Coach Robyn's IMKONA Race Report

                               

ALOHA!

Ironman World Championships 2017 Race Report

By  Coach Robyn

                                   
                                     Ironman World Championship's 2017 Recap Video

                YUP, That's me, right there, 
                 loving every second of it :)

     Racing on the Big Island of Hawaii has been a dream of mine for 10 years. After my first Ironman, ten years ago in CDA I vowed to qualify for Kona by the time turned 40. Last year, at age 40, I did just that. On October 14, 2017, that dream came true; age 41.

     My message is that if there's a fire in your belly for something, even if that thing seems very far away or unbelievable, don't ever give up on your dream. It will take hard work, sacrifice, pain & suffering to get there, but it will be worth every bit of it when you reach your goal.

     The following report is more than just a race report, as Kona was more than just a race for me. The whole experience was a magical one. While almost impossible to capture the true magic, this is a brief review of my Kona experience. If you want to skip to the nitty-gritty scroll down to the heading "RACE REPORT".

     I came to Hawaii prepared, having put big training miles in during the year leading up to it. Coach Slayer did everything he could to ready me and I did everything in my power to perform my best on the day.

Coach Slayer & I at Choo 70.3 Worlds

     It was a delicate process, with 70.3 Worlds having been my A race for the year, only a month earlier. My focus had been to perform well on my home stage in Chattanooga. (mission accomplished) Somewhere between 70.3 Worlds & Kona, I strained my calf, minimizing the last few weeks of prep work before the big dance.

                                            

Race Week                                             Tuesday: Race week started with the AWA Gold breakfast, where I had the honor of meeting Mark Allen and Dave Scott. 

Ironman Legends: Ironwar!

I've been a HUGE Mark Allen fan forever, so I was pretty stoked about this! It was a highlight of my trip. 

Wednesday: Athlete check in & cruise the expo. Met a lot of cool people including all-star Faris as Sultan (fan-girl moment!!) and Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman.

Mamma Betty & I crushing Kona :)

Meeting Faris al Sultan, another highlight

We meet again Voice of Ironman!

Thursday: Ride with Team Betty for Cancer awareness & team coffee at Lava Java. Later Team FX Multisport swam together on the IMWC swim course.

                                                   

Team FX Multisport w/ new Wave Swim Buoy

Kona Island LavaJava

Of course the Underpants Run on Thursday night topped off the week in pure Kona celebratory style

Team Betty at Kona

     Blessed to have my best friends Jenny & James Delong, my parents, brother & his wife, my niece & nephew and my ever supportive husband along with my two daughters along for the adventure, we enjoyed the tranquil surroundings & avoided the circus of Kona as much as possible

Friday: PreRace, The red carpet check in procedure was spectacular!You roll your bike and transition bags down this red Ironman carpet and the sponsors give you their support & swag.

Preparing to drop bags & bike:RedCarpet

Mark Allen & Mike Reilly called my name as I walked by!!!! Good Omen. Ok so THAT was AWESOME :) 

Bike & Bags Dropped off: All Good!

FX Multisport Volunteer at KONA

                                         

Always bring my trusted Loadebar with me wherever I go

Race Report

The Swim: The women's race started at 7:20 am. I lined up early at the front and was one of the first to enter the water. We swam up to the start line & tread water for about 10 minutes. I gradually found my space in the line up quite a ways from the buoy line. It wasn't crowded, the energy was calm & sweet. Lots of good vibes were going around. 

The water was calm, clear & warm. When the cannon boomed, I hit start on my Garmin & off we went. There was none of the thrashing & contact that Ive experienced in other mass starts. Soon, I found my pack & we stayed together for the entire swim. Only once did I feel a little sea sick from the swells, but it passed very quickly. The swim went as well as I could have hoped. It was even enjoyable!

Start of women's age group race

As I exited the water, Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman called my name, AGAIN!!! on the  speaker, to my cheer squad's delight. 

Starting the 112 mile bike ride

Transition 1: My volunteer helper was exceptional & I was grateful for her help. Grabbed my shoes & ran to my bike, then pushed the bike to the mount line.













Bike: As I spun out of the transition chute, my crew was standing cheering me on in true FX Fashion. Such great energy!!!

