Domestique

Triathlete Magazine, May 2010, pg. 138

2010-05-02T15:22:00.006-06:00

Your's truly in print! An awesome shot from IM AZ 2009.

Oceanside 70.3

2010-04-02T15:07:00.000-06:00

2010 training started off well. With my new 8-5 work hours winter cycling now means indoor time on my trainer during the weekdays and hoping for descent weather so I can get outside on the weekends. My savior this winter was Netflix as I was blasting through 5-6 DVDs a week to help stimulate otherwise uneventful indoor trainer sessions. I'm a big fan of "The Tudors" and "Rome", worth checking out. After the much anticipated daylight savings time change in mid-March I could once again get outside during the week to ride after work. This gave me a few weeks of consistent outdoor training before my 1st race of the season, Oceanside 70.3.

The week before Oceanside was different than my previous 2 trips out for this race. This time Aim and I drove out to Irvine a week before the race and spent the entire week moving her into her new apartment for her year-long stint at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM - aka the Harvard of fashion schools, go Aims!). Come race morning something was clearly missing from my attitude as I just wasn’t in the mood to compete and really had minimal desire to do the race. Fortunately I started to get my competitive urge a few minutes before my wave entered the water to start the race.

The swim was par for the course, good time and feeling ready to ride. Out on the bike I had decided earlier this season that I wanted to really push the bike on this course to see where things were. This is a decently tough bike course with a good amount of climbing and some nice headwinds over the last 10-miles or so. I really pushed the bike over the entire course and while my legs were tired and a little achy at the end they were still pushing hard so thats a good sign. I ended up beating my previous bike splits on this course by 10 and 14 mins, while averaging 261 watts. Not too bad.

Now the run. My run PR on this course is a 1:24 from 2 years ago, today was not a PR-run day. Starting out it was a pain, I could never get into my rhythm and I really had no fight in me to push harder or run faster. My run split ended up being a mediocre 1:29. I crossed the finish line with a total time of 4:33, 11 minutes better than my 2 previous attempts at this course.

All in all it was a descent day that reminded me of the importance of mental preparation for every race. Without my mental focus I was never able to push myself as hard as I should have been able to go or to suffer as much as I needed to. Typically the week before any race Aim is totally selfless and dedicates herself to Team Maxwell, taking care of me and helping to ensure I’m perfectly prepared for race day. This time was different as Aim’s move was our focus the week before the race, and that’s the only it could have been with her move to CA. Given the fact we would be living apart for year and this was some of our last time together before she is living in CA full-time, there’s no way I could have expected to have complete mental focus on my race. Anyway, long story short, this week gave me a huge appreciation for all the time Aim is there to help me be 110% ready for my races.

The highlight for the race was my bike split matched the bike splits of both Tim Hola and Gordo Byrn - 2 local CO elite triathletes who are consistent top finishers at Kona. Good stuff. Granted my run was about 10 mins slower than theirs, but I know my run was not what it could have been and the fact I’m cycling alongside some fantastic athletes serves as great motivation to lay down rock star training for Kona over the next 6 months. The goal now is to continue to get stronger on the bike so I can match the bike splits of guys like that and then be able to pass them on the run. I have little use for a fast bike split unless I can follow it up with an even faster run. Finishing a race with a sub-par run is a big let down. No more of that action this year.

All in all a good day to get the season started and motivate training for the next 7 months.

Until next time...

-Maxwell

Results
Overall: 79th (2225)
Age Group: 14th (247)

Times: 4:33:06 (28:20, 2:30:40, 1:29:33)

Ironman Arizona 2009

2009-12-10T13:21:00.017-07:00

2009 has been an epic year for my training and racing. I had 3 main goals coming into this season; 1. Set a new ½ IM PR, 2. Set a new IM PR, and 3. Qualify for Kona. I managed to break my ½ IM PR in each of the 2 long course events I raced earlier in the season so going into AZ I already considered this year a success regardless of the outcome in Tempe. While I didn’t feel pressure for a great result in AZ everything in my training and racing from January through November indicated I was on track for a break through race in my 7th attempt at the IM distance.

3 weeks before Tempe I went with Aim’s family to Kona on their annual trip to Hawaii. This was my final week of larger volume work before AZ and it was great to be able to train in a hot climate to simulate the conditions I expected in Tempe. Also training along the Hawaii IM course was great motivation to push myself in AZ so I could return to Kona in 2010 to race the big dance. The highlight of our time in Hawaii was riding from Kawaihae to Hawi twice with Aims. 99% of my training is done solo so it was special to be able to share such a beautiful ride with her. All in all it was a week of great training and relaxation that was perfect preparation for AZ.

Fast forward 10 days and Aim and I are in Tempe staying with our friends Chris and Brooke. The evening before the race I sat down with Chris to give him my goal splits so they would have an idea of when to look for me out on the course. My ideal times were 55 minutes for the swim, 5 hours for the bike and 3:10 for the run. Adding in 5 minutes for transition time these splits added up to a 9:10 finish. While this time looked achievable on paper I honestly thought 9:25 was much closer to the finish time I was capable of as I thought I could hit either the bike or run splits but I didn’t expect to make both.

Starting about 2 months out from AZ every night before I’d go to sleep I’d lie in bed and visualize the race. I must have rehearsed the race 100+ times before ever actually jumping into Tempe Town Lake. Through all these mental simulations I don’t remember ever once visualizing crossing the finish line. Strangely enough the night before the event in my dream I went through the entire race including the finish which I crossed in a time of 9:20. Race morning I woke up with a strange confidence thinking that since I could do it in a dream I could surely do it in real life. I’ve never felt so relaxed yet confident on an IM race morning, a good sign for what was yet to come.

Before I knew it I was treading water on the far right of the start line with the same relaxed confidence I’ve had for the past several months. A few minutes before the start canon sounded I rolled onto my back to look up at the thousands of spectators on the bridge above. I took this moment to appreciate all the work I’ve done to get to where I am today and remind myself to race smart and never stop fighting.

The canon fires and the day begins. My swimming tends to get stronger in the 2nd ½ of the event so I started out with a long steady stroke and slowly worked my way from the right side of the lake to the inside line towards the turn buoy. After the halfway point I notched up my effort for a strong finish to the swim. Exiting the water I felt like I had a great swim and I should be relatively close to the front of the pack. In transition I was surprised by how many other guys were in the change tent next to me and I immediately felt pressure to get out on the bike ASAP. In the haze of my rush I forgot the fasten my helmet strap and almost mounted my bike without doing so, this would have incurred me a time penalty. Thankfully the spectators standing next to the bike mount line all were yelling “helmet strap, helmet strap”. As I stopped to clip on my helmet I mistakenly dropped my bike and it seemed like my world was falling apart. Thankfully a volunteer picked up my bike and in no time I was off onto the course.

As I rode away from the transition zone I realized I had totally lost my focus in my stress of getting too competitive in the transition tent. I actually laughed a little as I realized how funny it must have been to watch me go crazy for a few minutes back there. I decided to put all that behind me, forget about everyone else and run my own race for the next 8+ hours.

The 1st lap of the bike was good; I felt strong, the temp was still cool and there wasn’t much wind to contend with. I finished this lap in about 1:38, 2 minutes ahead of the 5 hour pace I was shooting for. 2nd lap was a lot tougher. There was a strong and steady headwind the entire way out so I reminded myself that based on the last 2 times I’ve done this race the winds are usually lighter for the 3rd lap so I could afford to push harder through this 2nd lap hoping that the winds would die down on the next lap. I ended up finishing lap 2 in about 1:42 so I was still roughly on pace to finish the bike in about 5 hours. In my previous attempts in this race my legs were pretty much spent after the 1st 2 laps of the bike. This year was amazingly better and as I made the turn onto the final lap of the bike I still felt strong and I knew I could afford to attack the final lap. My memory of the wind patterns served me well because the winds were much lighter on the final lap and I ended up finishing the bike in just over my goal time with a split of 5:01.

In my past 6 IM I’ve never been able to run the pace my legs wanted to because I’ve always had stomach issues which forced me to slow down. These GI issues have generally been the result of too much fluid / substance in my gut. In the week leading up to the race I read an article saying the one of the biggest mistakes people make during an IM is trying to consume too many calories during the bike which results in stomach issues during the run. Since I hadn’t had any GI trouble in the 2 long course events earlier this season where I had taken in fewer calories per hour than I would have in previous years I figured I should also scale down my IM nutrition plan to try and finish the bike with an empty stomach so I can attack, attack, attack the run.

Finishing off the bike after consuming 1700 calories consisting of 4 bottles of drink and 3.5 packs of shot blocks, I had an empty gut, my legs felt strong, and I was 100% confident today was the day for me to kill a little marathon action. I blow through transition and as I pass Aim, B &C heading out on the run course I give them each a high five with a huge smile on my face and tell them “I’m feeling awesome”. My plan for the run today was to setup a strong pace over the 1st 3 miles, lock into the steady pace over the next 17 miles, and hopefully all this will set me up to close out with a fast final 10k. Basically this strategy means you race a 10k after a 8+ hour warmup.

Starting out the 1st lap of the run the course was empty and while I didn’t know my overall or age group position I was confident if I could run a solid marathon I had a very strong chance to qualify for Hawaii and maybe even finish top 3 in my age group. Realizing that I was within reach of realizing my dream of Hawaii made me get a little emotional and I had to tell myself to pull it together and focus as a lot can go awry during a marathon. Finishing the 1st lap I passed Aim, B & C as Chris runs alongside me and tells me “dude you’re killing it, you’re in 4th in your age group and 3rd place just 2 minutes ahead. Go get him!”

If there was ever a perfect thing for me to hear during a race that was it. Running is my WMD and knowing that 3rd place is only 2 minutes ahead I charge on with the singular goal of attack, attack, attack. About 2 miles later I pass a guy in my age group who I assume is the 3rd place guy Chris referred to. Sure enough he’s not wearing a shirt and there’s no way I’ll let myself loose to a shirtless guy. Not gonna happen. As I pass him I surge ahead thinking that if I don’t make a decisive pass he could try to latch onto my heels. I maintain that same strong pace through the rest of the 2nd lap and heading out onto the 3rd lap I know nothing can stop me now. I now have only 8 miles to go to achieve everything I’ve worked so hard for.

As I pass the 20 mile mark I kick up the pace thinking this is it, this is everything I’ve ever wanted, it’s time to close out this IM with a killer 10k. To motivate me to keep surging ahead I keep telling myself that shirtless guy is right behind me and I can’t afford to stop fighting even for a second. With about 3 miles to go I see a spectator from Boulder who recognizes me and he tells me it’s about 8:50 into the race and I realize that I might finish in 9:15, are you freaking kidding me? Incredible!

I crest the final climb on the far side of the lake and realize it’s all downhill or flat from here on out so I again notch up the pace. 2 miles to go and I’m crossing the final bridge heading towards the finish line. 1 mile to go and I really stride it out. As I fly through the final mile the spectators are cheering me on and a few were yelling “awesome smile Max!” I don’t really remember smiling but it’s sweet to think back on the race and visualize myself killing the final 10k grinning ear-to-ear. I make the best turn of the day as a peel off the main run course and onto the final .2 miles of the race. I glance over my shoulder a few times to make sure I don’t have any finish line poachers hovering behind me. There’s no one in sight so I ease up my pace to take in the moment. I see Aims, B & C and I make the final turn into the finish chute and amazingly there’s a beautiful 9:12 on the clock mounted above the finish line. I cross the line in 9:12:07, in what was definitely the most special race, and day, of my life.

While I’ve long dreamed of the moment when I’d earn my first Hawaii slot I thought I’d be more emotional than what I felt today. I think I was too happy, amazed and exhausted to get chocked up too much. After meeting up with Aim, B & C I was in a lot of pain so not even thinking about what my results were I went over to get a massage from one of the volunteers. After a nice long massage we finally went to check the results to confirm what we already assumed that yes indeed I qualified for the 2010 Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI. Not only did I qualify but I also finished 3rd in my age group, 26th overall, and I beat half the professional men’s field. This was absolutely my strongest placing at any major race ever. Simply perfect and amazing.

Reflecting back on my results I ended up accomplishing my 2 remaining goals for the year by qualifying for Hawaii and setting a new IM PR. Additionally I set a new marathon PR of 3:09, beating my NYC Marathon time by 5 minutes and having the added bonus the run split was fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. My average pace over the final 10k of the run was a crazy 6:41 and I was probably running sub-6:30 for the final 2 miles. I knocked off 38 minutes from last year’s time by going a full 20 minutes faster on both the bike and run. It would have been fantastic to go 20 minutes faster on either bike or run but to drop so much time over both sections is more than I ever imagined was possible.

The day after the race I felt strange as I’ve suddenly reached the single goal I’ve been working toward for the past several years. Now I’m free to set my sights on a new goal. Going forward I know I can go faster and next I want to break 4 hours in a ½ IM and go sub-9 hours in an IM. It’s crazy to think that just over 1 year ago I was hoping to go sub-10 hours for the 1st time and now I’m a mere 12 minutes away from breaking the 9 hour mark.

I’ve had a lot of people ask me what made the difference this year. I’ve increased my training volume and intensity over the past 12 months and while there’s no doubt this has helped me make significant improvements on both the bike and run, my core focus and drive hasn’t wavered since I began training for my 1st IM back in 2005. IM success doesn’t come overnight and I believe it takes several years to develop the endurance, strength, and patience to excel in IM racing. Big thanks to my coach Kevin Konczak for always believing in me and for methodically crafting a successful training plan since we started working together in 2005.

I’ve been training for IM for the past 5 years and I’ve been preparing for this specific race for 11 months, yet despite all my anticipation it seems to have come and gone all too quickly. Looking back on the race what I’ll remember most is that I was able to share my perfect day with Aim, Brooke and Chris. Thanks to each of you for always supporting me.

I remember riding on the trainer in my basement back in January while I was just dreaming of qualifying for Kona wondering if it would happen this year or 5 years down the road. Back then I would have never believed someone if they told me this season I’d run a 1:19 ½ marathon, do a 4:15 ½ IM, go 9:12 in AZ and qualify for Kona. This has been an epic year and next season can only get better with the inclusion of Ironman Hawaii on the race schedule.

Until next time...

-Maxwell

Results
Overall: 26th (2500)
Age Group: 3rd (237)

Times: 9:12:07 (56:59, 5:01:08, 3:09:12)

Ironman Arizona Video

2009-11-29T13:29:00.002-07:00

Final Build

2009-10-04T17:50:00.023-06:00

A few weeks ago I raced my final ½ IM of the season out in Aurora at the Harvest Moon Long Course. I had done this event last year and while it’s a smaller race, with only about 350 participants, the bike course profile is surprisingly challenging so it was a good follow-up to the 5430 ½ IM in August.

Going into the Harvest Moon race I was coming off a PR (4:17) ½ IM finish and I was looking to match or improve on that result. I ended up having a consistently strong day with the 10th fastest swim, the 11th fastest bike and the 9th fastest run, this netted me 6th overall and a new ½ IM PR time of 4:15. I was able to average about 10 watts higher on the bike than I did at the 5430, all while maintaining the same 6:30 run pace. My personal win of the day was after getting caught by a guy at the ½-way point of the run finding the fight in me to drop him by well over a minute over the final 10k.

While I had a great result at Harvest Moon it seemed to drain me much more than the 5430 had a few weeks before. Fortunately the week after Harvest Moon I had a light block of training which helped me to recharge my batteries before beginning the final push of training for AZ. Aim and I took advantage of my light training week with an incredible trail run up in Aspen, CO. The Maroon Bells are gorgeous.

At this point I’m in the middle of a 7-week block of high volume training. This final build to an A-race is always the most exciting time of my season. It’s the time when my entire focus is on a single goal and when all the work I’ve put in over the past 5 years of IM training starts to culminate. I’m still not 100% race ready, but in 7 short weeks I will be; just a few more long rides and runs to go.

Until next time…

-Maxwell

Harvest Moon Results
Overall : 6th (340)
Age Group : 2nd (27)

Time : 4:15:11 (24:12, 2:23:39, 1:25:47)

5430 Long Course

2009-08-16T17:56:00.014-06:00

This was one of those days when everything just clicks. Leading up to the race I knew I was queued up for a solid performance as I felt much stronger, confident, and relaxed than I can remember prior to any race in the past. I knew if I had a good day I would be under 4:30 and if I had a great day I might break the 4:25 mark. Never did I dream that I would have a fantastic day and go 4:17.

The swim was on par with my swims from the past and I was 40th out of the water. My bike was where I made a big jump from last year’s results at this race. My average bike speed was just shy of 1 MPH faster (0.8 to be exact) than last year. In both my previous experiences with this race I remember being passed by a good number of guys during the bike. This year I was only passed by 2 guys. The bike course is a 2 lap format and at the end of the 1st lap I was still feeling strong and I was confident that during the 2nd lap I could sustain my effort level. My power numbers were extremely steady through the entire ride (as you can see from the graph below). I ended up finishing 39th on the bike, by far and away my best long course bike result to-date.

I exited T2 feeling primed up for a fantastic run so I started out with a reasonably fast pace. The 1st loop passed surprisingly quickly and as I headed out for the 2nd lap the finish clock read 3:34. Seeing this totally amped me up as I knew that barring a complete disaster I would finish high in the overall rankings. As I make the final turn towards the line I see a beautiful 4:17 on the clock and a wave of complete joy engulfs my body. All my work over the past 5 years came together for a flawless PR race. To say I was ecstatic is a complete understatement.

I closed out the race with the 16th fastest ½ marathon pulling it off in a respectable 1:25, still I ended up missing the podium by 1 slot, finishing 4th in my age group and 17th overall. Minus the 10 pros that finished in front of me, I was the 7th age grouper out of the starting field of 1060. Not bad at all. It’s funny how 2 weeks ago I never imagined I was capable of a race like this, but this is now the new benchmark. Looking forward I still have a lot of strength still to gain on the bike and with the right combo of training and recovery there’s absolutely no reason why I can’t break the 4:10 mark.

This race was the absolute best performance I’ve put in to date for any distance, including Ironman. An awesome finish like this is exactly what I needed to motivate my training for the next few months as I prepare for my season’s A-race at IMAZ. In a short 5 weeks from now I'll take another stab at the ½ IM distance out at the Aurora Rez at the Harvest Moon Long Course. Harvest Moon offers a slightly tougher bike course than the 5430 so it should be another good indication of where things are at before my final 10 weeks of training leading up to AZ.

Thinking back on my results I’m still totally amped about when a fantastic day I had. It’s not often in life when we’re able to totally surprise ourselves so it’s pretty special when we shatter our pre-conceived notion of what is possible. I remember the finish of my first ½ IM thinking that was the toughest thing I’ve ever done and how it was pure misery. The next summer after a few more ½ IM I started to believe that someday I might be able to do well at long course triathlons. At this last race, my 10th ½ IM, I actually enjoyed the entire event and now I can't wait to race another. Even last year I never really had fun with the ½ IM format as the combo of longer distance paired with higher intensity makes for a really tough race, however somewhere in the past several months there's been a significant change in my strength and endurance where I now am able to thrive in both the distance and intensity. Going forward I have a newfound confidence in my multisport endurance as I see how far I can go with the triathlon thing. Today was a very special day.

Until next time…

-Maxwell

Results
Overall : 17th (1060)
Age Group : 4th (103)

Time : 4:17:45 (28:57, 2:21:32, 1:25:23)

5430 Long Course Video

2009-08-13T10:24:00.012-06:00

Steady Improvement

2009-08-04T14:31:00.024-06:00

So my short course season has quickly come and gone. While I DNF’d the 1st race in the Mile High Duathlon Series due to my bike crash I’ve since healed up nicely and went on to post solid results at the subsequent 2 races and won my age group for the entire series. On the triathlon side I also had strong results at both the 5430 Sprint as well as the Boulder Peak Olympic-distance race. As cycling has been the focus of my training this year it was nice to see my average speed go up by about 1/2 MPH in both the 5430 and the Peak. My runs were also slightly faster than last year which is more conformation my cycling fitness has improved as my run times aren’t suffering from the bigger effort on the bike.

The highlight of my summer thus far was at the last race of the duathlon series out in Wiggins, CO. Last year after finishing this race Aim told me it looked like something she could handle (since she is not into swimming triathlons are out) and she was going to do it next year. While a lot of people say they could finish a race like this most don’t step up and toe a start line.

True to her word she registered, purchased a very fashionable pair of tri-shorts, and was ready to go on race day. This was a day of firsts for her, it was her first multisport race and the first time she had ridden her bike without the accompaniment of her dad or me. She had 3 goals coming into the event (she preferred to stay away from the term race); 1 - finish, 2 -don’t get injured, and 3 - have fun. She crossed the finish line accomplishing all 3 of her goals.

