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Often we talk about the challenge of an Ironman actually being the journey of getting to the starting line versus the race itself. As anyone, who has ever done an Ironman, can attest about 90% of completing an Ironman is getting to the starting line healthy, fit, and mentally prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Well, as Ironman journeys go, this was one heck of a ride for me. I had several challenges that I had to deal with as the New Year started and my training took a severe hit. However, my focus simply changed to doing the best I could with the situation I was given. I never once doubted getting to the starting line but the race did cause me to doubt whether I had trained enough to get to the finish line. It was during these tough times that I had to really dig in and remind myself why I love this sport and why I enjoy these challenges. Finally, with the spirit of my dad in my mind I knew that I would get to the finish no matter what it took. As with most Ironman North America events, this journey started a year before the actual race when I decided that I was ready to train for another Ironman after taking a break from the mental grind of the long hours required to train. By the time race day rolled around, it would have been nearly 2 full years since my last Ironman and I felt that I would be ready to get back in the saddle again. When they announced the new Ironman St. George race there was a lot of talk about the challenges of an incredibly difficult course and I thought it would be a great challenge to not only do another Ironman but also to do one on a course that was being billed as one of the toughest out there. As last year evolved and I continued to stay away from Ironman racing (and any serious training) I found that my passion for the sport was still there and in November I decided to sign up for my second Ironman race for 2010 by registering for Ironman Arizona. I have completed this race twice and said I would never do it again unless they moved the date to a different time of year (I got tired of the heat and wind of the April dates) and since they moved it to November I thought I would give this race another shot. My goal, once I qualified for Kona, was to break the coveted 10 hour mark and I think that Arizona offers a great chance of reaching this milestone. Anyhow, with two Ironman races on my 2010 calendar my focus for St. George shifted a little bit. I wanted to put in some good off season running and do a couple of fast Marathon races and then put in a lot of bike mileage to get ready for the challenging St. George course. Unfortunately this did not unfold as planned and I ended up with very little cycling training until March. My running was going strong until the end of December and then it was also hit with some personal set backs and thus my training plan was thrown out. The only thing I will say about my training is that with a good background and the experience of several previous Ironman races you can do an Ironman on only 6 weeks of training, but I think there are a heck of a lot better ways to prepare for one (that is the coach in me talking!!). I had never been to St. George but had heard plenty about the beauty of the area. I had read plenty of accounts of the area being very windy during the spring and also that it can get fairly hot around this time of year. I promised myself that I would get out and train on those 85 and 90 degree April days we tend to have in Tucson, in order to be prepared for the hot wind, but the weather this year continued to stay beautiful. Well, no acclimatization for me!! Fortunately the forecast showed cool weather and the heat was not going to be a factor....the wind on the other hand.....three days before the race it was brutally windy and the next day was not much better. After seeing what the wind could be like and then finally getting to drive the course I came up with a few thoughts....Wow, St. George is really really beautiful and the bike course is a sight to behold and even without wind this is going to be a tough tough day! Race day morning was absolutely perfect. Not even barely a breeze but it was quite chilly outside (I think they said it was about 47 degrees at the lake for the start). The water was nice and calm and the venue (located about 20 miles outside of town) was beautiful. Water temp was cold (58 degrees) but I actually enjoy cold water swims and was not worried about it. The key is to get in early enough to get a warm up but not too early that you get cold waiting around in the water. For me this meant getting in about 8-9 minutes prior to the start. As the gun went off I took off fairly strong for the first 200 meters and got myself out front where I like to be. I actually did not see any other swimmers with me until the first turn and realized that there were really only two of us out front. We hit the second turn together and then he started to pull away from me. I thought about going with him but with my limited training and the long day ahead I decided to play it smart and just maintain my own race pace. Overall I felt really good in the water. This was my first race in my new Zoot Zenith 2.0 and I was very pleased with the feel and flexibility of this wetsuit. It fit very well and did not rub or chafe me one bit. My only complaint was it is harder to get out of this wetsuit than others that I have used in the past but that was probably mostly due to the fact that it was my first race in this wetsuit. I got out of the water as the second overall age grouper (3rd fastest swim overall) and was very pleased to see my split of just over 50 minutes since I had spent very little time training in the pool. I felt fresh and good. T1 was a little longer but that was because I had to put on arm warmers and gloves which is not easy over wet arms but I was out onto the bike at under 53 minutes which was a solid start to my day. Now the race really begins!!! The bike course starts off with some flats and downhills for the first 5-6 miles and then we hit a long 1.5-2 mile gradual climb. This was a good warm up and wake up for the legs. We then had some more downhills (very cold!!!) and some shorter steeper