FX Multisport Cheering squad

The ride around Kona town went by quickly & soon we were on the Queen K. The crowd cheering the athletes on provided amplified energy, the sun was shining & the skies were blue. As we began our trek to Hawi via the Queen K highway, I focused on my cadence & hydration, grabbing water from every aid station. As I tried to hold the numbers I was prescribed, it soon became obvious that due to the conditions, I would need to adjust the plan a bit and ride more conservatively, if I wanted to run well off the bike. The heat & high winds were termed "extreme" for the day & played a major role in the execution of the race plan. 

     I felt solid & prepared. My Cervelo P3 from East Ridge Bicycles was steady and comfortable allowing me to stay aero as much as possible. The ENVE wheel set provided the perfect amount of aerodynamic strength against the powerful Hawaiin winds.

      Wearing the Fusion Speedsuit was helpful, pouring water on myself at each aid station to keep the core temperature down. It's also the most comfortable suit, no chafing or discomfort for 112 miles says a lot!

    

     I broke the race down into 25 mile sections and when the mind started to wander, enjoyed the unique Hawaiian scenery & reminded myself to enjoy every pedal stroke because this is what I've dreamt of doing for so long!!

       There was only one problem that I couldn't fix. My tummy. I knew early on it was a problem & couldn't believe my luck. Of course it would be too easy if everything went perfectly. So this was my issue to deal with for the day. 
      At the turn around in Hawi the winds were unreal!! It took so much focus to just keep the bike on the road. Once back onto the Queen K, where I was hoping there would be a tailwind (since we had a head wind on the way out) hot sandy winds beat into my face for the next 90 minutes, head on. Yup, this is Kona. 
     It was a great ride despite the lower watts, slower speed & longer time than expected. 112 miles done!

    Transition 2: Handing off my bike was the best feeling of the day. The first few steps as I ran through T-2 were ones of question. Would I crumble on the run? After quickly changing shoes, I hit a bottle of UCAN & then ran out of the tent to get 26.2 miles done as fast as possible.

     Run: Before the race, coach had prepared me for the heat & energy sucking run down Ali'i drive. Intentionally setting my pace for the first 5 miles to prevent implosion I started out slow. At the 5 mile turn around, I felt ok still, clicking off the miles at around a 9 min/mile pace. The tummy issue was bordering on disaster, not allowing me to take in anything, hit one cup of water in the first 10 miles. 

     Palani Drive is a legit hill that I hit at mile 10-11. My cheering crew was there with the best energy & as we exchanged high-fives & hugs, I assured them that I felt "good". At the top of the hill we turn onto the Queen K for the soul sucking portion of the run. 

     I was thankful for Matt Miller & Base Performance with their fantastic energy & rocket fuel!

    No matter how hard I tried, I could not get my pace over an 8:30 on this section. It felt like the road was saying "nope" this is what you get, no more no less. So I went with it & ran into the beautiful energy lab at sunset. At the turn around in the energy lab, they handed me the dreaded glow stick (I would have preferred to finish in the daylight, but whatever) and I hit a cup of chicken broth hoping to sooth my belly. This is where I said F*!k IT! Im finishing this thing! With 8 miles to go, running on fumes & fire, I ran through the pitch black darkness (there are no lights to light your way).

     According to my watch, my race time was 11:30:00 and I had 30 minutes to reach my goal of a 12 hour Kona IM. This was fuel to my fire as I ran towards the descent on Palani. When I finally got running down the hill, Stephen was there with my daughter, mom & dad, Jenny & James, cousins all decked out in the FX Multisport gear cheering me to the finish. 

     At this point it was mind over matter, willing my legs to keep turning I ran my last mile as my fastest back to Ali'i Drive & the famous Kona finish chute. 

     Lucky for me, the path was a clear one. No one before me or behind me so I could savor the moment that we all have worked so hard for.  
     They called my name (but you can't fool me, it wasn't Mike Rielly) and medical swiftly carried me away for assessment. ( I secretly was hoping Heather Jackson would medal me, but whatever)

     My Garmin time said 11:49 but my official finish time was 11:59:47, just breaking the 12 hour mark. So, I reached my goal, on the nose. Despite all the issues, I am elated with my race experience and enjoyed every step of the way of getting there.