Shortly after the event/race she tells me, “That was the hardest thing I have ever done. Never doing that again.” Too funny, I remember the same sentiment following her first ½ marathon. The next morning I’m on the computer looking up our results and I tell her what her run paces were for each section. As she realizes she posted one of her best run paces ever she tells me, “maybe I should do another one of these next year. I know I could have pushed the bike harder.” Spoken like a true competitor, I think she’s finally ready to admit that was a race and not just an event. It was a great day to share in Aim’s inaugural multisport race and watch her venture well outside her comfort zone.

Coming up this weekend both Aim and I are racing again and we’re both hunting for new PRs. She has a ½ marathon up in Georgetown and I have the final race of the 5430 series with the Long Course race. Aim’s chances for a PR are looking good with her current form and recent training. I’m hoping to continue my trend of ½ MPH improvement on the bike and finally break the 4:30 mark for a ½ IM. July was a great training month for me and I’m excited to see where my long course fitness is at.

-Maxwell

Early Season PRs

2009-06-10T18:11:00.027-06:00

It’s early June and I’ve just completed my 3rd race of the season. Training this spring has been progressing really well as I’m clocking faster run and swim times than ever before. While I’m always happy with swim and run improvement the main area I want to make some big gains this year is with my cycling. Based on the results of races over the past few years cycling is clearly the one area where I can make the most significant time gains on my competition. In order to work toward those gains we’ve tailored my training plan to include much more time on the bike than in past seasons. While I’m seeing improvements with my cycling I won’t really know where I’m at until later in the summer when I race the Boulder Peak or 5430 Long Course races as these longer race formats will allow me to better test my cycling strength paired with post-cycling running endurance. Fortunately my ‘A’ race this season is not until November so I still have a good amount of time to continue improving my cycling fitness.

My race schedule this year includes a bunch of shorter races this spring, some ½ IM races in mid to late summer and my season culminates with a 3rd go around at IMAZ in November. To start the season out I entered a local duathalon (run – bike – run). My goal going into the race was just to see where things were at. I went in to the race having never DNF’d before but after hitting a pot hole with my bike, crashing, and ripping a considerable amount of skin off my palms and left forearm I bailed on the race to give the paramedics some time to pull the gravel out of my wounds. While I was a little beat-up after the incident my bike came away without a scratch, thank god because I really don’t want to be dropping any cash into a new ride right now. While the crash was a bummer it served as a nice little reminder to keep my eyes on the road.

Next up was the Bolder Boulder 10k. This is a race I ran twice back in high school but have neglected to run for the past 13 years. Chris and Brooke were going to be in town to run it so Aim and I decided it be fun to enter along with them. As there are 50,000+ people that enter the race so if you want to run fast and not have to weave in and out of people for the entire 10k it’s important to get in an early wave. I used my 10k run split time from last year’s Boulder Peak triathlon to score a slot in the 2nd wave. The race was fantastic and both Aim and I ended up having PR runs. My goal was to go sub-36 minutes and I finished with a 36:46; not too far off my goal. After the race I bumped into Boulder Olympian triathlete Matt Reed, he told me he’s looking to make the jump up to IM distance if he can win the ½ IM World Championship this year. His goal put my aspiration to just qualifying for IM Hawaii in perspective.

Following the Bolder Boulder Aim and I signed up to run the Steamboat ½ Marathon. I ran this race once a few years back and Aim has run it twice. We both love Steamboat and we each really enjoy the ½ marathon distance so it’s a great event for each of us. Going into this race I was more excited to see how Aim would do than what my results would be. She had run 9:09 pace in the Bolder Boulder and this was about a full minute per-mile faster than the pace she thought she could do. Based on this result I knew she had the potential to PR in the ½ marathon. I hadn’t put much thought into what my goals were for the race. However I did not want to lose to any girls and in the back of my head I wanted to do sub-6:00 pace, although I wasn’t sure this pace was realistic.

The morning of the race Aim and I each felt great. The weather was perfect. Cool but not overly cold; overcast and damp but not raining; great conditions for running. Over the 1st half mile of the race the leaders separated from the main pack. I quickly settled into 3rd position and was pushing just below a 6:00 pace. A few miles later I slid past the guy in front of me to overtake the 2nd place slot. I was able to average sub-6:00 miles up until a few uphills around miles 9 & 10. Although I had the race leader within sight for the entire race I was never able to close the 200-ish yard gap between us. While I wanted to close in on him I was already running pretty much as fast as I could go and I recognized the leader was the same guy who seems to win every local triathlon as well as finish top 5 in his age group at the IM World Championships in Hawaii year after year. Here's his blog post about the race. In the back of my head I knew that if I started to close the gap he’d probably be able to speed up a little to fend off my attack. Anyway I ended up finishing 2nd overall with a time of 1:19:11, clocking a 6:02 pace. Not too bad considering I wanted to do a 6:00 pace. While I’m rapped with my finish I’m more proud of Aim. She knocked an unbelievable 15 minutes off her ½ marathon PR. It was a really special day to be able to both set PRs for a distance we love while racing in our favorite part of Colorado.

Next up is another duathalon this weekend; I’m hoping just to cross the finish line in 1 piece for this one. Then the following weekend I have the season’s inaugural triathlon with the 5430 Sprint in Boulder. So far this year the best surprise has been my strong running, my biggest let down was obviously the crash and DNF, and the biggest unknown continues to be my cycling fitness. Things are going awesome thus far we’ll try to keep up this trend of steady improvement all the way through November.

Until next time…

IM Arizona Round 2 : November

2008-11-23T07:00:00.023-07:00

After arriving in AZ on Thursday I went through the normal pre-race rituals of bike pick-up, race check-in, a few short workouts, some bland meals, and all too soon it’s race morning. One nice addition to this race is Aim’s Mom, Dad, and Sister came down in support. Aim has a great family so it was cool to share this IM experience with them. This will actually be the third IM in a row where it’s been more than just Aim and I at the race. IM races are important events to both her and I so it’s always special when our friends and family take the time out of their lives to travel and hang out all day in support of our team.

Race morning I woke up feeling relaxed and confident about the upcoming day. I did my standard 1k calorie meal at 3 AM and then Aim and I headed down to the start area. A few hours later as I’m waiting to shimmy into my wetsuit I finally started to feel the normal pre-race nerves as I think about the upcoming 10-ish hours of competition. It’s a long race and you know you’re going to go through a lot of pain during the day so while we waited for the swim start I filled my mind with the highlights and positive moments from the past 4 years of IM training and racing. I remind myself of how special these IM days are, how I need to race from the heart, and more than anything else I tell myself to enjoy all the ups and downs of the day. While I feel a bit nervous I’m mostly excited to race as it’s been 7 months since I last competed in an IM and I’m eager to take the test and see how I’ve improved.

Lining up for the swim start I pick the same spot I had in April, about 15 feet off the lake / canal wall on the front outside of the line. This outside position allows me to avoid most, if not all, contact with the other swimmers at the front of the pack as most of the other fast swimmers are positioned closer to the inside of the line where you have a slightly shorter tangent to the turn buoy. The turn buoy is about 1 mile away and I’m positioned only about 300 feet off the inner line so my direct tangent works out to be roughly 10 feet longer than the direct inside line. Since the outside position provides the added bonus of not having to wrestle with other swimmers for position I figure I should actually have a slightly faster time with my position than I’d have if I started on the very inside.

With less than 10 minutes to go I flip over to my back and while I’m floating there looking up at the mass of people standing on the bridge overhead I remind myself how much I love these long races and how fortunate I am to be able to compete in such amazing events. Today is going to be a lot of fun and I know I’m going to rock this swim.

At the stroke of 7:00 the start cannon thunders and we’re off. I quickly separate myself from the main pack and settle into a nice long strong rhythm while holding a straight line by maintaining a constant 20-foot distance from the lake wall. After about a half mile into the swim I start to drift to the left as I begin to sight off the turn buoy. This slowly works me over to the outside rear of the lead pack. I jostle for position with only a few people around the 1st and 2nd turns, then on the home stretch I’m slowly creeping by people as I turn up the pace slightly with a stronger stroke. As a little bonus to the ego I even pass a few male and female pros who started 10 minutes before my age group wave.

I make the final turn towards the swim exit and I finish by pulling myself up the exit stairs. I feel only slightly fatigued in my shoulders and back and have a high overall energy level. At the time I had no idea, but my swim split was clocked at 54:43, several minutes faster than any of my past IM swims. I was the 91st person out of the water and 3rd out in my age group, awesome! This flawless swim was the perfect way to set the tone for an even better day.

As I’m mounting my bike after a quick transition I hear the announcer tell the spectators that the athletes coming through transition now are likely the ones that are competing for one of the 80 IM Hawaii slots in contention today. It’s nice to know I’m in good company. Heading out on the bike I remind myself to temper the urge in my legs to get competitive. This is where the power meter comes in handy. I’m able to look down and see I’m taking it out a bit hard, so I settle my nerves down and find an easier gear that keeps me within an acceptable range of my goal wattage.

I’m thirsty and in need of some calories so over the next 20 minutes I suck down my 1st bottle of energy drink. Good to get in some calories early. There’s a slight headwind that grows stronger the farther I get out of town. By the turnaround I have a 2nd energy bottle finished and pick up a bottle of water to dump over my body to keep things cool as the temp is starting to warm up. The return trip to town is much faster as I’m able to use the slight downhill and moderate tailwind to hold a strong pace while staying below my average watt goal in order to give my legs a slight reprieve after pushing higher watts on the way out. I finished the 1st lap averaging 21.2 MPH and 234 watts.

Starting out the 2nd bike lap I’m still feeling strong and I’m in high spirits. Heading out of town I notice the headwinds have picked up over the past 2 hours. The temp is still generally mild and my system of a water bottle-over-the-head every 30 minutes seems to be working well to keep my body cool. I don’t remember anything special for this lap aside from the stronger wind. This lap is slightly faster than the 1st with an averages of 21.3 MPH and 229 watts.

Going out for the final lap my legs started to fade. Occasionally the mind would start to go negative I’d shake it off by taking a drink from my bottle and then tell myself how much I’m rocking it and how good I feel. The headwind seemed less intense on the way out than the previous laps and coming back into town I felt as if the tail wind had dropped to next-to-nothing. This, along with my fatigue was reflected in my 3rd lap averages of 20.6 MPH and 204 watts. While my average watts and speed were down on the 3rd lap, I finished the bike with an overall average of 225 watts. This is exactly 2 watts off what the lactate tests indicated I should have been able to hold for the IM ride and this was done without spending all too much time watching my power output numbers. Not too bad for my 1st race using a power meter. I finish the bike feeling as good as possible; I had tired quads, a sore butt and my mind needed a change from cycling to running.

The transition system they use in IM races requires you to pick up a bag containing your T1 or T2 gear and run into a change tent where volunteers help you switch up your setup. On T2 I had the good fortune of having Joe the Super Volunteer help me out. As I was pulling on my runners he quickly stuffed my energy blocks and salt tabs into the back of my jersey. With his help I quickly exit the tent and head out onto the run course after a blazing fast transition time of 1:25.

The 1st 3 miles of the run we’re fairly typical. Everything really hurt, I couldn’t seem to find my breath, and I felt as if I was trudging along way too slow. At about the 3 mile marker I saw Aim on the side of the bridge and she asked me how I felt. I kind of shook my head in a No motion indicating I wasn’t having too much fun. I passed Aim’s family a few steps later and they were all there cheering me on. Maybe seeing all them helped boost my morale or maybe my legs just decided that it was time to start working, but a few minutes after passing my support crew I started to feel better as my run system came online. While I had felt super slow over the initial 5k I had still averaged a respectable 7:55 / mile pace.

Just before the 4 mile mark a female pro passed me and she was going at a clip just a bit faster than I was. As I watched her slowly pull away I had a “screw that” moment and I move to close the gap between us. I quickly get back on her tail and over the next 8-mile loop I used her as a rabbit as she would start to pull away on the inclines and I’d reel her back in on the declines. I held on to her pace until just about the 13 mile mark when I started to doubt my ability to maintain this pace for the remainder of the run. At this point I knew I had a good shot for a strong finish unless I blew up. Not knowing if the faster pace would cause a blow up I decided to slightly ease up and let Ms. Pro go. Pacing off the pro help me keep a 7:47 average pace over the 8.6 mile segment.

Without the help of a rabbit to push my pace I dropped back to a 8:33 pace for the next 8.3 mile segment. As I approached my final run lap I started to think about my finish time. I don’t wear a watch and there weren’t any useful clocks out on course so I had no idea what pace I’d been running or what time it was. As I passed Aim I tapped my wrist asking what time is it? She too had no idea. What I did know was the sun was still up and it looked like I had enough daylight left to be able to finish before the sun set around 5:00. Since the race started @ 7:00 AM I guessed I should still be able to close out this race under my goal of 10 hours.

After I passed the 20 mile mark I knew I wasn’t going to blow up and I decided it was time to push the final 10k to the finish. Also not knowing for sure where I stood gave me the extra drive I needed to dig a little deeper and give it a good go. As I pass the 25th mile marker a guy slowly creeps up next to me. I feel like I have no fight left in my legs but I’ll be dammed if I let someone from my age group beat me out this close to the finish. I ask him how old he is and he says he’s 39. This means that losing to him couldn’t affect my Hawaii chances so I let him creep away from me. A few minutes later with about 3/10ths of a mile left to go a guy with a big “30” on his calf, clearly indicating he’s in my age group, passes me going at a considerably faster clip than I am.

Yeah right I’m going to let it go down like that. In a fight or flight decision I throw the throttle wide open in a bid to overtake him now instead of waiting until closer to the finish. I pass him in a manner meant to send the message that if he wants to dispute our finish order he’s going to be in for serious battle and he’s not going to come out on top. I quickly put a good buffer zone between us and in doing so I also pass the 39 year old. I glance over my shoulder a few times to check my wake for poachers and I see a guy about 50 yards ahead doing the same back to me. At this point I know I can’t close the distance to the guy in front of me and I seem to have my position secured from behind. All pain seemingly subsides from my body as I make the final turn and see the finish line laid out in front of me.

The clock over the finish reads a beautiful 9:50. I did it. I freaking did it. I hold the tape at the finish and take a brief pause to absorb the experience of the day. With my push towards the finish I ended up running the final 6 mile segment of the race at my fastest pace of the day, 7:38. My old swimming coach from high school would have been very pleased with that negative split. Great end to a fantastic day.

I knew I had it in me. All indicators from my training told me I was capable of pulling it off, my lactate test results looked like I had the strength and endurance, and my coach Kevin had been telling me for the past 6 months how he knew I could do it. Still having never gone under 10 hours it was a very sweet moment having finally done it. For the past 3 years, since I finished my 1st IM in 10 ½ hours, I’ve been trying to break the 10-hour mark. I’ve worked hard for this performance so it was a special moment as all IM finishes are.

I find Aim and give her a big hug. As I had a respectable finish time she asks if I think I have a shot at a Hawaii slot. I tell her there were a bunch of fast guys out there today and I’d be surprised if I finished top-10 in my age group. Turns out I finished 13th in my age group and only the top 7 guys secured Hawaii entry bids. Not my day today.

Focusing on what I did accomplish; I achieved my goal of finishing under 10 hours with a new IM PR. I also PR’d both the swim and the bike splits and then ran a respectable marathon, finishing the run in 3:30:57. I finished 102nd overall in 9:50:18. This was 14 minutes faster than my previous PR. Nice little chunk of time to knock off.

Walking around after the race I was sore and tired but it didn’t seem to hurt as bad as I’ve felt after races in the past. This tells me I can do better next time. Perhaps I could have held the female pro’s pace for the entire marathon. Perhaps I could have pushed the 3rd lap of the bike hard enough to hold an even pace from the 1st 2 laps and shave about 5 minutes off my total time. I know I have many more faster times in my future and I can use these what ifs to motivate my training over the next 12 months.

Aim was obviously bummed about missing out on a Hawaii slot, as she knows how much that goal means to me, but I’m totally psyched with the day’s results. This is a process where the goal is continual improvement and today was a significant step in the right direction. As we sat in the post-race tent and I sucked on a few oranges I turn to Aim and ask her, “guess what?” She gives me a puzzled look as I respond to myself saying, “I finished in 9:50!” It’s nice to join the sub-10 hour club. To most anyone else this time likely carries no significance but Aim and I both knew how special it is to me. Today was a great day.

When I said walking around after the race didn’t hurt, I spoke prematurely. Starting about an hour later my legs started to show me the full spectrum of pain. The hurt lingering over the next several days served as a constant reminder that despite the natural “what if” thoughts about how I could have gone faster, my soreness was a result of the blistering effort I put in and while there is always room for improvement I knocked out a PR race and I had the throbbing pain to prove it.

After dinner Aim and I walked over to the finish to watch the late night competitors. We were both pleasantly surprised with how full the bleachers were at 10:00 PM, there were more people cheering on the late-night competitors than were out here cheering roughly 5 hours earlier. It was awe-inspiring to watch these athletes round the final corner to see the finish after competing for 15+ hours; I couldn’t imagine being on the run course enduring the past 5 hours of loneliness and darkness. The look on each finisher’s face made it clear this was a very special achievement in their life; for Aim and I it was quite the experience to see all these people embracing their moment. This was the perfect way to end a great day.

Looking back on the race I’m extremely pleased with how the day unfolded. I set several PRs, I had no mechanical trouble on the bike, my nutrition seemed to work, and most importantly I really had a lot of fun. I also achieved a significant milestone on my drive toward Ironman Hawaii, finishing the day just 15 minutes behind the last qualifier in my age group. 15 minutes could have been made up with just 1 mph faster on the bike during my 3rd lap and running just 20 seconds faster per mile during the marathon. When I return next November I know I’ll be ever better prepared than today and I’m coming back to drop another significant chunk of time off today’s PR.

Thanks to Aim, her family and everyone else who has helped me along the way. Today was a great day that would not have been possible without your support. Also, Chris you're the man. Thanks for putting together the finish line video shown below.

Until next time…

-Maxwell

Results
Overall: 102nd (2191)
Age Group: 13th (212)

Times: 9:50:18 (54:43, 5:19:21, 3:30:57)

Prologue : Summer 08' Training

2008-10-31T07:00:00.004-06:00

It’s been a fantastic summer. Following the April run of IM Arizona my plan was to heal up then change the pace over the summer by competing in a bunch of shorter races. These summer events would help to boost my speed and keep things fun. In total I raced a couple bike TTs, several swim-run races, a duathlon (run-bike-run), the Boulder tri series (a sprint, an Olympic and a ½ IM), and a final ½ IM at the Aurora Rez. All the competition was fantastic as I raced in disciplines and distances that I’ve never done before. Hopefully all the competition over the summer paves the way for a great result in AZ this fall.

Coming into AZ, like all other IM I’ve done, my fitness felt stronger than ever. Over the summer I dropped my ½ IM PR by 12 minutes on the same course from my previous PR, I finished top-5 in my AG in all 3 Boulder Tri Series races, and I logged a bunch of high quality work on the bike, which is the discipline where I feel I have the most room to improve. In the gadget department I’ve begun using a power meter on all my rides and I’ll also be racing with one in AZ. The power meter is a great tool to accurately measure cycling intensity and now that I have it my coach designs all my bike workouts based on power parameters instead of HR. The advantage of the power approach over HR is we’re creating a training program using specific work loads instead of structuring a cycling program based on my body’s response to the work. Fatigue, nutrition, terrain, weather and altitude all factor into your body’s HR, however power is always constant regardless of these external factors. Therefore power is a much more consistent parameter to create a training program around.

Power training is widely accepted by the cycling community to be a highly (if not the most) effective system to structure a training regime as it allows the cyclist to instantaneously quantity specific training loads. In order to determine the range of my optimal training and racing intensity zones I routinely have my power and associated HR zones lab-tested to serve as a benchmark of current fitness. Just 1 week before the November run of IM AZ I had my LT tested and the results were encouraging. They showed my base fitness to be stronger than ever. This data indicated that at AZ altitude I should be able to hold somewhere in the range of 227 normalized (average) watts for the entire IM ride and still be able to follow-up with a strong run. Racing with a power meter should help me to more evenly pace my effort on the bike. The bike course format in AZ consists of 3 out-and-back legs. Each out section is gradually uphill and typically has a headwind making the return trips generally faster on a downhill gradient with a likely tailwind. Based on this format I expect to see higher watts on the way out and lower numbers on the way back.

My swimming has been spot on since June. I’ve been killing every set in the pool all summer and while my training pace has not significantly improved, I’ve felt so much stronger and confident in the pool than in previous years. Perhaps the biggest change I’ve felt is I’m hardly ever fatigued after any of my swim sessions. On race day this lack of fatigue should translate into my ability to carry more energy into the bike section after a strong swim. As a bonus I’m enjoying swim training more now than I ever have since I began competitively swimming over 20 years ago. The pool has become my oasis. No matter how I’m feeling going into a workout, after about 10-20 minutes I always find my groove and from there on I steamroll through the session and love every minute of it. Somewhere over the summer I started to notice that as I would look through the upcoming week’s schedule I’d search for the tougher swim workouts and get excited for these more challenging days. I don’t remember ever being excited for the hard swim sets in the past so this is a welcome change and a good indication of how great I’m feeling in the water.

