2005 Gulf Coast Triathlon Race Report

Bessie and John are out of town for the week in Charlotte, so I figure I'll make some entries on some stuff. First on the list is my 1/2 Ironman Race Report. I'm not going to forward this update to people because of the terrible results for me...

Arrival at Panama City on Friday night, and had to check in my bike, no problems at all. After check in, I had some work to go to, hearing FSU Defensive Coordinator Mickey Andrews, which was probably a good thing, getting my mind off of things for a bit.

After the meeting, I got back to the hotel, chatted a bit with Mike and John and got my race day things in order. Fell asleep at about 10.30 or so.

Woke up about 4AM and for some reason, I didn't drink that much water. I had 3-4 coffee cups of water, and that was it. Mistake #1. I also had been recovering from a cold and still had a bad, nagging cough, so I took my inhaler breaths, and hoped it wouldn't affect the race.

Got to the race site, and had only about 30 minutes to get my transition area set. I do not like rushing though this period. I also didn't drink any water. BIG mistake.

Got to the beach and the air temp was about 61 degrees. Water temp = 71 degrees. So wetsuits were allowed. I was probably one of about 50 of 1700 people. Can't really claim that was a mistake, since I don't own a wetsuit.

We waited for about 45 minutes on the beach as other waves went out. It was cold, and I had no shirt. Finally, it was our wave. The water was very calm, and I was hoping for under 37 minutes. This was a 1.2 mile swim. Gun blast and we're off...

SWIM
I took it out relaxed, and just got into a bit of a rhythm. Finally found some feet to draft off of. The water temp didn't really bother me much at all. The water was warmer than the air temp, so it was a relief to me in the water. I only did #1 in the water once; I usually go twice in the swim. bad sign.

As we made the final turn toward the shore, I felt myself getting a bit tired and I knew it. I just had to keep pushing through the end of the swim and finish as strongly as I could. It would be a theme I'd repeat to myself throughout the day.

Out of the water in 38.50 (1.51/100). PR but about 2 minutes slower than I had hoped for.

T1
Run through the shower and into transition. I have a hard time getting a dry top on when my back is wet and that cost me about 45 seconds. Finally got out on the road for the 56 mile bike ride.

BIKE
It took a bit of time to get feeling good on the bike. The plan = easy first 10 miles, then crank it up, and then crank it up again.

So, I followed my plan, drank some HEED with water, but I was feeling some cramping in my calves. After a bit, those went away. After about 10 miles or so, we had to climb over a bridge. Once over the bridge, I felt good and picked the pace up a bit, but I was feeling very good. I kept drinking my HEED, but my stomach was feeling full, and I couldn't really tolerate the taste after a bit.

The one thing I do remember is that I would get passed by groups of people, 10-15 at a time. I'd just say to myself...see you on the run.

As you head back to the beach, you have to climb that bridge again. Once down and flat, I really felt a head wind and had to increase my effort. That was a mistake as well. From Mile 45 on, I knew I was in trouble because I increased my exertion level a lot more than I thought I did. My tail was sore, my legs were sore and I just couldn't wait to get off of that bike. I also was coughing so much my stomach was hurting.

Finally got into transition in 2h 46m, 20.22 mph.

T2
Transition was a fast 1m 20s. Off to the run. I did try to hit the head but it was full. I didn't HAVE to go, but I was going to do it to save time. That was a warning sign...no need to pee on the bike.

RUN
The 13.1 mile run wasn't too hot compared to the oven of two years ago, but 75 with no wind or clouds can get to you after a bit of time. I came through the first three miles in about 25 minutes, very relaxed and felt okay. Mile 5 came through at about 41 minutes. Was getting a bit tired but that was to be expected. My quads were beginning to feel a bit sore, like cramps were going to settle in, but I thought it was fairly normal to feel that after a lot of work.

Mile 6 at about 50 minutes. Then, the heat, cramps, coughing and exhaustion really hit me. I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish this race fast. I actually thought about quitting, but I thought I would recover to finish the race strong. Not today...

The last 6 miles took over 1.5 hours. It was a mix of walking, shuffling, slow jogging interspersed with cramps, coughing attacks and water breaks.

Get to the next aid station...Run to that stop sign...Get to the next mile marker. That's what went through my head. I was so disappointed, mostly in myself for being so stupid in my preparations. I won't do that again. But I did learn that I have what it takes to finish something when I really didn't want to. That I'll be able to take with me.

I finished the run in 2h 19m (10.36/mile) for a total time of 5h 49m...45 minutes slower than I had hoped for.

LESSONS LEARNED:
- DRINK MORE WATER!
- Keep my effort in check
- Don't be disappointed in myself like I was
- Prepare better mentally, physically in my training

Male Finishes (561/939 overall male)
S - 582/939
T1 - 211/939
B - 531/939
T2 - 85/939
R - 639/939

AG Finishes (107/166 AG, 728 Overall)
S - 112/166
T1 - 47/166
B - 107/166
T2 - 15/166
R - 111/166