     Special thanks to my husband Stephen whom I could not do any of this without. 

Also big thanks to my sponsors East Ridge Bicycles, Betty Designs, Loadebar, Fusion Sports US, Base Performance, Enve , New Wave Swim Buoy

Thank you to my ever supportive family & friends who joined me for this adventure!

ALOHA!!

What would I do differently? Make Kona my focus & not 70.3 a month before, push the power a bit more on the bike & take in more salt. Pretty sure my normal salt intake was not sufficient for this race. Live & learn.

Ill be back!

P.S. We started this trip with a family of 4 on a plane. The magic of Kona was so powerful that my oldest daughter Alexa decided not to return home to Tennessee with us, but to stay in Kona, on a whim. Please pray for her safety and guidance as she navigates her own personal journey alone on the Island of Hawaii. Hawaii will always have part of my heart & soul. I will forever be rooted to the Big Island.

P.S.S Here is a link to our photos of the trip for anyone who would enjoy a photo tour of our adventures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/71e9nhteea5Qnr4f1

Mahalo!

Ironman Chattanooga 2017 Race Report

On September 24, Team FX Multisport had 11 athletes toe the line at Ironman Chattanooga. The Ironman race consists of a 2.4 miles swim in the Tennessee River, 112 miles of cycling through the Chattanooga Valley followed by a 26.2 marathon through the scenic city. This is THE longest Ironman race with 144.6 miles to complete.

So many things can prevent an athlete from making it to the starting line during their training journey. Most athletes train for at least 1 year for this 1 day event that lasts up to 17 hours. Many of our athletes fought personal battles during their training. From 4 am training rides, overcoming fears, learning new skills, to 7 hour bicycle rides that leave you burnt & chafed in all sorts of uncomfortable areas, one feels the entire spectrum of emotions in this sport.

The elusive Ironman Finisher Chute

Marsha unexpectedly lost her beloved father earlier in the season then developed strep throat the day before the race! Jeff was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer & juggled chemotherapy with his training. Kem suffered a broken hand from a cycling accident & still managed to train through it with the help of his Coach James. Getting to the starting line of the race, is the real journey.

Numerous things can go wrong on race day. There are bike crashes, drafting violations, flat tires, losing bottles & nutrition, cramping, dehydration, illness & muscle strains, all part of the process. The journey that each athlete experiences is unique to their own. It reveals character, builds confidence, requires perseverance, dedication, passion, trust and teaches one the important lesson of learning to go with the flow. Shawn broke 2 toes exiting the swim & continued on with the entire race!

Marsha with a 2 hour PR!

Sometimes the day doesn't go as we hope. Ironman does not define WHO we are, It is something we do but in the process we discover who we are, and that is priceless.

Here is a race report from Mary Kelly. It was such a pleasure to coach her & her husband Doug this season.

Ironman Chattanooga 2017

September 24, 2017

I am an Ironman (again)! On Sunday, September 24

th

, I crossed the finish line of my 3

rd

Ironman

in 13:54, which is a PR of over an hour. What a day, and what a journey this year! I am going to

restate something that I am most proud of...my husband, Doug, and I have crossed each full IM

finish line together. In 2015 we were dating; 2016 we were engaged; 2017 we were finally

married! Surprisingly enough we don’t want to kill each other during these long, stressful (but

very fun) days.

Ironman Chattanooga 2017

September 24, 2017

I am an Ironman (again)! On Sunday, September 24th, I crossed the finish line of my 3rd Ironman in 13:54, which is a PR of over an hour. What a day, and what a journey this year! I am going to restate something that I am most proud of…my husband, Doug, and I have crossed each full IM finish line together. In 2015 we were dating; 2016 we were engaged; 2017 we were finally married! Surprisingly enough we don’t want to kill each other during these long, stressful (but very fun) days.

Pre-Ironman

Thursday before IM, I met Doug at the IM village to quickly check in over lunch. We were given our backpacks (which are way cooler than the last 2 years) and all our race goodies. I grabbed a name shirt for each of us and some Little Debbie snacks on my way out. I felt like such a good triathlete as I ate my oatmeal cream pie on the way back to work (← that was sarcasm)! That night we ate dinner with a good number of our FX Multisport family. It was great to relax and laugh about the long year of training we have all had this year. It’s also nice to hang out with these wonderful people while we aren’t wearing spandex and covered in sweat and who knows what else.