For my run I haven’t noticed any significant improvement or decline over the summer. Without any noticeable run gains I’m still confident I’m coming into the race with the necessary training to pull off a competitive marathon as I’ve consistently done in the past several IM. Additionally, with my increased cycling strength I should have more strength left in my legs to run a descent marathon.

In the final few weeks leading up to the race everything in life and training went flawlessly. My nutrition was spot on. I felt rested, relaxed, healthy, strong, confident, and eager to go out and test myself. Before past IM I remember being much more anxious than I am this go around. I suppose this is due to both experience and preparation. After finishing 5 IM I’m much more comfortable with the distance and based on what I’ve done in training I’m very pleased with my current fitness level. I’m 100% confident I’m capable of finishing under my goal time of sub-10 hours. Just how much under that time I can go, we’ll have to see how the day unfolds.

-Maxwell

2008 Ironman Arizona - April

2008-04-13T07:00:00.014-06:00

Just as I anticipated the weather turned out to be the most challenging variable of the day. The official high was 95 however the reported temp out on the bike course, with the heat radiating off the road, hit 109. While the heat made things tough, for me the wind for even more taxing. The bike was a 3 x out-and-back format and on each leg out we were beat down by a ridiculously strong sustained headwind which gained strength the further we rode outside of town. The upside to the wind was it sped up the return trip to the transition area. Despite these easier return trips the brutal winds took an extreme toll both physically and mentally on me. There were times on this last lap where I was reduced to riding at about a 12 mph pace on flat ground because the headwinds were so strong. Although the bike was tough I fared well on the other 2 disciplines as both my run and swim split times were in the overall top 100. The swim was even the highlight of my day as it went smoother than any other mass-start major race I’ve competed in.

Starting out the swim I lined up on the outside of the concrete canal they call Tempe Lake. I was on the front line and about 5 yards from the bank on the right-hand side of the start. My tangent to the turn buoy about 1 mile up was slightly longer than those on the inside but my plan was to avoid wrestling with the fast guys and stick to the smooth water on the outside where I can lock into my own pace and minimize the stress on my body. My plan worked perfectly as I only had to jockey for position for about the 1st minute and then I was able to use the concrete canal bank on my right to sight off of, allowing me to keep a constant distance from myself to the bank in order to swim a straight line. Sighting off the canal bank also allowed me to avoid looking into the sun which was just over the horizon and conveniently positioned spot over the turn buoy we’re shooting for. About a ½ mile into the swim I started to cut my way over diagonally from the bank towards the turn buoy and a few minutes later I’m on the outside of what seemed to be the tail end of the lead age group swim pack.

My swim pace felt somewhat fast but sustainable. I focused on long strong strokes and was picking up my head about every 5 stroke cycles to make sure I remained on-path. After the turnaround sighting was easier because we were no longer looking into the sun and before I knew it I made the final left turn towards the exit ramp. I exited the water in 57 minutes and change, just a few seconds off from my swim time from Switzerland last year.

After a quick transition I headed out onto the bike feeling only slightly fatigued in my upper body from the swim. To combat the desert heat I’m wearing a pair of DeSoto arm coolers. These are white breathable sleeves that help keep your arms cool and protected from the sun. To supplement this I’ll also pick up 2 bottles of water at every aid station on the bike. I’ll immediately dump the 1st bottle over my head, shoulders and arms. I’ll stash the second on my bike and use it to intermittently wet myself until I can reload with 2 fresh bottles at the next aid station about 10 miles up the road. The arm coolers work perfect for this strategy as they absorb just enough water to chill you down for a few minutes as the wind blows over them.

I felt relatively good during the 1st lap of the bike. My shoulders and traps were a bit sore from the swim but otherwise I was fresh and ready to ride. During this lap the wind started out as a mild headwind then grew stronger until I hit the turnaround point about 18 miles outside town. While it was breezy the wind didn’t bother me as I was able to stay in my big ring for all but the final short incline to the turnaround. Approaching the turnaround I heard the buzz of a helicopter overhead and I see the lead pro males pass me on their way back into town. The pros don’t seem to be too far ahead of me considering they started the swim 15 minutes before we did so I feel like I’m riding strong and holding a competitive pace.

After the turnaround I’m like a rocket blasting back into town. The wind is strong enough at my back to boost my speed to a sustained 30+ MPH all the way back into town. On the return trip to transition I start to see the mass of age groupers heading out. From what I can tell I’m still in the lead pack of age groupers, just where I want to be. By the time I finish this 1st lap I’ve finished 2 bottles of my energy drink mix and still feel relatively fresh.

At the turnaround for the 2nd lap I’m blasted with a much nastier headwind than I faced on the 1st go. This wind speed feels like it’s about 15 MPH with gusts easily surpassing 25 MPH. At times it reduces me to speeds in the low teens and it starts to take a considerable toll on both my legs as well as my mental state. While it’s hot out my cooling strategy seems to be working as I don’t feel like I’m burning up. My nutrition also appears to be on track however I’m quickly loosing interest in my sugar water and my body is craving plain cold water, not the sports drink I should be feeding it. To quench my burning thirst I’m taking in water complimented by salt pills. I don’t feel like I’m sweating a drop but with the dry desert heat I assume all sweat is evaporating as soon as it crests my skin.

After the turnaround on the 2nd lap I tell myself 2 of the 3 sections with the nasty headwind are over and I only have to fight the wind once more. I cruise back into town although even with the wind at my back I’m not able to maintain the 30+ MPH speeds like I could on the 1st lap. With all the fluids I’ve consumed I start to feel bloated so I occasionally sit up out of my aero position to help the reservoir of fluid pass through my GI.

At the end of the 2nd lap I see Aim, Brooke and Chris. As I pass them I think how much I don’t want to fight the wind for another 18 miles in the desert heat. I push through the final lap and this is easily my slowest lap. My legs are just plain spent by now and I don’t have the strength to maintain the speed I want to be doing. After the turnaround during the final section into town I’ve pretty much lost it mentally. Coming into the race my goal was a top 5 finish in my age group and now just finishing the race seems like it will be an accomplishment in itself. I’m disappointed and my self pity is not helping anything right now. In the back of my mind I know despite the toll the last 5 hours of cycling has taken on my legs I do have the ability to finish off this day with a solid run. As much as I have no desire to continue on right now given the conditions I know I’m going to come out of transition running and I have the ability to run a strong race no matter what kind of heat the Arizona desert wants to throw at me. Now I just have to get back to the transition area and get my running legs under me.

Finally I’m coasting into transition and I drop off my bike with the volunteers. After a quick change I head out onto the run course. My GI is slightly bloated and my legs are understandably sore but I’m glad to be done with the last few demoralizing hours of cycling and onto a more enjoyable 3+ hours of running. I tell myself “the faster I run, the faster I finish”.

Over the 1st few miles I feel like crap. My stomach is full of water and it’s sloshing around like a washer machine. It’s about 95 out right now and the most shade I can find along the run course is provided by the occasional plane passing over from the neighboring Phoenix airport. For about the 1st ¼ mile there were spectators along the run course but now we’re on the far side of the canal and there’s no one around to encourage us on. I do my best to lock into a sustainable pace. It’s not a fast pace but as I’ve lost most of my mental fight the seemingly 8:00 pace seems fairly respectable. I’m continually passing other competitors and that helps a little to motivate me on. Nearing the end of the 1st lap I pass Aim, Brooke & Chris and as they try to encourage me as I shout “I hate this”. This pretty sums up my mental state right now. I’m not enjoying any step of the run. Curiously unlike past races when I’ve had a bad day and I’ve planned how I’m going to sell my bike on eBay, today all I think about is finishing the race. Perhaps this is a sign of strength or maturity. Probably it’s because I’ve just succumbed to the fact that I’ve only begun my career in this sport.

The 2nd lap of the run is a bit easier as there are more competitors on course and a majority of them are walking so passing them helps to motivate me to continue running. On this lap I even have to stop to pee which is an good sign that I’m keeping hydrated enough to sweat and have excess fluid to process out of the blood stream through the kidneys. My hydration plan for the run was not something I put much thought of coming into the race. My plan-on-the-fly has morphed into walking through the aid stations so I can quickly sip a cup of Gatorade or water, then run every step between the aid stations located at each mile mark. At the aid stations I also take 2 cups of water which I dump over each of my arm coolers. I know in Switzerland last summer I was able to run 100% of the run but today’s conditions were vastly different from those of last year and at this point I really don’t care what I did in Europe under totally perfect racing conditions.

Moving into the last lap of the run I pass a guy who seems impressed with my less-than-stellar stride and asks me what pace I’m running. I don’t have a GPS to tell me my speed or lack thereof ,and the desert heat has ceased any sensible brain function I would normally have. Added to this I’m putting every ounce of energy available into moving forward so a verbal response takes more energy than I like. I reply telling him “no clue, just trying to finish.”

While the run was hot and I felt like crap at no point did I ever feel like it was something I couldn’t or wouldn’t complete. Halfway through each lap we cross a bridge taking us back by the transition area and at this point I start to feel like I’m within reach of the finish. I see Aim, Brooke and Chris and as they cheer me on I realize they’ve been out in this heat as long as I have and we all need to get inside so I kick up the pace. This increased pace lasts for a few minutes then my speed quickly drops back down as I head back across the lake. I just don’t have a lot of fight left in me right now. I think a bit reason why I’m not pushing myself as hard as I should be is coming into today the goal was to finish in under 10 hours and that goal no longer seems attainable. Without that goal still in my sights I don’t any primal hunter instinct driving me on. Now it’s just about a respectable finish and no blowing up prior to the end. I guess I’m playing things safe instead of risking everything for a faster finish.

On the far side of the canal I pass through an aid station and as I’m walking and sipping on some water this guy who I’ve been playing leap frog with for the entire run passes me. I realize that this guy might beat me, and who knows who else is going to beat me just because I’m not giving it my all. Screw that. I drop the cup and immediately turn on my fastest run pace of the day. Finally I received the wake up call I needed about 6 hours ago. Stop being bummed you won’t set a new PR. Who cares. You can still beat this guy and probably a few others, so go do it dammit.

For the next 3 miles I’m finally running a respectable sub-7:30 pace and I feel alive once again. This is the pace I should have been running all along. I’m passing people much quicker now and no matter what I will finish strong. I pass under the final bridge and have less than a ¼ mile to go. I moving along at a good clip as I turn off the main course towards the finishing line. Now I’m all smiles and I’m remembering why it is I so enjoy these long races. Nothing I've ever done matches the sense of accomplishment you experience when finishing an Ironman. I glance back several times to ensure no one is within reach of me and after I give myself the all-clear I slow up to enjoy my final steps down the finish chute. As I cross the finish line I stop and hold the tape taking in the moment that was not easily attained.

After the race I meet up with Aim, Brooke and Chris. While I’ve said this at pretty much every long race in the past, I tell them that this was “the toughest race I’ve ever done”. I’m sure I’ll say this many times again in the future.

All things considered I’m generally pleased with today’s final results. The conditions were by far the most challenging I’ve ever competed in. My training over the winter was done in temperatures ranging from about 20 to 50 degrees so racing well in today’s 90+ degree weather is an accomplishment in itself. The wind definitely took an unexpected toll on me and I’m disappointed in how much it slowed me down and how I allowed it to negatively affect my mental state. I finished in 10:23, just 23 minutes off from my goal and all things considered it’s not a bad result. I was 99th overall, with 34 of those people ahead of me being professionals. Not bad. I was 11th in an age group that was allotted 5 Hawaii slots. 2 of the top 5 guys in my age group didn’t take their slots so both the 6th and 7th place finishers picked up a Hawaii ticket at roll down.

Considering I was only 4 places and about 23 minutes away from a Hawaii slot I feel like I’m within grasp of my Hawaii goal. Seeing how close I came makes me hungrier than ever to turn up my game over the next 7 months so I’m better prepared to have a great day when I return in November for IM AZ round 2. I know there’s still a lot of improvement I need to make with my cycling in order to be able to log a competitive bike split. My split today on the bike was 5:42. Not a great time by any measure, and a good 20 minutes slower than where I need to be if I want to be in the mix for a qualification slot.

I think there were 2 main reasons for my lackluster bike performance. One, I just didn’t have the necessary power in the latter half on the bike to maintain a competitive race. This is likely due to poor pacing as well as a need for greater cycling strength and endurance. Fortunately these are skills I can improve on over the entire summer and I know when I return in November I will be a stronger and smarter cyclist. Two, I lost a good portion of my competitive drive when the race turned tough. This could be because I was too focused on a goal instead of concentrating on the process. Stronger mental skills are something I can improve on through more racing, something I’ll definitely address with my summer competition schedule.

My run was 3:36 and while this was the 74th fastest run split of the day I know I’m capable of much better. In November I hope my run time is much closer to 3:20. This run course is not hilly, it’s just hot. I’ve shown myself through this race that I can deal with the heat, both on the bike and during the run. The biggest limiter for me to have a spectacular run is my cycling strength. Becoming a more powerful and efficient cyclist will definitely position me to faster run.

With regards to my swim, I continue to be totally pleased with where it is. I’m actually really excited for swimming over the summer as the outdoor pools will be open and hopefully my work schedule will enable me to be able to spend time in Boulder’s outdoor long-course pool.

While I’m disappointed by my mental performance during the race I’ll learn from my mistakes and this will make me a stronger competitor. I think back to IM CDA 3 years ago where I totally lost it mentally and physically and ended up walking about ½ the run finishing the race in about 11.5 hours; my worst result ever. Just 4 months after that race I came back to have an awesome iron-distance race in Florida. Setbacks are a natural part of the learning process, and with quality training I'll do over the next 7 months I’m sure I’ll return to Arizona a smarter and stronger athlete.

The plan for the remainder of the year is to keep things fun and competitive over the summer and then increase the mileage in late August to ramp up for IM AZ in late November. Starting in late May I’m going to enter a bunch of local races. The goal here is that the race environment will help to push me harder than I would otherwise be able to drive myself alone while training. My summer schedule will include 2 bike TTs, 3 swim-run races, a duathlon, an Sprint triathlon, an Olympic triathlon, and a ½ IM. Following that I’ll take an easy week or two to freshen up, then begin my IM training which will likely include another ½ IM in September as I prepare for Arizona. The short races throughout the summer will keep things fun, help me to develop greater power on the bike, and hopefully help me to focus on the process and not the results.

While races are a physical test against the other competitors, for me it’s also a mental contest against myself. How much do I want it? How much am I willing to suffer? How strong is my resolve? When things turn tough in a long race it’s challenging to stay focused on the task at hand. Down in Arizona I lost my focus for about 6 hours due to adverse weather conditions and a lack of cycling power/endurance. In Switzerland last year I was in the zone for the entire race and I had my best day ever. Mental strength is an absolutely critical component to successful race execution. When I return to Arizona this fall I have to maintain better focus. Improved focus coupled with greater cycling strength will undoubtedly better position me to discover more of my athletic potential.

This results in Arizona showed me I’m close to my goal of competing in Hawaii as an average day put me about 23 minutes out of contention, so with a great day I know I can be in the running. Hawaii will always be a goal and goals help keep things fun and with a purpose; but in the end it’s mostly about doing something you love and learning about yourself. This sport, similar to others, correlates to many of the challenges we face throughout life and following every triumph or setback there are lessons we’re taught that help make us a more patient, resolute and focused individuals. I have a deep passion for this sport and more then anything else I continue to love the day-in day-out training. Triathlon has made me a better person, it has taken me to amazing places and it continues to be a positive driving force in my life.

For the race I owe a big thank you to Aim. She continues to believe in my dreams and aspirations and she’s constantly my biggest supporter. She never questions my racing schedule and she’s always willing to contribute her money and time to come to my races. She’s a great partner to have in all life's adventures. She’s the person I want to cross every finish line with.

I also want to thank both Brooke and Chris. They took time out from their lives to fly down to the desert and spend a weekend supporting my race. It’s a major understatement to say it was special to have 3 of my favorite people on the course cheering me on. While this race was not my best performance it was no less special than a PR day as I was able to share the experience with my best friends.

Looking forward it’s time to have some fun racing over the summer. I’m super excited to do my 1st sprint triathlon. It’s been 4 years since I’ve done anything shorter than a ½ IM so it it’ll be fun to do a triathlon you finish in just over an hour. Plus now with the snow melted I can finally get up to altitude for the beautiful mountain rides and runs I so love to do. Until next time…

-Maxwell

Results
Overall : 99th (2027)
Age Group : 11th (141)

Times : 10:04:21 (57:33, 5:42:29, 3:36:59)

Prologue : Winter 08’ Training

2008-03-31T00:00:00.004-06:00

This past winter I’ve made a few significant changes to my training regime / lifestyle. First off I’m working the night shift at Level3. I work Sunday through Wednesday nights. Compared to a normal 9-5 where it’s dark half the year by the time you finish work, my new schedule allows me to work at night, sleep until mid afternoon, then train while it’s still light outside. In addition to the new schedule Aim and I have become regulars at our weekly 90-minute hot yoga class. Hot yoga is a 90-minute routine of 26 poses all done in a 105 degree room set to about 40% humidity. Hot yoga has kept me relaxed, it’s slowly improving my flexibility, and I’m hoping it’ll improve my ability to adapt to the Arizona desert heat as the average temp for Tempe in April is supposed to be about 85.

I’m really pleased with all the training I did leading up to this race. Despite the fact that most of my long training was done over the winter I was able to get in all my long rides outside and I was only stuck inside on the trainer for some of the shorter 1-2 hour bike sessions. The focus of most of the winter had been to improve my cycling strength and endurance. I did most of my longer rides with my coach, Kevin, who himself is a strong cyclist and accomplished triathlete. My training seemed to be going well as we were able to push each other on the longer threshold intervals we would do. It was always fun when we would go out and lock into a pace line and hold 30-35 mph for a good 20+ minutes.

Continuing the trend from the past 2 years my running feels great. On perhaps my best training run leading up to this race I held just under a 6:30 pace for 16 miles following a few miles of warm-up. This is the best training run I’ve ever done and I finished it feeling like I still had gas left in the tank. Going into AZ I’m confident that no matter what happens on the bike I can always finish off with a strong run.

Kevin has changed up my swim training from past years. Instead of focusing on longer sets done at a maximal sustainable pace, most of my swims this year have consisted of descending shorter sets where I start out at a moderate pace then increase the speed throughout the set so I’m finishing at or near maximum pace. Additionally I’ve added pull-ups and dips to my weight room regime to help improve my upper body strength and corresponding power and endurance in the water. This strength training coupled with the yoga have helped me avoid the shoulder soreness issues that plagued me last season. Lastly I’ve focused on improving my form in the pool and I’m confident I’m swimming more efficiently that ever before.

Any time I race there’s always a desire to set a new PR time for that distance. Coming into this race I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life. My current IM PR is 10:04 which I set in Switzerland last year, so I feel like I should be able to finish under 10 hours based on last year’s result and my current fitness level. While that’s my intent I know that the weather will likely play a significant factor in this race as strong winds blasted the race in 2007 and even without the wind there’s nothing easy about racing an IM in the desert.

It’s been a great winter, I logged a ton of quality training and had a lot of fun. The highlight of my winter was the week I spent with Aim’s family training on Hawaii’s Big Island. I rode the entire Hawaii IM bike course, I swam with a local Masters group out along the swim course, and ran a few portions of the run course; this week was nothing short of awesome. I was also able to work in about 10 fantastic skiing days into my training schedule. Most importantly I did all my training while remaining injury and illness-free. Now it’s time to race and see how my work will pay off.

2007 Ironman Switzerland

2007-06-24T16:48:00.002-06:00

It’s Tuesday and the big-daddy A-race Ironman Switzerland is a mere 4+ days away. I’m feeling great right now. Since Oceanside I’ve had a lot of great training, especially on the bike. Over Memorial Day weekend I did a 130-mile ride from Boulder to Estes Park and back. I finished the ride feeling like I could have put in another 40 miles no problem. This tells me that my endurance is there. A few weeks prior to that ride I did 3 laps up Left Hand Canyon totaling 101 miles with just over 10,000 feet of climbing - and all of the climbing, minus the final mile-long 10% ascent to Ward, was done in my big ring. I was a more sore and tired after this ride but regardless I’m stoked about my ability to push a big gear all day long up 3 long and steady climbs.