climbs as we got to the outskirts of St. George. Towards the 20 mile mark of the bike we actually hit a section where we would be running later. I remember climbing a short steep hill on the bike thinking that I better be smart on the bike because this run course is going to be brutal. Finally we were onto the loop section of the bike course which started out flat and then hit a beautiful canyon where the true work began. From mile 30 through 50 we were only going up and this is where the headwinds came down into the canyon. Some areas were not too steep, just a slight climb but there were several really tough climbs with the topper being a Mt. Lemmonesque 2 plus mile climb that hit 13% towards the top (OUCH!!!). By the time I hit mile 50 I knew that I was in for a heck of a day as my quads were already tired and I still had a long ways to go before even starting the run. The good news was that the end of each loop included a nice 10 mile section of downhill that allowed for some rest which was also with a tailwind(coasting at 45+mph). The second loop was a bit windier than the first but overall I felt that we got lucky with the winds on the bike course as they could have easily been much worse. I just kept reminding myself to be smart on the bike because the run was going to be key. The problem with this was that the course was so tough that your legs took a beating no matter what. On my second lap I was passing a lot of people out on their first loop and several of them were walking their bikes up these steep climbs. All I could think was that I just needed to keep moving the cranks!!! I heard that over 50 people were pulled on the first loop of the bike because they missed the initial check point time. Again, the good news was that the last section of the bike was downhill but I could not wait to get off my bike and get vertical on my feet. My low back was very tight (probably from lack of long training rides and the hard climbs) and I just needed to get into a new position and running started sounding good. As I neared T2 I mentally switched gears to staying strong because at times I had doubts of my ability to complete this course. However, I knew that if I kept my mental focus right I would get through the day. The one thing about an Iroman is that if you mentally give in you are in for a heck of a long day but if you can just stay strong in your head it makes a huge difference (often the difference of several hours). T2 went well. Had to take a pee leaving the transition area and also get sun screened up. The air temps were nice but the winds had started to pick up a bit. I ditched my arm warmers in T2 but a few times when sun went behind a cloud and the wind picked up I thought I may have made a mistake. However, at the end of the day I was glad to have ditched them and not get overheated. The only flat part of the run is the ½ mile section leaving the transition area to the start of the two loop run course. The loop starts with a gradual long climb out which peaks out with an 8% climb at about mile 3. After this short climb there is still a gradual climb up to the next steep hill where you finally peak out and start the downhill run to the turnaround just before mile 7. Then you run back up the hill only to have your quads take a beating on the downhill run back to the finish of the loop. I felt very stiff for the first 2-3 miles of the run but my legs came around nicely and from mile 3 to 13 I was actually running along at a good pace and hit several 8 minute miles. The leg fatigue really set in at the half way point though as I turned back up the hill and back into the headwind. However, I knew that if I could just keep running I would be done much faster. The second loop did consist of a bit more walking on the uphill sections and even when I was running I think I was barely able to hold a 10:30-11:00 pace. My legs were just too beat up to go much faster on these hills. Overall I had a great nutrition plan and never had any energy issues but the beating from the course and the limited training were taking their toll. However, I kept moving and running the majority of the time and knew that I was having a pretty solid day overall. I did not have any time goals and really felt that this course was one of the “just finish” variety. As I neared the last few miles of the run I dug deep and just willed myself to run strong to the line. The finish area is right in the heart of St. George and the setting is perfect for an Ironman finish. There were a ton of people cheering and being very loud in support of the athletes. One of the negatives to this finish, however, is the fact that the first loop literally runs straight at the finish line and then you have to turnaround for lap two about 30 yards before the finish....talk about deflating on loop one!! However, on lap two as I came down towards the finish all I could think was how happy I was to be finishing and not one of the many people I saw just heading out for lap two. I crossed the line just a bit under 11:40 and although this was nowhere near a PR for me it was one of my better overall finishes. Based on the course, and the relatively high DNF rate (about 20%) and my training I really do not think I could have been happier with my overall day. So, would I do it again? Let's just say that after three tough Ironman courses in my last three races I am ready to go out and race one. I did love the venue and am very proud to have completed that course in a respectable time but I think going flat and fast would be a fun challenge to try as I look to set a PR. I would certainly never say never, but I don't see St. George on my Ironman map anytime in the near future!!! However, a big part of the challenge was the fact that my journey through some personal loss really limited my training focus and ability and given a better preparation plan I think that this course would have been a tad more friendly to my quads. But the reality is that life throws you curves and challenges and it is what we do with these challenges that makes the journey special. At the end of the day, this was a special race for me and I am proud to say that I am once again an “Ironman.”
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