All day Friday I was at work watching the clock to see when I could finally go home. The day passed fairly quickly, and that evening we went to another dinner with the Base Performance team. I have been lucky enough to be on the race team this year. It’s a fun group of people who are very welcoming and encouraging. I strongly suggest anyone interested look at joining that team!

Friday evening I packed all of my transition bags with the help of my trusty checklist. I’m a type-A planner, but what triathlete isn’t? We went to bed fairly early that evening; IM was quickly approaching!

Saturday morning rolled around, and I took our dogs to the vet for boarding. I’m pretty sure they couldn’t make it all day Sunday without going outside, and I didn’t want my parents to feel obligated to let them out for us. I went out to the barn to see my horse after dropping my sweet puppies off (and feeling guilty when the oldest looked back at me like I was abandoning her). Seeing my horse is probably my favorite relaxation place on this earth. No watches, no stats to track, just quiet peace (usually) and happiness! For some reason as soon as 10 am rolled around, the time bike/gear check-in started, I felt like I was running behind and my stress level went up. I quickly checked my gear bags one more time, we loaded the bikes on the car, and off we went back to the IM village.

Bike and gear check-in went smoothly and quickly. Boy, was it getting warm! The heat made me a little stressed about race day, but I have no control over the weather so I tried not to think about it. Doug and I had a light lunch, and then went back to our house to be lazy for the remainder of IM eve. My right heel had been hurting some the last few days, plantar fasciitis coming back, so I iced my foot and hoped for a good day on my feet on Sunday.

Race Day

Bright and early at 4 am, the alarm sounded and we rolled out of bed. Everything was already set out. Clothes, special needs, breakfast, bike nutrition. 20 minutes later we were out the door and arrived at transition right when it was opening, or a little before apparently since we had to wait in line! We dropped of our special needs bags, and then off to the bikes we went to pump up the tires and drop off nutrition. We had planned to meet our favorite training partner, Marsha, to ride over to the swim start together, but somehow we all missed each other. Doug went ahead a few buses before me because I was waiting on Marsha, but when she didn’t show, I went on to the swim start. I maybe sat on the bus stress-sweating because I didn’t want to sit at the swim start by myself and all of the other erratic thoughts one has due to pre-race nerves. Luckily I found my husband and Marsha by walking the line once I got there! Whew, what a relief! We all laid down and tried to get some rest as we waited for the swim start. Time passed quickly, and then BAM race time! I struggled into my swim skin, put my cap and goggles on, and then we started moving quickly to the dock. A hug from Marsha and a kiss from Doug, and then it became go time!

The Swim

Swimming has always been a “just get through it” thing for me. I’m definitely not fast, but not the slowest either. Just kind of average. I settled in fairly quickly. My normal plan is to breathe 5 times on each side (10 total) and then sight. I also try to guess how many strokes it will take to get to the next landmark. The island, 100 strokes. The next bridge, 150. Usually I’m wrong, but it helps to pass the time.

It seemed like the swim was flying by. In no time, we were passing the Boathouse and then the rowing center. I assumed the current was flowing fairly well that day. The bridges came up quickly, and next thing you know it was time to turn left for the swim exit. My official swim time for the 2.4 miles was 1:01:01. Much better than my planned time of 1:10. Up the ramp, grabbed my bike bag, and in to the change tent I went! I swam in what I would wear on the bike, but I did make sure to slow down to make sure I had everything (from chamois cream to a snack) before heading out again. T1 took less than 7 minutes; once again better than the 10 minutes I had planned.

The Bike

I settled in quickly for a long time of riding 116 miles on Milo, my Cervelo PC3/awesome wedding present for Doug. Every 7 minutes I was sipping on my combination of Skratch Labs pineapple and watermelon Base aminos mix. I was eating Larabars along the way. Time felt like it was passing fairly quickly. I wanted to keep my heart rate in zone 2 for the majority of lap 1, which is around a 17 mph average for me. Doug and I caught up with Marsha, and little training group settled in for a good bike ride! The rollers down 193 felt easy; I think all that climbing up Lookout Mountain has been a big help this year. Very quickly we were turning onto Hog Jowl, and then cruising through Chickamauga to Special Needs. I ate my pb&j, grabbed my Snickers bar for later, slapped on some more chamois cream, and off we went to finish lap one and cruise through lap two.