My run and swim feel good as well. My running continues to steadily improve with no end in sight. My swimming pace has not really improved over the past year, however I’ve spent a majority of my time in the water focused on developing a bilateral breathing pattern - something that I’ve never been able to do since I began swimming at age 8. Also I’ve worked to lengthen out my stroke so it takes me fewer arm cycles to maintain the same pace. This work seems to have improved my endurance and help make me a more efficient and balanced swimmer. Distance swimming is totally dependent on high quality technique so I know all this work has definitely been time well spent. Even if my swimming speed hasn’t improved, I have a new wetsuit so hopefully if I’m not dragging a couple of extra pounds of water along with me due to a leak in my suit I should be able to exit the water a minute or two faster than in the past. Regardless, I’m already able to swim a competitive leg and as long as I can hover right around an hour swim in an Ironman, with 2 other strong legs I should be in contention for a qualification slot.

Coming into Switzerland I’m not banking on a Hawaii slot as the age group times here are crazy fast and I won’t fool myself into assuming that I can do a sub-9-hour IM. First I’m gunning for a sub-10-hour race. Now without seeing the bike course I’m thinking that going under 10 hours is definitely do-able as I had a 5:37 bike split in Vineman and in the 2 years since then I’ve gained a ton of cycling strength. Switzerland is supposed to have a flat and fast run course so considering my run split in Cali a few months ago I believe I have a shot at besting my NYC marathon time of 3:14:56. With an hour swim, a 5:30 bike, and a 3:15 run I’d be well within of my 10 hour goal, however an Ironman is a bit more difficult than a simple addition equation. There’s always the unknown variables you discover after a few hours on the bike, other ones that pop up a few miles into the run, and whatever hits you during the final 10 or so miles of the run. A little motivation I’ll try to keep in the back of my head for this race is the promise that we’ll go to a German-style beer hall the evening following the race. The pending Swiss vacation should give me plenty of time to relax afterwards, so now it’s time to go out and earn an awesome trip through cow bell country. I’ve done all the work, now it’s time to go out and see how fit did I get. Race well, we’ll see you on the other side.

Zurich is awesome. Ridiculously clean, and it has the feel of an idyllic European metropolis. The day before the race the weather was really windy and the day before that it was quite wet. However on race morning things seemed calm and the forecast called for a mild day. Aim and I arrived at the transition nice and early with enough time to relax and hit the john several times before it was time to walk over to the start. I did a short little warm-up swim and lined up on the front outside of the men’s starting area with my feet just touching the edge of the water. A Swiss helicopter hovered in front of the 1800-athlete mass just we were itching to take off. I’m standing there trying to keep my shoulders loose while focusing on the distant hilltop that I can use for sighting. I tell myself today’s a day to go out and push myself to see what I’m capable of. I’ve held back during various legs during races in the past but today’s not a day for that, time to open the throttle and see what I’m made of.

At the strike of 7 the start gun sounds and the chaotic mass of people enter the water streaking toward a buoy about a third of a mile out into the middle of the lake. This lake is perfect for swimming in. It’s not too warm, not too cold, super clean so you can see several feet down below you, there’s no chop, it’s totally perfect for today’s race. I take the swim out at a strong pace while concentrating on maintaining good form with long efficient pulls. I’m swimming on the outer flank of the group and this helps to keep me out of the position-battling that I assume is going on a few meters to my right. I finish the first lap feeling good and for the second lap my plan is to maintain a similar pace and keep swimming a straight line. There’s a guy in an Orca wetsuit swimming directly on my right and he seems to be using me to gauge his pacing and line. I notice his turnover rate is almost twice as fast as me and this reminds me to focus on lengthening out my stroke so I’m as efficient as possible. I’m able to intermittently draft off people but do a majority of my swimming out on my own in no slipstream. As I cruise in to end the second lap my arms are just starting to die. This could be mental as I can see the finish ramp or maybe it’s just a sign that I perfectly paced today’s swim.

I hit the ramp and a volunteer has to pull me up as the body has no ability to stand up on my own. Once on my feet I quickly jog into transition, rip off my wetsuit, put on my helmet, sunglasses, and race belt, then grab my bike and jog out. My flying mount goes perfectly, I get on the bike and slowly slide my feet into the shoes then immediately find the cadence and effort level that I want to lock into. This is the first flying mount I’ve ever done in a race and it went as well as I hoped for. I definitely saved a ton of time by using it. Now hopefully I don’t have any problems riding for the next 5 hours with no socks to protect my feet from blisters.

In the past I’ve tried to slowly ease into the bike leg by taking it out slower in order to settle my HR down from the swim and transition. None of that today, instead I have faith my HR will eventually come down and now is not the time to waste flat, smooth, and fast pavement by playing it safe. I’m cruising along at about 23 MPH and it feels great. This is the first race where I feel like I have a distinct advantage by training at altitude. My breathing is effortless and I feel awesome. This could be also due to a great taper, but whatever it is I’ll take it as I’m cruising along at a perfect effort level.

My strategy today for the bike is to push the flats a bit, ease up a bit on the climbs, and try to hit each lap in around 1:50. The first 20k on the bike were flat and super fast. There are a bunch of guys out on course and it’s a bit tough to avoid other cyclists’ drafts as most of us are rolling along at a similar pace. There’s a bunch of race officials on motorbikes racing up and down the course so I try to make it obvious to them that I’m doing my best to avoid sitting in someone’s draft while not slowing down to do so. I hit the first climb and I ease up and take a few water bottles to dump over my head to keep cool.

The climbs up away from Lake Zurich are beautiful, totally picture perfect Switzerland full of spectators with bag pipes, cows with the standard Swiss bell, community bands, gorgeous pastures, and breathtaking views. The views helped to motivate me up the hills. After the first two hills there’s a steep decent then it’s back onto the flats around the Lake, by the transition, and up to the steepest climb on the course. This third hill is only about half a mile long, but it’s steep at about a 10% grade. The top of the hill was the coolest part of the course, where hundreds of crazy Tour de France-like crazy European fans were screaming “alliez, alliez, alliez” or “hop, hop, hop”. The mass of fans up here was several people deep and they were crowding the road just like they do in the grand European cycling tours. It was such sensory overload that I forgot about the aching in my legs. Just after the crest of the hill I saw Jimmy and he yelled out to me that Aim and Jen were just up ahead with 2 fuel bottles for me. Jimmy radioed up to the girls that I’m coming so they have my spare bottles ready for me as I roll by. I then head back toward the transition area to end the first lap. I finish the lap in about 1:47, three minutes faster than my pre-race goal so everything seems to be going perfect right now.

The 2nd lap was much more of the same. A funny thing about this lap was between the 2 climbs on the distant side of the lake the bike course passed a train stop where there was guy who was passed-out in a flower box and had been lying face-up since before I went by on the first lap.

The temperature was now really starting to warm up, but fortunately there was no wind and my average speed seemed to be on par with the first lap. On this lap I actually saw 2 cyclists get called out for drafting penalties, something I’ve never witnessed at a U.S. race. It was good to see a few people get busted as so many triathletes make no apparent effort to avoid sitting in someone's slipstream.

Finally I’m rolling up the crazy-European climb and once again Aim and Jen load me up with fresh bottles so I can finish out the bike leg fully fueled. I round out the second lap in 1:48, just one minute off the pace I was pushing during the first leg so I’m pleased with the even effort level I’ve been able to maintain over the past 4 hours.

The third lap was tougher as my legs began to really hurt. I knew I definitely dropped some time on the climbs during this lap as the legs were tired and I had to slow down a bit on the inclines. Fortunately, aside from the 3 climbs the rest of the course was pancake-flat so I was able to maintain a decent pace and not lose too much time.

My goal coming into this race was to push myself and test my limits. During this lap I tried to maintain a balance of pushing decent speed on the flats, while being mindful of the upcoming marathon I still have to run. I kept wondering if I was going too hard, but I had to believe I had a hidden reservoir of running endurance that would surface after T2. I finished the third lap in about 1:57 so it was definitely slower than the first two but my total bike time was 5:32, just two minutes of my initial goal. I’m very pleased with that time on this course.

I blow through T2 in a little over one minute, quickly putting on a pair of socks, my shoes and a visor. Aim and the crew spots me and gives me a little encouragement on my way out onto the run. I hit the run course and my legs feel like dog crap, I’m moving but I don’t feel like I’m going anywhere and everything hurts. I press on hoping that the feeling will pass and things will improve. After a few miles my legs start to come around but my body still hurts everywhere. Fortunately I’m not having any major GI issues so I’m able to take in some calories and hydrate myself.

The run course is a four loop format with each loop doing an out-and-back around Lake Zurich. The weather is warm, but not overly hot. There a good bit of shade along the course so I’m able to stay somewhat cool. There’s a ton of spectators along the course so I’m able to do a little people watching and try not to concentrate too much on the hellish pain that is consuming my body.

This is the 5th marathon I’ve run and I’ve never ran every step of any of the previous attempts so today my #1 goal is to run every last step of it. At GFT last fall I walked through the aid stations in order to allow myself to take on fluids, but I figured this lost me about 15-20 seconds per mile and I’m not about to lose that kind of time today since I have a fighting chance to rock a sub-10 hour day. While besting the 10-hour mark is my goal I don’t wear a watch when I race so I’m not really sure what my pace is. I just keep pressing on trying to go as fast as my body will allow.

I don’t spot Aim or the crew until the second lap. They yell to me as I pass them and I want to respond but I can’t manage to utter any words right now, I’m in a hell and running is requiring all my energy. The second lap hurts, and the third lap hurts a little more. I can feel my pace slowing but I continue to press on reminding myself that the quicker I run the sooner this will be over. At this point I’m fairly dehydrated and I have an burning thirst for a huge glass of ice water. All I’ve been drinking for the past few hours is sport drink and I’m completely sick of warm sugary drinks. However as I suck down half a cup of water I quickly realize that water will only give me a side stitch so I push on and envision enormous glasses of water waiting for me at the finish line. It’s a total tease running thirsty like this while longingly gazing out over the refreshing Lake Zurich. Man I wish I could jump in there right now. Instead I’ll have to take the consolation prize of a wet sponge at each aid station.

Finally I’m on the far shore during the fourth lap and I glance across the lake towards the finish and I finally feel like I’m literally within sight of the finish. Now I begin to wonder if I’m going to be able to squeeze in under 10 hours. The Swiss seem to like their clocks so I’m looking around trying to find something that can tell me what time it is but I don’t see anything. Finally I spot a large clock tower in the middle of town and it shows 4:55. I have 5 more minutes to go for my 10-hour goal and there’s no way I can rock out the next 2k in under 5 minutes. I’m slightly bummed that I just missed my goal, but hey it’s an Ironman and I’m setting a new PR by over 20 minutes. That’s more than enough to make me happy. As I cover the final 2000 meters to the finish I remind myself how awesome this course was and how happy I am to have a strong finish at a tough race. Finally I slide into the finishing chute and pass a person or 2 just before I cross the finish line. A Swiss volunteer then comes up to me and places a finisher’s medal around my neck and gives me the 3-cheek kiss. I’m super tired and my legs are done. As I stand there looking back across the finish line onto the course I take in the very moment that all my training over the past 7 months has led up to.

Aim, Jen, and Jim spot me and run over to meet me at the fence. Aim is ecstatic as she knows this was a PR. After chatting with them, I head into the finisher tent to get something to eat. In here there are about 100 guys who just finished and a good number of them are drinking free beers from one of the race sponsors, Erdinger. A few others guys are even outside the tent drinking beers in hot tubs provided by another sponsor. I want nothing to do with beer or hot tubs right now, but Europeans have a different way of doing things. I drink some of the water I’ve been craving for the past several hours, and I have a bowl of some blueberry yogurt-fruit mix. The yogurt concoction tastes nasty but it sure beats eating another Shot Block or drinking a sixth bottle of Carbo Pro-Gatorade mix. After getting some much-needed real food in my gut I leave the athlete tent, find Aim and give her a big hug.

Reflecting back on the race I’m super pleased with how everything went. My swimming felt better than ever. I pushed the bike harder than I’ve been able to in the past. My run was only a few minutes off my time at GFT, and considering today’s bike leg was about 30 minutes faster than it was at GFT I’m pleased I was able to do a 3:32 marathon. On top of it all I set a new PR and raced what has to be one of the most, if not the most, beautiful Ironman course in the world. Thanks so much to Aim for listening (or at least pretending to listen) to my constant Triathlon babble over the past few years, for going on this trip with me, and for being my biggest supporter on good days and bad ones. This race would not have happened without her.

A final thought on why I do race Ironman. I love racing. It’s a totally honest measure of how well you prepare for a single opportunity to test yourself. I love how much preparation it takes and how there are so many things that you have to get right in order to have a great day. Nutrition, physical endurance, rest, recovery, mental strength, and pacing. There's a lot that goes into a race and no matter how well you do there's always room for improvement. It’s truly so much more than a sport, Ironman is a lifestyle and in order to be successful at it you have to find balance in your life. Ironman has not only transformed me into a healthier person, but I am undoubtedly more happy and content with my life than I‘ve ever been before.

Well now it’s time for some well deserved and much needed recovery until I begin to amp training up in October to prepare for Ironman Arizona in April 2008. Until then…

-Maxwell

Results
Overall : 178th (1860)
Age Group : 32nd (140)

Times : 10:04:21 (57:22, 5:32:01, 3:32:25)

2007 California 70.3

2007-03-31T16:45:00.001-06:00

This past winter was unusually cold in Colorado and it forced me to do most of my bike training in my basement on the trainer. Despite this I’ve been able to get in a lot of quality training and coming into this race I’m pleased with where things are at for this phase of the season. Oceanside is a “B” race for me, with my “A” race being Ironman Switzerland in June. I’m hoping to use Oceanside to go out and see where things are at so I can adjust my training before Switzerland. Oceanside is a great race for me because in addition to the competition I get to go out and hang out with Chris and Brooke for a few days. They’re both my great friends and in addition to always opening up their house to me when I fly out to SoCal, they’re both making the trip down to Oceanside to cheer me on during the race.

My plan for this race mimics how I used a pain indicator level to gauge GFT by last fall. My plan for this race is to take the swim out at a 2 (out of 10) effort level and bring it home at about a 3. Start the bike at about a 4 and finish somewhere around a 5. On the 2-lap run I’m aiming to steadily increase my effort level from a 6 to a 10. I like to break things down into quantifiable amounts and heading into the race this plan seems like a successful strategy.

On race morning I felt rested and ready to have a great day. My wave was scheduled for the tail end of the starting list so I knew I’d have to be passing people all day long. Once I entered the water for the start I lined up in my preferred outside slot and as soon as the gun went off I settled into a comfortable rhythm. There was a small hole in the crotch of my wetsuit and this leak must have filled my suit with at least a few pounds of water that I had to drag along with me for the swim. I exited the water around my standard 1/2IM swim time of about 30 minutes. The water in the bay was super cold this made my fingers stiff which was no help in T1 as I was trying to quickly put on my socks and cycling shoes.

Once I was out on the bike everything felt good except for the fact I was violently shivering. It took about a half hour for me to warm up, and after the body temperature was back to normal range I took on a much more positive outlook on the day. My bike leg was alright. Looking back, I should have pushed it a bit harder as I purposely held back in order to conserve enough energy to have a spectacular run. This resulted in a relatively weak bike leg - averaging just around 20 MPH. I would have liked to do more like 22-23 MPH. Despite holding back and not having a great bike leg it’s never a bad day when I don’t flat.

Heading into the run I knew I had the necessary speed and endurance in my legs. As usual I was not wearing a watch so I couldn’t gauge my pace, but my RPE was telling me I was locked into a high-Z3 HR, just what I know I should be able to sustain for the duration of the race. The run was the highlight of the day for me. Not a single person passed me and this helped to continually propel me down the course. My wave did start in the back of the pack today, and considering I had a slower bike it’s not surprising that there weren’t any fast runners behind me, but in the moment I wasn’t thinking about all that, I was just picking off person after person. While I was passing people a good number of these people would say something encouraging to me when I passed them. I was in no state to reply as I was 100% locked into the zone and focused on only getting from point A to point B as fast and efficiently as possible. I cruised the 1st lap of the run holding a solid pace and going into the 2nd lap things were hurting but I knew I could sustain the effort for 1 more go-around. Finally I’m blazing down the finishing chute and I hit the finish tape feeling like I left everything I had out on the course.

After the race I find Chris, Brooke, and Aim and Chris tells me that he thinks my run split was somewhere in the low 1:20s. While I knew I had a solid run I had no idea I was going that fast. Coming in to today my ½ marathon PR was a 1:26 so I’d be pretty surprised if I PR’d my ½ marathon inside a triathlon. After a few minutes I mosey over to see the official results, surely enough I did eek out a 1:24:07 (6:26 pace) split for the run. Wow, this is freaking awesome. I’m amped about my run and the PR takes my attention away from my sub-par bike leg. Running has been my focus over the past few years and with this result I’m starting to feel like it’s begging to arrive into the competitive range it needs to be in order to qualify for Hawaii. However, this was only a ½ and I’m looking to qualify during a full, but a good run is a good run and considering my run split here 2 years ago was a 1:37:10, I totally stoked that I dropped 13 minutes off my run split.

Looking back on the day, I definitely to do a lot more work on the bike. I feel like I need to increase both my cycling strength and endurance in order to improve my bike leg to the Hawaii-qualifying range I’m working towards. Switzerland is going to be a challenging bike course with 2 respectable climbs on each of the 3 laps, but next year at IM AZ I won’t have to contend with and hills. Regardless of the course profile there is nothing easy about riding a competitive 112-mile bike leg so today’s results will serve as good motivation to get in all my training for the rest of this year. I’m not sure how much cycling strength I can gain between now and Switzerland, but I’m going to do my best and see how fast I can get. Hopefully I can have a sub-10-hour day in Zurich.

One more lesson I’ll take away from Oceanside is not to limit myself going into a race with a strict race plan like the numbering system I brought into today. Instead it’s better for me to race smart and always be in the moment sensing if I can push harder or if I should ease up and conserve some energy for later.

All things considered I’m pleased with this race as it’s an indicator of even bigger and better things to come. It’s always good to race, hang out with my friends, and enjoy a few days in beautiful California. Until Zurich…

Results
Overall : 137th (1951)
Age Group : 22nd (188)

Time : 4:44:16 (30:16, 2:44:12, 1:24:06)

2006 Great Floridian Triathlon

2006-10-21T15:02:00.001-06:00

Before my 1st IM I was apprehensive about the distance of the race, I was confident entering my 2nd as I knew I could do the distance, and coming into this my 3rd IM I am cautiously aware about the multitude of potential challenges I may confront during the day. This is not to say I’m scared, however after a tough race in Idaho earlier this year I feel I have more respect for the difficulty of this race. My main goal for the Great Floridian (GFT) is to pop off the run as fast as possible. I do want to swim and bike well, however I’ve done those 2 legs well in the past and this year I’ve worked hard to improve my run so I’ve decided to make this race all about the final leg. Last year at Vineman there several times during the run when I had to slow for extended bouts of walking, and other times where my run was reduced to a pathetic hobble as I was suffering from severe GI issues. A few months ago at CDA the hot conditions, my poor pacing, and my lack of mental focus resulted in a highly dissatisfying IM marathon. Coming into GFT I know I’m going to pop off a PR run no matter what the conditions. I’m brimming on confidence right now coming off a great day at the 5430 where I capped off a ½ IM PR with a 1:30 ½ marathon. My fastest run in a ½ IM to date.

To prepare for the potential Florida heat I added sauna and steam room time to the end of most swim workouts. For several weeks leading up to GFT I also added an extra layer or 2 to my workout clothes to attempt to simulate warm racing conditions. My heat adaptation technique seemed to be working as a few months ago I could only tolerate short bouts in the sauna and a week out from the race I could do 30 minutes without batting an eye and I was also much more comfortable exercising in extra layers.

While my improved running an seemingly effective heat training really helped to boost my confidence, perhaps the most important change for me going into GFT was I was extremely relaxed about the race. In Idaho I was really apprehensive about the race and I think this anxiousness prevented me from starting the race in a calm mental state. Going into GFT I know I can do the distance, I also know what happens when I lose focus and make poor decisions like I did in CDA. IM is a race of attrition, so getting all stressed out before you begin the day is not an good way to start. This time around I’m totally relaxed and I’m not bringing any preconceived times or placing with me to the start line. I figure at the 5430 ½ I went in totally at ease with a single goal of positioning myself to execute a good run and I had a PR day there so repeating this same process for GFT seems like a pretty good way to prepare.

So Aim and I make it down to Florida without any complications and by the morning of the race everything could not have been be going better for me. I was 100% relaxed, I only started to get a mild-case of pre-race nerves at 4:00 am race day as Aim and I drove up to Clermont from Kissimmee. The weather forecast was calling for a hot day, with temps in the high 90’s and about 60% humidity. I tried not to think about how these conditions could negatively affect my race but instead I thought about all the preparation I’d done to get to the start line today. I had dropped my bike off at the transition area the day before so first thing I do when we arrive at the start is to check over everything, especially the tires, to make sure everything is good to go. My bike looks great so I go out for a little jog, stretch out, and lay down on the concrete for a little rest before the race begins. It’s already warm enough for t-shirts and shorts and the sun is not even up so we can safely say that it’s going to be a scorcher today. About 25 minutes prior to the start I pull on my wet suit and slip out into the lake for a short warm up swim. The water is eerily calm, as the first sign of daylight begins to peak over the horizon.

