.  Stop screwing around."  It was like she lit my shoes on fire.  I turned my hat backwards and ran until I couldn't see anything except the three feet right in front of my face.  Those last 10-15 minutes are a blur.  I have no explanation as to why my legs didn't seize or cramp.  As far as I can tell there is no physiological reason as to why that should have been possible.  All I can surmise is that it came from outside of me.  My family and Cameron kept my legs going when my body and mind could not.  They sustained me when I needed it most.  I ran to the finish like a madman, grunting with every step.  The photos are funny because they look like I am smiling but in reality it is extreme grimace face.  I got across the finish line and collapsed into the arms of the volunteers.  They took me to medical and my hands, fingers, nose, cheeks and tongue were tingling.  I had no idea how I finished or what place I was in.


About ten minutes later my buddy Chris came around the rear of the finish area and told me I had done it.  I finished third by nearly a minute and there was no-one left on course that could sneak in ahead of me.  I immediately lost control of my emotions and the floodgates opened.  Years of work had culminated to this moment.  I had done it.  I had gotten top three at an Ironman.  I was in a total state of disbelief, blissfully happy, overwhelmed, and emotionally spent.  My whole family was there at the finish line to celebrate that moment with me and I am so thankful for that.  I will never forget those moments and being able to celebrate with Britt and Sloanie right there.  It honestly didn't feel real and it still doesn't as the days go by. I keep waiting for an email from Ironman telling me that there was some mistake and that I actually got 4th or 5th.  In fact, despite historically having three slots in our age group I refused to believe it until Ironman announced it officially and took my money to claim the slot...well they did, and they did, and now I have the registration confirmation to prove it.

Post Race
That night I spent most of the night eating mellow mushroom and watching the finish line.  My favorite moments at every Ironman are watching the midnight finishers.  There is nothing more inspirational than those folks who have been grinding for 17 hours.  Truly amazing!!!  I didn't sleep a wink that night in anticipation of the awards ceremony.  The following morning I went to awards and saw the slot allocation posted on the wall.  3 slots....it was real....I did it!!!!  The awards ceremony and slot allocation was amazing and my feelings can best be summed up in this video.  This race represented the realization of a dream I have been chasing for years.  On many occasions I nearly gave up.  However, all those failures made this all the more sweet.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this and thank you to everyone that made it possible.  Dreams can come true if you are willing to work tirelessly, and never give up, even when it seems impossible.  The ability to train and race in this sport is a gift and I am thankful for everyone that enables me to pursue it....Now a few more days of rest and then I begin preparing for Ironman Florida.  Now that the pressure is off, I am ready to have some fun and see what I can do on a flat course.  Time to take the run up even one more notch!!!!

Oh....and about the 15 lbs....I have no idea what the hell is going on inside of my body but apparently my body is at war with itself.  I somehow managed to put on 15 pounds within 72 hours of the race....Holy inflammation and water retention!  A small price to pay for the fight my body gave me....so thanks body.... you do you for a few more days but you are on the clock.  I'm going to be calling you out real soon to get back to business.

Fight, Finish, Faith