I felt great on the bike. I knew I was keeping my pace and effort in check. Nothing major really happened during lap two. I continued to eat and drink, and at each aid station I was grabbing a bottle of water to spray all over my head, neck, and shoulders to keep cool during the bike ride. We quickly hit the end of lap two, and turned right to head back to town…woohoo! For some reason on the way back to town right before St. Elmo, I was extremely uncomfortable on the bike. Aero felt awful, sitting up felt awful. I think my lady bits were considering jumping off my body at this point. I toughed out the last few miles, and rolled back in to transition for a bike time of 6:44, again better than my planned time of 7 hours.

After handing off my bike to the awesome volunteers, I was handed my run bag by an adorable little girl, and back to the changing tent I went! I changed completely for the run. It’s refreshing to wear loose clothes that aren’t drenched in sweat at this point. I put some more lube on and stopped by the sunscreen tent (no chafing and no sunburn happened to be a goal for me this year) made for another 7 minute transition, again ahead of the planned 10 minute transition I had written down. Off to the run we went!

The Run

I like to run. I am actually trying to run every day this year. Yes, I did run the day after IM, and it wasn’t really that bad! But the IM marathon is potentially my nemesis, my enemy. I have yet to have a good IM run, and this year wasn’t really much of an exception. We saw Robyn very early on in the run (hi Coach!) which was a nice boost. At this point I was feeling pretty good, and I was looking forward to the last leg of the race. I was grabbing ice at each aid station to put in my 70.3 Worlds finisher hat (← shameless proud of myself for that race plug) and in my sports bra to keep cool. I was sipping water and some Gatorade at each aid station. We slowly made our way down Amnicola (my least favorite part of the course). My plan was similar to the bike; take the first loop very conservatively.

Unfortunately at some point, my stomach decided it hated me. This has happened every year. Nutrition fails me, and I’m shaking my fist at my run right now. I have had some great training runs this year; I have felt strong and optimistic, but once again the IM marathon said NO to me. Doug and I kept moving. Walking as needed and running when I felt able. We got to see our TRIbe friends, Connie and Sam, and Marsha’s husband on the first loop, and each time was a little boost of energy! We had friends on Barton Avenue partying in the front yard who took pictures and yelled for us. I was a little envious of them at the time. Through the golf course and back up and over Barton. There were tons of supporters which was awesome! Once we got to the Walking Bridge, we saw 2 of our very good friends, Ashley and Daniel. More photos, and Ashley even ran across the bridge with us!

We stopped at special needs, where I grabbed some peppermints and a few jolly ranchers. I felt tired, but all we had left was a half marathon. I had just posted time I was very proud of 2 weeks ago; I wanted so bad to have anything similar on race day. Nope. Mama Bear, aka Coach Robyn, told us that the race really starts at mile 15. Guess what…I started throwing up at mile 14.5! Guess I didn’t fuel correctly after all! Anyhow, a great volunteer brought me ice and some cold water, and essentially said I was nuts if I didn’t finish because we had more than enough time to finish the second lap. For the record, not finishing was never an option!

Lap 2 passed slowly. Eventually we left Amnicola, and got to witness a gorgeous sunset on the Riverwalk! It was getting dark out, and the temperature was finally dropping. My parents were at the top of Battery to cheer us on. It was a relief to see them! We crossed over Veterans’ to finish out the last few miles of our run. I was trying to do math the entire second loop to figure out how much time we had for the remaining miles because I wanted to finish under 14 hours SO BAD. Eventually we had 45 minutes to do the last 5k. I could do that in my sleep, right?! We saw Connie again on the Walking Bridge, and she walked across it with us. She is such a strong and inspiring person! When we started down Riverfront towards the finish, she was still yelling for us from the bridge. The finish line lights came on, and people started crowding the chute. I made sure to high five as many people as I could (especially the kids). Doug and I grabbed hands and raised them together as we crossed out 3rd full IM finish line together! It was incredible! Mike Reilly said both of our names, and even mentioned we were an Iron couple finishing together :D

Our total run time was 5:54, which was slower than my planned time of 5:40. But who cares!!! We still finished under 14 hours (13:54:27 to be exact).