I line up as the last athlete on the outside end of the shore and without any warning the gun goes off. As I start the swim I’m quickly out in the front of the main pack as my outside start position relative to the swim course gives me the shortest tangent to the 1st buoy. On the this lap I focus on swimming only to the next buoy, then to the one after that. Breaking a race down like this helps me to mentally tackle the distances of the day. I quickly heat up inside my wetsuit and I tell myself never to wear a wetsuit again when the water is this warm. I finish off my 1st lap without any issues and as I head out onto the second lap I wave to Aim. After the 1st lap my pain level is at about a 2 so everything seems to be going well. During the 2nd lap I’m in a group of 2 other guys who clearly have no ability to swim a straight line. I decide to get out front of them to avoid their weaving back and forth all over the course. As I round the final corner onto the home stretch one of the boys pulls up next to me and it seems like he’s trying to beat me out of the water. I’m not about to get competitive an hour into today, however I’m not speeding up and he can’t seem to pass me. He’s not sighting forward but instead watching me on his right side as he breathes. When we’re about 200 yards from shore we quickly approach an older man still on his 1st lap. Since turbo-boy next to me isn’t looking forward I come up behind the slow swimmer just slightly to his right, and in doing so I run turbo-boy into the slow man’s feet. Nice way to lose him and as I exit the water Aim yells to me that I’m 2nd out of the water. After the 2nd lap of the swim my pain level is at about a 3 so I’m still feeling good.

I rip off my wetsuit, throw on my bike shoes and I’m off onto the course for the 1st lap of the bike. At about the 30 minute mark I approach the 1st bike aid station and as the temperature is already starting to heat up I think back to an article I read about Landis’ big stage in the TDF this year where he broke away from the pack and was able to keep cool be constantly dumping bottles of water over his head. Floyd’s use of water suddenly registers with me and I pick up 2 extra water bottles from the aid station. I immediately dump one bottle over my head, back, arms, and legs. I put the extra bottle in my empty bottle cage and ration it into about 3 to 4 head dumps over the next 10 miles. I repeat this at each aid station by picking up 2 extra bottles, using 1 immediately and rationing the other for the next 30 minutes or so until I hit the next aid station. This system works perfectly to keep me cool, that is until the 30 mile mark where I blow through an aid station without any volunteers working it. Bummer. I complete the 1st lap of the bike without any significant issues and I’m not overheated at all, just warm and feeling good. Right now my pain level is at about a 4 so all systems still seem to be functioning well and my race appears to be on track.

I stop at the transition, pick up my spare fuel bottles and grab an extra bottle of water then head out onto the course for my 2nd lap. On this lap I continue my water cooling system and while it’s super hot out, I’m staying relatively cool. The tough thing about this lap is the traffic. We’re riding on mostly 2-lane highways with traffic cruising along between 45 and 60 mph. There are a few hairy sections without any sort of a shoulder and this is a bit unnerving as semi trucks blast by within a few inches of you. Adding to the chaos a majority of the state and local law enforcement who are supposed to be controlling the intersections have opted to instead sit inside their patrol cars, I assume to escape the heat. I know it’s hot, but my race registration fees are paying these guys to be out here to keep things safe. I’m starting to get a bit tired and hot but I do my best not to let my frustration with a few lazy officers deter from a potentially great day. My legs continue to feel relatively strong until about the 100 mile mark. By this time I’ve been riding for over 5 hours, I’m generally bored of being on my bike, and I’m ready for a change. As I cruise back towards the transition area I dump a last few bottles of water over my head and begin to envision the killer run I’m about to execute. My pain level is at about a 6 right now, but that should drop as soon as I start running so everything is still in order. While I was 2nd after the swim a good number of people passed me during the bike and I end up coming to T2 in 28th place. That’s fine by me because the biggest test of the day is yet to come and I know most of those people who passed me several hours ago on the won’t be able to match the marathon I’m about to rock through.

I finish the bike, change my shoes, and head out onto the run course. I spot Aim along the 1st few meters of the run course so I cruise up and plant a big kiss on her. I figure it’s about all I can do right now to try to make a 10 hour stint hanging out in Florida’s humid heat somewhat enjoyable for her. She’s definitely caught off guard by this but I sense that she realizes how great I feel right now as my pain level has dropped to about a 3 and there is not a doubt in my mind about the quality of run that I’m about to execute. As I leave Aim and head off into the course, the race announcer, who witnessed my kiss, says that “oh that’s a shame racer 212 (me) just incurred a 5 minute time penalty for public display of affection.” Aim hears this and her blood pressure immediately raises to an unhealthy level. The announcer then rescinds his comments as a mere joke and wishes me good luck on the run.

The run starts out with an out-and-back, then proceeds to do three 7-mile loops around the lake. At about the 2 mile mark during the out-and-back I sense a very intense side stitch begging to set in. This is the same scenario I’ve encountered during my last 2 IM and each time the pain of the stitch has reduced me to walking. I’m not giving up this early in the day so I exhale and push every last puff of air out of my lungs, I hold this for a few seconds then inhale. I suddenly feel better. I repeat this a few more times and the pain is gone. Whooyeeah! This give me a huge wave of positive energy as I’ve seemingly beat one of the demons from my racing past.

As I come to the out-and-back turn around point I notice that there’s no volunteers directing the runners as the race director promised there would be. Between this and the vacant bike aid station, it seems like the organizers didn’t receive their anticipated amount of volunteer support. Oh well. As I cruise back towards the lake and begin my 1st lap I’m totally locked into a speed and cadence I know are completely sustainable for the next 3 hours. I’m already passing people and within these first few miles I’m sure I moved up from 28thy place to somewhere around the top 10. My plan for the run is to walk through only the aid stations while I take on whatever fluids I need. For nutrition I’ll also eat a Shot Block every mile, providing my with about 33 calories every 8 minutes or so. I don’t know what my HR or pace is as I have no watch or HRM to gauge my effort level by. I’m running totally by feel and this frees my mind from thinking about what BPM I’m at or what I did the last mile in. None of that matters right now. The only thing I need to do is run, run, run, and keep on running as fast as I can until I cross the finish line.

I keep passing people, but because there’s a ½ IM race going on simultaneously it’s tough to see if these are full or half GFT competitors. I keep myself going by picking a spot about 1/10 to 2/10 of a mile up the road and thinking of only making it there. I use this technique to leap frog myself from aid station to aid station. I start out walking for only about 5-10 seconds through each aid station, just long enough to take in some Gatorade and throw a cup of water over my head. Man it’s hot today. Despite the heat I’ve been able to stay relatively cool as I’ve taken water at every opportunity and dumped it over my head. The run course is nice because it seems to be about 33% shaded and this really helps to control my body heat. The far side of the lake seems to take longer than the 1st side, but I’m still locked into my pace and as I approach a few aid stations I hear volunteers say how smooth my running looks. When I pass one of the other racers he says to me “dude, you look great - you might win this thing.” I remind him that “it’s a long run, we’ll see.” I really don’t think I have a shot at winning, however I do think I might be able to do well against my age group.

I finally approach the end of the 1st lap and I see Aim. I’m at about a pain level of 6 right now and I can tell these next 2 laps aren’t going to be easy. I keep on cruising through the 2nd lap and I start to pick people up on the course in front of me and focusing on passing them. At this point I don’t see anyone running at anything close to my pace and I’m passing person after person. This really makes me appreciate all the preparation I’ve done over the past few years. I finish the 2nd lap and now my pain level is about up to a 7. My legs are tired, but I know I only have about an hour of running to go and I’ve done a perfect race up to this point. There is absolutely nothing that’s going to stop me from finishing off an epic day.

Now I start to get a competitive burn inside my soul. I’ve pushed it this far, lets see if I can pick off anyone who’s still in front of me. About 2 miles into this lap I spot a guy about a 1/3 of a mile in front of me and he’s running at a similar pace to mine. Unfortunately for him he’s taking longer walking breaks through the aid stations than I am and this motivates me to push a bit harder as he might be a full athlete and there’s no way I’m going to let him beat me to the finish. Absolutely no way. I notch up my effort and catch up to him after 2 aid stations. In doing so I spent most of my minimal energy reserves so as I approach him I pull in behind him to draft and give my mind a rest for a few minutes. He eases back his pace to run next to me and asks me why my shoes sound so water-logged and squishy. Now I admit my shoes are loud right now due to all the water I’ve dumped over my head throughout the past 20 miles, but my response to him is a bit more clever, ”my shoes sound like I’m on the last lap of an IM.” I ask him what lap he’s on and he says his 2nd. I don’t know if I can trust him. Is he trying to play a head game with me and then put on a sprint at the end to beat me to the finish? He does look very fresh and I decide he’s probably a relay athlete, however I decide I still need to put a little insurance distance between myself and him.

At the 2nd-to-last aid station I slow to grab a Gatorade, but instead of walking while I drink it I accelerate back onto the course, and in doing so I put about 15-20 seconds on the guy. Wow, so it’s finally hitting me that I am going to finish this thing. Even though there’s a lot of emotion simmering below the surface of my body right now all I can think of is that I need to finish this race so Aim and I can get back to Kissimmee and meet her friend from Tampa for dinner. Right now my pain level is at about a 8-9, but after what I’ve put my body through today I can easily endure that discomfort for another mile and a half. As I try to take in the end of this day, I gaze over to my right and look at the sunset. I think how fitting it is that I was starting this race just before sunrise, and now I’m about to finish it just before sunset.

As I approach the final aid station and have just over a mile to go so there’s no need for Gatorade but some water would still be nice. I call out to the volunteers for a cup of water but I can’t slow to a walk this time, I need to speed up and make my final push to the finish. No volunteers are ready with a water cup as I pass through the station, however a lady who’s my honorary Floridian of the Year runs me down and hand me a final cup of water to dump over my head. I love people like that. Suddenly I feel no pain as I’m numbed with emotion and I now have the finish in sight. Over the course of this last lap I’ve been hoping that Aim would be positioned just before the finish line so I could grab her and we could cross together. As I run the final ½ mile all I’m doing is searching for her and as I make a right to enter the finishing chute I spot her exactly where I wanted her to be. She’s ecstatic and she screams to me to hurry up as she’s worried someone might come up from behind to pass me, although there’s absolutely no one within sight. I run up to her, grab her hand and we run across the finish line together. As we cross the line I turn to her and give her a huge hug as we pause and enjoy this moment culminating all the work of the past 2 years of our lives.

I couldn’t be happier and this race couldn’t have gone better. The temperature today officially topped off at 95 with 60% humidity, but cyclists out on the road with thermometers on their computers reported temperatures upwards of 100. Regardless of the temp or conditions what I’m proud of is I executed the exact race I wanted to and I did it all without any watch or HRM. I knew what my body could do, I listened to my body, in the end everything turned out about as well as I could have hoped for.

I ended up placing 3rd overall, and was the 1st in my age group to finish. I had no nutritional problems and I ran the entire run. While I didn’t beat my finish time from Vineman, I did set an IM run PR for the marathon with a 3:27:04. A respectable time in not just an IM but for a stand-alone marathon as well. More important than any result, I was able to share this experience with Aim. The intense moment of hugging her at the finish line made every moment of the past 2 years of training and last 10 hours of racing worthwhile. This result is as much hers as it is mine. We’re a team and whenever I begin to doubt myself of feel weak during a race I think of her and I feel her strength with me. We had a great day today.

Now like I said before we had a dinner to go to so we quickly left Clermont to drive back to Kissimmee to meet her friend. Unfortunately we picked a super busy restaurant and had to wait until about 10 pm to get seated. Despite a healthy dose of Advil, my knee caps felt like they had exploded and my toe nails all felt as if they were being perpetually ripped off. About halfway through dinner I hit the wall and it took all I had in me to stay awake, but I persevered and we finally made it back to the hotel for a much needed night’s rest.

The primary lesson I’ll take from this experience is to relax and try not to get to worked up about things in life. Today was great and I believe most of my success in the race can be attributed to my calm state of mind. I’ve learned that training is what gets you to the start line, but it’s what’s in your head and your heart that gets you to the finish. It’s been a great year, see you in Oceanside in 2007.

-Maxwell

Results
Overall : 3rd (267)
Age Group : 1st (12)

Time : 10:36:54 (1:00:22, 6:03:52, 3:27:04)

5430 Long Course

2006-08-13T14:57:00.001-06:00

Fast forward 7 weeks. CDA has left me completely unfulfilled and I need redemption at an Iron-distance race this year so I’m going down to Orlando to race the Great Floridian (GFT) in October. This time I’ll pace myself smarter and I’m not going in with any preconceived time goals. Instead my singular goal is to execute a stellar run leg. I’m confident that focusing on this simple goal will allow all the other pieces to fall into place.

In getting ready for GFT I desperately needed a confidence boost so I decided to do the 5430 ½ IM, having the added bonus that the race is only a few miles from my house and I know the entire course like the back of my hand. For the 5430 I ditched my watch / HRM. Instead of monitoring my HR, pace, or time throughout the race I listened to my body and push myself according to what I knew I could maintain to reach the finish line. Doing this I rode a moderately paced bike leg then went out for an all out assault on the run. I’ve never felt better in a race - I was totally in the zone, completely locked in to the fastest pace I knew I could maintain for the entire run, and I was even able to fend off all pending GI cramps. I must have passed well over 200 people during my 13.1 mile charge. Capping off a ½ IM PR (4:44) and ½ IM run leg PR (1:30) I even passed a guy in my age group during the final 1/10th of a mile push to the finish line. I’ve never felt better or enjoyed a race more and from here on out I’ll likely be HRM-free when I race. As my Coach, Kevin, said: “looking at your watch isn’t going to make you go faster, it’s just a distraction.” Well based on this result I couldn’t agree more. Now I’m all psyched up for GFT and I’m confident that if I can hold back for about the first 8 - 9 hours, then I’ll be able to hammer out a great run to cap off a solid and enjoyable day in Florida. Until next time…

-Maxwell

Results
Overall : 80th (799)
Age Group : 7th (54)

Time : 4:44:14 (28:23, 2:41:27, 1:30:51)

2006 Ironman Coeur d' Alene

2006-06-25T14:50:00.001-06:00

After more than 11 hours I’m finally walking through the final aid station on the run and I now only have slightly more than a mile to go until I cross the finish line and today’s death march comes to an end. Right now all I’m thinking about is a little skit I’ve choreographed over the past 10 miles that I’m going to execute when I cross the finish line. I walk a few more steps then I reluctantly begin a slow IM shuffle up the final hill. My training coming into today couldn’t have been better, I’m in the best shape of my life, and I was planning to pop out this race in around 10 hours. Unfortunately the 10 hour time I had my mind set on failed to account for the possibility of tough racing conditions, and today the mercury rose upwards of 90 degrees. The weather, nutritional mistakes, and poor pacing contributed to a tough day in a long and brutal race. Interestingly enough I finished exactly 1 hour, to the second, slower than my time from Vineman last year. Despite a somewhat disappointing finish I learned a several things today, perhaps the most important being - never take IM for granted.

Aim and I flew up to CDA 3 days before the race. Flying over Montana and Idaho I was amazed by how much snow was still on their mountains. Living in Colorado it’s easy to forget that there are other places in the U.S. with terrain above tree-line. On our flight there was about 10 other CDA participants, several with multiple young children in-tote. I can’t imagine bringing all of my gear, plus a stroller, car seat, baby backpack and all the other baby-related gear the families are lugging through the airport. Not only am I baby-gear free, but I’ve also used a bike transport service so I wasn’t dragging my bike around either. This is a nice bit of stress off of my mind.

Our hotel was in Post Falls, a small town about 5 miles West of CDA. We arrive there just after sunset on Thursday night, with enough time to unload the car, unpack our gear and get to bed. Friday we were up early to head down to the start area to go for a swim, pick up my bike from the transport company and go through packet pickup and check-in. The town of CDA is awesome, it’s nestled right along the waterfront and there are cute little fountains on every corner of the main downtown area. From what I’ve heard this is supposed to be the Aspen of Idaho. After finishing check-in we drive the course and it doesn’t look too tough. There are 2 descent climbs on each loop of the bike, 1 steep and 1 longer but more gradual. The 1st half of each bike loop winds through hills then the return half is mostly flat with absolutely no shade. I figure I’ll try to take it easy through the hills then pick up some speed on the flats. The run course winds through 2 out-and-back laps along the lake. Hopefully there will be a breeze blowing off the water as the temp Sunday afternoon is supposed to be above 90 and unfortunately I’m not a fan of any kind of heat and I’ve generally avoided training on any significantly hot days. Aside from the challenge posed by the forecasted weather, the run course looks relatively painless. It’s generally flat, since it mostly follows the shoreline, and there are only a few minor hills spread throughout it. After previewing the course I’m confident about what needs to be done and exactly how I want to do it.

My primary goal going into Saturday is to beat my time from Vineman last year. I’m hoping to go somewhere around 10 hours and I’m planning to do this via an hour swim, a 5.5 hour bike, and a 3.5 hour run. Although this seems very realistic based on my training and last year’s result, this time doesn’t really account for the forecasted weather.

Later Friday afternoon I check over my bike and go for a little ride. Everything seems to be working fine. We head back in to CDA for a noodle dinner at a Asian bistro, then attend the pre-race meeting. I meet up with my buddy, Pat, at the meeting where virtually no new or important information is disclosed. The meeting is held in a huge tent and despite the silence of 2000 athletes listening to instructions from a couple large projection screens, you can hear Paula Newby-Frasier, multiple Hawaii Ironman winner, chatting away with someone at one of the tent’s entrances. While she can pull off a sick IM, this girl is coming off as incredibly rude as her loud voice carries through the entire tent and it’s severely distracting from the presentation. After the meeting Aim and I go with Pat to meet up with his family at a restaurant then we head back to the hotel and I’m in bed by 9:30.

On Saturday morning I meet up with Pat at the lake and we do a short swim to check out our sighting for this same time tomorrow. After the swim we do a little ride and run then head our respective ways to relax and prepare for tomorrow’s test. Pat and I both work with the same coach, Kevin, and during the ride we laugh over a few funny Kevin stories. After today’s short loosen up workout, I head back to the hotel and where I plan to spend the majority of the day sitting on my can, watching TV and chilling out. Before the trip I had setup a spa appointment for Aim today and after dropping off my bike at the transition area I take her to that then I spend the remainder of my afternoon watching World Cup and tennis. When I exit my air conditioned bliss to pick up Aim from the spa I notice that it’s scorching hot outside. Man, tomorrow is going to be tough in this heat. It doesn’t phase me as I figure I’ll just have to dig a bit deeper to get the job done. That night we have dinner at Qdoba (no beans, cheese, or meat for me) then go to bed around 8:30.

I’m up at 3:00 am on Sunday to eat my breakfast, shower and make sure everything is good to go. We leave the hotel at 4:30 as several other athletes emerge from their rooms to make their way to the race. We score a great parking space about 200 meters from the transition area and finish area. I wanted to get a good parking space so Aim can easily go to the car and nap if she needs to during the day and also because when I finish the last thing I’m going to want to do is hike ½ a mile to find the car. As we leave the car to walk down to the start I suddenly realize I left my water bottles that are filled with my custom fuel mix back in the fridge in our hotel room. Dooh! Not wanting to lose our parking space I have Aim pull out a folding chair from the trunk and sit in the space while I cruise back to the hotel to pickup my bottles. See, I usually bring my bike loaded up with bottles with me the morning of a race. Since I dropped off my bike last night I totally forgot to bring my bottles this morning. I can be a bit neurotic at times with lists of what I need to do, or pack. This morning I obviously neglected to make my lists, won’t make that mistake again. I return to CDA, bottles in-hand, about 40 minutes later and Aim tells me she was a wreck while I was gone. Apparently she called her mom and was crying on the phone. She thought that somehow I was going to miss the start, but I return with ample time to stretch out and make my way down to the beach to go for a little warm-up swim.

The swim start is supposed to be crazy. I’ve never done a mass start like this with about 2000 athletes all gunning for a single buoy about a ½ mile away. There’s a sailboat in the distance directly behind the 1st turn buoy so sighting should be easy, assuming the boat doesn’t move. I position myself about 2/3 down the line on the outside hoping to avoid as much as the WWF-style chaos as possible. BOOM, the cannon sounds at the strike of 7 and the day begins. The first few hundred yards are tough as I’m getting beat up from every which way. I do my best to remain calm and patient and I find some open water after about 10 minutes. At the 1st turn I get sandwiched between the swimmers on my outside and those on the inside line. This is the worst water battle I’ve ever experienced so I try to make my way to the outside of the pack before the 2nd turn back towards the beach. Not so much. The 2nd turn is only slightly better and after a few minutes into the return leg I finally wrestle my way to the outside and find some room to stretch out my stroke. Unfortunately the lake is not closed to boats this morning and I’m tossed around by a few power boat wakes as I finish my 1st lap. I pull up at shore, trot over the timing mat and dolphin my way back into the lake for a 2nd lap. This lap is much more relaxing than the 1st and a few hundred meters into it I swim over a pair of scuba divers who are supposedly out in the water to help out in case someone gets clobbered too bad. I slightly increase my effort level on the out section of this lap and by the time I hit the 1st buoy the field is strung out far enough that I don’t have to jockey for position with anyone else. I round the final buoy and notch up my effort level to cruise back to the transition area.

I exit the water and there are a ton of spectators cheering everyone on. This gets the adrenaline pumping as I head into transition and have my wetsuit stripped off by a team of volunteers. I cruise into the changing tent where a volunteer runs me over to a chair, dumps out my swim-to-bike bag, asks me what I need and as I run out he packs up my wetsuit into my bag. As I jog out to my bike I see Aim as she cheers me on. I head out onto the bike course feeling great aside from my left hand which is exceedingly sore from a street fight-like battle with a big ‘ol boy during the swim.

The first 10 miles of each bike loop is an out-and-back leg along the lake where I just take it easy, exactly like I planned. A bunch of people are passing me, but don’t get too competitive and stick to my plan. After passing the transition zone again I head into the hills for a little climbing. I notice that my race number belt seems a bit tight and I begin to worry that it could be restricting my GI tract which could lead to some serious problems down the road. I spend a few minutes trying to ride while awkwardly adjusting the length of the belt, next time I’ll be smarter and stop instead of risking a crash to save a few seconds. I finally get everything set just as I begin a few windy descents down to the valley floor. After reaching outer-Spokane I turn around and am greeted with a nasty little headwind. Man I wish this was a draft-legal race right about now.

So here’s where I make my first critical mistake of the day. The headwind makes me work considerably harder to keep my intended pace, but instead of backing off my speed I push through the wind, not wanting to lose any time this early in the day. On the way back to the town of Coeur d’Alene the course passes through a mixture of sub-urban / rural sprawl. This county could sure benefit from consulting the Boulder city planners during their zoning process. The headwind persists for the entire 2nd half of this 1st loop, and the temp quickly starts to heat things up. At this point I’m still averaging about 20 MPH and that’s right where I want to be. However I’m also working much harder than I should in order to maintain this pace. I was hoping I could use the flat 2nd half of each bike loop to easily cruise along and gain some speed. Instead with the headwind this section of the course has me working just as hard if not harder than I was in the hills.

The 2nd loop on the bike is much more of the same, except on this loop things turn exceedingly hot. I’m taking on as much fluid as I think I can handle, and my nutrition is on schedule, however I have no urge to tinkle and with the amount of fluid that I’ve drank (about 21 ounces per hour) my bladder should definitely be screaming for some relief. Not a good sign. There’s more wind on the 2nd half of this loop and around mile 100 my legs make a clear announcement to the rest of my body, “thanks for the fun but we’re done for the day.” Although I’m not feeling too great right now I figure things should turn around in a few miles when I start the run. I’m feeling very parched right now, and I still have no need to go to the bathroom. Adding to my troubles my attitude begins to sour and I quickly loose sight of the fact that I’m supposed to be enjoying this.

I finish the bike and I head out onto the run alongside another competitor, when he turns to me and says “you ready for this death march?” I hadn’t really thought about it that way but he pretty much sums up my thoughts about slogging through a marathon right now. 1st off it’s hot. I mean like mid-90’s and no wind. 2nd, I can already tell that my GI tract is extremely messed up and I sense the pending onset of some ridiculous stomach pains. 3rd, I have no energy or motivation. This is a terrible mixture of issues to have beginning this run however I figure things can only get better and I push through the 1st 2 miles.

Well things don’t improve one bit. Actually they worsen as the little motivation I had I quickly lose, and the lake I’m running next to keeps begging me to come jump in and relax for a while. Adding to my misery there are countless people BBQ’ing in the front yards of houses along the course and others hanging out in boats along the lakeshore. Why am I doing this right now when I could be having so much more fun doing that? The only answer I can come up with is I’m an idiot and I need to take some major life lessons from all these people on how to enjoy myself. As I pass by Aim on my way out on the 1st lap I briefly stop and tell her that I fell absolutely terrible and I really want to drop out of the race. Deep down I know the only way I’m not crossing the finish line is if I’m med-evac’d off the course. I say this to her mostly as a pathetic plea for any encouraging words that will help push me another 24 miles. While she is great and tells me I can do it, I don’t feel any better as I trudge off down the course.

After the first few miles the pain in my side becomes too much to bear and I’m reduced to short bouts of running followed by increasingly longer bouts of walking. While I feel like death right now at least I’m not alone. Except for the occasional elite athlete that passes by almost everyone out on the run course looks terrible and no one seems to be moving much faster then me or having any more fun than I am. At this point I forget all pre-race goals and my sole focus becomes pushing on through each successive mile. The occasional thought that I might collapse from dehydration of malnutrition and be forced to drop out of the race gives me strange motivation to keep pushing along.

At this point I decide I need some kind of distraction to take my mind off the throbbing pain that’s radiating throughout my mind and body. As I approach an aid station I have a revelation dump a cup of ice down my shorts. Whoa, now that’ll wake you up! This ice-induced shock seems to overpower my other sensory mechanisms and it helps me to push through a few minutes at a time. I repeat my ice pain-mask at each successive aid station, dumping cups down both the front and back of my shorts. Thinking about what a freaking weirdo I must look like makes me laugh and this humor works wonders to improve my mental state.

Finally I finish the 1st lap of the run and heading out onto the 2nd I feel like I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel as my spirits continue to improve. During the 2nd lap I spend most of my time trying to concoct a little dance or skit that I’ll enact as I cross the finish line. I know my final time is not going to be what I was hoping to be able to celebrate about, however I need to do something entertaining to mark the end of today’s misery. I decide that I’m going to do the archer move that Richard Virenque pulled at the end of Stage 10 of the 2004 TDF. It’s a bit copycat I know but I’m really low on energy right now and it’s the best I can do.
The 2nd lap is not much better than the first, but at this point my body is numbed to some of the pain and this makes each mile to tick by quicker and quicker. Finally I can hear the crowd along the finishing straight as I crest a hill and come to the top of the final straightaway that leads down through the Min Street to the finish line. With the finish line in view I feel no pain and my pace quickens to something mistakable for a run. Wow, wish that could have happened about 25 miles ago. I pull away from other runners who curl off the Main Street and head out onto their 2nd lap. Suddenly there’s no one around me and I’m cruising down the street all alone. I spot Aim a few blocks from the finish. She’s and my buddy’s family are there cheering me on. As I approach the finish I check to make sure no one’s on my tail and just before I cross the line I pause and motion to the crowd to stop. I pull out an imaginary arrow from the invisible quiver on my back. I load it into my bow while tracking across the sky, then release the arrow and let out a final scream as I step forward and finish my day. Dorky? Definitely. Necessary? Absolutely.

So CDA was nothing close to what I anticipated or hoped for. I came into this race completely physically prepared to do well, however I made a crucial error when I failed to listen to my body and ease up on the bike when the wind and heat set in. I paid dearly for this mistake during the run. I’m disappointed that I lost the mental focus and allowed these errors to occur and that I also lost the mental strength to keep a positive attitude amidst severely demoralizing conditions. However not all is been lost as I did finish IM #2 and I learned a critical lesson: take it easy on the bike and pay attention to the signs that your body gives you. While this sounds simple, it’s also all too easy to get caught up in the adrenaline rush during the first few hours on the bike when you still feel fresh, get a little competitive, and push yourself too hard.

Well I live to fight another day. Going forward I’ll suppose I have to take this race for what it was, a long and painful learning experience. Once again I have to give Aim a big thank you. Over the past year she’s there every day to listen to me debrief her on my training, she moved to Boulder with me, and she’s always ready to come along on each successive trek to these events. An IM is a tough day physically, mentally, and emotionally, the race would not be nearly as enjoyable or memorable if I couldn’t share the experience with Aim. Until next time...

-Maxwell

Results
Overall : 294th (1755)
Age Group : 32nd (140)

Time : 11:27:55 (58:03, 5:41:21, 4:43:18)

2006 Wildflower Long Course

2006-05-03T14:41:00.001-06:00

6 months have passed since Vineman and there’s been a big change on my life, Aim and I bought a house in Boulder. Living up here has improved all aspects of my life, including my training. It means I no longer have to make the trek up from Denver every time I want to ride. Being in Boulder has also modified my swim training as I no longer workout with a Masters team but instead do all my swimming on my own. I was unsure how this change from organized group practices to solo workouts was going to pan out, but now I genuinely prefer swimming on my own as opposed to the crowded lanes and differing goals of Masters workouts. I do most of my swimming at the North Boulder Rec Center where I occasionally see a few other triathletes who are also training for IM Coeur D’ Alene (CDA). Although we swim different workouts, it’ nice to see some familiar faces at the pool and know that we’re all on a similar path towards Idaho. Transplanting to Boulder has also afforded me easy access to new and challenging run routes. My current favorite 4-to-8 mile course is the East Boulder / Teller Farms Trail which starts just out my front door. The climbs on this trail have really helped make me stronger and smarter in the hills. Running loops at Wash Park last year was nice but it left me really weak on any incline. Wildflower is not an ideal course for the uphill-challenged as the run gains somewhere around 1500 vertical feet.

As CDA is quickly approaching I’m using Wildflower as a shakedown to gauge how well my training is coming along and to try out my revised pacing and nutrition plans. I have 3 primary goals coming into Wildflower: 1) pace myself smart on the bike so I can race the run, 2) get nutrition right so I don’t get side stitches during the run, & 3) finish the run in under 1:40. While I want to finish under 5 hours I’m not as concerned about my overall time as it’s only a practice race and the most important goal here is to get my pacing and nutrition right as I gear-up for CDA.

To help dial-in my run and bike pacing I had my run lactate profile and both my bike lactate and fuel profiles tested. While I was a bit skeptical about how valuable these tests would be, I’m really glad I had them as their results have dramatically changed how I train and race. Before the tests I considered running to be my primary weakness. This mindset probably made me hammer too hard on the bike and waste my legs before they even had a fighting chance to show their stuff on the run. If you want to be competitive in long course racing it’s really tough to do well if you don’t have a solid run. The run test results told me that I have both the running speed and endurance to do considerably well in long-distance running. However, in triathlon it doesn’t matter how strong of a runner you are if you spend too much energy on the bike, so I returned for another round of testing to gauge my cycling fitness and fueling requirements. The bike lactate test told me that I’ve been training way too hard when I ride so I need to ease up and spend more time at a lighter intensity in order to fully develop a solid cycling base. Based on my fueling history and fuel test results, the nutritionist recommended that I try to take in about 275 calories per hour during the bike leg of races. Last year I did 315 calories an hour at Vineman and my stomach bunched up pretty bad about half-way through the run. Wildflower will be a perfect opportunity to test out me new pacing and nutrition strategy before CDA.

Aim and I flew out to Orange County on Wednesday night so we could prep the food and camping gear in order to depart with Chris at mid-day on Thursday. Thursday morning I went out for short, easy ride to loosen up the legs and test out the bike following the flight. Everything seems to be in working order and my legs feel incredible. I’m not fully tapered for Wildflower but during this short ride my muscles feel totally primed and ready to go. I envision my legs as a forest and the race as an imminent wild fire. My job in pacing is to act like a wildland fire crew working to control the outbreak until mile 5 of the run when I unleash the fury and let me legs tear up the run course.

After the ride Aim and I hit up the store, make some pasta salad for camping, pack up the truck, and manage to leave town around 1:30. Leaving early has the added bonus of avoiding LA’s rush hour chaos. We end up arriving at the lake somewhere around 7 only to find that someone had beaten us to the campsite we scored last year. We spot a space with some shade about 100 yards away from our old site, and in the fading daylight we setup camp and get everything organized just as darkness sets in. It sure gets cold out here when the sun goes down. Aim goes to bed early while Chris and I watch the bats and enjoy the dark and peaceful night you only find when you’re in the middle-of-nowhere.

Next morning we wake up around 7 and eat breakfast. It’s super chilly this morning so we opt not to do any run or ride until a bit later when it warms up. Despite the cold weather and tough race tomorrow we see countless people out riding and running around the park at race-like paces. I suppose everyone has their own plan, but I see no logic in going out for a tough workout the day or two before a big event. At about 10 we decide to drive the bike course as it’s still overcast and the temp is not yet warming up. While driving the course I remember most of it from last year. Cruising up Nasty Grade (steep 2.5 mile hill at mile 42) I feel like I’ve built-up this climb to be a lot tougher than it really is. If I pace my race correctly in the previous 40 miles this hill won’t be tough at all, very similar to Olde Stage Road in Boulder. After driving the bike course we cruise down to the festival area to check-in and go for a short swim. Somewhere in the process of finishing my swim and changing back into my clothes I lose my HR chest strap, so I have to go to the Polar tent and buy a replacement. Let’s hope this is the only thing to go wrong this weekend.

It’s starting to really warm up so we all head back to the campsite relax for the remainder of the afternoon. We eat some pasta salad for dinner at 6, prep our bikes, and head to bed around 8:30. Chris and I joke about how nice it would be just to be able to do the race right now to get it over with. It’s not that either of us are nervous, we’re both just ready to be done with it so we can chill out and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Next morning we wake up at 4:15 and it seems like no one else in the entire campground is up yet. I have my normal pre-race meal of 2 Ensures (250 calories each), a banana (100 calories), and a bit of coffee to help encourage the GI system to begin chugging along. I sip on a bottle of electrolyte mix as I watch a few other campers emerge from their tents to greet the day. 5:50 finally rolls around and we all head down to the transition area. The transition area is mostly vacant at this early hour as I setup my slot and get my body marked. In the past I’ve put more thought into my transitions, but I’m becoming more comfortable with racing I’m not too concerned about this aspect of the day. I put on my MP3 and chill out to a little Grateful Dead as I stretch out and the transition area begins to fill up. I’m starting the get kind of excited about today, I’m still not nervous at all, just anxious to go out and have a rock-star run.

My race plan is as follows: Do my normal swim, except take it out slightly easier on the 1st half and then negative-split the 2nd half. Leaving T1 I want to minimize the damage of the first hill at mile 2 (~15% grade) then concentrate on chilling out my HR for the first 30 minutes of the bike. The next 30 minutes I want to continue to hold down the HR and keep the pace slightly easier than my goal pace. The 2nd hour is where I’ll lock into race pace and this should take me to the bottom of Nasty Grade. I want to minimize the damage of Nasty Grade and the 2 subsequent climbs coming back into the park, then prepare the legs for the pending run. Going out onto the run I’m going to take it easy for the 1st 3.5 miles. I’ll likely feel like I’m trudging along and working too hard, however I’ll probably be cruising along at a clip that’s much quicker than I think. I’ll use this first section to calm down the HR and ease my body into run mode. From mile 3.5 to 4.5 there’s a mile-long hill and quite a few people will be walking here (as I did last year), however I won’t because I paced my bike correctly. Following this hill there’s a ¼ mile descent followed by a steep ¼ mile climb. This uphill is the steepest section of the run and after I gut this section out I‘m going to crank up my pace and begin my race. From here on out I want to lock in my pace at the maximum effort I can sustain until I cross the finish line. I figure if I can do all this I should at least be able to accomplish my goal of racing the run course, and hopefully squeak in under my run goal time of 1:40.

Coming into today I have 2 mantras for the race. My bike mantra is “don’t panic,” and my run mantra is “don’t get attached.” The bike mantra is pretty straight forward, whatever happens take it in stride and stay positive. I read the run mantra in a copy of Outside Magazine. It’s the phrase an elite X-Country skier repeats in her head when things get tough. She uses this thought to remind herself not to get attached to the pain as it will eventually pass. I’m hoping today that I can use my bike to set myself up for a killer run where I’m not plagued by GI issues and I’m able to push the upper limit of my own pain threshold to pop out an awesome run. Hopefully I’ll need to remind myself “don’t get attached” instead of “keep running” like last year.

At about 7:15 I slide into my wetsuit and head down to the H2O for a warm-up swim. Just like last year, I’m the first person of the morning to get out in the water as I casually glide out to the 1st buoy to check my sighting. I make my way back up to the entry ramp as the other athletes begin to shuffle out of transition to find their start wave. As the National Anthem begins my bladder is screaming at me, so I do my pre-race routine of a little tinkle-down-the-leg and warm up the wetsuit. What I forget to consider is that I’m standing on dry pavement, there’s no one near me, and there are a ton of spectators above the swim start looking down on my position. As a stream flows out of my wetsuit leg and I realize that it must be obvious to everyone what I’m doing. What are you going to do? This gives me a nice chuckle. I’m chomping at the bit just to get the race under way so I can grub down on a few hot dogs.

After the Pros fire off the my wave enters the water and the gun blasts off. The first 300 meters or so are a bit rough as guys fight for position leading into the first turn. I try to stay on the front outside of the pack and although this makes my line to the first buoy slightly longer, I think this positioning helps to save me from some of the wrestling that occurs on the inside. I take it out at a moderate pace and I feel fine. The overcast skies are a nice little bonus as there’s no sun glaring into my eyes. I feel like I’m holding back a bit as I round the ½-way buoy and turn back towards the start. I slightly increase my effort level and start to pass a few people as I bring the swim home. Although the temp was chilly before the start I notice the clouds appear to be breaking up so I decide not to bring my vest or arm warmers out on the bike. The 2nd half of the swim seems to drag on longer than normal as I round the fuel dock and cruise up to the boat ramp. I finish strong, passing a few people in the final 100 meters and I pull up at shore feeling good and warmed up. I exit the water and jog up the ramp to see my time was about 28 minutes, right on par with my swim from last year. Perfect. I see Aim and she cheers me on as I run towards my bike. I strip off the wetsuit, put on socks, bike shoes, helmet, glasses, and race number-belt. I tuck my salt tabs and gel flask into the back of my jersey as I grab my bike from the rack and head towards the transition exit.

The first mile or so of the bike leg winds along the shore until I come to the steepest hill on the course (~15% grade). I try to keep my HR low as I slowly ascend this beast. The futile efforts to control my HR are worthless as I max it out abut 2/3’s up the climb. Thankfully this hill is short and soon enough I summit and begin make my way out of the park. For the next 20 minutes or so I take it easy as I try to calm down my HR. Lots of people seem to be passing me at this point but I fully expect to see them later on the run. After about a half hour I increase my effort level while still trying to keep the HR relatively low. It’s tough to keep a low HR during these first 20 miles as it’s all rollers and the constant climbing keeps pushing my effort lever higher than I’d prefer. I finish the roller section as I round an intersection and head out on a 15-mile straightaway with a few longer climbs. According to my plan, I increase my effort level to the pace I want to sustain for the rest of the ride.

At the top of a climb at mile 26, I pass through an aid station and begin a gradual 5-mile descent. About a mile into the downhill I notice that something is whipping around on my front tire. Sensing trouble I reluctantly pull over and discover that I have a shard of steel belting from a truck tire that’s stuck into my wheel. I pluck it out and listen for any air leaking from the tire. The shard is literally only a single steel strand and since I don’t hear anything I assume that the tube is not punctured and I charge back down the hill. While the tire seems to be holding pressure for the time being, something just doesn’t feel right and this adds some unneeded stress to my day. For about the next 15 miles I’m not totally concentrating on the road but am instead constantly checking my front wheel checking for any indicators of trouble.

I’m probably stressed about my tire because I had a similar situation happen to me in 2005. Last year, one of my tires lost most of it’s air during the final few miles of the bike. In thinking back on the cause of this leak, I kept going back to a steel-grate bridge at about mile 40. Something about this bridge last year made me think it was the cause of the flat. As I approach the bridge today I’m reminded of last year’s troubles and I become more apprehensive about my pending tire issue and the bad luck bridge.

As I cross the bridge it becomes painfully clear to me that my front tire pressure is not going to hold up for the final 15 miles of the bike. About a mile later at the base of Nasty Grade I pull over, quickly inspect the tire, and make a snap decision to use 1 of the 2 CO2 cartridges I’m carrying to pump up the tire and hope the pressure lasts at least another hour. I waste a couple minutes here but not nearly as much as a full tire change would have required. Looking back on the race, this is not a decision I’ll ever repeat. Next time, spend the extra time and change the tire.