IM Reflections

I am so proud! Sunday was over an hour better than my original PR. I am so proud of Doug for having a great day! I am also grateful that he stuck with me even though I bet he could have done much better. The next time we attempt a full, it will most likely be every Ironman for himself/herself so he can see how good he can do. I am lucky to have such a great training partner/husband/Ironmate in him.

To Marsha, you are amazing! Thank you for training with us and congrats on a great race! To the rest of the FX team, thank you to each of you. I believe we have a great group of people on the team, and I can’t wait to get to know each of you even more! The volunteers and the crowds were awesome Sunday. I truly think it was an amazing day!

That being said, I am looking forward to taking a break from the full distance to focus on getting faster at the 70.3 distance! I am excited by the year that I had (the Chatt 70.3, Costa Rica 70.3, Worlds 70.3, and IMChoo), and I am encouraged for next seasons of triathlon! I will be stronger and faster (hello climbing up mountains more and masters swim and speed sessions), and I will figure out nutrition! I am not done with fulls forever, but I am proud of being and Ironman x3!

Ironman Chattanooga 2017

September 24, 2017

I am an Ironman (again)! On Sunday, September 24

th

, I crossed the finish line of my 3

rd

Ironman

in 13:54, which is a PR of over an hour. What a day, and what a journey this year! I am going to

restate something that I am most proud of...my husband, Doug, and I have crossed each full IM

finish line together. In 2015 we were dating; 2016 we were engaged; 2017 we were finally

married! Surprisingly enough we don’t want to kill each other during these long, stressful (but

very fun) days.

Difficult Roads Lead to Beautiful Destinations

David Wade has been working with me as a dedicated triathlete for a few years. His long story is amazing and one we can hopefully share one day. Today though, we share his story of the Extreme Alaskaman Triathlon. David has been training hard for this race since last fall. His weekly training consisted of cold open water swims in the Tennessee River all winter foll owed up with century rides up mountains like Lookout Mountain, Raccoon Mountain, Signal Mountain and finishing off the week with 4-6 hour run/hikes on the trail systems on those same mountains the next day with hill repeats.

On top of this, David works full time as the President of a very busy company and his schedule and stress level is top level. Despite his busy lifestyle with work and family, David found his balance.

David never missed a workout. Not many people would even think of doing this kind of training, but he embraced the challenge with a spark in his eye & a smile on his face. I am extremely impressed with his attitude and work ethic. Through all of this, he raised money for Cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy association to help find a cure for his friends child who is affected by the disease.

Here is his race report.

Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon

The most insane and incredible thing I have ever done!    

Of course the journey started months before we left but heading to the airport I felt well trained and confident. Our flight out of Chattanooga was delayed  three hours causing us to miss our first connection.  Fortunately, we arrived in time to snag the last flight of the day to Seattle after a zone 4 run across the concourse.  While we made it to Seattle, our luggage did not.  The following morning we made it to Alaska without luggage.  Our luggage finally caught up with us the following morning.   Evidently my bike did not travel too well either as one of my base bar shifters was not working.  After a couple of hours repairing wiring, all was good.   Ready for race day.

Race day I was up at 2:00 a.m., ate, and headed to T1 to set up.   T1 was a simple setup as I had placed all my bike stuff in two large plastic bags to start dry in case it rained.  Good thing as it was low fifties with light rain.  At 3:30 we loaded buses for the swim start.  We were in the water by 4:20 a.m. awaiting the start.  Light level was low with fog.  All I could see was three lights in the distance.  The race director instructed us to spot off the left light then turn right as we approached shore.  It was a deep water mass start but cleared quickly. The water temperature was 55° at the start but cooled as expected throughout the swim.   We swam past three points where glacier run off was filling the bay, each dropping the temperature more.  By 45 minutes into the swim it was down below 49°. My training had paid off as I was dealing with the cold pretty well.  It was a little unnerving that all I could see was the three lights, not buildings, other swimmers, support boats, or even the shore.  I had no perception of how far I had swam or how far I had left to swim.   I kept swimming.  Finally, I started to see a building.  I knew then that I must have made it most of the way across and was within a half mile or so.  I could now see the shore, a kayak and another swimmer.  This was a good feeling as before it felt as if I was the only one left in the dark expanse trying to reach the light in the distance.  The water started to get rougher.  It seemed like I was swimming awfully hard but getting nowhere.  Later, I found out that those of us that took longer than an hour on the swim were fighting the  tide and a constant stream of fishing boats leaving out for the day.   Finally, I saw the exit buoy and knew that I had made it.  It took me 1:49 to swim the 2.85 miles across the bay, the toughest swim I had ever done.  I was glad to be out of the water.