I mount up and begin to ascend the hill. My legs feel surprisingly strong as I climb for the next few miles, it’s amazing how much powerful I am compared to my performance on this climb last year. As I summit I seem relatively fresh and ready for the run, however my front tire is not faring as my body is. The leak is working away at the air faster than I anticipated. Not good. About a mile later I drop into the biggest descent on the course. This hill is steep and long. You can really hit some quick speeds here and because I’m not at all confident in my front wheel I give my brakes the death clutch in order to keep my speed low enough so a tire blow-out won’t spill me out head-first onto the pavement. Normally I would drop a hill like this without ever touching the brakes. Thankfully I had the foresight today to take it easy because about 1/3 of a mile down the hill my tire blows out and in true tubular-style the tire separates from the wheel just as I awkwardly stop and barely manage to keep my balance. Hmm, not such a great decision to put the CO2 in a few miles back. I quickly change the tire and I pump up the spare tire with my 2nd and final CO2 cartridge. One CO2 is not ideal as it only seems increase the tire pressure to about 70 psi. Normally I’d juice these wheels up to about 140. Although I’d like more air I’ll settle with this as long as it’s holds long enough for me to hobble back to transition and begin my run.

As I saddle up and begin to roll back down the hill I’m overwhelmed with frustration. I’ve spent so much time, money, and energy preparing for today. To have a rogue shard of steel belting kill my bike time really unnerves me. I tell myself that I’m done with Triathlon and I begin thinking about how much I can sell my bike for. After a few minutes of pouting I come to my senses and realize that things could have gone so much worse back on the descent and right now all that really matters is I’m in one piece and I’m still able to finish the bike and hopefully have a killer run. I think about my bike mantra for the day, don’t panic. Totally applicable right now. I was dwelling on the few minutes I lost due to the tire issue, and in doing so I’d lost sight that today’s race is supposed to be fun and I could still accomplish all of my primary goals for the race. My nutrition seems to be on track and although my overall time would probably not be under 5 hours like I had hoped for, I’m still setting myself up to finish the run under a 1:40 split. As I realize of all the good that could still come from today I begin to relax and my HR comes down as the frustration-fueled adrenaline leaves my body. So I’ve dealt with a major setback today, alright. Coming up in a few minutes it’s time to run and no mechanical problems can set me back out there.

As I finish the bike I’ve taken in both of my energy bottles (250 calories each), 1 bottle of water, some Gatorade, and 4 shots of Gu (100 calories each). Total calories consumed during the bike ~900 calories which works out to about 290 calories / hour. Totally within a tolerable range of my goal of 275 calories / hour.

I decelerate into T2 and spot Aim. I shout “flat tire” to her. She replies “I figured”. Oh well, time to put all that behind me and go for a little run. As I leave transition I do a quick check over my body. Legs feel good, GI tract feels fine, not feeling dehydrated, pretty much exactly how I want to be feeling right now. Entering the run course my HR is slightly high as the body begins to adjust from cycling to running. I take the first 3 miles seemingly slow, however at mile marker 3 I check my watch and I see I’m averaging 8:00 pace. This is exactly the speed I wanted to start out at. Awesome. At mile 3.5, the long climb seems much less intimidating than I remember it from last year. I ease up the pace a bit, keep the cadence high and concentrate on enjoying the feeling of passing walker after walker (I was one of these walkers last year) who likely went out too hard on the bike and now paying for their mistake on a few unforgiving climbs. Before I know it the hill is over and I have a nice little ¼ mile descent before the last steep push up to mile 5. Cruising up this section I pass 2 guys, 1 of whom I assume is a motivational speaker because all he’s doing is telling the other guy how beautiful the day is, how great it feels to be out here, how awesome he looks, ect. I chug up the hill and yell back to Mr. Motivation, “I love running in front of you,” as his over-the-top positive talk takes my mind off the hurt of the hill. Mr. Motivation’s partner succumbs to the climb, so the Lord of the Cheer dashes up to catch me. We run together for a little and chat about who we are, what we do, where we live, how are races are going, ect. Well actually he does most of the talking, I just encourage the conversation with a grunt here and there. His name is Boomer and he’s a middle school computer teacher from Paso Robles who has 2 master degrees as well as a wife and young child who opted not to come camping this weekend. I tell Boomer about my flat and he laughs. He actually passed me while I was changing it. He points out how much worse things could have turned out back there and he reminds me not to take disappointments like this too seriously. Boomer is a super cool guy and just who I needed to meet right now. As we begin descend from the climbing section, according to my plan, I begin to squeeze the trigger and turn up my pace. Boomer starts to drop back and he says he can’t hold my speed but he wishes me well. As I pull away he instructs me to “keep spreading the positivity” throughout the rest the race, and I suppose life as well.

I charge away from Boomer I have a ear-to-ear grin on my face, partly because he was such a nice guy who helped me through the tough section of the course, but mostly because at this point I’m feeling in top form and I know I’ve set myself up perfectly rock the final 8 miles of this course. I crank up the pace to what feels like the max effort I can sustain for 8 more miles. Right now I’m on top of the world, I’m passing person after person, and it feels like I’ve finally regained control of my day. I’m locked into a pace that’s tough, but at the same time exhilarating. I’m having so much fun right now because this is the first race where I haven’t totally torched myself on the bike and I actually have the energy, and a stomach, for a solid run. I cruise up a mile or so into the campgrounds where the course passes through a bunch of fan support. Someone yells at me “dude, keep it up you look great.” Damn right I do. I focus on maintaining good form, I keep my strides short and quick, and I do my best to relax my breathing. I cruise past our campsite and all I can think about are the hot dogs we’re going to grill up in an few hours. After our campsite there’s a long, gradual downhill, which is followed by a turn around and then a climb up the exact same hill. As I drop down the scorchingly-hot pavement, the slowly-curving hill seems to never end. While the descent is a welcome break from climbing every stride down only requires another stride of climbing back up. Finally I bottom out and turn around to huff it up the final major climb on the course. As I ascend the never-ending hill Boomer passes me on going the other way and he yells “looking great Max.” This guy is incredible. I’m totally zoned out only thinking about the placement of my next foot while he’s watching other runners and cheering them on.

2 miles to go. 1 mile to go. Finally I’m thundering down the last quad-pounding descent to the finish line. I check my watch and I now know that I’m definitely going to finish the run under my 1:40 goal time. I start flirting with the idea of beating my ½ IM run PR of 1:37.10. Of course I set this PR on a pancake flat course at sea level, but even with all the climbing during today’s run, my race-blurred math tells me that I’m going to be within striking-distance of that time. I push it into my top gear as I round the final turn and enter the finishing chute. I check behind me and there’s no one close so I ease up a bit to take in the moment and relish coming to the end of today’s journey. I see Aim as she cheers me on through the chute. I motion to the crowd to stand up and cheer and I cross the finish line with a huge smile on my face. I’m totally stoked. Today’s race has been by far the most fun race I have ever run, it’s one thing to finish a race and it’s another to finish feeling strong and running fast. While it may be fun to feel like a rock star for an hour or two on the bike, as I did last year, I’ve learned that if I don’t pace myself correctly those efforts can easily reduce my run to a humbling shuffle. This year I conserved enough energy during the bike so I could go out and kill the run. Although my overall time, including the time it took to change the flat, was only 4 minutes faster than last year I feel like I was about an hour faster and more importantly I had so much more fun on the course. There’s no better way to finish a race. I’m also pleased with my nutrition plan as it worked perfectly for the run, I had a bite of PowerGel and a sip of water at about 5 aid stations (~200 calories total) and a little Gatorade at all the other aid stations.

I find Aim and she seems both happy and sad for me. Happy because she knows what a great run I had, sad because she knows how much better my bike and overall time could have been. I remind her that despite the flat I’m still in 1 piece, I’ve proven to myself that I am capable of finishing a triathlon like I’m and not just a swimmer / cyclist who can shuffle through a run, and most importantly I had a ton of fun on the run. We wait for Chris to come in, and he has an awesome finish. I’m amazed by how strong he looks. We all meet up and we mull around for a little with wet towels draped over our heads debriefing each other on our days. Chris had an incredible race, especially for a first timer on such a difficult course. It may be early for him to already be planning his next long-course tri, but he chooses to do so he definitely has a lot of potential in this sport. As we head down to the transition area to gather our stuff we run into Boomer. This guy is like the Energizer Bunny, he just never stops. He’s still brimming with positivity, and it sounds like he had a great finish to his race.

We finally make it back to camp and as we cook the dogs the final stragglers are finishing their runs alongside our campsite. It’s obvious that most of these people are really suffering and by this time of day most of the fan support along the course has dwindled down to next-to-nothing. While most of the spectators have retired to the shade there’s still 1 hard-core fan from the campsite next to us out there helping cheer these athletes on. This guy is the complete opposite of the battered and beaten athletes who are trudging along. He’s bouncing up and down the trail encouraging each successive athlete like a kid who had way too much cotton candy. He’s holding something in his hands as he jogs backwards with each racer while chanting, “eye of the tiger, eye of the tiger, you are the eye of the tiger.” We figure out what he’s holding mini speakers most likely connected to an iPod in his pocket. This guy is hilarious, he’s out there in the late afternoon heat rocking out to Eye of the Tiger cheering every last competitor on. You’d think he’d do this for about 10 minutes then take a break, but he’s relentless as he keeps this up for a solid hour. Although his constant chanting is a bit exhausting to watch, it’s great to see someone so amped up to help out a complete stranger achieve their goal.

Next morning we rise early to pack up our gear and get out of Dodge before the roads shut down for the Olympic-distance race. On the drive to San Clemente I reflect on my race and I’m really pleased with how things went. Although the flat was disappointing, I did manage to achieve all of my race goals aside from finishing under 5 hours. The main thing I would do differently next go around is push my bike pace slightly harder. I’m glad I took things easy enough so I had some energy left for the run, but I think I could have gone a bit harder and still have had the legs for a great run. I think my slow bike pacing may have been due to my heavy reliance on HR data early on in the bike instead of trusting how my body felt. The big positives I see coming from today are: 1) my nutrition plan worked perfectly, and 2) I proved to myself that I’m capable of a great post-bike run. In most races to-date my swim is the strongest leg of a race, followed closely by the bike, with the run being comparatively much slower. Today my run was my strongest leg, followed closely by the swim, and the bike was much weaker, but a good portion of the slow bike time was due to the tire issues.

All in all it was an awesome weekend. I had a good race, everyone had a fun time, and I was able to share a few memorable days with 2 of my favorite people in the world. Now I’m off to buy a new set of tires for CDA. Until next time.

-Maxwell

Results
Overall : 176th (1755)
Age Group : 24th (166)

Time : 5:18:33 (28:42, 3:08:44, 1:37:16)

2005 Full Vineman

2005-08-13T14:27:00.001-06:00

It’s finally time to pony up and try a full Iron-distance race. I decided to do Vineman because it was rated high by Inside Triathlon and it didn’t require that I register 364 days in advance. I also thought the relatively small field of entrants would be a ideal setting to try my first IM as it would reduce the likelihood of me getting too competitive on the bike and wasting myself before the run.

Coming into the race I was injure-free, fully tapered, rested, and ready to go. Big thank you here to my coach Kevin for guiding me through an awesome training regimen. I thought I would have been so much more nervous for my first IM, but surprisingly I was generally confident about the race and my ability to have a strong day. I think because Vineman was not a Kona qualifier, it had a relatively small field of entrants, and because I didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself to post a specific result, all really helped me to relax in the weeks leading up to the race. This is not to say I didn’t have specific goals, only that I was cautious of putting too much pressure on a specific time or result as an IM is a long day and being a virgin I was more concerned with enjoying the day and pacing myself well enough to finish with a strong marathon. 26.2 miles is a long way to run if you’re “not feeling up to it.”

My main goals are: one, to post a sub-hour swim. I was fairly confident that I should be able to do this. Two, a 5:30 bike (avg. aped of 20.3). I liked this time and it seemed like a reasonable goal. Three, a 3:30 marathon (8 minute miles). If I nailed all of these goals I should come in around 10 hours which would be a solid showing for the Vineman course, much less my first attempt at the IM distance.

Aim and I flew out to SFO on Thursday and it took most of the afternoon to pickup the rental car and drive up to our hotel in Santa Rosa. After checking-in we had enough time to unpack, eat dinner, pick up some groceries, and go to bed by 9. Friday morning we woke up at 6, packed up the car with gear, and drove down to the swim start. Vineman is a point-to-point race meaning that it started at one location and finished at another, requiring two separate transition areas. T1/start line was located at a Johnson’s Beach along the Russian River. T2/finish line was at Windsor High School about 15 miles north-east of T1.

The drive down to Johnson’s Beach was beautiful. Morning fog sat heavy and low throughout the winding valley. We parked in town, I did a quick ride and run, then we headed down to the beach for a little swim. I thought the water might be a bit too warm for a full wetsuit so I brought along my buddy’s sleeveless suit. The water was perfect. Smooth, hardly any current, not too warm, and low enough in the valley that even if there’s not a morning fog the sun shouldn’t disturb my sighting.

After the swim we left to drive the bike course which was a 2 lap format winding through some spectacular wine country. Although the course was beautiful it was also super windy and rolling, meaning that I better pay attention to the road and not just the scenery, so I don’t end up face first in a Pinot vine. None of the climbs on the bike were too steep or long, but the course was just so undulating I knew it would be hard to lock in at a steady pace for any substantial amount of time. The run course was more of the same. It was a 3-lap out-and-back format that included a few descent climbs. Fortunately it zig-zaged enough so you were never looking more than about a quarter mile up-road at any time. I liked this run course. The 3 lap format broke the marathon down into manageable segments, and there was enough shade to keep things cool on a warn afternoon.

After previewing the course we returned to the hotel where I took a nap while Aim relaxed down by the pool. Around 5 we headed over to packet pickup where I saw Nicole DeBoom at the race expo. I had introduced myself to her at Ralph’s earlier this year so I went over to reintroduce myself. She was super cool, as usual. I thought about telling her how I was going to be her new training buddy as Aim and I are moving to Boulder, but I think I’ll save that for next time she and I meet. Aim and I then headed over to T2 to drop off my run gear. We grabbed a quick dinner, I prepped my bike for the race and off to bed by 9.

Next morning came early, 2:30 am. I had slept reasonably soundly that night, thanks to a top notch AC system in the room. I downed 4 Ensures, a banana, and a Cliff Bar (1350 calories). I relaxed in bed for about 30 minutes then took a nice long shower to try to wake my body up. Quick cup of coffee to help encourage the digestive process to empty out. I was planning on eating another Cliff Bar but I felt full enough so I skipped it. Left the hotel to drive down to T1 at 4:45 and we arrive around 5:15. Not thinking (I tend to not think more than I would like) I started to ride around the car without my helmet on. I could have easily been disqualified from the race for doing this, so thank god Aim stopped me before a race official nailed me. Down to T1 to setup the bike on the rack, go to the port-a-potty a final 2 times (race nerves) and then out in the water for a quick warm up. I decided to go with the full wetsuit as the water was not overly warm and I figured I could use the added buoyancy.

6:45 was approaching quickly so I lined up next to the start buoy and psyched myself up for an awesome day. Still pretty calm, mostly just excited about becoming an IM. Boom! The gun goes off and the under-35 men begin a long day of fun. Starting out on the swim one guy led out pretty quick. I was a bit behind him with a few other boys and most of the pack was losing ground to us quickly. I decided to let the quick boys have their fun and instead settle into my own rhythm. I know you’re supposed to grab onto some fast feet, but I’m usually more comfortable swimming my own pace/line so I locked in a strong but steady rhythm. The fog was heavy so there was absolutely no sun impeding the swim. The water could not have been more flat. Totally perfect conditions. The river was narrow enough that it was easy to sight off the banks so I kept really good lines throughout each lap.

Lap 1 was nice and quick. At the turnaround I was alone, perhaps a minute or two behind the guy in front of me and I figured I was definitely top 10 in my wave. I’m psyched. I’m feeling strong, smooth and I don’t really feel like I’m exerting all that much energy. I like my pace so I hold steady for the next lap. Finishing up lap 2 I see no one in front of me and I pull up to the swim exit to find a descent crowd there cheering me on. I see Aim, I give her a big smile and I look down at my watch, 57 minutes. Awesome! 3 minutes under my goal pace is a perfect way to start the day. Quick change for the bike. The sun’s still not out but the air feels warm enough so I decide not to bring my arm warmers out with me.

Heading out onto the bike feeling awesome. I remember to relax and not lose my head 1 hour into the day. 2 miles outside town I hit a bump in the road, one that I actually ran over the pervious day in my pre-race ride. Dumb. A 750 calorie bottle ejects from my seat carrier and I just about end my day early as I almost crash trying to loop back and pickup the bottle. I could have ditched it and picked up my spare at the special needs area halfway through the bike but I decided to spend the minute now and not chance something going wrong 2 hours from now.

I finally settle my heart rate down to around 130 and drink some water to relax my system. I can see one cyclist about a third of a mile ahead of me, as I remind myself not to get too competitive. I keep thinking, ‘marathon, marathon, marathon.’ This seems to work really well to keep my pace sustainable. The first 15 miles of the bike are really rolling and winding. I manage to keep my heart rate controlled and both bottles in the cages behind my seat.

A week prior to Vineman Aim and I went up to Boulder to watch the 5430 ½ Ironman, as we had a few friends racing there. At one point I was watching a girl finish the first lap of her run and I heard the announcer say, “looking great, only one more to go.” To this the girl replied, “I can do one of anything.” This really resonated with me and I decided to use it as my mantra for Vineman. One Ironman, one marathon, one more lap, one more mile, one more aid station, one more of whatever I need to do to get to the finish line, I can do one of anything.

Anyway, the first lap of the bike went well. I see Aim as I cruise by T2 heading out onto lap 2. Only one more lap to go, ‘I can do one of anything’. I managed to average 20.3 through the first lap. Perfect, right on my target pace. About ½ way through the second lap around mile 80 my body starts to tell me it’s time to stop. My quads were beginning to scream and my body wanted to call it a day. The next 30 miles I have to focus all my energy on looking up-road. I can tell I’m starting to fade as I almost run my bike off the road a few times.

Finish the bike in 5:37. Solid time. 7 minutes off goal pace is close enough for me today. Totals for nutrition consumed are: a bottle and a half of my energy mix (1050 calories), 2.5 bottles of Gatorade (300 calories), 4 shots of gel (400 calories) and about 19 salt tabs. I’m not feeling too bloated or hungry and surprisingly my legs are actually looking forward to the change from cycling to running. Not dreading a marathon is a very good thing for me right now. T2 is quick and I don’t really think at all. Shoes off, shoes on, grab visor, race belt, and head on out to the course. I see Aim as I leave and I give her a thumbs up to let her know I’m in good spirits and feeling well. I do this because I might be hurting after lap 1 or 2 and I’m going to need to have her pumped up to help carry me through the rest of the run.

3 laps is a great way to run a marathon. My legs are actually feeling really solid right now and I think my 3:30 goal is super attainable. I try to lock in a 8 minute pace as I cruise through the first lap. I get an occasional side stitch, but nothing too pronounced and I’m able to run through all digestive pain.

Lap 2 is a bit tougher. My GI tract really starts to bunch up at this point. I slow down a bit to about an 8:30 pace. Still not too bad. I’m grabbing water at every aid station and dumping it on my head which is keeping me nice and cool. Taking small amounts of Gatorade every other aid station to keep some fluids in my body. I pass 2 ladies doing the ½ Iron race and I say, “looking good ladies.” They reply, “screw off” (said in the nicest way possible). I take the hint that they’re in more pain than I’m in and this cheers me up. On lap 2 I start to notice that there’s a shirtless guy running about a mile to two behind me and he looks to be keeping a quicker pace than I am. The competitor inside me wants nothing more than to beat this guy, partly because I hate getting beat but mostly because he’s not wearing a top. The reality of my digestive pain tells me that it and not my competition is going to dictate my finish time today.

I finish lap 2 and I’m feeling like total crap. One more lap to go, I can do one of anything. Time to become an IM. Nothing is getting in my way now. I start to take in cola at every other aid station. This seems to only increase my digestive pain which is already about an 11 out of 10. I feel like I’m more shuffling than I’m running. I see 2 guys which I’ve been playing leap frog with for the last hour. As they pass me I latch on to have them pull me through my final lap. They ask me what lap I’m on, they’re only on their 2nd, so of course they’re a bit jealous of me at this point. I spend most of the 1st half of this lap trying to suppress the wrenching, twisting pain that is devouring my digestive system. I try to focus all of my concentration on watching my foot placement. The last thing I need right now is to twist my ankle and DNF. I will finish this race strong.

I hit the final turnaround and IM is only a bit over 4 miles away. The lure of the finish line seems to mask my stomach pain and my pace quickens back to about 8:30. Shirtless-boy is still a good bit behind so I figure if I can keep a steady pace I should finish ahead of him. Time to get competitive. I see the final aid station, only 1 mile to go. I flush a final cup of water down the back of my head and start to realize that I’m not just going to finish my first IM, but I’m going to finish it strong. I make the turn into the finish area and instead of entering the loop-around to head out on another lap, I charge into the finishing chute. Wow, this is totally awesome. I hear the announcer say, “whoa, who’s this we have here… looks like Max Lawler from… Colorado.” The crowd is cheering me on, Aim is running through the people trying to stay next to me and I’m about to finish IM! It’s an awesome feeling to endure and IM, come to the finish line feeling like you had the best day you could have had, and hear the announcer say your name. All my pain is gone, I’m only feeling pure exhilaration and happiness.

Unless you’re an IM or you live with one, you may not understand all that it takes to get to the finish line of one of these events. For me it was 7 ½ months of training consisting of 150 miles in the pool, 2968 miles on the bike, and 681 miles of running. The total of 400 hours of training over 7 ½ months is really not a ridiculous amount of time, but on top of a full-time job, grad school, and life, it’s a lot, trust me. I cannot say thank you enough to Aim. She has endured all of this, traveled with me, motivated me, made sure I’m always fed and taken care of, and consistently been my biggest supporter. She is every bit as much of this race as I am. I owe so much to her, I love her, and I’m so happy to be able to share this moment with her.

I cross the finish line. I feel like death. I have no energy and I can barely stand up. I see Aim. She rushes over to me and hugs me. I can’t believe it’s over. Man, how do people do more than one of these in a year? That was most definitely the most draining day of my life thus far, but its also been the most rewarding journey I’ve ever been on. Over the past 8 months I’ve learned so much about myself, my priorities, and about how I want to live my life. In addition to the awesome physical shape my body is in, I believe I’ve gained so much mental clarity. 10 years ago I never would have imagined I’d finish an IM someday. Now I can’t wait to start training again for my next season. I feel like I’ve only begun to tap an enormous well of strength and determination deep inside myself. IM is not for everyone, but I truly hope that every person has the chance to experience what I’m feeling right now at least once in their life. It’s not everyday that we push our body, mind and spirit to our limit. I feel like I realized my potential of today in this race.

I ended up finishing the run in 3:49, 19 minutes off my goal pace. Next time I’m definitely going to go under 3:30, but as for today I’m super pleased with my results. I ended up getting 5th overall in the race (1st and 2nd place were both pros) and I won my age group. Now this race only had about 200 participants, but regardless it is kind of cool to do relatively well in my first try at IM. Regardless of how I placed, most importantly I feel like I left everything I had out on the course and I couldn’t of had a better day. For me place is only relative to the strength of your competition. I can finish 1st or 200th, what matters most to me is how I feel about my race. A good race is not determined by how well I do compared to a slew of other men, rather it’s how I dealt with the challenges of the day, how I treated the volunteers, competitors and spectators, and how much I enjoyed the experience. If I’m not having fun out there, why am I waking up at 4:30 to train? I believe we only have one shot at this life so we have to make the most of the time we have.

While I’m racing I occasionally remind myself that this is the moment I been working so hard for. I’ve put so much time and energy into preparing for today that I think it’s important for me to reflect on why I love to do this (5 ½ hours on the bike, there’s plenty of time to think like this). I do IM because I love everything about it. I love the clarity it brings me. I love the thoughts I have while watching the sun rise before work at 5:30 on a weekday morning as I ride north of Boulder. I love the person I am becoming. I love the point during a workout when I think I must be breathing pure Oxygen because I feel like I’m on top of the world. I love the purpose and definition that I’ve now added to my life. I love charging up Fremont Pass 90 miles into a ride simply because I cannot let my body succumb to the pain. I love how much more I appreciate the special people I have in my life.

Most of all I love sharing my experiences with Aim. She is simply the best. Every time I finish a workout she’s always there for me to call to tell her how, this workout was, “the best workout of my life” (I tend to have a lot of these best workouts). She’s there every day when I’m browsing the Internet and I call her to tell her how I know I can qualify for Hawaii next year. She’s there at every finish line to listen me tell her about all these minute details of the experience. She’s brought consistency and stability into my life and empowered me to become who I am today.

I was talking to my coach Kevin the day after the race. I told him about how I came up with my mantra of ‘I can do one of anything.’ He replied to me, “I think you can take that thought a step further, I think you can do two of anything.” Now that’s what I call a great coach. Bring on Coeur d’ Alene in 2006, I can do two of anything.

A surfing documentary movie I really love, Laird, has the quote (as close as I can remember it) “individually we each could have had many good days, but together we’ve all had so many great days.” Thank you Aim for being my partner through this journey, this was one of those great days.

-Maxwell

Results
Overall : 5th (192)
Age Group : 1st (14)

Time : 10:27:55 (57:45, 5:37:00, 3:49:08)

2005 Ralph's California 1/2 Ironman

2005-03-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

After sacrificing much of 2004 to injuries and family business I came out in 2005 gunning for an epic season. I hooked up with Kevin Konczak at D3 Multisport to help guide me through a full load of races, including my first Ironman. I decided to start training with Kevin on January 1st and right away we began preparing for my first race of the season, Ralph’s California ½ Ironman. I choose Ralph’s for several reasons. One, it was put on by Ironman North America and I was eager to do an Hawaii qualifier put on but such a reputable organization. Two, Oceanside, the host city of the race, is only about 20 minutes south of San Clemente where 2 of my best friends live. Three, since the race is a Hawaii qualifier there should be a top-notch field there. I was eager to go up against the best in the sport to see how I size up.

Kevin had me start out my training fairly light and I think this has paid off, as I’m injury free to date. Leading up to the race much of my cycling had to be done on the trainer. Thank god for the TDF DVD set I bought. Those DVDs made my 90-minute trainer sessions bearable and even somewhat enjoyable. As for the running I really felt like I had good form, although this is definitely my weakness so I always need work here. My swimming has never felt so strong. The week before the race I did a taper set that my masters coach gave me. 20 x 100’s on 1:30. I was supposed to hold an even comfortable pace throughout the set. I did it holding 1:13 – 1:15/100 pace. This felt so awesome and it left me super confident going into Ralph’s. As for the bike I was very eager to see what I could do. I just bought my new Guru tri bike only about a month prior to the race and I wanted to see what all the hype about tri bikes was about. I had only a handful of training rides on the Guru but I had already fallen in love with her after a chilly ascent up Left Hand Canyon. I knew she was fast and I was hoping I would be equally as quick.

Going into the race I had several goals. Most importantly I wanted to enjoy the race and maintain a positive attitude no matter what happens throughout the day. I also wanted to beat my previous swim and run splits from the Arizona ½ I did last fall. More specifically I wanted to do a sub-30 minute swim and a sub-1:38 minute run. On the bike I wanted to finish feeling like I pushed myself, because in Arizona last year I was a bit too reliant on my heart rate monitor and in hind sight I feel like I could have pushed my bike leg much harder. For a finish time I wasn’t sure what to expect due to the 3000+ feet of climbing on the bike course. I was confident that I should be able to go somewhere under 5 hours.

I left Wednesday afternoon to go out to SoCal and on my way out the DIA I stopped by Bicycle Village to pick up my freshly glued wheels. After spending a solid hour at the airport parking lot packing my bike into the travel case I was off. I was a nervous wreck during the flight as I had all too many thoughts about lost baggage running through my head. After arriving out in Orange County I assembled my baby and took her out for a test. Now this was my first ride on the Zipp tubular wheels. Man they’re fast, no they’re ridiculous. I now know why the company is named Zipp Speed Weaponry. These wheels are freaking speed weapons. I intend to use these weapons to attack the bike course.

For final preparations I did a couple ocean swims and a few runs in the days before the race. At this point I’m completely confident about my abilities, the biggest unknown now is the race day weather. The forecast says it’s going to be rainy and cold. This will be alright for the run but it could get a bit chilly on the bike. All I can do is wait and see what happens.

On the day before the race Chris, Aim and I went down to Oceanside for registration and to scout out the course. The expo was pretty cool. I met Nicole DeBoom, as she’s friend of a girl I work with and her friend asked me to say hello to her. I spoke with Nicole a little about the race and what she was planning to wear to deal with the weather. She was a super cool girl and she advised me to just go with arm warmers. This sounded like a great plan. I was really impressed with Nicole’s positive attitude. She didn’t seem phased at all with the pending weather and instead said, “well, it’s warmer than it is in Colorado.” I liked this train of thought and it really put me at ease with the whole weather situation.

Next to registration and out to scout out the course. The registration line was super long but the people watching here was second to none. Chris, Aim and I were checking out everyone, their calves, their gear and their attitude. For people who have not been to a tri, the atmosphere surrounding these events is so fresh and positive it’s incredible. This energy is so addictive. Tri is absolutely the best sport ever. After registration we walked through the transition area so I knew where I’d rack the bike and where the entrances and exits were. In looking over the swim course I began to realize just how long 1.2 miles really is. There’s a reason this swim will take about a half-hour. We couldn’t drive the bike course, as it was almost all on Camp Pendelton, so we instead drove the run. This is a 2-lap course and just driving 1 lap of the out and back course shows you exactly how long 13.1 miles are. After all that, it’s was time to go home and rest up for tomorrow.

Back at Chris and Brooke’s place I watched a stage from my TDF DVD set and I got super pumped for the race. I had a ton of stuff to do after dinner. Chris, Brooke and Aim were all a huge help in getting everything ready to go. After setting 5 different alarms I was in bed at 10 and I fell sound asleep.

Next morning Aim and I woke up at a cool 2:30. The weather was chilly and very wet. It wasn’t raining as much as the sky was more in a state of a constant drip and this moisture combined with an ocean breeze to make for a chilly morning. I figured at least everyone’s in the same boat so I’ll find a way to use the weather to my advantage. I took a shower, drank down a quick cup of coffee and ate a Cliff Bar. I prepared all of my energy bottles, got dressed and did a final run through of the gear I was bringing with me. Chris woke up at 3:30 and at 4 am we left to drive down. Funny thing on the way down, both Chris and Aim told me they slept like crap, as they were nervous about me sleeping through the race. I slept like a baby. I thought, “I sure have been blessed as a sound sleeper and I definitely have the best friends ever.”

When we arrived down in Oceanside we were one of the first people there. We parked in a super close-in space and I dialed into my voice mail to check on the message Benny Boy left me the night before. For all 3 of my races up to this point Ben has been my voice of inspiration as he’s left me motivational messages each night prior to a race. His message for Ralph’s was awesome. He spoke about my preparation and about how it’s time to do it up. Ben was out in Chicago celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and in his message he told me how during his time out there he found a new respect for the Irish culture. This made me think about my late grandmother. I felt like her spirit was there with me that day and with her help I knew nothing could go wrong. Ben closed the message reminding me that I’m from Colorado and we know how to do things out there. He stirred up a little emotion in me and I had both Chris and Aim listen to the message. This emotion totally focused me in on what I needed to do so we decided to brave the cold and go setup my transition. The walk in was chilly, windy and drizzling. Not ideal race conditions but at this point I had to focus on my race and let the weather be what it would.

I scored the prime bike slot at the end of the rack and I setup my transition towel. With the rain I left a plastic bag over my stuff to try to keep it as dry as possible. Gradually it began to get light out, although it way too cloudy to see the sun. Race time neared. The scene was awesome. 1800 people getting ready to embark on journey to test their endurance and spirit while the organizers were pumping the sounds of Enya and John Mayer over the transition area.

I slipped into my wetsuit and did the long walk over to the start. My wave was directly behind the Pro Men and Pro Women’s. Just before we entered the water it started raining pretty hard. My god I was cold. I took down a Hammer Gel and I was the first one into the water for my wave. To my surprise the water was much warmer than the air. I guess the water in the harbor is a little warmer than the open ocean. I positioned myself at the front outside of the wave so I could get out quick and hopefully I would avoid getting beaten up in the chaos that is the swim start.

Soon enough the gun sounds and the race is on. I really didn’t have to fight off anyone during the start. I settled into my pace that I felt I could hold or the next 30 minutes. At first I felt like I was getting passed by guy after guy, but I remained focused on swimming my race and not stressing out about what anyone else was doing. On the way out I did a fairly good job at staying on course. As I neared the turnaround, the surf became much choppier and I was eager to start heading back towards the transition area. I turned the buoy and I was home free. About halfway back the leading men from the 30-34 wave passed me (I could tell by the color of their caps) but I kept my focus and soon enough I saw spectators as I neared the swim exit ramp.

I exited and as I ran to my bike I passed by a long string of women waiting to enter the water to begin their race. The rain had stopped to a slow drip and I decided to ride with a vest and arm warmers. When I came up to my bike Aim, Brooke, and Chris spotted me immediately. It was so awesome to hear my friends shouting my name as I hurriedly put on my bike gear. I mounted up the bike and headed out to the course. I did have a little difficulty putting on the arm warmers while I was riding. The bike course was wet so I made sure to take the corners slow. The first few miles winded through an urban area of the base and I kept my pace to a moderate level. I finished the first energy bottle after about 30 minutes and as I reached back to grab my second I realized I had lost it somewhere in the first 10 miles or so. Oh well. I picked up a Gatorade bottle at aid station 1 and turned up the speed as I had a slight tail wind and the next 10 miles were relatively flat and fast. I knew this section well as I ridden it a few times last Thanksgiving when I was out visiting Chris and Brooke. As I powered through San Onofre State Park I imagined that my bike was a missile which I was strapped to. I felt like I was freaking flying through this section of the course. Perhaps in hindsight I took it out a bit too fast but it sure was fun while it lasted. I averaged around 27 MPH through this section. I was fast and I felt great. I passed several of the pro women through here; this was some great motivation to keep up the effort level.

I entered San Clemente and the course took an easterly turn into the mountains on Camp Pendelton. As the climbing started a few people passed me and this pissed me off. Initially I tried to hold their pace then my legs quickly told me better. From here on out I decided to ride my own race and not worry about other peoples paces. After a bunch of rollers, Dead Man’s curve, and 2 steep climbs I began to work my way back to Oceanside. I had heard stories about the hills on the course and I had some doubts that they’d be as steep as they sounded. The people weren’t wrong and there were definitely 3 steep climbs on the course. I was impressed with the climbing ability of the other athletes out there. I feel like I’m a strong climber and it was tough work to keep up with some of the people out there.

At about mile 40 I rode through an aid station staffed by Marines. This aid station was incredible. For one it was right next to a Marine AirField that was loaded with so many helicopters I had a hard time keeping my eyes on the road. As I blazed though the aid station there were no other athletes near me and I had about 40 Marines screaming at the top of their lungs at me. This was incredible. I feel like I had a tiny taste of the camaraderie members of our Armed Services experience. Thanks so much to those boys as they gave me a huge boost of energy to push through the final 15 miles of the ride.

The final stretch was relatively flat with a slight headwind. I passed another 2 pro women and I made the final descent into the transition harbor. Aim, Brooke and Chris were all there cheering me on as I glided down the finishing chute. Transition 2 was quick. I ditched the vest and arm warmers and headed out onto the course.

Immediately into the run I noticed that my legs felt awesome. I thought, “my god what’s going on?” I quickly realized what a huge difference the tri bike frame makes going into the run. In fact, the first mile of my run was the quickest of the race at 7:02. As I entered the run course the pro men were just starting their second lap on the run so some really quick boys were passing me. My legs were quick but this is not to say that they did not hurt. Every step was painful and I wanted to do nothing but lie down and fall asleep. Whenever my mind would wander into thinking about the pain, I'd bring it back to a happy place by thinking about my friends at the finish line. I'd think about everyone who has helped me get to this day, and I was able to find reserves of positive energy that carried me through the run. As I approached aid station 1 I remembered reading about how a lot of pro athletes drink Coke at the aid stations. As I watched a pro man in front of me take a Coke I grabbed one too. Coke has never tasted so good in my life. Every aid station thereafter I grabbed a water dumped it down my back then took a Coke and drank about ½ a cup. I was still carrying my fuel belt and I had a gel flask in my hand. The drink in my bottles did not taste anywhere as good as the coke and since I knew that Aim would be at the turnaround after lap 1 and I decided to ditch the belt with her.

Coming back on lap 1 I passed Nicole DeBoom and shouted out “Jlo”. She looked around then recognized me and gave me a shout out. Pretty cool. Then as I was running I began to wonder why I had just shouted Jlo at a girl named Nicole. In my state of mind I couldn’t figure it out but I later realized that since her friend Jen told me to tell her “Jlo says hi”. Somehow that translated into me calling one of the top pro women triathletes in the world Jlo during the race. After the race Nicole actually sent an email to her friend saying that she thought I was awesome as I was her biggest fan out there and it pumped her up when I shouted out Jlo on the course. Apparently she was not thinking straight either.

Back to the race. As I came into the turnaround I spotted Aim, Brooke and Chris. Seeing them all jumping up and down screaming my name was nothing less than awesome. This juiced me up on energy and I threw my fuel belt to Aim and headed out on lap 2. During the second half of the run all I could think about as I passed people, who I could tell were clearly on their first lap, was “thank god I’m not you.” I was so ready to de done with the run. My legs were screaming. I think I was averaging about a 7:30 pace. At this point I didn’t want to think about how far I had left so I broke up the run into 1-mile segments. Instead of thinking I had 6 miles left when I would look down at my watch I would see that I only had 3 more minutes to go until the end of this mile. Breaking up the run into 13 manageable segments totally worked to keep me motivated and focused. Neither this nor Coke were planned but they were both crucial parts to my race that day.

As I neared mile 13 I passed through the turnaround point and I was on the homestretch. This felt great. I was looking for anyone in front of me with a 25 – 29 on their calf. No one in sight so I decided to just pass as many people as I could even through they weren’t in my age group. About 20 yards from the finish I saw all my friends, Martinez, Julie, Wright, Nate Dogg, Aim, Brooke, and Mackenzie all together cheering me on. It was incredible to see so many of my very best friends there supporting me. As I crossed the finish line I did what I’m sure was a super cheesy glory scream. The volunteers wrapped me in a space blanket and I shoved 2 slices of cold pizza down my throat as fast as possible. I saw Chris looking for me and I met up with all of my friends. This was definitely the best part of the race. Sharing this moment with my best friends is what I will always remember. I’m so lucky to have such great people in my life.
It was raining so we all quickly cleared out to go home and take a nap.

All in all it was a great race and I’m really pleased with my performance. I accomplished my swim and run goals, I pushed it on the bike and I finished the race under 5 hours. Most importantly I didn’t let the weather interfere with my race plans. I believe positive attitudes are critical for all successes in life. I’m really pleased with how I was able to put the weather out of my mind and focus all of my concentration on the race.

Over the past year or so through my training and the sport of triathlon I’ve learned so much about myself and about life in general. I look back at picture my mom took of me at my first “bike race” when I was about 10. In the picture I’m a typical dorky 5th grader, but more importantly I’m a young boy full of optimism and promise. I think there is something so special about the spirit of children and I never want to lose my ability to tap into my reservoir of youthful energy. Occasionally, when I have a long day at work and upon coming home I want to be lazy on the couch instead of driving to the pool for a 4,000 yard workout I think of the 10 year-old boy in the picture and the innocent smile reminds me why I spend almost all of my free time, in one form or another, training. I constantly need to go find the energy of that 10 year-old boy. Every time I climb into Ward, I set a new swim TT PR, I do a 4 am 16 mile run, or I finish a ½ Ironman I find that spirit.

In looking back at the race, I think the coolest thing I remember is the perseverance you witness at an event like this. After I hung out with my friends following the race I went into the transition area to pack up my gear. At this point we’re over 5 hours out from the start of most of the field. Here I see person after person just finishing their bike leg beginning to roll out to the run course. Thinking back on this moment and others like this, I realize that for some people simply finishing this race will be the biggest accomplishment of their life. More importantly, all the athletes competing on this day are putting forth their best possible performance. It’s so awesome to be able to witness so many people in their moment of personal greatness, whether that’s a 5-hour or 9-hour finish. Here time’s of no importance, but rather it’s the sense of accomplishment each competitor gains from their own performance. I said that the atmosphere at these events is addictive and this is why. It’s a beautiful thing to see so many people in their moment.

In preparing for this race I know I could not have done this alone. I’m thankful to my grandmother whose spirit is always with me, especially in this race. I’m grateful to my coach, my family, and all my friends. Most of all Aim, Brooke and Chris who all 3 braved the rain and cold all day to cheer me on at the race. Special thanks to Aim who has constantly has endured adjusting our lives to my weekly training schedules. She has consistently been my biggest supporter, she listens to my endless rambling about my training/new bike/swim TT/ect., even when most everyone else would tune me out. She has helped me in so many ways that no one else witnesses. She is an incredible person and I’m truly grateful for her love and support. When I race she is every bit as much a part of the event as I am.

Thank you to all the incredible people in my life. I am so fortunate to have such positive and supportive friends. Each one of you means so much to me.

-Maxwell

Results
Overall : 151st (1885)
Age Group : 28th (199)

Time : 4:53:36 (29:26, 2:40:34, 1:37:10)