One of the best things about the extreme triathlon is having your own support.  My son Justin was knee deep in 49° water to help me out.  The almost two hours in cold water had taken a toll on me, but I was out and on to transition.  There was no red carpet to run on and no changing tents.  O well, changed anyhow.  Would not have been smart to remain in the cold wet clothes.  Out of transition and onto the bike.  A long transition 20:40.

Once on the bike panic struck.  My bike would not shift, not the front or rear, nothing.  Off the bike, I removed my battery as I have Di2 shifters.  I knew I had charged it the night before so what could be wrong   I pulled the battery, wiped the contacts and reinstalled.  I was thrilled it worked.  Lesson for the future always test on race morning even if all you do is charge the battery.  Off on the bike course. It was raining and I was still cold from the swim, but the cold did not last as the climbing started early on the course.  Around mile 20 my stomach started to hurt.  At mile 25 I was in the woods.  At least I was prepared.  I saw my support crew at mile 30 ready with nutrition and hydration. I passed without stopped only yelling for them to find immodium and more toliet paper.  At mile 40 my support was waiting with fuel, immodium, and toilet paper.  After a stop in the restroom, I was on my way again.  Mile 50 was my last trip to the woods.  I remembered from the elevation map that mile 58 was pretty much the end of climbs, followed by a long downhill with the last 30 flat.   My memory and a false flat led to a frustrating 10 miles as the end of the climb was really at mile 68.  Instead it was ten miles of around a one percent grade that looked more like a slight downhill to me.   At mile 70, came a fast downhill.  At mile 78 I turned south toward Portage Glacier and slowed to 13 mph fighting a strong head wind.   At Portage Glacier, we turned north.  This time I had a strong tailwind. Instead of 13 mph i was now easily hitting 26+ on the same flat road.   I kept the tail wind most of the remainder of the ride. This was absolutely the most beautiful ride you can imagine.  The bike leg was 6:59 with 4698 feet of elevation gain.  Not the bike split I expected, but considering my issues I will take.  Today was all about pace and nutrition for me, with the main goal of the day to save enough energy for the mountain climbs.

Pulled into T2, I was ready to get off the bike.  Someone handed me my bag and off I was into T2.  Again no changing tents.  Changed anyhow.  Loaded up my backpack with 100 ounces of water and I was off  - T2 12:29.

The first fourteen miles of the run was along a path with woods on one side and water on the other.  My main goal for this section was  to keep a easy pace and maintain my nutrition plan as I knew I needed to go into mile 20 in good shape.   For most of the run I was alone with nature.  I managed my plan and reached mile 14.7 feeling good.  In all a pretty uneventful section 673’ elevation gain 14.7 miles.

One of the great things about this race is that your support joins the last section.  At mile 14.7 my son Justin and my son-in-law Nathan joined.  It was great to have company.  Mile 14 - 20 was an out and back on the nordic trail with 577’ of elevation gain. An amazing run through tall evergreens.  

I arrived at mile 20 feeling good.  I swapped my run shoes for trail shoes and headed to the medical check in.  My backpack was getting pretty light, so I stopped to fill up before heading up the mountain.  After 50 yards, the trail turned straight up.  The first half mile or so was brutal.  It was so steep that my ankles could not bend that much, so I was forced to use the side step approach.  When it flattened to a reasonable 15° grade, I was thankful.  Took a quick fuel stop and headed on up.  The rest of the first trip up was this same pattern, brutal steep for a half mile or so followed by an more reasonable 10° - 15° grade.  The views were amazing with lush green plants, clear  glacier fed lakes and snow.  As we approached the top, we transversed snow bowls and a freshly melted stream.  No way to avoid just plunging through the cold water.   It was freezing but actually did not feel that bad as I was burning up.  My heart rate was zone 2 - 3 just to keep moving.  Having Justin and Nathan with me was great.  Justin made sure that I stayed on nutrition schedule, and Nathan kept me from falling backwards more than once.  We saw the Alaskaman flags and knew that we were almost up the first climb.   When we reached the top, it felt like we were on top of the world.  

After several meters across a narrow ridge with steep drop offs on both sides with gorgeous views, we started the descent.  We decided to make up all the time we could on the descent to leave as much time as possible for the second trip up.  Shortly after we started the descent, the trail took us very close to the finish line.  It was exhilarating.  It felt like we were flying down the mountain.  We passed several walking.  The views were stunning, but we dared not stop for but a second to fuel and take a quick look.  There was definitely no autopilot on this mountain either up or down.  Each foot placement counted.  About three fourths of the way down, the mountain patrol told us to keep our eyes peeled.  There was a bear just ahead of us.  We looked around  as much as we could without risk of a major tumble but did not see the bear.  We did see several bear and a few moose later in the week.  As we took the final turn of the decent, I heard my family cheering.  After a few high fives, we were on our way up the final two miles.

It was a little before nine when we started the final leg.  For the first time all day, I was not worried about a cutoff time.  I took the first half mile or so to let my heart rate slow to low zone 2.  By this time my legs were heavy, my back was hurting from carrying the heavy pack, but I knew I would make it.  I kept eating and drinking.   I had stayed on my nutrition plan, and it was paying off    All in all I felt good going into the final mile up the mountain.  Of course, the last mile was the toughest with over 1,000’ of elevation gain.  We spotted the tram station.  Just below it we saw a couple of racers ascending what looked to be ridiculously steep slope.  A few minutes later I would find that to be true.  I knew from reading about the course there were several switchbacks near the finish.  The switchbacks were crazy, often 15” - 20” step ups.  Not easy any day, but the last mile of an insane iron distance race was really crazy. I remember one particular step my leg said “no”.   I feel quite sure that I would have ended up a good ways down the mountain if Nathan and Justin did not catch me.  I caught my breath and a quick sip and was climbing again.  A quarter mile from the finish I heard my granddaughters yelling, “Go Papa.”  I looked up to see my gang cheering.  It was way different than the typical Ironman running the red carpet through screaming crowds.  Instead of hearing crowds of folks cheering as I approached and the announcer called my name, I could distinctly hear the voices of each and every one that I care most about, all my kids, their spouses, my grandkids and my wife.  The 27.5 mile run with 6,015’ of elevation gain had taken me 8:24 to complete.

Crossing the finish line with Justin and Nathan was incredible.  There was no one there to catch me or put a medal around my neck when I crossed the finish line.  My family was immediately there with me ten feet from the finish with sweaty hugs from all.  After family hugs,I looked up to see the Crawfords and their son Mackenzie, my young friend with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.   Mack was sitting in his wheel chair with his Alaskaman hat on cheering for me.  I was humbled and reminded just how blessed I am.  I noticed the effort it took him to give me a high five was as much effort as each step up the mountain was for me.  I am thankful for the experience of completing Alaskaman but even more thankful that God utilized it to remind me of my many blessings.

What an incredible experience!  An experience only possible with the help of several folks.  My support team was amazing.   Coach Robyn’s training plan had me well prepared for the challenge. A huge number of others contributed in some way to my success.   I am thankful for each and every one of these.   

Our bodies may be strong, but it is the mind and heart that are strongest.

Fun facts:  Inaugural Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon

307 Registered

198 Started

157 Finished

My Overall Time 17:41

My Overall Finish 134

Second Oldest to Finish

Median Male Finisher Age 44

Median Female Finisher Age 39

Finishing Time Percentages:

• 11 Hours - 1%
• 12 Hours - 4%
• 13 Hours - 8%
• 14 Hours - 13%
• 15 Hours - 16%
• 16 Hours - 21%
• 17 Hours - 27%
• 18 Hours - 10%